Birthday Fun

I should warn you, there are a lot of pictures in this post! We had a small party for Avi Grace yesterday. I think she had a fun time playing with the water toys. Thankfully the weather held out for us. The party ended at 5 and it started raining about 5:30!

Isn't her cake adorable? Carol Taylor (Sweet Temptations in Starkville) made it to look like a cupcake. She did a great job, and it was D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S. Everyone raved about the taste of the cake. Thanks, Carol.

Nana Gayle and Avi

I should have practiced blowing out candles with her prior to her party! She wouldn't blow at all! Oh well...there's always next year!

She chose a pink cupcake!

Her 2 favorite things, cupcakes and cheetos!

She was saying, "Hey!"

I think she was a little overwhelmed with all of the gifts.

Well, this was it, her favorite gift for her 2nd birthday: a broom and dust pan! Thanks Aunt Sheri, Uncle Mike, John Michael (aka, Sun Michael) and Madison!!

Avi loves to put a diaper on her new baby doll. She says, "Peeyew" change your diaper baby." We named her new baby Amy :)

Loving the step stool. Thanks Mimi and Papa! Now she will be able to reach the sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth. Also, a big thanks to my friend Sarah Largen who painted the adorable step stool for us. You can't tell in this picture, but it has paisleys and Avi's name painted on the stool Love it. If you are looking for aunique step stool, you should check out Sarah's blog.

Drew rigged up this little number: our borrowed slide from the Fountain's into the baby pool! It was a hit, I have to admit.

This is one of my favorite pics from the party. Jack Fountain was moving the elephant's snout around to spray the other kids, and he cracked himself up!!

Okay, Emily had this pose she would do every time she got out of the water from sliding. It was hilarious, and I am glad I was able to catch it on camera!

Avi enjoyed writing with the sidewalk chalk.

Clay & Will Patterson, Avi's sweet little cousins. We're so glad they were able to make it to the party. They came all the way from Memphis!

Well, I had to throw this one in there. After the party was over, Drew immediately started cleaning up the water toys (bless him), and I looked up only to find him draped over the kiddy slide. I guess that position was helping him let the air out of that pool?? Not sure about that one!

Happy 2nd Birthday Avi!

Happy birthday Avi Grace! We had a great birthday! Many more pictures to come!

Mommy and Daddy love you, Avi!

Cupcakes and Goggles?

I made cupcakes for Avi to take to school with her today so her class could help her celebrate her birthday a day early. She wanted a cupcake very badly before we ever left the house this morning. Thankfully I was able to coax her into waiting until after nap time! When she got home this afternoon, she had to have another one, which produced the above picture.

Do you see a theme here? Avi LOVES cupcakes. And cheetos. But, cupcakes most of all! So, we are having a cupcake-themed party, and her outfit also boasts cupcakes to bring it all together (btw, we are also having cheetos at her party!).

I know, this is a totally random picture, but I had to share. These are Drew's swim goggles. She loves to put them on, and it cracks me up everytime. She looks hysterical in them! Hope you have a laugh as well!

Mommy Grace Anthony

Last night as Avi was eating dinner, she kept saying, "Mommy!" over and over again. I was over at the sink putting the leftover spaghetti up. Since her repetitive Mommy wasn't getting my attention, she said, "Mommy  Grace Anthony!" I looked at Drew, and said did she just call me Mommy Grace Anthony? He started laughing and said that she had indeed called me that! Of course, I started laughing. As I mentioned in an earlier post, she knows her full name is Avi Grace Anthony, so I guess she thought she would get my attention by calling me by my full name--Mommy Grace Anthony!! So, Drew took that time to explain to her that my name was Kelli and his name was Drew and only she could call us mommy and daddy. She thought that was funny, and she went on to finish her dinner. Later while she was in the bathtub, I was on a phone call, and Drew was sitting with her, and I heard her call for me--"Mommy Kelli Anthony!" She's figuring it out, I guess!

I Stand Corrected

Yesterday morning, I was reading a book to Avi before we left for school. The book is a counting book, and on each page it has a different animal that you are supposed to count. About the middle of the book, I turned the page and said, "Look Avi, 6 sheep." She precisely looked at me and said, "No mama, those lambs." I guess I heard that! Indeed she was correct. They were lambs and not sheep! She amazes me every day.

What a Difference a Year Makes

8.23.09

3.22.08

AVI-isms

Avi with her Daddy's shoes and socks on yesterday morning!

So, Avi has really got this awesome vocabulary going on these days. Every day I love to hear the new things she comes up with. So, I thought I would share some of my favorites with you as of late! Oh, and she is totally saying sentences these days. And yesterday she sang the entire ABC song by herself without stopping!! It was exciting! Finally, her SOUTHERN DRAWL has really started coming out! It makes me laugh pretty hard!

1. NOT CRY, BIG GIRL. She started this at the beach. One night when I was putting her to bed, I told her she needed to be a big girl and not cry. So, from then on, almost every time we put her to bed, she says, "Not Cry, Big Girl!"

2. ROCK SING. This is what Avi says anytime things go south or she wants me to comfort her. We also rock sing before bed each night. One afternoon back in the spring sometime she woke up from a nap early, but she was still very tired, so I sat in the rocking chair with her and told her I was going to rock her and sing to her so she could rest. Since that day, she loves to ROCK SING!

3. ABCs & JESUS. Avi's two favorite songs. When we rock sing, I always ask her what she wants me to sing, and usually her first answer is ABCs. Then either during the middle of ABCs or right after, she says Jesus...meaning Jesus Loves Me. Jesus loves the Little Children and He's Got the Whole World in His Hands are the "other Jesus" songs!

4. AVI DO IT...MOMMY DO IT. This is what we hear constantly. When Drew tries to do something for her, she usually says, "Mommy do it." And, of course, she wants to do lots for herself these days as well!

5. SILLY...GIRL, MOMMY, DADDY, AVI, SUN, YOU NAME IT. Everything is silly these days! The sun is silly in the morning when we are driving to school because it gets in her eyes! Mommy and Daddy are silly when we do something she thinks is funny. L.O.V.E. H.E.R.!!

6. HOW 'BOUT THAT? This is probably her favorite phrase these days. She just says it out of the blue or when we do something that she likes! Too funny.

7. MR. BROWN CAN MOO. CAN YOU? Oh how she loves Dr. Seuss! She loves this book so much she has practically memorized it. She says the next animal sounds before I even turn the page. I love reading this book with her! It makes my soul happy!

8. NAAWW. This word is Avi's substitute for no! In the past week every time we ask her to do something that she doesn't want to do, she says, "NAAWW!" Like, are you kidding me?

9. I-UTE-SIIIDE. Have you figured this one out yet? OUTSIDE! When we were at the beach, she started saying outside with such a southern drawl that I couldn't help but laugh at her.

10. ABI.GRACE.AMNTONY. Didn't you know this was her name?? She was in the bathtub Tuesday night, and for some reason I was talking to her about her full name. Now when you ask her what her full name is, she says, "ABI GRACE AMNTONY." LOVE IT.