Mama... I am a whole handful old today!

My little Ava, she turned five in July. She woke up on her birthday and held her hand up and said, "Mama, I am a whole handful old today." It made me just melt. I can hardly believe it. She is growing up so fast. If I could stop time and just keep her like she is for a little longer I would. I know that sounds very cliche... but it is true. I am quite sure she really excited about growing up and learning new things, but she has assured me that she will not leave home... ever. I will have to remind her that again when she is 16!

I have to include a photo of her cake.... I am quite proud that I made it myself! She loved it and that made it even better. I knew that that high school job at Baskin and Robbins would pay off some day! We had a chocolate fountain with pink chocolate and a fountain of pink lemonade all thanks to Sweet Fountains. Thanks to them... I saw many many pink chocolate mustaches and smiles.

In just a few weeks Ava will be starting kindergarten. She is fine with it, I however am not. I just feel like it is the end of some special part of life, the end of really being carefree or of not having responsibility. I think that I am like the mama bird in this picture.... still feeding these babies even though they are too big to be in the nest and need to get out on their own... just like this mama bird, I am afraid to let her fly on her own.

I know I am being silly, and this is just another exciting stage in her life. I am excited to watch her learn and grow, but I will miss the innocence of being a young child. I went back and looked over a few things from when Ava was a baby and I just wanted to share them with you while I prepare myself to send my baby off to school....

This is part of a message I wrote to her when she was 13 months old...

... I love the way your hair sticks out in every direction when you sit up after a bottle, I love the way you tip your head to the side with a huge smile and hug me, I love how wobbly you walk, I love the way you say "duck", I love your cheeks, I love how happy you are in the morning, I love seeing your mind grow, I love watching you squat down to look at things, I love the way you laugh, I love the way you stuff handfuls of Cheerios in your mouth, I love finding you in a different position every time I check on you while you are sleeping, I love the way you throw food on the floor and then look at it as if you are surprised that it is there, I love the way your eyes look when they are tired, I love the touch of your hand.... Good luck to her as she starts this new and exciting time in her life.... please keep me in your thoughts as I sob when I send her off to kindergarten with her new backpack and lunch box.