No Rest for the Wicked...

Yesterday was a great day! Ava and I had a reasonably good morning. She did an AMAZING job in ballet, practicing the entire routine with Miss Ashley! I can't believe how smart she's getting, she is able to do an entire little dance routine, I LOVE IT! Then we headed home for lunch after a stop at McD's for me. The best part about going to McD's these days is that Ava screams "Appap!" (apple) whenever we pull into the drive-through! I totally love that she associates McDonald's with apples, lol! She napped from 1-3 and then Roger woke up so that I could get some more uninterrupted cleaning finished. He took another nap from 5-7ish, so Ava and I hung out and went outside. It was outside that she did something that she's never done before...she loves our chiminea (sp?) and loves to take the rocks out and scatter them around the back deck. Not exactly something that I love. Well when I asked her to put the rock back into the chiminea, she played around with it in her hand. She pretended to drop it, then really dropped it, then picked it up. Then she ran off the deck while I threatened, "Ava if you don't put the rock back, we are going inside!" Nothing. So I got up and opened the patio door. She immediately turned around, held out her hand with the rock and toddled her way up onto the deck as fast as her little legs would take her. She then ran to the chiminea and dropped the rock back where it belonged. I couldn't believe it! She understood that she could stay outside if she did what I had asked her to do. I was shocked! I've spent months wondering what she understands and doesn't understand. I just assumed that she doesn't understand consequences or compromise...lo and behold, she understands BOTH! She is so stinkin' smart! So last night Ava was up from about midnight until 2am. At first, screaming like crazy in her sleep...a possible nightmare? Then, just lying there talking to herself, standing up and wandering around the crib talking to herself. I changed her diaper and tried to get her to go to sleep. No luck:( Hate nights like these, where I can't sleep because she can't sleep. Ughh...and of course today is supposed to be a super long day. We've got my friends pre-wedding luncheon and Henna ceremony this afternoon and Ava's dance rehearsal afterwards. Yep, no nap for her (or me)! And I've got more housecleaning to do than I want to admit, which is why I am sitting here lamenting over the day instead of doing something.

Getting the motivation...

So this weekend is super busy. One of my close friends is getting married and I've had to do a little bit of hustling to find an all day babysitter on Sunday, which just happens to be Mother's Day. Yes, her wedding is on Mother's Day, but that's a whole other story. So this morning I am desperately looking for the motivation to clean up my house. Tomorrow, we are going to a pre-wedding lunch, followed by a 2 hour long Henna ceremony, and then I have to rush Ava back down to her dance studio for a one hour rehearsal. Right now Roger is sleeping, he just got off the night shift. And Ava is watching the dogs attack each other on the couch. I have to take her to ballet in an hour. So if I start now, I have a good hour to get the kitchen cleaned, maybe? Ok. I need to be productive today. And GO!