Window shopping

Entry: 12/31/03

We went in search for Santa to tell him what she wanted for Christmas...a scooter and a ball.  Luckily, Uncle Shannon got her both!  She thinks that Santa stopped by to tell Shannon what Nicki wanted.  So when asked who got her the scooter, she may answer Kow-Foo (Shannon) or Santa

Kow-mo, Kow-foo, and Mom....Poa-Poa and MEA

Entry: 10/31/03

She was "Little Red Hiding Hood"...at least that's what she'll tell you.  

Picking pumpkins

At John and Carol's wedding and raking leaves in MI

Entry: 11/20/03

We went to GR for John & Carol's wedding and to celebrate Nicki's 3rd birthday.  It was great to see everyone.  Some highlights:

After putting on the dress for the wedding, "tomboy" Nicki twirled around and said "I pretty".  She was a dancing machine at the reception!  The 10 piece band even serenaded her with "When I fall in love".  

Nicki probably believes Michigan and/or Grandma is associated with cake.  She got cake at the wedding rehearsal, at the wedding, the day before her birthday, and on her birthday!

The family got to witness first hand "circle time".  It's a time where Nicki is the "teacher".  She played music, danced, read, and played catch with us all.  We got to see her special wind up of the ball.  It's where she winds up her left arm like there's no tomorrow only to stop and throw the ball, which is in her right hand.  :) 

Entry: 10/27/03

 It's been a busy month.  Not sure what was accomplished but pure exhaustion has set in.  Some topics:

Dreams: Nicki is having nice dreams about Daddy.  Apparently, "he bonks her on the head with the ceiling".  After she tells me this, she belly laughs.  This has happened on more than one occasion.  That said, she has also cried once.  Yup, it seems that Brian/Daddy spit on her.  In between tears, she told me "that wasn't very nice".  I agreed and proceeded to tell Brian that he knows the rules of the house is not to spit....especially on his child!

She's also had a few days where she's very cranky (from no nap) and crying out "I want my Daaaaadddddyyyyyy!".  It's heartbreaking but what's sweet is when I tell her that if she goes to sleep, Daddy will come and play with her.  She generally wants a picture of Brian and holds it as she falls asleep on those days.  Of course, there has been a time where she cried harder.  She told me with conviction that "no, Daddy is at Uncle Mike's and Brian's house.  He not play with me".  Guess Brian was watching over the Levin's that evening.

Activities:  She's taking swim lessons.  And as with any fearless child, she truly believes she can swim.  Nicki is doing well.  She can swim a few free-style strokes, turn over and float on her back to catch a breath, and flip back over to continue to swim.  ...as long as someone is within a couple feet of her.  They don't need to hold her but she needs to see them.  We had a slight scare a while back where she was bobbing up and down off the bottom of the pool (4' deep).  I told her to stop because it was too deep for her and that she need to wait at the steps of the pool for the instructor.  I walked about 6' away to sign her in.  When I turned around, she was bobbing up and down again.  This time a look of panic on her face.  I screamed and a parent nearby pulled her to the edge of the pool.  She threw-up some water.  The instructor immediately took her (as she was crying at the top of her lungs) into the water and worked with her.  After a few minutes, she was floating and swimming again.  And within 5 minutes of that...yup, bobbing up and down off the bottom of the pool.  No fear. 

 She's also taking Gymnastics.  She can now jump on the trampoline, seat drop (bounce on her bottom), and bounce back onto her feet.  She can also do a "basket" on the bars (on a single bar, kick the feet up/under the bar, flip upside down and drop off the bar).  Somersaults and the balance beam are old hat to her. 

Alphabet:  She can recognize the capital letter "N", write it (up down up - in strokes), and sign language the letter N.  Whenever she sees anything with an upper case "N", she yells "look, Nicki...there's Nicki".

Potty Training:  Aside from overnight in pull-ups.  We're done!  That said, she cuts it close a lot. 

