Happy third birthday, Veronica!

So far she's opened up her box with two Disney t-shirts, preferring the Buzz Lightyear one over the Tinkerbell one. That's my girl. ;-) She also liked her Disney princess bracelet and loved the polished rocks Jason and I bought her at COSI. More presents and cupcakes tonight. :-)

Last week I told her that her birthday was soon. "I get flowers!" she said. I was so confused. She went on to say, "Miss Lori got flowers for her birthday. Miss Jan got flowers for her birthday." As both of these teachers at her school did, indeed, have birthdays recently, I'm presuming their spouses or co-workers provided them with a workplace bouquet, apparently witnessed by Veronica. "I get birthday flowers!" she said. So what was I to do?

The last thing she got this morning: A small pot with three pink Gerber daisies. "Dere my flowers for my birthday" she said, quite matter-of-factly, as if it were completely expected and wouldn't be a birthday without them. And hey, after she'd told me about her teachers' flowers, she might as well have started expecting them at that moment. No way in hell she wasn't getting flowers of some sort today.

Last night I was chasing Veronica around the house as "the tickle monster" when she stopped abruptly and announced that she wanted to sit on the potty and pee. Of course I took her in there, where she pulled down her little yellow shorts and I helped her out of her diaper. But here's the amazing part: She actually peed!!! A LOT, actually. Jason measured it. She peed over a cup. How can she hold that much?! But we were so proud of her!

We did have a little accident later, with her peeing on the couch, but there's a reason for that: The obsession of the moment, the "Batman" cartoon from the early 90's and "Spiderman 2." She loves both of them. We read to her from her Spiderman book, about Doc Ock trying to rob a bank, and she wears her little Batman mask. She would only let me brush her teeth with the mask on last night, and only after I told her that Batman brushed his teeth all the time. "If he didn't brush his teeth, his mouth would hurt and he'd be saying 'oww, oww, my teeth hurt!' and he wouldn't be able to stop the bad guys," I explained. This seemed to work.

Then she wanted to sleep in her mask. That would've been disasterous. I pointed out to her that Batman and Spiderman took off their masks to sleep, reminding her of all the times in the movie that she sees Spiderman without his mask on, and said that they kept the masks by their beds in case they needed to wake up and fight crime in the middle of the night.

Jason woke her up this morning, her little Batman mask still propped up next to her bed on her nightstand. I guess that was a reasonable explanation, too. :-)

And I can't believe she turns three tomorrow. Where did the time go?

Veronica's recital with her tumbling class was this weekend, and oh boy. We didn't know what to expect. Just standing there, or trying to run offstage, or even tears - we were expecting the worst.

What we got, however, was Veronica marching up the steps up the stage with Audri, standing right next to her right in the middle of the stage, and following the instructions to a T. The first thing they did was a little choreographed dance, their teacher in the aisle showing them each move. Veronica and Audri danced their little hearts out, following most of the instructions and directions but grinning ear to ear and having a great time even when they were off. Some of the kids only did a couple moves and stood up there confused; some just stood there; one poor little girl started bawling and had to be taken off the stage. I couldn't believe how well Veronica did.

The next part of the program had each child coming up front with their teacher to do a skill they had learned. The first was a forward roll, helped by the teacher. The second was the donkey kicks, bending down with both hands of the floor and kicking their feet back. The third was a walk across a little balance beam, stopping to bend over and touch the beam after each step, and then finishing with a kick backwards. Veronica kicked forwards, but a lot of other kids did too. She was having a great time. She and Audri ran around afterwards and played together. Fortunately my dad videotaped it all.

Veronica loves making faces too, in the mirror and in my dad's camera where she can see herself. With this and her hamming it up on stage (and posing and saying "Cheese!" for photographs), we're wondering if she might not be performing publicly someday, somehow. Drama club, watch out. I feel my daughter will be heading there soon.

Happy 31st Birthday, Jason!

Being that we are low on funds at the moment, a birthday celebration was not planned. However, last night Veronica and I headed to the mall, JCPenney gift card in hand (left over from Christmas), while Jason mowed the lawn. After purchasing Veronica two sets of spring pajamas, we had $6.76 left on the gift card. I was determined to use it to get Jason something.

So Veronica and I went downstairs, where they were having a sale on men's t-shirts. I found a polo-type shirt he would've loved - too expensive. Veronica found a baseball shirt in bright green - also too expensive. We finally found a sales table with shirts all going for a little over $5.00, and I let Veronica pick.

First she liked the red one, but I pointed out to her that there were more colors, the red was just the first she saw. She then chose a baby blue one. I said that was a good choice too, but pointed out there were more shirts on the other side of the table, even different blue ones. She walked around and picked out a more sky-blue shirt. We found one in Jason's size, and she insisted on holding it, balling it up, holding it to her chest and explaining "It cold. I keep it warm." :-)

Once we got home, Jason was finished mowing the lawn and was so exhausted that he never looked up from his game of Diablo II on the computer to hear me wrapping the shirt, or to see me walk through the living room with a bright yellow package. A little later I was putting away laundry in the bedroom; Jason was in there too, and Veronica walked in, looked at the clothes I was hanging, and said "Where Daddy blue shirt?" I said "I don't know, maybe in the closet." Gotta teach that kid what a secret is....Fortunately, he didn't catch it.

