Avery and Santa together at Last

So here is the required photo of Avery with Santa. She surprised me by actually crying at the end of the brief photo session. I guess she likes strange men but not strange men in costume.
Hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. 

Merry Christmas

We already celebrated the Adkins Family Christmas so here are some photos of Avery's first Christmas celebration. She loves the car that Nolan and Wyatt gave her. She especially enjoyed it when her Mom gave her a ride in it when she walked to the liquor store. That's right, I am all class.


 

More Video Fun

I have added a few new videos so make sure you check them out. They include walking, dancing and singing.

Little Miss Mischevious

She may look like a calm angel in the first photo but then next 3 photos show the real side of Avery. In case you are wondering that is a special type of speaker wire she has around her neck and yes she did that to herself.
She is into everything and her reach seems to get longer and faster every day. She is definitely a full time job right now but she is also getting more fun and smarter every day. She currently has 4 animal sounds in her repitore including fish, lion, bird and duck.
Avery was sick last week while we were visiting my Mom and Dad but she is recovered.
I think she might be teething right now because I have listened to more crying and whining in the past two days than I have in the past two months.
The only good thing about that is that it makes me want to go back to work.


 

The Hair Update

I understand several people have been waiting for a followup to the haircut situation. It has taken me awhile but I am prepared to give an update now.
The story is that I did not hate the haircut (it looked better in person than in the photos) but did recognize that it need refining. Thanks to everyone who voiced their opinions to me (usually strongly). So my friend Sunshine - yes that's her name- reminded me she used to be a hairdresser and kindly offered me her services.
It should be stated at this point that Craig loved the haircut and was quite proud of his handiwork. He was not impressed that I was calling in reinforcements and tried to call Sunshine off but I prevailed and she came over with her thinning scissors. She tried to get Craig to make the touch ups but he decided to pout about it and "washed his hands of the whole thing!"
I think Sunshine did a great job refining the good work that Craig did.
So now I need everyone to tell us your opinion so Craig will stop pouting. Feel free to post some comments to let us know what you think.
 

Avery and Callum sitting in a chair

Here are Avery and Callum at their Great Aunts place in Toronto. It was a bit of a whirlwind visit and my guess is that Marg and Sandi were more tired than Avery and Callum. Fortunately no Christmas decorations were broken (beyond repair) and Avery is starting to learn the meaning of the word 'gentle'. It is still a bit of an uphill battle.
The second photo demonstrates how great Avery looks in the snowsuit we are borrowing from her friend Molly.

 

The First Haircut

Craig was the one wielding the scissors and I tried to keep her relatively still with Animal crackers and Dr Seuss. Unfortunately the results do look a bit homemade. I am sure when Avery grows up and sees the last 2 photos she won't be speaking to me for awhile. I crack up everytime I look at them.
Enjoy


 

Why She Needed a Haircut

I think words are unnecessary here. The photos tell the story.

 

The Last Florida Photos

I am afraid we did not take that many good photos. It was more of a lazy vacation so there were not as many photographic moments. This is the last of them. Avery had a great time in the 2 person jacuzzi tub.



 

A Book Lover

Avery is just like her Mom, she loves books. These photos were taken at Universal Studios too. She even got to meet Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. She was not overly impressed.


 

The Bear Walk

Avery had to crawl on some harder surfaces than she is used to in Florida, like ceramic tile and concrete around the pool. She decided to implement the Bear Walk technique to protect her delicate knees. The next series of photos captures the spectacle that is the Bear walk. Plus the last photo seems to provide evidence that we are descended from apes.


 

Fun in Orlando

We had a great time in Florida. It was a very relaxing vacation. We did not take too many photos but I will send you the highlights. The first series show Avery at the Curious George playground at Universal Studios.


 

The progress of the kitchen

Here are a couple of shots of the kitchen. It was the first time in over 3 weeks that Avery got to crawl on the floor. As you can see, they have started installing the cabinets. Unfortunately they made the doors wrong so they need to all be redone. I am not sure how long it will be before everything is done but at this point what can you do but cross your fingers and hope for the best. Our other strategy is to get out of the country. We are leaving for a week in Orlando on Saturday morning and trust me do we need the vacation. Especially Craig. He has been working like a mad man and is very tired and grumpy. Nothing a little sunshine and swimming with his daughter won't cure!
So this will be the last posting for at least a week.