Personality:  A girly tom boy.  She's independent, determined, and down right stubborn sometimes.  She'll run through mud to climb on rocks only to twirl around at the top.

Just down right sweet: When I tell her "you're the best", she replies "no, you are the best" and then corrects herself by saying "we all are the best"

On snoring:  My brother and Mom were watching her one afternoon.  Nicki had worn out my brother so they went to her room to read and take a nap.  After one book, Shannon fell asleep.  Nicki got a second book and went out to the family room and asked my mom to read to her.  My mom told her that Shannon would read to her if she went back into her room.  Nicki said no "too scary".  After some detective work, it was determined that Shannon's notorious snoring was "too loud" for Nicki.

Childcare:  Early October we all had to adjust again.  Nicki moved up to the Dandelion room (pre-school) while Brian stayed with the Dolphin room.  She's officially potty trained thus the reason for moving up.  Brian wanted to move to the Dandy room to be with Nicki.  But when he found out he'd have to use the toilet, he stated "I a Dolphin".  Nicki misses Brian a lot.  Whenever she sees him, she's excited and plays with him almost exclusively.  But when we have to leave, she gives him the cold shoulder...as if it's his fault she doesn't get to see him everyday. 

Hanging with MEA, Mommy, and the Levins on Thomas-the-train

Her new bed

Entry: 09/16/03

Her new bed is in.  She loved it for one day.  And decided it was still better to sleep in mommy's bed.  Luckily, she doesn't fight me very much so I use my bed as a reward (for the days she has no accidents from the potty).

On the potty training front, she's essentially trained at school.  She's had an accident there once in about 3 weeks.  At home, it's a different story.  She knows that pull-ups or diapers will keep her out of trouble so she tries very hard to persuade me to put her in them when we are at home.  When asked, she will sit on the potty and do her duty.  But it's very rare that she tells me.  That said, she's had several days (not consecutive) where she had no accidents even in the pull-up/diaper. 

Brian's mom came out for a week early September.  We made her go through the "week of the life of Nicki".  We headed out to swim lessons, library, gymnastics, shopping/Art & Wine Festival, haircut, play dates, the zoo, and just plain hanging out.  We wore her out.  

We were introduced to "circle time" recently.  Luckily, Brian's mom got to witness it firsthand.  Nicki gathers her books around her, sits on a stool, puts her stuffed animals around in a semi-circle, and I have to sit on the floor with my legs "criss-cross-apple-sauce" (cross legged).  Once sitting, NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO SPEAK EXCEPT NICKOL.  SHE'S READING.  It was very clear she was not happy with me even when I smiled and laughed.  I even got a time out once along with a finger wag.  Can you say "role reversal"?

Entry: 08/7/03

Phew, things are going well so far with the potty training.  There are accidents but ultimately, Nicki is getting it.  Especially with the "stinky" ones!    However, the typical accidents still occur.  She loves to run and continues to trip over things.  She currently has a bruise on her chin, a scrape on her elbow, and her knees are continually scabbed.

What is she doing?...counting to 30, singing ABC, recognizing the letter "N" (uppercase only) and the letter "B" (for Brian, her best buddy), she answers "Nicki VamHerm" for her name, and her current favorite colour is blue (been for about a month now).  Yup, she's growing fast.  She still loves climbing and jumping.  We took the summer off from gymnastics but will start up in September again.  We just started swim lessons and she has no fear there now.  But I do!  She has no problem jumping in (whether I'm there to catch her or not).  Luckily, she won't jump until I say it's ok to jump.  She will do a somersault under water with a bit of help from me to get her to go around only once.  Riding her tricycle or running around the block is great fun for her.  It's a mile all the way around so it's a nice leisure walk.

We went to Fresno mid August (hot!) to celebrate my maternal Grandmother's birthday.  Nicki & I lived in the pool.  The first 2 pics with her in the pool are of a sequence where Shannon tosses her in the air into the pool.  She kept asking for "more".  Both Shannon and Nicki took a nap that day :)

Nicki's artwork on my face

Entry:  07/16/03

The official date of the start of Potty Training.  Not sure if I'm ready for it but we've begun.  Last week MEA and Minna came down for a visit.  Nicki loved seeing her cousin and was very good about sharing her toys with her...well, most of them.

