The actual Birthday Cake

On Saturday, to prepare for the festivities, Didi and I went out and about. We decided before that due to certain circumstances (an unruly sink pipe whose future was undecided for a time...) it made more sense to purchase a cake rather than make one. So while Daddy took Ava to the gym, and while Papa and James napped at home, we took to the streets. First up was the party store, which was closed till a bit later. So we headed for Tom's Donuts next, for breakfast the following day. Then was Scotts where we perused the cakes, looking for just the right thing for the chicken and the munki. We found all sorts of close, but then one caught our eye that was pink AND blue, and not too either. The lady wrote "Happy Birthday Ava" in pink and "and James" in blue, and added a couple of dollops of frosting on the corners. Perfect! We looked for the peach sorbet Ava came to love during our Phx visit, but had no luck. So off we went back to the party store. Talk about Sensory Overload !!!!! They had everything, even lifesize cardboard cutouts of Elvis, in that store. We got party hats, plates and napkins too (still with the sink issue) and balloons. It was a good thing Didi was there to curb my enthusiasm, as I would have filled our house with balloons to the brim to bring a giant smile to my Birdie's face, but in the end we decided to do the special package, which was a mylar with 3 latex, all together with a thing to weigh it down. For Ava, it was Hello Kitty (her latest obsession) and 3 pink balloons (was there any other option?) and for James the cutest star shaped First Birthday balloon with 3 matching blue ones. There was lots of curling ribbon, and the kids looooved them, esp. Miss Ava who wanted to play with them all immediately upon seeing them.

When Daddy and Ava returned from the gym it was announced that she wanted pancakes for dinner, and since we weren't sure the local place we planned to attend offered such, she decided we were going to Bob Evans. What a treat. There were some BIG people in there, and you could tell it was because they could not resist coming back for more yummy comfort food. Both times we have been there have been super yummy, and this time Ava announced it was her birthday and she was brought an ice cream sundae. She was a good sharer and we all had a bit and went home for cake.

It is seriously sometimes hard for me to fathom that 4 years ago I brought that girl forth into this world. It amazes me how big she is, how smart and thoughtful she is. How independent she is, and yet how scary some things still are. She is such a super girl, and I know I am supposed to feel this way as her mom, but for those of you who know her, you know how truly blessed we are to be her folks.

And dont even get me started on the boy. A year ???? 3 teeth later, we are still flabbergasted at how special this boy is. How observant he is. How sweet and cuddly he is. How expressive he is. How go get 'em he is. And how fast it all happens.

The best thing of all is the relationship that is constantly developing between the two of them. Sure, she took off his pants this morning, and hit him in the head with her toy screwdriver. But he is now not only allowed in her room, but in her tent (her special place) and most of her toys are fair game (on a good day). We played airplane on the couch this afternoon, and she and I took turns being the pilot and passenger, but she allowed him to always be the flight attendant because she realized he would be all over the couch anyway. I hope she teaches him more good habits than bad, and that no matter what they will always be close and have each other.

Okay too much talking. Here's some cake!

Turtley

During our visit, we had some unseasonably warm weather (mid to high 70's). We took advantage of this break from the rain to go visit Ava's friend Turtley who resides down at Lakeside Park, about a half mile from here. We took some bread heels to feed the ducks, and some sunscreen and hats, and Ava went berserk. The planet was there, even the cops at one point (!!!) and we had a blast.

Opening of the presents

The kids got some great presents, but for some reason James took a particular shine to the card he got from Didi and Papa. Good thing too, as I know she put some thought into it, and it worked! There was nothing that seemed to take a backseat to anything else. It was a whirlwind of clothes, toys and books. Everyone was very generous!

On the 21st of March, Didi and Papa arrived in Indianapolis to visit for the kids' birthdays! Ava, James and Mommy drove to Indy in what we thought was plenty of time, although I did have to pick up the pace a bit starting about halfway through in order to make it on time. Thank goodness I didn't get lost this time (although we did have to do an alternate route out of Indy) and we were all home in the old Fort within a reasonable time frame. A good time was had by all. They stayed a week, and the kids were in heaven. Didi and Papa even got to go to school with the Birdie on the day she brought cupcakes for her class! You guys truly are great houseguests. You are welcome any time! Here are some pics from the visit.

Yet another update (will they ever end??? Hopefully not...)

