Reunion with Ramzi at Beni Hana
We had a little CSUMB reunion with Ramzi and a couple of his friends. I met his girlfriend August. Really liked her!
Vinny loved the hat!
So did his friend Alice.
Super cute watching them together. I had no idea he’d have a “friend” when we plan to go out to dinner.
Alice is Grayson’s daughter who is two years old.
It is fun making new friends.
A summer weekend in January
The weather has been unseasonably warm the last couple of days so we thought we better take advantage and visit the outdoors! We scrambled around like mad people trying to unbury. Our summer clothes! It was weird wearing tanks and flip flops! We headed out to Santa Cruz… Me, Jeff, Vince and Uncle Pat who was visiting from Oregon. He called our beach visit “the most epic” day. And it truly was! It was like we hopped on a plane to Hawaii!
First stop was for lunch at the crows nest. Service was slow but good — they were busy with the “summer” crowd and the championship football game (go niners!) we ate outside. The fish tacos I ordered were yummy and filling. Vinny just ate Rice Krispy treats and other snacks. He kept pointing to the sky and horizon and “talking”. I think he really enjoyed being outside… Especially after all the cold weather we been having I don’t think he goes outside at all at daycare.
By the time we headed to the beach the weather was just the right temperature.
Vinny loved running in the water at the shore break. Brrrr. Freezing water!
After a couple minutes your feet go numb I swear… But he didn’t care of course!
We took him back up the hill to the non-cold sand and he kept running back to the shore and crying if we stopped him.
Uncle pat practiced some handstands! Vinny was wondering what was up with that!
Vinny had fun playing with his bucket and toys.
Vinny ate a bunch of sand.L by scooping it in his mouth with a shovel We helped him clean it out with water but he just went ahead and tried to eat sand again right afterwards!!
He also had funny with the pipe that was keeping him from going all the way down to the shore. He’s peeking over, taking a look at Uncle Pat.
The big boys tossed the sky ball around a for a little. I love Vinny’s pose here in the sideline. He’s having so much fun!
Tried to get a photo with mommy…
A nice shot with all the McGirr boys! SUCH a beautiful weekend! It was like a mini vacation!
Here is a funny video of Vinny and Pat playing with the toy wooden car he gave him for Christmas.
Lilia’s 2nd Birthday Party
Lilia had her 2nd birthday party on her actual birthday!
I helped make the invites and the birthday banner, and taught her parents to make sushi for appetizers.
Though i thought Vinny would be too young, he was able to play the “pin the dot on the ladybug game” with just a little help from Carrie.
They had the most awesome looking pinata! It had a bunch of balls in it as well as candy. 🙂 We nabbed the green ball!
Vinny fell asleep on the drive back home. He was so tired!
Vincent is 17 months old!
Vincent turned 17 months old the day after Christmas. This month just flew by! I feel like i just finished writing his 16month post! Well, probably even more so since i procrastinate so much! Anyhoo, he has done a few exciting things this month. Lets recap!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sourskittled/8322787228
Copying Mommy and Daddy!
Whenever we was our hands after we change his diaper or go to the bathroom, Vincent will come running to the bathroom and start rubbing his hands together to copy us. It is so cute! So normally take the time to wash his hands too — he gets his hands into everything, so never too early to be teaching good hygiene.
Since he starting doing the hand motions, i thought i’d try a few sign language words. He can now sign “more” – but only after reminding him.
His own sign for “more” or pointing at something he wants is to wave his hand like he is saying “hi” at an object, and wimpering/fussing.
He loves to find my hair brushes and lift it over his head like he is brushing his hair.
I read online that you can try to teach your child to “hop on one foot” or just hop with both feet off the ground. So we tried it the other day, and it’s very hard to get him to look at you long enough to show him! But once he sees you, he will just lift his hands up in the air and go on his tippy toes.
Exploring New Places
Last week we went to a bounce house place in Watsonville called Pump’d. He is a little young to be fully enjoying it, but i just wanted to take him somewhere different and get out of the house. Since it’s been so rainy and cold, only indoor places are practical at this point. He loved the bouncy slide, and just running around the place in general. He kept running up to the painting on the wall.
We also went to the mall a last week ago and played in their kid area. He had a blast there!
He was laughing and smiling and running around all crazy.
He even got a chance to pick up a chewed piece of gum from the floor and put it in his mouth. Mommy had to fish it out with her hand and i was sooo disgusted when i figured out what it was….
He also got a chance to ride on a merry go ’round that is also at the mall. Jeff took him and I took the photos… i can’t really tell if he liked it or not. It took a while for them to start it up, and it looked like he was getting antsy because they kept switching horses. But he did smile and wave at me a few times he passed by.
We also rented a car to take him shopping around in. He found that super fun! Much better than his boring stroller.
