Good, Good

Ava, like everyone else, has favorite foods. She loves oatmeal, probably because I sweeten it bit with brown sugar. She loves to eat cereal and she eats it like the rest of us: in a bowl with milk, eaten with a spoon. She has even learned to drink the leftover milk from the bowl. Her daddy taught her that. Ava also loves a variety of vegetables (she hates summer squash, most likely because of the texture). She'll even eat raw salad greens. Her preferences in vegetables can change, though. She used to love sweet peas. Now she refuses to eat it. Probably because I fed it to her so much that she got burned out on it. I don't know if there is any fruit that she dislikes - oh, wait, she doesn't like oranges. Too tart. I tend not to buy fruit that I don't like so I have not fed her honeydew or cantaloupe to see if she likes them. She's crazy about watermelon. She's not a fan of meat. Ava will love goldfish crackers for a time and then refuse it for a time. Sometimes, Ava can tuck away larger-than-adult-sized portions, which leaves us in amazement. Sometimes, nothing satisfies her even with cupboards and refrigerator overflowing with food. She's a pretty normal person, like the rest of us.

Anyway, Ava likes to make evident her enjoyment of food in many ways. She will get excited sometimes when I place a certain food in front of her. She will beg for a food. She will smile and giggle while eating. One thing new that she has started is saying "good" in speech and sign language. She will look at me, flash all her pearly whites, and nod while saying "good, good."It's so cute when she pronounces her opinion of her food.

That brings to mind a conversation I had with Ava. Greg gets up early for work everyday and has coffee ready by the time I get up. Ava is usually up, either with Greg or soon after. Greg usually pours me a cup of coffee when I stagger into the kitchen bleary-eyed. Ava knows this routine. One morning, Ava saw Greg pouring me a coffee. Ava said (in speech and sign), "Coffee mommy. Coffee mommy." She was doing a running commentary of what she was observing. Then she said something else, carrying the conversation on but I forget what she said exactly - I think she was warning me that the coffee is hot. As Greg handed me the coffee and I sipped on it, Ava asked with an earnest, concerned expression, "Good? Good?" I thought it was hilarious because she had the expression and behavior of a hostess eager to please her guest with delicious food and anxiously awaiting the guest's reaction.

We were outside yesterday playing in the yard and we heard a fire truck going by with sirens full blast. I told Ava, "Fire truck!"Ava listened to the sirens recede into the distance and said, "Where's the fire?" I seriously doubt she understood the purpose of a fire truck but it was really funny!