The Nutcracker

This past weekend we headed to Nashville to see The Nutcracker at TPAC. Ava has been wanting to go since last Christmas. Of course, she loved it. It really was a great performance.

During intermission she just had to have a Sprite. She rocked it like a baby.

Out front hailing a cab. Brrrrrrrrrrr. It was cold!

Right before kickoff...I mean curtain.

Before the show, we had dinner with Kathy, Wayne, and Coleman at this really cute pizzaria named Pie in the Sky.

This gingerbread village was in the lobby of our hotel. Ava just loved it (and of course, wanted to eat it).

Princesses on Ice

We took Ava to see Disney's Princesses on Ice Friday night. She had a blast. All of her favorite characters so close. She loved the cotten candy! She was skipping around the arena and loving all the princess merchandise.

Here she is at the end waving bye to all of the princesses (notice the blue cotten candy residue all over her face and hands, and yes, she is wearing her cinderella dress).

Thanksgiving

We had Thanksgiving at my Aunt Rose and Uncle Don's house. Of course, the food was fabulous...so stuffed! We had nice weather and sat outside enyoying good company.

Ava enjoyed her food as well (especially on a pink plate!)

The cousins tea party in the playhouse.

All of the fabulous cooks!

Can I Eat It???...please???

Ava and I made this beautiful gingerbread house last night. I think even Hansel and Gretel would be drooling! All she has done since then is beg to eat it. We barely had enough icing and candy to finish decorating it.

Chuck E Cheese

We missed Autumn's birthday party yesterday due to the football game, so we met them at ChuckECheese for some fun on her real birthday (and Michael's birthday...that's really why we went). They had a great time playing all the games with each other.

Ava owns the family high score in skeeball believe it or not.

One of her favorites...she wants a real horse at her house!

Some silly game.

Both of these shots made it and got stuck in the net.

What form!

Spider Infestation

Quick...call terminix! Check out the really scary fangs!

Sunday

It's been a rough few weeks with the healing and all. Ava has had a really tough recovery, and thus so have we. She goes back for her post-op Dr's visit on Tuesday, so maybe we are finally reaching the finish line.

T & A

Little baby Ava (aka big girl Ava) had her tonsils and adenoids removed today. She came through pretty well. She pushed her baby doll, Nellie, back to the OR on her stretcher. She didn't cry or even look back at me. They said she did really well going to sleep and was very cooperative and didn't cry a bit. Same report from recovery room. When she got back to the room she told me "I swallowed a sucker". That's a pretty good analogy for a 3 year old. Anyway, we are home now and she is doing pretty well. Getting her to drink is proving to be quite the challenge, though.

Homecoming

We attended Homecoming at MSU. Our friends Amy and Jacob got to join us with their two, Owen and Elizabeth. The three of them had such a good time playing together. They were so silly!

Me and Amy

more sillines with Capri-suns

What we knew as Bristle Blocks are apparently called Krinkles.

Player Down

This has been my reality since Sunday. I broke my patella and this brace is my new bff for 6 weeks. This isn't an excuse, but merely the reason for no new photo updates of our family. Ava is with my parents for a few days, so maybe they are taking photos of her.

Yes, the couch does appear two-toned. Ava peed on the brown cushions last week, and apparently it isn't possible to clean goose-down cushions...so we have combined our two couches till the new cushions come in. Oh, you gotta love toddlers!

MSU vs UGA

This MSU cheerleader was tailgating beside us before the game and tried to get Ava to take a picture with her. Ava was in a mood and refused. After the game, it was a different story. I guess the win improved everyone's mood! When we told Ava we were about to go to Mississippi State, she said "It's loud there!" She always spends the first 15 minutes with her hands over her ears. I guess we'll have to get her some earphones like baby Drew Brees.

I'm 3!!!

Ava turned three on the 17th. All she requested was a purple birthday with a bigggggg purple cake. Ok, the cake wasn't exactly purple, but pretty much everywhere you looked there was purple. She had such a great time.

We had her bouncy castle out for entertainment. I don't think they would ever have stopped bouncing, but eventually we had to eat....plus the mosquitoes were coming out.

She lived up to her promise of blowing out her candles when she got bigger...after 6 whole days of aging, she did it!

She loves balloons...especially purple ones. It was a little reminicent of Up...I wonder just how many it would take to actually lift her?

Birthday Party (Part 1)

We had a family birthday party for Ava at my parents' house on Saturday. She had such a good time. She picked out her own balloons, plates, etc. She and grandpa made a purple cake in the shape of an A. They did a great job and it was delicious!

All of her guests: Mema, Aunt Shell, baby Sterlin, Cliff, and Sarah.

Viking Cooking School

Friday night Michael and I headed to Greenwood for a night at the Alluvian, but first we had to attend cooking school at Viking. It was a little overwhelming at first, but we got the hang of it and helped produce a fabulous meal!! Here is Michael garnishing the spring greens with apple wedges. Check out the super-professional apron!

Unfortunately, it is hard to get strangers to take good pictures!

Michael preparing his creppes...

the finished product. Here are his creppes filled with strawberries, a white cream sauce, and covered with a chocolate sauce. They were sooooo yummy. And yes, I do expect this from him routinely!

MSU vs Auburn

Hanging out before the game.

"Egg management fee!" Ava's rendition of her favorite commercial.

MSU vs Memphis

Another Football season begins...we had such great weather and such a great time hanging out with friends and family. Of course, a dominating win helps too. Ava is showing the birthday girl (Gigi) some love.

My friend Summer, her husband Chad, and their oldest daughter Autumn got to come with us.

Foooooood!

Ava's new favorite accessory.

Post game silliness.