A few months ago, when she started planning (!!), she said she wanted a Build-A-Bear party. Great. Part of me felt it was a tad indulgent, but part of me felt that Aves deserved it. She loves to go into the store and look at all the stuffies; she watches them get made for other kids. She has never asked for one.
So, I was ready to have a Build-A-Bear party. Then, Aves went to her best friend W's birthday party. He had it at home. From that day on, Aves said she wanted her birthday party at home. Ha. All of a sudden, the Build-A-Bear party was sounding more and more ideal!
This is the first time that either of the kids asked to have their party at home. I've been perfectly happy having parties out of the house. No work, no mess, no planning. Perfect. Clearly, Aves likes to keep me challenged.
As chaotic as the party was and as unprepared as I was for it, I think Aves had a blast. And that's all that really counts. Usually, Aves is pretty stuck to me. If she's not always at my side, then she will check back with me about every 5 minutes. I'm pretty sure she only came up to me a couple of times during the party. Yup, she had a blast.
Party aside, Aves' 5th birthday has felt like a pretty big deal to me. One of my girlfriends said that she remembered the day that Aves was born. It was the first time she held a baby that small. She spent the night with me in the hospital because I wanted Brian to stay with Josh. She said she remembers the day like it was yesterday. Of course, I remember it too. And I can't believe that it was 5 years ago.
I can't believe that my baby is 5 years old!
Because she is girl, I find that I compare myself to her. In so many ways, I see how she's just like me. She is stubborn, cautious when it comes to physical activity and not afraid to say how she feels or show emotion. She also has a very day-dreamy side to her. But in so many other ways, I see how she is so much wiser than I was at her age. I just can't believe her level of comprehension sometimes! She will take what she has learned in one scenario and apply it to a completely different scenario.
This past school year, Aves did a year of pre-school. She will be going into Kindergarten in September. I recall last September feeling like Aves was ready for Kindergarten at that time! I'm sure this was partly a proud mommy, but it was also based on experiences with Josh and understanding the expectations of Kindergarten. (Aves just loves to learn. Her big thing right now is reading. She loves to read everything - street signs, shop signs, words painted on the road, words on people's clothes.)
Aves' pre-school had a parent-teacher meeting in January to discuss the kids' progress. I mentioned that I have no concerns about Aves' progress in school and I'm pretty sure she is ready for Kindergarten. Aves' pre-school teacher replied with "Aves was ready for Kindergarten last September!". Phew. It's not just me!
You are amazing, little girl! We love you SO much. Happy 5th Birthday, Aves!
