Avery the Baker

Avery’s Grandmas have been busy baking cookies and getting all the holiday treats for the family gathers ready and being the good little help he is, Avery has been more then willing to lend a helping hand (or tongue). In most cases Avery has volunteered to help clean up (aka lick the beaters or spatula) but this weekend Avery took his baking skills to a whole new level, making peanut blossoms. 

Baker in Training

With his bakers hat and apron on he set to work tasting, stacking and counting the lovingly purchased premade peanut butter cookies :)

First you taste

Next you stack 

They you spread them out and count 

Good work Avery.....maybe next you can help frost the sugar cookies.

Let it Snow!

Snow!

Finally, at 23 months, Avery got to play in the snow for the first time, and he loved it. He had so much fun being silly in the snow with daddy. Daddy showed him how to make and throw a snowball. He stomped around, smiling with every step.

Snowball

Walking in a winter wonderland!

 Avery also got to ride in a sled for the first time. Or more accurately Avery went on his first sled ride (he sat, I pulled).

Mush mamma mush!

We got Avery's sled for him last year, so Avery was a little on the big side for this year, but Avery didn't seem to mind, it just made it harder to pull....wonder if it’s too late to put a new sled on his list for Santa:). 

Snow is not all fun and games and Avery was up for that too. He shoveled like a pro, and even got to take a little ride in the skidsteer with Papa. 

Shoveling at Great Grandpas

Shoveling Gma & Papa's deck

Taking a spin in the skidsteer with papa

All in all I would say that Avery’s first snow day was a complete and total success!

Twenty Three Months

23 Months

At 23 months Avery is happy and healthy. He loves to sing, and frequently will ask you to “sing it” rather then read a book to him. His three favorite songs are Twinkle Twinkle little star, Bah Bah Black Sheep, and Happy Birthday. He wears a size 5 diaper, size 24-2T pants, 2T-3T shirts, 3T pjs and size 7 shoes and boots. And recently starting going potty on the potty! He isn’t potty trained by any means but its a start and we are so proud of our little boy....who is getting bigger everyday, and in one month will be 2 years old!

Girl Party

For the most part all the birthday parties that Avery has ever been to have been for boys, filled with trucks, sports, action figures, and all things “boy”. But this past Saturday Avery went to his first “girly” birthday party, a Strawberry Short Cake theme.

Happy Birthday Ashlyn!

There was pink everywhere, Barbie, ponies, and dolls, all things “girly”. Theme doesn’t matter much to Avery, a friend is a friend, and he loves all things birthday, especially the cake and candles and singing! 

Cake!

O Christmas Tree

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree, How lovely are thou branches, especially when they are decorated by an almost 2 year old.

Putting the his star on the tree...or taking it off

Actually Avery wasn't much help. After he put the first ornament on, and took it off and put it back on a few times he was pretty much done. 

Avery's star on the tree

After that every ornament that I handed him to hang, he would wonder off with it, and play with it rather then hang it on the tree. 

O Christmas Tree 2012

There is no real theme to the tree, just ornaments that we like, with the most non breakable one at the bottom :)

Blog Worthy

Ever since I started this blog to share what is going on in our world with our friends and family I’ve tried to write 2-3 posts a week, but lately I haven’t been reaching that goal. It’s not that we haven’t been busy doing things, it feels likes were always on the go, but not everything we do is “blog worthy”. And for the moments that are, rather then making sure I get every detail recorded and posted hours from when it happened, instead I am living and enjoying those moments and catching the blog up when I can. 

Lights, Lights, More Lights

When Avery gave the recap of what we did last night to Grammy, this is what he said, “Lights, lights, more lights, tractor, reindeer, corn dog, chocolate milk!” Last night Avery, mommy and daddy went to Sibley Park to see the Kiwanis Holiday Lights,  over 1 million LED lights. So Avery’s recap was very actuate there were lights, lights and more lights!

Lights, lights and more lights!

Mommy & Avery

Daddy & Avery

The light display is really well set up. You can either drive the loop around the park to see the lights walk . We chose to walk, it was a really nice night. We didn’t walk the entire loop, just a little ways down the candy cane path was far enough of us.

Daddy and Avery heading down the candy cane path

We spent most of our time in the Farm area instead, where Avery could run and explore more, and where he got to sit on a tractor (always a favorite activity of Avery's) and play at the playground.

Driving the Tractor 

All bundled up

Avery also got to see some reindeer, which he really enjoyed. It was a fun holiday experience, one which I am sure we will be repeating for years to come, and most likely a few more times this year too. Oh and if you were wondering Avery had a corn dog and chocolate milk for supper :)

Holiday Spirit

Oink Oink Onk...

With Thanksgiving over that means Christmas is just around the corner. Even though stores have been playing holiday music and “selling” the season for weeks now, I am personally just starting to get into the holiday mood. But, like the stores, Avery has been getting into the holiday spirit for a few weeks now too, with his jiggle bell oinking, walking pig that my aunt gave him. Avery loves to play with the pig, just the other day he actually discovered that not only does it oink jiggle bells and walk when you push it’s hoof but if you pull it’s tail, it squeals. It’s actually pretty cute.  Avery’s holiday pig is helping him get into the spirit so he returned the favor by helping GG and GT get their house ready for the holidays. Avery got to help GT by putting up lights outside and he helped GG decorate the tree. 

Deck the halls

 

A Day Filled With Poon-kin Pie

Last Thanksgiving was the first time Avery ever had pumpkin pie, and the second was for my dad's birthday last month and ever since Avery has been asking for poon-kin pie. So yesterday was one of the greatest days in Avery's life i am sure, because he got to have poon-kin pie twice!

