August - Ava is 3

We started out with all three of us getting the flu. First Ava, then Fran and last but not least mom... We went with Fran and his nephew to a county fair and we attended our first demolition derby.

She rode on the marry-go-round about 10 times.

We also went to the Saratoga Race Track for the first time. Fran worked there as a teenager so we got the insider's tour.

I took a week of vacation, so Ava, Fran and I went to Boston for the first half of the week. While there we went to the Science Museum, Aquarium, and a Red Sox game.

We also had another birthday party at Fran's nieces house. I can't believe she is 3 - time has gone by soooo quickly!

Ava went to her Dad's the second half of the week so Fran and I went to Mystic, CT and Block Island, RI. If you ever want to go on a nice, relaxing vacation - check out that location! Ava started pre-school (in the same building as her daycare) so we had a big room change to the 2nd floor and the big kids play ground. She adjusted quickly to the change - mom misses waving to her through the window on the way back out to the car (no window facing the parking lot in her new room)...

Her new favorite movies - Ice Age 2, Tinkerbell and Shrek 1 & 2. Thanks to the car ride to and from Boston... She picked up the word "FINE" with a negative little smirk from somewhere - so when I ask her to do something she does not want to - "Fine Mom"... She has gotten very good at doing more complicated puzzles - it amazes me. She is still wearing size 2 (at most) clothes. She is 35 inches tall and 25 pounds. She wears size 5 1/2 shoes. Potty training has not gone well - instead of not wanting to see the "blue" that happens when she pees in the pull ups - she makes it her mission. So, she does not wear her big girl undies very often. Her favorite color is pink and orange. She likes to draw with chalk and play with stickers. She is still a Dora and Diego fan, but other cool things creep in for short periods of time. She is a little chatter box and definitely knows what she does not want to eat. Most foods need to include cheese to meet her standards. And, to top all that off - she has several boyfriends... at least that is what the boys are telling their moms.

July - busy girls

So - I am not sure where July went... Water, water, water!

For July 4th we went to my sister Anne's and Ava had a great time playing with her cousin MacKenzie and friends in her pool. When we drove from Syracuse past Cortland I really missed my friends and the sense of normal that I used to have in Cortland - sometimes I can't believe that I don't live there anymore. We had a lot of fun at the fireworks in Oneonta. These were Ava's first fireworks - she had me hold my hands over her ears but she loved all the colors and talks about them all the time.

Ava spent a lot of time with her dad - unfortunately he has more time on his hands (not of his choosing...) but the good news is that she gets to spend more time in Cortland with her father. We celebrated two years since her US adoption on July 5th. My friend Laurie M. had a baby shower - I helped plan the games - it was great to see her and I am looking forward to meeting baby Munley in the fall. Fran was a super boyfriend and took me to see the NYC ballet at SPAC - it was amazing and an absolutely perfect day! My brother Phil and his family came to visit then my niece, Jackie stayed for the week. She attended field hockey camp at Hartwick. Ava and I drove to Yorktown Heights & Scarsdale to see my Aunts, Uncles and cousins. While we where there, they threw a surprise birthday party for Ava - it was really nice of them and great to see Ava play with her two 2nd cousins that are a little bit younger then her. To end the month, Fran I went back up to SPAC to see Cold Play - another great night with a wonderful man. I am very fortunate to have met him. Ava and Topi (my dog) loves that he takes them to the park and on walks almost every night - the walks usually include a pit stop at Friendly's... So - mommy really likes to go also.

Hey Carol - this is still Ava's favorite dress. Look she is potty training. Corn - I love corn! The first of many birthday parties - and by the way - her name is now "Ava the Princess".

Great Uncle John and Ava... I used to love sitting in his lap reading too.

June - Busier than I thought we would be...

June was a much busier month than I anticipated! At work we held new student orientation, the Athletic Hall of Fame, the Citizen's Gala, and an Institutional Advancement event in my home town - Cazenovia... They were all great events but time flew right by. We also had a party for Fran, Larry and Matt - all are leaving Hartwick by the end of the summer (or changing divisions). Ava and I attended Jake Bicknell's graduation party - I can't believe my best friend from high school has a son going to college - Am I really that old? The Palmeri's and Grammy came out for the Merideth Dairy Festival and Fran and I took Ava to a "Big Truck" event at Fly Creek. For Father's day, Ava was with her dad - so I went to Boston with Fran and spent the weekend with his family. We also went to see Eddie Vetter in Albany in early June. In addition to all the events I had a pretty solid case of laryngitis... which made public speaking a bit of a chore.

