The doc is in!

 Happy Halloween from Dr. Vi!

 

We were very happy to trick-or-treat with Smokey (aka Beckett) and enjoy the crisp, Halloween weather.  In the car on the way to trick-or-treat she kept saying, "I'm so exciting!" meaning that she was very excited to start the festivities.  Vi told a few people that she wants to be a nurse (or doctor) when she grows up.  We asked her why she wants to be a nurse and she said, "because nurses are pretty."  Hopefully she'll come around to the realization that nurses help sick people and that will become the new reason :)

 

The cutest and smartest 4 year-old doctor in town.

 

This witch was handing out out books and toys for Halloween.  We thought that was Santa's job, but we'll take it!

 

 



Learning letters

Vi has been singing her ABCs for a long time now, but we have now transferred into the letter recognition phase of the ABCs.  Then add sounds to those letters.  Oh, and sometimes they look different because each letter has two versions, upper-case and lower-case.  The more you think about it, learning the alphabet really isn't as easy as simply singing your ABCs. 

So, that is why I am excited to report that Vi identified (instantly, with no help) 18 upper-case letters and matched them to their appropriate sound!!!!!!!!!  We still need to work on a few letters like L, R, P, J, Y, and some others.

I ran across a great blog with a section called "Mommy School" that contains lots of ideas for children 4-6 years of age.  I was able to laminate letter "apples," cut them out and put them in a basket, and then learn this little jingle to help Vi work on her letter/sound recognition:

Apple, apple nice and round

Pick an apple, and make its sound!

Vi loves this activity, and it's easy to review our letters while we are sitting at the table.  Hopefully we can make some progress with our Bob Books in the next few weeks!

Fall's a ball at the beach!

I'm at the beach AGAIN, my favorite vacation spot.  Mamaw and Paw were nice enough to let my Mommy and me join them during their fall week in Destin, Florida.

The beach service is really excellent here.  I just jump into the beach buggy and voila! I'm at the beach in no time.

Here I am buried in the sand to create a "mermaid tail" effect.

Mommy had to take my beauty shot in the dunes before sunset.

I had a few firsts at the beach this October.  The most exciting was my first go-kart ride with my Paw.  I also stepped off the last step at the pool without my float (oops!), but before going under I used my swimming lesson skills, held my breath, and closed my eyes before being rescued by Mommy.  I had so much fun that I even fell asleep at the dinner table (very rare for Vi the Energizer Bunny!).

Here I am looking like a big girl.  I hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful fall weather no matter where you are!

A very "ruby" anniversary

 Can you guess where I am?  I am playing in muddy water at Mason Mountain Mine in Franklin, North Carolina!  I spent a fabulous weekend here back in September to celebrate my Grandma and Grandpa's 40th wedding anniversary, the RUBY anniversary (and yes, I said 40 - what a milestone!).

 

 Here I am before mining.  Rubies and sapphires are native to the dirt in this region, and boy did we find some winners!  I helped everyone dig up their dirt and sift through it.  I was very good at throwing the "dud" rocks over the edge and yelling "garbage" really loud while doing so.  Grandma used one of the rubies found to create a beautiful set of earrings and necklace pendant. 

 

No wonder I like hanging out with these people.

 

Here I am looking cute and precious with my Uncle Bini.  Our cabin was located on the banks of the Little Tennessee River with a beautiful mountain view (and I could watch the cows and turkeys roam across the river each morning).  Thanks to Aunt Ashlee and Uncle Joe for locating such a beautiful cabin for us to enjoy.

Some more breathtaking views...

...and the happy couple.  We love you!  Congratulations!

Happy 4th Birthday, Vi!

It was party time this past weekend at our house because Vi turned 4 years old!  She had an Ariel mermaid party, although we invited some pirates to join in on the fun, too.

One game that the kids all enjoyed was "going fishing."  Daddy made the ocean for us, and Paw was the big fish that gave out some quality dollar store prizes for everyone's sand bucket.

Rufus the magician (aka Uncle Joe) showed up for the party to share the magic he learned under the sea from Ursula and King Triton.  We had to tell Vi that it was Uncle Joe because that hair was just toooooo bizarre and frightening at first.  In the end, all of the kids loved this activity, and Vi called Rufus out on his disappearing coin trick.  Thanks Rufus for a great show!

 

On Sunday we explored the town with Aunt Janice.  We got some beautiful shots from the top of the mountain since the day was so clear.

Here is Vi trying out one of her gifts, a cotton candy maker.  Yummy!  Instead of yelling with excitement for "cotton candy!" she yelled "sugar!"

 

Family photos with Vi as she turned 4 years old.

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, VI!  WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A new perspective

This blog's purpose is to share the life of a wonderful little girl, Vi, with family and friends.  Since it was created only a few days after she was born, it has mainly been written from my perspective, the Mommy.  It hasn't been until recently that I hope I have chosen to share her most meaningful moments and comment in a way that expresses her personality.  And then I realized that Vi is not an infant anymore, not even a toddler.  She is a kid, a school-aged child.  My goal at this point is to get more of her input as time goes on and start sharing more moments from what it actually like to be the main participant in The Life of Vi.

 

So, to begin.  Pictures from the Fisher-Price camera.  The things that are important to our 3 year-old.

 

Mommy and Daddy

 Nature

 

Making tea

Friends

Hanging out in the princess tent

Silly dads in the princess tent

Me

Jewelry, Ballet, anything girly

Family

Boo Boos

Uncle Bini (who gave me this camera)

Getting cozy with my animals



Vi ♥'s the SEC

 Vi decided to officially kick off football season with a visit to her native village of Auburn, Alabama.  First stop:  Toomer's for some lemonade and ice cream.  Good choice, Vi!

 

 Vi loves exploring campus with her Daddy.  I have a feeling we might have a moment like this in front of Samford Hall about 16 years in the future on her campus tour.  She loves Auburn, just like Dad!

 

 Vi loved her visit so much that she would not wash off her tattoo, so we just decided to go to music class and gymnastics all decked out in her Auburn gear on Monday.

 

 Our main reason for visiting Alabama was to see this little guy (aren't they adorable together?).  He's an Alabama fan (note the crimson color in his shirt), but we still love him!

 

 Next stop on the SEC tour was the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.  Caroline and Vi are perfect KD ladies in the parlor of the new Kappa Delta house in Sorority Village.

 

 Different school, but I can see this photo happening on bid day about 16 years from now, too!  Maybe they can be roomies just like their mommies were back in the day.

 

Here are the little legacies just hangin' out on the stoop.  They all enjoyed their first official visit to the new house and their first bid day at UT!

 

From our family to yours, WAR EAGLE and GO VOLS!