Currently the conditions in Fort Wayne Indiana are snowing (!!!) and 32 degrees.
When they say "April showers..." I thought it was the seemingly nonstop rain we had been getting!
Anyhow people, GET READY because I am fixin' to go BLOG WILD here in the next day or so. Lots of updating to do and lots of pics to post. Apparently I am continuing to participate in the 36th annual slackathon. I never win, yet I constantly participate. How overacheiver of me!
Everyone here is good except James is still stuffy and coughing. Ava seems to have gotten through it and now yesterday I woke up yucky, unsure if it was allergies or a cold. I decided it was a cold. PJ was a champion and came home on time last night (6 p.m.) and helped with everything and I was in bed and passed out at 8:30. Ava kept coming in to "cuddle" which depending on her mood consits of talking nonstop and/or climbing all over me. I was oblivious to her by about the 30 minute mark after taking some nyquil. I don't think she cared.
In the exciting news department, for all you non-Thuringers out there, my sister in law and her en fiance had their baby girl on Tuesday !!! Mia Ann Batistelli was born slightly under 6 lbs and 19 1/2 inches long at 5 p.m. With a bunch of dark hair gracing her pretty little head. She's a cutie, for sure. Best wishes to the new little girl and her family !
Okay peeps. I am off to see which child caused the other to scream, and when I get them to sleep this afternoon, will start posting some pics.

James' First Birthday!!!

Happy Birthday to our super special little munki who turned 1 on Thursday! We celebrated with a cake and he had a blast. We kept it pretty low key and will celebrate when Didi and Papa and Gramps come next week for both the kids. Can you believe it's been a year ???!!!

Daddy's morning hair

With a little help from some jam from his breakfast, James awakes to some serious 80's new wave hair. If only we had known that the jam could work this well, we wouldn't have contributed to the hole in the ozone with our Aqua Net !!!

Ava's First Recital

The preschoolers performed 3 songs at Saturday's 5 o'clock service. After the service, the preschool families had dinner, and after dinner there was a viewing of Charlie Brown's Easter Special. I took the munki home after the dinner as it was his bedtime, but Daddy and the chicken stayed for the flick. She had a great time. We met a couple of nice people during the dinner too. But best of all the darling girl was beautiful and charming in her song- the pictures don't do her any justice. She had little hand movements going, and it was so sweet to see all the little chickens up there singing their hearts out. I will be aquiring a copy of the performance from the school when it becomes available, and will share with anyone who is interested.

The sickness

Our poor girl contracted a fever over the weekend (which I found out from her preschool teacher is going around and has even hospitalized one of her students!!!) which kept her down. We pressed the liquids and kept her on the couch. Some tv and some chess with Daddy helped while the day away, and we continued to try to keep her quiet Monday. Her fever was waning Monday however, so it was harder to keep her down. She's all better now, thank goodness. Passed it onto Mommy tho. Grr. Here's to a healthy Daddy and James (fingers crossed!).

New addition to the family

So as James crawls frantically around the house looking for a playmate in the Belly and gets rewarded with growls, I got the idea that we should have a new family member. For James and Belly both. So onto the internet I went, eventually finding a rescue shelter about an hour or so from here that took in a group of pups that were now 9 months old. Shepherd collie mix from what they can gather. After discussing our needs with the lady that runs the rescue, it was determined that of all the litter Fred was the best match. He was the calmest, and most apt to be okay with Belly being in charge. We went to meet him and he really was super sweet. He and James clicked immediately. We brought him home. While I'd like to say that we have had zero "accidents" that is not true, though if I am really diligent about letting them out every couple of hours there's no problem. He also likes to chew, and that includes Ava's kitchen toys, wood and plastic both, and Ava's pet friends that he gets for himself by climbing onto her chair. So while we are working on the bathroom etiquette and determining which toys are his and ok to chew on versus hers and most defenitely not, I think he is settling in quite nicely. He really wants to play which Belly is controlling. He thinks James is part of his pack and wants to play with him too, so we have to really watch so he doesn't get too rough, but they really are sweet together. When we get James up from his nap Fred comes with us and James will make his happy grunt to greet Fred. Belly is starting to come around and play a bit more often, so I think we are going to be good. So everyone it is my pleasure to introduce Frederick Johann Thuringer!

Advice

Don't flush a baby wipe. Ever. Even on accident. Thanks Gibsons Plumbing!

Countertops have arrived!

