At Long Last

Seems like the kids have been gone forever, not just a week. Huts is just as ready as I am to see them. I think he has enjoyed kid-free TV viewing, but all good things must come to an end. The house seems so empty without them, almost too big. We need to fill it up again with the sounds of laughter, crying and tons of toys scattered all over.

Cleaning

"I'm cleaning, I'm cleaning," Tori says in the shower as she swipes her dad's puff down the walls. Give that child a rag and she will clean anything. The only bad thing is when she grabs the sopping wet rag out of my bucket and throws water everywhere. Then we've got a mess to clean up, and that's no fun at all.

Corn

Ollie and Tori went to some game place in Kansas City. Ollie won some airplanes while Tori won a unicorn, which she calls "her corn." Oh, how I miss her happy face and scrunched up nose. She is our little imp whom I cannot wait to see again on Saturday. Her grandma gave us some old prints, and I redid one of them. We painted the frame red and put in a new cat and dog in cups print. Huts is going to hang it on the wall tonight. That should excite her. She loves cats and dogs.

Bye-Bye

Tori was exhausted by the time we got to St. Louis but very happy to see Grandpa and Grandma. She hopped into Grandpa's arms and away she went, never once demanding to know where she was going. I am sure she enjoyed the Christmas tree, presents and all of Grandma's talking Santas. I sent the dancing pigs with the kids so they could use them to annoy Grandma and Grandpa. Going to be a quiet, peaceful week at our house, which is good considering how much nastiness this third one is giving me,

Big Sister

Tori has absolutely no idea that she is going to be a big sister. We haven't really gotten around to telling her, nor will she get it. Right now, we are preparing to start potty-training her. She will sit on the potty chair before her bath but has yet to go. Yesterday, she came home in shorts because her diaper worked loose while she was sleeping. We sent clothes with her this morning for the babysitter to keep just in case of another accident. More on this topic in April when I am nice and round.

Kailey...that was the name of the little girl Tori played with last night at the beauty shop. Kailey was just learning to walk and liked to run up to Tori and touch her. Tori got a little taken aback, as though the crawler at the sitter's had never touched her. Oh well. She is going to have her own baby brother or sister to touch her soon enough.

Pretty Girl

Tori got her hair cut yesterday. She is all cute again with her pixie cut. She woke up this morning and put on her sunglasses to show off. Off she went to the sitter's in her red corduroys and pink, red and white-striped shirt.

Talk, Talk, Talk

That's how Tori has done all weekend long. If she doesn't have your attention when she walks into the room, she most certainly will get it. She has got things to say and you better listen up. Sometimes, she sings, sometimes she chants, sometimes she just talks. She just likes for everyone to know that she has arrived and has things to say. Get ready for an earful when you see Tori running.

Round 2

Tori woke up in the middle of the night with a croup. I think she gave it to Nathan and got well, only to get it again. Ollie was coughing a little bit too. Here we go again. The only good thing about colds is that they tire Tori out and help her sleep through the night. We are supposed to go to a Christmas potluck next Wednesday, but I am not sure if the kids are going to be up to it. They should either be getting better or right in the middle of this thing.

Knock Down Drag Out

Tori has begun fighting back. After we got home the other night from the store, both Ollie and Tori wanted to play with the spare light bulbs from the the new outside Christmas decorations. They both sat at the counter on the stools with the spare light packet between them. Ollie grabbed them, Tori wanted them.

"No Owwie", she proclaimed as she smacked at him.

He smacked back while she was trying to grab the lights. In turn she smacked him back and then it started to escalate into a slap fest. They aren't the most coordinated fighters, but it was still funny to watch them try to smack the crap out of each other while grabbing for the packet of spare lights. I broke up the brawl and took the lights from both of them. Not much wailing over the grievance ensued and not long later, they were plotting there revenge on me! It never came as they were too distracted by the toys and the next thing to fight over.

Rough Night

Once again, Tori woke up moaning, so I put her in bed with Huts without realizing she had poopy pants. He figured it out, changed her, got her a new drink and her bear, and she went to sleep. She woke up in a better mood than she has in some time. Must be sleeping in our bed. I slept in her bed with Piper and woke up feeling OK. Guess I better take over tonight because I know Huts is gonna be tired from the crazy night.

Shrek is on tonight. Last night was Charlie Brown. Ollie and Tori watched the show a little bit. Ollie kept going upstairs to watch something else. Tori kept running around. Charlie Brown just didn't hold their attention.

All Well

Ollie still has his cold, but Tori does not, She seems to be well, and like her brother, she had a blast at home over Thanksgiving. She played with her castle tent constantly, pulling it everywhere and sitting in it to eat and watch TV out of the window. She likes the tent to be upside down and says that the picture of Princess Aurora is her. Yes, she thinks she is a princess and flounces around with her tiara or yellow crown. No dresses on this princess, but occasionally some beads. She really got a kick out of dressing up the Christmas tree, but was upset when the tinsel went on. That seemed to spoil it for her and she bawled like a baby. Oh well. Maybe she will get it next year.

Little Girl No More

Tori tries to do everything he brother does and for the most part, she keeps up. She's started expanding her horizons by playing by herself and watching shows on her own. She still likes playing with Ollie, but she isn't always interested in everything he does. She still watches Dora and Cailliou more than he does. She'll even watch it in separate rooms and she's even become protective of a few things like her arm chair rest. Ollie tries to put his head on it, but she gets mad when he does and throws a fit.

She is advancing verbally and in her wants. She wants regular cups to drink out of, but is still a messy drinker. Especially when she spits the drink out on purpose! She'll dip her hand in her food (yogurt, ice cream) and rub it on her face because she can't work the spoon well. She's trying more adult foods like Pizza without it being chopped into a million pieces. It won't be too much longer and she'll be less messy.

