Oh My - How you have grown!

Ava- you have GROWN. Grown in size and personality.

I am amazed. You have grown out of all but 3 pairs of shoes overnight. Your shirts, pajamas, dresses, shorts, pants - everything! It's amazing. You are so proud too that you have grown. You expect me to measure you at least every other day. I have to admit that I may fudge sometimes just so I don't have to see that sad face.
You are excited to "get bigger". Excited to do adult things. You want to work at a Smoothie place and be a smoothie girl because "smoothies make people happy". Or you want to be a weather girl.
You want to be married. You are obsessed with being married and a wedding dress. One day you actually became upset because you "don't know what to do as a wife". (That one kind of caught me off guard)

You are a quirky funny little girl.

You make faces and pose like this and will say "I look awesome".

You have a "friend" named Miko. Miko is a boy/girl with Purple and Pink hair with Black and White eyes. He lives in the sky and works at a gym. You and Miko are friends. Sometimes you are married, but most of the time you are just friends. Miko has a "honey" or daughter named 'Treebranch' and Miko's mom is Alison. Miko's sister is 'Aver'
If there is anything that you haven't done or tried with us, you have done it with Miko and sometimes "Miko takes you in your sleep to his house in the sky, but then brings you back to bed". Thank you Miko.

Too Long....

It's been entirely too long since I last posted an entry.

Too many things have changed. Too many things have happened. Where do I even begin?

My last post was February 25th 2014. That was almost a year ago. A YEAR ago???!!! How did a year slip through my fingers? Uugh.

Ok. Here we go.

Hazel's birthday we discovered that you were going to be a cousin again, Aunt Katie was going to have another baby. A few weeks later, we found out that you were going to have TWO baby cousins!!! A couple of weeks later and we found out you were going to have TWO BOY cousins!!! Such amazing, shocking and wonderful news.

Mommy and Daddy turned 41.

We had a Haidle Family Reunion in Gatlinburg, TN over the summer. 2 weeks. It was a pretty amazing trip.

You started school again- PK3- again- Mrs. Land- again. You keep telling me and Mrs. Land that next year you will go visit PK4 but will then come back to your "classroom". I think it will be quite the adjustment for both of us next year when we don't go to what is comfortable, what is "home".

We went to Disney on your 4th Birthday.

Your cousins, Woody and Harlan, were born on October 3rd. Cutest little things on the planet. We all fell instantly in love with them.

You got a bike for Christmas. You learned to ride your bike in one day.



I can't even begin to document the hundreds of ways that you have changed in the past 11 months. You are NOT a baby anymore maybe not even a toddler, you are a little girl, borderline "kid". I find that somedays I feel a twinge of panic in my gut when I go to lift you up and your feet are at my knees or you when you get your own cup of milk, or use sarcasm in a very appropriate way.
I'm not ready for you to grow up. I'm really not.
I make a very distinct point to truly engage myself in each moment of your life. No matter how much I REALLY don't want to pretend play "Princess and Honey", I do. I pretend. I pretend to be Snow White and Cinderella's honey(the baby of the family) and Big sister while you are the Mommmy and Daddy and you go out on a date. It's worth every second when I see that excited joy come across your face when I say "I'll play with you". Cause one day- you won't want me to play Princess with you.

I tell you that I don't want you to grow or get older and you reply that you have to turn 5 and then you will stop growing. I want to keep hearing those adorable songs you make up as you are just doing random things, that I can't quite ever figure out what you are saying.

I am so thankful for your loving heart and your intensely kind soul.

"That man that lives berry, berry far away...."

A couple of days ago you asked me if I knew the name of "that man who makes people small, big."
Apparently he is a man that lives "bery, bery far away" and can make small people big and big people small. He has two handles - one small one (to make small people big) and one big one (to make big people small). Each day you elaborate on the story a bit more. Today you told me that he lives very very far away down that street.....all the way down that street. And that you know he speaks but you have never head his voice.

