The Block Party

This afternoon we went to the annual block party that a wonderful family on our street hosts. They have been holding this picnic for about 20 years and tons of the families on the street get together to socialize. The mother in the family who hosts the party is wonderful at planning games for the kids - and there are a lot of kids. She plans games for the kids of all ages and they are played in groups broken up by ages. Ava got to play several games and ended up with some super prizes, including a monkey cup and a lion hat.

The highlight of the party (after the egg toss, of course) is the pinata. Each child gets two hits at the pinata, and the smallest child gets to go first. I was informed that Ava was the smallest (after Charlotte), so she got to wield the bat first. It turns out that the ability to 'wack' something with a bat is not a learned thing...it comes naturally. Just like covering your little sister's face with a blanket... So, here's a picture of my girl using a skill that I want her to forget for a couple of years!!!

Then came the drama... While I was chatting with a neighbor, preparing to leave, the mother of Hope, a little 2-year old came up to me and said something about celery. Well, here's the story. My mother was holding Charlotte while Ava played with Hope, a little girl who had tried to play with Ava all afternoon. Hope is the youngest of five children, so she's got 'play' skills that Ava probably won't have until she is much older. She wanted to take turns playing with Ava's toys, she wanted to hold Ava's hand, she knew how to climb all over the swing set. This girl had skills. Near the end of the party, Ava was playing with a soccer ball. Hope picked up the ball and threw it at Ava. Ava got hit with the ball and looked at Hope like she was from another planet. (yes, i know that Ava is being raised by a sissy and is doomed...) Then, from about ten feet away, my mother watches Hope lean down to put her mouth on Ava's hand and suddenly Ava is screaming and crying. Several mothers hurry over to separate the girls. Mom is holding Charlotte, so she makes it to Ava after someone has scooped her up and checked her for blood. No blood...no bite marks on Ava...but half of her celery stick is gone. Yes, I have the only child who is emotionally wounded by someone stealing a bite of her celery. Getting hit with a soccer ball didn't even put a dent in her armor...but please don't touch her celery.