Mother's Day 2015

We had a very busy Mother's Day this year.  It was nice to see our families, but we ran from one get-together to another, which resulted in tired kids and a tired mamma!  Since we knew it was going to be a busy Sunday, my Mother's Day treat was a day of shopping on Saturday.  It was nice to do something that I love at my own pace (and alone!)   :)  Everyone in our house needed new spring/summer things, so it was a productive day out.

Patty, who never lets us down, made Mother's Day surprises with Vera and sent them home a few days early.  Vera was so very excited to share the surprise with me.  I loved all of the special crafts, but perhaps the thing I loved the most was the box that had the word "mom" written in her preschool handwriting.  I'd never seen her write "mom" before, and it was just the cutest thing.

Inside the box were some yummy muffins.  Vera also made this cute craft that she was really proud of.

While I was out on my shopping day, Adam took the kids to Greenville to pick out my Mother's Day surprise.  They picked out a nice, sturdy flower pot for our back patio.  Then Vera picked out the flowers to put inside.  She chose quite a variety of flowers, but they're growing really well, and I love them.  When I stand at the kitchen sink and look outside, I see the flower pot and it makes me smile to see the mixture of flowers she chose just for me.  :)

10 Months

The little rascal is almost 11 months old already.  Mr. Vin had a lot of milestones in his 10th month of life.

 At 10 months, I would describe him as observant, needy and rotten.  His head is always turning as he looks toward loud noises, action and people.  He likes to be outside when he has people and things to watch.  The traffic and farm machinery going by our house fascinate him.  He is also needy.  When he wants something,  you know it.  When he is tired or hungry, there's no question, and don't bother holding him off or distracting him.  Guaranteed to lose.  In the evenings, he often follows me around the house like a puppy because he wants to be held.  Not only does he want to be held, but he wants to stand and move around while holding him.  Sitting on the couch or rocking in the chair is not an option.

One thing that hasn't changed is that he's still army crawling everywhere, and he's fast at it too!  Adam just said this week that he's like a little spider that creeps right by you.  Since he's started wearing shorts, his legs and arms have become irritated from scooting across the floor.  But, this month he did learn to go from a crawling to sitting up position.  It was a slow process at first, but he's speedy at it now.  He can also put his knees underneath himself and reach up for things from a kneeling position.  A few times, we've even seen him pull himself up on furniture.  We're starting to lose hope that he's going to actually crawl.  He can get everywhere he wants to go by scooting, he's mastered sitting from crawling, and he's starting to pull himself up.  If he does crawl, I think it will be short-lived.  He can stand along furniture a little, but sometimes he gets mad because he doesn't know how to fall down and crawl to what he wants.  

 He's still a good sleeper at night.  During the school year, he's in bed between 7:30 and 8.  Sometimes I have to wake him up at 6:30, but most days he hears me moving around and wakes up on his own.  Unless he's really tired, forget about rocking him to sleep in a calm and quiet manner.  Most nights, it's a fight which eventually leads to him being tossed in bed awake.  He is not a fan of rocking and snuggling.

This month, Vin also cut three new teeth.  He now has five total, three on the bottom and two on top.  It was rough getting the two front teeth.  He developed a nasty runny nose and barking cough which eventually led to a double ear infection.  With a few doses of antibiotic, he was back to his old, ornery self again.  One positive that came from the cold and ear infection: he's much less interested in his pacifier.  Previously, he'd suck on his paci all day long if you'd let him.  When he got sick, he couldn't breathe with the paci.  Now, he mostly takes it when he's tired or really fussy.  

Vinners graduated to a big car seat this month.  He was too heavy for me to handle in the infant carrier, so we bought Vera a new booster seat, and Vince went to Vera's convertible car seat.  His little feet were also touching the back of the seat in the car, so it was definitely time to move on.  The first days he rode forward-facing, He. Loved. It!  He kicked and smiled and jabbered the whole ride.  

