Avalee: Starting a new chapter...

Well, the day finally arrived.  The first day of kindergarten.  Three years ago I took pictures of little itty bitty you with your brother on his first day.  I remember very clearly thinking; “I still have three more years” yet somehow I blinked and my time was up.

Unlike your brother, you hold your emotions closer to the vest.  You are hard to read, although Mama knows when you are worried, nervous, unsure.  When I would ask you if your were excited or even ready for school, you would change the subject or run off to play. 

Deep down I knew you would be ok (nobody drops out of kindergarten, do they?) but I found myself more and more nervous as the months, weeks and inevitable days grew closer.  Would you talk to your teacher?  Talking to adults is a big one for you (we’ve been ‘practicing’ by having you ask for your own cookie in the bakery at the grocery store, ordering your own food at a restaurant…).  Would you make friends or just keep your head down all day?

You have always been reserved and slow to warm up to people.  Mommy has tried to get you to open up a bit and you have, but it’s obvious that you are a bit more introverted (ok a lot) than your big brother. 

But where you hold back socially is where you come alive physically.  You would much rather blaze across the monkey bars, jump off, climb, kick and run than chit chat with your peers.  In that sense you are fearless.  Such an interesting combination!

And, for the last three years, it’s been just the two if us (during school hours anyway) and I have had the pleasure watching you grow and change and progress.  But, still at one point in the days leading up to your first day, I found myself panicking…

“Did I do enough?”  I didn’t teach you a letter a week like I was going to.  We didn’t have daily themed crafts.  I’m sure I let you watch too much TV when I should have been teaching you what a homonym was.  I found myself starting to tear up at how I failed you and how your childhood was so different than your brothers.

After Z started school, I started volunteering in the classroom which kept me away from you during part of the day once a week.  Then I joined the PTC committee which meant being at the school even more and more time away.  And, did we need to go on all those playdates or should I have just stayed home with you?  Then, there was you going off to play with your bestie who lives a couple houses away.  You loved it, but should I have been spending that time with you?

Then, it all came back to me...our adventure walks around the neighborhood, picnics on the carpet in front of the fireplace, endless games of Dora Candyland, Chutes and Ladders, dominoes and puzzles, baking goodies, wrapping Christmas presents, berry picking with Grandma, canning tomatoes. 

And, those playdates?  Well, that always meant special time with you testing out the crafts we were presenting and pre-reading the books we would be reading.  We even had our little pre-playdate routine: I would be prepping crafts and you would set out the plates, cups and napkins then wash off your table and move it into the other room.  Something I took for granted then, but thinking back, it was some of my favorite time with you. 

 

And, playing with your bestie was even something I wouldn’t have traded, once I thought about it.  Watching you two giggle while painting each other’s nails, the absolute joy on the first day your brother’s (who are best friends as well) went off to kindergarten and you got to have a tea party with no interruptions, watching you ride your bikes down the sidewalk and color up the entire driveway and sidewalk with your chalk creations.  I realize I wasn’t sacrificing time with you, but rather enjoying you in a different way.

And, maybe you did watch more TV then your brother, but snuggling with you on the couch and laughing at how silly Boots could be or singing along to Yo Gabba Gabba is always something I’ll treasure.

Even the mundane things like trips to Target where we would share popcorn and even naptime together which almost always started with snuggles, Eskimo and butterfly kisses and our favorite game of “I love you more than ___” are things I will miss.

You are my baby and I can hardly believe that you are already off to school.  That someone else gets all of you for even part of the day.  That I can’t see your face, watch you color hear you answer questions and see your special smile that you reserve when you are totally happy.

 

But, you will be okay.  I know you will.  I think about how you practically grew up in that school.  You helped Mama use the die cut machine and stack papers for Z’s teachers,  make posters for the jog-a-thon, stuffed envelopes, helped bag up books for the book fair, put out bingo cards and helped give away prizes.  You’ve already gone to assemblies and been to classroom parties.  You have even had the decent advantage of being a sibling at fun events like field day (which means not only do you have your  run of the place while Mom works, but there’s no limit on sno cones for you or a time limit on the bouncy slide… and, when it’s all over and the kids have to go back to their classrooms, you’re there gathering up the extra water balloons!).