This morning Veronica was fussy until I asked her if she wanted to give Daddy his present. This thrilled her. She paraded it through the bedroom and into the living room, where she deemed it an approrpriate location for gift-giving.

Jason loved the shirt. Nothing fancy, it's just a plain blue t-shirt. No logos, no pockets, nothing. But he said it could've been lime-green (his least favorite color) and he would've still loved it. His little girl decided that this was the shirt he should have. Veronica asked after he opened it, "Is dat your fave-wit shirt, Daddy?" And he smiled and said "Yes, Veronica. It is now."

Once again: Happy Birthday, honey. I love you. And I love Veronica and how you two love each other, too. :-)

Just a quick rund0wn, before I forget, about our weekend:

Saturday had Anne, Ben, and Zane visiting with us. The kids loved playing with each other. We went to The Great Indoors and Veronica and Zane walked through the store with us, holding each other's hands and trying to cause mischief by dashing in and out of the rugs hanging from the walls. We went out to eat and played at a park with them, but probably the most lasting impression - literally - of the day had to have been when all of us adults were watching a movie and the kids kept going from room to room, playing. Veronica had her crayons from the restaurant with her, and while we weren't looking, proceeded to create artwork on her toy kitchen...the washer...the walls in the spare bedroom...and the wall in her bedroom, which was impressive, as you could tell she made a huge circle in the exact arc that her little arms could reach. (sigh). She never does this sort of thing, we think she was trying to impress Zane.

Yesterday Veronica loved her Easter goodies, especially the ridiculous amount of candy she received. The afternoon and evening was spent at Heather's place, where she hosted not only us but her mom, her sister Allison, Allison's husband Josh, and Susan (who had already enjoyed an Easter dinner with her boyfriend Curtis). We feasted on ham and green bean casserole and cake and cheese grits, plus the salad I made and even more Easter candy. Veronica watched Cartoon Network and the rest of us played Uno. It was a really good time.

We had a wonderful weekend, and I just wanted to make record of it. So here it is. :-)

Veronica's take on halitosis on this fine Easter Sunday:

Veronica was watching Jason apply deodorant and asked what he was doing. Jason explained that as you get older, certain parts of your body get stinky, like your underarms. "Your mouth can even get stinky, here, smell," he said, and as he hadn't brushed his teeth yet, he blew some breath in her face. Then he said, "Did you smell that?"

Veronica replied, "Yeah. I want to throw up."

Happy Easter, everyone.

A few days ago, Veronica was vexed that her favorite hat was in the backseat, near the door, far out of her reach from the carseat. I was sitting next to her on the other side, and it an attempt to divert her attention, I started asking her about the stamps on her hands. (They're rewards for participating in her weekly tumbling class.) I said, "What's on your hands, Veronica? Are those stars?" And she replied with something that sounded very much like, "Quit distracting me!"

Damn. I was hoping to get away with that move for at least another year or so.

Yay!

Veronica pooped on her potty tonight!

Time to log off and call Grandma and Grandpa.

A phrase Jason probably never thought he'd say:

"Bad girls wipe boogers on the sofa. Good girls wipe boogers on the tissue."

He he he....

One post at a time for the events of the past few days. Right now, a post about last night.

Veronica has quite the knack for stalling her bedtime. Every night she comes up with new and more clever ways of doing so. Last night she sat up in bed, still wearing the little sun hat she'd been wearing most of the day and holding her yellow bear, and wove a story before me. It went a little something like this:

Bear play peek-a-boo. He wake me. Audri smack him. I said no, bear! That not nice! Bear went outside. He went to the car. He sit in my seat! Audri try to get him. The door locked. We need Mommy to open the door. Mommy, open the door! Bear scared. He hear thunder. He cry. I say awww, poor widdle bear. Bear try to fight me. He got bigger. He turn into monster. He no want to turn into monster. He want to turn into people. I said no, bear! No turn into people! He got smaller. He no turn into people.

This went on for almost thirty minutes. At one point Jason asked her to take off her hat. She broke the "narrative," as it was, to say "NO, Daddy! Not 'til waiter! I talk to Mommy now!"

It was priceless. As her story went on, with me nodding and encouraging her and saying"What happened next?", Jason was on the floor trying to keep from busting out laughing. I had a hard time of it myself. Apparently the storytelling wore her out, as she fell asleep less than a minute after her head - finally sans hat - hit the pillow.

Frankly, Jason and I are just amazed at her coming up with her own original story that way, at this age. There was more to it as well; those were just the bits I remembered, the highlights, as it were. The bear and Veronica and Audri did a lot of other things too. It was quite clever, at any rate, and a definite surprise. I wish I could convey the sound of her little voice and her animated facial expressions and her gesticulations while she told the tale. It made me smile all day to think about it. I think it will for quite some time.

