Miss Ava Marielle turns 1

September 14, 2009 was one special day for The Tomasello family. On a dreary Monday at exactly 5:04 am you were born. Unlike Daddy, Mommy didn't know if you were a boy or a girl. So I crossed my fingers really tight for a whole nine months and prayed that on the day you arrived that I would get my wish for a little girl! And when you finally arrived you were better than I could have ever of imagined.

You had the fattest cheeks I have ever seen. Your hair was the same color as mine, but it was this tiny little mohawk that suited you perfectly. Every once in a while you would stick your tongue out at your Daddy and me making us laugh and say a little prayer thanking God because He had sent us someone so amazingly perfect for our family.

This past year has slipped through my fingers like sand. Within a blink of an eye you have grown so much. Just the other day I told your Dad that I wish for just a day every now and again you could turn back into that small little bit like the day I brought you home for the very first time. But unfortunately I cannot, so each day I try to soak you up as much as I can... every smile, every laugh, every pout.

These past twelve months have been such an adventure. You are such a little stinker and make us laugh each and every day. I love you more than you will ever know. I look forward to seeing you grow into this wonderful person that I know you will become.

Mommy loves you Miss Ava Marielle. Happy Happy Birthday!

Over the summer I have learned several new tricks... one of which is crawling. It only took me ten months but I finally decided that I wanted to give it a try. I also am very interested in eating table food. Graham crackers are my favorite right now. So far I have tried panckaes, eggs, graham crackers, biscuits, cheese, peanut butter, cranberry sauce and crackers. Sometimes as a mean trick I like to hoard all the food my Mommy gives me in the back of my cheeks. She thinks that I have eaten it and gives me more. A few minutes later I spit it all out at one time and laugh out loud. Everyone but Mommy thinks it's funny. My highchair has become a graveyard for cheerios for when I want to eat them later. Hopefully Mom won't find them and clean them up!

Another trick I have learned is clapping at everything. I love to clap at Collin when he does funny things. I also love to clap when my Daddy plays softball and I see that Collin and Mommy are cheering him on. That is one of my favorite things to do.

Last but not least, I am trying to pull up on things. I have not quite perfected it but I am working hard on it. Don't expect it to happen anytime soon since my Mom is always saying that I don't get in a hurry to do anything. But when I do, Collin better watch out... I am going to be chasing him all over the house!

Graduation

Collin had his Pre-K graduation from Growing Room last night. I was so proud of my little guy who has come along way in such a short amount of time. The night was pretty eventful. We got home to Daddy watering the plants. Since we were taking a shower before graduation, we were able to help him with some of the watering. Collin also got to sample some of the blueberries that have been sprouting here lately from out recently planted bushes.
We ate cereal for dinner, then quickly ran upstairs for showers. Collin and Ava Marielle got all dolled up for our big night. The graduation was at the AU Hotel and Conference Center at 7 pm sharp so off we went so we would not be late. We got our cap and gown on in the parking lot which Collin was really excited about.
The children had been practicing several songs for their parents. They sang well then each one got to walk to get their diplomas. Collin, as usual, got a little bored and started playing with the balloons on the wall that were above his head. The teachers should have known better than to put Collin up against the wall next to them! Ava was making friends with everyone that sat behind us. She was all smiles, a lot of giggles and worked her chunk-o-munk legs as she jumped up and down while we were holding her.
Then we headed into the lobby for light refreshments. Richard said he would be eating 40 dollars worth of 'light refreshments' since the graduation was costing each parent 45 dollars for this blessed event! Unfortunately they only served cake and punch so I believe Richard only got to cash in 1.25!!! When Richard got our one piece of cake, Ava was a little too close... she quickly reached out got a handful of cake. Before I knew it my face, neck, and chest was covered in purple, green and white frosting. Little Miss Ava was waiving her hands in the air trying to get the rest off her fingers. Collin was asking to take his robe off and have his punch and Richard was trying to clean me off, but it was only smearing. Needless to say I was stained the rest of the night!
We made several pictures with some of our favorite friends in Collin's class, along with some of him and his baby sister. While Ava and Collin were taking pictures together, Ava was trying to snag Collin's diploma so she could taste it (billy goat!) as well as steal his medal. Collin got to show off his break dancing moves for his teachers family as well as sing at the top of his lungs his favorite Justin Bieber song Baby, Baby, Baby.
We got home just as the kiddos should be going to bed. Then it was time for me to settle in for a thriller watching Grey's Anatomy!
I am so proud of my little man. In only a few short months he will be starting Kindergarten. I know this is one of many milestones I will get to cherish with him! Congrats Collin Elijah... Mommy and Daddy love you so much and are VERY proud of you!