In fact, you already know most of the teachers and staff.  You know every inch of that school and I know for you, that will be a comfort.

I also know you will be ready to get down to business and learn all you can every day.  You are my rule-follower, my responsible and helpful girl.  You listen and do not only what’s needed but even more.  You help unload the dishwasher without me asking, clean up and set the dining room table (again without asking) and put the laundry in the dryer.  You are also our resident caregiver; you make sure that Z doesn’t eat anything with red dye, gets Mommy bandages when I cut myself making dinner and makes sure Daddy gets enough to eat.

You are a lover of all types of creatures from potato bugs (just tonight you were appalled that Daddy was going to squish a spider and instead convinced him to take it outside) to your beloved kitty and go to great measure to love and care for all.  Watching you with animals, bugs and even snakes (I did have to stop you from kissing that garden snake this summer!) makes me proud.  I can see you combining your love of animals with your fearless adventurer spirit and do something just amazing with your life.

Sometimes I look at you and am just overwhelmed with how much I admire you.  You are so strong and independent (even with your reservations interacting with people) and just so fun to be with.  You are fire and ice, but your spunk keeps things interesting!  I think about how much you are like your great-grandma (even looking just like her!) even though you never met her.  Your sometimes stubborn, ornery attitude just makes me chuckle and think about how you must be channeling her sometimes.  You are so smart and quick and I am often amazed at how sharp your wit is.  Your sarcastic quips just keep me grinning!  Mostly, I find myself thinking how lucky I am to get to be your mama!

And, finally the day arrived and you were ready.

You had breakfast (blueberry oatmeal, at your request) then got dressed right away.  You obliged us taking bunches of pictures (your brother got in their first taking pics with his DSi) even though you tried acting like you were above it all.

 

I could see you were nervous and your mask of bravado didn’t fool me.  But, you walked right in and even marched a couple steps ahead to your classroom.  When we got into your classroom, it was a bit chaotic but you didn’t seem to notice.  You found your desk (next to one of your good friends!) and sat down to color. 

 

Again you tried to act above it all but I knew you needed some kisses and you didn’t stop me.  I wanted to stay longer, to make a bigger deal but your demeanor said “I’m ok Mom; you can let go.” so I gave you a little hug, a wave and left you there.

Daddy and I walked that ever-familiar path back home and it seemed so surreal that for the first time you weren’t with.  Thinking about how I will now be walking that path back home every day by myself started up some tears.  Who will chase the birds, ask what the gophers under our feet are doing right now (“Are they watching gopher TV, Mama?”  “Are they playing gopher Candyland?”  “Maybe they’re taking gopher bath with LOTS of bubbles!”) or hold my hand when we cross the street?

Two and a half hours went by faster than I thought (maybe because I’ve done it before?) but still I found myself walking a little faster back to the school.

We arrived early for pick up.  In fact, many parents were there early.  I chatted with my friends (your friend’s mamas) but as soon as we saw you guys marching out, all conversation stopped and we all “oohed and aahed” over all of you.   You were toward the end of a very long line and I felt my heart beat a little faster when I didn’t see you right away.  Then, you came strolling out, head up high and lined right up against the wall.  You raised your hand and pointed to Daddy and your teacher sent you off.  You let us hug and kiss you but again acted like it was all no big deal.  I asked you some questions about your day and was happy that you seemed to have a good day but having lunch was much more important (you got to pick and had both Mom and Dad)!

It wasn’t until sometime during lunch that you really opened up.  You told us all kinds of fun details about your day: your teacher gave you each…”you know those little doughnut things Grandma used to get us…ohhh, doughnut holes!” and yours had the MOST sprinkles, you finally learned what this ‘crisscross apple sauce business your brother has been talking about and you got both music AND library (you got to bang a drum in music class and made sure to look through your book about silly gooses to make sure it was right for you before you checked it out) and went down the slide “a lot” on recess.  You played with your friends, helped another friend hang up her backpack (being tall is an advantage sometimes), and even learned some new names.  But, most of all you had FUN.

