Pea-Marshmallow Gravy and other Averyisms

"buhzahnyah" - lasagna

"Why can't I marry mommy?"

(Clint) "We'll be back soon.  We're just going to the store..." (Avery interrupts) "...to get some boring stuff."

While playing with sidewalk chalk, Avery declares he has invented a new color by mixing several colors together.  He named it "Pea-marshmallow gravy".

Avery doesn't quite understand what a "sea urchin" is, but he has been inserting it into his sentences lately.

"When I grow up, I want to be a daddy who drives a dump truck!" (The local YMCA has been building a swimming pool, and Avery is fascinated with all the machinery used to create it.)

One evening, our family ate chicken noodle soup for supper.  Avery was trying to figure out why it had that name.  He asked, "Did the chicken make the noodles?"

When viewing a Wrestle-Mania advertisement in a comic book at the library, Avery asked if it was a "Whup Up magazine".  (He and his Dad play wrestle and "whup up" on each other when Clint comes home from work.)

Each night, Avery gives his mom special combination of "kisshugs".

Becoming A Big Boy

Now that Avery has turned four, and that he is grasping the idea that he will be a “big brother” of a new baby sister, he has been concentrating on appearing like a “big boy”.  Here are some quotes:

“I’m STRONG because I’m four!”

Avery asked me to “put his potty seat in the garage sale” since he is four now and that he is “too big for it”.

He often asks if certain books, toys, silverware, videos, TV characters “are for babies”.  He is trying to distinguish what is too little for him now.

If he finds a toy in his room that he thinks he has outgrown, he puts it in his little sister’s room “for her to play wiff.”

At the library, he told the librarian that a Calliou book (what used to be one of his favorites to check out) “was for babies”.  We checked it out anyway, and reassured him that when we read it together, we were actually reading it “to the baby in mommy’s tummy” (since I could tell that he still was curious to read it, but was embarrassed to).  That seemed to be a relief to him since he could still safely hear the story as a big boy.

Clint and I were discussing having a date night and the logistics of hiring a babysitter.  Avery overheard “babysitter” and told us that he was “not a baby” and that we needed a “big boy sitter” instead.

One of his older girl friends told him that Lightning McQueen “was for babies”.  He adamantly protested that it wasn’t and still proudly wears his Lightning McQueen house slippers and jacket.  He is figuring out what it means to be “bigger”, but still hasn’t lost the sense of who he is and what he likes.

We’ve talked to Avery about how proud we are of him and the many things he can do now all by himself.  We also reminded Avery that when his baby sister comes, she will be very little and can’t do hardly anything by herself – and that we are all going to have to work as a team to take care of her.  Avery knows that we are glad he is such a big boy who can help.  We’ve also tried to explain that sometimes it will seem like we are paying more attention to the baby since she will need our help so much, but that there are a lot of fun things that he will be able to do that she can’t do yet.  It seems like Avery is excited about the idea being big enough to help care for her and protect her, but we will be mindful not to expect too much from him and to give him as much love and reassurance as possible too.

Mommy's Tummy - 34 weeks

Winter and Valentine Crafts

1.) marshmallow print snowman
2.) *corn syrup painted valentine heart
3.) * with sprinkles
4.) homemade paper towel tube foam stamp roller
5.) ponybead/glue snowman suncatcher

4 year reflection

It is amazing to think that we've been parents already for four years.  It's true that time flies by faster the older you become.  Before Avery was born, we really had no idea what to expect.  It has been quite a surprise and a gift to be given the responsibility of caring for a child with such personality and fun energy.  He has changed so much, so quickly in such short time.  I pray that we are making the most of each moment with him at his sweet, innocent state since it is so fleeting.

photos:
1.) "shiny" project - gluing sequins on foil
2.) detailing firetruck with stickers
3.) watching 60's Spiderman cartoon in costume

First Dentist Appointment

Now that Avery is four years old, we thought it was about time to schedule his first dentist appointment.  Before the visit, we checked out and read several library books on visiting a dentist and talked about what to expect hoping it would help him prepare for the new experience.

Upon arriving at the office for the appointment, Avery was a little bit nervous, but I could also tell that he didn't fully grasp what was going on quite yet.  However, the hygienist was great at helping him feel comfortable.

Ways in which the hygienist helped Avery included patiently explaining everything she was doing each step of the check-up.  She seemed to understand kids and was patient with Avery's humor and playfulness.  She also paused to explain to us the difference between "soft plaque" and "hard plaque", and taught Avery how a cavity is like a "hole" in a sick tooth that she and the dentist were there to help him fix.

Avery got to sit in the big dentist chair (although he was a bit afraid when it moved up and down so that it could be positioned at a height the hygienist could comfortably reach him), wear fun red sunglasses with the light lamp shining down on his mouth, pick out a flavor of toothpaste (blue raspberry - we had to remind him not to lick it off his teeth before they were polished since he thought it tasted good) and even pick out a fun red toothbrush and sticker when it was all finished.  He did question why he had to wear a bib since he associated that with being "a baby", but understood why it was necessary for water not to get on his shirt.  The hygienist noticed that he liked it when she sprayed water in his mouth to rinse off the toothpaste and let him get in a couple of extra squirts for fun.

Avery had quite a bit of tarter behind his front bottom teeth, but was very patient for a four year old while it was scraped off.  The hygienist and Avery counted his top and bottom teeth together and we learned he had twenty teeth overall.  She also taught us a good way to floss so that Avery was more willing to let us help him floss his teeth in the future.

Finally, after receiving a good dental cleaning, our dentist arrived in the room.  He too was great with Avery and Avery patiently let him check each tooth.  Unfortunately, he found two cavities in the upper back rows.  We are glad that he found them before they got any worse and caused Avery pain.  Needless to say, we have a couple more upcoming visits to get those cavities fixed.  Hopefully, we can continue to strive for good dental habits and help Avery to learn to choose to take good care of his teeth for the rest of his life.

Avery's 4 Year Birthday Party

It is hard to believe our little guy turned four years old this month.  We threw him his first every kid-only birthday party.  Everyone seemed to have so much fun with the decorate-your-own license plate craft, driving hotwheels through the shaving cream rack track, constructing race car cakes (and eating them too) and simply playing with one another.  Most importantly, Avery enjoyed having several of his friends over which made him feel special.