impromptu little adventure.

ava and i stayed home all day today. after a week and a half of three different hotels and one friend's house we needed a break (more on that in the next post). it was a pretty uneventful day. she had been asking to go "bye bye" all day and i kept making excuses...trying to convince her that "it's fun to stay inside" she was not feeling it.

at around 7pm when as i was mentally preparing myself for the day to end...at least for ava she stood at the door crying and crying....after a few moments of trying to figure out what she wanted she walked over to me and said

"go bye bye momma."

in that split second i thought.

"no we can't leave it's "late"

"i am exhausted. i will distract her with something"

"if we did go where would we go?"

"where do i have gift cards?"

"i have not showered and i am in my pajamas."

so in not libby ryder fashion at all (yes i just wrote that) we went on a little adventure. i put on my flip flops and my jacket. put a little sweatshirt over her skeleton pajama top and put some leggings on her since her pajamas have glow in the dark bones on them. off we went.

this really is not me. i hate it about myself. i would love to say that i am real spontaneous and adventurous and maybe i am a little but i think with ava can i be a little too practical.

however, tonight we headed to barnes and noble for a little reading/slash running around and ava's first starbucks lukewarm hot chocolate.

  a little boy was laying on the ground reading and she was enamored.

 goodnight moon. a classic.

 first starbucks ever. most certainly not her last.

 a huge milestone. seriously. no high chair but a big girl sitting in her own chair on her knees so she could see above the table and her own drink. it was special.

 i tried to buy her a christmas book...not interested. i bought her a cookie, hot chocolate, and we ran around the children's area looking at books and playing...but her favorite part of our little adventure was this bench. as we were walking out to the car she ran right to it and sat for a while. she never sits still. but for this bench she does.

it was a sweet little night minus the peculiar man who sat by us while we had our starbucks. it was a little odd. all in all it was more than worth it. a special little surprise because she needed it and i did too. it is easy to make excuses...we all do it. i am no super mom and i never will claim to be. but these moments are meant to happen. we just need to allow them.


don't waste your little adventures.

voting for ava and her rooster sound ends wednesday nov. 30th at midnight. please vote. you can vote as many times a day as email addresses you have. so if you are mom that means like ten. only an oma does that. love it. she could win $10,000 for college. you can vote HERE.