“So, do you think you’ll go back again tomorrow?”  I teased.

You gave me that look (the look) and came back with “Yea, I think so.” ;o)
 

 

 

Horsie Party. All About the Details...

As I said in my previous post, my little girl was just so excited about her horsie party, I just knew I couldn't let her down! As with all my parties, the planning process starts very early. With her birthday party this year, the theme was probably changed more than I have for any other party. I was definitely set on a candy theme then changed it to a 'Sugar Plum Fairy' theme but nothing just seemed right. Finally I realized what it was. I wasn't taking Avalee into consideration; I was just doing the party I wanted. I hadn't really run into this as much with Zavion's parties, and I don't know why I was having such a hard tome with hers. I decided I needed to ask her what she really wanted. Now, I know you are laughing right now. Ask a two year old what they want for a birthday party?? You must be crazy! But, you will find that kids, even that young, have a strong opinion of what they want. And, sure enough, I no sooner asked her than she blurted out, “I want a horsie party!”

See, my little lady has loved horses every since I cam remember. We have two horses that live at the end of the street, and she practically adopted them as her own.



And, then there was getting to ride a horsie at her cousin's birthday party that I think really sealed the deal for her. ;)



So, a horsie party it was. One of the first things I do with any party, is research. I love immersing myself in everything related to my theme and just letting ideas, big and tiny, come to me. When I looked up horse/pony parties I found most had to do with farm, cowgirl or farm animals. They all had a very country feel to them, which is just not us at all. I knew I wanted something a  little more modern, a little more glam.

I started out with the invitations. I saw this adorable idea on Pinterest months ago and when the theme was picked, knew it would fit perfectly!
I bought a piece of wood from Michaels (the same one used here for Zavion's Kindergarten photos) and painted it with chalkboard paint. Avalee and I raided her wardrobe and came up with the cutest outfit which she added lots of jewelry too to make it even cuter! Then I brought in the big guns...my mom's old rocking horse! This horse was made for my mom by her grandfather (my great-grandfather, Avalee's great-great...you get the point) and has been passed down the line of kids. I have very fond memories of just rocking away on that horse when I was a kid. Avalee already loves it, so was very willing to hop on and give me a little photo shoot. She did amazing (seriously, any agencies want to sign my kid??) and the photos turned out awesome. I picked my favorite (hard to do!) and printed them off then added the party info to the back.



I also used one for an electronic invite for all our friends on Facebook (big money-saver there; fewer invites to print, fewer envelopes, stamps).

For the planning stage, I set up my usual list:
Decorations
Food
Activities/games
Supplies

One of the first things I do when thinking of decorations, is to assign a color scheme. Even though I always have a theme, I find it really helps solidify things if you have colors picked out. I think it also helps get everything organized; once I pick my colors, I can go to the craft store and buy the appropriate shades/patterns of paper (or in the case of this party, I was able to just raid my growing collection of scrapbook papers, leaving me to only have to buy a few sheets of paper!). For this party, I decided on a purple (Avalee's favorite color) and brown/black color scheme. I wanted it to look girly, but also modern and simple.
And,obviously, the decorations would consist largely of horses. I decided I really wanted a garland of just horses to go in front of the mantle. Using my Cricut, I cut out horse after horse and spent hours assembling. As I was working on the garland, inspiration struck and I thought it might look really cute to add tutus on some of the horses. Using my cache of tulle, I just cut tiny pieces and stuck them on the back ends of the horses, using glue dots (a must-have for any crafter!). I tried to tuck some under others, so they fluffed up a bit and when I was done I cut some more strips in them. I loved the way they turned out but didn't love the time-consuming aspect so decided to just alternate them on the horses, adding them only to the black horses.



They ended up turning out very adorable and got a huge nod of approval from my soon-to-be-three year old (who actually 'helped' with a couple)!



