"H, Boot"

Over the weekend Mason and I decided to try and be a little more pro-active in helping Ava learn to write a bit. She knows her letters and can recognize her name, so we started with that. Yesterday morning before Mason left for work, he tried to help Ava write her name. She of course, being the almost-4-year-old that she is, refused to copy the letters. Mason went to collect his gear for work, then Ava approached him with her piece of paper. He asked her if she practiced the letters, and she said she had. He then looked at the paper, but instead of seeing the letters "A-V-A," he saw what looked like an "H" and then a picture. When asked what they were, Ava replied, "H-Boot! My name is H-Boot!!" Mason then just rolled his eyes, and had a bit of a laugh.

Fast forward to that evening at dinner. Mason told me that we needed to get creative in helping her to want to write. I told him that she will practice her letters in preschool - and I even showed him her papers that she brought home earlier that day. It was full of "M's" and "N's" that Ava had practiced. Up at the top of the paper however, Mason noticed something. The teachers all write the students' names at the top in dotted letters so they can practice writing them. On Ava's paper however, next to her dotted name was - you guessed it - "H-Boot!"

Mason was just speechless, LOL!

Valentines and Crazy Birds

Last week in Ava's preschool class, they exchanged Valentines. Ava was super-excited, and she picked out "Bolt" Valentines to give. We also had fun Valentine-themed pencils to go along with the cards. Needless to say, I was quite amazed when I picked her up that day! She had a box filled to the brim with Valentine goodies from her classmates - not only pencils, but erasers, play-doh, and an assortment of goodies. It was like Christmas all over again!


Then this evening it was attack of the crazy birds! Outside in the courtyard of our complex, there is an arbor where some birds have had their nest for a few years. The grill is also out there, and while I was grilling some meat for dinner, the mother bird decided it was time for her last chick to leave the next. There was a kerfuffle of feathers, the baby bird flopped onto the picnic table, then onto the pavement, and scuttled under the grill's gas tank. The mother flew away, and in the process hit my head with her wings. I felt bad for the baby bird, but I had to keep Ava and Norah from trying to touch it (just in case the mom came back). I guess it's not everyday you see a baby being kicked out of the house, LOL!

Can't say THAT!!

I've been keeping a log of all the funny things my kids say - but last night really had me in a fit of laughter. While at my parents' house for dinner, Norah needed to be changed. So my dad (giving us a bit of a break from diaper duty), promptly offered to do so. Ava followed him to the bathroom, then reported back to us that Norah had "passed wind." My mom told her to say that Norah "fluffed," and then Ava matter-of-factly told her "I'm not ALLOWED to say fluffed!"

Needless to say we just broke down into the giggles. Gotta love the things kids say!