Mom, can you turn me into a worm?!?!

Mom, can you turn me into a worm please? They are so cute! They eat and drink mud everyday... and that is healthy. Trust me, I know what healthy is! Plus you get to eat food that other people leave on the ground AND IT HAS YUMMY DIRT ON IT! Sometimes you get to make your home in a cute apple. If you turn me into a worm I wouldn't have to wear clothes like pants or stinky underwear... I could be naked which is my favorite thing to do!
Mom, please turn me into a worm. I could wiggle around all over the ground. I wouldn't have to walk because I wouldn't have any legs! I could just wiggle everywhere I went. Don't worry about me being slow. I would be a fast worm wiggling faster than any other!
Mom, please turn me into a worm. I would love to scare all the little girls that saw me. When they scream I will laugh really hard! Since I would be a fast worm, when the girls saw me I would chase them as fast as I could -well as fast as one could go without any legs!
Well, I would have to live outside. And it does get dark... really dark at night. Plus you, Dad and Ava would be inside sound asleep... WITHOUT ME! I bet a boogie man might come and get me. Okay, maybe I will stay a Collin and not be a worm... just yet!

I thought I had a Daughter not a Billy Goat

My Mom always call me her Little Billy Goat. She says its because everyday I take my daily report that she is given at school from her and immediately shove it into my mouth. By the time Mommy gets my bag, I have already eaten a huge chunk out of the paper. I really can't help myself... it just tastes so yummy. It is a close second to my favorite things to snack on... my stinky piggies. Although I must confess, this weekend I think I have found my favorite snack! My Mommy and Daddy were working really hard in the yard. I was playing nicely in my bumbo entertaining myself. (Actually don't tell them but I was trying not to draw attention to myself because of my find)! I found that grass and pine straw taste amazing! It is even better when you get a little dirt in there as well. Once my Mommy caught on to what I was doing, she of course took it out of my hands. =(
However, the minute she turned her head I was right back in the dirt and grass shoving as much into my mouth as I could! I personally would like to add that to my tricks! Not everyone could eat grass, dirt and pine straw with a smile on their face.

Another trick I learned this weekend is riding in the cart without my seat! Mommy says I am a little sluggish when it comes to trying new things... and this would be very true. I just started sitting up by myself a week ago. And trust me this is not due to my Mother's lack of effort. She is all the time sitting me in the floor trying to get me to sit straight up. I want to ask her, why when I can just sit in your lap forever? After all it is my favorite place to be! Well, I finally did it last week just to make her happy. Since I was doing that I decided to add sitting in the cart to my list as well. It was just as much fun as she said it would be. I loved every minute of it! I wonder what else I will try soon?

Kickin' hiney and taking names

I have recently told Collin that he needs to start taking up for himself. We have this certain little boy in his classroom that seems to be very ugly to Collin. Well not today! This is the story Collin told me this afternoon.

'Mom! J kicked me when I was getting water and I told him to stop and he didn't. He did it again and I told him to stop again and he didn't. AND then he did it again and I told him to stop but he DIDN'T. So then I let him get water after me and then I kicked him! I replied with 'Good Collin. Way to stick up for yourself. Was it hard'? Collin yells 'Yes! Harder than boo boo's and cuts AND farther than 3 inches!'

