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.