For the birthday banner, I knew I was going to use some fabulous paper I had found at Michaels. It was purple wood grain and couldn't have been a more perfect fit for the theme. I was trying to figure out what I would do with it, when I had another moment of inspiration. I had been working on a Thanksgiving banner, using a free printable from this site. I had fallen in love with the shape of the banner, but unfortunately my printer ran out of ink about halfway through printing. I never got my cartridge replaced, so was left with the pieces of the banner I had already cut out, on brown textured cardstock. Just for fun, I put the purple paper on top of the other piece and instant magic! The banner had this inside border that I knew I could use to layer the purple on top of. I just printed out more of what I needed, cut them out and using a piece of vellum, I traced the inside border then cut that out and used it to cut all my purple paper. I know, it sounds like a lot of work but since I already had about a quarter of the banner cut out, it wasn't too bad. For the letter, I just used some purple sparkly paper I already had and let my Cricut do all the work there for me. I added some glue dots to everything, assembled, strung it up on jute (another must have crafting item!) and done. I also cut out a couple of big horses, the same as the garland, in the same purple and had them on each side of the banner.



I loved how it turned out and I think it is my favorite birthday banner of all time, so far. :)

Another element I knew I really wanted to incorporate into the party décor was hay. It was one of the few rustic elements I used, but even glam horses need hay, right? ;) I saw some large bales of straw at Michaels before Halloween and decided to patiently wait for them to go on clearance. In the meantime, I found some of the smaller bales of straw in the floral department I just knew I had to have! I got the next size down the the big guy to use on the mantle and the next size down from those to use on the food table (more on that later). I put the medium straw bale in the middle of the mantle and decided to add some pictures around it. I raided Avalee's room (remember, sometimes this is the best way to find decorations...look before buying!) and found the prefect purple frame. A trip to Walmart garnered me two more frames; the perfect complimentary brown and under $2 each. Then, a quick search and I found a few of my favorite Avalee photos and sent them off to Costco (another quick and easy decoration; photos, photos, photos! They're cheap, easy and very personal!). I played around with the arrangement a bit, and decided to add my most fave pic on top of the straw bale. I used the purple frame for this and the brown frames next to the bale, to offset a bit. I thought it would be cute to use the chalkboard I used for the invitations, and it fit perfectly against the straw bale. Next to those I added a couple horses that my little sister handed down to Avalee (again...totally free!).



I knew I wanted something else, so searched my house and found my stash of couple mason jars (the kids have been chowing their way through our homemade pickles!). I decided those would be cute on each end of the mantle with some flowers. Trader Joes had some beautiful bouquets with purple flowers for only $3.99, so I was set on that. I then added some submersible lights and some water beads (I picked out all the purple ones from a bunch Zavion got for his birthday) and a big 'A' to one and '3' to another (cut out with my Cricut and backed with a cereal box for support, haha).




Underneath the horse garland, across the front of the mantle, I added a banner using pictures from Avalee's invitation photo shoot. This was one of those last-minute additions (and I was literally throwing it together at about 1AM the day of the party) but it came together pretty quickly and easily.



My hubby and I brainstormed (and by that, I mean he talked me down from my big, no-way-it's-gonna-get-done idea, hehe) for something to go above the mantle and decided on this.



I was going to put the entire horse verse, but my hubby convinced me this was not very sensible. He sometimes has a point (he won't read this, so don't anybody go telling him I almost said he was right). This ended up being a very quick and easy decoration, and again, since I used what I had, free. I covered the frame in the kids' craft paper then cut out the letters on the Cricut and glued them on. As Zavion would say, “Easy peasey lemon squeezy.” ;)

In my entry ways, I added some simple balloons in the party colors (purple and brown polka dotted). I already have hooks up there (just the 3M type, but they were added for a party years ago and when we repainted, I just painted over them, so you can't even really see them anymore) so it was quick and easy.

For my door sign (you may remember this from other posts, but I always put up a 'welcome' sign on the door. I think it's something nice for the guests and sets an expectation for the party), I used the Cricut to cut out a barn then added the wording to the top. I had plans to have a little picture of Avalee peeking out from the barn window but didn't get around to it.
I just noticed I have no pictures of the door sign...oops! I really need to hire a photographer for my parties!

