A day at home

I took a personal day off from work and spent some time with my sweet girl. She and Emilee sat in front of the Christmas tree while I made breakfast.

After we ate, we caught up on Jon & Kate Plus 8. Ava loves this show, and calls it "Boys and Girls".

After we made Martha Stewart's Cowboy Cookies, we took lunch to Baba at work.

Ava and I took a picture in one of my favorite spots. This building is my old elementary school. Three of my four grandparents, both of my parents, and my siblings went to school here. It is also the muse that inspired my book (still in progress). I have pictures of me in this exact spot when I was a little girl, and memories of jazz band concerts on the "grassy knoll" behind us. Mmmm...nostalgia.

No, those aren't radioactive carrots. Ava is playing with Play-Doh while Josh and I make dinner. This has become her "spot" while we cook. She loves to be a part of the action!

While we wait for the calzones to bake, Ava and Daddy take in a little Thomas and Friends.

Ava kisses her babies night night, and puts them to sleep in the bed she never sleeps in. There's something about hearing her soft baby breathing while I sleep...maybe when she goes to college she'll use her adorable nursery bedding.

With The Muppet Christmas Carol on TV, The Philadelphia Brass Ensemble playing holiday favorites on the IPod, and a Christmas-crazed mom and dad, Ava helped decorate the house...on November 5. (Josh is standing right beside her, I promise. I just cropped him out.)

Ava tries to help us decide where to put the star topper.

Daddy helps with final positioning.

Smooches in front of the Christmas tree, this picture will be at her wedding reception someday.

Last year Josh and I went to a Christmas Pops concert at Bass Hall with Courtney and Patrick. Since Ava was too little to go, we bought her this ballerina ornament for the tree. When I brought it out of the box she exclaimed, "Dancin' doll!", except it sounded more like "Day-en-cin' daaahl!"

Josh took over mantle-duty this year. His eye for balance and color never ceases to amaze me. This photo is a little blurry, and we have a few more details we want to add. But wow, it really is spectacular, even with the print-rich mantle label for Ava!

Baba bought Ava an icecream cone ornament for the tree this year. Ava would lick it and run over to me with glitter speckling her tongue. I'd give her a drink and help her degrit her mouth. Five seconds later she'd start licking the ornament again. I guess she'll learn eventually, maybe when all the glitter washes off.

Josh already has two presents already under the tree.

Oooh, so does Autumn...except isn't one of them a regift?

Ava received a VERY fun package in the mail from Mimi and Coach. Mamaw helped her open it. Mail was very exciting that day!

On Friday I went to Dallas to hear Lucy Calkins talk about her writing curriculum. For those of you who don't know who she is, she's the Elvis of teaching writing to children. It was an honor to meet her, even though her Yankee ways seemed a little abrupt when we met and she cussed like a sailor during her lecture.

To see all of the pictures from this album follow this link.