We are starting to potty train her. She'll sit on the potty before each bath, but she doesn't understand what to do. Its a game to her and that's fine for now, but I hope she's easier to train than her brother, who still doesn't make it every time. I guess we'll see soon enough.

She's Got Personality

Tori is coming into her own these days. She is very playful, almost too playful, and strong-willed (no surprise there). She is gutsy and loud. She also talks a mile a minute (doesn't matter to her if you are watching TV). She has become such a hoot that Huts and I are thinking that it would be great to have another boy (yes, we are still hopeful). Tori is way more involved than Ollie ever was. I always heard that girls were harder, and now I believe it.

Soo Cute

Tori scrunched up her nose and smiled for the camera big time this weekend. She sat on Dad's lap, on the ladder and under the ladder. She was so much better this time than last. Her reward was Wish Bear (light green). She carried him around for a while but then went back to her fuzzy pink Care Bear that Aunt Annie got her. She loves that bear, and you can tell by how worn it is. She also likes the yellow blanket my aunt Rhonda made her and the stuffed horse and cat Uncle TJ got her. Guess all of those will go into her keepsake box.

After pictures, shopping, food and playtime at home, Tori took a nap and then jumped on Daddy. She climbed on the ottomans and fell into her dad's lap, while Ollie jumped from the second ottoman onto the couch. This lasted for a while, and then it was time to play bowling with the billiards balls. At some point, they also got out the ping pong stuff and hit around a few balls. Two very active children with two tired parents. Nothing unusual about that.

Fit

Tori threw a fit every time we gave out candy. She did not like the fact that "her" candy was being given away. Ooh, did she ever get mad and throw a nasty fit. Ollie kept trying to show her the candy they had collected, but she wouldn't hear of it. I thought she might want to put some candy into the kids' bags, but all she did was try to shut the front door on them! Haircuts tonight—wish us luck. Tori has to go first, or another fit will ensue.

Horsey Ride

Tori spent 45 minutes at the orchard riding the ponies. She cried hard every time she had to get off and wit another turn in line. Her dad had to take her to another part of the play area to get her away from the ponies. She played just as hard as Ollie and fell asleep on the way home. She got up happy and played some more outside.

Daddy seems to be her pick. She likes hanging out with him, always has. Daddy's girl, and although Huts might not admit it, he likes that fact that she is a daddy's girl. He took to her from the very moment she was born. I will never forget passing the nursery and seeing him cuddling Tori in a rocking chair. The look of contentment on his face made up for the fact that he was nowhere to be found while I was in recovery (Daddy's note, they never told me she was in recovery so I could see her!).

Mimic

Tori pretty much talks now. She also mimics positions and conversation. She serves as Ollie's echo and likes to stand, sit and eat like all of us. She is getting better about sleeping. In fact, I mistook an owl outside this morning for her moaning. Silly Mama. This morning, Tori talked all about Kylie who comes to the babysitter's in pajamas. No wonder Tori doesn't want her pajamas removed in the morning! She wants to go to Sharon's just like Kylie does.

Huts and I are going to do the Christmas shopping for the kids next weekend. Wish us luck. We are getting each of them seven presents, and Tori's list is short. She doesn't get fixated on anything. Just moves from one toy to the next in the store, making it difficult to pin down any gifts she might like. She is starting to develop an interest in dolls, though, so a stroller and baby doll are on the list.

The Mimic

Look out, world, Tori is our new parrot. Whatever you can do, she can do better. Stand in the shower with your feet crossed, and she can do it too. Scratch your chin and demand ice cream, and she can do it too. Sit on the couch and watch TV, and she can do it to. She repeats nearly everything, including Daddy's slip-up with a nasty word. She's a great mimic.

Tori Dance-a-Thon

I have gotten sucked into the TV show Dancing with the Stars, and Tori enjoys putting on a dress and dancing with Mama. She loves being swung around, scooped up, tossed low and so forth. She also likes watching the dancers on TV and demands we dance with them. Sometimes I get lucky and the action stays on the ground. Most of the time, I'm swinging Tori all around or giving her a piggyback ride when I can't take it anymore. Maybe Tori will take dance like her aunt Lucy.

Dad the Ottoman

Tori seems to be getting her 2 year molars in, but they are in no hurry to come in completely. I say 'seems to be' be cause we really can't tell. She won't open her mouth long enough for us to look and if we try to stick our fingers in to feel them, they come out like a gnarled piece of jerky.

Last night was a bad night for her. She woke in the middle of the night and slept with me in our bed while her Mama took her bed. She tossed and turned and couldn't get comfortable even after medicine. She stuck to me like Velcro for most of the night. At one point, she made me into an Ottoman. She was thrashing about and she ended up perpendicular to my chest with her feet on top of my chest. Apparently that wasn't too comfortable because she quickly moved. A few times I had to tell her to settle down and go to sleep. I also had to try her drink, no drink, straightening her in bed, pillow, no pillow, anything I could think of to get her comfortable enough to sleep. She finally settled down around 4 or 5, just in time for us to get up for the day. She's like dad, more of a night person, so she was a wee bit crabby getting up. She was fine once she got to the sitters. Maybe tonight will be a good night in the cycle. She's definitely getting medicine before she goes to La La land tonight.

Tori the Chatterbox

We have a loud chatterbox in our midst and she likes to stick around when we are watching TV and tell us all about the world. She spends the night telling us what is going on and checking on Ollie and talking with him. She speaks in full sentences now and knows everyone's names. Soon she will telling us that we are wrong, just like Ollie does.