For my food table, I again incorporated some things I already had. I used a toy barn and horse stables that used to be Zavion's and a few more horses. The small bales of straw were used to hold mini popcorn balls on a stick (thanks, Mom for making those!). I wrapped a strip of tulle around each one to give it more of that glam feel. On each end of the table I hung some latex balloons and one adorable mylar balloon. I love the look and ease of balloons! In this case, I found some adorable latex balloons that had horses printed on them. They were even the perfect color (not really any pictures of those either. Darn...where was my photographer??).

For the food, I made mini macaroni and cheese bites (found these on Pinterest and they were a huge hit!), a veggie tray and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (I used my Pampered Chef sandwich sealer to cut them). We also had the mini popcorn balls.







And instead of cupcakes I made mini pies (big, big thanks to my friend Brittanie at Cupcakes Kisses 'n' Crumbs for loaning me her pie-maker!)!



I also added this sign next to the pies. I made it in about 10 seconds on a site that lets you generate your own 'Keep Calm...' signs. Made it, saved it and sent it onto Costco with the other party pics. I loved how it looked and it added a nice bit of whimsy.

The birthday cake was a one-of-a-kind creation by your truly, hehe. Now, I will say I can bake pretty well and can make pretty things, but when it comes to cake decorating it's always a big fail! This time however, I was pretty proud of myself. I used more pieces of that farm set, including a horse (actually her favorite one that has a permanent home on her dresser), fence and food trough. I added some actual oats to the trough (which I think all of one person noticed, but it made me happy) and a couple little hay bales in front of the fence.



Since the toys took of most of the cake, I decided to make a cake banner (which, really, is one of my new favorite ways to jazz up a cake) by cutting diamond pieces (using that same purple woodgrain paper) and adding some purple sparkly letters (Halloween clearance at Michaels!) and stringing it on more jute.

It was supposed to say 'Happy Birthday Avalee' but I ran out of room for her name, haha.

When Avalee first said she wanted a horsie party, the first party activity I thought of was a old fashioned hay hunt. I used to love hunting for pennies in the hay at our town's annual festival, and it seemed like the perfect activity. However, it seemed like a daunting task to bring hay inside (December in Oregon=no outside activities). Then, it occurred to me that we could use the kids' sandbox! I bought a bunch of those larger bales of straw (they ended up going on clearance for $2! Let's just say we ended up with much more than we needed, haha!) and dumped it in in the sandbox that was set up in the living room. I added some mini horse toys and lots of pennies.
The kids went in a couple at a time, according to age, to hunt for their treasures. It was pretty fun and cute to watch them digging around!

The birthday girl and her bff went in first...


It became a kind of free-for-all!


I'm not sure I'll get any of the moms to bring back their kiddos to the next party though, after they ended up taking home a bunch of straw!

And, I always try to include at least one craft activity so the kids can take hone something with them. I decided on hobby horses for this one.



I knew it would have to be something simple, for all the various aged kids. I used a template of a horse head (just Googled it) and traced it (over and over!) onto white cardstock then cut them out. I also gathered up a bunch of cardboard wrapping tubes (thanks to everyone who donated!) for the stick part of the horse. I gave the kids crayons, stickers, jewels ad yarn (for the manes) to decorate their horsies. When they finished, we (adults) stapled the heads to the tubes.
They turned out great and the kids seemed to really enjoy making them!


The party girl with her finished hobby horse.


I also had some horse masks the kids could color and decorate, but I think only one kid actually did (the hobby horses took up a lot of time), lol.

I went very light on party favors, since the kids were already taking home their horses and the prizes they found from the hay hunt. I made up some trail mix (hit up the bulk section of my grocery store for all the ingredients and put it together myself), put about a cup each in cellophane bags and tied it with a ribbon.

And, there you have it! I think this was one of the least expensive parties I have thrown (I don't have any exact figures, but definitely under $100, maybe close to $50) but I didn't have to sacrifice anything.