Entry: 06/25/03

Nicki thinks she can balance on my feet while I lay on my back.  Then I am to flip her around.  Why not, she just saw it on TV with Varikai.  I told her "Mommy can't even get in that position..."  She tried to make me do it anyway. .....Getting ready to go camping with the Levin's and all again.  Wish us luck we survive with all the kids.

Entry: 06/10/03

We bought a 10x12 canopy to put in the backyard.  Nicki helped me put it up.  Not a bad helper.

The Accident

Entry: 06/1/03 - The Accident

Well, the past few days has been a string of tests... on my control.  Nickol found the suntan lotion and decided to be of great help.  Yup, she put it on all over...the mirror, the floor, her legs, her face, ...everywhere.  After going outside, she bombed down the driveway on her tricycle and turned last minute up the sidewalk.

Then we went to take photos of her.  As we were waiting of our turn, Nicki ran around just burning energy.  I sat down, which made her run towards me yelling "Mommy, I sit".  Unfortunately, she tripped, went flying, and her face met the back leg of one of the chairs.  Her eyelid was cut, a bruise was fast forming along her check, and she bit into her lip.  ...we didn't take pictures....

I got home and called Minna to tell her about the picture episode.  Yes, the day got worse.  Nicki was playing quietly.  I decided to go check on her.  What I found was a small child sitting on the bathroom floor.  Her back was to me.  I asked "what are you doing?" fully expecting "I putting lotion on".  What I got was "I cutting hair".  Yikes!  She found the infant nail cutting scissors and trimmed her bangs.  It was a long day.

Entry: 05/16/03

We are back from WA where we had a great time just hanging out with family.  My mom, brother, his wife, all went up as well.  Check out the cute pics of Shannon teaching Nicki how to blow on dandelions.

Then we went up to check out Minna's place and found dandelions

In May, we celebrated MEA's birthday.  Here's the family.

Entry: 05/5/03

Back from Fresno after a long weekend to celebrate Mary-Elizabeth's 1st birthday (Nicki's cousin).  I learned that Nickol loves to be the "big girl" and pushed ME around in a box :) , thinks I'm tall because she wanted me to hold her so she could touch the ceiling :), and can use roller blades (little kid ones with training wheels). 

Entry: 04/28/03

I'm so mad!  After a trip at Easter to GR, I came home with a disk full of digital images.  Not sure what happened but I lost them all.  There were pictures of family and friends.  And some really cute pictures of the butterflies we went to see.  Oh well, I guess I'm not to publish those.

What's new with Nickol?   She has mastered riding a tricycle with ease.  One day she just hopped on and took off.  She's also learned that a sofa can bounce almost as well as a trampoline.  Almost because she bounced off once and got a black eye from it.....I told her to stop but would she listen?.....

Nickol enjoying chocolate chip cookies!  We went to the Wiggle's concert in Feb with the Levins & Hopkins and brought roses for Dorothy the Dinosaur.  We met up with the Torianos after the concert.  And she's swinging on a nice quite Sunday afternoon at the nearby park.  

Just passed out.

Jan - "Prom Picture" Entry:

The picture is too funny not to share:  After the new year, we went to the Levin's to celebrate Christmas.  Towards the end of the evening Liza realized that we hadn't taken any pictures of the kids together yet.  She moved Nickol over to the Christmas tree and then Brian.  They were initially standing side by side.  As Liza moved back to take the picture, Nickol turned so her right side was facing us.  Brian also turned and put his hands on her waist.  Nickol moved her hands to cover Brian's hands.  This was all on their own!  We laughed so hard we almost missed the picture.  If you look closely, you'll see that like most prom pictures, the female is smiling and the male is "tolerating" taking the picture.

School picture with Brian