Crab Cake

Tori appears to be getting molars and sticks close to the sitter and her parents. She wants to be held a lot and to sleep with us. If we give her medicine at the right time, we can usually avoid some of the crabiness. She has moved tot he bigger car seat now and is very happy with that. Unfortunately, she would rather be sitting where Ollie does behind the passenger seat. Doesn't like sitting behind Daddy. The fights are increasing in number and Tori is no stranger to yelling and crying about them. She does not like to share and gets into serious trouble for that. We finally found a costume for her, of a pink fairy. She enjoyed playing in it this weekend. Huts should be posting that photo soon.

Daddy Mine

Tori is a Daddy's girl. She always goes to Daddy first, and when Mommy embraces Daddy, she comes running to break it up. "My Daddy," she tells me, Last night she snuggled into his arms, and every time I tried to hug Huts, she would embrace him too and push me away. Daddy, it's all about Daddy.

Tori has also been using the words, "Mama" and "Daddy" a lot lately. It is strange to hear her say them. "Hi, Mama." she always says to me after work. "Daddy, this, Daddy, that." Chatterbox #2.

Tori the Sourpuss

Tori did not fare as well as Ollie at Grandma Vickie's. She didn't sleep well at all at night and her naps got cut short. She also wasn't too keen on Mom and Dad holding the twins. i had to give up Alivia once to hold Tori. When she was in a good mood, she ate well and played somewhat with the kids. She got a bit upset when Amber for using the swing. Oh well, it was Amber's swing.

Anyway, the weekend is over and Tori can now relax and get back into the swing of things.

Familial Visit

Grandma and Grandpa Erickson came for a visit this weekend. They brought along Great-Grandpa Dean. Tori was a bit shy in the beginning, but as soon as the gifts came out, she was over her shyness. She was immediately attracted to a pink sweat suit and had to put it on right away. It was a bit big for her yet, but it fit right over her jean shorts she was wearing. Her shirt came off and she had to have it zipped up. Luckily, she didn't try to run or she might've tripped over the legs. She'll grow into most of the winter clothes this year.

Once everyone got up from their nap (grandparents included), we went out to eat at Logans Steakhouse. Tori got to sit at the head of the table and ate a lot of her macaroni, but didn't come out too messy. After her bath Tori played several games with grandma, like hide and seek grandma's jewelry. She also showed her Grandparents what kind of monster she could be by imitating a hideous growl.

She tried camping out with her big brother, but didn't make it through the night and ended up sleeping with her dad in her bed. Sunday we went to the family reunion, which was at the former elementary school in McLean. There was plenty of play equipment for Tori to play. She was a bit shy around all the people, but once lunch started she was ready to eat. After lunch she played more and was ready to head home. She was a bit crabby the rest of the night because her nap was cut short. She had a good time though and seems to be ready to go on our trip this weekend to see the twins her Mama's cousin just had.

Big Brother Steps In

Yesterday afternoon, Tori decided to slide and play in her sandbox while I worked nearby on the lawn. She played for a long time and then Ollie came out and put an end to her fun. He persuaded her to come and play with him and put the lid on the sandbox. He assured me that Tori wanted to play with him. Yeah, right! We keep telling him that Tori has a mind of her own.

Twins, Aug. 28th

Tori doesn't know it, but she is getting twin cousins on August 28. Ave and Alivia are set to arrive, and we're going to see them around September 8. She loves babies so I can't wait to see her reaction to them. No doubt she will love them and attempt to call them Abby after the baby at the sitter's. Meanwhile, Ollie has been asking about us having him a baby brother and how long that might take. We're trying, but Ollie may just have to settle for Tori.

Exhausted

Tori had a good time at her play date and fell asleep quickly last night, She didn't even fuss about going to bed and woke up groggy but happy. Mom and Dad are still deciding on this meeting but plan to go again, so hopefully, Tori and Ollie will behave themselves again.

Just Like Big Brother

Tori idolizes her brother and has to do everything he does. She's 2 years younger, but she keeps up with him the best she can. He runs, she runs, he paints, she paints, sometimes I wonder if we don't have 2 boys in the house.

Then there are times that Tori will play by herself. She'll get the play food out and cook something. She'll grab the potato heads (which Ollie has outgrown) and create things with them. She's also into Babies, Animals and certain clothes.

Sometimes she has to be like big brother Ollie and take things to the sitter's. This morning it was a Care Bear that she sleeps with at night. She took it this morning and held it all the way to the sitter's eating her apple around the bear. She refused to get out of the car without it, leaving her apple behind on purpose. She carried the bear all the way inside and had to show the sitter after she watched Cailliou for a few minutes. I'd be surprised if the thing isn't attached to her hip all day long. Luckily for the bear, she didn't choke it like Ollie did his bag.

Oscar the Grouch

Tori has new markers, and this morning, she colored herself green to greet the sitter. These markers don't wipe off as easily, so Tori will not be herself until bath time tonight. Naughty girl! She sure does like to paint, draw and color. That easel that Grnadpa Steve made Ollie is getting a real workout from Tori.

Baby!

That's what Tori yelled yesterday at Best Buy. She loves babies and I can't wait for her to see Alivia and Ava in September. My cousin is scheduled to have the twins at the end of this month. We hope to go see them in September when my uncle comes down for a visit. I haven't seen him in eight years, so the family get-together should be a blast!

Freshly Painted

What did Tori do last night? Got a bath and then got out her paints and turned herself pink, blue, orange and the whatnot. She stayed clean enough that she didn't have to have another bath, but boy, was she messy, She loves to paint, draw, write and color. She is our little artist, so I am decorating the wall above her bed with SImpson cartoon characters of several family members. We all got Simpsonized this weekend. What a hoot!

Tuckered Out

After a week with Grandma and a weekend with uncles and aunts, Tori was exhausted. She was a bit cranky yesterday and didn't want to get up this morning. It will probably take her a couple of days to get back to normal. Ollie camped out in Mom and Dad's room last night on a baby bed mattress and slept in as long as he could too. Too much action.

