Rocks, Flowers, and Coloring

What do these things have in common? These are Ava's three interests, at least at the moment, that I want to remember and make a concious effort to focus some activities on. She likes a lot of things but it is amazing how much attention she gives to playing with, talking about, and noticing these things when we are out and about. For example:

Rocks-Anytime we are in the sandbox playing all she wants to do is use her little sifter toy and sift through the sand so she can find tiny rocks and put them in a little cup and talk about them. She could do this all day. She notices rocks at construction sites and rocks in the pavement. It makes me want to start a rock collection with her. I think she would love it and they might just become her most treasured possessions and travel with us everywhere we go.

Flowers- When we go on walks around the neighborhood she is on a mission to spot any and all flowers along the way. She would pick all the flowers in our neighbors yards if I let her. Now everytime we are on a walk or in the car and she sees flowers she says "Can't pick'em. Not ours." She has heard me say that enough that it comes out of her mouth immediately. This little phrase has also come in handy at Target when she sees something she wants because usually if I just say "We can't touch it. It's not ours" then she is cool with it and we are able to escape without a tantrum. I'm thinking since she loves flowers so much that that should be my excuse for buying fresh flowers for the house every week like we were able to afford when I was working. ;)

Coloring- Do I really need to touch on this topic? The girl is cRaZy obsessed with it and I love that about her, I truly do. Not a day goes by where we dont spend at least 10 minutes coloring together (whether its with me, daddy, or by herself). It' so cool to me that at such a young age I am already beginning to see the things that she is passionate about and is good at! Studying rocks and flower gazing definitely come second and third in line to coloring but I want to encourage all of these things because she loves them. I just wish I could encourage her NOT to want to color in the car because melted crayons on the seats and floorboards, which there have been a few already, are not going to be good for resale value!

Maybe someday my little Ava will become an Artist, Geologist, or Horticulturist and now I can show her this post and say "See, I knew when you were 2!". :)