More cutesie things later, as a lot of little anecdotes have taken place in the past couple days.

More potty training fun.

I've been putting Veronica in "big-girl underwear" in the evenings, whenever we get the chance. Tonight she was playing in the living room and peed. So off we go to the bathroom, where Veronica is sitting on her potty, I'm using the toilet as a makeshift chair, and Jason's standing in the doorway should we need anything. The wet clothes are off of Veronica, and she's just sitting there in her socks and shirt.

The dialogue then goes something like this:

Jason: Did you pee in the potty, Veronica?
Me: Do you still have to pee more?
Veronica: I squeeze. I try to squeeze!
(Veronica presses her knees together tightly.)
M: You're trying to squeeze the pee-pee out?
V: Yeah. I try to squeeze the pee-pee!
(Veronica starts smacking her legs lightly.)
V: I cann'd do it. I cann'd get de pee out!
J & M: (stiffling giggles)
V: I can't get it to work!

Veronica may have had problems peeing, but Jason and I were about ready to wet ourselves. Too, too funny. And man, is my kid gonna hate me in a few years when she finds out I posted this little gem on the internet. ;-)

So as Veronica likes to dance and hear music, Jason came up with the bright idea last night to play our Spike Jonze video collection on DVD. For the most part, she loved it.

Her favorites, and the references will make sense if you've ever seen the video:

"California" by Wax ("Wanna see de guy wif de fire! He a firebender?")
"Feel the Pain" by Dinosaur Jr. ("Wanna see de ball in de water!")
"Weapon of Choice" by Fatboy Slim ("Wanna see him dance on de table! Wanna see him fly! He a airbender?")

And her very favorite:

"It's Oh So Quiet" by Bjork ("Wanna see de orange shirt! She wash her face, she have choc-late on it? Dere de umbrella!")

I think we now have the hippest kid in Ohio, if not the entire U.S. But is it really a good idea to expose my child to the same things that gave my generation a split-second attention span? Not like I have cable so she sees videos elsewhere...not like any of the so-called "music channels" play videos anymore, anyway....

Who knows. Just hearing her sing along with "I don't care 'bout that!" to Weezer's "Buddy Holly" is enough, though, to put aside my doubts and just enjoy the moment.

Some things you just don't expect to hear as a parent. Take, for instance, my conversation with Veronica yesterday after preschool:

Me: How was your day, Veronica? Did you go outside today?
Veronice: Max put rocks in my diaper.
Me: What? Max put rocks in your diaper?
Veronica: Yeah. Max put rocks in my diaper. They COLD.
Me: They were cold?
Veronica: Yeah. An' Michelle changed me. I said no Max, that not nice!
Me: Um...OK, then.

We confirmed with her teacher this morning that this incident did happen, although it wasn't Michelle who changed the diaper, it was Lori. In fact, Lori said Veronica told her that they were sticking rocks down each others' diapers, although neither Lori nor Max's mom reported any pebbles in his Pampers. Lori said she was watching them, sitting out in the playground gravel yesterday holding little buckets on their laps and dumping the gravel into them; she said they must've alternated between putting them in the bucket and putting them in each other's diapers.

Good lord. They don't warn you about THIS in the parenting books, do they? :-P

Of course, Veronica's vocabulary is growing. But every now and again, you get some bizarre little words and phrases that pop up.

The one that came up tonight was Veronica telling me "you a silly woman!" What? Yeah, the whole "you silly!" has come up several times, but where the hell did she learn to call me "woman"? Cute, accurate, and disconcerting all at the same time.

The other is her use of the word "tiny." As in, handing me a cup of milk and saying "I no like dat. It too tiny." Or saying the same thing when putting away a toy car, only to immediately pick up an even smaller car and play with it. It seems to have nothing to do with size. Whatever she DOES think "tiny" means, though, is a mystery. It seems to change every time. We've discerned the following Veronica definitions of "tiny":

Small
Dirty
Cold
Inferior

And she's using the first definition less and less.

I know kids her age are supposed to play with language, but I didn't know that words would change meanings entirely. Huh.

Poor Veronica. It stormed last night, pretty hard as a matter of fact, and she was terrified of the thunder. I've never quite seen her that scared of something, most likely because she just couldn't explain it.

So something happened last night that has never happened before in her almost 3 years:

She slept in bed with us.

It wasn't idyllic; I had to take off my CPAP mask eventually, unable to get comfortable, and Jason ended up on the sofa. Veronica kicked us like mad and actually requested once to return to her own bed before changing her mind.

But to have her snuggle up against us...snoring very quietly and oh-so-adorably...and to have her not make one move, totally content and safe, when the thunder rolled, because she was by my side...It was wonderful. Jason wonders now why we haven't done this sooner, and I'm agreeing.

So here I am in the Midwest. Bring on the storms. I have the best reason ever to love them.