A Few More Days

Annie is leaving town for good on Sunday. The kids know it, but I don't think they realize how much they are going to miss Aunt Annie. She is the only family member nearby, and for four years, she has spoiled the kids rotten. They love to roughhouse with Aunt Annie. Oh well, she says she will visit and plans to take the kids for a week next summer.

A New Room

For weeks now, Tori has been sleeping in the office in the lower bunk. She liked it so much that we moved the office stuff downstairs to the living room and switched all of her stuff to that room. Her old room is now a playroom filled with toys. She seems to like her new room, especially the top bunk which she is working feverishly to get up to. So far, Ollie climbs up and Huts or I push Tori up there. She does know how to climb the ladder, though, and will probably be managing that by herself real soon.

Off to A Rocky Start

Unlike Ollie, Tori got upset this morning when we left and cried. As I walked out of the apartment door, Mom was talking to Tori and trying to coax her into watching a movie. I am sure she is fine right now and is probably eating lunch and getting ready to take a nap. I envision Tori falling asleep in the bedroom, leaving Ollie and Mom to nap in the other room.

Talker

Tori may not be into skeletons and brains like her brother, but she sure likes to talk. Yesterday afternoon in the car, the two did not stop talking for one minute. She even got on the phone with Grandma and said "Hi!" The words are spewing forth now, and she needs your full attention. If you can't give it to her, then she will get it by yelling until you finally acknowledge her. Oh, and by the way, all babies and dolls are Abby (the baby at her sitter's). Don't bother trying to tell her otherwise. Tori won't hear of it.

Tori's Fair

Tori's fair trip was a little different from her brothers. She liked the carousel ride, but wasn't about to try the ferris wheel. She braved the roller coaster with her dad beside her and came out saying 'again, again'. She rode most of the same rides as her brother, but got in a few other ones while he was riding the big kids rides. In addition to the strawberries, Tori got to ride the dragons and bears. All 3 you sat in side while they spun around and you could turn yourself around in circles. A couple of times she lost her balance, but always seemed ready for more.

In the boat she sat there and looked displeased as this wasn't a thrilling ride for a 2 year old. No fun just sitting in water without getting splashed or thrown around a curve at high speeds. Tori loved the slide as well and was able to complete most of the 2nd fun house without a problem. She was carried around the barrel roll and through the side to side shaker.

The ride for her also seemed a bit long on the Tilt-A-Whirl. In the beginning, she kept trying to scoot up so her feet could be under the bar, but the pressure of the ride kept pushing her back. she didn't seem too pleased at the end of it. She was also snuck onto the scrambler ride. Apparently, she was too short to ride it even with an adult. That was ok, she enjoyed it anyways and her Dad protected her from getting squished by her big brother.

I don't think she was too impressed with the lemon shake-ups at the fair. She got a sour look on her face after the first try and didn't seem interested in it much after that, even though she drank some of it. Once home, she was hot, tired and hungry, so after dinner and a bath she watched Caillou until bed time. She slept like a rock that night.

The Artist's

This past weekend Tori's dresser was painted with bugs and flowers. After her nap, Tori caught her Mommy painting her dresser and had to help. She helped a little and everything was corrected. After the dresser was done, Ollie and Tori got to use the acrylic paint to paint on a piece of paper. They both made master pieces and we had to purchase washable paints immediately.



Since then the artwork has been flowing. A lot of the time Tori ends up more painted than her paper, but the good thing is it all washes off with just a bit of water. Even though the paint does get mixed sometimes, it seems to stay the appropriate color. Tori even has a special pad of paper to paint on and she keeps most of the painting to herself and the paper. Apparently we have artist's in the making.

Relaxing on Mom

Neither Tori nor Ollie could get full last night. On one of her many trips to the kitchen, Tori got a yellow popsicle. She ate part of it and then came into the bedroom and sat on top of me to watch Sponge Bob. She laid back on my stomach and chest and finished her popsicle. Essentially, I was her human chair until she fell off with a thud. No more Mommy chair. Tori was on to other things.

One More Visit

Tori has a doctor's appointment this afternoon to make sure her eye is ok. The redness is gone, the swelling is gone and the bruise underneath is just about gone. The lid does not droop and there is just a slight scratch where she cut it. Everything seems to be fine, but we'll see what the doctor has to say.

Vacation Over

Ollie and Tori had a good time at their great-grandparents' house. They played with everything Grandma got out and told them lots of stories. It rained a lot, but that didn't stop Tori from spending hours playing in the rain and making mudpies with the flyswatter. Ollie wouldn't go into the rain, but he did sit on all of the porch swings and eat like there was no tomorrow. We spent the first part of the trip traveling stopping to get him food to eat. Tori also had her fair share of food, eating three helpings of spaghetti on the first night we were there. All in all, they had a good time and didn't want to leave until the car was packed.

Rain, Rain, Rain

It rained for almost 2 days while Tori visited her great-grandparents. This was to Tori's benefit as she loves getting wet. We got there around lunch time on Saturday and it started raining not too long after lunch. Out Tori went into the rain, running around the yard having a great time. She played in the water shooting out of the gutters like a waterfall because they were overflowing. She also liked taking a bath in Grandma's sunken tub. All the playing in the rain must've worked up an appetite in Tori. She ate 3 plates of spaghetti and we know her stomach isn't that big!



Sunday came and Tori was out in the rain again. This time she made some mud pies with the fly swatter and got herself a bit dirty. Her parents were a bit smarter and got her down to her diaper for this run in the rain. She splashed and played in the puddles for awhile.



In the afternoon Tori had mostly mashed potatoes for lunch with her chicken and green beans. She love mashed potatoes. She also chased the bubbles from her bubble wand to pop them. That seems to be a favorite toy now. Luckily for us it can only be used outside. That night Tori took a very long nap with her grandma, she slept until 7 pm! They got up and everyone had a snack.



