Gap

Eventually I think you'll be able to vote for her on the Disney Family website, Gap casting call thing. I just don't know when, as the entries that I submitted aren't showing up yet. Not my usual thing to be entering her in contests but we thought a Gap photo shoot might be fun for her...oh yeah and there is a chance to win a trip to the Bahamas.

Let Me Call You Back...

YOU Talking To ME?

Hop To It

Panda Land

Rather than filling our house with tons of gifts that would more than likely find their way to a charity within a year or two, Josh and I decided that it would be more enriching to take Ava somewhere every year for Christmas and/or her birthday. (Besides, between us we have three families and she is likely to be an only child, so I don't see her ever lacking in the toy or clothing department). We did get her the rocking panda (which my dad trumped with a rocking horse that shakes its tail and makes clomping noises... I will post a video of her on it once I learn how to transfer it from Josh's phone), but our real present to her was a trip to the zoo. We decided that Josh's birthday this past weekend would be the perfect excuse for me turn off my cell phone and for us to get away, if only for the day. (We couldn't have chosen a more beautiful weekend...the weather was perfect!). I was concerned that she would be too young to really enjoy it, but thankfully she has inherited my love for being outside in vegetation covered glory and both of our curiosity for new things. She loved it!

And while she foud new animals to intrigue and excite her (elephants, giraffes, monkeys, and meerkats), pandas are still the king of her forest. When she saw them , she pointed at them, then made kissing noises and patted her thigh. Based on recent reports of pandas "greeting" trespassers to their lair, I think it is probably better that they continued with their lounging and bamboo eating, but she was so excited! As you can see, she choose a newer, bigger stuffed panda from the gift shop (we named him Gou Gou-sp? aka "Big Big" after the male panda that was there), then abondoned him when she got home and saw old Panda.

Drunken Penguin

Although she looks like a cross between a drunken sailor and a penguin as she ambles along, Ava is officially walking! She does best when she is barefoot, carrying something (especially if it is a toy for one of the dogs), and/or trying to get one of the dogs to give her a kiss, but no one can stop her now! In other related "All Ava All The Time" News:

* She is descending stairs without trying to slide down face first, thanks to Monday afternoons spent with my mom, and she can pretty much feed herself with a spoon or fork, although the resulting mess is often reminiscent of Jackson Pollack.

*She pats her leg whenever she sees a dog or a cat and calls them "Tys". Everything else she has taken to calling "dada", including me (unless she is upset, then I get a drawn out, mournful "maaama").

*She loves giving kisses and has perfected her style from open mouth wet ones to fish faced loud ones.

*She likes music, Black Eyed Peas (or any fraction thereof) especially, and tries to snap her fingers when she dances. Who does that?! My mom. Think Earth, Wind, and Fire, 1978, Banning High. And just for the record, Barack and Michelle Obama dance like that too. So was it the "Ellen" segments or my mom's influence? Either way, she has also added a little bit of a butt shake to the mix (unless we are in the car, at which times she just puts an arm on her armrest, leans to one side and bobs her head, low rider style. I blame Josh for that one, as it is about the only way he can dance).

*She pretends to talk on the phone by resting the phone on her shoulder, she likes putting her "O" shaped toys on her wrist, she enjoys carrying purses, bags, or totes (she even opens the closet to get to them), and she tries to put on my shoes (and already has her favorite pairs). I'll take the blame on those ones...at least I don't snap when I dance, unless I am doing a weak Flamenco attempt.

Now if only we could get her to slow down long enough to sleep...