At 15 1/2 months of age, Eva Marie has already developed quite the taste for sketch comedy:

Eva choosing which episode of the Upright Citizens Brigade TV show to watch

(fun fact: her parents met in an Upright Citizens Brigade improv workshop with Matt Walsh.)

On a long car ride, Kyle’s iPod classic means it’s time for classic comedy:

Eva Marie is enthralled by 1984's Ghostbusters on the iPod

Kyle thought things were working in his favor, having turned Eva on to Ghostbusters. Little did he know things would backfire. Eva must have really been impressed by the film because she Ghostbusted at her very next opportunity:

RIP Mr. Staypuft 1984-2011

The loss of one foam Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man does not compare to the major victory Kyle has had in getting Eva Marie into superheroes. Not only has she started to play with some of his old action figures, but Eva Marie took a major liking to her cousin Shawn’s Batman Learning Laptop:

Nananananananana Nananananananana Batmanlearninglaptop

omg

Kyle is really batting a thousand. At every turn Eva Marie seems to be adopting another one of his interests. Some of you might be concerned about this, wondering “Shouldn’t she be allowed to develop her own interests, to have the freedom to grow into her very own precious and unique being without all of this creepy parental brainwashing?” Of course! As enthusiastic as Kyle is about his budding mini-nerd, he would never dream of forcing her into one particular subculture. Sure, Kyle would be thrilled if she chose to be a Total Star Trek Bun. But if that’s not where her heart truly lies, she is more than welcome to exert her freedom…

Total Star Wars Bun also acceptable

to become a Total Star Wars Bun.
P.S. Check back soon to see if Mom has had any luck getting Eva Marie to listen to Howlin’ Wolf, balance chemical equations, and eat Torchy’s Tacos.

CheeserBun!!

Anyway, it was an epic battle between the heroes (Batman and Spider-Man) versus The Riddler. I was happy about seeing the super heroics, but less excited about the blending of the Marvel and DC universes.

Eva’s taken quite a shining to these nostalgic pieces of plastic from my past. No Barbies or girlie dolls for this one. I can’t wait until the family goes to our local comic book shop to pick up Eva Marie’s first comic book statue or premium action figure of her favorite hero or heroine.

The first documented sighting of:

THE WILD NORTH AMERICAN BUNGAROO!

THE WILD NORTH AMERICAN BUNGAROO!

Weighing in at just under 18 lbs, the Bungaroo is an occasionally nocturnal omnivore who prefers to feed on applesauce, pizza, and Kix cereal. The two-foot-tall biped shares an unexpected symbiosis with Canis Lupus Familiaris, who covertly consumes the Bungaroo’s unwanted food products.

The creature was first sighted atop a circa 2004 Honda Civic with a younger Bungaroo nestled in her pouch.

We assisted the creature in dismounting from the vehicle, and in return she allowed us to follow her to a park bench, where we were able to capture some alternate views of her unique form.

Wild North American Bungaroo - Front View

Wild North American Bungaroo - Tail View

Wild North American Bungaroo - Top View

She requested we transport her back to the vehicle, where she proceeded to emit the strangest call – it sounded just like Eva Marie’s “Dada! Dada! Da da da da dada!”

Bungaroo Emits "Dada" Call, Attracts Kyle's Attention

Unsure how else to proceed, we decided Kyle should approach the increasingly vocal mammal and attempt to further discern the meaning of her communication. The Bungaroo was surprisingly pleased by this!

Bungaroo Loves Kyle

Risking having to get a rabies shot later, Kyle made the bold choice to pick the wild animal up. Imagine his shock when he realized it was Eva Marie Sweeney all along! Think about it: Have you ever seen a Bungaroo and an Eva Marie Sweeney at the same time? Didn’t think so.

The Big Reveal: Eva Marie Sweeney IS the Bungaroo!

Imagine our relief when we realized that this was why we couldn’t find our child all day. Whew! Another mystery solved, and another successful holiday completed, for the Sweeney/Kirchen family.

Anyway, Eva Marie was swinging away when all of a sudden she uttered the word that Julia had been eagerly waiting to hear- mama. Here’s the video…

Eva Marie also recently tends to prefer the comfort of common household objects as her playtime companions versus her more colorful toys. Don’t get me wrong- Eva Marie has some pretty cool toys, but apparently kids her age are interested in things like empty boxes, tissue paper, diapers (clean), spoons, pots and pans, etc.

It just so happens she’s been really interested in our large plastic blue cups. One day last week I caught a few minutes of her “playtime” with the cup. She was enthralled, it was fascinating to watch.

Eva Marie was excited about the upcoming shindig that celebrated her big one year anniversary.

Grandmama holding Eva above “Party Central” with so many presents to soon unwrap.

Grandma helped us get the whole event going with the coordinated jungle theme and decor.

Everyone was getting in the spirit- especially Shawn, Saraphina, Uncle Kirk, and Dada (me)

Party Time!!!

Eva Marie was very excited to investigate “Party Central” further (and also to potentially partake in some cake).

The whole party was a blast. We had some delicious hamburgers and hot dogs- Eva had a delicious hat.