I have taken Vinny to the gym daycare a handful of times now. Its a really cool area with a big play structure that looks like a rocketship, toys, and a tv. The little kids are in a separate area from the bigger kids. He does pretty good when he is there. Sometimes he will cry a little but they just have to distract him with toys.
Throwing a Ball, and other objects
He started this last month, but it seems he can really “throw” a ball now. Before he would kind of just drop it, but now he can pull his hand back and do an overhead throw (to the ground, not to a specific target yet)
He also is obsessed with throwing things over the baby gate — his toys mainly, but if he can find our iPad he will throw it over and make it makes a large “boom” sound! Not good… its still in one piece for now.
He is also really into taking out the tissues of a Kleenex box one-by-one. Oh… and we have a lot of tissue boxes lying around the house because i have allergies.
But he does like to “put them back” too — its just they are are torn to bits and pieces! It’s quite a mess, and inconvenience really.
Dancing
We started to notice that Vinny likes to dance to music. So we play a lot of YouTube music videos for him.
He kind of danced to “Gangnam Style” by PSY (Korean pop star) — more like a little bopping.
Then he really got into it with “Bing Bang” by LazyTown (a televisions show on Sprout). His favorite by far! He also loves just hearing the song. Goes in circles and gets himself dizzy.
He will also dance to other songs (Christmas songs, songs on the radio, mommy’s workout music). We have a blast trying to get him to dance!
Here is a shot of him touching the stereo – he was kind of fascinated that the sound was coming from the box and there was no sight associated with it (like with the TV). He also found the dial for the volume and turned it up — he definitely startled himself! I laughed… he just backed away and stared at it like “what happened?!”
Making Car Sounds
We noticed whenever he is playing with a toy car or truck, he will make a “aaaaahhhh” sound, like his is trying to say “vrooom” or some other car noise. It is so funny! I guess he has picked up on it from Jeff and I. I normally say that when i drive him around in his ride along car. He really has fun running all around the room and dragging his car along a route.
He also noticed cars passing by when we were waiting at my friend Carrie’s house. As multiple cars rode by, he went “ahhhhh” and turned his head looking at each one of them. I yelled “car!” every time to try to associate the word with the object.
Talking yet?
So he is not really saying any words yet… Still “Dadada” all the time. Now it is “Nananana” when he is sad or upset (used to sometimes be Mamamama). “I diiiiiid” i hear a lot – not sure if he is saying “I did it” or something like that. And he really talks lots of jibberish still. We are trying really hard to get him to say “ball” by holding it out by our face and looking at him in the eyes and repeating it over and over. I think he’s said “baaa” a couple of times that way.
Going to try to do more sign language, but my sitter won’t do it with him when she’s watching him so it will be kind of slow learning process.
Bad Behavior
In general, i think Vincent is pretty well behaved toddler (so far) but he does do a few things consistently that are not desirable.
One being, throwing his water or milk cup over the side of the highchair. He doesnt really laugh or anything when he does it, and i scold him everytime because it really makes a mess (even if the cups are “no spill”). I think we’re going to start to have to just take it away as soon as he does that and not give it back to him.
He also still “sweeps” his food when he’s bored or getting close to finishing eating. Or he places his food ON his sippy cup…
He will make that puttering sound with his lips and spray food out of his mouth when he is “done” — REALLY trying to teach him to sign “all done” instead of doing that!!
He loves to get into Butter’s water cup that we normally have out on the coffee or end table. We have to move it so that only Butters can reach it and not the baby. Poor Butters – he really has to go through hoops to eat, drink, and poop now!
Diaper changes are a game to him… He thinks its time to wrestle. He will take his right leg, and swoop it around like a wrestling move and try to pin our left arm down! He will also flip and turn over off the changing table, then wiggle his way down to the floor from the bed. He feels quite accomplished when he does this.
Wrestling/Tackling/Somersaults
Speaking of wrestling, he loves to tackle us when we are sitting on the ground with him. He will just topple over on you and laugh.
He also learned to do a somersault — i guess they do this at daycare out on the grass. He’s done it at home a few times now on his own. Thinks its the best thing ever. I’m afraid he will break his neck! He even likes to do it off his little couch…
Laughing Lots!
We were watching a Christmas special on TV (The Gruffalo’s Child) while he was eating his snack, and all of sudden he starts LAUGHING hysterically!! So glad i caught it on video (and recorded the show for him)! It’s just this one part where the monster on the show is going through the snow and “skating” all over the ice pond. We love to play it for him and hear him laugh. Its funny every single time!
Our Christmas – 2012
Christmas morning, Vinny and I bounced on the bed to get daddy up so we could open presents! While daddy was getting ready, i fed Vinny breakfast, then i let him loose in the sun room where the tree and the presents were. He went right to the wagon first, checked out all the presents in there.
