Riley and Avery

My parents gave me our early Christmas present--a digital camera! Woohoo! I really couldn't believe it. I am going to be having a lot of fun with it, I can feel it! It's a really excellent one too, to satisfy my need for instant gratification and for quality. Blogging will be a lot easier too. I love cameras. I have joined the digital revolution. I always cringe when I see a redneck at the zoo with a really cool digital SLR. Then I have camera envy. My Mom said that the backgrounds in the pictures I take at home are cluttered. This new camera will give me an around-about reason to clean and purge our belongings. Strange how things work out.

Riley really really loves the blocks at Grandma's house. She only has the alphabet cube blocks at home which she basically makes a circle tower out of and that's it. She can really make elaborate creations with these ones. I may have to invest in some. But Grandma's have been collected over like a dozen years so there's a lot of variety. I'll have to see what I can find.

We braved the mall today. Actually we just braved Gymboree. I have such a weakness for that store. I haven't been in there for a long time, so everything looked new to me. They had an additional 30% off of everything, and everything that I got was already 20% off, so essentially I got 50% off of everything. They had a really cute Peruvian Doll line that I initially was getting for Avery, before realizing that it wouldn't work for her coloring. No problem, I got them for Riley. Then they had a panda line which I got for Avery. I'm not sure if she looks good in black or not, so the jury is still out on that. I'll have to try them on her tomorrow.
Avery finally has her portrait appointment tomorrow and I think that her rash is pretty much cleared up. Hopefully we can avoid a new one until then. I always eagerly anticipate portrait time, but am usually dissapointed in the results. I really hope we get good ones. She is so fair that every blemish or tear or crying spell shows up on her face. I need to be more assertive about what I like and don't like. I also get an inferiority complex when I use a coupon and don't intend to buy add-ons. Like I don't deserve good pictures if I'm using a coupon. Just one of my hang-ups. Her appointment is at Kiddie Kandids in the Columbia Mall since I have a really good coupon and you get your pictures right there. Yes, I need instant gratification. I already have been waiting for Riley's school portraits and that is killing me. Don't need to wait for Avery's too. This is a photo of the reaction I get whenever Avery sees me. Charming.

Grandpa decided to give Avery a bite of cranberry sauce today. To say that she loved them is a huge understatement. She bellowed her impatience and reached for another bite every single time. Grandpa had to go back for seconds and thirds. Thank goodness Avery isn't allergic to cranberries like Auntie Mina. This kid is little, but she had a yell that comes from the belly, and she used it to get cranberries.

I am sitting here watching the news and hearing about all the people that were injured (or shot) while shopping today. I don't think that I could give my child a toy on Christmas morning, knowing that I caused someone bodily harm in order to get it. People are seriously crazy. Stores will get more and there'll always be another sale.