Weirdo

Are all kids this weird or is it just Veronica? I mean, I think her getting her air out thing is distinctly her but she is a whackjob in other ways.  Last night Felicity didn't want to go to sleep in her bed, she is sick with a viral upper resp. something and she has been MISERABLE.  Anyway, we were downstairs with her sleeping on the couch and then Mike said that he'd sleep downstairs with Felicity and I could go upstairs and try and rest, we had both slept about two hours the night before, so we were trying anything.  Anyway, I went to bed at 9:30 and at 11:30 Veronica was screaming and crying in her room.  At first I thought it was Felicity so I figured Mike could deal with her but then I thought why is he not?  I was so, so out of it, so beat.  Anyway, I figured out it was Veronica and I went to get her and I rushed her into my room, and she was coughing and coughing, so I got her some water and tried to settle her down, her nose was running and she was freaking out about it, so it took a while.  Honest to God, I want to say, call me when you have some *real* problems, I mean, a cough?  Do you want some cough medicine? I said, and she said NOOOOOOO!  (cough cough cough).  God helps those who help themselves, I told her, ha! No I didn't but only because I just now thought of it.  Anyway, at one point she had to cough but I guess she didn't want to bug me, so she ran out of my room, slammed my door, ran into her room, slammed HER door, (Maria was sleeping in there, FYI), and then coughed like Camille and then came back to my room, slamming the two doors again.  Then she jumped up on my bed and knocked the cup of water on it, making it necessary for me to change the fricken fracken sheets there at midnight or whatever it was.  But I can't say anything like hey! why in the hell are you running from room to room, STOP IT! because then she will cry Real Tears and then she will choke and cough more.  Anyways, I got her some Zarbees and made her take it - I mean, I didn't pour it down her throat but I would have and even though she kept going ON and ON about how she didn't like it, she took it.  It's medicine, I said, you're not supposed to like it but presumably we will ALL like it if you stop that infernal coughing.  She took it and lay down and by then Felicity was screaming so I went downstairs where I found poor Mike sleeping on the floor, because three-foot-tall Felicity had the big couch, so I sent him upstairs and stayed downstairs with her.

Mike said she was up a few times, but mostly she slept all night and today she is much better.  She was kind of wheezy so I took her to the Minute Clinic but she was clear as day once we got there and both she and Felicity pointed to the Perfectly Happy Face on the chart when they were asked how they felt.  So she is better, I guess.

She got a new (to her) bike for Christmas, and a scooter, both her bike and scooter got hit by cars in the driveway this summer so they had to be replaced.  She and Maria and Felicity got a Barbie Dream House and they all really like it.  Veronica is an excellent pretender, she will say to Maria, holding a doll, "Mom?  Want to make some of your delicious cookies?" and Maria will say, holding another doll, "I am not your mom and I hate cookies".  Maria doesn't understand the Rules of Improv I guess, sheesh.  But Veronica presses on, ever optimistic.  I got them all these fake glasses for their stockings and Veronica has worn hers practically every minute since, she is super cute.  Super cute and super weird.

November

Just like ten days ago, we had the girls' fall break and just a week ago, we went to a local park and I took this picture of Veronica:

Isn't that crazy?  Now it's pretty cold and we froze our heads off at Halloween trick or treating on Friday, ugh boo, it was awful!  AWFUL!  

We had a fun fall break, poor Felicity was sick on their first day off so we had to hang around home and Maria and Veronica were mad that we couldn't go to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center but what can you do?  On the second day of break, I took Veronica and Maria (and Charlie and Maddy) to see Sleeping Beauty at our local dinner theater.  They do a very cute thing for kids' shows, it only costs $15, and they have a snack of rice crispy treat and a juice box.  It was cute and we all went out to lunch afterward.  On the Monday, the last day of fall break, is when we went to the park, as pictured above.  So it was okay.  I'm not sorry I didn't take them somewhere overnight, I have liked doing that in the past, but more theoretically than actually.  

School is going good for her, and so's everything.  She is still a great eater, on Saturday Mike made them a pizza for lunch and Veronica ate five pieces.  "Five!", she told me, so proud.  

Here'a a Halloween picture:

First Conference

Today we have Veronica's first parent/teacher conference, which at the girls' school is child-led, which, ugh, is unimpressive to me, but whatever.  Veronica is too quiet and young for her to lead anything, much less a conference about her, but it was fine.  Her teacher seems to really like her and Veronica seems to love her teacher, they had a big hug when we walked in, it was cute.

