Friday, February 26, 2010

ABCs

Ziva can say her ABCs. When she sings the song she "slurs" some of them but when she slows down and says them individually she gets them all. She can recognize some of them by sight. I did not do this on purpose. I learn better visually and figured it would be easier to "teach" visually. So I posted a ABC chart and ABC block letter magnets on the refrigerator. I was not very deliberate in teaching Ziva. It really just happened. She would play with the blocks a lot and bring them to me to tell her what they were. Maybe once or twice a week we would sit down in front of the chart and read over it for a couple of minutes. I get down there less now that I am huge pregnant. Still she has learned them. She also can count to 10 and can recognize many of the numbers. One of my favorite things is that she will see a "M" in a book or some where, call it a "m" then turn the book upside down and then call it a "w". It excites me to get to see her progress in this area. It makes me want to be more deliberate. God willing once #2 makes it here I will still take the time to work with her.

I wanted Ziva to show y'all her ABCs. Instead she hid her face.


Finally got her to show y'all, but only got one picture taken of it.
If you look closely you can see how she grouped letters.




"Get your finger out of your mouth!"
I think she is working on her 2yr old molars.



I kept asking Z to pose for a picture but she would squat like this to take it. I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't stand up. It was because I was squatting to take the picture.

"BIG BALL!"

That is what Ziva calls this thing and she yells it almost every time. It's actual name is a Giga Ball. My parents got it for her for Christmas. Cause what a growing family needs in a small, cramped house is a huge ball that doesn't fit through doors. Anyway, here it is. You put your children in it and roll them around. I guess if you were young you would think it was fun but I'm not so sure. None-the-less, Jason and Ziva had a "ball" playing with it. I'm not sure who had the most fun.


This thing is so large and takes so long to blow up that Jason refuses to collapse it or keep it in the garage. So it's new home is in our back yard. When not in use it just blows around and bumps into stuff.



Look at her hair!


Jason looks like the long lost "Fruit of the Loom" guy.



Daddy it's for kids.



It works as a chair too.

BIG girl

When I looked at these pictures I can't help but be very sad. These pictures (in my opinion) are proof that my baby is gone...totally gone. Don't get me wrong she still has her "baby" moments but still she is just so much older looking.

I wanted to have professional pictures taken of Ziva for her 2nd birthday but since baby #2 will be here in no time it seemed more budget friendly to wait till then. She won't change much will she...maybe she will?!? So I set out to take some of my own "not-so professional" pictures. They turned out okay, I think. I do find it interesting that her smile is crooked for these pictures.


BIG girl.
I think this one looks like a first day of school picture.


"Oooo! I messed up my hair!"
That is seriously what she is upset about here in this picture."




Another crooked smile.



Reading Break

Aquarium

Last week, Ziva and I attended the Mommy and Me workshop at the Skidaway Institue of Oceanography. Lots of stuff goes on at the SIO, most of it way past our heads but they do have a small aquarium. During the Mommy and Me workshops you take your preschooler and they sing songs, look at fish and ocean related toys, etc. Then the kids get to go through the aquarium and visit the "touch and see" tank. Ziva enjoyed herself. She really liked the "touch and see" even though she didn't touch anything. She did made me touch everything...eeewwwwww. I didn't let on to her that I hated touching some of the stuff, especially the spider crab. You know being surrounded by 2/3 yr olds that aren't afraid of these things kind of inspires you to not be a "baby" yourself.


Seahorses


Look mom! A shark!





The only thing she would touch was the sticker she got at the end.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Dress Up

Ziva is starting to really like dress up. While I try to keep uncreative (Disney princess) outfits from the wardrobe, I do allow Ziva to dictate her own outfits. The tutu dress has been a favorite lately (she wore it the entire time during our super bowl party-made her daddy real happy). Then add her new summer hat and you get a sweet little "princess." Yes, this is her princess outfit per her confession. I'm not ever sure how she learned princess and their dress. I am glad it's not a cookie cutter princess but very, very original.




Happy Valentine's Day

Below is the real highlight of Ziva's Valentine's Day. She got her very own ice cream cone and she got to hold it all by herself. Forget cards, balloons and stuffed animals. Ice cream is where it's at!






Sharing.

Playing in the...snow?

These pictures were taken about 16 hours after the snow started falling. It barely lasted. Jason built the snowman the night before hoping it would last. It made it. Ziva enjoyed every minute and had no clue that we hardly had any snow.
Ziva's first snowman.






Throwing Snowballs at Mommy. Not nice!




Catch Mommy.

Snow in Savannah?

While most of y'all had loads of snow, we got a dusting. Doesn't seem like much unless you consider it's been something around 50 years since the last snow in this area. It was so exciting for us (Jason) that Ziva got to stay up late and play in it. It stuck but lasted less than 18 hours.


Catching Snowflakes






Looks like a huge funnel cake...mmm.





Basket-O-Ziva

In the middle of cleaning the toys in Ziva's toy basket, I was approached by a very curious 2yr old that wanted to try it out. Couldn't say no. And what's up with that smile?

Helping Daddy Work

Yes you are looking at a Razorback office chair. Didn't know they made them. Neither did I till my mother bought Jason one. Awesome.

MidWinter Fun




New Trick

Ziva learned how to turn her chair around and sit in it backwards. She was so proud of herself and wanted to show it off to everyone.

Potty Update

No. We don't have a potty trained child. Yes, we have tried. Yes, I still endorse the book I did earlier. It's just the will of that child you see pictured below that we are dancing around. There were two set backs...traumatic set backs one might say. One happened in the bath and the other...hmmm...maybe there was just one. So we have been giving her space. Then there were the two glorious days she used the potty to poop. It was exciting and wonderful and it hasn't happened since then. Only the Lord above knows what has terrified (and I mean terrified) my child into not sitting on the potty "naked" and pottying like a "big girl." She will though sit forever reading...like others I know in this house. I have stopped staying in there with her when she reads on the potty. I come back about 10 minutes later and make her leave. So I know she has the endurance to potty train. She just doesn't want to. When asked if she would like to potty like a big girl without a diaper she answers. "No, I'm fine. Diaper change please." Seriously, that's the conversation I have daily with this child.

Forced Cheese

This is what you get when you force a "photo moment" with Ziva. Still I think there's some honest to goodness cuteness there.



This picture was harder to take than the Christmas one...now that I'm 7 months pregnant!

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Play with Me!



Like this?



Daddy plays the best games!

Kicked Back

This is Ziva's new position to watch TV. She learned it from her daddy. She just kicks back, crosses her feet and relaxes. The part I really don't like about it (besides the watching TV part) is that if she can't reach her drink she will actually ask for you to bring it to her. She learned this from her daddy too.

Playing in her Fort

Mirror!!!

As I was unloading the dishwasher, Ziva came in and saw her reflection in this little metal bowl. She immediately declared it a mirror and asked to play with it. I usually don't let her carry around mirrors but this I knew would be safe. It created lots of distracting fun. Safe and distracting makes a perfect toy!