Home and Away

Lately this is how we find Olivia: exerting her personality. She has been wearing odd combinations of clothing of her own choosing to school, and performing interpretive dances based on those clothes. I love it.

And this photo below is how we find her at night, after we've tried putting her to bed, sometimes hours earlier. Just not quite ready for sleep, so she reads to her babies in the dark. I don't love this as much, but she's awake and reading, which is probably what I was doing myself at the time.

Sesame Street Comes to Des Moines...and Olivia

Tonight was Olivia's second annual Sesame Street Live show at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, thanks to her Aunt Pam, whose employer maintains box seats for just such occassions. She was entranced. Very concerned about the characters who were NOT on stage at that moment. Which you can hear in the first video. Thank you again Aunt Pam!

And in this one, she doesn't want to leave the theater. Good girl, that's the attitude you should have for performances. Always wait in case of an encore.

Question

Last week, Olivia asked me what my favorite color was.

"What's your fav'rite color, Daddy?"

I remain touched. What a step. I'm really honored.

I don't even know what my answer is.

A Very Nice Day

We had a very nice day today. Beautiful weather, lots of work around the house, but finally got Olivia outside for some running around in the yard. She loves ordering her doggies around, her new boots, the swings at the schoolyard, helping Daddy cook on the grill for a few minutes at a time.

Olivia gets Big Girl (Under)Pants

Shopping with Mommy for underwear. Daddy knows so little about it that he can only capture the moment. It must have also inspired Mouse, for she took a running leap from the hall to get back up on the bed and nearer to the big girl reading Curious George.

Big Girl Bed

Olivia's new bed was delivered today. Just like Mommy and Daddy's, just in her New Bedroom. Papa came down on Tuesday and painted the wonderful new yellow on the walls, we made room for more toys and books, and for the twins in LaLa's old bedroom. Sooner than we think. But she's fast asleep in the new bed right now, so maybe things will work out well. We worry that she'll be having alot of change handed to her with a bed and room change, poddy training, two new siblings and less attention. Of course she's not the first child to experience similar, but unfortunately for her, this will be the first time her Mommy and Daddy have had this much on their plate. As usual, these are probably more of a problem for us than she will ever know it to be. And if it gets too much, she's got tears, which really are useful for getting through frustration. Maybe I could learn something from that? And I suppose I won't be the first parent to learn more from my child than I teach?

As she went to sleep tonight and we talked about her day, she said: "I love my Daddy" repeatedly. And I love my Olivia. Very much.

The Northern Branch of the Vande Bergs Heads South

Visited by Uncle Eric, Aunt Jodi and cousins Jack, Benjy and Zoey last weekend (Feb. 14-15, Valentine's Day and IA v. MN Wrestling). Olivia talked of little else, before and after. Dad and Mom liked it alot as well. Thanks for making the trek, Vandes.