10/31/08
10/30/08
Goings On
Victoria had her first school party this morning - there were many princesses, a Buzz Lightyear, a doctor, a Care Bear, Dorothy, and more princesses!
In other news, Rod and I just got back from a long weekend in Vegas with Nat and Joe. We had fun with them, and overall, I *think* we might actually want to go back at some point. We'll see. We did, however have a few problems at the hotel, but they remedied that I think the best they could have.
In other news, Rod and I just got back from a long weekend in Vegas with Nat and Joe. We had fun with them, and overall, I *think* we might actually want to go back at some point. We'll see. We did, however have a few problems at the hotel, but they remedied that I think the best they could have.
10/21/08
Practice, practice, practice
Every day that Victoria goes to school, the first thing they do is practice writing their name. V found my dry-erase board and asked to practice. So I wrote her name in green, then she did the rest - Not bad, in my opinion! And it was all her - I didn't help with the writing at all - she did it all, I just didn't get the camera right away!
10/17/08
Not Kurt Russell
These are pictures of Kristin's Uncle Tony...a San Jose Captain in the fire department. I usually make fun of him, but I think these pictures illustrate the tough job he has. Keep up the good work Tony.
10/14/08
Stuff
Victoria loves, loves, loves school. She woke up Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday asking if she was going to school each day. This morning was school, and about 1:30 after we were home and had finished lunch, she asked if I was ready to take her back to school!
She's working on concepts now:
Anything in the past is "yesterday" (She keeps telling me, "Yesterday we went on Jaj and Busha's boat!" when it's been a month or so) and anything in the future is "tomorrow".
"Beside" and "Next to" are tough ones for her right now (She keeps saying "I'm going to set my drink right here behind my plate!" when she means beside/next to)
Singular and plural are making their way into her vocabulary as well. There's a book we got that starts out "Aardvark Admiring, Beavers Ballooning," etc. When reading last night, I started by saying "Aardvarks Admiring" and went on to the next one. Victoria quickly stopped me, "No, mom! Go back, it's just one!" I tried changing some around throughout the book, only to be stopped every time. I guess that means she's listening!
Let's see... what else? Rod has been instrumental in teaching Victoria her address and phone number. She knows them when you ask her, it's just a matter of getting her to say it without giggling or whispering or blurting it out so fast you can't understand what she's saying!
She's working on concepts now:
Anything in the past is "yesterday" (She keeps telling me, "Yesterday we went on Jaj and Busha's boat!" when it's been a month or so) and anything in the future is "tomorrow".
"Beside" and "Next to" are tough ones for her right now (She keeps saying "I'm going to set my drink right here behind my plate!" when she means beside/next to)
Singular and plural are making their way into her vocabulary as well. There's a book we got that starts out "Aardvark Admiring, Beavers Ballooning," etc. When reading last night, I started by saying "Aardvarks Admiring" and went on to the next one. Victoria quickly stopped me, "No, mom! Go back, it's just one!" I tried changing some around throughout the book, only to be stopped every time. I guess that means she's listening!
Let's see... what else? Rod has been instrumental in teaching Victoria her address and phone number. She knows them when you ask her, it's just a matter of getting her to say it without giggling or whispering or blurting it out so fast you can't understand what she's saying!
10/13/08
Pumpkin Carving with Daddy
She wasn't too fond of putting her hand in the pumpkin...but here are the results.
ETA: this was a daddy-daughter event and V loved it! She's so proud of their results, too ;-)
10/10/08
School officially!
Well, Victoria is officially in pre-school. We visited a few, spoke to a few, most of which required she be 3 by the school cutoff (Sept 15th). We found one and visited on Tuesday. The teacher said I could bring V for a couple days, she would observe how Victoria interacted with the rest of the class and we'd reconvene next week to decide if she's ready. Well, when I picked Victoria up yesterday, Miss Michelle said we don't need to wait until next week - she's definitely ready!
So school begins - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10:45am. I don't feel like I'm rushing her too much. Her mind likes a challenge, she already knows the alphabet and can recognize all the letters if you ask her, can count to 14 (kind of to 20), and talks in PARAGRAPHS! I decided it's time that she got other-kid interaction. And why take her to daycare if she can go to school and learn?
