The Polar Express

This past weekend the family took a road trip to Flagstaff, Arizona to ride the Polar Express. What an adventure! Just like in the book and movie a special train came to pick us up and take us to the North Pole. Along the way we sang Christmas carols, ate cookies, drank hot cocoa, read stories and even visited with Santa. We were each able to get a beautiful ringing bell to keep. What a great memory. The next day I told mommy that "I liked that train ride!". Looks like this is going to be a yearly tradition!

Watching the train come into the station.

Posing with the conductor

Giving our special tickets to the ticket taker.

Snow

Not only did we get to ride on the coolest train ever but I got to play in the snow!! Flagstaff had 22 inches of snow during the week and it continued to snow while we were there. I kept calling it rain at first but I quickly figured out that this stuff was different! On our way out of town we found a farm that had piles of snow everywhere so I jumped out of the car and went right to in to play mode. I loved every minute of it! I didn't even fight putting on my snowsuit or boots (and for those of you that don't know I hate to even put on a sweatshirt!). Poor Campbell slept through the whole thing. Oh well, maybe next year.

Feeling the "real" flakes on my face.

Story time

Today at story time we had a special reader--SANTA!! What a treat and yes I am still wondering about my "garbage can".

Campbell was able to sit with me and enjoy the story too.

This is how Santa dresses in Arizona--shorts and a tee. Too hot for anything else!

Sitting and Sippys

I love being able to do big girl stuff! Watch out world--here I come.

Playing with toys

Reading books

Thinking I am big stuff (my brother gave me his sippy cup, still not sure what to do with it but I know it is for big people so I LOVE it!)

Enough with the rice cereal...

give me the sweet stuff!

SANTA!

A note from mom: We visited Santa this weekend and I am proud to say we did OK! Coleman was excited the whole car ride there. We practiced saying "Merry Christmas". We practiced asking Santa for a"garbage truck" (he kept saying garbage can though). We practiced saying "thank you". He waited so patiently and was ready to go--then it was our turn. He froze and said nothing, he barely got on Santa's lap and was not about to smile for the camera BUT there were no tears from either child! I call that a success. As we were walking away Coleman started to whimper and started saying over and over "but the garbage can?". He couldn't understand why he didn't get his garbage truck like he asked for. So after some explaining he understood that we have to wait for Christmas morning. Each morning since the Santa visit he gets up and asks about his garbage can--it is going to be a long month.

It's Snowing in Tucson!

We went to La Encantada (an outdoor mall in Tucson) to watch it snow on Saturday (they bring in snow machines in December, more like bubble machines but still fun!). We enjoyed some hot chocolate as snowflakes came down from the sky. I had a lot of fun chasing the flakes around and having them hit my face. How fun that we didn't have to wear mittens, hats or coats and we could play in snow without being cold. That is my kind of winter!

Watching the first flakes fall...I whispered "snow" as it started to come down.

Campbell not sure why everyone was running around.

Touching the flakes as they hit my sweater.

Trying to get some in my mouth. Would you call this a "grass angel"?

Mr. Fix It

Is car repair in my future? Mom walked into the playroom and found me like this. She is not sure where I came up with this idea--I just must be creative!

Sharing

This was a BIG deal...I shared my "la-la" (Elmo blanket) with sisters. As many of you know I do not go ANYWHERE or do ANYTHING without "la-la" so for me to let sisters use it was a big step in our relationship. She is my biggest fan so I thought I would show her a little love too!

Almost there...

I may be little but I sure am mighty! I can sit on my own for a few minutes before I tumble over. I am going to catch up with my brother in no time.