Again, here are some of my party-planning money-saving tips:



Use what you have! You might be surprised at what you have laying around that would be perfect for your party. If you are a scrapbooker or crafter, you may have all the paper, stickers, glue, etc you need. You really can save a ton by simply checking your supplies first!



Decorate simply! You don't have to spend a fortune to make your party look nice. One of my favorite decorations are pictures. Pick out some faves and send them to your favorite printer (I like Costco, because they're cheap and fast) And, I guarantee everyone loves looking at pictures of the party gal or guy! Use two, 20 or 200; make them into a banner, put them in frames, make some posters. Be creative!



Make your own! You don't have to spend a fortune at the party store (do you know what I bought at the party store? The balloons and some clearance napkins. That's it.) buying all kids of decorations. Get out your scissors, tape and paper and make your own. Even if you don't have a Cricut, you can still make some great stuff (but, maybe check around, because you might have a friend who does have a Cricut you can borrow or even trade services!) by hand or using your computer. Raid your kids' coloring books and reading books for pictures you can use. The decorations are so much more personal when they're done with love, by hand. And, of course cheaper!



Do it at home! It really is so much cheaper to host a party in your own home. Renting a place is expensive, plus you usually have to add food into that too (pizza, etc). You can also control everything much better in your own environment. If you can have it at home, do it!



And, finally a word to those people who scoff at my attention to detail when it comes to planning my kids' parties. People will often hint, or downright say, that I'm going overboard. They say it's silly to plan parties like this for kids because they can't remember them later or that they really couldn't care less. To them I say, look at my girl.



She is happy. That's it. It's all that matters to me.
I don't spend a fortune on my parties, and in fact, I've just shown how you can save money. I do put a lot of time into them, but I also put a lot of love too. It's personal to me and I consider my kids in every aspect of my planning (from how may people to invite so they don't get overwhelmed to food appropriate to eat for them and their similar-aged friends).


Will she remember her 3rd horsie party in five, ten, 25 years? Probably not. But, she can look back on those pictures and say, “Wow, I looked really happy. I looked like I was having fun.” And, I'll tell her, “You were. You did.” :)

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Avalee Turns Three!

It's hard for me to believe, but my baby girl is now three. For some reason, three seems like that age where they're really growing up; they're definitely not a baby anymore and are moving past toddlerhood. And, I'm not sure why, but this birthday seemed to just sneak up on me too. Maybe it's because she is my baby or because I know she is our last, but suddenly there I was faced with the fact that my Avalee was now a little girl.

Of course, to top it all off, she has really changed a lot recently and definitely seems to be much older now. She has always been so well spoken with a huge vocabulary (just like her big brother) to go along with it. But, now she's just talking all the time and about everything. It's amazing to hear the sentences she strings together. She is also singing up a storm, which again has been something she's always done, but now it's actual songs, hehe. I almost can't believe she's the same Avalee from a couple months ago! She also just has a different air about her, acting much more mature than she did even just last month (although, I assure you, those tantrums still pop up from time-to-time!).

She has always been the quieter of my two kiddos, and tends to be a bit more reserved. She really takes him time to ponder things, and it takes her a little longer to warm up to people too. She is still social, like her brother, though and really enjoys being around other people. She's always asking if her 'fwends' are coming over to play or if we're going somewhere to play with new friends.

But, my most favorite thing about my girl (and always has been) is her happy, shiny demeanor! She has always been so cheerful and upbeat and is almost never without a smile on her face. That attitude also seeps into her relationships with everyone, and she loves like no other. She will shower you with kisses, bestow hug after hug and tell you 'I Love You' (along with signing it, of course) a thousand times just before breakfast! She is so loving, caring and gracious and I'm always telling myself how lucky I am to get to be her mama!

So, this year for our new little three year old, Miss Avalee got not one, not two but three birthday celebrations! The first was technically my birthday celebration with family, but since our birthdays are only a day apart we kind of shared. ;o) She got to open a couple presents and help Mommy blow out the birthday candles (and, of course, have her share of cake and ice cream).

