Daddy had a day off and came with us to Mommy and Me Tiny Tumblers, then we went toy shopping, then we went to the bagel shop. It was so nice to share our regular “Monday” with him!

Even though Keira showed me how to sit properly with Santa, I was just waaaaayyyyy too distracted 🙂

I just learned all about my bellybutton… so guess what I am showing to my sister? She was VERY impressed.

I jumped into mommy’s arms *while* she was jumping! It was so fun.

Mommy thinks I look like I am doing a cute pose here – I am actually on the MOVE in this picture though.

Ah, *this* is how to make that funny noise…

Now mommy, *I* am allowed on the dining table (after all, you put me here), but doesn’t Ava get a “tsk, tsk”? She climbed up here, and proceeded to eat the cat food and feed the kitty (who is hiding behind me, but is very excited about Ava feeding her by hand). Ooooohhhhhh, this is going to get very interesting!

Santa seems to show up *everywhere* I go, woohoo!

Peekaboo, from my sissie’s crib…

I did everything I could to figure out how these bears played the xylophone – I put my lips on the metal bars, I used my feet in between the drumsticks and the bars, I put my ears on them… everything! I *still* cannot figure out how they do it!

I want so MUCH to help daddy up there at the top of the ladder!

Jessie was okay with being dressed up as puppy Santa because we feed her treats during the “ordeal” 🙂

Mommy roasted some chestnuts for me and I loved them (though they were difficult to eat, even when they were softened). I thought my sister would like some too – see my sister’s blog for a picture of what she did with this mouthful 🙂

Mommy watches *very carefully* when Ava plays with me. Ava thinks I have superpowers already… give it time sister and I will be able to climb with you! I love it when she plays with me 🙂

Mommy is very proud of me – I seem to know not to accept food from anyone but a grown-up 🙂 It *is* very nice of my sissie to share her favorite foods with me, though…

My sissie heard me complaining because I dropped my toy, so she looked at mama with a twinkle in her eye, and picked up my *favorite* toy, and then gave it to me. I gurgled my thank you to her 🙂

We started a new “thing” – Ava always wakes mommy up first (to mommy’s chagrin, completely!). But then when I start making noise over the intercom an hour or so later (and I talk very *nicely* at firsts, thank you) then Ava rushes in my room and asks if she can go in my crib with me, and mommy lifts her in and we have a party. My sissy will comb my hair (and my face and my arms and my….), she will hold on to the railing and use my mattress as a trampoline (and I giggle and giggle and she laughs at my giggling), and she will lay down next to me and pretend to be a “baby” too, and then mommy will “baby” us both for a little bit. I really enjoy this new wake-up routine. Mommy is just hoping that I do not enjoy it TOO much, and want to wake up early for it 🙂

I had a wonderful night last night (Keira loved it too!) – first grandma and gigi came over for a tree decorating “party” (not really a party but it is always a party for me – I was dancing and singing, etc.). Then we went for a “midnight walk” (not really midnight – but in the dark and no one is moving in our neighborhood – we *LOVE* doing this, we feel like we are the only people awake on earth), then daddy woke up and helped me take my first ever shower (oh, was I HAPPY, I felt so grown up!), and then I made mommy *very* proud…

… mommy was putting on my p.j.’s as I was on the bed in daddy’s den (of course, I just HAVE to be around my daddy) and I was not cooperating. So she started to count to 10, because when she hits “10” she promises to be finished changing me. She said “eins… zwei… drei… vier… fuenf… sechs… sieben…” and then *I* said “acht”. And mommy and daddy looked at each other – they were both thinking that no way could I know that, it must be coincidence. Then as mommy was about to open her mouth to count nine in German, I said (very matter-of-factly) “neun”. My parents’ mouths dropped open. And they dropped even wider when I said “zehn”. Then they scooped me up and loved me up and proclaimed me a genius.

Look at me squealing – I *love* jumping!

My daddy put my sissie’s Santa hat (the one that my birth mommy Val gave her) on my head! Silly daddy!

Mommy got a new mama ‘do. When my sissie and I stop pulling her hair (!) she will grow it out again, ha ha 🙂 She is sad that her pretty long hair is gone, but likes how comfortable it feels, and it will make mama’ing easier not having to fuss with it 🙂

I threw my star cookie down on the floor – I seem to not love gingerbread cookies very much, though I *do* love the ginger snaps at grandma’s house. This was the day we went to see Santa and the live reindeer…

Ho ho ho. I like Santa and all, but I would much rather run around! I let him hold me for a quick second though 🙂

I went to a biiiiiig Christmas party and there was a live band singing Christmas songs and I danced and danced and danced. If you have a high-speed connection, you can see me dancing here! (you will have to wait a minute or two for it to download to your computer – it should start automatically for you!)

I made a new friend – Samantha. We sought each other out because we were the most *active* – we both love running and running and playing and laughing. People kept laughing as we ran by again and again 🙂

Hi.

I am showing my sissie how nice it is to sit on Santa’s lap. She was a little bit nervous, but not me! Mrs. Claus was nice too… They gave me a gift, that was so nice. Mommy says I deserve it, I am SUCH a sweet girl.

It is hard to get us all together at the same time, here is our best shot 🙂

ooooooohhh, so *this* is what a Christmas gift is! I think I will chew on it…

After every meal I say “washy washy” and rub my hands together, so that mommy lets me splash in the sink. I will also grab anything within reach and wash *that*… in this case it was parts of my sister’s bottles.