Snow

Ok, so we were coming out of the mall today and mom looked over to a pile of snow by our car. At first she didn't think anything of it because isn't that what every parking lot looks like during this time of year? But wait! Not here it doesn't! So after a minute of racking her brain and thinking she wasn't crazy she remembered that the mall had snow brought in over the weekend to welcome Santa. We couldn't make the festivities but lucky for us there was some left over! I got to explore and touch it without having to share with anyone so this was actually better. It was cold to touch and I wasn't sure what to do with it but I got excited about it because mom was. Afterwards as we were driving home I told mom we needed to "wash the car with snow" (I thought it looked like bubbles like at the car wash). Mom said I needed to get back to the Midwest fast--she is raising a boy that will never understand what real snow is!

What's the big deal?

El Tour de Tucson

Saturday was the Tour de Tucson bicycle race. This is one of the biggest cycle races in the country (10,000 cyclists participated in the 109 mile race this year). People traveled from all over to participate and experience the warm weather of the desert! Lucky for us the race route was almost in front of our house so we packed up some music and our clapping hands and headed down the street. Watching the bikes fly by was ok for awhile but I loved the rocks and the playing in the wash much better. Can't wait until I a big enough to ride in it myself!

Even sisters cheered!

This is where I spent most of my time.

Bonding

And mom was worried that Coleman would never adjust to having me around! Looks like we are doing A-OK. He is always looking out for me and is the first one at my door when I wake up from a nap. Guess I am a keeper.

Watching a show together. Nothing like TV to bring siblings together!

Oh boy!

Isn't it scary how much we kiddos really pay attention to our parents? And they think we are too little to understand what is going on. Yeah right!

Me pretending to be mommy. Talking on the phone and looking at a magazine.

5 months old

It is getting cooler out and you know what that means...BOOT SEASON! Big girls get to wear fur boots. Growing up by the minute...I have TWO teeth now (bottom middle), I talk all the time, I like to be in the middle of the action (no more hanging out in the bouncy seat for me), I belly laugh at my brother on a daily basis, I eat rice cereal, I am enjoying my nap schedule, and I seem to be eating A LOT more. I feel a growth spurt coming on! Can't wait to update you on all my new firsts next month. My half birthday is right around the corner...WOW!

Stronger

Almost sitting on my own (just a little assistance from the boppy, who doesn't need a little extra padding every once in awhile?)

Testing out my "Husker's # 1" finger. Hopefully I will be able to use it in my lifetime!

A note from mom...

So sorry for the delay in updates (I feel like that is all I say lately!). Between Coleman being sick, potty training and Campbell's taking to the two nap schedule I feel like a chicken with it's head cut off! Coleman is feeling much better--it turned out to be just an infection that was cleared up with antibiotic. WHEW! As for the potty training we are so proud of that little guy. He stuck with it through being sick and everything. I even tried to put a diaper back on him thinking it would make things easier. All I got for a response was "No deeper mommy! No thank you!" So we ran with it and kept him in big boy underwear. I guess he was ready! Campbell is changing so much rolling around, playing with toys, eating rice cereal and adjusting to a little bit of a schedule. She seems to be liking the schedule--me? Well, not so much. We are pretty house bound and I feel like all I am doing is getting someone ready for a nap. But it is short lived right? And I don't mind the evening trips to the store by myself. Kind of peaceful! I will try to keep up with the holidays and visitors set to start arriving here in a month. Lots of fun memories to have and pictures to be taken! Thanks for your patience...XOXO.

The Cereal

Can you believe I am big enough to be eating like everyone else in my house?! FINALLY! I have been interested in food for awhile now. I watch everything that goes in mom's mouth and I even try to grab at a few things here and there. For some reason mom and dad have been putting it off (something about being messy and me not liking it anyway) but it turns out they should have given it to me when the doctor suggested. I LOVE it! Dinner is turning out to be my favorite part of the day. I get to eat at the table like every one else and I lick my bowl clean. (Unlike that other little boy in the house who has blond curly hair and big blue eyes but I won't name any names--he doesn't care for dinner or lunch or breakfast for that matter). In a month I get to try veggies and fruit. I hope it as delicious as this tasty rice cereal!