Pop......pop...pop-pop-pop-pop!

Jamie got me a hot air popcorn maker for Christmas...

...how many times do you think they'll get that excited about popped corn? I can't wait to find out. :)

The Beauty Shop is now open

Ava has been using her new princess beauty styling kit equipped with play straightener, curling iron, brush, etc. to fix Zoe's hair. Zoe sits as patient as can be while gettin' prettied up, the rest of the time, she's sneaking the play lipstick. I think that may be her favorite new toy...pretend lipstick. Ava's is probably her Polly Pockets, complete with microscopic silicone shoes...she is getting better at dressing them though...otherwise that's my job :)

merry kisskiss!

It's styro-snowing!

Santa

Ava hopped right on Santa's lap and told him exactly what she wants: A ballerina doll that she saw in a toy magazine.

Zoe wasn't interested in going near him, so we sat her on his lap. No tears, but she wouldn't even look at him.

She gradually slides off.

All she wanted was her coloring book and she was ready to go. Ava was cozy and could have hung out on Santa's lap all day.

We have seen large, heavy, white-bearded old men all over town this month...out to dinner, at Target...they're wearing regular clothes, but Ava's theory is that maybe it really is Santa and he's just checking up on kids to see if they should be on the naughty or nice list. I think she's right.

Gingerbread House

We built a gingerbread house this year.

Ava enjoyed decorating it.

Zoe enjoyed sampling it.

Icicles hanging off the roof or finger trails?

By the end of the day, this is what the house looked like.
I think we can confirm that they were finger trails in the previous picture.

October & November

Click here to view these pictures larger

The girls have been dancing daily, geared up in tutus. We experimented with a hairdo for Zoe's Halloween costume, with her short hair it was just right for a Muppet (she was Zoe from Sesame Street). The girls loved the snow in October! Frosty also returned briefly, he stayed for a day or two. Ava has really enjoyed cutting at school, as demonstrated by the 3 ziploc bags of "work" she brought home. If anyone needs confetti, I'm sure she would be thrilled to share her talent…she can cut them very, VERY tiny too. :) We celebrated Grama Joleen's 50th birthday in October and visited Grampa Jeff and Grama Donna for Halloween in Sioux Falls. Hits of the weekend were the pumpkins, Grampa Jeff's manicure with princess fingernails, trick-or-treating at the mall, and testing out cousin Gavin's 4-wheeler. We went bowling and Zoe enjoyed the shoes more than anything. Ava got her much requested "rotten eggs" (deviled eggs) for Thanksgiving.

Summer 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

We had a busy summer filled with dancing, fishing, camping, sparkler, splashpad fun, water hose fights, a wet parade, chalk drawings, bikerides, sandbox play (and some in the kitchen...Zoeee!), a birthday party (Ava is 4!), Ava and Daddy's trip to Grampa Jeff's, the houseboat vacation, and Ava started preschool.