Tori also discovered puzzles this weekend. She like the ones her brother was playing with, but she also liked the board puzzles where you place the object (like animals) in the same shaped picture. She kept fighting her brother for the regular puzzle pieces, but they are a little too advanced for her.

Monday was a long trip home and she behaved rather well. She ate most of her lunch at Applebee's and had a good time at the zoo. For some reason, she really likes the fish at the zoo. Eventually she got tired and along with her brother we headed home.

Tori was ready to swing when we got home, she was tired of sitting down for most of the day. Everyone had a late dinner and it was off to bed at 10. Wednesday was most of the same for Tori. She did get to see a few fireworks around our neighborhood before bed. Next year, we'll probably take them both to the fireworks show if it isn't too late. I'm sure Tori will like it.

Oh Tori

Her eye is improving and she is now spending most of her time talking. She loves to chat and has a quick temper. She got mad yesterday because her legs are too short for her to pedal her new tricycle. She also got mad at Ollie several times and told him to stop it. She likes her new remote control car and washing herself with her soapy sponge. Words spew from her lips, and sometimes you can understand them and sometimes not. Should be interesting when they both really start talking.

All By Myself

Tori slept in her toddler bed all last night. She has turned out to be a better napper and sleeper than her brother. She gets into the bed, folds her arms across her chest, shuts her eyes and goes to sleep in about five to 10 minutes. Ollie used to hold out for an hour. She rarely screams when she goes to bed, unlike her brother who still gets grouchy about having to go to bed, unless he gets to go to bed with Mom or Dad. She seems to like her little bed; it's a good fit for her. Of course, she isn't nearly as lanky as Ollie.

Red and Puffy

That's what Tori's big booboo looks like now, She still has some mucus, but for the most part, the bruise is healing. Just one dark streak under the eye now and a nice purplish red eyelid. The gash is still globby and oozing a little, but for the most part, Tori is on the mend. She is on to other things, like whisking Splatter off the bed and giving all of the treats to the cats.

Black and Blue

She fared just as poorly as her brother. Didn't like a thing the doctor or nurses did. She has to come back in two weeks for them to check her eyebrow. She looks better, not as blue or purple. They told us to watch the eyelid and make sure it doesn't droop and to check her eye. So far, everything seems ok. I believe all she hit was her eyebrow, but we'll see. What a birthday present!

You should have seen her when she finally saw it in the mirror. She wasn't sure what it was and started touching it. I was surprised she didn't say, "Ew," but she didn't. She just seemed to want to know what it was.

Birthday Weekend

Tori's birthday weekend contained a lot of activity. Friday night we went out to eat at Joe's Crab Shack downtown. The kids loved the restaurant because there was so much to look at inside. Lots of fish and lights hanging from the ceiling. They ate most of their macaroni and cheese and everyone shared a strawberry cream cheese crepe for desert. After eating we went to the Steamboat festival that was happening downtown. The kids rode the merry-go-round twice, cars and jet-ski's. Both of them enjoyed the rides. Tori went almost into the fountain where all the kids were cooling off, but she didn't quite go all the way in. This would be made up for on Saturday.

She also opened her presents so she could play with them the entire weekend. She got a pink tricycle, a Diego rescue pack, a caillou video, a fur real cat and a Dora blanket. She seemed to like them all, but mostly played with the cat and the tricycle.




Saturday after her nap we took Tori to the Splashdown water park. At first she was a little hesitant about getting into the water because of all the people, but after I got in, she came right out and played in the water for the next 3 hours. She only had a few breaks for food and to go to another attraction, but she loved the entire evening. She is definitely a water bug.

After eating dinner Saturday night we had her cake and her big brother helped her blow out the candles. It was so much fun blowing out the candles, they did it twice! She ate her cake and some ice cream with it. She seemed to like it all.





Sunday came and we didn't plan much since we had done so much the previous 2 days. We were just going to take it easy. Most of the morning went that way until around 1 o'clock. Tori and Ollie were in the downstairs bathroom playing with there Mama in there. Tori tripped on the door stop and went head first into something. She got a cut along her eyebrow that bled quite a bit. Tori cried and cried and that just made it worse. She settled down long enough for the bleeding to stop and for her take her nap around 1:30. Around 3:30 or 4, she got up and we noticed that her eye had swollen during her nap. While I gave her a bath, her eye started to bleed a little bit again due to the swelling, so we decided to take her to the care center.

We made it 15 minutes before closing time and were taken into a room to get her head glued back together for the 2nd time in her 2 year life span. This time, she would not be as calm as the last. She didn't want anyone to touch her boo-boo and she screamed. This caused her eye to swell and fill with blood, making it difficult to stop the bleeding. She was so mad at one point, blood squirted out of her eye in a stream straight into the air, just like on tv!

The doctor and nurse left the room and she calmed down enough for the bleeding to stop. That and a chemical called Let that I held on her cut to help it clot. The doctor and nurse came back in and immediately she started to get a little agitated again. Fortunately, she was calm enough that they could put the glue on her head and we didn't have to go to the hospital to have her sedated, which was the next option. With the glue and swelling it makes it really hard for her to see out of her right eye. On Monday morning her eye was swollen shut, just like the doctor said it would be, but by the afternoon, the swelling had gone down and she could see out of it again. It looks a lot worse than it is and she doesn't seem to mind it at all, she has been playing as usual. She's only tried to pull at the glue a couple of times because a few hairs got caught in the glue and she can see them. We've snipped them off so they aren't a problem.




