This Week

After the birthday whirlwind of last week, in true Rogers' fashion, someone had to get sick. Harrison was the lucky winner. He started with a little cold over the weekend and by Wednesday we had to take him to the dr for an ear infection. Poor baby. 

So, not a lot happening this week at home (school is another story that I will post on later). I did however find that Ava has taken my phone and I found some awesome selfies with her Kit doll. Funny girl! 

Ava's 8th Birthday - Part 1

Wow! What a whirlwind week we had! It seems that we celebrated for almost a whole week!

We started with birthday pancakes at Ava's request.

Then we enjoyed cupcakes, not once, but twice! The first time was in Ava's class at school (I didn't even get pictures!), and her classmates were impressed that they were "homemade cupcakes"! I kid you not, they were pumped. I guess homemade does trump Wal-Mart bakery! The second round of the say was at a pool party for our ACTS program at church. Ava was more than happy to have a pool party on her birthday!

And this little guy was in true daredevil fashion. Makes my stomach hurt to watch him swim. He is just so busy!

After swimming, Nana and Pop came over to bring one new present. Ava was all smiles opening her new Elvis glasses case.

On Thursday night we were treated to dinner courtesy of Nana and Pop. Ava chose Mexican, because she loves when they sing and smear whipped cream in your face. :)

Ready for dinner

Just what she had been waiting for. 

On Friday evening, we hosted 9 other girls for an ELVIS themed birthday sleepover. After they all arrived, when the screaming started, I started to wonder if I had lost my mind! Bradley was a dream though. The girls loved him and loved to beat up on him! :)  They colored Velvet paintings, ate pizza, played hide and seek in the dark, watched the Frozen sing along, played Just Dance, freaked each other out with scary/silly stories, and I even heard them play Truth or Dare. Hilarious, but exhausting!

Before the real craziness began!

Ava was in the middle as she was "married" to Elvis. Funny girls. 

One thing I want to remember is how Ava hugged each girl after she opened their gift. It was just so sweet. She was just so excited and thankful for each present. 

Thank you, Thank you very much for coming! 

Up next, party time with the family! Here is a sneak peek! :)

3rd Grade

So, 3rd grade is off to a rocky start. Ava is just not a fan right now. It seems that every day she comes home and feels she has been slighted. First, it was the shorter recess, and now it seems daily there is some catastrophe. She is not allowed to use her "pretty pencils," but has to use the class set of yellow pencils. I agree, that sucks. Who wants to touch pencils that every other disgusting hand has touched. Blech!

Today, she was upset because she didn't get to work on her book. After finishing the Spiderwick Chronicles series last night, she wanted to write a sequel. She wanted to work on Chapter 3 at school today, but after finishing her work, her teacher would not let her get her composition book out and write. She was so mad. Let's face it, Ava finished her work quickly. She is very smart and she catches on quickly. Sure, sometimes she rushes, but not to let her write? What is the harm of her getting out her notebook and writing? She was able to get a book out to read....so why not write?

I'm trying to be positive, other than the pencil deal, but I am so afraid that she will start to dislike school again. I'm crossing my fingers that things get better.

Walking into school on the first day. 

Her new classroom

This school year's theme is about being Wild for Learning. She got these from her teacher.

Excited about her new backpack. 

First assignment - "Make a me bag"  Ava had to fill a bag with items that represent her. She chose a couple of pictures, a magnet from Disney World, an apron and scissors for her love of crafting, and some gemstones  from Discovery Park. 

A Letter to Ava on her 8th Birthday

Dear Ava,

It's so hard to believe that you are 8 years old. It seems like only yesterday that I spent 3 days in the hospital, in pain, waiting for you to arrive. As soon as you were born, all that was washed away as I was handed the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Over the past 8 years, you have made us laugh, shake our heads in frustration, and marvel at what a beautiful girl you are.

Sometimes, I miss those squishy baby cheeks and long for the days when I could dress you in what I want you to wear and read you what I want you to hear. However, I am also loving this fiercely independent girl you are. We like a lot of the same things and I enjoy sharing new experiences with you and taking you places to see new things.

It is very obvious to all that you are a dreamer. You dream big things and long to create, whether that is using craft supplies, paper, or just a pen and paper. I marvel at the things that you come up with and always enjoy seeing what's next. Creativity is something I have always wanted and you have it in spades. Your father and I may not always understand what you are creating, but it is always amazing to see. Dreaming big is so important, but I also feel that we have to have some reality checks every now and then. :)

This year, you have branched outside our comfort zone with softball. You have never really liked sports, I think, because you don't like someone being in your personal space and being so competitive. Yes, you want to win, but you also want to have fun. I always tell people that anything you start, you want to start, and then BAM, you want to be awesome at it. Softball was hard for you because you had to work at it. I am proud of you for sticking it out and putting in effort, even though you didn't always want to.

I hope that age 8 is a magical time for you. I can see that you are growing so fast and I worry that the magic will start to disappear all too quickly. I hope that this year of 8 is a year of discovery, learning, and lots of love. Please know that no matter how much you grow or how old you get, you are forever my Ava-Boo.

I love you to the moon and back.

Love,
Momma

A Rogers' Family Weekend

The weekend before last weekend, otherwise known as the first weekend of August ;), Aunt Bethany and Liam came for a visit and we spent most of the weekend at Nana and Pop's. We had a wonderful time, but we were exhausted by Sunday night and I know Nana and Pop were too. :)

Ava in the corner. She hated that I was taking this picture.

Pop preparing our supper. They always feed us well. 

Daddy helping in the kitchen. 

This has been making me sad, because Ava has always liked school. She is frustrated that recess for 3rd graders is shorter than recess for 2nd graders. She feels slighted.

 And then all of the kiddos had a blast in the sprinklers.

Nana and Pop's cat, Bella.