She is doing well, her handwriting is great and she seems to be reading well for her age, which is to say she reads some 'sight words' and enjoys being read to.  She is so funny - she says "th" like "d".  So she'll say, mommy I know how to spell duh, and I say okay and she says t-h-e and I'm all, what?

She still gets a little sad sometimes at the end of the day, because she 'just misses me so much' but overall, she is doing just fine.  She is right where she should be.

Ernest Earnest

Veronica is very serious about her eating.  We went out to eat the other night and she ate her food and then lay in wait until Felicity finished and finisher her food, too.  It's funny because she was my littlest baby and never took a bottle, didn't like a spoon, had a hard time with the sippy cup and now look at her, eating for two and trying everything!  It just goes to show you never know.

Moving Along

Oh Veronica is so cute.  She kills me every day with her cuteness.  Also, she kills me with her ridiculousness and her attachment to me.  On Friday night, I got home from work somewhat early, for me, around 11:30.  I went right to bed, which was a good thing, since Felicity woke up screaming at 3:00 and scared Veronica into waking up too.  Mike took Felicity (who ended up having an ear infection and pneumonia) downstairs and I said nighty night! to Veronica but she was having NONE of it.  She cried and cried and I was afraid she'd wake up Maria so I took her into my room and to bed.

Which would have been fine, except I wasn't even permitted to roll away from her.  I had to stay lying on my side, facing her and holding her face in my hands.  WHICH wouldn't be a problem but I have terrible awful carpal tunnel syndrome and my hands and forearms were BURNING but there I lay, like a jackass, holding her face until she fell asleep, ONE hour later.  Hoo boy.

But mostly, she is wonderful.  I worked at the library this week and stopped by to say hi afterward and she was fine AND it wasn't as hot in her room, so that made me feel better.  She is so cute and sweet, she is really coming into her own.  My brother John is here visiting and I was thinking tonight of the last time he was here, he would do this imitation of her where he'd just throw his arms up in the air to be picked up, which is something she did all the time last year.  But now she never does it.  Now she is Veronica, five year old and kindergartner and she is doing just fine.  It makes my heart burst with pride.

Here's a hilarious picture, where this teensy girl looks a little chubby, even:

Veronica, Kindergartner

Veronica is doing ... better than I expected in Kindergarten, I'd say.  I think I was nervous that she would be weepy and miss me, and she may be and might, but she still goes every day and that's all I really care about.  I started volunteering in the library at their school and on Monday when I was there, some kids from the K were coming in for reading time but Veronica hadn't come in by the time I left.  So I stopped by to say hi, I was worried she'd know I was there (I had seen Maria and I knew she'd tell her) and I didn't want her to be upset but she got kind of upset anyway. I wiped her eyes and told her I'd see her in two hours and left and then I emailed her teacher and said I was sorry I had upset her.  Her teacher said, she was fine, she came running over to tell me you were here, ha!  What do I know?

Her room was really, really, really warm.  I mean, those kids are in synthetic wool jumpers, ugh!  Veronica was kind of pink cheeked and warm when I stopped by to see her.  I worry it's going to be just as bad in the winter but she really hasn't said anything about it so I don't want to either.

Last night we went to an ice cream social at their school, it was fun to see her running around with friends.  Her best friend's name is Isabella, she said, NOT Isabelle from last year but Isabella.  BELLA, Mom!, she'll say, ISABELLA, as if I am simple minded.  I hear you!, I tell her, everything has to be acknowledged, everything, with Veronica.  Last night on the way to school, she was talking so much, it was unreal.  Mike and I kept looking at each other, like, seriously?  This is Veronica talking like this?  Maria couldn't get a word in edgewise, ha!

Overall it's going well.  I bought her a cute Anna from Frozen costume for Halloween.  I want to get their costumes out of the way so I can avoid the stupid pop up Halloween store.  Veronica seems happy, she seems like she likes her teachers and friends, she doesn't eat much lunch but what can you do?  Here's some pictures!

Kindergarten

Ugh, worst life-recorder ever, I am!  What can I say, we had a long and arduous summer.  We visited every park, swam in every body of water, ate all the ice cream, ugh!  It's over now, because Veronica started KINDERGARTEN today!

I will say this and it is unlike me.  I took them in to school today and Maria took off, she started yesterday so she doesn't need me anymore.  I took Veronica over to where her teacher was and she gave Veronica a hug and I said goodbye and I kind of started to cry!  I had to shake my head hard to stop it!  I just - it's not that I will miss her, or that I am sad that she is growing up but it's just so exciting.  I told my sister today, it's literally the first day of the rest of her life and that is very moving to me.  But I just calmed myself and left.