I have tried to figure out where this idea came from but you offer no information there. You asked Grandma what his name was. She said "Henry" and you seemed fine with that name.

You are very interested in "getting big." You desperately want to grow up but as far as I am concerned you are growing up fast enough. My dad used to always tell me " Don't wish away your life, time goes by fast enough on it's own with out you having to wish it away."
Amen to that Grandpa! He is a wise man, my dad. Maybe I should ask Grandpa if he knows the Man that can make small people big.

Things to Remember

I DON'T WANT YOU TO EVER LOOSE SIGHT OF WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU.

Be Kind. Be understanding - Seek to understand. There is always a missing part to someone's puzzle that you can't always see.

NEVER and I mean NEVER rely on a man or anyone else for your happiness or ability to survive.

*****TRUST YOUR HEART. It will never lead you down the wrong path. It may lead you down a more difficult path but never the wrong path.

DON'T BE AFRAID TO FAIL. It will only make you stronger.

*****Learn from your mistakes.

LAUGH EVERY SINGLE DAY! SMILE AT STRANGERS.


*****Love unconditionally. Love with your whole heart.

LOVE YOURSELF.

*****Travel. Experience new things. Step out of your comfort zone.

HAVE GRIT. Make your actions speak for you.

****ALWAYS be grateful for what you have. There will always be people around you that have more than you and there will always be people who have less than you.

KNOW THAT YOU ARE LOVED. That there is nothing that you could ever do or say that will ever change that.

****You will get more from people if you are honest and upfront with them and you will get more out of life you never have to carry the guilt of lies in your heart.


Ava, you already are a strong spirit. You are determined and need things to be your way. I pray that you keep this but that you also keep the compassion that is in your heart. That you work hard for all that you want in life but take the time to enjoy all the beauty that surrounds you. Don't expect things to "just happen" , MAKE THINGS HAPPEN, because life happens with or without your input so make your life amazing. Fill your days with all the things that warm your heart. It doesn't have to be extraordinary, it can be simple and ordinary.

My life is simple and ordinary but you, my sweet, are extraordinary. Thank you for every little smile and hug. Thank you for every single moment. You have changed my life, you have changed your daddy's life (a child does that), but I had NO IDEA just how awesome it would be.

You are 3 going on 17..

Sometimes I feel like I have 2 teenage girls in the house....the only difference is the actual teenager listens to me and responds the FIRST time I ask her to do something, not the 15th time like you Miss Sassy pants Ava.

You are as sweet as you can be but you have a switch and when you decide to flip that switch...watch out world.
Anyway....You are 3 years and 4 months old. You weigh about 28 lbs...according to the Publix scale that you LOVE to get on each time we go.
~You refuse to let me brush you hair, put it up or in barrettes so I am the mom with the cute little girl who has a ratty mop on her head. I have been talking about cutting your hair and you say you are "ok" with it. With that said, we are going to have a "beauty parlor day" and you are getting a hair cut, mani/pedi and your makeup done.

~You are a puzzle maniac these days. At any given time you will have 3 floor puzzles going at the same time.

~You call your daddy "The Queen". It makes me laugh every time. And par for the course..I am ALWAYS Mother Gothel. It's my hair... (yea, sure it is)

~You daily tell me what kind of lunch you choose, it's either "home lunch" or "school lunch". If it is on a white paper "school" plate though, you will eat it. The power of suggestion is amazing.

~You miss Hazel and Grandma and always ask if they are going to come pick you up or if we are going over there. You now want to go to Aunt Katie's and have a campfire and you are always making Uncle Dave a birthday cake. Uncle Will is now your brother and almost everyday on the calendar has been Uncle Scott's birthday.

~Blue and Green are your most favorite colors. Blue has been your favorite color since the beginning but now green is a close second.

~ You can count to 10 in spanish. Bueno!

~It is VERY IMPORTANT to you that you are able to do things your way. You can get very frustrated if you feel that you are not being heard or listened to. That is when you scream and tell us "NO! Listen to my words!!!"
You will then catch yourself and realize that you are screaming and will try to calm down and then say "May you listen to my words now?"
So stinking sweet.

