Ichi Maki

We finally convinced my parents to go to Ichi Maki, which is my favorite sushi restaurant. I actually don't get sushi, but I love their beef terryaki box with dumplings and sticky rice. Rich and Ava like to get sushi and this time my mom joined them. My dad stuck with me and had a terryaki box.

To start our meal we got the traditional miso soup and the waitress gave Ava some tofu in miso. She gobbled up her tofu. We also got edamame and something called a cannonball. Rich loves to order this appetizer which is a spicy salmon and crab cake. Ava was begging to try some, but we thought it would be too spicy. Rich finally gave her a little bit and she loved it. She kept signing more and did not seem to be bothered by the spice. I was amazed and proud of her sophisticated palate.

When it came time to order the meal Rich ordered the sushi for him, Ava, and my mom to share. The only thing my mom requested was soy-paper instead of Nori (seaweed). They ate one roll with deep fried shrimp & eel; another with cream cheese, deep fried shrimp, & tuna; and the third was deep fried shrimp & avocado. They all enjoyed their sushi and we enjoyed our terryaki.

Ava chowing on her tofu

Rich enjoying a cannonball
Ava trying part of Daddy's cannonball

Ava wants more of Daddy's cannonball

Papa sharing some of his terryaki with Ava

Daddy giving Ava some fish eggs which she ate and liked

I'm Crafty, I'm Just His Type

The title of this blog is taken from the Beastie Boys song because we have been singing it around the house lately. Over the past several months I have been feeling crafty and needing an outlet. I'm not as artistic as some of my family and not as patient as the rest, so I have opted for easy yet fun crafts.

First, I started making hair barrettes and bows. I thought it would be a great way to save money on cute accessories for Ava, but Ava doesn't agree. She still loves to play with her hair and usually pulls everything out before we get where we are going...Oh well I still think they are cute.

These (except the panda) are felt covered barrettes. I got the ideas off of several websites and thought, "I could do that." Buying the supplies was much cheaper than paying $3-$5 for one barrette. Now if Ava will just wear them for longer than 30 minutes I would be so happy.

Next I decided to make dresses for Ava. This idea came because I found the panda material and Ava went crazy for it. I thought it would be a cute dress, so I enlisted the help of my mom. There is no way I could of done it without her help. I think the dresses came out really cute, but they are just a little too big. That just means Ava can wear them longer.
After making the dress I saw this cute felt purse on the Family Fun website and thought it would be a cute accessory. It was easy to make, but not too sturdy. I gave it to Ava to look at and she practically pulled it apart. I had to put it away until she is a little older and knows how to be gentle.

Finally, I got into beading. I participated in an activity at church where we learned to make necklaces and bracelets. It was pretty easy and really fun. I enjoy being able to make jewelry that is unique and matches certain outfits. These are the first few things I've made. This is something I really enjoy and plan to keep up in my spare time.

Goodnight Tickles

Before bed we usually read the same couple books. One of them is called "Fish Kisses". This video is usually what happens as we read the book.

Keeping Up

Our blog is our journal and at the end of each year we convert it into a book. We just recently finished our 2009 blog book and I'm happy to have all the stories and memories preserved (especially since it was Ava's 1st year). Now that Ava is older and more active it is harder to keep up with our blog, but I'm determined to continue to preserve our family memories and special events. To help keep up with our ordinary daily activities here are some photos and short stories.

In July Ava turned 18 months and a lot of changes came with it. She moved out of her baby tub and is now taking a bath in the big tub. Ava loves playing in the bath especially with her monkey bubble wand and a cup. In July Ava also graduated from her high chair to a booster seat at the table. Now we just have to tackle potty training. We bought a toddler potty chair to get her use to it, but she is not quite ready for the training.

