I have nothing to wear.

My child's closet officially looks like she's a hoarder.  Our neighbor so graciously offered for us to look through bags of clothes from her daughters.  There were many things on which we have similar tastes.  How do you say no?  It's okay, we'll wear as much as we can.  I've noticed photos from this time last year in a few items that Avery is juuuust getting too big for, so things are definitely lasting a lot longer now.

Her coat and jacket situation would make my mother proud (she loved her coats -- and gloves).  At least we have one heavy coat that can be set aside for playing in the snow this winter with no worries of it being too messy for every day or church use.

Don't Forget

There are so many cute things about Avery.  I want to remember them all.  It seems so small, but I've come today to make a few notes.

She loves boots.  Last winter she loved her purple boots with the white fluffy lining and wanted to keep wearing them even when I pulled out the shorts.  I shouldn't have been surprised by her instant obsession with this winter's silvery boots with a white lining, but I admit I am surprised that she took also to her red cowboy boots!  The first day I had her put them on she stood up, sat right back down, and wanted them off.  Within a couple of days now she wants to wear them every day.  She can tell you "cowboy boots" pretty clearly too!

Three of her other pairs of shoes (yes she has a ton of shoes, don't judge me) have unicorns on them.  She'll tell you she wants the unicorn shoes, but she actually says "hay-corn" which is too adorbs.

She is also obsessed with her clip in hair accessory with the little yellow doggie on it.  She's still letting me pick out her clothes, but she decides how she wants her hair:  one pony or two, if she wants a bow, clip, or gummy, etc; she also picks the shoes.  Even if they don't match, it's okay.

I have to be doing something right.

It's my job to make sure this little girl knows all about Jesus.  That's how I see it.  So we read the Christmas manger book whenever she wants, we say our prayers, we thank him, we go to church, and we even practice signing his name.

For a while I've been asking Avery what her dolly's name is and she simply says "Baby", so Baby it has been.  Yesterday I asked again and she told me her doll's name was Jesus.  Not only did she tell me, but she made her version of the sign for it too.  Good pick kiddo!

Teef

Yesterday Avery had her first dentist appointment.  All looks well, but they did suggest that I start flossing her and using fluoride toothpaste.  I just don't feel comfortable with the fluoride until she is able to spit it out.  But I am going to try and take the floss suggestion.  It's good advice for me too, so I ordered some of those pieces of floss on plastic sticks.

She did pretty well there.  She did cry, but that helped to open her mouth up for us to all get a view.  The view was good enough that I caught a glimpse of the last 4 baby teeth which have broken the gums!  She is such a big girl.

Another notable leap

Periodically Avery says or does something that feels so significant, it tends to be something said or done so clearly and unprompted that really makes me aware of how much she is growing and progressing.  Last night she looked up from her dinner (unprompted in any way) and said "please may I get milk".  Sure it should be "may I have milk" but this is a huge leap from "milk".  I'm impressed.

We are definitely at the stage where I know she's learning a ton that may not be apparent.  A few examples:
- She tests boundaries.  When I tell her no and indicate that if she continues to do or not do something (usually eating) what the repercussion will be she tends to snap to... or continue in the same manner with a grin staring at me.
- I downloaded an app focused on learning letters.  In one edu-game it shows 4 balloons, each with a different letter and the characters asks them to click one of those letters.  How often she got it right on the first or second try wasn't luck and many of her 'mistakes' appeared to be obvious because she'd giggle when the character would say "uh huh" and wag his finger before she'd click that same incorrect answer again.

Several leaps are apparent as we get ready in the morning.  She loves routine as much as I do.  A day I was running late and it was clear she had already pottied in her diaper I tried to skip having her sit on the potty.  She cried the whole way to school saying "no potty".

On another day she didn't want this skirt she wanted the purple one.  Then she wanted the green shirt to go with the purple skirt and the halloween socks.  Another time I tried to get away with not putting the second hair gummy in her hair that she had pulled (it looked good pulled with a single pony).  She reached up and touched her pony and immediately whined that she wanted two.

I am in so much trouble.