~When you want to ask a question, it always starts with "May"...very polite. "May you read this to me?"



~Bed time is still a bit of a chore (for Mommy and Daddy) I usually fall asleep with you...not the greatest thing but I just love the quite sweet moments of bedtime. I'm just being selfish....

~You have been to two movies in the Theater: Monster's University and Frozen (you are sleeping the Princess Anna in the picture above) You did so well in both of them.

~ You can entertain yourself for hours now by pretending that you are your teacher, Mrs. Land, and anything and everything that you can find are your friends at school. Soap and Shampoo bottles in the shower, stuffed animals, stickers, markers, beads, etc. Each time it's a different scenario that you act out from school. We always say our "Thanks" before we eat dinner.
You need to be the Door holder whenever we go anywhere and the line leader. (i think it is safe to say that you love school)

You brighten my day each and everyday Ava.

A New Year - 2014

The beginning of the new year always brings a sense of renewal and rejuvenation. I normally don't make a New Year's resolution. I could say, I'm gonna exercise, eat healthy, etc. etc. etc yet, I know enough about myself to know that it would only be an empty promise to myself. I am notorious for being plagued with a chronic case of "no follow through". My intentions are always on point. My plans are made with a sincere heart and my ideas are grand and imaginative, I just sometimes am more talk than action.
Having a child has truly brought this shortcoming to the forefront of my mind. So for this year, I am making a New Years Resolution :

Take action on the ideas and plans that I make and if I don't think that I can, don't promise it.(to myself or anyone)

I hope that I am held accountable by those I love and know. I intend for this year to be productive and rewarding. I hope to challenge myself and my comfort zone.
I always want to do everything and say yes to everything but reality shows - you just can't do everything all at once.

I want to set an example for Ava- if you say you are going to do something then you had better do it. If you make plans with someone then you had better keep those plans.
So If I want to set that example for Ava.. I had better become that person.

I love my life with the child in it. With this beautiful, strong, independent child with the most tender heart. I don't have the ability to give her all the finer things in life but I do have the ability to provide her with the tools to make her life great. To give her love beyond measure, support for eternity and courage to always be true to her heart. I can teach her to be kind when others are unkind and to always speak the truth. I want her to always see the beauty in people and the wonders that this world has to offer.

I have grand dreams for you Ava and I will do everything in my power to make your dreams come true.

The words of a 3 year old.

Oh. The things we say these days Ava.

"Stop, stop, Listen to my words"

"May, Excuse me, I have a conversation" Or "May I, I have a question"

you say "What's your problem?" and "Awww, man"

"That sounds like a good idea"

When you get frustrated at someone because they are telling you to stop doing something (that you shouldn't be doing) You yell "NO, NOT EVER. NEVER!" and then you go "aaarghgh" under your breath and walk away.

Then you say things like, "don't you know I love you" and "you are my favorite friend" And "when people have problems I give them hugs to make them happy"

You want me to rub your back at night before you go to sleep.
And read you two books. Then you like to read the book to Mommy. YOu like to fall asleep with your night light on.

Stories. Oh man! Do you love to tell stories. And you expect everyone else to tell a story too. "what's your story about Mommy?"


You love to help with ANYTHING. Feed the birds, load the dishwasher, walk Daisy, sweep, what ever anyone is doing...you want to help.

You are very independent and want to do everything yourself.


I'm so proud of you and amazed of the purity that is a child's out look on life. You are a blessing. I love you forever and Ava, you are my most favorite friend ever.

Pictures....

You love school Ava. Even though you don't look like it in this picture, you do love to go to school.

Your sister is 15 soon to be 16 and you adore her.

Hanging out with Grampa reading some books.

Your mommy and Daddy having fun at the beach.

Your Mommy and Aunt Katie taking self portraits...

FIRST SLEEPOVER WITH HAZEL AT YOUR HOUSE!!

We've had a lot of fun these past months with you little Ava.