Glasses!

Big news this month is the addition of glasses to Avery's repertoire.  It turns out that the poor girl has been walking around in a fog for the past three years.  When she went in for her three year check up with her pediatrician, she failed the eye screening.  So we made an appointment with a pediatric ophthamologist where we found out that she has a significant asigmatism.  I think that she's adjusting much better than I am.  I have to keep reminding myself that there a so many children out there that have much worse things to deal with and that we are very luck to have a healthy and happy child and another on the way.  If glasses on my three year old is the biggest crises I have to deal with, then I am pretty lucky!

Avery seems to really like them.  As soon as we left the doctor's office with them, she climbed into the car and said, "Mama, your car looks so clear!"  That made me a little sad for the way she must have been looking at things for the past three years, but again I just tell myself that it could be much worse!  She's doing great with them, but I guess only time will tell!

Cover Family Reunion

Jeremy and I were in charge of planning the annual Cover Family Reunion this year.  We decided on a change of pace and location would help to make it more appealing for some this year and settled on Branson as the location.  Jeremy, Avery and I headed down early to make sure all of the details were attended to and to make it a mini vacation for the three of us.  Once we had all of the reunion details ironed out, we took Avery to the Butterfly Palace.  There was a bungee cord jungle/maze that Avery just loved.  She went through that thing for an hour almost.  

Then it was time to see the actual butterflies.  This blue one is the one that Avery liked the most.  She really wanted it to land on her, but she just couldn't hold still for long enough.

After this butterfly landed on my head, Avery was obsessed with getting that blue butterfly to land on her head.  So, we fibbed a little bit to her...

We had her stand on this bench really still, and then we told her that the blue butterfly landed on her head.  She believed us and insisted that I take a picture of the butterfly on her head.  Oh, the things we do for our children...that fib will probably come back to haunt me when she asks to see the picture of the butterfly on her head.

 The Butterfly Palace had these little bugs for the kids to ride around on through the area where the butterflies were...so cute!

On Saturday, we went to Silver Dollar City with Grandpa and Grandma, Chelsea, Nic, Brooke and Jack.  It was so hot, but we managed to survive.

We used the rides to help us stay cool.  Anything that had water or was indoors some way was a ride that we were all over.  This one was indoors on a little river...a nice break from the 100 degree day!

There was also this super cute rolller coaster for kids that Avery insisted on riding.  Since Jeremy isn't fond of roller coasters, I was going to ride with Avery, but luckily for me Nic volunteered to take Avery.  I think Jeremy felt bad that Nic had to take her so he went too.  Avery, however, wanted to ride with Nic instead of Jeremy.  So, in the front car is Nic and Avery with Jeremy riding alone in the car behind them.  Avery loved it and it was hilarious watching the two guys take Avery on it.

After the roller coaster, Avery conned Chelsea into riding the Dumbo ride with her...this kid loves an amusement park!  Look out Disney World, Avery is just getting warmed up!

 One more ride with Chelsea...bouncing frogs!

At the end of the day, we managed to find a ride that Avery could go on by herself.  She thought that she was big stuff riding that thing alone.

We had dinner out with the entire reunion after our day at Silver Dollar City.  We were at a little diner that had live music, and Avery and Jack decided to entertain us with their dancing.

 We had a great time at dinner...what a good way to close out the reunion.  We didn't end up parting ways until Sunday morning, but dinner Saturday night was the final group activity.  We actually got someone to take a big group shot this year...we're quite a big group!  Until next summer...

Father's Day

We had a fantastic weekend in Clinton celebrating Father's Day.  We started off the weekend with a hanger party celebrating Jeff on his pilot's license.  Avery was completely enamored by the airplanes.  She's seen Papa fly above the house before, but I'm not sure she really understood that it was him in the airplane way up in the air.  I think this clarified things for her a little bit.  Chris and Beth were even generous enough to let her climb into their plane...she loves pretending to fly like Papa!

Saturday provided Avery with an opportunity to practice her swimming skills.  I'm so glad that she's taking to the water so well and that she likes it so much.

She has made so much progress.  We started swimming lessons with her afraid to put her face in the water, but as you can see, she has moved past that.  She loves to swim under the water.  She has a little trouble staying afloat, but I guess that will come with time and practice.

Jumping in is her favorite part...she tells you how far back to scoot (way farther than she can swim) and then goes.

The water was a little cold, as evidenced by the blue lips, but that didn't stop her.  I had to make her come out for a little while to warm up.

She then took a little "rest" in the sun to combat the blue lips!

Happy Father's Day Papa...it's a picture of Avery of course!  What more could a person want?!!

After some time with Nana and Papa, we went to Grandma and Grandpa's for more celebrating.  We got there shortly before Avery's nap time, so she was tired and easily convinced by Great Grandpa to cuddle with him (with some milk and Blankie of course).