Rob and Jay arrived at 8:30 this morning with 4 pieces of countertop, and a sink. They left a few hours later and my kitchen is looking prettier. Poor PJ worked hard and late last night unhooking the plumbing so they could get the old sink out tearing a pipe in the process (blessing in disguise? How long till it would have gone and we wouldn't already have everything out from under the sink!) and dealing with the disposal. The disposal that is hard wired. And not hooked up to any of the kitchen circuits. And leaking. So he is trying to disconnect a live wire with water. I had my hand on the phone ready for 911 which thank goodness it wasn't necessary. PJ instructed me to call our friends the electricians who told me that it's not their fault it's not marked on the breaker box since they didn't rewire the house. All they could do is come out and test each breaker to see which one the disposal is hooked up to. Duh, we could do that. Come on. That's kinda not the point. So that will be a project we will look at this weekend. Our favorite game: find the breaker!

Anyway here are the counters. I think they look great except I found a few scratches. I will have PJ look at them and email Rob tomorrow and find out what he can do about them. All in all I am pleased and now anxious to get tile up and paint !!!

The Master

We got Ava's watercolors out this morning while the guys were installing the countertops (!!!!!) and she created a few masterpieces. Most importantly, she had a good time. It sounds like they do quite a bit of art project stuff at school, which I think is good since she seems to like to stretch the right side of her brain.

New curtains

I purchased sheer blue curtains off Ebay (where else?) and was hoping the blue would match the blue in the light fixture. Guess what- it DOES! So we have a new bold dining room which makes the paint color I love make me love it more. I think it tones it somehow to what I envisioned it, which is more of a light olive. Now we just need a rug. Ebay here I come!

Sleepy boy

This is the cutest sleepy boy EVER. He is also the SWEETEST boy and FUNNEST (yes it is a word) EEEEVVVVEEEERRRRRR.

Sledding

Tuesday we had a snow day for Ava's school as it was coming down with quite a bit more on the way. All day Tuesday it snowed. PJ and Ava went out and did the snowblower at about 7 p.m. and by the morning with the additional snow and wind blowing it about you could hardly see their hard work! (Daddy's snowblowing and Ava's footprints in the yard). They shut down the city. Literally, non essential employees did not have to report to work, so PJ took advantage of the time to take himself snowboarding. He came back kinda early because he had promised to take Ava sledding with his friend Dave and Dave's son Jaia. She had a BLAST !!! Dad brought home one tired chicken and a picture on the camera. It wouldn't surprise me if she asked to go every day.

We braved the roads today to get Ava to school, as it was her class Valentine's Day party. We got Maisy valentines at the dollar store and candy bracelets (just smaller versions of the candy necklaces) for her class. I think it says a lot that in the box there were something like 42 valentines, and we needed only 10. I thank God that she is in private school and not getting lost in a huge classroom. Will update when I get the word from Ava on the party!

Give this girl a hug

*Didi noted that Ava looks like she could really use a hug in this pic, and isn't it true? The strange thing is that she was in a great mood due to new dress and going to school. But who can tell???*

Another ebay purchase on the outfit. Shoes came from Piperlime. I am in love with that website. http://piperlime.com

No more ebay for awhile unless it's diapers, although I did get 2 towel rings for 99 cents. Not including shipping, but it was still cheaper than if I got them in town. And they're pretty!

Tuesday

We got more weather Tuesday. The snow came down and it was quite chilly, so I didn't venture out even to take Birdie to school. It's better now, although the thermometer pic is from this morning (thursday) about 8 a.m.

Chair Fabric

So I was on Ebay (surprise!) and found this beautiful fabric for my grandfathers chairs. There will be plenty left over to do the 2 odd dining room chairs that need new fabric and perhaps even a pillow. It's quite lovely- the pictures don't do it justice!

Kitchen light

PJ put up a new kitchen light. Upon taking down the old one, there was some major drywall repair/sanding work needed. He therefore put up only 2 of the 5 lights in the track. I teased him that it was my mood lighting, but due to the sanding of the ceiling and the additional sanding needed pre-paint, we wanted to wait to do it all at once. Good thing too! The bugger stopped working- only one of the 2 lights worked, and that was NOT mood lighting, it was just wrong. So back to the Depot we went, and about 20 minutes after start time this thing was up and totally running. There's no more mood in the kitchen- just some good lighting!

Catching up

Sorry folks, I was on a roll for a while but fast became a slacker. There are pictures, however, so this is my attempt to catch up from the last week.

Ava's First Day of Preschool !

