Vivian Paige: SIX

07.03.2020 (except I'm writing this post in February 2021... ooops #2020)

Viv is SIX! and I can hardly believe it. 

Viv lately

-38.3lbs 44in, 9th and 18th percentile respectively (still TINY!)

-Clothes.. 5-6T 

-She's still an awesome sleeper, but like her dad she is an early riser and finds a project  

-She is still at the Montessori school 5 days/week 8:30-4 and she loves it! She is in Ms. April's Primary classroom 
-She is doing ballet and soccer
-We went to DISNEY!!! again.... 
-She raised over $1000 for the American Heart Association for the THIRD year in a row
-She is the BEST big sister!! They have their quarrels, but goodness she loves and nurtures that little best friend of hers. She always stands up for him and protects him. She is his biggest cheerleader!
-

Her "quirks"kept us on our toes... here are just a few...
-She can't close her lips when she's wearing lip gloss or lip stick so she talks funny and drools a little bit
-I am fairly confident she says more words daily than there are in the dictionary... the girl NEVER stops talking
-She has a little OCD
-She's a little pack rat! She collects, stores, hides, and packs all kinds of odd things
-Her favorite color(s) right now: "hot pink, turquoise, lavendar (light purple in case you aren't familiar), and light yellow. 

Milestones

-Reading (in her head)
-Addition and subtraction, and newly working on multiplication (at six?!?!)

_Telling time
-It's fascinating to watch her little brain grow right before our eyes. She has matured so much over the last year and watching her thoughts play out has been incredible. 

Likes
ANYTHING Rainbow Unicorn!

Reading and writing: she has a collection of journals and is constantly drawing and writing

Getting her nails painted
Playing with friends: she is consistently setting up playdates by writing letters to her friend's parents and passing out my cell phone number 
Her brother
Church
Books
Playing pretend- princess, teacher, mommy, shopping, cooking, dressing up
Looking at pictures and videos of herself (vain much? haha)
Coloring/painting
Puzzles

Singing
Dancing- she just can't stop the feeling! 
Being outside
Swimming
Movies/TV.... Faves are 

Food: Her favorite meal is still salmon and brussel sprouts (she requested it for her birthday), and she's great about trying new things, but don't get me wrong, there's nothing like a good carb or a pound of sugar!! 

Dislikes

Not getting her way

Being patient

Pictures (over the last year):

6th Birthday!!
We celebrated !

Ford Ryan: FOUR

 9.14.20 (posted February 2021... oops)

Our guy is FOUR! 

Ford Ryan, you continue to be our little "sour patch kid"... you have always had the SWEETEST soul and are so sensitive, but boy do you have a little sour side. You never pass up an opportunity to remind us how much you love us, and ask daily to do special things for your "sissy" to show her how much you care. Lately, you have requested to buy her "beautiful jewelry" and colorful flowers- because you know her so well (better than I do)... remember that time you asked to buy her flowers and I convinced you to select the white tulips that match my decor so well even though you were sure she would prefer the multi-colored daisies? And you were right. You're going to make some girl very happy one day, but in the meantime, keep spoiling your sister and I. But don't get me wrong... that little sour side pops in on the daily. You make it known if you aren't happy with something, or someone.. and boy can you give some looks! 

You keep us on our toes all.of.the.time. You NEVER slow down. Your little mind is always at work. You are very curious and quite mischievous. You love to learn how things work... so much so, you broke the toilet at school in an attempt to discover its inner workings. Lucky for you, you have the absolute best teacher and she promptly bought a book to help explain how toilets work. Anyone need to know what the flapper does? Ford's your guy. You take things apart, break things, steal them away and are constantly searching to learn the ins and outs of every single item that crosses your path. Most of this drives us all mad, but we know that one day it will serve you well. Just NOT TODAY!

School has been a challenge lately. After daddy left for deployment you had a rough go. Getting you IN the building was an everyday battle thanks to a little separation anxiety. Nonnie fixed that with her bright idea to send a picture of the family with you to school- that brought you so much peace.. and us too. There were also a LOT of visits to the office due to little outbursts and an inability to listen or stay on task. You were even politely asked to leave the nap room (and go home after lunch- for 2 months) because you refused to sleep or be quiet. This is still a work in progress, but you have been welcomed back into the nap room and are doing great! The visits to the office have lessened... although you visited yesterday for biting (have we regressed to a 2 year old??!) and (purposefully) pushing a metal object through your shoe until it broke to "see how strong it was". Like I said, a work in progress. Daddy being back home has helped you settle a ton, but we have also begun play therapy to help you recognize and manage your emotions... and hopefully reduce the number of love letters we receive from the office. 

You've had a busy year! and we are SO proud of the little person you have become. Truly no longer a baby.. although you will always be my baby. We can't wait to see what the next year brings as we continue to watch you fearlessly grow into the person God created you to be!

Just Ford:

-35lbs 40in and has "super muscles!"

