Decorating (and redecorating) the Christmas Tree

Decorating the Christmas tree has always been one of my favorite holiday traditions. While this is Ava's second Christmas it was her first experience decorating the tree. She was very serious about the process. Thoughtfully she choose each ornament and tried very hard to hang them. Most of her ornaments were laying across a small section of the tree and as she turned to choose her next ornament I would hang them from a nearby branch. My beautiful little girl continued until all the ornaments were carefully hung always under the careful watch of our decorating supervisor, Moxie Cat.

Every day since the tree went up Ava has removed a few ornaments to rehang. And I look forward to the excitement on her face as we come down the stairs in the morning to see the tree all lit up.

yes... no... maybe... sometimes...

Lately we have been hearing "no" much more often. Typically Ava uses the word correctly as a response to a question. She is also attempting to add the universal signs for the yes and no - a nod or a shake. I can't help but giggle as she tries to match the action to the word. Sometimes I worry she might get dizzy.

Red is Best!

All summer long we battled over wearing a hat to block the harmful rays of the sun. My beautiful, fair haired child refused to keep a hat on her head. I feared that this battle would continue into the winter. Now that the temperatures have turned colder Ava loves the process of putting on her coat, hat, and mittens. We zzzzzzzz-zip the zipper (great for Phonological Awareness). After the first mitten goes on Ava claps and then again after mitten number two.  Ava then starts saying "Hat. Hat. Hat." as I prepare the last piece of her winter gear. And surprisingly she keeps it all on!

Even though there has been a bit of snow we have not yet been out to play. Hopefully the next snow fall will see a little red dot bouncing against the stark white.  

Our favorite books about mittens and winter are keeping us warm as we cuddle together to read: Red Sled by Patricia Thomas,  One Mitten by Kristine O'Connell, Under My Hood I Have a Hat by Karla Kuskin, My Red Mittens by Candy Crocker, The Three Little Kittens by Anna Alter, The Mitten by Alvin Tresselt, A Hat for Minerva Louise by Janet Morgan Stoeke, The Mitten by Jan Brett, and Red is Best by Kathy Stinson.