Updates and Milestones:

Our first trip the the zoo this winter. We had a fantastic trip to the zoo on Wednesday! A lot of the animals were out and very active! The cats were coming right to the front of the cage and meowing-very cool! We started out the trip with Beth and Ava in the stroller then it was just Beth as Ava and Thom ran around then Thom and Ava in the stroller and Beth in the carrier. We were there for over 3 hours the weather was perfect and we did not see any other visitors until we went into the barn at the very end of our visit. It was like the city created a Zoo just for my family!

Going clockwise from the top:

At the entrance, Thom was my navigator-atleast until we got to the 1st playstructure,

Ava and Thom checking out the Llamas-book suggestion 'llama llama red pajama' soo good,

play structure by the camels,

Thom by the koi in the greenhouse-I have a picture of him at this exibit from every visit (except 1) we have taken to the zoo, usually you can see other people we dont know in the photos.

Beth learned to point on Tues night Ava slept over and Beth pointed at her at least half a dozen times,

Thom taking the girls for a spin on the plasma car

She willingly walked with fingers with very smooth steps again on Tuesday,

She slept through the night for the 2nd time on Dec 25 - I think it was a Christmas present to me since it hasn't happened again :)

Thom went down the big wooden slide at the park (with me and Ava) - That I found very scary the sides were alot shorter than I remember and I was nervous about a child going over the edge 10ft up in the air. However the kids loved it while Beth was asleep in her sled we went up and down

Beth used the potty for the first time December 28,2008!!!! She wanted to go up on the toilet after the big kids finished so my mom put her up there to humor her and low and behold a very proud girl peed. the next day she peed on the wooden potty. When she was crawling around naked she has gotten to the potty and tryed to get up and has peed. the best day yet was the 18th to 19th, she by herself peed 4x. she thought there was a potty in the corner at my parents and she climbed over the handle turned herself around and peed on Thoms old booster (that we had just removed from the chair), I cleaned it all up and her, then maybe 20 min later she did it again!!! the next morning she got into the wooden potty I took from my parents (she cant get on Thom's it is to award) and peed-unfortunately she cant get her feet down so she peed with her legs in the pot but at least she is trying. Thoms success is really plateaued, we are at 100% peeing in the potty at home or another house but when we are out say at the mall or a restaurant it is hit or miss, it depends on how distracted he is. Poo is 75% at home and 0% when out,

She is very confident with going up, she did a whole flight of stairs by herself the first week in January. (she still doesn't go down and now has NO interest in learning. she often will climb up about 8inches into our bookshelves and be very proud smiling and 'talking' then after about 30 seconds start to demand I get her down)

Beth loves to shriek, any emotion she has she lets it be heard with gusto! I have been trying to get her to talk instead because I know she is using this ear shattering noise to get her point across. I am sad to report, not yet, so it is constantly like I have been to a concert.

Beth drew her first picture, not just a scribble crumple eat the paper. she drew with multiple colours and did not crumple it but let me have it- jan14. very exciting!

For the second year in a row we went to the show Magic and Miricles, a magic show that benifits the firefighters burn fund - a good time! (unfortunatley Ang was in the hall and my mom took the picture so you down see us all and this was the best photo with the most people)
Beth had a little vomit accident in the car seat so I washed all 3 car seat covers, here is Thom and Ava looking cute while sharing. Beth puked up her appleoatmeal, and again after she had lunch, so I was just nursing and she did not get an upset stomach, so now when she has her appleoatmeal Thom says`give her milk Mama she needs it so she dosen`t puke`it is very cute!

favourite foods

Beth-pickerel, pineapple and cheese

Thom-mac n cheese, cheese and yogurt

Christmas has come and gone

Here is our pictures from Christmas Eve with Santa at the Howie's
Beth prefers Santa when she is not in his lap


Thom talking to Santa



Jeff and I getting our present

Beth and Thom checking out their presents

Beth trying to steal Thom's bells off of his present

So another Christmas has come and gone and we are back to the regular grind.

We all recovered from the flu and enjoyed the family get togethers and holiday festivities. Unfortunatley Jeff also succumbed to the flu (as did everyone else I know) but thankfully he didnt get sick until the evening of the 26th.

We celebrated NewYears by making pizza with the family-one of Thom's jobs was to wash the mushrooms. Previously when we had friends over Jeff made mushroom caps, Thom's job was to break off the stems. When he was preping the mushrooms Thom snapped off all the stems because that is the 'correct' way to prep them