When Mumma's Away!

Sometimes Mumma has to go somewhere and nobody like Daddy or Nana and Papa or Mimi can watch me. That might sound sad, but really, it's super awesome... because that means I get to go play with Nate and Alyssa all day!

Alyssa is one of Mumma's bestest friends and is also the lady carrying Sink Sink (the currently unborn) around in her belly. Don't worry, Sink Sink will be here any day now! Yippee!

Anyway, when Mumma drops me off at their house, there's no telling what we might do! For example;

I might wash Alyssa's car...

I might pull out alllll the old toys I can get my hands on...

I might even meet a former president!

(Or BE one)

It's just SO much fun!!

xoxo A.S.E.S

(Thanks for all your help Anaya family!!)

Weekend of Fun

I spent all day Saturday with Aunt Mimi! Her boyfriend's niece and nephew (Rianna and Xander) were in town. I woke Daddy up extra early Saturday morning because I was so excited.

We made spooky Halloween gingerbread houses in the morning. This one's mine...

This is the one Shane, Rianna, and Xander were working on...


We had a pizza party lunch at Pat's Pizza where I got my favorite - bread sticks with dip dip. And after that we went to my favorite place in Bangor -- THE MAINE DISCOVERY MUSEUM!

I played some African drums...


Put on a puppet show...


And got comfy in a big pink mouth...


It was such a fun day! Mimi dropped me off at Nana's and Papa's afterward and I put myself down for a nap. My aunt really knows how to wear me out...

This Mornings "Good Morning"

Written by Mumma:

This morning I went into Ayda's room to wake her up and get her going. She heard me walk in to her room, but she was squinting her eyes shut so that I would think she was still sleeping.

I lifted the shade on her window and then went to sit down next to her on her bed.

"Good morning Pumpkin," I said.

She sllllooowly opened her eyes and whispered, "Mama, I had a dream!"

"Oh really? What was it about?" I was thinking that she was pulling my leg and was going to come up with some fantastic story.

But this is what I got instead- and it's just simple enough to believe that she really DID dream it.

"I dreamed that I had a cat... with a biiiiiiggg...." I tried to help her with this, and offered "belly?"

"No. With a big butt,"


"Oh, (this sounded pretty typical Ayda) and this was YOUR cat?"

"Yes, and he stepped on my finger," and she sticks our her finger to show me, like it's going to have this big injury on it, or something.

So I examine it, "Did it hurt?" I asked.

She wrinkled up her brow and stuck out her lip and shook her head 'yes'.

"But it was just a dream, how could it have hurt you?"

"Because his paws were SO BIG!"

"Hmmm, interesting"

"Is Grandma here?"

My Mom calls Ayda a flea- can you see why now?

**Mumma.

"On Common Ground"

Two weekends ago we took our annual trip to the Common Ground Fair in some far off land called Unity.


It was a really warm and sunny day- so warm that Mumma had to change me into shorts and a tee shirt!
We did the usual- face painting (I knew I wanted this rainbow a whole week before we even went to the fair)....
...visiting the animals...

...this VERY fluffy bunny was my favorite. He was SO soft!

But I also did some new things this year that I haven't been big enough to do in the past!
First I got to hammer a bunch of nails into this big board. I did it ALL by myself with this really, heavy hammer! Papa would have been proud!
Then I checked out this "thrashing" thing. It was really just a stick with some hose on it- but it was pretty fun. I almost whipped some other little girl in the head- but she's fine now. Doesn't that sound like the BEST activity for little kids, ever?!

I don't know why Mumma didn't let me play at this for very long...?

Of course, on the way out we had to try the cardboard sliding hill! This is so much fun.
The first time Daddy went down with me-

but it was a little crowded on that tiny piece of cardboard, so he sent me down by myself the next couple of times.


I'm kinda squeaky, huh?
Until Next Time!
xoxo A.S.E.S

It must be Fall, because...

... we went apple picking!

This year Mumma, Daddy, and I actually got to pick apples, instead of just hunting for them.

We went to my favorite place, Treworgy Farm! I was all excited to see the horses and touch the goats... but then I decided that I'd wait until next year to get close enough to touch ANYTHING!

I was really good at finding the best apples in the trees! The best part was that they were low enough for me to pick! I didn't even need help.

It was my job to sit in the wagon and hold the apples in the bag. It was pretty serious business.

On the way out, we made sure to check out the pumpkins. They make great stools... and I make a great ham!

xoxo
Ayda

Dumbo

I think it's safe to say that Ayda is OBSESSED with Dumbo. Every time she's over Nana & Papa's house she asks to watch it. And if we say "no" then she pitches a fit.

I never liked Dumbo. I think it's a sad movie and, at times, a little creepy. The other night I was over there when Ayda was spending the night. Nana said she could watch the movie to a certain point before she had to go to bed. Ayda NEEDED to see the "sweaty elephant tent" part -- and none of us could figure out what the heck she was talking about. Sweaty elephant tent? Well it turns out the part she was talking about was where all the lady elephants are bandaged up after Dumbo literally brought the tent down and one of them had a huge ice cube on her head that was melting. Melting ice = sweat didn't cha know!?

Well Ayda ended up watching the movie to the scary drunk-hallucination-dream part. In case you don't know about this part in the movie, it's where Dumbo and his mouse friend get drunk by mistake by drinking water (that had a bottle of booze in the bottom of the bucket) and got drunk. (And this is a children's movie?) Anyway, they hallucinate a la Disney's Fantasia about elephants. It's creepy to me and I'm 32 years old.

When we got to this part Ayda said she liked it but that "it scared her a little bit." I couldn't have agreed with her more. I can't wait until the Dumbo phase has past -- it can't come soon enough!

--Aunt Mimi

Funny things...

Ayda says a lot of funny things. When you are in her good graces she asks if you will sit benext to her at the dinner table or in the car.

Today Ayda, Nana, Mumma, and Mimi went shopping. As we drove down Main St. in Bangor we came to a light. Ayda says...."Mumma? I smell ham." And she was right. It DID smell like ham. Immedietly she wanted some. She is her father's daughter.

Also today we took a little detour and pulled into the parking lot of the family hairdresser, Heather. Confused about the reason Ayda says, "What the heck!?"