Ava's decorating style...

After several days of trying to get the tree up, we finally got it up last week. It definitely takes ten times longer to do things with a toddler running around. But Ava thoroughly enjoyed helping. She'd find the biggest branches in the box and pull them out and hoist them over her head. We have one incredibly strong little girl, even the doctors say so!

taking a little break...

you may not be able to tell, but we didn't put the lowest branches on the tree again this year. Usually the bottom touches the floor.

hiding as I pulled out the sweeper to pick up the extra needles,

she HATES that thing!

We always put our ornaments on the top half of the tree, that way Ava and the cats can't pull them off and hurt themselves. As noted above, we also didn't put the bottom branches on the tree because we have one cat who likes to eat them and the needles make her throw up. Yuck! Anyway, after we got the lights on and the ornaments started, Ava decided she wanted the tree to have a little "Ava style."

first there was her lambie...

then she added the ladle...

okay, maybe not the ladle...

nope, I change my mind, we needed that.

Ava pointing out one of her favorite ornaments... a Santa with wiggly leggs.

the finished product

(its okay, we know it looks a little funny, but we like it)