Tuesday morning she woke up with less swelling around her eye and less black and blue. She was able to see out of it immediately. Wednesday is her 2 year check-up with her doctor, so we should get a good idea of her general health then. Hopefully by the weekend most of the swelling will be gone and we can all go back to our regular bed arrangements. Tori has been sleeping in Ollie's bed with one of us so she doesn't fall out of bed, while the other sleeps with Ollie in our bed. We'll have to get her used to her new toddler bed, which we had a little success with before the accident. She's getting to be such a big girl.

Stop It!

That's Tori's new sentence this week and she uses it a lot around her rowdy brother. Yep, the fighting is starting and the terrible twos are here! Tori throws a lot of fits now and spends a lot of time fussing with Ollie. She also refuses to sleep in her own bed. She cried for an hour last night and woke up a couple of hours later screaming. She slept with her Dad while I got bumped to the office. Sweet dreams, Mama.

Her Majesty, Queen Tori

Tori is a chatterbox now and her favorite word is no. "No, no, no," she tells Ollie or me or her daddy. She is constantly challenging us and yesterday she got into trouble for it. She is also showing her independence. She hates clothes with ruffles and dresses. She threw a fit over her new pajamas with a purple ruffle and wouldn't put on her new sun dress this morning. I did manage to get her into a green shirt and miniskirt/shorts. So much for all of her new clothes for her birthday and her new shoes. Threw a fit about those too this morning and ended up wearing her too little shoes.


Her Majesty, in Jammies AND Swimsuit

The Waker

Habits are hard to break for Tori, especially the one about getting up in the middle of the night. We've left her in her bed during her waking spell and she usually goes back to sleep in 20 minutes of voicing her displeasure. 2 nights ago she awoke and bonked her nose about 10 pm. She got a minor bloody nose and got to sleep with Ollie and her Mama in the big bed. At least until they fell asleep then their Mama was able to sneak out for 4 hours of sleep. Last night seemed to go better. Her brother's protestation about sleeping in his bed woke her around 9:30. She was biting her railing while standing up, so she got a bit of medicine in case she was teething and laid back down, much to her dismay. She went to sleep before 10 and if she woke up in the night, I didn't hear her. That's probably good for training her to sleep through the night. Maybe she'll get the idea soon and stop waking all together.

In other training news, I don't know if potty training her will be any easier than it was to train Ollie. Last night Tori started to poop in the tub, so I grabbed her and put her on the potty because it is soo much fun cleaning poop out of a tub. She squealed and screamed when I sat her on there and laid flat and as stiff as a board, fighting it all the way. Luckily she still went in the toilet and not on any where else. After that she was done with her bath and ready to be dried off and dressed to play.

The Duplicator

Tori has to do the exact same thing as her brother. He runs, she runs, he fights with swords, so does she, he jumps, she tries to. She goes as fast as she can on her shorter legs trying to keep up. For the most part, he lets her do what he is doing and sometimes, he even helps her along if need be. He shares most things with her, unless he is in a selfish mood.





Sometimes, she'll be a bit mischievous on her own.

Snake!

Tori went out onto the deck and a snake made its way in, or rather had already come in and slithered under the TV cabinet in the kitchen. Huts saw it when he lifted the blind and tossed the kids upstairs and me too and poked it out the door with a stick. Long black garter snake with a green stripe. Gives me the shivers and thank goodness Tori did not come across it and try to pick it up. This is the first time ever that a snake has come up on the deck that we know of, and I wonder if it didn't have help from one of our four-legged furry cats. Piper is well known for finding creatures and poking at them. Ugh! Ugh! Ugh! The screen doors will no longer remain open for the cats and Tori to come in and out.

Chatterbox

Tori is starting to talk more, repeating more words and jabbering a mile a minute. Sometimes I know what she is saying and sometimes I am at a loss. She gets a little testy when I don't understand her and pulls on my hand to show me what she wants. Most of the time, it is a trip downstairs to the refrigerator. Maybe by the end of this year, she will have more words in her vocabulary that I can understand and she won't have to pull me everywhere.

Nice

Tori is almost 2, but like her brother, the terrible twos have not set in. She throws fits with big tears and a fake cry, but not as often as her brother is doing now. She hates the word "no," and when she gets told that word, she bows down low to the ground, puts her head on the ground and sticks her rump into the air. No sounds--just quiet pouting. My brother saw it for the first time this past weekend and thought it was hilarious. Guess her tantrums will come later.


Tori and Aunt Diane

Too Busy To Eat

That describes Ollie to a T and last night Tori belonged in that category. We went out for pizza because we had haircuts at 5:30. The kids played in the game room, watched the projector screen TV and picked at their food. Tori may have eaten a piece of pizza, and Ollie, well, maybe he ate a cheesestick. They ate popsicles when they got home and played with Annie.

Tomboy

If you know Tori at all, then you know she's a tomboy. She detests barrettes and hair ribbons. She likes to play swords with her brother and rarely plays with dolls. She wears dresses very little because she is always climbing on something, and on the days she does, she looks at them strangely. She also has this habit of wanting to run around with her shirt off. Last night, Ollie's shirt came off because it was covered in hair. Tori pulled up her shirt when she saw that and wanted it off.

Bedtime Mates

Tori loves her stuffed animals, and when it's time for bed, she usually grabs a couple of them to sleep with. On some occasions, she sleeps with her cat, unicorn, pink Care Bear and her very large polar bear. It's very hard to find Tori among all of those. She also likes to drag her stuffed animals around the house. It's nothing to find them stuffed into her shopping cart or strewn across the floor in the living room. She even likes picking them up and hugging them at the store.