Ava started preschool today at St. Peters Lutheran Preschool (see link here http://stpetersfw.org ). Her teacher, Mrs. McEachern, said she was a good girl and even participated in the class ! When asked whose birthday it is on Christmas, Ava knew the answer. What a smartie! She said the kids in the class were nice and she had a good time. Tuesdays and Thursdays for the rest of the year- Dad thinks next school year she'll be ready to step up to MWF ! I still have to photograph the picture of her school bag- it has her name on it and she decorated it herself- so will post that shortly. In the meantime, let's hear it for Ava !!!

Bathtism

Last night was the kids' first bath together. They had fun and nobody got bubbles up their nose!

Measuring

The countertop guys came today to make the template for the new countertops. It's going to rock ! They said after the templates, it typically takes about 3 weeks or so to put together. So new counters within the next month !!! We chose Richlite, (check it out here http://www.richlite.com ) and we decided on the Merlot color. It's like it seems, a nice deep wine color. Exactly how it will turn out will be determined upon installation, as it's not a process that yields the same result every time. Originally I was thinking a nice light gold for the kitchen paint, but now I am thinking a silvery greeny silver green. A color that you're not sure if it's silver or green. Keep it light as the cabinets, appliances and counters are all deep dark colors. The tile backsplash will have to be kept light as well. I found a stainless steel backsplash, but it's a bit pricey. I could have probably installed it tho, so poor PJ would not have to deal with the tile job, but I am excited to help. Even if I cannot make the cuts, maybe I can do the grout? He's the pro tho, with a couple of tile jobs under his belt.

Ava starts school tomorrow (didn't start Tues due to 4" of snow) and is super excited. You will see a picture of our beaming girl here tomorrow for sure !!!

Love to all...

I am out of control.

So a few years ago, my watch broke. I think I was preggers with Ava, not sure, although I know we lived in Mesa. So PJ went out and even though he knows I am the pickiest person on the planet, he got me the exact perfect watch. After a while, the band died, and I couldn't part with the watch. So PJ got a new band down at Van Horne Jewelers in downtown South Bend, and they put it on. We knew it wasn't exactly right due to some configuration, and that it would not last forever. It started to go here pretty recently. It didn't even last a year. So I began my search for a new watchband. Easier said than done, since it's a 6mm and they are hard to find. Even online I found out! Well, I found one on http://watchbands.com and also on the site they showed a tool, the one people use to put on watchbands, and it was only $7 or $8! So I decided that I should have it. In case we need to replace any watchbands (now you know where to send your repairs). So in the mail today came a lovely bubble envelope with my new watchband, and the new tool. The watchband looked nice, and not as thick as the last one which I think was part of the problem. But wait! The buckle was GOLD and my watch is silver! Not to fear. With the power tools and the cake from scratch yesterday, and a new tool at my fingertips, do you think I am going to be wearing a silver watch with a gold clasp? Never! And this time it didn't take me that long. And it looks really nice. It wasn't that hard. I am so feeling empowered !

Cake

While PJ was away snowboarding, Ava and I decided to make his cake. We made an angel food cake from scratch. Something I had never done before, and was a little apprehensive about. I even bought a boxed mix in case the thing didn't turn out. Well, we mixed, and beat the egg whites, and put the thing in the oven and when it came out darned if it didn't look right! So I decided it needed frosting. I mixed the confectioners sugar, butter, milk and vanilla till it looked right, and darned it if didn't taste good! So then we decided to decorate the thing. I had a little cake decorating thing I had purchased long ago, and we very humbly decorated it. I seemed to be on a roll, but didn't want to get too far ahead of myself, so I kept it pretty simple. After dinner that night, we lit the candle, Ava and I sang, and we cut the cake.
And darned if it didn't taste good!
All I can say is I love the Americas Test Kitchen Family Cookbook.

Sunday snowboarding and baking

Sunday Dad took Ava to church and Mom kept James and his big cough home. When Dad and Ava arrived home, Dad expressed an interest in going snowboarding. (It was really coming down and I think he got nostalgic). So Mom said "Go!" and he did! He went a couple of hours north to a resort his friend Dave told him about called Bittersweet. http://skibittersweet.com
He said although he wasn't there for long, he got quite a few runs in, and wasn't as rusty as he was afraid he would be. He said he even got some air. Wahoo! He was home in time to shovel the walks, and Ava helped him with that.
While Dad was gone, Mom decided that he would not be able to install the baby gate that day and so why the heck should she not do it herself? So I did. It took three times as long as if PJ would have done it, but it's done right, and I am pretty proud! I even got to use the drill, which was totally fun. Watch out for me now. I feel empowered !