Grand Opening of Ava's Pet Store

Last week we celebrated Ava's 5th birthday. Year Five feels like a landmark year. I guess that's because 5 is the age that kids go to school and begin to realize their parents aren't the perfect, all-knowing demigods that they have always believed them to be (sniff*sniff). Anyway, I'll save my lamentations for September. But doesn't five just seem so grown up? My little Ava baby is growing up and expanding and blooming every day. It's hard to put into words how proud I am of her, how much I love to be with her, how happy it makes me to hear her unbridled giggles and her patient words to her sister and her silly teasing.

When I asked Ava what type of party she wanted to have, she decided on a pet store party (phew. no princess party.). Best party idea ever. I just have to say. We had a lot of help with this party. I drove back into town from Arkansas just a day and a half before the party. Our college friend Kim arrived a few hours later for a short visit, and oh man. She seriously should've charged some party-planning fees, because we put that girl to work. Though Kim was gone before the party actually occurred, we have her to thank for many hours spent decorating, theme-developing, and chatting--which kept me getting stressed out. Thanks a million, Kim.

(See, I even let her take a break from party-planning to eat tacos and tour the capital building.)

My other seriously professional party planner was Party Girl herself, Ava. She embraced the planning with zeal, accepting any opportunity to help out with strategizing, signmaking, organizing, and set up. It was really wonderful to see how much ownership she felt over the party and its success.

What do you do at a Pet Store Birthday Party, you ask? Well.

First you tour the pet store, choose a suitable home/compartment for your pet, and write your pet's name on its cage.



Check out the amenities...Grooming station, vet's office, food aisle, check-out, shopping bags and cart for your convenience...



Then you get to work on a collar and tag for your pet. We don't even want to think about what would happen if little Pink Sparkle Bear were lost in the neighborhood without proper identification!



Next, adorn a pet bowl for your little precious, then fill it with "Dog Food," a round and crunchy food that tastes suspiciously of cocoa...



The pet owners need nourishment as well, after all this hard work caring for their furry friends. Time for some bones, dogs, and fishbowl water. Okay, so the food is not exactly an accurate diet for any one particular species, but hey! It's the theme.




Pin the tail on a cat. Because it's a party!

Or alternately, pin the tail on a Mom. Thanks, Ava.

Sing and munch and gift!

(So the cake was not exactly the crowning glory of the party, but it was functional and coated in sugar.)

Finally, open the pet store for business. Get to work grooming, nursing, shopping, napping all the little critters who have come to celebrate with us.


Such a fun, fun party with such sweet and enthusiastic little girls. Almost made me want to be a kindergarten teacher. Almost but not quite.

Many thanks to my mom and Farrah for planning with me, to Kim for taking on the event wholeheartedly, to all the cute girls who partied with us, and especially to AVA. Because she helped throw her own party; because she gave us a reason to have a party in the first place; and because she gives us a reason to laugh and smile and snuggle every single day. There aren't words to describe how much Derek and I love that girl.