So far, Victoria loves it, and wants to go back!
So school begins - Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8-10:45am. I don't feel like I'm rushing her too much. Her mind likes a challenge, she already knows the alphabet and can recognize all the letters if you ask her, can count to 14 (kind of to 20), and talks in PARAGRAPHS! I decided it's time that she got other-kid interaction. And why take her to daycare if she can go to school and learn?
So far, Victoria loves it, and wants to go back!
10/7/08
Firsts
Our first sticker chart got its last two stickers this morning - that means this afternoon Victoria will get to go to the store and pick out a new toy!
We started the sticker chart as a way to encourage a dry pullup when she woke up from nap or the night. About halfway through (about a week ago), naps went out the window. And Victoria started getting out of bed and wreaking havoc on her room. So then she got a sticker for a dry pullup in the morning, and another sticker if she stayed in bed all night after we closed the door and turned the light off. It's gone really well - just a few hiccups in the last two weeks.
And here's the result!
Victoria and I had our first grow-with-me class last night. It's at a local church/school and is designed for 2 and 3 year olds to start interacting, learning how to put toys away after they're done, and read stories and do art projects.
Here's V's first art masterpiece!
This is a cool concept: take a piece of paper cut into whatever shape you want, put it in the bottom of a small box (depending on the size of the paper - a shoebox is what we used). Dollop 3 or 4 colors in different corners of the box, put in a marble, put the lid on, and shake/roll it around! Victoria got a cool art project, and her hands stayed paint-free!
We started the sticker chart as a way to encourage a dry pullup when she woke up from nap or the night. About halfway through (about a week ago), naps went out the window. And Victoria started getting out of bed and wreaking havoc on her room. So then she got a sticker for a dry pullup in the morning, and another sticker if she stayed in bed all night after we closed the door and turned the light off. It's gone really well - just a few hiccups in the last two weeks.
And here's the result!
Victoria and I had our first grow-with-me class last night. It's at a local church/school and is designed for 2 and 3 year olds to start interacting, learning how to put toys away after they're done, and read stories and do art projects.
Here's V's first art masterpiece!
This is a cool concept: take a piece of paper cut into whatever shape you want, put it in the bottom of a small box (depending on the size of the paper - a shoebox is what we used). Dollop 3 or 4 colors in different corners of the box, put in a marble, put the lid on, and shake/roll it around! Victoria got a cool art project, and her hands stayed paint-free!
10/1/08
Unofficial numbers
Well, I took Victoria to the pediatrician yesterday morning. She's been stuffy and coughing for a few days and when she woke up yesterday her glands were so swollen in her throat.
They said it looks like just another upper respiratory infection that I have to just let run its course. It doesn't seem to be bothering her too much, other than the fact that she really wants to phase out her own naps and get less sleep (which I'm not too keen on!)
The unofficial numbers are height and weight, which surprised me a little:
Weight 29.5 lbs (just under 50th percentile) - not surprising. She's been hovering around that mark for quite a while.
Height they said 30.5 but I'm saying 29.5 since she had a ponytail in. But even at 29.5 inches, she's in the 90th percentile!!! Is that possible?!? I guess she has been going through quite a growth spurt (which may also explain the not wanting to sleep). We're pretty much officially out of all 2T clothing, with the exception of a few shirts I think.
And her first all-hair-in-one ponytail without barrettes!
9/27/08
Terrific (and terrible) Toddler-dom
Happy Fall from the pumpkin queen!
And from the Hay-bale princess ;-)V is such a toddler these days, her mind expanding at a rapid pace (I think the fresh fish for dinner helped!)
We were laying in her bed tonight after reading a story, snuggling before I told her goodnight and left the room. She asked if I wanted to hear her song, and then began singing, "You and me are friends to-ever and ever" A tune I've never heard, words that aren't a part of any song I can think of! Then she said, "Did you like my song? It was special, just for you!"
So many things lately are just so great about having a toddler. I love that she knows Jaja and Busha's vehicle, and gets so so so excited to see them pull in the driveway, then runs out the door to greet them. I loved watching her little legs carry her as fast as they could go all the way to their just-opening car doors.