Tori The Charmer

No one had seen Tori in a while at Grandma's, and after getting used to everyone, she turned on the charm and giggled and grinned for everyone. She only threw a tantrum once at the park with Uncle Travis watching. He was impressed with her no cry. stick your head on the ground tantrums. Awfully quiet tantrums. Tori played at the park, pulled out toys and warmed up to Dale just before we left. She played in the car and fell asleep right before we got home. She slept for two hours and was up and ready to go. She even woke up happier than usual this morning. If Ollie had stayed at Grandma's. she might have, too. There is no way she will do so, though, without her big brother!

Ride 'Em Cowgirl

When Ollie first got the rocking horse, he was hesitant about it. He didn't want to get on it, once he did, he didn't want to bounce, once he did he didn't want to hear the noise it made. Not his daredevil sister. She hopped on it, had us bounce her and loved the noise the horse makes the faster she goes. Now she even bounces herself. The only thing we have to do is put her on it and take her off when she's done. She's not quite big enough to do it herself. Other than that she'll ride the horse until she gets tired of it. We can even go in the living room while watching her on the patio through the glass door. She's even gotten her brother to play on it, sound and all. It seems Ollie leads in what they play together and Tori leads in trying new things. Guess they each have their strengths.

Click The Picture For A Video Of A Horsie Ride

Tori Likes Diego, But Loves Dora

Tori managed to sit through the Diego show too. She seemed to have a good time but really liked it when Dora came out. Her favorite is Dora and her room is covered with Dora things. In fact, she is getting a Dora bench for her birthday that I found on sale. Ollie has a dinosaur bench, so Tori needs a bench, too, and the plain wooden bench ain't cutting it.

Off to A Crying Start

While Ollie was whimpering about getting a haircut today, Tori was crying about where everyone was this morning. Ollie woke her up, and when she didn't see us in the bathroom, she started walking downstairs with big tears rolling down her chubby cheeks. She was distraught, but I found her before she got on the second step and she sat on my lap while I dried my hair.

Haircut Day

Ollie started crying about it this morning. He says that it hurts, but we all know better. Poor Stacy. Huts will have to hogtie him while Stacy tries to cut his hair. Meanwhile, Tori will sit pretty in the seat all by herself and get her hair cut. Boy, does she need it. Her hair is a mop top mess, and she won't keep barrettes in it or pony tail holders. She yanks them out and gets fussy when you attempt to brush her hair at night. I forgot to bring new shirts for them to put on, so Ollie will complain about that and be whiny. Ugh!

Moo!

Yesterday after work, the kids kept themselves busy making animal sounds. Ollie pretended to be a snake and hissed. Tori hissed, too. Ollie pretended to be a cat and meowed. Tori meowed too. Ollie pretended to be a cow and mooed. Tori mooed too. She is picking up words rapidly just by listening to Ollie.

Happy Happy Girl

Unlike her brother, Tori was happy all weekend. She played with toys, took showers, ate a lot and took long naps. She threw very few fits, and as usual, followed Ollie happily around the house, mimicking his actions. She likes playing under the new bar-height table and even said, "I see you," one of her first full sentences.

Shower Girl

Tori loves taking showers now. She got in with her dad a couple of times and me yesterday. I left her in there for a while because she was so happy. It took some careful wrangling to get her out. She loves standing under the stream of water. OF course, running around naked afterwards and having your parents chase you is equally fun.

Go Go Girl

Since we've gotten the swing set and sand box a couple of weeks ago, Tori has been non-stop. Swings, slides, monkey bars and sand, that's Tori's routine. She follows her brother around and does everything he does. She climbs behind him on the monkey bars, goes down the slide and follow's him back up the ladder. She even swings on the glider with him. Much to his dismay.

She even takes sand to the hair because she wants to be with her brother. They build sand castles. He mostly tries to, she dumps the sand on the newly sewn lawn. Luckily all this extra activity tires her out, some nights, but not recently she ends up booting one of us out of bed. It seems to have become a habit. Hopefully the habit is broken soon.

Big Fit

Tori threw a huge one when we made her get off the swing and come inside for her bath. She could have stayed out there forever. The good news is all of this activity outside is wearing her out and she is sleeping better. She went a couple of nights without getting up and this morning she made it until 4:30. Yippee!

Tori the Climber

I wasn't sure how Tori was going to get up on the swing set tower, but she took it in stride and struggled her way up the rock-climbing slats. Now, she's a true pro and can climb up the slats quickly and sit down and slide all by herself. She loves the swing set. Wait until she sees the swings and the glider! Won't she have a ball then!

Tori Tales

She has been waking up in the middle of the night all week long and worming her way into Mom and Dad's bed, boosting one of us out in the process. We have no idea why she is waking up, and she is a screamer, so there's no use in trying to let her scream it out. She can go on and on for hours! She has also taken to screaming when she goes to bed, but usually she settles down within half an hour. The sleepless nights are starting all over again.

Kylie

There was a new baby at the sitter's and Christian and Tori did not take to her very well at first. Christian threw some sort of fit--who knows what was up with him--and Tori stared at the baby in great detail. They must have got used to her because they came home fine. Christian had loads to say about Kylie, especially how little she was, and Tori said "baby" a few times. Speaking of babies. Tori finally warmed up to one of hers and gave it a huge hug before she dumped it back into the toy box. Tom boy!

Eat, Eat, Eat

That's Tori's motto. The girl can eat and eat and eat. Yesterday afternoon, she ate chips, chicken and dumpling's, yogurt, some ice cream and more. Annie wants to know how she can stay so little. She runs all of the time. The only time she sits still is when she is watching a movie and she will even get up from that from time to time to run and play. Busy girl!

Tori's New Buddy

She doesn't know it, but Sharon's grandaughter was born this week. They named her Abby and in a few months she will be joining the others at Sharon's. Tori will not be the only girl anymore. I hope she isn't jealous like Ollie was when Nathan and Hunter came along. He did not want to share Sharon at all! Tori has to share everything, so hopefully, that won't be any big deal.

