Happy Birthday Ava Blythe!

Five years old and all grown up!
In her birthday jammies

Waiting for breakfast!

All the girls! With names like Ava, Charlotte, Lucy, Madeline, Adele, Emma, Kayte, Georgia, and Alice, you can see how name trends always come around again--they could be a group of little old ladies!

Ava in her birthday girl ribbon.

Reading her Cinderella book (thanks Madison!) before bed.

This year, Ava had a morning birthday party with belgian waffles (strawberries and whip cream!) and everyone wore their favorite jammies. A sort of half slumber party because we would be crazy to do the whole thing with nine girls five and under! I always decorate the night before after she is in bed so she was up bright and early to check it all out. It was a busy day with the party, ballet lessons, dinner out with us and more presents! Ava loves to hear the story of her real birth-day and I still can't believe it was all five years ago. She has grown into a real buddy! She is sweet and interesting, funny and so tenderhearted towards smaller kids.

Why I want her to stay exactly the same:
The other day we came across somebody named George and Ava said, "hey that's Curious George's middle name."

And I, of course, said, "what's his first name?"

"Curious."

Later, Ava asked me where deer buy their clothes. Slightly confused I asked for clarification and she said, "Grandma told me the deer were wearing their winter coats." Pause. "Only it didn't look like they were wearing any clothes to me."