Ayva turned 2 years old a little while ago. I am just gobsmacked at how fast the time seems to have passed. Ayva goes to the creche two full days a week now. This has helped considerably her French and socialization. The ladies who work there are called les taties. They like to report to me what French she says etc. and they seem to really love her. How could they not. :) Ayva seems to have her mother's good memory and can sit at the table and name all the kids around it. Les taties seemed to be impressed by that. For birthdays it seems to be traditional for the mom to bring in a cake for all the kids. I went the easy, but ugly, route and made banana-chocolate chip muffins. The ladies greeted them with a bit of skepticism as muffins are not at all common around here, but there were none left when I picked up Ayva and one lady asked me for the recipe!
A few days later we had a family birthday part for Ayva with a bit of a Winnie the Pooh theme as he and his friends are some of Ayva's favorites (for the record, she is also a big fan of Nemo, Dory and Bruce, and Yanni (Aladdin), Genie, and Abu. This is after a couple of months' obsession with all things Sesame Street, especially the Count and Cookie Monster.) Theme parties are also not really very common around here, which is nice as then you don't have that competitive thing that seems to exist between moms in North America. I did want to make Ayva a Pooh cake though and developed a really simple idea that Henri actually ended up completing! I tell you, even after 11 years of marriage, that guy is no end of surprises.
It was a really nice afternoon even considering Ayva had literally sang away her two hour nap time. I don't think she slept a wink - it's like she knew what was to come. With her papa checking out her new Winnie the Pooh puzzle.
Out later with one of her favorite presents: dolly poussette. She combines a lot of phrases into English-French or just says both words together like chaud/hot, fini/done. It's really been interesting to see her two language skills evolve simultaneously even if we don't always understand what she is saying.
Happy birthday Ayva!! She's so pretty!
Oh, and I'm deeply impressed by the Winnie the Pooh cake - does this skill come with parenthood automatically? :)
And I can't believe it's more than two years ago since I started reading your blog and about Ayva being born...
Posted by: astrid | November 02, 2008 at 11:58 PM
Happy Birthday, Ayva! I can't believe that you are two already! I'm so proud of you and your French skills! Good for you!
Posted by: Dawn | November 03, 2008 at 03:30 PM
Happy Brthday,Sweet Girl. She s getting so big - I can't believe how fast the time has flown by.
Posted by: Patti | November 03, 2008 at 05:31 PM
Happy Birthday!
That cake is impressive.
I think we might be due around the same time. I'm supposed to go something around Nov. 25th. You?
Posted by: Jennifer | November 04, 2008 at 11:43 AM
wow that is some cake!!
Happy Belated Birthday to Ayva! 2 years already!! wow time flies!
Posted by: lala | November 05, 2008 at 08:11 AM
... glad you're back. i can begin stalking *grin*.
Posted by: tawn | November 13, 2008 at 08:56 AM
Happy Birthday for the cute you have. I wish happy and successful life in everything. I wish all good things for the kid. Nice blog buddy, I like it. I will be back again. From pooh bear coloring pages
Posted by: Pooh Bear Coloring Pages | September 15, 2009 at 05:08 PM
Olen erittäin kiinnostunut tällä alalla ja luet tätä postitse Olen tuntenut monia uusia asioita, joita en ole aiemmin tunteneet. Kiitos julkaisemalla tämän suuren artikkeli tästä.
Posted by: ruletti | November 29, 2011 at 04:34 PM