Ava's favorite DVD is Ice Age, she discovered that she loves chocolate milk shakes, and prefers "comfy shorts" - no buttons allowed and especially not denim. Mom's favorite word - lellow for yellow. Ava loves to dance...

O.K. now I will take a nap...

Mother's Day and the month of May

I had a great Mother's Day. I picked Ava up from her Dad at 9:00 am and received a very nicely colored card - she added color to it for the next week. On the way back to Oneonta we stopped at Pie in the Sky for pancakes with real maple syrup - yummy! Ava was great - she played Ava checkers and poker with Fran then after we ate we bundled up (it was cold) and went outside to play in the big doll houses - little house shed things... When we got home I was told to relax while Ava and Fran planned the dinner menu - I then received beautiful flowers and another very special card. I was encouraged to play with Ava for the rest of the day - which I did. For dinner we ate food Ava would choose, if she chose the menu - right down to the desert. We had Bologna, mac and cheese, carrots, apple juice, "gramma" cheese, gold fish and cupcakes - yummy! (Actually Fran and I had a little more for dinner - like seafood alfredo, after Ava went to bed - what a good guy :)

What have we done since my Easter post other than celebrate Mother's Day?

Well - Ava spent some time with Grammy Belva and Grammy Marva. She played on the play ground several times and I think she has brought home almost a sandbox full of sand in her shoes from day care. She is still doing well at day care and loves that she can go outside and play now that the weather is good. She requests lucky charms every morning, must have her princess blanket (made by Darci) when she goes to bed, and has two books read to her before I leave the room - she is beginning to recite most of the stories to me and feels if she "reads" then I still have two more to read. She has decided the bedroom door must be open when she falls asleep and if she wakes up at night and it is closed - she is not happy. No more getting stuff done upstairs after Ava is in bed... She comes in my room in the morning with her blanket and Diego, requests a cup of juice and sits on my bed to watch Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse club when I am getting ready for work. In the evening, she loves to ride her bike and swing at the park! She always want our dog Topi to go to the park with us.

Over the last month - I had my second set of Board of Trustee meetings and took part in all of the closing festivities of spring semester on Campus. Today was commencement. We went with Tom and Jane to Albany to see Bruce Springsteen earlier this month. The concert was great! Fran and I celebrated his birthday by going to Hershey PA (to see an AHL playoff Hockey game) and then I had some of his friends over for dinner on the actual date. I bought a grill - so it was fun to cook out and host my first party at the new house. It works pretty well. Between work and wanting to be outside with Ava, I have been pretty busy just doing what I need to do each day. It was a very good month. I am definitely looking forward to the summer and hopefully a bit slower pace.

Happy Easter & the Frozen Four

Well... It has been a busy month. Ava spent a couple of weekends with Grammy Belva and Emily. Thanks Grammy. Mommy went to the Catskill Symphony Orchestra with Fran one night and got all dressed up - it was lots of fun. The President of the College was a guest conductor so it was work and play - I had a good time. Ava has visited the doctor a few more times - her ears still have pressure behind the wax build up... She is having a great time at preschool - it is wonderful to see that she is adjusting so well. She speaks regularly about her friends at school and what they have done.... including Ms. Diane telling her to ride her bike slower after Ava showed me a boo boo and tales of being the "line leader". Some other cute things - she calls Fran's beard - spider and ants, has a pair of shoes she calls her Ballerina shoes, still adores Diego and Dora, strings along a lot of sentences to tell random stories and has very specific stories that go along with her pictures.

For Easter, Ava was with Daddy. So, I spent the weekend in Washington, DC. It was my first time to visit our Capital and I soaked in every minute that I could. I was awestruck by the magnitude of the buildings and the depth of history. I was able to see Kate R. (one of my students from IC) who works for a Senator and she showed us around the Capital Building. We traveled with friends who were a lot of fun to be around.

We attended the Frozen Four tournament (NCAA Division I finals for hockey) and watched some awesome hockey. Boston University won - it was hard to hold true to my BC Eagle roots and not cheer for BU, until I heard the BU fans ripping on BC and we were not even in the tournament... I wore red for the final game (both teams had red as a school color) but could not bring myself to wear the BU terrier gear... Even at the Irish pub after the final game the BU fans choose to stir the BC/BU puddle - just wait till next year BU.

Ava and I celebrated Easter (Easter Baskets) on Sunday night after she returned from Daddy's and Fran made us an Easter ham dinner on Monday night - he's a great cook! After the last week - I am afraid to stand on a scale but it was worth every mouth watering bite!

Ava still has a smile that makes her mom love her even more - all scrunched up.... So - life has been very busy being a mom, at work, and spending time developing friendships. But, it has been a very good month.

Happy Easter!