I've been a slacker...again!

Ava is resistant to giving me any smiles these days once the camera comes out!

Potty training now consists of needing books and then she kicks me out, which I am glad for! On February 18th, Tricia and Jamison came to visit!

We have not seen each other in two years...since our kids were little peanuts in Guatemala

Eating breakfast...

A day at "Jumping Jakes" where Kristen and Bianca joined us! 3 of our gifts together

Bianca & Jamison playing videos games

Eating "chocolate icey pops" which Ava asks me to make warm!

Chilling out watching some Wiggles...lots of Wiggles actually!

Bath time! They were so cute together...both of them scream like you are pouring acid on their heads when you put shampoo on them

Cutest little duckies ever!

One happy duckling...and one not so much! This is Ava's mad face

Visiting Grandma and Toby....poor dog dealing with two toddlers and a leprachaun hat!

Miss Cheesey....when she wants to be

All bundled up in NYC

We ate at Mars in Manhattan...it was definitely different

How handsome is this boy?!

They loved jumping on the bed

Visiting Orange County Choppers

This is the "I'm about to sob if you don't put that camera away" look

Running all over the mall

Bribery pops to keep them in their strollers, clearly as evidenced by the above picture, it didn't work! It just revved them up

More "tubby" as Jamison calls it

Tricia and Jamison contemplating dinner choices

Valentine's Day

She looks even older :( with her hair up!

Ava and the other man in her life, Ben. They had their own little dining experience for Valentine's Day

Notice the little finger that was pointed at me seconds later saying "no pictures"

Things as usual have been crazy busy! Ava continues to be her funny little self, independent self I should say. Everything is "I do it myself". She is so entertaining and helpful too. She loves to help cook dinner and to clean. We finally got outside for a full day and she loved it. She threw dirt on me and said "I told you you were dirty". That's a new phrase, "I told you". It's not in a mean way, it's so cute. I think she gets it because when I pick her up from daycare I'll say "I told you mommy was coming back". So everything now is "I told you". She has been very clingy lately. She says "I want you" and it breaks my heart when I have to leave her. When I come back from working in my home office she will say "mommy I lost you". She is old enough now to know when I'm leaving for work and she will literally wrap her legs around my waist and beg me not to go. I am getting used to it but it is not fun. She is in full mommy mode. I try to enjoy it now before the years come that she wants nothing to do with me!

She enjoys playing with her image in the mirror. She dances and sings and finds herself quite funny. Last night she was singing "shake your groove thing" and she was! She loves make up and nail polish. One night several of us let her do our make up. It was so funny. We looked like some rejects from clown college although she said we looked "beautiful". She is obsessed with polishing her toe nails and finger nails...and tattoo's. She wants them on her stomach all the time. Today she went off to daycare with a mermaid adorning her belly button.

Ava's little attitude is so apparent. I have to look away to not laugh sometimes. She rolls her eyes, stamps her foot and yells "not me" whenever I tell her no or something she doesn't like. That whole time out thing, she is not getting it! She doesn't care. On a positive note she is quick to apologize. She has learned the fine art of manipulation too. One day at daycare she wanted what her babysitter was eating. So she turned to her and gave her a hug and said "you're my favorite". I am in for it with this one! She also is beginning to tell stories and have lengthy conversations. It's just so fun. Her dolls are now engaged in conversations too that are so cute to watch.

Tricia and Jamison came to visit and it was so fun. We met on our visit trip in Feb. of 2007. To watch the kids together was so amazing. After all the frustration that we shared trying to get them home it was so special to actually watch them play in person years later. We miss them! I also realize that having twins much be interesting! It was a nice change to have a boy in the house. There were some toddler wars but for the most part they did great. Ava kept calling him "boy". She would say "the boy is awake", "the boy is crying". Now she points to where his carseat was and says "the boy went bye bye".

I love 2 1/2. It's a great age. I cannot wait until summer so we can spend all day together.

p.s.--I am well aware that she will not be happy about the potty picture one day but I couldn't help it!