Of course there are the drawbacks to having a child with such a rapidly-developing mind around (she's getting quite opinionated and vocal about what she likes/doesn't like to do, eat, play with, etc.!) But the benefits of watching her grow far outweigh the trying times.
I do love my *job* and am ever so grateful every day that I get to spend so much time with my beautiful daughter.
We finally got our web-cam up and running, so now we can chat with Jeff& Marie and the girls, and anyone else who has a webcam!
9/24/08
Delayed pics
When I got up the morning of my birthday, this is what I found in the living room...
Playing with "My friend, worm" as Victoria calls it. She didn't want to put the poor thing down!
Of course the pile of balloons didn't last long!
One of my new favorite hand-me-down outfits!
Playing with "My friend, worm" as Victoria calls it. She didn't want to put the poor thing down!
9/19/08
9/15/08
9/9/08
Happy 30th Birtday !!
Today is Kristin's 30th Birthday. We will be celebrating next month with a nice trip to Las Vegas. Please take a second and leave a nice comment for Kristin. I know many of you check the blog, but do not leave comments....please do this time. Kristin and I have been together for over 10 years. She has been with me for the most rewarding experiences in my life. Kristin is everything I could have wished for. If my daughter turns out to be EXACTLY like my wife, then I will know that we have done our job. Happy Birthday to my beautiful wife! I love you!
9/5/08
Oh, The Humanity!
The mood swings of an emotional toddler girl are in full swing...
Other recent funnies:
During one of her little crying spells (such as the one above), Rod told her she was being a drama queen and in her most serious, distraught voice, Victoria said, "I'm not a queen, (sniff, sniff) I'm a princess!"
I put a pair of 3T jeans on her last night to see how they'd fit (side note: they're just about the right length, but even with waist adjusted the still slide down). She came up to me pulling at her pantlegs and told me, "I need my sleeves pushed up. Too long!"
Other recent funnies:
During one of her little crying spells (such as the one above), Rod told her she was being a drama queen and in her most serious, distraught voice, Victoria said, "I'm not a queen, (sniff, sniff) I'm a princess!"
I put a pair of 3T jeans on her last night to see how they'd fit (side note: they're just about the right length, but even with waist adjusted the still slide down). She came up to me pulling at her pantlegs and told me, "I need my sleeves pushed up. Too long!"
8/31/08
Potty Training Details
But first, a photo, since I seem to be slacking on that front...
And now... the gory potty details:
Stickers didn't work, celebration didn't work. The secret to our success: M&Ms
After a lot of trial and error, I realized what worked best for Victoria was reward for the little things.
We started out asking her if she needed to go, but after seeing some advice on a free DVD, they made a point for changing wording to "Okay, potty break time!" Which worked well in the beginning - of course, if you ask a toddler if they need to go, they'll say NO - it's in their nature!
Regular M&Ms for #1, peanut for #2. If all goes well, she got between 2 and 4 M&Ms with each potty visit.
The first step was recognizing her if her diaper/pullup/underwear was dry when we got into the bathroom ("Are your undies wet or dry? Dry? WooHoo!!!")
Next was to go potty, wipe, wash hands, etc. When all is cleaned up, we go to the packages of M&Ms. If V just peed, she would get two regular M&Ms, and I would explain that one was for dry undies, and one was for peeing in the potty. Ditto with Peanut M&Ms.
We started with peanut M&Ms and realized quickly they were the perfect motivator. She would get one for pooping in the potty, but she would get TWO if ALL the poop was in the potty (as opposed to starting in her pullup, then going on the potty).
We had a little bit of a tough time explaining that the M&M reward isn't a forever thing, but I explained to Victoria as the bags were getting emptier (I was only using small packets of candy) that they were almost gone, and once they were gone, she was to go in the potty because that's where big girls go. So far, so good!
Of course there are still a few accidents here and there, mostly when she's too distracted to realize she needs to go until it's too late.
Hmmm... what else? Victoria is now only in pullups for naptime and at night (and the occasional long trip, depending on where we're going). And so far it's gone much smoother than I anticipated. We're not having nearly the issues I thought we would with having to be out and about needing to find a bathroom.
