What's So Great About Veronica?

• She is the sweetest thing.  I always say that I get all blame when the kids are crazy and loud and obnoxious because that is much more in keeping with MY personality, while everyone knows that Mike is the kind of person who has birds come and land on his shoulder.  And it's just funny, but it's also true that Mike is sweet and gentle and so is Veronica, in the same way.  She totally does get that from him.  
• She is incredibly cuddly.  I am trying to focus on the greatness here, since sometimes it can be a bit much.  
• She shares everything she has.  She's not a sucker about it or anything, she will keep what she wants, but mostly if it's not going to kill her to part with it, she will.  
• She has beautiful, perfect teeth.  When I think about how she had that big giant chomper for so long and looked so funny I can't believe it!  
• I think if she were on her own, she'd be a late sleeper.  We'll never know but I'll assume it.
• Now that she is conversing so much, I can see and hear more of her sweet personality and it's been so fun.  Even though she is a quiet, sweet butterfly of a person, she has her own feisty personality.  I have no concerns about her starting school this fall, in fact, we're all excited about it!
• She has a scratchy adorable voice.  
• She says slipperty when she means slippery.
• She is starting to sing a little bit and it's so, so cute.
• She was so scared at swimming at the beginning of the summer and she has really, really taken off.   She is scared every day but she pushes through it and it's a great thing to see and a great thing to emulate, now that I think about it.  

The Mystery of Veronica Vep

Many moons ago, my friends Chuck and Lebron were a hilarious production of The Mystery of Irma Vep at the Phoenix Theater here in Indianapolis.  Chuck and Lebron played a billion characters and one of them, played by Chuck I think, said "Janey" in this way that was really funny and has stayed with me for years, so much so that if I meet someone named Jane, I have to say it that way that he did.  I wish I could add a video clip but that seems like a lot, but it's kind of a ... ugh I can't do it justice, but anyway it was great and like I say, I think of it a lot.  I wish I could get her to call me Jane.

Veronica says LOTS of words like this.  She makes, like, a super long A or something.  So she says, Mama, can I have some lemon-ay-ud? for lemonade.  It cracks me up.

And it's a good thing it makes me laugh because sometimes she drives me bonkers.  She was super, super bad in church today.  It's about 150 degrees in our church because we've been baking like cupcakes all summer and there is no air left, and all Veronica does is wrap herself around me.  I suppose it's good that she doesn't run away from me anymore, she is leaving the confessionals alone, thank God, but man.  Why can't she just SIT THERE?  The priest knows how hot it is, so the Mass is pretty quick, like 50 minutes or something, so how hard is it?  Pretty hard for Veronica, is I guess the answer.

Her new teacher called today, we're going to meet with her on 8/22.  Both girls have preschool sponsored park playdates starting this week, and we are going to the fair and the museum, so it should be a fun week.  Ha ha ha boo hoo, I always think that and it never really is.  

Even More Talking

Seriously.  She will NOT shut up.  Hoo boy, it's crazy.  I was telling my parents this last night, as an example of her extreme talkitude.  Yesterday Anthony was in the bathroom downstairs and, as usual, Veronica picked that exact time to have to go.  So I said go upstairs already and she did.  THEN of course she yelled for me to come upstairs because I had shut both bathroom doors up there, so up I went. I opened the door to the upstairs/kids bathroom but she wanted to go in mine, she said.

We went into my room and she was yapping away, telling me the reason she wanted to go in my bathroom was because her butt fit better on the toilet in my room, the toilet in her room was WAY too big, she said.  It's true, the one in their bathroom is an oval shape and it's just a circle in my bathroom.  I know that's a lot of information about our toilets, but what can you do.  Sooo, we go into my room and she proceeds to pee, which I know because she says "I peeing, mommy!".  She says how when she's done, we can flush the toilet and I say, I'll flush it after you want, if it's too noisy.  She says, NO, this toilet does not flush too loud, but the other one does.  She says "I don't like loud noises but I like quiet noises, like this:" and she puts her index finger up to her mouth and, dirty looking me the whole time, says SHHHHHHHHHH.  I said okay, then, so she finished peeing and jumped up and flushed the toilet, talking the WHOLE ENTIRE time, "see Mama, I fine, I don't mind this noise because it's a quiet noise and I like quiet noise just not loud noise like the potty in my room is too loud but this is fiiiiiiine". Sheesh.  SHEESH.

She did great at swimming yesterday and she VOLUNTEERED to go out with Mr. Isaac, swimming.  At one point, I was sitting there with Felicity, who was standing holding on to the bench, and I noticed Veronica was crying so I went over.  I said "what is wrong?", she seemed SO upset and she said "Mr. Isaac won't let me go first!".  Ugh.  I shooed her away and went back to Felicity.  It's annoying but so funny that a month ago she wouldn't get in the pool and now she's mad she can't show off her dog paddle.

Three weeks from Monday they start back to preschool.  What a difference a year makes, right?  I was worried she'd never be able to leave me and now she can't wait to get back!