Appetite Coming Back

Now that she is not so sick and tired, Tori is starting to eat more. She gets angry though when she can't pick up food with her fork or spoon and even angrier when you try to help her. You have to shove the food into her mouth to get her to calm down, and sometimes that makes everything worse. I think she is going to teach us all about the terrible twos. Ollie sailed through them like nothing. Tori, maybe not so much. She certainly throws fits better than Ollie. Who knew he would be the easy child.

Mama Pillow

Tori feel asleep in her dad's arms last night and got up early this morning and wanted to sleep with me. She laid on my chest for a while and then I scooted her next to me. Before long, she got tired of that and sat up and laid her entire head on the side of my head. Apparently, she wanted as close to me as possible. That molar sure is giving her a run for the money.

Sick, SIck, Sick

Tori came home from Grandma Marie's with rotavirus and has been vomiting and experiencing diarrhea since Saturday. Nothing like traveling with a sick little girl. She has been sleeping with her parents and not doing well at that at all. Yesterday, she went to the sitter's and got sick there, too. She took three 30-minute naps compared to her usual 2 to 3-hour naps. Poor girl! The virus is supposed to last three to eight days. I am hoping she is done with it by this weekend. Fortunately, Ollie must have had it and is immune to it.


Update: She is mostly done with it today (Thursday), but she still isn't totally well. We think her 2 year molars are causing the trouble now. She's at least stopped vomitting and can eat. She's in my lap now trying to figure out what I'm doing, while listening to the thunder.

Mama!

Tori has taken to looking for me when I am out of sight. She screams "Mama!" until she finds me and gives me a hug when she finally figures out where I am. She will also give me an open-mouth kiss, not so lovely but cute nonetheless. Last night, she kissed me and her dad lots while running around in circles. She had a lot of pep--must have taken a long nap at Grandma Sharon's.

Moving Out

Aunt Annie is moving out, and if he wants to, Ollie gets to go with his dad to help her move and put up her blinds and entertainment center. Meanwhile, Tori is staying home with Mom to pack for her trip to Grandma Marie's house. She has no idea she is going, and Ollie says he is not going. No telling what will happen in St. Louis this coming Sunday. The two may just be coming with us.

Swimmer

Tori loves the tub! She likes to splash and sit in the water for as long as you'll let her. She also likes to play in the running water and dump bucketfuls over her head, as well as drink the water. Another thing she is good about is going to the bathroom in the water. You don't want to know how many times Huts and I have had to scoop her out of the tub and clean up the mess she left behind. Yuck, yuck, yuck! Keep that in mind if you ever give Tori a bath. Pay attention to her face and pull her out fast when necessary, else you'll have a mess on your hands.

Sleepy Girl

Tori is still getting over her cold and took several long naps this weekend and slept in on the mornings. She also ate like a horse, having taco, yogurt and spaghetti for dinner, while Ollie picked at his food and ate a few bites of his taco. Like night and day those two are, except when they play. Then they are great buddies as long as there are two of everything.

Real Haircut

Up to this point, Tori has just gotten trims. This time, she got a real haircut so she doesn't look like a raggamuffin anymore. She actually looks like a little girl.

Before


After



She still has her cold, but is happy as a clam. She sat through the entire haircut without fussing. If only her brother was like that for his haircuts.

Ya Ya Ya

That's what Tori was singing this morning. She also said "uh-oh" about a thousand times before that when Ollie dropped some of his aliens. She is getting louder and more verbal. You definitely know when she doesn't want something because she screams and shouts "No!" Two chatterboxes. How ever will we ever get in another word edgewise?

The Bear

Tori came downstairs this morning with her big polar bear. "Ahh," she said as she stroked it. The polar bear watched her eat her oatmeal and may have even got a bite. She would give the cats all the bites and attention they want if they would just stand still. Silly cats keep running from her! Of course, she can be mean every now and then and push them off couches and chairs.

All Moved In

Tori is now in her room, and boy was it a fight, not with Ollie but with her. She got very upset when we started moving Ollie's bed into the office. Cried and cried and cried some more. You would have thought we were throwing out Ollie. We got her moved in, I hung up the rest of her stuff, and presto, she was happy and playing with everything.

All Snowed In

It snowed a lot yesterday, and because the winds were so bad, Huts and I were both let out of work early. Huts picked up the kids from Sharon's early and Ollie and Tori seemed happy to come home. Tori, apparently, even tried to walk through the snow but didn't make it far. She took a long nap, and when she woke up, she found her brother sleeping on the couch. She left him alone for a while and then finally she just couldn't take it any longer and crawled up by him and woke him up. Little booger didn't want her brother sleeping!

In Need of a Little More Rest

Tori is not a morning person, and this morning, she was a real crabcake. Tonight, we are contemplating putting her to bed a bit earlier. The problem is she doesn't sleep well no matter when you put her to bed. She wakes up two to three times a night and moans or screams. Sometimes, we have to get her a drink in order to get her back to sleep, and if it is really early in the morning, she may not go back to bed at all. Ollie was a terrible sleeper too. Time will hopefully improve her sleeping.

Static Head

It's freezing outside, the furnace is running a lot inside, and Tori's hair is full of static. She wakes up with it on end and goes to the sitter's with it on end. I've been thinking about rubbing her head with a dryer sheet, but I don't know if it will help. I'm not sure if she'll let me do it either. Oh well. Guess that flyaway hair will have to stay that way until spring.

Ice Cream for Breakfast

That's what Tori, Ollie and I have had the last couple of mornings. We sure like those dips, but now that they are nearly gone, we're going to have to go back to oatmeal. Tori loves the stuff! She can eat one bowl and part of another all by herself. Blueberry, strawberry, peach, banana, she doesn't care. She just likes oatmeal, and the best part is it doesn't fall off her spoon.