Avery the Gardening Great

Avery the Gardening Great

We don't have a big garden by any means, but Avery is always trilled when its time to pick the vegetables (green beans & tomatoes).

A Red One Mama!!!

Most difficult thing about gardening is that you pick green beans, but not green tomatoes :)

Happy 2nd Birthday Dylan & Freddie

Happy Birthday Dylan & Freddie

 Today was a big day, we celebrated Avery's cousins Dylan and Freddie's 2nd birthday! Cake, presents, and family, and lots of giggles, a perfect party!

Avery helping open presents. What a great cousin.

Avery and Daddy waiting for singing & cake!

Potty Training

Well its that time, potty training time! Well actually we have been working on potty training for a while now, but nothing to serious. Of course we had a reward system, using the potty equaled fruits snacks or a small plastic fish for his bucket o'fish, or some other little prize or treat. He wasn't real consistent about telling  us he had to go potty so we would put his undies on for awhile with a goal of keeping them dry until bed time or for some other short period of time, which he did great at. Fast forward a week, Wednesday morning when he again woke up with a dry diaper I asked if he wanted to go potty in the potty for treats and he said he had a diaper on why would he need to use the potty? This kid is too smart for his own good. So that is the day we went cold turkey, all undies all the time (well except nap, and bedtime) And guess what it worked!!!
Another milestone down!At least 1/2 a milestone. As we all know there are two types of potty, with #1 "mastered" there was still #2. In order to accomplish this i knew a bigger reward (bribe was needed) might have been required. So while we were at Target Wednesday I let Avery pick out a toy, and told him that he couldn't have it until he went poop on the potty. I feared that he might throw a fit about this but he didn't. I put the truck, trailer, motorcycle combo he picked out up on his shelf where he could see it. He knew what he had to do to get and two days later (today) he earned it!!!!

Avery the Potty Rock Star with his new Rock Star Truck, Trailer & Motorcycles!

Way to go Avery!!! We am are so proud of you!!! Although the second he was done he said he wanted to go again for another Truck....sorry buddy that isn't how it works. So so proud!!! Hopefully we have bought our last diapers!!!!

Fun Days - Sunday Fun Day

It's the last day of Fun Days might as well end it with a bang! (aka Fireworks!!!) but before the firework fun we had a lot of other fun.
First up was the Petting Zoo, and a Pony ride.

Nice Lama

Sleepy Sheepy

Who you calling "Chicken"?

Pony Ride Time

And then a peddle tractor pull (officially Avery was too young, shh don't tell)

Peddle!!!

Tractor Pull Prizes - Ribbon & Crackers

 Then it was time for another corn dog while we waited for the ride to open. We rode the rides, Avery wanted to go on everything (he has no fear) too bad he is still too short but when he is taller daddy will have a riding partner!

Riding the Dragons!

Driving the Vette

Dads turn on the roller coaster

Everyone is a winner!

Family Farris Wheel Shot

It another fun day at Fun Days, and we ended it with some fire works with friends.

Waiting for the fireworks to start

Fun Days - Parade

Rain, rain and more rain. But does that stop the Fun Day's Parade... NO WAY!!!

Waiting for the Parade to start

  Avery wasn't going to miss the parade for anything, and neither would his parade partners Dylan and Freddie). 

Loader!!!

A break in the rain, time to have a snack

So everything got a bit wet (ok a lot wet) but we still had a great time and got tons of candy!(And a new beach ball!!)

GG & GT, Avery, Dylan & Freddie

Fun Days - Riding The Rides

Well you can't go to Fun Days and not ride the rides, or have a corn dog bigger then you are and a snow cone!  So we did. After peddling his heart out in the Kiddie Parade how could I say no more fun for you. So with Papa, GG, and GT in tow we hit the Fun Days carnival for some deep fried food and fun! 

Ready to Ride!

First up was of course the Motorcycles, Papa's favorite.

