Happy birthday to Victoria!

Before a month is finally up I need to do a big monumental happy birthday dear Victoria Ruby you are now a big two year old post. I was being all ornery and didn’t want to do it on her actual birthday. This is because that little Victoria gives me a run for my money. I’m a tough cookie, but she’s 100 times tougher. I’m stubborn and opinionated and don’t like to be told what to do, and she is all of that and then some. So I understand her, and I love that she knows what she wants, but wow. How do I mother her? I guess I have a lifetime to figure that one out.

Some things about Victoria to put down for the sake of documenting history. Victoria is tall. Not sure if she is way tall for her age, I need to take her to the doctor to find that out. But she is really catching up to Charlotte. I have been asked at least 4 times in the last couple of weeks if they are twins. V is wearing a size 3T and Charlotte is also usually wearing a size 3T. That makes things kind of handy. Victoria is strong and active and coordinated, and really freakishly brave. She will go down any slide at any park and then she yells “that fun Mommy!” as she is running around to climb back up. She is happy and sweet and loves to give hugs and stuff, but she can bust out with the crying like none other. I try to ignore the crying when I don’t know how to fix it or if I think she’s crying just for the heck of it, so now when she thinks I can’t hear her she says (in the middle of her wails) “I’m crying!!” Yeah, I hear you. Loud. And. Clear. She loves to hold hands. She likes to hold my hand when we're in the car, but when I'm the driver that doesn't work out very well. But still she yells "hold hands!" Victoria is getting to be a really good talker. She’s not as advanced in the talking arena as other two-year-olds we’ve had around here but she holds her own. My favorite thing lately is when she is sitting on the bathroom counter getting her pigtails done and she gets all 4 of our toothbrushes out of the holder and plays with them like they are actually Mommy, Daddy, Charlotte and Victoria. Usually it goes something like this: “No no no Daddy! No Mommy!" And so on and so forth. There is definitely a favorite word which comes out of her mouth most often. But she is good at that kind of imaginative play and likes to make her Little People talk too. She likes to sing too. The songs she most requests in the car are both by U2 and you know that makes a momma proud! She is very, very independent. When other kids are over here playing she usually prefers to head to the other side of the room to do her own thing. But not always. I guess it just depends. The kid also loves to color. They both do. They will color and color for hours. I love to see their two little heads bent over their coloring books at their little table. Victoria also loves to play dolls and to talk to her dolls. She carries around two of them, named “Dolly” and “Baby”. She is perhaps the messiest eater in the universe. Yesterday she shredded a chocolate cupcake into a billion crumbs in a matter of about 3 minutes. When she eats it gets everywhere. It’s a full body experience. Her favorite food is probably oatmeal. And chocolate cupcakes. And fruit snacks. Aren’t those the three food groups?

I love you Miss Tori. I’m sorry I was so slow in recording some stuff about you for your birthday. I’m lazy like that. You are special and you are wonderful and I’m so happy you are my kid. XOXO

Here are some pictures. I caught her in my makeup last week. She looked like she knew what she was doing, except for the part where she put mascara all over her lips.