Ava likes all kinds of foods. In this picture she is chowing on a dill pickle at Jack's Urban Eats. Within this past month Ava's eating habits have really fluctuated and she has become fickle with her likes and dislikes. One day she will eat broccoli and then the next day she hates it. She has recently discovered a love for grapes.
Ava has a couple different duplo sets. I have to admit initially we got duplos because I thought they would be fun to play with. Fortunately Ava thinks they are fun too. She likes to dump out the blocks and mainly play with the animals or direct me on how to build. I can't wait until she enjoys building too. In this picture Ava is holding a monkey and saying "oo, aa, oo, aa".

Ava has never seen Toy Story I or II, but she loves Buzz Lightyear. It might have something to do with the fact that I love Toy Story and have several Buzz Lightyear things. When she sees Buzz she gets excited and says, "Buu, Buu". I bought this fabric before Ava was born. It is a Toy Story fleece that I plan on making a blanket out of. Now that I know Ava loves Buzz I decided to wash it and get going on the blanket.

On many Sunday mornings Rich takes over getting Ava up and feeding her, so I can get ready and have a break. Ava enjoys this special father-daughter time because she gets to eat delicious breakfasts like bread smothered in Nutella.

Ava truly is my daughter and we share a love for shoes. She loves to put on our shoes and walk around the house. Since Ava discovered my grandma's high heels she plays with them all them time.

When I see Ava wear these shoes it warms my heart and makes me think of my grandma. She was a special lady and these shoes remind me of her. When I was little and visited my grandma I always played with her shoes. I loved trying all her shoes on, but these ones were my favorite. I don't think I would ever wear them out in public, but I always thought the beaded rose was so beautiful. I am so happy that Ava has her great-grandma's shoes and loves them the way I do.

Ava loves Luca!! She likes to snuggle and pet him. She also likes to boss him around. When we give him a treat we make him sit and Ava tries to do the same thing. She also likes to throw his ball and if he doesn't chase it she will tell him to go get it. It is funny to watch her imitate the things we do.

Fun Video Clips

At the beginning of this video Ava is counting. When ever she goes down the slide or we are about to do something else fun we count to 3 and then go. Ava has picked it up and likes to join in. After counting and climbing off the box she does something I often want to do...confiscate Rich's iPhone. It is a handy tool, but sometimes it gets used a little too much.

This is Ava making some of her animal sounds. I know I probably think it is more adorable than you because I'm her mom, but she is just so cute.

Last month Ava discovered she enjoyed pushing shopping carts. It is a good way to let her have some freedom without having her run away. It also helps wear her out.

Cousins Get Together

A couple weeks ago the Oregon cousins came down, the So Cal cousins came up, and we all met in Gridley. We had a blast and it was great to see Ava enjoying time with her cousins.

Cousins Hi-5

Marlee holding Eli, Lily, Ava, Bella, Zoie, Kobie, Parker, & Ian Cousins being silly Ava watching her cousins enjoy the "hot pool" Ava didn't like the bubbles in the "hot pool" Marlee Ava finally decided to jump into the pool Yeah!

Cousins feeding grandma's Koi

Zoie & Bella

Baby Eli

Oregon Bowlings

A couple weeks ago we had visitors from Oregon. Rich's brother, Doug, and his family came to stay with us for a couple days. It has been a year since we've seen them so it was great to hang out. We especially enjoyed watching Ian and Marlee play with Ava.

Ava and Ian playing air hockey.

Marlee helping Ava down her slide. Marlee is such a sweet and loving cousins.
Ian thought Ava was having so much fun he decided to give the slide a try...Funny guy!

Ian launching the bubble rocket.

Ava enjoyed a "few" blackberries. Okay, okay, she really had a lot and we had to stop her from eating them. The berries are so juicy she got it all over her mouth and fingers.

Ava- "I LOVE BERRIES"!

In the Kitchen

I have now completely given up on my food blog, but I still want to record the foods we try. Since this blog is our journal and I turn it into a blog book each year I've decided to post mine/our creations to preserve our love for food and trying new things. Here is what we have made over the past few months...

Pizza Dough Doughnuts

I got this recipe from Giada DeLarentiis (Food Network) and thought it was going to be great. We were pretty disappointed. I'm sure part of it was due to my poor doughnut making skills, but I just don't think the dough was right for the application.

