pee pee in the potty anyone?

I can't believe I am about to say this, but girls are really different than boys. Viv peed in the potty today. She has been asking periodically for about a month, and show even more intermittent interest in actually sitting on the potty. Tonight, with the bath running, she insisted. Not one to stand in the way of my VERY vocal daughter, I let her sit on the potty chair as long as she wanted. A few minutes later, success! She smiled and smiled, and put her hand between her legs to touch the warm pee in the receptical. Old enough to use the potty, but not old enough to understand not to touch it. Zach was almost a year older when he finally caved and started to use the potty. She is not even 2 yet, and can pee pee in the potty. I can't imagine being more proud than I am today.

first steps

Viv took 3 tiny steps all on her own today!!

Viv at her 18 month:

Weight: 25 pds 3 ozs. 75%
Height: 31.5 inches. 50%
Head: Healthy, growing at just the rate it should.

Happy day.

Finally! Some TEETH!

As I've already told nearly everyone I contact in any way, Viv FINALLY got her two front teeth in! At nearly 17 months, she had one of the most protracted teething periods I know of. But they have finally arrived. Hurrah!

Lest you feel sorry for us and girl who has been eating mush for her entire life, know that late teething is associated with late puberty! Seriously, who DOESN'T win when your daughter hits puberty after she moved out of the house. Hurrah, squared!

Pics will follow eventually...

best laugh of the day

Check it. Thanks Tracy.

Water Sports

My children are Austinites, born and raised, so they are no strangers to stifling, miserable, breathtaking heat and humidity. It's a fact that you can't spend more than 30 seconds outside (the time it takes to get into your car and the AC cranked), before you have gone from dewy, to drippy, from head to toe. The only way to avoid this sticky salty fate is to either a) drink cold margaritas, and/or b)stand under a spray of cold water. Still too young for this TexMex fav, we stick to sprinkles.


Zach has never been too impressed with sprinkles. Mostly, he just likes to experiment with the spinning parts on the sprinkler head. But since Viv joined the fun, he has a renewed interest in these light water sports. So, his favorite outdoor activity is to follow Viv around with the sprinkler head dangling over her head, or perhaps just take the nozzle off and insert the gushing hose down the back of her swimsuit. Viv is a terribly good sport about all this, but she too has limits.

Helicoptors

It seems that 3 year old boys generally go through some very predictable obsessions. Garbage trucks, recycling trucks, excavators, backhoes, dump trucks, etc. Lately, it's helicoptors. He has two special helicoptors that he has recently named Bird and Pillow. I suppose there is probably some logic to those names -- fly like a bird, land on a pillow? Anyway, there is a lot of love there. Sometimes he leaves one in my car while he is at school, to take a nap, and gives it a cuddle when he returns. At night, creative bedtime storytelling ALWAYS stars either a camping trip (more on that later), or Bird and Pillow.

So, while back there was a family day at Camp Mabry, and they had all kinds of helicoptors on display for kids to see up close. Wouldn't you know, there were throngs of boys under five and their dads swarming every one of those displayed. Despite the heat, the crowds and the very pronounced 'i-have-a-napitude' at that late hour, Zach was in heaven. Vivi stuck it out like a champ and was rewarded with some delic ice cream.

Hey hey Happy Mother's Day!

For Mothers Day, my dear family sent me out on a long anticipated shopping trip -- to get a new bike! My last bike was lifted from the condo on Waring Road, more than 10 years ago. Pathetic, how long it took me to finally replace it. But now I have a sweet ride, complete with lots of shocks, lovely upright positioning that allows me to see what my neighbors are up to while cruising the hood, and a dipped top tube that is easy for my skis to clear when mounting up. I fastened up the child seat, and have had many great adventures with my tiny Weisses already.

Here we are on the way to Zach's school:

grr

For the last time, I do not LIKE cold sprinkles.

Easter 08

Catching up, once again, we had a lovely Easter celebration this year. We started reading books and talking about the Easter bunny about a month before the big day. Excitement built as we made plans to go to church (!), brunch with friends, and hunt eggs all over town. In anticipation, Zach attended several pre-Easter egg hunts. Practice rounds, really. He started to get the hang of this whole, Easter-Bunny-loves-me-and-brings-me-special-treats thing. After seeing a neighbor's grandson scuttling about on his bicycle, he insisted that the Easter Bunny was going to bring him a Toot Wheeled bike. Given the sugar shots the E.B. injects in to our young boy, I thought it only fair that she give him an outlet for all that foreign energy, and I gave her the go-ahead.

So here's how it went down: the kids checked out their goodie baskets, Zach cruised on his new bike, and we suited up in our Sunday best. We went to church, made a rukus and cut out of there before anyone could catch us. (I think Zachary can be accurately quoted as having said "I don't LIKE church." while we were seated in pew 6 during the sermon.) We came home for a FANTASTIC brunch on the deck with the D'Andreas. (They also went to church and misbehaved, but I don't think they will admit to it.) Naps commenced, and all was quiet for a little while. Then we hit our third, no, make that fourth, Easter egg hunt.