We offered Vin a sippy cup for the first time too.  Initially, he made a big mess with it.  But now, he opens wide when we offer it to him; he caught on very quickly to the concept of a sippy.  He mostly drinks juice or water from a cup right now.  We've tried formula a time or two, and he's not a fan.  Speaking of, he's still picky about a cold bottle.  He prefers it to be warmed and takes it much better that way.  He likes all kinds of baby food, and especially likes his cereal in the evenings before bed.  He's had graham crackers, regular crackers, Cheerios and wheels, but he makes a big crumby mess and squishes most of the food instead of eating it.  Lately, he's become less interested in puffs, but he still loves yogurt melts.  We've offered him numerous different table foods, and the reaction is the same every time: a sour face and immediately spitting it out.  It's as if he doesn't even take the time to taste the food and immediately spits it out because he doesn't like the texture.  We joke that if we threw all of the food on the floor, he'd eat it because any crumb or piece of dirt he finds on the floor, he sticks in his mouth.  He likes applesauce from a small container and recently he ate a small green bean and a bite of strawberry.  Adam gave him some jello, and he did eat that too.  Ever so slllloooowwwwllly he's learning to eat table foods.  I guess we'll keep offering it until he decides it's worth tasting and enjoying.  

We love the little monster to pieces.  How dull life would be without his personality, buzz-cut hair, 5 tooth grin, and rotten boy-like behavior.  I wish he'd stay small and squishy forever.

Swing Set Fun

Vera has spent a lot of time outside on her swing set this spring.  She knows how to pump on her big girl swing, and I bet you can't guess where she mastered that skill.  Patty's house, of course!  It's fun watching her swing and chatter to herself while she's out playing.

Vince loves to swing as well.  He knows how to hold on tight, and gives a wide, 5-tooth grin as we give him a push.  Recently, I snapped a few pictures of them outside one evening doing nothing but carefree swinging.

Dad came out and he twisted Vera up on her swing.  She thought it was hilarious when he let her go and she spun around and around.  They repeated this at least three times.

Then she tried to walk straight, and as you can see, it didn't work out so well.  haha

Then, she pushed dad on the swing.  She was nearly knocked over as dad swung back toward her, but she gave it her best effort.

Deep Concentration

For Christmas, Vera got a subscription to "High Five," the preschool version of Highlights for Kids.  It's been a great gift.  She thinks it's way cool to receive her own mail.  We read the stories at night before bed, and Vera likes the little games that come with them too.

Recently, we got a packet of activities with stickers.  Vera sat one evening and diligently worked on the projects.  I assisted with the directions and she took it from there.  In true Vera style, she yacked the whole time she worked, and she was way proud of her finished product.

Graduation Day

Vera is ready for preschool!  Patty has worked so, so hard with these cute little preschoolers over the last several years.

They had to take a series of "tests" to see how much they know.  When they mastered a skill, they earned a reward for their poster.  Vera came home with this awesome poster showing quite of list of skills Patty has helped her master.  They also received a cool trophy and a special medal for all of their hard work.  Like I say over and over again...Patty just rocks!

Here's all of the preschool/kindergarten skills that Vera's mastered:  (We got a cool checklist from Patty.  I'm documenting this here because there's no guarantee that I won't lose the checklist.)

)
*Identify upper and lowercase letters
*Sounds from A-Z
*Sound out words
*Alphabet sequence
*Identify numbers 0-30
*Number sequence 0-30
*Count to 50
*Count backwards from 10
*Count from any  number to 20
*Count by 10s to 100
*Count by 5s to 100
*One-on-one correspondence
*Number addition to sums of 10
*Greater and fewer / more and less
*Basic 2D & 3D shapes
*Colors and color words
*Days of the week and put in proper sequence
*All Kindergarten sight words & a few 1st grade words
*Read basic sight word books
*Recognize beginning and ending sound of words
*Sorting, Patterns, and sequencing
*Positions (front, back, left, right, up, down)
*Rhyming
*Opposites
*Write and recognize first name
*Birthday
*Address & phone number
*Draw stick people with arms and legs

Vera's still working on a few things on  the list:
*Counting backwards from 20
*Matching numbers to number words
*Writing the ABCs

Overall, I cannot believe how much she can do.  Patty puts her heart and soul in preschool activities.  She missed her calling as a teacher, but we sure are glad she's our babysitter instead!  :)

Vera is 4!

