SEVENTEEN

Theodore grabby arms grabbed his bowl of yogurt and tipped it (see Frida's back).

 2016 week seventeen

Happy 3rd Birthday to my beautiful, clever, kind, imaginative, funny, silly, intelligent, happy, adventurous girl who tries so hard to do the right thing and who always wants to try a bite of everything.

During nap, she found Theodore's camo bunting and put it on and fell asleep.

She woke up a silly, sweaty mess. And Frida lost her mind over Vera's weirdly shaped body.

The pipes were being worked on one night during bath, so Vera got a rainwater bath in a 5 gallon tub. You can imagine that she loved it so much. The novelty was overwhelming.

Before party: Outfit #1.

"Princess Ribbons"

It's hard to tell what's happening in this photo, but we had a line for the swing the entire time. 

During party: Outfit #2. Holding her balloon bouquet

Matthew took two half lunches during the week to have two hours to be with Vera at her party. It was maybe a little thing, but working all day is hard with only a 30 minute break and it meant so much to me and Vera to have him there.

Her invitation

We did the same menu (pretty much) as last year: Ham and butter on baguette with mustard or red currant jam for topping (the jam is amazing on it, believe me), carrots and peppers and hummus and cilantro ranch dip, grapes, sugar cookies, and chocolate milk and water. 

After party: playing with her giant pink balloon.

She had 5 minutes of pure bliss.

And then it popped and her whole little soul crumpled. She sobbed and it was so very sad. 

She requested a "Purple Blueberry Cake". White cake (colored with food coloring) rolled up with purple whipped cream and blueberries inside. Decorated with purple whipped cream, purple meringues, and blueberries and sprinkles.

Family Party. Balloon head.

Getting ready for cake with her new butterfly wings from Grandma, and not shown her princess dress up shoes that she never once took off that day (from Oma).

And a PopRock chaser before bed.

Theodore makes this face every time he sees me. He is the best self esteem boost. I think it is safe to say we mutually adore each other.

Quotes:
"I have a baby in my belly. It's a girl. It's a baby elephant girl and she will be born into a baby and come out and she will see her elephant mama!"

"I want to catch a cloud. I can tie the cloud up with my shoelaces."

"I just really want to grab a cloud. I want to hold it in my hand. I want cars to hit me. I want to be dead. I love to be dead."

She has been enjoying giving her animals nicknames. Glamour is now Glam, or Glammy. Giraffe is Grafe, Dandelion is Dandy Bunny, Wild Cat is Kit, the crickets to feed the spider are The Cricks. (Band name. Call it!) And the other day she said, "Theodore, you can have your poss."(possum)

V -"Mama, come get on the boat!"
Me -"I don't want to get on the boat. I am gardening."
V-"If you get on my boat the people will push you off."
Me -"Then I definitely do not want to get on the boat."
V -"You have to be very kissable to get on the boat, or someone might push you off. But you need to be kissable."

"When Theo is 20 I will be free and have all the suckers!"

"Thank you Mama for stopping cleaning to come wipe me after I pooped."

Me-"Why are you screaming? It's very early in the morning. Why are you yelling?"
V- "I JUST DONT WANT MY FACE TO YAWN!"

V-"I don't want to go to wiggly thigh-er."
Me-"What does that mean?"
V-"Because we cooked hot dogs in the castle."
Me-"Uhm, what?"

"I am in the castle. All the girls princesses can be in the castle. The boys stay outside. Then the boys try to come in and I will say 'Shoo boys!'"

She calls Ariel either Arieo or Hairiel. Matt made up a joke:
What do you call a mermaid who doesn't shave her armpits?
Hairiel.

V, to Grandma-"Why are you wet?"
Grandma-"I had to give the dogs a bath."
V -"I thought you were a human! I thought you were a lady!"

V-"Mama, who is that scary purple man?"
Me-"What scary purple man?"
V-"The ANGRY scary purple man!"
Me-"Where did you see this angry scary purple man?"
V-"In the Bat show."
Me-"Batman? Do you mean The Joker?"
V-"Yes! The Joker! He is a scary man."

Stories:

I don't have any story I feel particularly strong about sharing. It was a very calm week. Vera had a wonderful birthday party full to bursting with so many of her favorite people. It was just such a peaceful week. Or maybe I'm remembering it that way because I spent every day trying to remember the good little moments to write in my happy moments family journal. I'm still so in love with this idea.