-He is wearing 4T clothes

-He is a great sleeper (7:30-6:30), it's the going to sleep (master staller) and waking up (mischievous man lurking through the house at wee hours of the morning) that is the issue. Last winter, Adam converted his crib to a toddler bed and removing that physical barrier opened the floodgates... we could NOT get him to stay in bed after that. SO, he bought himself a crib tent and has been living in that until this week. The only reason it has been removed is because he learned how to let himself out. Pray for us. 

-He is quite the planner. He likes to know the play by play of each day and his favorite question is "what's after nap?" PS nighttime sleep is the "long nap" and daytime naps are "short naps" so all sleep is a nap. Naps are very confusing topics in our house

-He's got some big goals/plans. For instance, he told me  "I just need to go to the store and buy a space suit and a rocketship and some air and water  and dried fruit and I can zoom into space!" easy peasy
-He is still in the primary classroom with Ms. Sally Sue at the Montessori school 5 days/week

-He is a busy body and is always climbing on something or someone (I have bruises to prove it)

-He is very intrigued by the cardinal directions and asks which direction we are going at every turn.

-He likes to point with his middle finger

-He has some BIG emotions with quite the 'little' outbursts- screams, cries, runs to his room, throws and punches things- Santa brought him a punching bag for Christmas.  

-He is deciding what he wants to be when he grows up... it's between a pilot, an astronaut, a truck driver or Sharkboy

Milestones
-Ford talk: "stachios": pistachios; "flipball": football; "smarshmallows": marshmallows; "penny tank": piggy bank; "croncrete": concrete; "oggles": goggles; "chickalay": Chic-fil-A (I'm not sure we'll ever call it by its correct name again). "shimmer show!" this took us months to figure out- turns out it was his version of "Illumination" as said by minions in the opening credits of Illumination films. He replaces and & also with 'even' ie. "Can I have an apple even a pear". Instead of "is in" it's "lives in" ie "My bed lives in my room" "Jack lives in my classroom" thats a funny one
-Counts to 30
-He knows all of his letters, can write his own name (at 3.5) and is learning to sound out and spell words

-He calls letters 'numbers', but numbers are also 'numbers'
-He learned which finger is the pinky finger so he can make pinky promises
-He has a good arm- he can throw like a boss!

 Likes
-He LOVES his "sissy", or "ViviAUN", and is always concerned about her. She can make him laugh and smile like no one else. Warms this mamas heart! What does NOT warm this mamas heart is when he copies and repeats his sister- Lord, give me strength!
-Favorite colors: blue and green

-Sticks, dirt and rocks
-"nap clothes" ie PJs- this is all he would wear if we allowed it. He's even snuck his nap clothes under his school clothes at times
-Books/reading
-Asking Alexa how to make "snowman cupcakes"
-His sparkly jumpsuits (thanks mom)
-Fridays! aka ICE CREAM DAY! 

-Movies/TV: Grizzly, Sharkboy and Lavagirl, Home Alone (allll the tricks), Dennis the Menace (I swear he is Dennis- it was probably a terrible idea to allow him to watch that movie!)
-BALLOONS!!
-Basketball, soccer, baseball
-Jumping! and climbing
-Swimming/water

-Foods: snacks! waffles (sometimes still frozen), peanut butter, chicken, cheese, blueberries, bananas, grapes, smoothies, pizza, yogurt, "special treats"

Dislikes
-Not getting his way
-When he thinks he's in trouble. He lives to make everyone happy!
-Loud noises!
-Broccoli- just the mention of it
-Wearing any article of clothing EXCEPT his "nap clothes" ie pajamas

Look how I've grown!

Ford Ryan: THREE

9.14.19 (posted on 11.4.19....a feeeew months late)

Our guy is THREE!!?? How can that be?? Seriously, this birthday hit me like a truck!.... Which is fitting since trucks are basically part of a 3-year-olds DNA. But sloooowwww doowwnnnn!!!

Ford Ryan, you are just the sweetest. You already have such a servant heart, always thinking about others first, anticipating needs, and making sure the ladies in your life are well taken care of. You hold my hand when we cross the street so I won't be scared or get hurt, and will kill pretty much any bug for me. One of your favorite sayings is "It's for you, Mommy!". You tell us "I love you too" at least 10 times a day. You always grab 2 snacks just in case sissy wants one too. And just last week you made sure your sweet little friend Aspen had a glass of water before you even sat down to your meal... and that's saying a LOT because food is LIFE! Speaking of food, you haven't met a 'snacky' you don't like, but BOY are you messy! Luckily, you're a little OCD like mom so you (usually) clean up after yourself.

