Ava's Says - The Lord's Prayer Edition

This past Sunday Ava was in motor-mouth mode at church. Bradley had remarked before church that it was Communion Sunday and Ava got all excited about juice and crackers. She said, "Do we get to drink the juice out of the medicine cups, like Pepto Bismol?" Crack me up. But why are the communion cups so small?

I got her out of Children's Church early so she could take communion with us and as we waited she got even more excited; especially when they showed the bread up on the big screen. "I want that piece!" she said (even though we eat the little square crackers). So we took communion with no disasters of any kind.

That night Ava wanted to practice saying the prayer that "the preacher makes us all say out loud." The only part she was firm on was "give us this day our daily bread" because she really likes the bread.

So we started learning the Lord's Prayer and I started out with "Our Father, Who Art in Heaven." Ava interrupted and said, "He is not!" I asked what she meant and she said, "Our Daddy is sitting on the couch!" So I explained to her the meaning of Father and we practiced the Lord's prayer together.

Now I want to say this, our children have both been baptized into our church. I don't want this post to serve as a gripe session for those who have different beliefs. For our family we chose to let communion be a learning experience for Ava so she begins to understand the spiritual traditions and symbolism of Communion. As we got ready to go up, I talked with Ava about what communion really means and about Jesus living in your heart. Do I believe that Ava will have to one day make a proclamation of faith herself, yes I do. But for now, I chose to believe that she is a child and God has her covered. Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.

Can children take communion?

In The United Methodist Church, children are welcome to take communion. It is up to the parents to decide when their child should begin receiving communion.The official document on baptism, By Water and the Spirit: A United Methodist Understanding of Baptism, says about communion, “Because the table at which we gather belongs to the Lord, it should be open to all who respond to Christ’s love, regardless of age or church membership.”
The United Methodist Book of Worship explains, “All who intend to lead a Christian life, together with their children, are invited to receive the bread and cup.”(From The United Methodist Book of Worship. Copyright © 1992 by The United Methodist Publishing House.)

Sweet Ava Love

The other day as we were leaving Cheer practice, Ava got sidetracked in the grass. As I yelled impatiently for her to hurry up, because it WAS freezing outside, she said, "I'm picking you a flower!" Another mother and her children were walking across the sidewalk and Ava stopped them and said, "I picked these beautiful flowers for my Mommy!" So we brought them home and put them in a sippy cup (that was Ava's doing) and they sit on my windowsill. A beautiful gesture from my beautiful little girl!

What Mornings Look Like

Here is what my morning typically looks like:

• Up at 5:30.




• Shower and Begin to Get ready




• Make my lunch




• Blow dry hair and put on makeup




• Laundry things




• Eat cereal while watching TV




• Take out rollers and finish up me things




• 6:40 - Turn on Ava's lights and Bradley's lights




• Get dressed while Ava wakes up




• Listen to Ava cry and moan that she doesn't want to get up.




• Spank Ava (sometimes...)




• Get Ava to go to the bathroom




• Help Ava get dressed




• Go downstairs with Ava and brush her teeth




• Make Harrison's milk cup




• 7:00 - Wake up Harrison.




• Carry Harrison and his Thomas blankie downstairs. Grab milk from the kitchen and snuggle up on the couch with him.




• 7:10 - finish getting ready and pack bags.




• Make sure Ava has shoes on and locate all of her items for school.




• Change Harrison's diaper and clothes.




• 7:30-7:40 - Out the door.

The best part is the snuggling and getting to watch Ava and Harrison interact in the mornings. The worst part is trying to get out the door with a carload of stuff and 2 kids!

Dr. Seuss's Birthday Party

This year marked the second year that Ava and I attended the Read Around Town Dr. Seuss Birthday party. This year was a little more frantic because Tuesdays are such a busy day for us with dance right after school. We went and ate at McD's with Lindsey and her family and then headed downtown for Dr. Seuss's party.

We were able to listen to 3 stories before Harrison had had enough. We finished up the evening with a trip to get our faces painted and eat Green Eggs and Ham Cookies.

It was a very cool week for Ava because every day her school had some sort of activity to celebrate Dr. Seuss. She participated in stripes day, green eggs and ham day, hat day, and PJ's day. She wouldn't do inside out day because she declared it was too itchy. I wish I had a picture of hat day....

Here are the pics from last year at the party. Dr. Seuss Birthday - 2010

Getting her face painted.

Pajama Day

Harrison at 15 months

(In this photo you had just chucked your toy car across the library and then yelled, "Ta da!"

Harrison-

At 15 months you:

• Love to get messy. Really, really messy.



• Can be a very picky eater. You love to eat, but you are harder to please than Ava was. You like hot dogs, chicken, celery, cheetos, grapes, bananas, and pancakes. Other things tend to come and go from your faves list. What you like one day, you don't necessarily like the next day.



• You wear 18-24 month clothes and some 2T.



• You love to drink "B" (a.k.a. tea).



• You love vehicles. Every moving thing is a "tru" (a.k.a. truck).



• You still don't watch much TV, but if anything on has music, you stop whatever you are doing and dance.



• When you dance, you want to make sure people are watching you.



• You love to snuggle and have a favorite blankie. You must have your Thomas the Train blankie (from Nana and Pop) that you carry with you when you wake up in the morning.



• You like to knock on doors.



• Anytime I ask you where any body part is, you always point to your ear.


• You are super smiley and love to entertain. I say you will be the class clown one day. When you are doing something cute, you know it, and you watch me to see if I am watching you. If I am, you smile more and keep doing it. <3>

• Ada (Ava) is your best friend.



• You like to bite my feet and you think it is funny. I don't, but your laugh makes me laugh.

• You constantly make mischief and keep everyone on their toes. I have never seen a child that could get into as much trouble as you.


• Your nickname is Captain Destructo.


• You absolutely REFUSE to stay in the church nursery.


• You are my best boy!