Stuff

Last Sunday was the collection day for the Operation Christmas Child gifts at church.  So, Saturday evening I took the kiddos to the Dollar Tree to fill a shoebox-sized container.  Before we left, I explained to Ava that we were going to buy some little gifts for a child that might not get anything for Christmas.  We talked about other children not being as fortunate...this is not a new conversation, as we talked about this all the time when I am trying to get her to eat her dinner.  Anyways, when I told her about the gift, she got very upset and asked when she would be getting a present.  My eyes got big and I think I even gasped.  Erick and I continued to explain that it was important to give to others and she gets gifts all the time from so many people.  All of our talking didn't really seem to convince her that buying a gift for another child was a great idea.  So she pouted all the way to the Dollar Tree.  When we got there, though, she decided it was pretty fun picking things out (this is not to say that she didn't ask many times for me to buy her this or buy Brecken that--I held strong though) and thought the gift should be for a five year old girl.  Here is what she packed in the box: toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, washcloth, princess comb and hair clip set, yo-yo (of which she had a very hard time letting go), a pink ball, crayons, a notepad, stickers, a picture that she colored.  We took it to church the next day and showed her all of the other boxes that were waiting to be shipped.  She said, "Wow!"  She stared at all of the gifts and told us, "I don't want a present anymore."  :)
The latest random pictures:


Ava wanted to put on a play.  She got to be Little Red Riding Hood.





Just having a snack and being silly.  Excuse their orange teeth...I promise we brush them.  It's the goldfish.





Ava is very intently watching "Annie", one of my favorite movies ever!  She has started playing with her hair again when she's watching t.v., reading, or tired.  She did it when she was very little and for some reason it's started up again.  Kind of sweet. :)