The next day was her birthday, and it started out with Mommy making her favorite breakfast; a waffle (in the shape of a birthday cake) and scrambled eggs. Of course, I added a candle for her to blow out too. She loved it!






After Daddy got home, we decided the four of us would go out for dinner at our favorite local Mexican restaurant. The best part of dinner was when they came over to sing 'Feliz Cumpleanos' to Avalee they also put a huge sombrero on her head! She wasn't quite sure what to make of everything; the crazy hat, the song, everyone staring at her. Her reaction was just priceless!





After dinner, we went home to open presents (Avalee was presented with a cupcake, since we already had about half of my birthday cake left from the day before, haha) which included a couple special gifts from her big brother. :)

Do you like how big bro is 'helping' her blow out the candle? Ha!

Avalee was presented with a special present from Zavion' a crown he made himself and a veil of sorts (using leftover tulle from her party). :)

Of course, the rewards are aplenty with these two!

Miss A in her new birthday outfit from Zavion.

We had her big birthday party the next weekend (usually, I would have it on the closest Saturday to the actual birthday but that happened to fall on the same day as the big holiday parade this year) and invited all her friends and family. She requested a horsie party earlier in the year, so that was the theme. Thanks to my Cricut, Pinterest and my own imagination (and, if I may go so far as to say skill too!) I put together a horsie party catered to my little girl. I had a feeling she was going to enjoy it, just because she was so impressed with the little elements I had been working on over the last month or so. It sure made me happy that I was making her happy!

I will, as usual, add another post very soon with all the details of Miss Avalee's horsie party...stay tuned!

Avalee is two!

 

I can't believe that we're already at birthday number two for my baby girl, but here it is!
We (okay, me) decided on a mermaid theme this year, and I think it turned out really well. I had hoped Miss A would wear her mermaid costume from Halloween during her party, but she turned into quite the rebel and decided she didn't want to. Actually, she started just stripping it off during the party until we finally relented and got her something else to wear (to be fair to her, she did tell us several times she didn't want it on...). It would've have been SO cute, but oh well.
So, we had lots of fun decorating sugar cookies (starfish for the boys and mermaids for the girls), playing dress-up, doing sand art, and 'fishing (thanks for being our fishy, Mom!).' Of course, we also had some yummy food and cake too!
I decided to turn the living room into an under the sea scene; we hung blue streamer across the ceiling to look like waves, then added strips of green streamers to look like seaweed to the entryways. I also added mermaids here and there with some bubbles, to really give the feel that we we in the ocean. I was really happy with how all the decorations (thanks to Liz and her Cricut again!) turned out and that it pretty much all came together how I wanted.
And, Avalee's favorite part of the day, of course, was unwrapping presents. I wasn't sure how well she would get into it, since last year she wasn't so interested in opening her presents. But she started tearing them open right away! I think she truly loved everything she got, but the highlights were definitely the magnetic Tinkerbell dress up doll, mermaid Mrs Potato Head, a new baby that moves and makes sounds and her own stroller (she loves her bff Madi's strollers!).
After the party was over, and most of our guests had left, we realized we had forgotten to turn on the bubble machine...oops! So, we cranked it up and the kids (Z, Avalee and Madi) had a blast dancing, playing and trying to catch bubbles. It was the perfect end to the day!