Don't want to lose my hat.

Love this picture

Then it was the Roller Coaster.

About to ride the coaster- tight squeeze for Mama

Then Bumper Cars with GT.

Can't you see we're driving here.

Finally GG favorite, it was snow cone time!  

Corn Dog & Snow Cone Time!!

It was a great night to be out at Fun Days, next up the Fun Day's Parade!

Fun Days - Kiddie Parade

Every year as a part of Fun Days (the North Mankato summer celebration) there is a Kiddle Parade. We had planned to do it last year but didn't get it done. But this year was a different story. The Parade has a theme, it was a Farm Theme this year, and Avery has the perfect ride for this theme. So we got our Little Farmer dressed and loaded up his John Deer color Big Trike and headed down to Fun Days.

Ready To Ride!

Thankfully the parade route it self is not long (just around the block) But Avery did fantastic, he peddled himself the whole way, waving at all the people lining the street watching (but mostly looking for Papa, GT & GT as they moved along the parade route ahead of him.

Peddle Power Parade Time!

Looking for Papa, GG and GT

At the end of parade Avery was rewarded with some animal crackers and free food coupons! 

Daddy get off my trike!

Cant wait to see what next year's theme is!!!

2 years, 6 months!

Our Two and Half year old!

Avery is 2 and a half! What a difference everyday makes, he grows and learns so much everyday. At 2.5 he is a sweet funny happy little boy, who has learned to push his limits,  and like every 2.5 year old would like things to be his way. I don't know if I can even begin to list all the new things that he surprises me with being able to do these days.
He still loves to read and sing, and has started to enjoy watching movies, Alvin and the Chipmunks is a favorite, (thank you who ever invented DVD, it is so much easier to fast forward without Avery noticing then it would have been with a VHS!) Avery loves to play outside on all his bikes and trikes, trucks and cars. Tractors or trucks with trailers are is favorite toys right now. He is sleeping in a big boy bed. And is basically the greatest little boy.
He wears size 5 diapers, 2-3T shorts, 3T shirts, 3T jammies, 9 Keens, 8 flip flops, and his favorite color is blue, loves mini muffins and yogurt, fruits, and mac n cheese.

Off to the Zoo with Daddy

This weekend Avery and Daddy and some friends went to the zoo. We are lucky to have a free Zoo in Minnesota, and enjoying a Sparky the Seal show is a rite of passage for Minnesota Kids and this past weekend Avery got to see his first Sparky the Seal show. Lucky Lucky Boy.

Having some lunch waiting for the snow to start

Avery and Daddy had a great day with the animal friends (and people friends) at the Zoo.

Avery and Daddy with Mamas favorites

I see you Mr. monkey

It was a great day to be a the zoo with friends!

Silly Summer Fun

When I was little one of greatest things about summer and warm weather was playing in the hose and a kiddie pool in the yard, and that seems to be a favorite summer time for our silly little boy too!

Watch me jump!

Here comes Mr Silly!

Mr. Silly

King of the Castle

Gotta clean the pool when your done mama.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July!

Our Red, White & Blue Big Boy

 For Avery it isn't 4th of July unless there is swimming with Daddy and Uncle Rich.

Swimming with Daddy

Water Slide!!  Catch Me Daddy!!

And new to the mix this year fireworks!!! After a long day at the lake Avery still had enough energy to watch the fire works from the bridge.

Too busy to look at the camera

 But that was it, once the fireworks were over and we got back to the Jeep it was lights out!

Happy 4th of July!

Golden Heart 4th of July Parade 2013

There are a lot of parades this time of year but my favorite one is the Golden Heart 4th of July Parade. With all the kids dressed in red, white and blue wearing hats and crowns they made that week and waving flags, the whole daycare comes out (except the youngest babies) and parades around the block while parents wave and take pictures, and move to another spot long the route and do it again. 

Here they come!

Red, White and Baby Blues!

Some parents always have to join the parade