Then went over to the shopping cart and starting picking at the bow.
He tried pushing it and almost fell over because the presents were in the way.
Then back to the wagon….
Then he realized the gate was open to the tree and that he could finally try to reach for the purple bauble that was taunting him all month.
Time to open presents! This one is from our neighbors.
Oooh, a really big dump truck!
More books from his sitter Charlyne and other family members.
Hugs with daddy~
Santa claus brought Daddy a power washer!
Daddy got mommy her favorite snack – Tomato Pretz! Vinny wanted to try some too!
A neat Australia bib from Uncle Glenn and Aunty Jill. Vinny felt like dancing to the holiday music we had on.
A smart phone from Grandma Lisa and Grandpa Mike – just like Mommy and Daddy’s iPhones.
Cool light up toy in Daddy’s stocking stuffer.
I can push the shopping cart!
Time to try out the wagon. Smiling and laughing the whole way!
Trying out his new hat to keep his ears warm.
One of his favorite toys is a light up glittery bouncy ball from his previous sitter Becky.
Veggies to go with my shopping cart. I can use my pretend knife to cut them open!
I love my hand carved wooden car toy from my Uncle Pat.
Here is my christmas loot! A few toys, lots of books/dvds and toys! What more could you ask for? 🙂
For my presents, i got 3 sets of PJs, a handful of Busted Tee shirts, a cooky cookbook, iTunes gift card, Loft jewelry and sequin top, felted soap, and Vera Bradley handbag.
Jeff got a couple of sweaters, socks, a belt, iTunes gift card, power washer, back massager, grateful dead dancing bear cups/book/shirt, and a blue plaid tie.
For our ornaments this year, i didn’t go out and buy any, but we happened to get one of Vincent and one to us as a family for gifts, so that is what i’ve decided to use for this year.
This one is an origami bunny for Vincent, from Patti.
This one is a Irish blessing from Mike and Lisa that we’ll use for our family ornament this year.
Santa Claus came to visit
Vincent must have been a very good boy this year (he was, actually!) because Santa Claus brought a big red radio flyer wagon and some other gifts for him to open on Christmas day.
Look at all those gifts!
A shopping cart toy from Grandma Jerrie and Grandpa Don!
Here are some cookies we left for Santa — before he ate them of course.
Can’t wait till the morning!
Butters 5th Adoptiversary
It has been 5 years since we adopted Butters! Since we don’t know is real birthday, we celebrate his adoptiversary. Though this year, we didnt really do anything besides take this photo! Jeff doesn’t like it because it makes him look like a girl. I like to think it just brings out his sensitive side.
Butters has been doing well with the toddler. Vinny loves charging at him and trying to knock him over. Butters does not really enjoy that, or the rough petting and poking, but he normally just tolerates it, and doesn’t even move away! Like OK Butters, if you don’t like it, just run away and hide. Maybe he is lazy, or maybe he wants to stand his ground? At any rate, he has never hissed or bit or scratched Vincent. Jeff says Vincent better be careful because one of these days, he will meet a cat that is not so nice.
So no official celebration like in years past, but Butters did get a Fancy Feast appetizer in the evening.
We love you Butters!
Singing Christmas Bear
A new tradition may have started here — my Aunty Lillian and Uncle Yoshi sent Vincent a singing Christmas bear! They were the ones who sent him the singing birthday bear that he adores.
We played it as soon as we opened the box (unwrapped gift!) He immediately stared at the girl, and started bopping up and down, swinging his arms! It was so cute. She sings “It’s Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas”. It is a very nice song/tone, too! (In other words, not annoying to listen to like a lot of his other kids toys)
He also finally understands that he has to press the button on the arm to get it to play. Though he can’t really do it by himself, since he is slightly off target. But he will get it soon!
Gearing up for Christmas!
Even if we put the baby gate around the Christmas tree, Vinny still tries reaching for the ornaments…
And he grabbed quite a few and brought them to us while we were sitting on the couch. Thanks, Vinny!
He ate the part of the hat off of this santa claus!
Vincent Meets Santa Claus
My friend Bonnie invited us over to meet Santa Claus tonight! He was stopping be to pick up some donations for “Toys for Tots” (i gave a Mr. Potato Head). Vinny didn’t take too fondly of him, but he didnt cry.
Here is Vinny and Bonnie’s daughter Charlotte.
At Bonnie’s mother-in-law’s house, they have a big staircase, which is probably the first Vinny’s ever since since he started walking. He loved crawling all the way up!
After hanging out for a bit, Jeff and Vinny went home because it was Bunco night! (Which i guess is a girls only thing?) Bunco is a dice game played by multiple sets of people… its an easy game to play and i had a great time. I had played once before 2 years ago.
