Pee Pee!!! Woo hoo!!!

Today Olivia went pee pee in the potty three times!  I've been planning to wait until the end of school to really potty train her because life has been so hectic.  But, I figure it is still worth blogging that today was the day she started to get the hang of how to go in the potty!  The potty plays a little tune as soon as she goes, and she is very proud of herself when she hears it.  We also make a big deal of it and she gets a sticker.  We recently started using a sticker chart for reinforcing good behavior and it seems to be working well for her.  For example, in order to get one in the car, she has to willingly let us buckle her into the seat, and arrive at the location with her shoes on.  To get one at dinner, she has to not throw any food on the floor.  When she gets 10 stickers, she earns a prize from the secret stash!  It backfired when I tried to use the sticker chart to get Livy to stay in bed at night, though.  I told her if she stayed in her cribby she would get a sticker in the morning.  Well, she was up at 5:30 a.m. and came into our room saying, "I'm ready for my sticker now!"  She never gets up that early!

Here is some of what Livy's been up to lately:

Helping in the garden.

Playing with Calico Critters from Nanny and Bop
(and some of my original Sylvanians :)

Snuggling on a sick day

Sitting on the potty with some good books.

Giggling with Daddy

Feeling Daddy's Whiskers

Many Thanks!

Livy had a great birthday and loved everything about it.  She was so excited to get packages in the mail just for her. This video shout-out goes to Ashley, Paul, Ender, Craig, Chrissy, Caleb and Lily for the special gifts that Livy adores!  Livy was so impressed when I told her Ashley made the kitty.

Q & A

As they were coming upstairs, I heard Olivia tell Kyle, "Olivia's a girl."  Then he asked a bunch of questions, and here are her responses:

"What's daddy?" "a boy."
"What's mommy?" "a girl."
"What's Nanny?"  "a girl."
"What's Scooter?"  "a dog."
"What's Chance?"  "a kitty."
"What's Grandpa?" "a nice guy!"
"What's Bop?" "a big boy!"
"What's Clara?" " a baby!"
"What's Emmy?"  "She good girl!"
"What's Rachel?"  "She good girl!"
"What's Laura?"  "She good girl!"
"What's Lily?"  "She good girl!"
"What's Uncle Craig?"  "A beard boy... A funny guy!"

Where does she come up with this stuff?

Yesterday, as we were driving by a Marshalls, Livy suddenly started clapping and pointing, saying "Yay!  Woo hoo!!!  We made it to the store!"  She knows a place to get a good bargain when she sees one!

I have no idea where Livy got this idea, but every time we get off at our exit in town, she points to a big old factory and says, "That's the hospital...Livy was born!"  I keep telling her that it is just an old factory and she was born in a hospital in a different place.  But the funny thing is, it is a tall brick building and does look quite a bit like a hospital.  So today, Livy points to the factory and says something like, "That's the hospital Livy was born!  That's NOT the hospital!  This weekend we gonna visit the hospital Livy was born so I can see it!"  It sounds like she was having a conversation, but that was all her talking!  Where does she come up with this stuff?  I guess we need to make a trip to Morristown!

Livy says her favorite animal is a walrus!  In her mind, the walrus is the star of two favorite books: Baby Beluga and Polar Bear, Polar Bear.  She looks for the walrus, points to him and says, "That's Livy's favorite one!"  I think he's a little scary looking, but she seems to love him!  Also, she does something else funny whenever you read the Polar Bear or Brown Bear Books.  Each time you ask what the animal sees, Livy keeps answering, "Livia."  "Brown Bear, Brown Bear what do you see?" "Livia!"

In daycare, when I went to pick her up today, her teacher said, "Livy is so smart.  She knows the answer to every question I ask the class.  She always has her hand up."  Maybe it's just me, but I didn't know kids under 2 even raised their hands! Ms. Caroline said Livy knows all about the weather and what happens in the different seasons.   So at home I tried asking her, "What happens in the springtime?  Livy answered, "The lions come out!"  hmmm...my guess is she is referring to March going in like a lion?  I guess she still has some learning to do.  haha!

I know she knows something about the seasons, because last week when it snowed, as soon as we went outside, Livy exclaimed, "Winter AGAIN?!"  That was my reaction too!  

The BIG slide

This weekend we discovered a fun playground that is only in the next town over.  It has a slide that even daddy couldn't resist.  Livy had such a blast.  Definitely seems like we found the next big thing!

Don't Laugh...

As I was rocking Livy in the chair before bed, she said she was thirsty so I called for Kyle to bring her up some milk.  Livy called down, "Dad, it's on the coffee table!"

When we got out of the car before Henry and Louisa's party, Livy cheered, "We made it to the city!  Yay!"

I asked Livy what she wanted to do at her birthday party.  She said, "Wanna wear a polka-dot dress!"

After we said bedtime prayers, Livy said, "I wanna come for a visit to Jesus.  When I get older?"

She is making a long mental list of things she wants to do when she gets older.  The amazing thing is how easy it is to appease her if we just say, "When you get older."  I was sucking on a lemon candy and she wanted it but I just said, "When you get older" and she said, "Okay!  When I get older I have lemon drops!"

Before she is about to do or say something funny, many times Livy gives the warning, "Don't laugh."  I think she is half talking to herself, like she doesn't want to laugh too soon and ruin the punch line.  She usually says, "Don't laugh" right when we park the car.  Then, when daddy or I go to the back seat to get her she asks, "Stay in car?!"  and pretends like she wants to stay in there.  We all end up laughing, especially because of the way she so seriously says, "Don't laugh."

An Unhappy St. Patrick's day

This year was a St. Patrick's day that I will never forget...but not for good reasons.  I got in a car accident driving Livy home from daycare.  Actually, it was right as we were pulling out of the daycare.  I don't feel like writing about the details, as I've gone over it so many times in my head and to other people already.  But, the main thing is we all walked out of it okay.  Livy and I were fine and the other driver just had a hurt knee (her car was totaled and our Jeep was beat up on the front driver's side).  It could have been much worse than it was, and I am so thankful that everyone is okay.  It was just another reminder of how much of life is beyond our human ability to control it.  I came close to one of my worst fears, but God protected us.  And in a way, I feel stronger as a mother knowing that I was able to deal with this terrible situation.