Diary of Miss Avalee Apryl

Goodness, I guess it's been awhile since I've written in my diary! I've just been so busy lately, with Summer and all, I just haven't had much extra time!
So, let's see...where should I start? Well, how about that I'm a big girl now, like really big! When I had my last checkup in June, I weighed over 26lbs and was 33 ½” tall (they say that's 92% for height and 82% for weight...whatever all that means!). I'm tall enough to reach on the counters and on the dining room table now. And, when I use the kitchen stool, it's even better, 'cause I can reach the back of the counter! Mommy doesn't seem to happy about this, but it's really opened up some doors for me!
I'm also big enough now that I can really hold my own against my big brother! He tries to push me around sometimes, but I'm pretty tough and don't let him get away with much. I can even wrestle and play 'Tackle, Tackle' with my daddy and Z. I've gotten really good at my signature flying off the couch onto Daddy tackle!
I also love helping Mommy do chores. When she does the dishes, I try to help by rearranging the plates around or licking the extra yogurt off the spoons she forgot to rinse (silly Mommy!). Sometimes she gets frustrated (I'm not sure at who...or why...) so I shut the dishwasher door for her, to try to give her a little break. I even put away my own dishes after I'm done eating, just like my big brother!
I also like helping Mommy do the laundry. I hand her the clothes to put in the washer and she hands me the clothes to put in the dryer. Mommy always says I'm a really good helper and that she's proud of me (sometimes I try even extra hard to help and put extra fun stuff in the dryer when Mommy is distracted...)!
I really like doing everything on my own, and would rather not have anyone help me. From feeding myself to reading books to putting on my socks; I just like doing it all by myself! Mommy says I'm still little and need help, but she does let me feed myself now with my own spoon or fork! Sometimes I get a little messy, but Mommy usually cleans me up pretty quickly. Otherwise, I usually just wipe my face on my brother's shirt or the couch cushions.
I am really into reading now! I've gotten a few new books, but I also like going in my brother's room and raiding his cool library! I get special reading time at naps and bedtime, but Mommy and Daddy (and even Z) will always take time to ready to me anytime I want too. Sometimes, I just look through the book on my own, and even have a couple of my favorite books memorized.
I know probably about 30 signs now too (Mom and Dad teach me ASL, just like they taught Z)...maybe more. Some of the signs I regularly use are; Eat, Milk, Baby, Please, Thank You, Sorry and Book. I usually say these and sign them together. I have started to string some of the signs together now, and Mom and Dad even taught me to sign “May I please be excused (we have to ask to be excused from the table when we're done eating)?” At first, I could only sign “be excused” but now I can do all of it, and I'm just so proud of me (Mom and Dad say they're proud of me too!)!
I have lots of words I can say too, and people comment on my big vocabulary all the time. I just love to talk all the time, and to whomever will listen!
I also really like to use good manners, and try to always remember to say “Please” Thank You” and “You're Welcome.” I really like saying “Bless You” too when someone sneezes. Mommy says she's proud of my good manners and that sure makes me happy!
And, the most exciting news...I'm learning how to swim! I've been taking lessons for a couple months now with my daddy and I have learned so much. I can go underwater, jump off the wall, hold onto the wall by myself and kick, kick kick! I just love being in the pool and hearing Mommy, Grandma and Z all cheer me on (I just really love water of any kind, and love it when Mommy and Daddy takes me to the splash park or the pool!)! Mommy and Daddy say that next year I get to be ion a class on my own. I really love being in the pool with my daddy, but to be able to swim on my own, just like Z would be SO awesome!
And, of course, I still love being happy and you'll often find me laughing or smiling about something. I hear the work 'ornery' a lot around me, and I do try really hard to be good, but I just get so curious about things and want to just experience everything! I mean how should I know that putting my shoe in the toilet or coloring the back of the dining room chairs or trying to eat an ant are bad things?? So, I'm living and learning and doing it my own way. :o)
So, I think that catches you up with me and I promise to try to update you more often!
I gotta go...the bath is calling my name! :0)

~Avalee

These are a few of my favorite things...

Avalee is working on another diary entry, but as she is such a busy little lady, and it is taking longer than expected, I decided to let you have a peek at some of her favorite things in the meantime...

{Ok, so I'm shamelessly stealing this idea from from best friend's blog. In all fairness, I totally told her I was stealing it, and I am giving her credit (and telling you to check out her cute list over at her blog).}

So, without further ado, here ya go...

Hanging out with my big bro' at the park!


My Daddy!




My BFF, Madi!


My Mama!


Swingin' with Grandma!


Accessorizing!


The beach, especially the sand!


My brother!


And, in case you're wondering, Miss A has lots more favorite things but you'll just have to check back again soon to see...