Ava our Birthday Girl

 

 

 

 

I can't believe Ava is 5! She was so excited to get this frilly dress she has been asking for since January. Really. I've been saving it for her special day. She got to open one present Friday morning, which I picked for her. I held my breath when she opened her present because she could have been disappointed that it wasn't a toy. But she was so thrilled. She said, "Oh yes, this is the dress I've always wanted. Can I wear it right now?" Once she was dressed, she asked me to do her hair fancy like a ballerina. Her hair is fun to style because there is so much you can do with it. After she was satisfied with her braids and bun, she wanted her jewelry and sunglasses to wear. I picked Elsa up from school and we ran into the grocery store for candles and cupcake liners. Ava was quite a sight in her jewelry and sunglasses. She was definitely the "Fancy Nancy" of our family. I was in jeans, Elsa in terry pants, and Ava trailed all dressed-up. She got lots of compliments from people in the grocery store. I had to explain that it was her birthday. :)

Ava waited patiently for cupcakes and presents. Since we spent her birthday at Disneyland and didn't get home until late, we had her party Friday night after Brian got home from work. Callie, her darling friend, came to celebrate with us. They had fun decorating cupcakes. After opening presents, Brian took the girls swimming. I stayed home to clean-up and put Greta to bed. After swimming and baths, I braided and styled the girls' hair. Then they played with the new birthday presents and dress-ups. It turned out to be quite a fun party, in spite of the lack of planning.

Ava is a joy and a blessing in our family. She is really growing up and getting more independent. She no longer requests her chocolate milk warmed-up in a sippy cup. (Can you tell she is spoiled?) She is also trying a lot of new foods and will even eat vitamins. These are huge, really. She is a great helper with Greta by sharing her toys and playing with her. She is a fun companion for me during the days. She cracks me up with quoting lines from movies, her funny stories, and animated expressions. She is recovering well from her broken leg. We've been going on walks to help build back her muscle tone and strength. Ava is excited to go hiking near our house and has turned into a great swimmer. Our once shy and introverted child is now confident and very silly and playful. She still has her shy moments, but it isn't painfully uncomfortable. Ava was my baby for so long and now she is this grown-up big girl. Wow, time goes by quickly. Happy Birthday sweet Ava Dava.