Vera was super-excited to turn 4 years old!  Her birthday was on Easter Monday, and it was extra special because I was off work to stay home with her and Mr. Vin.  When she woke up on her birthday, she came in my room and whispered, "Mom.  What day is it?"  I responded with, "It's Monday today" and she excitedly said, "Today is my birthday!"  :)

Good Morning, Birthday Girl!

We spent the morning hanging around home.  Vera insisted on painting these hearts that came in her Easter basket.

This 4 year-old has a really hard time looking at the camera when she smiles.

Then, in the afternoon I took the kids to McDonald's for lunch.  It was a surprise for Vera.  I told her to hide her eyes until I told her to open them.  It was so fun to hear her excitement as she opened her eyes when we pulled in the parking lot.  Vince was also very good.  After McDonald's, we went to Walmart and I got a new phone.  Since both kids were especially good while getting the phone, Vera asked if she could pick out a new Betta fish for her fish bowl.  I couldn't tell her no.  So, we picked out a fish and when we put it in the cart, Vera said to her new pet, "There, there little fishy.  I'll take good care of you" and before we walked away from the fish aisle, Vera had  named him Rockstar Ruby.

In the evening, we celebrated Vera's birthday as a family,  It was Opening Day for the Reds, so we watched the Reds game and ate hot dogs and soft pretzels downstairs while we watched the game.  We sang Happy Birthday, and she did a great job of blowing out her candles.  Vera and I made the cake, and we were pretty happy with how it turned out.

Vera opened her gifts from us: a really cool baseball tee and some inflatable road signs to use when riding her bike or scooter outside.  She was thrilled.  Dad and Vera played baseball in the garage because we just had to get the tee out and play right then.

I am so sad to write that all of the pictures I took of Vera's birthday are gone.  Due to a malfunction with my new phone that was beyond my control, I lost all of them.  They were great pictures, and I cried when I realized they were gone.  Mommy is so sorry, Vera, that there aren't many pictures of your 4th birthday,  But you can be assured that it was a super-special day.  Mom and dad had so much fun celebrating your birthday with you.  We have many great memories of your special day.  You even got some Reds home runs and an Opening Day win for your birthday!

Happy Birthday, Vera Louise!  We love you so much!!

It's really hard to believe she's four already.  She is growing in to quite an imaginative and bright young girl.  If she isn't watching TV or sleeping, she is talking.  She talks to herself while playing and pretending.  We see her outside swinging and just chatting away.  She lays in her bed at night and talks until she falls asleep.  When she's in the shower, she jabbers the whole time.  She's always playing something, pretending, singing or talking nonsense.

For her, life is simple.  She says things as she sees it.  She does an amazing job at describing things that she doesn't know the names for.  Lately, she's had trouble remembering the name for a fire hydrant, but she can so very vividly describe it when the name escapes her.  I am also quite impressed with her memory.  She recalls details of things that happened months ago.

Vera is always working on growing up to be a big girl.  She is still sometimes very whiny and cries about simple things, especially when she's tired.  Like all preschoolers, she sometimes has trouble listening and following directions.  Just as she's always been, she does not like to be corrected.  She immediately cries and usually says that we don't love her anymore.  At first it bothered me to hear her say that.  Now she knows that those aren't nice words and her punishment is worse when she says unkind things.