Round 1, With my parents in Colorado, that left Robin and Avery and I for Thanksgiving, so we went to Bakers Square (where none of us had turkey). 

Gobble Gobble!

Before we were even sitting down Avery told the waitress what he wanted, "poon-kin pie, poon-kin pie", but he had to wait, after a some applesauce, a bite or two of grilled cheese and some french fries, he did finally get what he had been asking for, a slice of poon-kin pie.

Poon-kin Pie!

Poon-kin Pie ToGo!

After lunch Avery like many others around the country took a nap to rest up for round 2.

Resting for Round2

Round2, was with Daddy at GG & GTs house where he again (after tasting the traditional Thanksgiving meal staples) had more poon-kin pie.

With whip cream this time! 

Avery has so many things to be thankful for, (besides pie), he is truly blessed to have so many people who love and care for him each and everyday, and I too am thankful for that. 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!...more poon-kin pie please

Horsing Around

There were 2 different toys that Avery played with this weekend that he just loved and couldn’t get enough of. One was the Magna Doodle, which was already on his Christmas list before we went to Park Rapids. The second was a stick pony, that played music and made horse noises. 

Just Horsing Around!

Nice Horsey

It was so funny to watch him trotting around, no matter how many time he did it I couldn’t help but laugh.

I think Avery might just be asking Santa for a horse this Christmas!

I like this one.

Park Rapids Road Trip

This past weekend Avery, my cousin (Robin), my mom and I took a trip up north to Park Rapids to visit my Aunt and Uncle. The drive from Mankato to Park Rapids really isn’t too bad, about 4 hours. Avery was a really good traveler and didn’t seem to mind the extended time in the car (too much), but he was very happen when he finally could get out and play. Avery has only been to Park Rapids once before but it had been over a year since that trip, so I was expecting he might take some time to warm up to the new environment. But as usual he surprised me. Avery went right in the house and started exploring and checking out all his cousins toys, he wasn’t shy or timid at all. 

With Friday and Sunday being our travel days that meant we had to pack all our fun into Saturday. We started our day off with waffles at the hotel (my favorite hotel breakfast) and then a quick dip in the pool before we headed back to my Aunt and Uncle’s to play before lunch and nap time. 

Swimming is fun!

Avery’s cousins came over in the afternoon and that’s when the fun really started. Avery had such a good time playing with cousins, and they were all so good the entire time. 

Avery and Johnny playing motorcycles 

Sleeping bag sillyness 

Avery loved coloring on the Magna Doodle

We capped of our Saturday fun with a early birthday party for Robin. There was singing and cake, candles (which got blown out about 5 times) ice cream and presents, the perfect birthday party! 

Happy Birthday Robin!

Everyone loved Robins birthday present

After the party Avery was so excited he didn’t fall asleep until after 10. He let me know that he didn’t appreciate having to sleep in a pack’n’play when there is plenty of room in a big bed with me. Sunday morning we had breakfast and took another swim before hitting the road, there wasn’t much traffic and it seemed like we were home in no time. 

Are we home yet?

As much fun as Avery had with his cousin and playing with new toys he was much happier to be home with his toys. 

Build It Bigger!

Lately Avery has shown a great deal of interest in building and stacking. He has pretty much been a tower building machine. 

Tower!

At first he started with just a few Lego's or Pop Its but now that he has got the hang of it, the towers and structures have gotten bigger and taller, but that might have something to do with his building partner.

Building with Papa

Avery just loves to build with his papa, they make some pretty impressive structures together. And I am pretty sure Papa likes to build as much as Avery does.

Building bigger with Papa

Avery's longest self made road to date

What a great little builder!

Twenty Two Months

22 Months!

22 Months, WOW, that means in only 2 more months Avery will be 2!  I still cannot believe how much Avery grows and learns every day, I know I’ve said that before but it just blows my mind all the things he can do now, like that he knows whose cubby belongs to who at daycare, not sure why this is so impressive to me, but it is. 
Anyway, at 22 months, Avery  continues to be, a happy, silly little boy..... who sings and whistles, loves to play cars, hug and kiss his stuffed animals, read books, play outside, color..... basically he likes to do just about everything! But every now and then the almost 2 year old in him comes out and nothing is right with the world for awhile. Thankfully those moments are still few and far between. 

At 22 months Avery wears 18-24m pants, 2T-3T shirts, 3T Pjs, size 7 shoes and size 4 diapers.

Election Results

Avery's favorite part of the election process:

the stickers

Candidate           Popular Vote      %       Electoral Votes (270 to win)
Barack Obama   62088847          51%     332  
Mitt Romney     58783137           48%     206  

Source: AP

Amendment Results:
Both the Marriage amendment and Voter ID amendment were rejected

Ready Set Ski!

Do you know what comes after Halloween? Ski Season! And Avery is ready! When my brother was home last month he brought with him Avery’s first set of skis and boots. 

Uncle Leaf putting Avery boots on

These boot were made for walk'n...sorta

Lee picked up Avery’s gear at a Ski Swap in Colorado. Lee carefully selected the boots and skis, even calling me a couple times to see what I would prefer. The boots were easy, they just needed to fit, but skis were a different matter. Of three different choices at the swap in Avery's size, Lee ended up picking the pair with "scales" on the bottom that will help Avery from sliding around (mainly backwards), I know it sounds wrong since you want skis to slide but it actually should be a really nice feature for Avery. 

Ready, Set, Ski!

So now Avery is all ready for the season to start (less a helmet and goggles which we still need to get). I am sure Avery won’t hit the slopes the first day they are open or anything but were ready. Jon and I both love the sport so much and we cant wait to share it with Avery.