I picked her up today and she was as cute as can be, she had a good day, she said.  I asked them what they had for lunch, as they are both having hot lunch this year and Veronica never had it before.  Maria said they had burgers for lunch but they also had sack lunch, so Maria had a sack lunch.  I said to Veronica, what did you have and she said "I had a boy-ger", which is just how she says it, which is HILARIOUS.  I knew she'd have that burger, too, she is a great eater.

Anyway, her teacher is great and they went to the same preschool!  Her teacher is super young but that's just how it's going to be for me, I figure.  I have reached an age where I am going to be older than all my kids' teachers, what can you do.

Here's a cute picture:

Miss Johanna

Here's the link to the post I wrote about Miss Johanna, the girls' ballet teacher for the last three years.

Almost Five

Those aren't real glasses, they are from Maria's 100th day of school, when she acted like a 100 year old lady.  I took this of Veronica the other night before her bath, she is so cute, isn't she?  I hope that she does okay in Kindergarten this fall.  I only have Maria to go by and Maria has done so well, but Veronica is a different person, SO different, I just don't know. I feel like - what is the point of having all these kids if one never learns anything?

I have to think of it a different way, I guess.  They're not robots, they are people and people are complicated.  Just because you know one kid who went to kindergarten, I guess it means you know one kid who went to kindergarten.  I just - I wish I could get ahead.

Anyway, back to Veronica.  She is still going full days on Tuesday, Thursday and every other Friday to school.  She loves it but I think she'd still rather go a half day.  But, and I say this lovingly, she is a lazybones.  I bought a new double stroller because she just refuses to walk places and I like to take walks.  I mean, part of growing up is putting on the yoke, as Mike says, and just getting to it.  I'm sorry that she is starting Kindergarten and has to go all day but that's how it is.  I can't let her not do stuff she doesn't want to do because if I did, she would sleep with me every night, and we'd spend all day with her wrapped around my leg.  NO THANKS!

What else.  She is fine, she is kind of weird, she is adorably loving and sweet.  We are having a birthday party for her in two weeks, she's excited and so am I.  It's nice to have a May birthday, I bet, hopefully the weather will be good and we can party outside with all her little school chums.

February

I know I never update, but there is nothing to say!  It's cold out and it's been cold out forever and we are sick of it!

Today is Wednesday so we are going to ballet.  Veronica recently moved up to Intermediate Ballet, and she is in a class with only four other girls.  Sometimes people don't make it and it's just her and ONE other girl.  She is doing really well, although she is not the most serious ballerina I've ever seen.  Is anyone, at four?  Maybe but not Veronica.

She wants to leave early at preschool.  There are kids there who do a 'short day', which is from 8:00-12:30 and Veronica goes all day, which is until 3:00 and which includes Quiet Time, which used to be a nap but after the new year has turned into actual quiet time, during which they can read or play quietly.  Veronica is not too into it, but as I was discussing the other day with some friends who also have four year olds, I think she is just being contrary.  Yesterday I picked them up and she said she had a GREAT day!  I think if she is a little bit tired and can appreciate the quiet time, she likes it but if she doesn't want to relax and be quiet, then she hates it and hates school and doesn't want to go anymore.  And, to quote a popular phrase, ain't nobody got time for that.  Just because SHE is four years old doesn't mean that I am four years old.  I figure it's my job to reassure her that even though sometimes days don't go exactly like you like, you have to keep going because it might get better.  Also we have paid for full days and that is what she is doing, ha!

She's kind of weird - she won't go to the movies until she is ten, because they are too loud, she won't get her haircut until she is grown up because it hurts, if she is itchy she licks her hands and then scratches, I mean really.  Weird, right?  I am letting her let her freak flag fly for the most part, but I told her that she is going to have to cut that licking stuff out once other people start to see it.  It looks unsanitary, I told her.

She doesn't like to eat before school, but apparently she gets really hungry around 9:30.  I know that because she bugs me and bugs me so that I have to feed her every five minutes around then.  We are getting to the point where she is ready to do something all day, every day, but she's not in Kindergarten yet, so I have to keep her entertained and mollified all the other days.  It's hard because Felicity is here too and I don't really WANT to look into Veronica's eyes all day and repeat every word she says back to me, I mean, who would?  I told my sister the other week, Veronica 'played' Old McDonald on the TAMBOURINE and I had to listen, rapt, to every note.  And ps, it DID NOT sound like ANYTHING!

I know.  I know I will miss these days.  But not yet, right now it all makes me dread the summer.