At four years old, Vera still loves to watch Disney Jr. and play the iPad.  She can go to bed by herself, but she prefers someone lay with her.  She can say the Hail Mary and Angel of God all alone, and even does some praying in her own words.  It makes my heart smile to listen to her pray.  She can pedal her tricycle and pump on a swing.  Cutting with a scissors is a big challenge, but she's learning.  Vera still devours dill pickles at an amazing rate.  She also likes popcicles, sweets, pears, Honeycrisp apples, Lucky Charms, ham, Lunchables (which she calls "special lunches"), mashed potatoes, corn, and peas.

We took her to her 4 year well-check to make sure she was "big enough to go to preschool in the fall."  The doc said that she is a healthy little girl and will be all ready for preschool in a few months.  She weighed in at 33 lbs. (33 percentile) and was 3'3" tall (34 percentile).

A super-special "dress" to wear while at the doctor.

Just yesterday, Vera got her four year-old glasses.  Her old purple glasses were scratched, bent, and too small.  It was just time for new ones.  Adam, Patty and I all think she looks so grown-up with these.  Patty said she looks like a Kindergartener.  She was thrilled to have glasses without the cables around the ear.

Vera is also a great helper.  She can put her panties, pants, shoes, socks, and coat on by herself.  (Huge help, especially in the mornings before school!)  She can put her dishes in the sink when she's finished eating too.  She is a big help with Vince, keeping him out of trouble, entertaining him and bringing things he needs.  Vince loves her, too.  He thinks she's hilarious and always looks for her when she enters the room.

Gotta love her smile.  :)

Sometimes she just can't leave him alone.

Poor Vince will appreciate this picture someday.

This four year-old still requires a lot of sleep.  During the week, she goes to bed by 8pm and hates to wake up around 6:30 for work.  She also takes a 2 or 3 hour nap on the weekends when she's home with us, which really makes a difference in her behavior.  We can always tell when she doesn't get a nap at Patty's house.

Speaking of Patty's, Vera loves her buddies there.  I thank God each day that Vera enjoys going there.  I'm always amazed when I get her out of the car that she willingly walks to the door by herself as I get Vin out, and she says goodbye to me like a big girl with a smile and a wave.  :)  Of the kids her age, Vera is the only girl.  She does a good job of bossing the boys around.  She's well-versed in boy TV shows like Batman and Power Rangers.  Just a few weeks ago she was telling Adam all about the Batmobile, the Joker and Batman and Robin.  It made us both smile.  Patty's house is a positive environment for my kids and she really is an exceptional caregiver.  She loves all of the kids as her own, and treats our family way better than we deserve!

Picnic Day @ Patty's.

We are looking forward to a year of being four.  We really love you to pieces, Little Lady!

Springtime in the New House

We are so enjoying our new house!  Since the weather has warmed up, we've been able to get outside and really enjoy our yard and patio.  Having a nice yard, cement driveway and great patio area are just a few reasons we're glad we bought this house.  It's been perfect for our family, even if there is a lot of grass to mow and tree limbs to pick up.  :)  We were so anxious to get outside and work in the yard, play and enjoy springtime.

We ate pizza on our patio one warm Friday evening.  Vince had his first graham crackers while we ate our dinner.  He made a big mess crunching and slobbering, but he was pretty proud to feed himself something new.  Here are the many faces of Vinners....

His recent nose-wrinkle and squinty-eye face.

So excited!

Another afternoon, the kids waited patiently for dad to come home from work so they could go out to play!  I love this picture...

We have a bubbling rock in the back patio area, and Vera insisted on helping Adam get it running.  

Once it was working, she had plenty of fun playing in the rocks.  She assures us that she's just playing with the wet rocks and not slopping in the water.

Here we are enjoying another warm evening on the patio.  This is one of my favorite pictures.  Our patio is just perfect.  I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time out there this summer.  Already, I've spent some warm weekend afternoons (while the kids were napping) just sitting outside resting and enjoying the sounds of spring.  It makes me so excited for summer!