I am not really sure what this means. All I can say is this is hte lingo of a 5 year old. I love it! So the next time you have a bully I want us to all take a lesson from Collin... invite them to the water fountain after you and then kick them harder than boo boo's and cuts AND farther than 3 inches =)

Miss Ava Marielle

Hello, I'm Ava Marielle. I thought it was time to introduce myself since Collin has started t-ball and doing really silly things which is hogging all the spot light! Since this is my first time here, I thought I would let you guys know a little about me...

My favorite place is in my mommies lap or just in her arms in general. She is always singing songs to me that she makes up. They are really silly and always involve my name in some way. Collin usually joins in but his songs are how my little piggies stink. Which I really cannot argue about that!

Speaking of Collin I love him to pieces. He is so funny. He lets me play with all his toys (as long as they are not small). He is constantly making me smile by giving me kisses and when I am getting a little cranky, he plays like he is falling down and talks to me in this crazy voice so I will forget how mad I am. My favorite is when he tells me that I am a beatiful princess just like Mommy. I think I might be the luckiest little sister in the world to have him.

I have a couple of things I like to do... they are my tricks if you will. The first is I can make one mean Indian noise. Sometimes I like to put my hand on my mommy or daddy's mouth and make them do it. The other trick is putting my toy to my mouth just as my Mommy is feeding me my dinner. She usually calls me a stinker and asks if I do that on purpose. I just smile at her... I think she knows I do. The last trick I have up my sleeve is while sitting in my bumbo, I like to lean as far back as I possibly can and laugh really loud. Everyone thinks this is the cutest. They immediately start to tickle my chin or tummy.

I know as I get older I will have tons more tricks and silly things that I will do just like my big brother. But for now I will just stick to being cute and making sweet faces. Hopefully I will get to share some blog time with Collin. ;)

Bye! Ava

Ginger Chronicles Part 1

Dear Readers,

I know this is my wife's blog about our family, but I would like to take a minute or two of your time to get something that has been weighing heavily on my chest for a while now. I would like to make this a weekly post to update you on my findings...

Part 1:

A prototype of Apple Inc's next-generation iPhone has dominated the chatter in Silicon Valley over the past few days and the company has moved to recover the device after is was apparently 'lost in a bar'.

As many of you are quite aware, this was no accident. In fact, if it weren't for an intergalacular crash many years ago, this corrupt corporate giant would have never been able to 'lose' its next popular cult gadget and splash photos of it all over the blogoshpere.

Let me explain this to those of you who are unaware of how Steve Jobs and other corrupt business leaders have their fortunes over the past decades. Sometime in the last 40 years, the U.S. Government, along with other shady corporate giants have been 'Reverse Gingerneering' all of our latest technology for profit. How have they been dong so? In a simple one word answer... Aliens.

In 1989, a 'physicist' named Bob Lazar claimed that he had worked at a base south of Area 51. He also claimed that Area 51 was testing extremely advanced aircraft and UFO's they got by trading with aliens. Not only have they been trading aircrafts secrets, the U.S. Government has also been harvesting other technology from our friends from another planet. Bob and I have been close pen pals for the past 10 years of my life and I am now a true believer.

I have confirmed that the following list has all been created with the help of Reverse Gingerneering:

Easy Bake Oven

Pet Rock

Chia-Pets

Pez

Snuggies (only the original, the U.S. can have credit for the more fashionable 'designer' Snuggie)

And of course... the iPod, iPhone and latest iPad (also the soon to be iGoggles for 3D movies)

You can all say that this is crazy talk, but I have actually witnessed an Alien spacecraft fall out of orbit in Helena, AL after a crazy party at my friends house which included a lot of beer. But don't let that fool you... I KNOW it was a UFO! Beer had nothing to do with what I saw! Details will be later revealed in my later chronicles. To be continued...

-Richard 'Burgundy' Tomasello

Listening

Fact: This is one cute kid. Actually, I think that this might be one of the cutest little boys I know. Another fact: This cute little stinker is my son who like many males does not listen. For instance, during stinkers last t-ball game, he was all but paying attention during his game. So as many parents would do, when stinker got to the dugout awaiting his turn at bat, I simply told him that he might want to pay a little more attention during his game (instead of playing the role of PigPen while on the field). He turns to me and says 'I'm thirsty'!

