What's in a name?

I overheard Michael asking Ava the next morning what she named baby kangaroo and her initial answer was "Walmart".   Ava's favorite place in the whole world is Walmart.  Every time we get in the car she proclaims she wants to go to Walmart.  I don't know if she named her animal Walmart because it's her favorite place or if she misunderstood the question and thought she got the animal at Walmart.   The name Baby  "Roo" has stuck and now she asks where Roo is every time.

Pre holiday shopping and Santa practice

After the big holiday feast, we decided to take the night off from turkey leftovers and went to the mall for dinner and window shopping.

We stopped at the Disney store and the kids had to "try out" the giant stuff animals.

Ava trying out several giant stuff animals for size.

Uh Ava...are you sure you can walk out of the store with the giant cat?

Sebastian settled for the dog called Bolt and Ava settled for Baby Kangaroo ;-)  What are you guys looking at below?

Santa making early appearances.

Ava practicing for the real photo day.  She looks like she's not too sure.

Aaah....here we go, we have a smile!  (stay tuned....)

Posing in front of the giant tree.  The ornaments on the tree were motorized and Ava's jaw dropped when she saw the animated Jack in the boxes and dolls dance on the tree.  I wished I would have gotten a picture of her face ;-)

Sharing an ice cream moment....or Sebastian asking Ava, "are you going to eat the rest of that?"

Leaving the mall....I'm pooped Daddy.

Scenes from the dinner table

The table setter.

The place settings.

Sorry, didn't get a smiling picture of the Grandmom's.

The table center piece.

The onslaught..

Before and After

Calling all turkeys!

My what a beautiful tan you have.

Chow time!

Nope, it's not your imagination...she is slowly losing her clothing.

Honestly, if I take one more bite, I'll bust!!

Waiting for the other shoe to drop

No wonder she sounds like a herd of elephants when she walks.  ;-)

Flopsy Mopsy and Peter Cottontail?

Do you know where Sebastian is?

The furry sibling

Sebastian was not as intrigued with the family cat as Ava is.  I don't know why she is so attracted to Marley but she follows him around the house.  She even follows him down to the basement.  Last week, I was in the kitchen doing something and I hear a thud and a cry.  I rush to the top of the basement stairs and there was Ava laying on the landing.  I asked her what she was doing and she said she was looking for Marley.  I told her to turn on the basement light before going down the stairs.  Of course I said that AFTER I knew she was all right. 

I've always said that Marley was a "one of a kind" cat.  He thinks he's part canine and part human.  I swear, he has greeted us at the door for the past eleven years and he follows us to the bathroom.  He sits on the kitchen chair like he's part of the family (which he is) and he eats when we eat. 

Marley and Ava looking at the birdfeeders.

Come out come out where ever you are.

Aw Marley...you scared the birds away!

Hey Marley......catch!!

Hallmark moment

I have been a blog slacker for the past week.  You would think being home with the family would give me more time to post but on the contrary.  We had teacher conferences at school the one day, early Christmas shopping the next day, hosting Thanksgiving dinner, more Christmas shopping, catching up on movies, laundry, and house work and finally, putting up the holiday lights outside.  So I'm catching up with the photos taken last week. 

One day last week, both kids woke up on the "good" side of the bed.  It was one of those Walt Disney moments where the birds are chirping, the coffe machine is brewing, the smell of pancakes are in the air and the kids are not chasing and screaming around the house.  In fact, Sebastian was actually a doting big brother.  He tended to Ava including cutting up her pancakes.  I took a picture because I thought it was endearing.  In fact, I haven't looked at the pictures in the camera and remembered why I had taken them in the first place.

I took this picture the other day when Sebastian was getting ready to go out to the school bus stop.  They will only give each other a kiss at bedtime and when Mommy asks them to ;-)

The song of the day

Now that Thanksgiving is officially over and the decorations are already up for the next big holiday, here are three short videos of Miss Ava practicing her favorite song in the bathtub.  I don't know why she kept screaming the song because normally, when she hears the song on the radio, she claps her hands and announces "jingle bells" is playing.  Of course when she hears the sound of jingle bells on other songs, she thinks it's the Jingle Bell song as well ;-)

"TAKE ONE"


"TAKE TWO"


"TAKE THREE"

Going "native"

Last Wednesday morning Ava was giving me such a hard time when I dropped her off at the daycare.  She rarely puts up a fuss because I let her do her morning routine the way she wants to.  But that particular morning she would not let me go and she would not go to Ms. Ty.  Even after Ms Ty asked her if she wanted to help make some pretty headbands.  It took some pleading and prodding and she reluctantly let me go to work.

Later that evening, Michael picked Ava up after work.  When she got home, she had her handcrafted and decorative feather headband on her head.  She must have had a really good afternoon because she was running around in the family room and doing this little dance and fell on the floor a couple times.  I remembered earlier in the day when she didn't want to make the headbands and now she was all happy and giddy.  What a silly little girl  ;-)

Later that night, I went in her room to tuck her in and saw her in this position.  Even though she will be three years old in January, she still looks like a baby to me.  I guess she will always be the "baby of the family" in our eyes!  I guess all that dancing tuckered her out.  :-))

My little dreamer

One day last week, I picked up Sebastian at the after school program and we were driving home.  He commented about the clouds in the sky and said, "Hey Mommy, that cloud looks like a figure skater.   Do you see her arms out to the side and the one leg is bending forward while the other leg is behind her?  Do you see it?"  As a matter of fact, "yes I do son!"   By the way, I took this cloud picture at the bottom of our driveway.  It was large enough that I was able to catch it after I stopped the car.  I took the picture because I wanted to remember this moment.    ;-)

Sebastian is turning out to be less "athletic" and more of the artsy kind.  He is so creative, imaginative, thoughtful and emotional.  He can doodle in his notebooks and sketch like there's no tomorrow.  He is also very musically inclined and it's starting to show in his piano practices.  He learned to read music notes very quickly and he's such a day dreamer.  I love my little man so much it hurts sometimes.

Rainy day activities

While Michael was watching his football game, I took the kids to an indoor activity center because it was a rainy Sunday and the kids needed to exert some energy.  Of course poor Ava, her legs were so short and needed help by her brother on some of the inflatable slides and games.

If that isn't the look of fun, I don't know what is!

The look of despair.  Help me "broder!"

I wish Marley was here...he'd have fun with this!

...and this was Marley's indoor activity.