Banana Muffins

I made these to use up some bananas and because Ava loves muffins. Ava helped make them and enjoyed the reward of licking the spoon. Ava is a good kitchen helper and will pull over a chair to stand on to offer me help. Sometimes she gets made when I don't let her help with things that are too dangerous.

Asparagus Tart

I had never made an egg tart before, so this recipe intrigued me. I wasn't sure what we would think about it, but it was a big hit. Ava loved it and woofed it down.

Cornish Game Hen with Rosemary Cream BiscuitsPeach & Blackberry Cobbler

(both from our garden) Veggie Spring Rolls with Apricot Sauce

There are 2 sizes. The bigger ones are made with spring roll wrappers and the smaller ones are made with won-ton wrappers. Everyone in the family enjoyed these. Rich made and ate the sauce. Watermelon Sorbet

Scary Nemo

While watching "Finding Nemo" in Italian Ava got scared for the first time. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner and put the movie on to keep her away from the stove and knives. During the first few minutes she started crying and getting upset because of the barracuda. She recovered quickly from that so I continued cooking. A few minutes later the same thing happened when the sharks enter the movie. This time she was reaching out to me and very upset, so I cleaned my hands and held her. After a few minutes she calmed down, but I had to sit with her until Rich got home. I was surprised because she has never been scared before.

18 Months

Eighteen months has brought on some interesting changes. Ava's personality and strong will has been surfacing more and more. At times it is wonderful and other times it can be quite difficult. Sometimes I feel like I'm living with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One moment we are playing having a good time and the next she is mad and throwing a fit. Along with her fits, Ava has starting hitting and kicking when upset. This change has not been pleasant and we are hoping it is a phase we can work through quickly.


On a happier note, Ava is still a cute, friendly, cuddler. She is quick to give kisses and snuggles to her mom and dad. She also loves to say goodmorning to Luca and give him a kiss at night. When we are out she often waves to people and can be quite friendly. It is pretty sweet, but sad that many people walk by and don't even notice. Ava gets really excited when someone notices and waves back. Last week she tried to follow a lady around Target that waved to her. It was cute, but worried me that she wasn't afraid of a stranger.


Ava's energy has also soared. It can be pretty exhausting keeping up with her. Now that our house is back together I don't have to worry as much and that gives me a little bit of a breather. Ava loves to run around and will often run up and down the hall making lots of noise. She also gets a funny manic energy as she gets tired. Sometimes the more tired she is the crazier she gets. Before nap and bedtime we try to wind things down with books so that going to sleep is a little easier. This works because Ava loves books. I often spend 20-30 minutes reading to Ava upon her request. She points to the rocking chair and tells me to sit down. Ava then gets a book or points to one she wants me to read. As soon as I finish one she is already pointing to another book and is ready to go. I have to admit storytime is probably one of my favorite parts of the day.


Ava's vocabulary is growing. She still signs a lot, but is picking up new words here and there. It is funny because she likes to talk with her mouth closed and mumble sometimes. She also makes up some crazy words that we can't figure out what she wants. If she really likes something or wants it she is more motivated to learn the word. This is why she can say cheese, cracker, bread, blanket, brown bear, panda and Buzz (Lightyear).


Ava is sleeping better again. Starting back in December until about April or May she was not sleeping through the night and struggling. It was a long several months for the both of us. The past couple months things have changed for the better and we are both happier. When she gets up she has to have her blanket, brown bear, and panda come with her. As soon as we get to the family room she puts them down and doesn't play with them again until it is nap or bedtime. Ava is attached to them, but it is only sleep related...thank goodness.


Ava still loves music. She often signs and says (her word for) music, so that I will turn it on. During Family Home Evening on Mondays her favorite part is music time. We normally would just sing an opening and closing song with a short lesson in the middle, but recently we have been singing more. Ava likes to lead, so we are taking this opportunity to teach her to lead music properly. It is so wonderful that she appreciates music especially the hymns since they bring such a sweet spirit to our home. I can't wait to see if Ava will further develop her love for music by learning to play an instrument.

