What a Difference

A year makes!

Last year:


This year:

Merry Christmas

Ava has started using "Alissa" when talking on the phone. She'll say "Hi, it's just Alissa. Hi Alissa." When I first heard her do it I thought it was pretty funny. Obviously she has overheard me on the phone. In the car the other day, I asked her what my name was. She said "Dominick."

She loves talking on the phone. She will talk to anyone, and sometimes to no one. Nowadays she talks mostly about Santa Claus and Christmas trees. She will sing songs too. She knows a bunch, and her favorites now are "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star." For not even 2 years old, she amazes me with her ability to learn.

Ava also loves fire trucks, ambulances, and police cars. She can spot them all the time. When we're at home and we hear a distant siren, her eyes light up.

Christmas for her should be really fun this year. She sat on Santa's lap and did such a great job. We even got a decent picture. I will scan it soon and post it. Last year she was only 11 months old and cried her eyes out. That was also the night of the ear-piercing torture. Anyway, she is very aware of "Santa," and it looks like she will make out like a bandit. There is one big gift on the way which I am very excited about, but I'll post about it when it actually gets here. And no, it's not a baby brother or sister.

It's very late, so I'll pot pictures another night. Hope everyone has a great holiday!

Gracias!

I don't know why I chose that as a title, it just popped into my head. I have been bad about posting, and I think I might be even worse now. This past weekend I bought this this game and I am hooked. Yvie - I suggest you buy this game for Dad for Christmas. You might not see him for a while. One of the best things about it is that I have finally found a game where I kick butt and Brent stinks.

Things have been pretty quiet around here lately. Ava has been so chatty lately. She talks to us, talks to other people, to herself, whatever. She likes to talk on the phone, she sings songs to herself, and she makes up stuff too. Now she talks about Santa Claus and Christmas trees. This morning she was upset when I told her that we had to turn the tree off. In the car I told her that we had to turn it off or it might catch on fire. She went on and on almost the whole car ride about fire and fire trucks. She loves fire trucks.

Work is busy, and I am in a wedding in a couple of weeks and I have a bunch of appointments for it. Ava will probably have to spend the weekend with her Grandma, just due to the rehearsal dinner and the wedding itself. I feel so bad - I haven't even begun Christmas shopping yet. I figure we can have Ava done in one shopping trip. We can't go nuts with presents for a couple of reasons - money, of course, and space. Our house is so crowded as it is, I don't know where we would put more toys. I really want to get her a kitchen set though. We just might have to put it on the patio.

Hope everyone has a good week. I am already looking forward to the weekend!