What! No Party Hats?

You would think that a great grandmother turning 82 wouldn't need party hats. However, the 3 1/2 year old attending her birthday insisted upon it. When Riley found out noone had party hats for Grandma's birthday he was more than upset. He cried and cried over the party hats, insisting that we needed them and demanding that someonme go buy some. Bruce, in an attempt to quiet the room and appeal to the craftiness in Riley, crafted a party hat out of newspaper. Riley continued crying. It did not look like a party hat. He threw Bruce's creation on the floor. I picked the hat up and placed it on Ava' s head to show Riley how cool it was and how much she liked it. Bad move. Riley got jealous, ripped the hat off of Ava's head and placed it on his own. More tears fell, but this time they were Ava's because she no longer had a hat. Bruce quickly folded another hat so we could get on with the pie, icecream and present celebration. Things were calm, but a little shaky in this photo. Riley was now happy with his hat and Ava was recovering from her crying spell by clinging on to blankey. Poor Grandma just wanted to eat her pie.

Happy Homecoming

IUP's Homecoming Parade was October 13. This was Ava's first experience at a parade. She seemed less than impressed at the start. I think she was more confused than anything. Marching bands, majorettes, drunk fraternity brothers, funny men in small cars-- it was all just so much for her curly head to process. She finally got into the spirit when the parade was nearing its end, proclaming more, more! We would have turned into popsicles if the parade were any longer.

Ava Bean vs. Green Bean

One would assume that the most imminent threat to her 19 month old child would be sharp objects such as corners of furniture, corners of crown molding (Ava and the molding had a wrestling match at age 12 months resulting in her 1st trip to the ER), scissors, pencils, screw drivers and the like. Ava has somehow made a can of green beans a weapon. I suppose she inherited her mother's gracefulness. This can of green beans met Ava square between the eyes leaving her with a horizontal, swollen, blood seeping, purple wound. How? She handed me the can of green beans at 10am in the morning hoping to have them for breakfast. After telling her no, she went to grab them from me, pulled too hard and the can of fresh cut green bean goodness came crashing down on the bridge of her nose. Many tears and screaming ensued (from both Ava and her mommy) after a very long silent pause. After such a fight with her opponent, she needed a much deserved rest. You can see her in the photo below sleeping sitting up. She couldn't even make it lying down before passing out. You might be wondering when exactly this fierce match up occurred. Judging from her attire you might think it was late summer. It was actually October 6. Mother Nature granted us with an unusually warm day thus the sun dress she wore only one other time. The evidence is clear-- Ava lost. The can of green beans was victorious leaving its mark on her gorgeous face. Luckily it healed rather nicely. There is only a faint line across the bridge of her nose now.













Poor Ava Bean