Two more days until Hawaii…

We’ve been doing lots of prep work – making lists, cleaning, organizing, fretting, packing, etc. Grandma #1 (Diane) will come over Friday night and take us to the airport on Saturday. Grandma #2 (Nola or “Ola” as Ava calls her) will take over the second shift sometime on Monday. She has the longest stretch and we have reminded her that she can take Ava to Vicki’s during the day if she needs a break. Grandma #3 (Sandy) and Grandpa Chuck take over the reigns on Friday and will pick us up at the airport on Sunday morning. Phew! Ava’s going to have a blast for sure!

Update on the Big Girl Bed: Since Ava has been ultra persistent in her crib escape tactics, we pulled the outside rail off again so it looks like a day bed. She’s actually been doing really well so far – she hasn’t been scared and has stayed in bed for the most part. I’d praise her efforts more, but I think her/our success might be a tad more related to the lock we put on her bedroom door. Now we can basically lock her in from the outside. Ummm…is that bad? We would have used one of those doorknob cover things, but her door doesn’t shut tightly and can basically be pushed open unless it is locked. In preparation for this, we made sure to tether her dresser and bookcase to the wall to prevent any mishaps when she undoubtedly gets out of bed.

The other morning I heard her talking to herself…so I opened the door and found her laying on the floor with her bear and in a dress! She had taken her jammies off and was ready to go. This morning she was “reading” books when I walked in. We had taken all of her bedroom books away as a punishment when she kept getting out of bed, so our little bookworm was very happy to have earned some of them back. So…things seem to be looking up. Hopefully she doesn’t startle the grandparents with many 5:30 wake up calls next week!

More cute Ava-isms:
Ava: We’re a big family.
Me: Yes, we are – that’s right.
Ava: Yes, because we share fruit.

And one from my sister-in-law Julie:
Normally, I ask Ava for "un beso" and she gives me a kiss. Then, I say "gracias." Here's what happened Saturday:
Julie: Ava, can I please have a kiss?
Ava *kiss*
Julie: Thank you very much.
Ava: Say gracias.

By the way, in case anyone was wondering, I did not finish my book (Devil in the White City) in time. I have about 30 or 40 pages left, but I wasn’t the only one. It’s been a really good read – very interesting account of the World’s Fair in Chicago in 1893. It goes back and forth between two main characters – the major architect/organizer of the fair and a serial killer. It’s a true story, but reads like a novel. I recommend it!