To Vivian 2.2

Your language skills are exploding. Every day you seem to know a whole host of new words and expressions. And even your lisp seems to be going away a little bit. Hilariously, Grandma Helaine tried to deny that you have a lisp but that is hard to do since you say things like, "Printheth".

The other day after we dropped Stella off at school, we were walking down Columbus Avenue heading towards swim class. I had promised you that we could stop at Joe on the way so you could get a muffin. After a couple blocks of walking, you looked up at me and asked, "Where us going?" I reminded you that we were heading to swim class. You thought for a couple seconds and then said, "No. Us going to Joe." But we did go to swim class too and you did go under as you always do even though you often tell me you aren't going to. You love swimming so much and you are really relaxed in the water. When we get a noodle and tie it around your waist in what is known as a pretzel, you can really swim well. You reach and pull and kick your little legs and go all around the pool. We practice closed faces (where you close your eyes and mouth -- so adorable) and big open faces. You are getting pretty good at not getting water in your eyes, nose or mouth.

A few weeks ago on the same trek -- Joe then swim class -- I asked you if you wanted a muffin and you said yes. You were sitting in your stroller and you suddenly called out, "Maybe I don't want a muffin. I wanna go." I didn't quite understand so I asked for clarification and you said again "I wanna go." "You wanna go?" I asked. "No, I wanna go," you answered. This went on for some time before I figured out what you were saying. "Oh, you want a scone?" "Yes," you replied with a big smile. When anyone doesn't understand what you are saying, you will just continue to repeat yourself until they figure it out. You don't get impatient or even frustrated very often. You just keep repeating until understood.

You drop a load of consonants. For example, when we are going outside, you put on your "ewes". And you love to "yump" on the trampoline.

You love dogs and babies. You were so excited to get out of the elevator at our new apartment and peer into the apartment across the hall whose door was open. Your eyes almost popped out of your head because you saw a dog and a little baby. Speaking of our new apartment, when we were in the midst of moving in, Grandma Helaine took you and Stella somewhere and then you guys came over to the new place. I'm sure she gave you a pep talk on being enthusiastic and positive and you guys really took it to heart. You came in and told me, "Our new apartment is so bootiful" and you continue to say that often. "I love our new apartment. It is so bootiful." But I also know it has been a strange adjustment for you because a couple of times in the early days, we would be out and you would say, "I wanna go home" and we would return home and as soon as you saw the building you would burst into tears. That was kind of heartbreaking. But I think it must just be a big, strange adjustment for you so it is also understandable.

You are the hug kiss police. You won't let Ranny leave at the end of the day before she gives and gets a hug and a kiss from everyone. And you would never go to sleep without hugging and kissing me and Daddy and Stella. You say, "I love you" all the time and give lots of spontaneous kisses. All of these things help to make you the greatest two year old ever.

I am having the absolute best time with you. You are such good company and fun to talk to. You enjoy doing almost everything so it is always a pleasure to take you somewhere. It is a little bit of a drag that you absolutely will not put on a sweater or a coat even when it is cold outside. You also are not very happy to ride in your stroller and you are getting a little heavy to carry. And no matter how much I beg, you rarely let me do anything with your hair. Every once in a while I get two braids in there but not often. And when I trick you and get a barrette in your hair, I know that before too long you will realize it is there and take it out. This is too bad because you really need a barrette these days since your sister cut some bangs for you. I was pretty mad when I discovered this haircut. But mostly she is the most incredible big sister ever and you were definitely a very willing hair model. When I noticed after Stella had already gone to school, I asked you what happened and you happily told me "Tella cut it."

You love books and will pick out 8-10 books for us to read before bed. Your favorites right now are "The Very Hungry Caterpiller" and "Little Pea". These are also my favorites because it is so adorable to hear you read all the foods the caterpillar eats and all the candies Little Pea eats. With the former you say, "On Thursday one apple. On Thursday one two pears. On Thursday one two three plums" and so on. And then on the page with all the different foods, you point to each one and say what it is. My favorite to hear you say is "One alomi" (salami). And in Little Pea, you go through and name all the different kinds of candy and, again, every day is Thursday.

Thanks for being such super fun, cuddly, affectionate and wonderful daughter. I am really lucky.
Love,
Mom

Moving Day

After more than five years in our apartment -- and after looking at countless apartments, attending open houses and spending thousands of hours on street easy -- we finally moved into our own home that we own. Tonight is the first night that we are all sleeping here. We moved out of our old apartment three days ago and Daddy and I (mostly Daddy) spent a few frantic days unpacking and organizing things so that they would be ready enough for you guys. You had a couple of night at Grandma and Grandpa's house. We also had Thanksgiving thrown in there. And now we are all home. Our home doesn't have a kitchen yet and we still have loads of boxes, lots of bare lightbulbs, a bathroom sink that doesn't work and a million other issues. But it is home and we are very happy. Tonight we ate pizza on the floor. We'll probably be doing a lot more of that until our kitchen is finished.

Vivian told me tonight, "I love our new apartment. It is so pretty!" This was good to hear because recently whenever I mentioned the new apartment or maybe having to go there, she would immediately cry her eyes out. I think this is because she has spent far too many boring minutes here while I was talking to contractors and painters and trying to make decisions.

When Stella saw the apartment for the first time on Wednesday she said, "I LOVE the color of my room!" which made Daddy and me very happy because choosing a pink that we could live with and that she would love was no easy task.

Stella looked crestfallen when she saw that Vivian's crib was in a different room. They ARE sharing a room although they are sleeping apart for now. It was sweet to see how much Stella really genuinely wants to share a room with her little sister. Nevertheless, I lost Vivian for a moment tonight and I called, "Vivian, where are you?" to which she answered, "I in my room" meaning the room where her crib is. This is going to be confusing.

It is not really a bigger apartment than we had before but it feels like so much more space because of the way it is laid out. I am really excited to make a home for our family. Just in time for the holidays which are my favorite.

A possible new approach to the blog

I'm so far behind here and so busy getting ready for our move, so I am just going to try to write some shorter entries from time to time so that I don't forget all the super adorable things Vivian is saying and doing every single day now. And all the amazing changes and growth that Stella is experiencing as a Kindergartner. Like Stella can pretty much read now. She told me in a taxi yesterday that she can read. So last night I brought out an I Can Read Book for our nighttime reading. She read it really well. Then she told me she was actually tricking me when she told me she learned to read. But she really has.

And yesterday morning, Vivian opened one of my makeup compacts that has four colors in it. When she peered inside she asked, "Where little thing?" I asked her what she was talking about and she said, "Where pen?" She was looking for the makeup applicators that are in one of my other compacts. She does love to put on make-up.

She has also started carrying her "teptool" (step stool) around with her quite a lot. One day David found her standing on it with her hand in the silverware draw. When he asked her what she was doing she replied, "I getting a 'poon for Luke." All her babies and dolls are called Luke these days. Anyway, she picked out a spoon and then proceeded to pretend feed 'Luke' oatmeal. This evening, as I was reading books to her, she suddenly got up. I asked her where she was going and she told me "to get my teptool so I can turn off the light by myself." It was quite an effort but she pushed her step stool all across the apartment and into her room where she proceeded to turn the light on and off for awhile.