My Avery

There's lots of pictures at the bottom...

I realised after I wrote the last blog post that it doesn't really tell what Avery is actually like - what his personality is and how he goes about his day.  And he's such a great little person that I wanted to write this so that everyone gets to know him a little bit better.

Avery wakes up every morning around 6:30.  He always wakes up happy.  I hear his little voice over the monitor  "mommeee!   mommeee!" and I go in and he has a huge smile for me.  Immediately he takes my hand and says "play cars".  That's his favourite thing to do.  "Here Mommy" he says, and hands me a car to play with.  We race them on his train table and on the floor.  Grandpa is actually his favourite person to play cars with.  Grandpa knows the names of all the cars, and the car parts.  :)

In the mornings Grandpa comes up to help with Avery so I can get us out the door on time.  Avery is a bit obsessed with the coffee that Grandpa drinks each morning. He knows all the steps to make the coffee in the Keurig machine.  When Avery talks to Grammy on Skype he likes to see her coffee ("cop-ee") too.  She shows him her mug and it makes him happy. 

Avery goes to daycare Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.  His daycare is in the local catholic high school and Avery loves to see the big yellow school buses show up.  "kids!" he yells.  "cool bus!|  Except for some rocky transitions after a break like Christmas, Avery doesn't seem to mind going to daycare.  They like him there because he is always smiling.  Usually when I pick him up he is playing with a fire truck or school bus.  :)

On Thursdays and Fridays Avery gets to stay home with Grandma and Grandpa.  On Thursdays Grandma takes him either to the YMCA to kick balls and play in the gym, or to the library.  At the library they do crafts, sing songs, and read books.  Avery loves to get new books from the library (and Mommy likes having new books to read).  We've been reading books about the beach, in preparation for hanging out there lots in spring and summer.  Today at the library he met a little girls named Mia and has been talking about her ever since.  

Avery likes to spend this time with Grandma and Grandpa.  Grandpa is his best friend and favourite playmate.  Grandpa has to sneak around quietly if he needs some time to himself or else he will hear a little voice say "GranPA?!" and see Avery's head pop up over the baby gate at the stairs.  

Grandma can always make Avery laugh.  He likes to read and do crafts and colour with her.  Avery loves to colour.  "Cuh-yur!" he says.  His favourite colour is yellow.  He will tell you what to draw.  Currently, he likes happy faces that are crying, garbage trucks, and rainbows.  He also likes stickers.  

Avery is at a great age now because he understands pretty much everything you say to him.  I had lots of fun doing the Easter Egg hunt for him this year because he understood the concept of looking for the eggs and was so excited when he realised that there were fun things inside each egg.  Avery was especially excited about the Teddy Graham cookies inside one egg, since he doesn't get cookies very often.  He kept smiling and saying "cookie!".

My Grandma, who Avery calls "GG", came to visit us for Easter.  Avery is super-excited that she is here.  He loves having her around.   My mom usually tries to get him to talk to her on the phone but he's not crazy about that (he doesn't like stopping whatever he is doing).  I wish she could do Skype.

Avery is enjoying our new yard.  We have a little slide that has three steps for him to climb up then go down the slide.  He will do that, but he also likes experimenting with sending other things down the slide.  And he likes reading the "Little Tykes" logo on the slide.  He has a ball to kick, but he hasn't gotten the hang of running after it yet.  He keeps saying "Mommy get it!"  Wait.... maybe he has figured it out!  (smart boy!).  And poor Shelby freaks out because she would LOVE to get the ball!

One new development is that Avery doesn't want to ride in the stroller anymore.  After a short while he starts to fuss and tell me that he wants to "bok" (walk) himself.  My Grandma got him a red wagon and he will ride in it for a little while before 

insisting on getting out and not only walking, but pulling it himself. It's cute, but very slow.  And, he tends to walk in the middle of the row, so we are working on that.  We don't have any sidewalks on the streets around our new house.



On Saturday morning I've been taking Avery to music class.  It's fun and he's been loving it!  It's been awesome to see him progress since the first day.  His favourite songs are about the trains and other vehicles, and the song about the alligator.  We have a cd so we can listen at home.  I think his favourite part is when she passes out the rhythm instruments.  He gets to use bells, tambourines, egg shakers, and castanets. I bought him his very own egg shaker and put it in his Easter Eggs.  The sessions are almost over and the teacher can't run weekend sessions in the spring so I think we will start swimming lessons again instead.

I was thinking that I should wrap up by writing about my favourite things to do with Avery, but I can't really think of any favourite things since I pretty much love all the time I spend with him.  It's really great when I'm able to get down on the same level with him and look him in the eyes.  I also like snuggling with him in bed and listening to him breathe when he falls asleep.  He's just so much fun to be around. He's learning so much every day.  He pretty much repeats anything anyone says (so be careful!) and that's funny.  He only needs to learn something once and he remembers. And it's funny the little things he remembers.  Once we found a lady bug inside and now, even though it's been several weeks, he still often is looking for the lady bug.  He also can spot the moon in the sky during the day, and airplanes way up in the sky as well.

So, that's my boy.  I love him with all my heart.

Avery's art,
hanging on the kitchen wall

Reading to himself in the chair.  He kicked me off.

Avery's favourite snow activity is digging. 

Grandma figured out how to get Avery to smile:
she tells him to show her his teeth.

Finding Easter Eggs

Opening eggs with GG

Egg shaker, like at music class.

"Hop!" says Avery

Playing/baking

He loved the cupcakes he made - yum!

Suspicious of the tomatoes

My mom says this tongue-sticking-out-of-the-mouth-when-concentrating
is a Willemsen trademark.  Sorry Avery! 

Avery and Grandpa, his best friend. 

Rare moment of actually being in the wagon

Making sure the wagon is still following him

Avery seems to love cows so Grandma and Grandma  got him this cow farm play set.