Another thing Ava loves is the T.V. I'm not as happy about this discovery. There have been times when she points at the T.V. and tells me (signs) to "play" it. This is when I'm glad we have an armoire with doors, so I can close it and take away the temptation. When we do watch T.V. Ava likes the summer show "Wipeout" and sometimes it even makes her laugh. Ava also still enjoys watching "Music and the Spoken Word".

Overall, we are enjoying this new age even with its challenges. It is exciting to see her continue to learn, grow, and explore the world. We love being Ava's parents and can't wait to see what the next six months will bring.

I Do Exist!!

For the past several months Ava has called Rich and I both "Dada". She can say "Mama" but never associated it with me or recognized me as an individual. Most of the time it didn't bother me and it was actually kind of funny. When we were all together Rich and I would joke, "do you want Dada 1 or Dada 2." All joking aside, there has been a small part of me that wants to be recognized for who I am and to hear Ava say that special word.

Well it finally happened this week. A few times in the evening when we are all together she has called me "Mama." It usually happens when she really wants something or wants to be held by me. It is so wonderful to hear "Mama" and be recognized as an individual. It makes me feel a little more special and loved. Now I need to work on getting her to call me "Mama" all the time.

Chocolate Milkshake for Dinner

On Sunday all I had to eat was chocolate milkshakes. It doesn't sound bad and actually they were quite tasty, but I really wanted a big juicy hamburger or spaghetti with meatballs. The reason I only had milkshakes was because that was all I could get down. To make more sense I need to go back to last Friday night.

Friday night Rich and I stayed up late baking. We had some berries and peaches we needed to use and decided to make some goodies. As I made muffins and turnovers I of course sampled the batter and dough and probably had too much. This combined with some medicine I'm taking really UPSET my stomach. I had bad acid reflex and a restless night of sleep.

On Saturday I felt okay. I was tired and my stomach was a little bothered, but I enjoyed eating throughout the day. That night I had some more acid reflex and another restless night of sleep. It wasn't until I woke up on Sunday things were bad though.

That morning I felt terrible. My throat hurt. It hurt to swallow anything including water and my own saliva. Each time I tried to swallow I felt like I was chocking, but the pain was in my chest. It was strange and I didn't know what was going on. Luckily, being married to a P.A. I got my answer immediately without a trip to the doctors. Rich said the acid in my stomach irritated my esophagus and caused it to swell near the opening of my stomach...not good!

Throughout the rest of the day I was uncomfortable and starving. I tried to eat some saltines, but had to stop because I started feeling like I was choking and couldn't get them down. Rich did get me some Mylanta to coat my throat, but that only last for half a hour or so. He also prescribed some meds to help the acid in my stomach go down and help with the swelling, but that takes a couple days to kick in. The best thing he did was make me delicious chocolate milkshakes. Not only is Rich an awesome P.A., he is an excellent milkshake maker. The milkshakes tasted good and temporarily numbed my throat.

This experience has been weird. I never thought my esophagus could swell and stop me from eating. I wasn't in terrible pain it was just really uncomfortable and frustrating. The worst part was being so hungry and wanting things I couldn't have. At times like this I appreciate little things I normally take for granted like the ability to eat and having food. I truly am blessed in many ways.

I am also grateful for my wonderful husband. Whenever I'm sick he takes good care of me and not just medically. Rich is always so caring and concerned. He pampers me and gives me whatever I need or may want. He also steps in and takes over full care of Ava. Rich is an excellent husband and dad. I love him and know my life is better because of him.

THANKS RICH FOR YOUR SUPPORT!!

Blackberries

Our blackberries have started to ripen. This year our thornless blackberry has given us a good crop. Once a week we have been picking 1-2 cups worth of berries. Ava has been loving it. She prefers to pick the berries and eat them right away. Last week we were able to bring enough inside to make blackberry turnovers.

blackberry turnover & peach muffin

(both from our garden)