THIRTY-EIGHT

Amazing baby shower gift. I hope she actually likes it even when baby brother gets to ride in the stroller. :) 

2015 week thirty-eight

A long hot week ending in a fun but seriously hot festival. September in Texas is not for the weak -or anyone who would enjoy any semblance of Autumn. ;)

She's started to color with intent. This is a picture of "Mama, Papa, and Auntie Mel." Auntie Mel, you are the big pink squiggle.

"I'm just so tired. I have to lay down and color." 

I have to take photos like this to remind myself how lovely and wonderful she can be when I'm about to lose my mind with her throwing food because she is frustrated that her fork isn't working properly, or pulling her hair or slapping her hand into her mouth and all over her face to deal with some other frustration. Oh the frustration. But, here she is so precious with the little elbow dimple. Anne would be so jealous. 

She wanted another chance to tackle the carousel. She did not cry and was only mildly nervous. The operator was really wary to let me ride because I look so pregnant right now. But seriously, what is going to happen to me on a merry-go-round-at-2-miles-per-hour?

She is getting old enough to see other kids doing fun kid things and wants to be a part of it. She was really eager for Matt to paint her face. She then proceeded to smear most of it into her mouth... But she cried when we tried to wipe it off...

Matt signed us up to compete in a grape stomp off during the festival. Each team of two got one minute for each person to stomp while the other collected the juice in the pitcher. Somehow we won the first round of competition and were invited back to the final championship that evening. (I know you can't tell from this photo, but I am incredibly pregnant these days)

             

At the championship: 2 minutes before we absolutely lost. Haha. Some of these stompers are pretty hard core. 

We tried to get her to participate in the baby grape stomping. Her face says, "Why are you doing this to me Papa? What is happening?"

Quotes:

Walking through a parking lot that smelled very strongly of frying potatoes, V: "It smells like chicken in my nose!"

Me: "Oh your Papa is so handsome."
V: "No. He's not handsome."
Me: "Yes he is! Look how handsome he is."
V: "Yes, he is handsome,  he has hands."

To my fair, red-headed brother-in-law, V: "Sam, you are so brown!"
Me: "Sam, is that the first time anyone has ever said that to you?" ;)

At Bed Bath and Beyond, V: "Mama there are so many cool things!"

V: "Mama, cats makes 'meaow meaow purrrrrr purrrrrr ki ki.'"

V: "Mama wears a pink shirt and funny pants." (my Aladdin pants)

V: "It's like yellow sauce in my toilet!!"

As soon as a movie fades out for a scene change she asks, "Want to watch some more, please? I want to watch it again!" Seriously, it faded for less than a second. Also, last time we watched a movie she kicked over the chair when it was over because she was so angry -uhm no way. She got an early nap time and a moratorium on movies for a while.

Vera running in circles yells, "Mama, watch! Watch me! Watch! *huge toot* I have a toot! Watch!!"


Stories:

We went to exchange some things at a store and while I was looking at bigger sizes, Vera took the shopping bag and filled it with approximately all the stuffed animals in the entire store. I found her losing her mind because the 25th animal wouldn't fit in the bag...

When we go for walks, Vera stops to collect acorns -I then find them deposited all over my house for the next few days like she is a little squirrel. Also, Matthew showed her how to pick long grass stems and hold them between her teeth like a farmer parody. She LOVES it. She demands that everyone hold a grass stem in their mouth for the entire walk. And then I find them all over my house for the next few days. It's actually kind of darling.

Currently we have a really sweet bedtime routine with Vera. I am such a fan of a set routine. I'm sure it must set some sort of Pavlovian response to prepare V for bed. Every night when it's bedtime we go into her room. She takes off her clothes for the day and requests "jamas." She has a few little white tank tops that she sleeps in during the warmer months and some little black or white shorts -she usually requests the black ones. She puts her own jamas on (inside out and backwards) and gets to brush her own teeth for a minute before Matthew or I finish it up. When she fusses about doing it by herself Matt usually reminds her that we want to keep her teeth healthy, "Don't want my teeth to fall out!" she will add. As she's brushing her teeth I'll read a story from our set of Children's scriptures. Then she goes into the bathroom to rinse her toothbrush and pee once more. Back in the room we will read a poem, or part of a fairy tale, or currently a Mother Goose rhyme. I sit in the rocking chair and she will climb on my lap after that for family prayer and a song. Her favorite songs to sing are: I see the Moon, Wheels on the Bus, It's Raining It's Pouring, Rain Rain Go Away, Working on the Railroad, ABC's, Twinkle Twinkle, Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree, Itsy Bitsy Spider, etc. We all sing together (including V). Most nights Matthew will pretend to fall asleep on her bed and V sneaks up to him giggling and will wake him up with a kiss. He then grabs her and tickles her while chanting, "A kiss! A kiss!" and falls back asleep for a few more rounds. Then she gets into bed and asks for "One book in bed," and her musical train car. We say we love her and goodnight and often she reminds us to tell her to stay in her bed. As helpful as it is for her, it is very therapeutic for me. It signals the end of the day and it's a constant and firm boundary. It is also usually very happy so I feel sad when she's in bed because we're all in better moods at that point and I want to hug and kiss her more than I did an hour before. :)