Dancing Queen

Ava has moved and grooved to music since she was very young, but she's developed some new dance moves lately!

Ava's (Relatively) Old Grooves:
* Swaying side to side from the waist
* Clapping

Ava's (Relatively) New Grooves:
* Shaking her booty side to side.
* Stomping her feet rapidly and repeatedly
* The Twist (Note: the dance VS the song I always sing)

So the plan was to show videos of Ava dancing at different ages... but it seems I only have ones of Ava at 10 months (June) and Ava at 14 months (October)...  so that will have to suffice!  And ignore the fact that in each of these videos she's watching a different TV show.... Trust me when I say it says nothing about my parenting skills.  (Shut up, Jason!)  Oh, and all the videos are sideways.  I tried rotating them, but they looked really stupid in YouTube, so just turn your head for a while.  Take a break if you feel a cramp coming on, but all 5 videos are between 0:15 and 1:07 long, and there's commentary in between.

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FIRST is a video of Ava at 10 months doing a kind of dance on all fours to the tune of the Good Luck Charlie theme song.  I LOVE Good Luck Charlie.  It rocks!!  Ava loves Charlie, the baby, and I love the whole family, especially Teddy and their mom...  Jason says (jokingly... I hope...) that I'm going to be that kind of mom, and I don't know whether to be flattered or offended............  I'll go with flattered.  She's cool.

Grooves featured: Swaying

SECOND, we have Ava the next day, dancing to a song from The Fresh Beat Band.  This show is okay.  It's definitely silly, but it encourages dancing, for sure!  :)  But their songs come on during "commercial" breaks, and that's all we really need.  (That's why this video is so short.)

Grooves featured: Swaying (or possibly capoeira, although I haven't done any Turbo Jam in a while...)

THIRD, we have Ava at 14 months dancing to that "hot dog" song at the end of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

*Cue rant*  This show bugs me... I realize that kids shows aren't always realistic, but at least by watching Team Umizoomi, she will realize that things are put together with screws and not held together with "sticky tape"...  And when a lock is star-shaped, the star on the key has to be facing the lock and not sideways, like the MMC episode we saw yesterday.  Every time I see it, it bugs me more.  What does "super cheers" even mean?  All the made-up words drive me crazy!  And, worst of all, if Pete were a real person, he'd have committed suicide by now.  He is forced to "play" the most RIDICULOUS roles for the show... I'm always so embarrassed for him... even though he's a cartoon.  *End rant*

But that "hot dog" song is really a hit with Ava, as you will see...

Grooves featured: Booty shaking, Stomping (+ Mommy-snuggling... Awwwww!!)

FOURTH, at almost 15 months, a sneak-peak at Halloween.  In honor of the holiday, the kids had the option of wearing costumes to story time at the library on Tuesday.  If possible, she is EVEN MORE CUTE dressed as a little Chinese girl!  Auntie Alice should appreciate that!  :)

Oooh... I should probably also note that Ava is standing up in the middle with the story time lady, facing the WHOLE GROUP (of probably 20-25 kids plus their mom or dad), doing a little performance... No stage fright for this girl!!

Grooves featured: Booty shaking, Stomping (+ Dolly hugging... Awwwww!)

FIFTH, but third in chronological order, at 14 months, is my favorite Ava-dancing video I've taken!  (Sorry about the shaking... my dog, Josie, was licking my arm...)  This time, Ava is dancing to a "I'm So Scared of You" from the Monster Party episode of The Backyardigans.

The Backyardigans is Ava's favorite kids show... I DVR it for her (it usually comes on during her nap) because I really really love it, too!  :)  The kids are so creative, going on all sorts of make-believe adventures in their backyards, and each episode has songs in a different musical style from country to rock to hip-hop, from school fight-songs to psychedelic soul music to the Viennese waltz.  Plus, they have real-life people do the dancing with those little motion-sensor tabs on them, then their dance moves are transferred to the animated characters via computer graphics special effects!  How cool is that?

Oooh... and can you keep a secret?  Don't tell Ava, okay?  Look what I got her for Christmas...

The Backyardigans Beanie Baby Set!

Anyway, back to the videos...  This really is the best one!  Ava doing the twist is the best thing EVER!

Grooves featured: Stomping, Clapping, The Twist (+ Dog-tail Pulling)

I think the videos speak for themselves, but if not, all of them are squealing, "SO FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!!"  (If I do say so myself... :)

Sara

Blowing Bubbles

I didn't have the camera in the bathtub with us, but tonight Ava discovered that if she lays on her tummy she can put her face in the water and blow bubbles!  She's going to be able to "swim like a pish" in no time!  :)

She sucked in some water a couple of times and coughed and coughed and coughed, but that didn't stop her from try-try-againing!  :)

UPDATE:  Suzi, I did better than pictures!  Here is a video.... :)

Look at that adorable nakey butt.... SO CUTE!!  :)  If you want to see a bigger version, click the "Watch on YouTube" button.  It's bigger over there.