 More presents...and again, pictures of Avery!  Can you pick up on the theme?  We're a little Avery-centric around here!

A Father's Day picture of four generations of Cover kids!

One last Father's Day present for everyone...it's a BOY!  We will be welcoming a baby boy into our family in October and couldn't be happier.  I have suspected so for quite some time now because of how different this pregnancy has been from Avery's.  I have been sick from day 1 and more exhausted than I have ever felt in my life!  At first we were going to let it be a surprise, but we decided that we weren't sure.  So we had the ultrasound technician write it down in a card.  However, I was able to discern the sex while watching the ultrasound, so Jeremy wanted to know too...we didn't even make it out of the doctor's office before confirming what I had thought all along...we're having a boy!  

A Whole New World...

So, we're watching Aladdin on TV the other night and the song "A Whole New World" comes on, you know the one where Aladdin and Jasmine take a ride on the magic carpet and sing.  Anyway, all of the sudden Avery starts to kind of whimper like she's about to cry.  We ask her what's wrong and she whimpers, "I wish I could have a magic carpet to take rides on!"  Where does she get this stuff?  So, Jeremy says "I'll be right back" and heads to the garage.  A few minutes later he comes back and tells Avery to close her eyes because he has a surprise for her.  We go to the garage where Jeremy has made a "magic carpet" for Avery.  He's added a rope to an old furniture dolly that we have and put some old rug on top of it.  She couldn't be happier!  So Jeremy pulls Avery up and down the sidewalk on her magic carpet while she sings the Aladdin song.  These are the memories I'm most grateful for...a magic carpet ride late one summer night!

Trying to Beat the Heat

The heat has just been unbearable already this summer, so we've been doing what we can to stay entertained while still staying out of the heat.  So, we built a road out of masking tape that travels the entire living room.  She loves taking her cars up and over all of the furniture, and the best part is that you can just rip it off and make a new one really easily. 

We've also been doing science experiments.  I know that there's no way that she will grasp the science behind most of the things we do, but it's still fun to do them and watch her face as things happen and she tries  to figure it all out.  This one uses vinegar and baking soda to blow up a balloon, but we've also made our own bouncy balls, made play doh and slime as well as sidewalk chalk.

We did have one of the balloons shoot across the room because I put too much vinegar and baking soda in it, but unfortunately I didn't capture that moment with the camera...you should have seen her face!

Mani-Pedis

Avery is in to most girly things like make-up and nail polish.  The only thing with that is she only likes to do those things with her dad.  I have no idea how this came about, but she doesn't ever want to paint my nail.  Now, she wants me to paint hers (as opposed to Jeremy painting them).  Luckily for her, her dad is a pretty good sport about it all.  

 So, Avery painted Jeremy's toenails.  He told her she could only do the feet so that he could cover it up with his socks for work.

But, it didn't take much convincing on Avery's part before she was doing his fingernails too!  I'm so grateful to have a husband who does his best to indulge his daughter even if it means going to work with blue sparkle fingernail polish!

Happy Mother's Day...Oh, and By the Way...

Avery loves any holiday, even if it's not for her. She was so excited for Mother's Day that we just HAD to celebrate it at about 7am that morning, thus why I won't be sharing any pictures with me in them.  She immediately "gave" me my gifts, which means that she showed me the package and promptly began opening it herself.  She was so excited to show me the shoes she had made for me.  I got two pairs of flip flops that she had decorated (painted).  

She also gave me a great card.  She's showing me that she wrote both of our names on the envelope so that I would know who it's for and who it's from.  Thanks Avery!

I'm sure it will come as no surprise that we took our annual Mother's Day trip to the zoo.  We went to the St. Louis Zoo again this year, and I think we love it more each time.  I'm going to be so sad when this trip is no longer something that she looks forward to!

Our first stop was the hippos (on our way to the elephants of course...she always asks for the elephants first).  The hippos are so great because you can see them above and below the water...I really like the hippos.

After the hippos we happened to come upon the elephants (yeah right, the hippos just happened to be on the direct path to the elephants).

There was a baby elephant this year, which I don't think we've seen in years past.  Avery kept saying how cute the little baby elephant was.

At the end of the day, Avery and I took a ride on the zoo train.  That was a first for us this year.  I have to admit that I was kind of disappointed with the train...you can't see the animals from the train.  It did go through a cool tunnel, but all in all a disappointment for me.  Avery thought it was great though. (Jeremy stayed with the stroller and the rest of our gear as it was not permitted to ride on the train.)

And...as a side note to Mother's Day...Avery is going to be a big sister!  We are excited to welcome our new addition, due on October 29, 2012.