Deck The Halls

 Having two kids has made any sort of free time that I use to have to blog, clean, craft or whatever, pretty much non-existent.  But we have been able to cross off a few things on the Anderson Christmas Bucket List.

We usually get a permit and drive to a national forest to cut down our Christmas tree, but with Alaina being so young we did not do it this year.  Joel and Ava went to a local tree farm that gives all the money earned from the trees to a local non-profit home for children.  They picked the perfect tree and brought it home.  Holidays are so much more fun with little kids.  Ava was so excited to decorate the tree and the house for the season, that it made it 100 times more fun than usual. 

We also made gingerbread men and decorated them.  Ava was so happy to put candy on them, and even more excited to eat the candy off the cookies.  (There were a few cookies with candy licked off and the cookie left to sit on the plate!)

 

Finally it has started to snow again.  You would think it was Christmas morning every time it snows at our house.  Ava jumps up and down pulling all her snow clothes out of the closet ready to build a snow man and play in the snow.  It has been hard for her to wait for Joel to get home to go out and play.  Hopefully the snow stays for awhile or we will be driving to the mountains to sled soon. 

Movember

Joel decided that since he had three weeks off during the time of Alaina's birth that he would grow his facial hair out.  And since it worked out perfectly with the month of Movember (the month formerly known as November, is a moustache growing charity event held during November each year that raises funds and awareness for men's health and cancer) he decided that he would make a pretty mean moustache.  The beard was getting pretty overgrown in my opinion, and then yesterday I got blessed with this look from my husband.  Yuk!  I think I will take the overgrown beard over this any day. 

Alaina Rae

Alaina Rae Anderson joined our family on November 9th, 2012 at 12:56 PM, weighing 7 pounds, 2 ounces and was 20 3/4 inches long.  Alaina has been such a great baby.  I cannot believe how she can sleep through the noise of Ava all day, but she does.  She really only will cry when she needs something, which is a lot different experience than we had when Ava was an infant.  Really the only thing that has been difficult is how hard Ava is having with the adjustment of a new member added to the family, and Ava not being the only child that got all the attention.  Everyone says it will get easier with time...and I sure hope that starts to happen sooner than later.  Ava would not even touch her or want to be in the same room the first few days, and now she will pat Alaina's head and ask to hold her every once in awhile.  We just need to work on Ava not getting so upset when Alaina starts to cry. 
Alaina is a great addition to our family.  We love her so much and can tell that she will bring a great amount of joy to all of our lives. 

 

Ballet / Tap Class

Ava had her first Ballet/Tap class today. I was worried about how she would do because parents are not allowed in the room. Also the class is for 3 - 5 year olds and Ava is not even 3 yet. However, she did great!! She danced and listened to the teacher for the most part. 50 minutes is a long time for a 3 year old to stay focused, but Ava loves to dance. After class we asked her which was her favorite between Ballet and Tap and she said that she liked Ballet the best. That did not surprise Joel or I at all. I am just glad that I was able to see one of her classes before the baby arrived. We go into the hospital at midnight tonight to get induced. 

 

It is fun to see Ava in Ballet class.  I remember going to ballet when I was younger too.  I hope that she continues to love to sing and dance, because she is so cute with both of them. 

Pumpkin Party

This is a really late post. It should have been done a few weeks ago, but that is just how life is around here lately.  It is my due date today with baby girl #2, and since we still have no baby I thought I would try to catch up on a few things. 
A few weeks ago I signed Ava up for a pumpkin party art class.  She was so excited to go and paint a pumpkin.  The class was fun, and Ava loved every minute.  Ava loves doing anything with crafts...which I just adore. 

They made these pumpkin hats to wear while painting

The little girl next to Ava is her friend Charlotte.

Happy Fall!!

Our Little Bumble Bee

This year for Halloween Ava wanted to be a bumble bee.  I gave her so many different options to choose from and thought for sure that she would choose some sort of princess, but she didn't.  She decided on being a bee and stuck with it.  Here are a few pictures of our cute little bee.  She had tons of fun at our church carnival a few nights ago, and also went out trick-or-treating to a few houses in the neighborhood with her dad tonight. 

Ava's favorite part of her costume is the stinger.

 

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2012!!

Reverence Man

Having Family Home Evening (FHE) with a toddler can be a challenge.  Attention span is limited, and we are lucky to get through one prayer and a family song.  Ava has been struggling with being reverent during her personal/family/food prayers, so I decided to have a lesson on how our body parts should act during a prayer.  I cut out this guy and had her help me put him on his knees with his arms folded, etc.  She actually enjoyed it.  Then after the lesson, she colored the guy for our activity. 

All in all... I think FHE was a success today.  Wish every week was a smooth as this. 

Walter's Fruit Ranch

This last weekend we headed as a family to Walter's Fruit Ranch to pick apples and allow Ava to get a little pumpkin to paint.  The weather was beautiful and we had a great time.  Sometimes a little family time in a fun environment is all one needs.  Wish we could do this everyday. 

Hair Cut

Ava had her first hair cut this morning.  Well... I do not know if you could really even call it a cut.  It was more like a trim.  She was extremely concerned that it was going to hurt since it would have to be done with scissors, but we talked the whole way there about how they would use special hair scissors made just to cut hair so that it would not hurt.  We also discussed how you can only cut hair with special hair scissors (in hopes that she will never try to cut her own hair).  My friend Kierstyn cut her hair and did such a great job with her.  My only regret is that I forgot to take an after picture.  Oh well, she looks the same, minus two inches of hair.  Super cute as usual. 

Craft Class

 

I signed Ava up for an art class at the end of the Summer at our local kids museum.  The class was entitled, "Messy Colors" and Ava loved it.  They made butterfly wings and painted them, and then got to put paint all over the craft tables and mix it with shaving cream.  Ava thought thought that was the most fun.  I love when she enjoys getting messy, because she usually does not like her hands dirty at all.  We love our little artist to pieces. 

Swim Lessons

Ava did swim lessons this summer for the first time.  I initially put her in a preschool class for 3 - 5 year olds, but assumed she would do fine at it because she loves the water and could do most everything the class was supposed to teach.  Well...we were in for a surprise.  Ava would not get in the water with her teacher at all.  Her class consisted of all 4 year olds and then Ava at 2 1/2, and I think she was a little intimidated.  After three lessons of Ava just sitting on the edge of the water we decided to down grade her to the class that Joel or I could assist her in the water (aimed at infant age to 2 years old).  She loved being in the water if Joel or I were in the water with her.  She even went off the diving board twice.  I am not sure that she learned much in the class, but she had fun, which is really all that matters. 

Our Sweet Ava

Time is just flying by.  I cannot believe that Ava is 2 1/2 years old now.  She is so grown up and acts and talks like she is a little kid.  She loves crafts (can sit for long periods of time coloring, painting, cutting paper, etc.), loves wrestling with dad when he gets home from work, loves to dance and sing to music, loves to play in the water and go down waterside's on her dad's lap, and loves watching and playing with children at the park.  I never could have imagined the joy a child could bring into my life.  Ava blesses our family more than words can express.  She brings a smile to everyone's face, and loves life.  I could not ask for a better daughter.