This afternoon while I was making stinker a bowl of noodles I simply asked him 'would you like sauce on your noodles this time'? His response was 'What did you say Mommy, potato'? All I could do was smile and say I love you, stinker!

As we sit down to eat tonight, I asked stinker how his field trip to Auburn Early Ed was today and if he liked seeing his new school. He turned to look at me and said 'Hey Mom, do you remember that time when I was three years old and I jumped through that puddle and it was fun'?

Fact: He is such a cute, cute kid but seriously needs some listening skills! =)

Collin 'Michael Jackson' Tomasello

Obsessed is a slight understatement when saying that Collin loves Michael Jackson. He has watched Thriller along with a few other videos this week and his love has only grown for the King of Pop. He has really been practicing his dance moves as well. So much so that during his second t-ball game he decided to dance (spin around and kick) on the field and when he got on first, second and third base. Dancing seems to be his go to move when expressing any kind of excitement as of late. Collin has even gone as far as to ask me why his name is not Michael (please pronounce this as MAC-HUL. Incase you have not heard my son speak, he has a deap southern twang) He then asks me to refer to him only as MAC-HUL! geesh...

This afternoon he gets out of the car and sees our neighbor's two small girls playing in the yard. He immediately asks if he too could play outside. I of course say yes... he makes his way to the end of the yard and yells 'Hey baby girl'! OMG!!! This is not really happening. Once the girls stop playing and start paying attention to my little 'ladies man' he then starts screaming (he would say it was singing but I beg to differ) Michael Jackson songs and doing his newly learned moves. The girls actually sit down and start watching Collin as if he is a real entertainer!!!

All I can say is Houston... we might have a problem!

Collin's first t-ball game

Collin's first t-ball game was just as exciting as I thought it would be. The first time he came up to bat, he batted as a lefty, which in fact he is quite the opposite He hit the ball after several tries and immediately ran down the third base line only to be 'guided' to first base. As he as heading to first base, he 'shuffled' his feet kicking up the chalk. This was the start of our downfall. He then took the field on first base (big mistake on the coach's part). He is now standing on the first base bag and not letting the kids who are batting stand on the base all the while kicking dirt all over himself, the kids on first, the first base coach on the opposite team and his own coach... I like to call this 'making friends'. He kicked the dirt so hard (twice might I add) that he actually kicked his own coach right in the shin! Then he gets up to bat for the second time (as a lefty) and once again gets out before he arrives on first base. I immediately turn to Richard to tell him that if he has any hopes for a future in the track team, then he better start helping Collin with his form starting now! My son has mastered the skip-like running while his shrugging his shoulders at the same time. Collin then takes the field a second time only this time he is now backing up the first baseman. He seems to be in the game only for a short while until he realizes that kicking the dirt once again is way more fun. He almost looks like Pig Pen from Charlie Brown. Collin bats for a third and final time (again as a lefty). This time we not only make contact with the ball, but make it to first base as well. He is so excited that he starts dancing on the bag all the while pointing to his cheering fans (Mom, Dad, Ava and Nana). While my son is continuing to 'bust a move' on first base, he hasn't realized that the batter behind him has hit the ball and is heading towards Collin... naturally Collin is automatically out. We then hit the field for a third and final time. This time the coach places Collin on third base. He quickly makes friends with the coach on the opposite team and the short-stop by kicking up dirt all around them. The third base coach decides to tell Collin he might want to pay attention... this lasts 3.5 seconds until a train comes barrelling behind the field. This completely stops the game since all the children stop playing to watch the said train! Once the game ensues again, Collin decides to draw in the dirt and throw his glove or glub as he calls it into the air. The game comes to an end and all the kids get a Capri sun afterwards and a job well done. Next week we are not only going to work on his form while running but his attention span!

More next week...