Jasmine gets a Haircut

Jasmine has great hair. It gets really long and the color is gorgeous too. The only problem is that the long it gets, it starts to look ratty and it gets lots of knots in it that when I try and brush it, Jasmine screams and carries on. I decided it was time for a trim but Jasmine decided she wasn't down with that because she wants to "grow up to be Rapunzel". Too bad I am cutting her career short.I took her to the salon where I get my hair cut so she would get the best experience ever. She has only had her hair cut about once a year since she turned two so this was like her third time. She behaved while getting her hair cut but she wasn't happy about it and even shed a few tears.When he was done with the cut and he styled it for her, her frown turned into a smile and she exclaimed that she loved it! I must admit, she looked like a little lady - not my sassy 4 year old who always gets into trouble.Jasmine then asked if she could get her fingernails painted and I decided since she had been so good, that would be fine. She sat still and had a great time and her little nails looked cute. All in all, I think Jasmine had fun at her impromptu spa day.

Ava finally Crawls!

So Ava does things at her own pace. She makes sure she doesn't get pushed or harassed into doing anything. Finally, at 10 months she has decided she will crawl. I ran and got the camera - of course.

Chinese New Year

We found out about a celebration of Chinese New Year in Chinatown in Washington DC and we decided to go and check it out. We are always looking for free and fun family activities and this is one we had never done. It was cold so we bundled up the girls and headed out. There was a healthy crowd when we arrived and we found a great spot to stand during the parade.It was super fun and there were people giving lots of candy and things away to the kids in the crowd. Jasmine got a kick out of the dragons and brightly colored costumes everyone was wearing and she really got into it. Ava had a lot of fun too and seemed mesmerized by all the noise and bustle.After the festivities, which included a dance and very loud firecracker show, we met up with Titi and had an early dinner at one of the Chinese restaurants nearby. The food was delicious and the company was great! What a great way to begin the year of the Tiger!

Bi-Annual Scrapbooking Retreat

I am very lucky that my husband is so supportive of my efforts to capture and archive the lives of our children in scrapbook form. Every 6 months or so, I get to escape for the weekend and focus on scrapbooking with my Cindy. We have been doing it for like 4 years now and I love the time I get to be with her and to get a lot done without interruptions of kids and general life. I don't take a lot of photos but I did take a couple. We went to Annapolis for this retreat and we liked it so much it looks like the next one in October will be in the same place.

Ava Rosemary is 10 Months Old!

She is growing fast - our little Ava. She is a little charmer and we just love her mischievous little smile. At 10 months she still has her blue eyes (the doctors don't think they will change color) and a bright smile. She loves to play with toys but don't ask her to stand and she barely crawls. She takes her time deciding to do things and she still doesn't have any teeth - which is so surprising to us. She is a joy and a delight and we love her so.

Making Valentines

They were finally going to let Jasmine go back to school so it was time for her to make Valentines for her class. She had so much fun doing this and she did much of it by herself this year! My baby is growing up! She counted out enough of each thing she was putting in a little bag and she read all the names of her classmates off the list. I thought it was so cute watching her that I had to snap a couple of photos.

Valentines Day Proper

We exchanged gifts on Valentines Day after church. It was very fun - we put everything on the dining room table and then opened everything up - and shared candy. It was really fun and simple. Even little Ava got in on the fun - it was nice to do a little family thing and show each other how much we love each other.

Valentines Day Dinner

Since Valentines Day fell on a Sunday, we decided to go out to eat on Saturday night as a family. We chose Dishes of India because we love Indian food and we absolutely love this restaurant and think they serve the best Indian food ever. They also have great service.
We had a great time together and the food was delicious as always - even Ava had a great time. It was nice to have a night out of the house for a bit after being inside all week.

Fun Science Project on a Snowy Day

They kept Jasmine out of school for more than a week and so it was getting harder and harder to find things for her to do. Luckily, her teacher had sent home a little science kit that we could do together and this was the perfect time. Jasmine and I made a snowflake out of crystals. It only took a few hours and it was so fun to do.