It was a good time. Except, the candy mysteriously disappeared shortly after Easter. Doesn't the E.B. know about no-take-backs?

Spring Fever?

I love spring. I love spring. If you have ever read Toot and Puddle, then you will understand what I mean when I say that spring makes me feel like Puddle (i.e., I want to be home all the time), while winter makes me feel like Toot (in other words, I want to get the heck out of Dodge!)

Here in our urban paradise, things are just bursting with spring-y-ness. We found a fist size bundle of frog eggs in the pond. (Yippee, we didn't kill everything in the pond over winter!) Within days of noticing the treasure, the little tadpoles broke free and are busy dodging hungry goldfish and koi. Watch out, little guys!




Vivi discovered the joy of putting food on her head. That's always funny. Zachary picniced with Gabby out on the lawn -- always fun, too! We've had many trips to soak at the fountain park... and countless other springtime activities. So many, we are worn out by mid-afternoon. And we love that about spring, too!

Spring Break!

We had lots and lots of fun play dates planned for the week of spring break, starting with a date with Zach's gal pal, Soli. They have been a couple since his days in the preprimary class. Sure, Zach has moved into the older class now, but it doesn't stop this lovesick couple from finding a moment to clasp hands and giggle nearly every day! Even on spring break...

Early in the week, Vivi came down with the flu and an ear infection, so our plans had to be re-evaluated. A quick trip to the doctor after a record household high temp of 104, and she was on Tamiflu, the miracle drug. Within 12 hours, she was back to her normal self. We gave her the requisite rest, and were off to more adventures where she could rest comfortably in the stroller. Like the RODEO!


God bless Texas, it was a phenomenally fun affair. Not too many folks, plenty of healthy livestock to pet, and the rides... Zach is still talking about the helicopter he flew. Because it was just the 3 of us, I stayed with Viv while he braved the rides solo -- you should have seen him clinging to the black carosel horse for dear life. Apparently the carosel spins at warp speeds, but our boy accepted the challenge with a stiff upper lip; til the ride stopped.

There was a birthday...

Alright, so we are not as on our toes as we used to be. Or maybe it's just that our toes are distracted.

Either way, Vivian had a birthday. A HUGE birthday. No, there was not a massive party, nor were there banners flown overhead, but there may as well have been. The way I calculate it, the first year of her life was a series of hurdles, ranging from bothersome to life threatening, and by-gosh, by-golly, our girl has cleared them all and made a name for herself in the process. She's suffered more poking, proding, nudging, pill popping, puking and poo interventions than the rest of her family combined. And yet she is still a charming, loving snuggler with steely resolve and iron will. A mother could not be more proud of any one year old.

As for the stats, she nearly average height and just over average weight. Far above average in the 'darling' category.

Following her first birthday, we scheduled her for a "probe and irrigation." In other words, she went in to have her tear ducts roter rootered out so she will finally be free of the nasty goop eyes. The surgery was outpatient, thank goodness, and seemed to cause her no discomfort. She did, however, shed tears of blood for twenty four hours following the procedure. And given the year that she has had, I think it is entirely fitting. Someday I will get around to detailing it all here on this blog, but I am not quite ready to relive it all. I am just so pleased that we can say it's behind us, and look how well we all faired.

Here's to my girl, Vivian Sophia Diana Weiss. May you find every morning more beautiful than the last.

brainwashing our son

Some people teach their children how to play fireman. Or police man. Or gardener.

Here in the Weiss household, we teach our boy to be an angst filled guitar player or a big firm lawyer. He mastered guitar player last year, so guess what we are working on now. With an ice chest as a keyboard, a plastic cell phone and mouthful of an employer, the only thing he needs now is a blackberry to cuddle up with at night.

New Video

Alrighty, the cupcake video is reposted below. My new favorite.

A surprising choice of lovers...

In preparation for a great love affair, or at least a match that was approved by us, Jesse purchased 3 Miss Mouseys for Vivian. After all, Zach and Deedee were an arranged pairing, so why not play matchmaker for Vivian as well?! Because she had designs on something else, that's why not. Her beloved Bullseye. Her crib is stocked with soft toys and this is the one she choses more often than not.

Here are our children and their partners during a Christmas nap.

Conspiring to Undermine Me.

The dissidents at what will be written in history as the Battle of Cupcake Hill. As if I wouldn't have noticed his dye stained face.



For what it's worth to Zach when he reads this as an older child, I DO let him eat a whole cupcake, but only when I make it using only ingredients with 5 or less syllable names.

Also, you may have noticed that Zach is narrating events as they unfold. He does this with all things. All the time. He is the designated Narrator of Life.

Who wore it better?!?!

Our lucky girl has not suffered an insult to the eye, as our boy had, but merely suffers an insult to vanity as we try to strengthen her eyes with daily eye patching. Fortunately, we procured only the cutest in eye patchery for her.