Just last year we called you our "sour patch kid" because while you were oh so sweet, the claws would come out if you even thought you were in trouble... which you often were. There was a little stent at school where I was sure we were going to be expelled. You were a little trouble maker, rough and tumble, a "happy tornado" as your SAINT of a teacher lovingly called you, you screamed at nap time, instigated your little friends, and was not afraid to stand up to even the adults. Your teacher would send notes home when you were GOOD and shared that you made her work harder than any other child in her 10 year career. Yet, she never gave up on you. We are SO lucky to have Ms. Jami. But just like every season, that has passed and we're all stronger because of it. You've learned to control your reactions. You still hate to be in trouble, but your reaction now is to cower a little and do everything you can to be in our good graces again. Just so you know, we love you no matter what! Even when you pee on the rug because you were "coloring and had to go potty", or let yourself out the front door (with snacks) while mommy showers, or empties an entire bottle of goo-gone on every surface of your room... or a bottle of hand sanitizer on your FACE! I'm sure I'm missing some. Our daily prayer is just to keep you alive.

You LOVE your sissy and follow every move she makes, although you are really starting to show us just how wildly independent you are! You think Viv is the coolest cat and oh so hilarious! But let me just tell ya, you are pretty funny yourself. You have the silliest and most daring little personality. You are a little jokester and are constantly making us laugh. You have a comment, noise or power stance for pretty much every situation. You are fearless, yet timid, and approach people with caution but objects with no restraint. You make us laugh everyday and I could just listen to your long southern draw all day long... "Agaaaain". You have taught us what having a boy really means... dirt is an accessory, all things are climbable, and bugs are the COOLEST.

You've had a busy year! You've been potty trained, moved up to the big kid class at school, and even willingly allowed a tarantula to crawl on your face. We can't wait to see what the next year brings as we continue to watch you fearlessly grow into the person God created you to be!

Just Ford:

-29lbs 36in and has "super muscles!"

-He is wearing 3T clothes

-Sleep is great! Sleeping 7pm to 7am, with 1 2-3 hour nap/day. We cut out the pacifiers last December and haven't looked back... He still has to sleep with the stuffed animal portion of the pacifiers (he had 'wubbanubs'- pacifiers with animals attached). He calls them his "babies" along with a "mommy" and a few other stuffed toys he can't sleep without. The stuffed toys obsession started at about 2 and a half. There was also a short period where he had to kiss every.single.door before going to bed.
-He is still at the Montessori school 5 days/week 8:30-4 and he's thriving in his new primary (big boy) classroom! His teacher is Ms. Sally Sue and she's wonderful! She describes Ford as eager to learn, inquisitive, precise, focused and a "joy".
-He LOVES food. The boy NEVER.STOPS.EATING! Ever.


Milestones
-Speaking in full, coherent sentences. He stuttered for about 6 months and still gets a little hung up when he's excited, but for the most part he has grown out of stuttering.
-Ford talk: "hoppiter" (helicopter), "Era tops" (triceratops), "climber" (ladder), "ting tong" (doorbell), "plugger" (anything that plugs in), "hole hole" (paper towel roll), "tv show" (remote), "shooter" (gun), "swimming pools" (swimsuit), "cinderella" (umbrella). "Jasman and Jasgirl" (Aladdin and Jasmine)... Can you tell he has an older sister?? "yours (insert object here)" (instead of your), "makes me so so hot" (anything that burns), "you came back!!" (anytime we come home)
Aaannnnnddddd my favorite quote: "Only mommy can touch daddy's wood"... he told his teacher this after I told him not to mess with a pile of lumber in the garage.
-Counts to 11 or 12
-He has been potty trained since April. MUCH easier than sister! But in typical boy fashion, he always asks for "privacy"  so he can sit on the pot for a minimum of 20 minutes...
-Dresses himself. He was SO excited the first time he made his hands go all the way through his shirt sleeve! He used to always put his pants on backwards, and I was pretty sad when he figured out the correct way to do it
-He has a good arm- he can throw like a boss!

 Likes
-He LOVES his "sissy", or "ViviAN", and is always concerned about her. She can make him laugh and smile like no one else. Warms this mamas heart! What does NOT warm this mamas heart is when he copies and repeats his sister- Lord, give me strength!
-Sticks and rocks
-Cars, trucks, planes
-Books
-Dinosaur and buzz lightyear "nap clothes"
-Buzz Lightyear
-Spiderman
-BALLOONS!!
-Basketball, soccer, baseball
-Jumping! and climbing
-Killing bugs with his "shooter"
-Swimming/water
-Foods: waffles (sometimes still frozen), peanut butter, chicken, cheese, apples, oranges, smoothies, pizza, yogurt, "special treats"

Dislikes
-Not getting his way
-When he thinks he's in trouble. He lives to make everyone happy!
-Loud noises!
-Swim lessons
-Wearing any article of clothing EXCEPT his "nap clothes" ie pajamas

Look how I've grown!
3rd Birthday

Family

Trip to Austin!

The kids in their gear from Africa!

Our Lola girl

 

Friends

Shenanigans.... Always up to something!

Just Ford