Flip Video

I just bought a new, very small video camera called a Flip Video. I can't wait to use it with the girls. It's small enough to fit in my purse so I hope to use it more than my big video camera. Uploading it onto my blog was a snap. Here is some video of Catalina reading to Ava May. They do this every night. Enjoy!

Hoppy

Catalina brought "Hoppy" home again from school. It's the kindergarten mascot. She gets to have Hoppy and his accessories for 3 days . She has to write about Hoppy and what she did with him. She adds pictures to her page and all the pages get put in an album.

Catalina took Hoppy to gymnastics. This is one of her coaches, Victoria.

Hoppy on the bars.

Ava loves to play with Hoppy too!

Oh my goodness, this girl can read! She is reading everything. She knows her first 300 sight words and and she can spell the first 100. Unstoppable!

Just a side note, yesterday Catalina took a back handspring clinic at the gym. After 90 minutes, she can do a back handspring if someone spots her. She just loves gymnastics!

Catalina's Haircut

Catalina wanted to get her hair cut short again. I tried to talk her out of it...you won't be able to put it in a pony, it will take a long time to grow out, you can't change your mind once it is cut....blah, blah, blah. She did it and look at the results. She is adorable!

And she is so happy!! Ava does not want her hair cut...ever.

Christmas 2009

We had such a great Christmas this year! The girls were a perfect age. They woke up Christmas morning, ripped open their Santa gifts, and played with their babies all day. I had to beg, plead and bribe them to open the rest of their gifts! Unbelievable! For those of you who are wondering...yes, daddy had to meet Santa outside again this year to bring in the presents.

Ava got her baby with a blue blanket, a bottle and a pacifier.

Even Daddy was a good boy this year and got a new bike!

Catalina got a Baby Alive. Just what we need, another mouth to feed (she also pees and poops!).

The Merrill's on Christmas day at the Tolars.

Nutcracker

We took the girls, Kaylee and her mom to see the Nutcracker this year. The girls dressed in their "wedding dresses" again and were so excited! Ava was able to sit through the first half but got a little restless after intermission.

Catalina, Kaylee and Ava

Waiting to go in!

The girls took photos with the Sugarplum Fairy!

Now they all want to be a ballerina!

The Polar Express 2009

We headed to the cabin in Flagstaff on Sat. 12/12/09. 29 inches of snow had just dropped on Flagstaff that week! Todd shoveled the driveway and the girls put their boots on to play in the snow. They started building a snowman on Saturday and finished it on Sunday, before we boarded the Polar Express!

Isn't she adorable??

Shea, Catalina and Ginger play in the snow!

Here is the finished snowman. We went through about 10 carrots because the dogs kept eating them!

The girls are walking to get on the train. ALL ABOARD!

Catalina and Ava wrote their own letters to Santa this year. They brought the letters on the train and gave them to Santa in person. Ava would not put hers down!

Look in Santa's hand at the letters! He loved getting them and thanked the girls over and over. Also notice...no tears this year!

After the train on Sunday night we drove home. The girls went to school on Monday and Todd and I had to work. No rest for the wicked...but it was worth it. Who wants to join us next year? We booked the train for Saturday, December 11th. Papa and Mimi...we missed you!

Shamrock Farms Joy to the Herd

We headed out to Shamrock Farms with Dorothy on Saturday Dec. 5th. The farm was set up with Christmas crafts, carolers, snow, Santa, and gave tours. Dorothy loved it, said it "smelled like home." Of course, Ava gaged as we drove up...not a farm girl. On our tour, we saw the beginning of a calf being born. Because it takes out 1/2 hour, we were unable to stay for the whole birth. Mom was getting nervous too, with all the spectators (ya think?).

Catalina is making sure Santa knows exactly what she wants this year!

This is Roxie, Shamrock Farms puts Roxie on every product.

Grandma started the snowball fight that never ended. At different times, she was able to hit both of the girls in the head with a snow ball! Ava cried, she does not like snow either.

Ahhh, the snow slide! It was so fun.

Ava doesn't like the snow slide either.

But the girls loved Santa this year. In fact, they would not leave him alone.

The last thing we did was face painting. Here the girls are posing with their snowflake, reindeer and flower (Cat wanted a flower). Kaylie is our friend who lives up the street. We carpool with her and she is the sweetest thing. Catalina and her have become best friends.

Next up...pictures from the Polar Express. Flagstaff had 29 inches of snow! The girls only complaint...we miss Papa and Mimi. It was not the same without them (kinda breaks your heart).