Avett 2Y7M

Avett is growing quick as a weed -- cognitively speaking... he's physically growing quick as molasses. In all honesty, he does seem to be lengthening out but he's still generally pretty scrawny, weight wise. This is very likely due to tree fact that he is the. Pickiest. Most annoying. Eater there ever was. What he does eat is: cereal, toast, bagels, pancakes, Goldfish crackers, peanut butter sandwiches...carbs. Applesauce (pouch only). Chicken nuggets. And any type of dessert or candy, obviously. What he doesn't like: everything else under the sun. I am very strict about only offering him what I'm eating and not letting him snack after lunch so that he'll be hungry for dinner, and no treats unless he eats dinner. As the pediatrician says, if they are hungry enough, they will eat. This has proven to be true... but it doesn't seem to be working anymore. At all. So now I'm getting to the point where I'm thinking of just serving him chicken nuggets every night for dinner. What fun: cereal for breakfast, PB sandwich and applesauce for lunch, and chicken nuggets for dinner. Every day for a perceivable eternity I hope to get a nugget of advice from the Doc at Haddie's next appointment.

So since we're already on the topic of his less favorable habits, I'll let you know that he is generally not a fun person when he wakes up in the morning or for naps. He does usually enjoy talking on his bed when you come in, but as soon as you offer to go potty, get a sticker or go eat, he usually just roars angrily in your face. He also does this when you're trying to get him packed up and ready to go somewhere, so overall he's pretty terrible at transitioning. If I offer (or demand out of frustration) that he hangs out in his room until he is ready to come downstairs, he'lol scream bloody murder when I try to leave. So if you haven't caught on, the two'S are super fun!!!!!!!

But really, for as troublesome as he can be, I count my blessings with him a hundred times a day. Seriously. He is just the cutest, sweetest, best behaved boy. He knows that to watch a movie or play with a new toy he has to clean up whatever item he was playing with beforehand. He is so polite and says "bless you, mom", "thanks you, mom", "I'm sowwy, mom. Das my fault" (usually I've bumped into him), "moms is you okay?". In general, he really does say the darndest things. My favorites are: "yes I do" (always a full sentence- never yea, or okay) or better yet: "oh, for sure!", and "not right now, I'm busy." Today, my sister came to pick him up and when she asked if he was ready he said, "no, in not ready.  I'm looking at the wall." He has such good communication skills that he really can have a conversation with you, even over the phone!

He is little Mr Independent and enjoys taking his socks and shoes off on his own, works on putting his hat on by himself, likes to feed Harken, help with Haddie, get on and off his dinner chair, turn on the lights, open/close doors, throw clothes down the hamper, flush the toilet, brush his teeth and hold the phone when we're face timing. He always yells, "no, I do it!"

He is really into paw Patrol and some new mer-pup toys he got for St. Nick (from Auntie Mooey), playing with plastic animals, reading books, watching movies (Finding Dori is a new favorite, and Monsters vs Aliens). The kid could watch movies all day! He still plays with certain cars (Lightning and Mack mostly) and planes. 

He is really getting into Christmas. He likes having a real tree. The first day it was in our home, he came down from his nap and said "That smells pwitty." He had a great time hanging ornaments...all 12 on the same branch. And he likes turning the lights on and off. He and Haddie got a mini Xmas tree for the upstairs that has colorful lights and ornaments...way more fun than ours. He FaceTimed Santa the other day and wen asked if he was naughty or nice he said "I pooped my pants" (he didn't).

He's actually doing great with potty training and it has been a while since he's had any kind of accident. So since I said that, I expect there to be one tonight. But Aarons been putting him down for naps without a diaper this week and no sheets have had to be changed, knock on wood.

We went to the UP to celebrate thanksgiving and Maxwells second birthday. Those two boys are a riot together! Avett isn't quite the outdoorsman in the winter as he is in the summer., but that's been longstanding. We had so much fun with the Bollwahn gang! Avett still talks about the hockey game we went to and Daddy's and Uncle Brandon'S fish that they caught.