I think we've cut back on her overall liquid intake a bit, too. She still gets a drink whenever she wants one, but we're not offering water/juice/milk constantly. I think that cuts down on accidents as well.
Well, it's taken me over a week to get this post out, but hopefully it works for someone!
And now... the gory potty details:
Stickers didn't work, celebration didn't work. The secret to our success: M&Ms
After a lot of trial and error, I realized what worked best for Victoria was reward for the little things.
We started out asking her if she needed to go, but after seeing some advice on a free DVD, they made a point for changing wording to "Okay, potty break time!" Which worked well in the beginning - of course, if you ask a toddler if they need to go, they'll say NO - it's in their nature!
Regular M&Ms for #1, peanut for #2. If all goes well, she got between 2 and 4 M&Ms with each potty visit.
The first step was recognizing her if her diaper/pullup/underwear was dry when we got into the bathroom ("Are your undies wet or dry? Dry? WooHoo!!!")
Next was to go potty, wipe, wash hands, etc. When all is cleaned up, we go to the packages of M&Ms. If V just peed, she would get two regular M&Ms, and I would explain that one was for dry undies, and one was for peeing in the potty. Ditto with Peanut M&Ms.
We started with peanut M&Ms and realized quickly they were the perfect motivator. She would get one for pooping in the potty, but she would get TWO if ALL the poop was in the potty (as opposed to starting in her pullup, then going on the potty).
We had a little bit of a tough time explaining that the M&M reward isn't a forever thing, but I explained to Victoria as the bags were getting emptier (I was only using small packets of candy) that they were almost gone, and once they were gone, she was to go in the potty because that's where big girls go. So far, so good!
Of course there are still a few accidents here and there, mostly when she's too distracted to realize she needs to go until it's too late.
Hmmm... what else? Victoria is now only in pullups for naptime and at night (and the occasional long trip, depending on where we're going). And so far it's gone much smoother than I anticipated. We're not having nearly the issues I thought we would with having to be out and about needing to find a bathroom.
I think we've cut back on her overall liquid intake a bit, too. She still gets a drink whenever she wants one, but we're not offering water/juice/milk constantly. I think that cuts down on accidents as well.
Well, it's taken me over a week to get this post out, but hopefully it works for someone!
8/28/08
Please take a moment today
To hop over to Manna's blog and wish her a very happy birthday.
To Manna: Happy Birthday to my dear, dear friend. I'm so glad we're still friends after all these years. I just wish we were closer together to celebrate. I love you, and miss you.
To Manna: Happy Birthday to my dear, dear friend. I'm so glad we're still friends after all these years. I just wish we were closer together to celebrate. I love you, and miss you.
8/23/08
A couple videos
Victoria's newest song: Ring around the rosie, poca poca rosies, ashes, ashes we all fall down! As you can tell by the video, she's out of breath because she does this nonstop for 10 minutes straight! It's her alternative to not jumping on the bed.
And talking to Busha on the phone... I tried to catch her when she was really chatty, but missed. Still too cute!
And talking to Busha on the phone... I tried to catch her when she was really chatty, but missed. Still too cute!
8/21/08
Fall Spring Cleaning
In an effort to declutter Victoria's bedroom and make it a little more toddler-friendly, I just went through and pulled out any clothes that are or will soon be too small for her.
So, to Jeff & Marie, Natalie, and Manna... Head's up! Many outfits are coming your way soon! Everything on the dresser top and the closet floor are too small.
Now, half of her closet, all her baskets, and half her dresser drawers are empty!
Other goings on: We had our first white-trash weekend at our house last week. We ended up with three trailers, three families camping out and had a blast. With the exception of course of our monster, man-eating, killer mosquitoes!
So, to Jeff & Marie, Natalie, and Manna... Head's up! Many outfits are coming your way soon! Everything on the dresser top and the closet floor are too small.
Now, half of her closet, all her baskets, and half her dresser drawers are empty!
Other goings on: We had our first white-trash weekend at our house last week. We ended up with three trailers, three families camping out and had a blast. With the exception of course of our monster, man-eating, killer mosquitoes!
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