sweet friends

Avery's group of furry friends continues to grow and they really like to travel together.  Interestingly her favorites, Abby and Baby, are not to be found in this picture.  But all the rest stand together in a close 3rd place to those 2.  I try to remember to move them off the stairs before bedtime so I don't trip in the dark!

Veggie Bliss

I came to a shocking realization on Avery's second birthday that she had essentially gone for a year of her life without eating vegetables.  What?!?!  I am so ashamed!!  After all that homemade babyfood of yesteryear, when she turned one she started vetoing purees and vegetables in their natural form.  Rather than persevering against the negativity, I gave up.  And then she turned 2. Really?  Wow.

So I decided something had to change.  I had received a cookbook from my mom last Christmas from my wish list, called Deceptively Delicious.  I pulled it out and started reading.  I went on a vegetable-puree-making rampage; spinach, carrot, broccoli, yams and cauliflower.  

I am happy to report that both in crudite form and hidden purees, Avery has started trying vegetables on a regular basis.  Notice I don't say "eating", just "trying" but I will take it.  It is a vast improvement.  

There's spinach hiding under that pizza sauce and cheese, see it between her 2 front teeth?

One of my favorite recommendations from the book is to offer crudite as a pre-dinner snack when your little one starts complaining of hunger before dinner is finished cooking.  Dip it in a little plain yogurt and it's kind of a fun little activity.

That lasagna has sweet potato and cauliflower purees in it and it's super tasty.

One of my favorite things I have made from this cookbook is the homemade ketchup.  Doesn't it look yummy?  Okay, maybe the picture doesn't capture the yumminess.  It really is delicious. Jon is a freak for ketchup, drowns his food in it and he loved it.  It is low sugar and has carrot puree aplenty. Bring on the fall vegetables and wish me luck.  Mmm, mmm.

Oskar's Home!!

Avery's beloved neighbor and friend has returned from a summer abroad in Germany and we are so excited to have our neighbors back.  We enjoyed a summer Sunday with them this past weekend, including swimming at the Santa Monica College pool (one of our favorite weekend pasttimes), lunch at Amandine Patisserie on Wilshire, then a dinner of surf and turf on the grill. Avery has greatly enjoyed having Oskar back in town.  Here they are looking out the lawn of the pool onto the driveway/parking lot outside, then below running back to the edge of the lawn.  All this after swimming in the 83 degree pool that was exceptionally chilly this day. Lucky for us Oskar has decided to stay in town for another few months to keep Avery company before his big move to Chicago.  

Welcome home, sweet friend.

Oskar and his daddy, Matthias, even teach Avery some German.  Tschüs, Oskar!

Or as I picture it in my head when I say it "choos" (goodbye), for now.

Summer concert at the Getty

On stage is Recess Monkey. Three elementary school teachers from Seattle compose the band.  The concert was a lot of fun on the lawn of the Getty.

Avery really loved watching the older kids run around and dance.

We were so lucky to share this fun event with our friends Kelly and Maddie.  Thanks Kelly for making the plans.

This is Avery and Daddy in front of Irises by Van Gogh (obviously).  We were last here on Avery's 1 year birthday.

Avery was so proud after walking down this long flight of stairs by herself, with Baby.

We walked back to the car rather than taking the tram.  Might not do that again anytime soon. But at the end of the walk was a sculpture garden including this big beautiful horse that Avery wanted to ride.  But the sign said "do not touch".  Now when she sees pictures of this horse, she says 'horsie on merry-go-round' and I try to explain that the horse lives in the garden at the Getty, not headed for a merry-go-round at the pier.

First Haircut

Please note the luscious curly-cue in the middle of her head and how it is quite lengthy compared to the other curls.

This is Avery prior to her first haircut.  She was really excited all week when we talked about it, but once we got in the car to go she got very quiet and concerned.  When we got to the salon a little girl was getting her hair braided and Avery kept saying "no haircut, no haircut".  

We talked her off the ledge by pointing out that she could sit in an airplane and watch TV while she got her haircut and we noted how brave the other little girls were as they got their hair done.

Enno was her stylist and he was very sweet to her and tried to engage her and he coped well with every turn of the head, evening up all the different lengths and keeping her curls and her bangs.

She did not shed a single tear.  She held her water and for a while held her lovey, but ended up dropping it before the end and forgetting about it entirely as I shoved it back in the diaper bag.

Here is Avery watching herself in the mirror getting her hair cut.  Note the TV that they have perfectly placed for distraction.

Happy, happy as the adventure nears it's end.

I nearly jumped for joy to see that curly-cue gone and the little curls in the back curl into place.
One last touch, Enno actually got a bobby pin to stay in her hair and threaded 2 little flowers into it.  She was very proud and happy to have survived her first haircut.  She kept the flowers in for quite some time although she was tempted on many occasions to remove them.  So one last note, they saved her hair for us in a little envelope and gave us a little certificate and we totally forgot it and left it at the salon.  Oh well, she will have to take our word for it that on August 15, 2009 just one day shy of 25 months she got her first haircut at First Cut on Montana in Santa Monica.  Then we went to brunch at Blue Plate and saw Alison Hannigan.  We never see famous people.  She was very pretty and was out to breakfast with her baby daughter and husband.  I digress, first haircuts are super fun.  We love the new 'do, Avery Mae.

Summer Fun

As Avery would say "Yum-city!"

Is there anything better than outdoor enjoyment of popsicles during summer with friends?  What a special day!