My Munchkin is Four

We celebrated Avalon's birthday this last Sunday the 10th, the same day as Jeff and I's wedding annniversary. I know everybody remarks about kids growing up so fast, but it's true. It abslutely doesn't not feel like 4 years has passed.

Jeff and I had a hard time this year deciding what to get Avalon for her birthday. She's at the age where she sees something fun and she wants it. And frankly, I think she has everything else. So we had to decide what she wanted most. And I think everything came out all right.

Below is a pic of one of her oddest gifts. She has asked me to buy her this huge thing of cheese puffs for months now. She had them last summer at a picnic and has wanted them ever since. And its not that I'm opposed to her eating them(even though they are junk, she never eats much of anything), but what are we going to do with three gallons of cheese puffs? But as we were struggling with gift ideas and she had asked twice the previous week for them, we figured why not? And just as i thought, I have nowhere to stick three gallons of cheese puffs, but she likes them and that's all that counts. And, she was so excited to see them on her birthday that she was licking the lid. Silly kid

She has all but given up TV shows. The only one she has any interest in at all is Sponge Bob, and as you can see if was very prevalent at her party.

She had asked and asked for a "yata" as she calls pinatas. (Not sure why or how she knew about them) We got it about a week before her birthday and she played with him the whole week. They had tea parties, and he was her baby etc. So we thought she might be sad if he was destroyed. So we talked about just letting her keep him but she ultimately decided she wanted to stuff him with candy and wack him open.

We were not prepared for a four-year-old hitting machine. She hit that pinata with incredible ferocity. We didn't know she was that strong or aggressive but she got the job done, and we picked up the candy we had just stuffed in their a couple of hours before. But apparently, eating candy out of a pinata is much more fun.

In other news, we've just been trudging along. We've got plans to go to Seeley and the cabin at the end of July. Just like last year, Avalon and I are going to go to Great Falls early and Jeff will come up on Friday. So Great Falls peeps, if you wanna do something, shoot me a line.

We have plans in late August to go through Yellowstone and stay at Chico Hot SPrings during that little trip. I don't know who decided they loved Chico lately, but I'd appreciate it if they stopped. I can't get reservations there to save my life and we used to be able to go whenever.

I haven't been baking much as I've been trying to watch what I eat and it's been too damn hot to turn the even on. But i'm not complaining. It's about time for some decent whether. But feeling an obligation to blog about what I bake, kinda takes the fun out of it.

And we've just been busy. It seems like every day is filled with something to do and we spend so much time outside that its usually pretty late before we come in. Avalon hasnt made it to bed on time once yet this summer. But that's what summers are for right?

I've been running a lot more when I work out. I still have that unfulfilled goal on my list from the first of the year to run a race. I think a friend and I are going to run the labor day race in Red Lodge and maybe one in October in McCleod. It gives me a goal to work toward. But it feels good to be running again. I ran a lot in high school(not for a team but on my own, in an attempt to control my weight so my father wasn't mad) but I really learned to love it and its taken a while to build up the stamina but I'm getting there.

I do have a sore ankle that doesn't help thinks especially since I really hurt it hiking last week. But my knees have quit hurting. I think the weight loss has really helped with that. I haven't lost anything recently but I kinda took the last couple of weeks off from obsessing about exercise and not count my calories. It didn't hurt me, which teaches me to quit obsessing but I gotta get back to losing.

Alrighty then enough of the epic update, lator gators!