I Like It, I Love It!

Victoria has been expressing her feelings/emotions quite a bit the past few days. Beginning about two days ago, she started the day with "I like these!" referring to the big-girl undies we were putting on. Since then, that phrase has been a constant - whether it's in reference to food ("I love blueberries!") or jammies (she has some soft fleece ones she just loves). Mostly, it's been things around the house she's really showing a fondness for.

The one exception was last night. We were watching Rachael Ray, and V commented that RR was making spaghetti. Somehow, her train of thought went from spaghetti to McDonalds. The next thing out of her mouth was something like this: "spaghetti! yum! McDonalds! I LOVE McDonald's!"

Yup. Quite the ham.

On another 'note', songs seem to be running together. Example (what I heard in the kitchen the other day): "Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday t, u, v, w, x, y and z. Now I know my abc's, next time won't you..." Her train of thought is about as one-tracked as her mother's!

No Hope for this girl

I fear Victoria's going to follow in her mother's shoes when it comes to fashion sense. I'm fairly certain I never wore anything that matched until college. Hopefully it won't take V that long!

In doing laundry the other day, here's how she looked after pulling what she wanted to wear (the long 'dress' is my bathing suit top!) Eclectic? I'd say so.

Special message for Jaj and Busha

What's new?

Sorry posts have been lacking lately. Part of the break is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to get Victoria to hold still long enough to take a photo! Part of it is that I haven't even pulled pics off the camera in two weeks. The other part is that she's running around like crazy - singing, dancing, counting, identifying everything in sight, or literally running in circles till she drops!

Here's the outfit she got from Aunt Bo for Christmas (it's a 2T, and still quite a bit big), playing with the camera from Grandma Penny & Papa Jim!

Swimming classes started up again this past Saturday, and she looks forward to the next class as soon as we've left the pool. I've even heard her talking about it in her sleep!

Then Sunday we had our first Krispy Kreme experience. She doesn't like donuts very much, but loves sprinkles!

On the potty training front, we're not too serious about it yet, though (knock on wood) she's been in big girl panties (Dora, of course!) this afternoon for over two hours with no accidents!
As much as I didn't (and don't) want to get into the whole obsession over one character, she does love Dora.

Thank you, boy!

Victoria and I ran into Toys R Us yesterday for some play doh, and the greatest thing happened.

As we were in the checkout line, a family got in line behind us (mom, dad and son around 8 or 9 years old). V's face lit up, as she saw the boy had a mylar balloon. Her reaction was to yell "(gasp!) A BALLOON!!!" She was just gushing about it, and admiring it, telling me what colors were on the balloon, when the boy walked up to her and handed it to her! I asked, just to make sure he wasn't just showing it to her and he said, "she can have it." It made V's day, and it made my day. It was all she talked about the entire ride home "I got a balloon!!", "Thank you, boy!", "Look! A blue balloon!" (which is a tough one for a toddler to say), and still talks about the balloon - that is if she's not toting it around behind her.

It's so gratifying to know there are still some good kids (and good parents) out there!

just some photos

Victoria found the remnants of our New Year's celebration outside (check out her fingers).

Note also her 'eclectic' outfit!

She seems to think the baby's stroller is just her size.

Future rockstar?!? Or just future nudist?!!!

Happy New Year!!

We can't help but be excited, encouraged, and nothing short of beaming proud parents when we see the amazing progress Victoria has made over the past year. Here's a breakdown of the high points as they were at the end of the year:

She can count to 13
She can sing her abc's mostly
She recognizes all upper-case and lower-case letters, can tell you what a letter is, and if you ask her to find a letter, she can identify it that way.
She knows the colors red, yellow, blue, green, purple, black, white, gray, pink, brown, orange.
She sings Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row, Row, Row Your Boat, Happy Birthday, Rock-a-bye baby, and Patty-cake.
Her vocabulary is great - she knows please, thank you, excuse me, bless you, and our latest, "may I have it, please?" :)
She's also begun to recognize individual items and their place "daddy's toothbrush", "blue car", and can count things "three books", "two shoes".

Physical skills are a little on the uncoordinated side (thanks to mommy, I'm sure!) but she attempts to throw a ball, can't catch, doesn't really try to catch yet. Can jump and get both feet off the ground, and has started trying to jump down the stairs (holding hands, of course).

She's getting more picky about what she will and won't eat - she went to being the veggie queen to not eating any (not even frozen peas - which were right up there with blueberries!). She still loves fruit - craisins, raisins, grapes, apple, oranges, blueberries, etc.

Meal staples have become mac&cheese, turkey hot dogs, chicken fingers, and Gerber ravioli for lunch and dinner. Ah, well - at least she still loves dairy products, and loves her Flinstone vitamin as well!

Holiday photos

Here are a few photos from the three Christmases we had.

Christmas Eve-Eve at Uncle Jeff & Aunt Marie's...

Our house Christmas Eve with Grandma Penny & Papa Jim...
And (finally!) Christmas Morning at our house...