Secret Shopper

You love going with me to pick up groceries at our local supermarkets. Here you are at Stater Bros. where you always like to grab a basket and take charge of collecting our items. You already know where all the stuff is within the store.

dpgmarine

South Gate return

Well, we decided to take you to the revamped South Gate park which looks a lot different than when we used to peruse the area in the past. However, some stuff stayed the same. I won't get into that right here. Here we are at the hand ball courts tossing around your blue ball. It was a rather windy day which explains why the ball was flying all over the place. You had so much fun!

dpgmarine

Me against you and mama

Here we are playing air hockey against each other. You did pretty well!

dpgmarine

Mr. Sandman

Yesterday, I picked you up from school and decided that I would take you to the park for a little while. You were excited as usual because you really enjoy playing at the park. You played for about half an hour and did a lot of running around the play area. When we got home we waited for your mom to come home so we could go eat at your favorite pizza place Gondolas. Well on the way over there, your energy level dropped dramatically. By the time we got there not even the smell of wonderful pizza could bring you back from the grip of the Sandman. You actually slept in the same position the whole time. Your mom reluctantly took your picture and now it's permanently online for everyone to see. I don't think this will ever happen again. Side note, you had a slice of leftover pizza today so all wasn't lost.

dpgmarine

Bad Papa

Where do I begin? Vladimir, the point of this blog was for me to continually update on all your life experiences so that we wouldn't forget them. Unfortunately, your father has fallen off and hasn't updated in over a year. How did that happen? Well, I really should have no excuse because this is very important to me. However, the last year has been very eventful and before I knew it you were already 4 years old. Life is constantly filled with surprises, changes, and as I've gotten older it really seems to just fly by. Cap that with my constant busy schedule and here we are. Well I think we've heard enough of my excuses for one post. Let's talk about you. You've really come a long way since my last post. You're talking much more to the point where sometimes we tell you enough. Sentences are still a work in progress, but you're getting there. You've improved a lot in your academics at Alameda. You do really well with numbers, letters, matching and various other activities. Our biggest battle with you that is still going on as of this writing is potty training. You've got the pee thing down for the most part, but sometimes you get lazy and drop a puddle. The poop thing is a whole different case. You will go when you're at home most of the time, but at school not so much. We are not sure what goes on in that little brain of yours. You know that you're supposed to go to the toilet, but for some reason you choose to crap your pants instead. This has lead us to the formation of the poop patrol. This unit is mainly led by your mother, but I am second in command. We're hoping that you will eventually get the hand of it and start being more consistent. You have really grown into your body. You've stretch out and really are starting to look like a little man. Another important change that we've seen in you is your inaction with other kids and people. This year, you've been around more people and really enjoying playing with other kids. You ask us about going to see other kids and we're really happy to see you wanting to be around other people. Most of all, through all the hard times, frustration, laughs, trials and tribulations, every moment has been special because you are in our lives. I look forward to your continued progress and can't wait for more great things to come. I will attached some random pictures from over that past year. I'll also do my best to get back on track with this blog. I can't promise anything because I really don't have a lot of free time for the next three months. I have a big prize that I'm working on right now and I'm trying to complete it in May. It will be the culmination of 6 years of hard work. Coming soon!

dpgmarine

List

This is just a quick list of what words that you can say or that you've said at least once up to today. These are what come to mind. Let's make this thing grow Vladi!!!

Cookie

Swing

Mama

Papa

Nose

Slipper

Sapatto

Hi

Bye

Teacher

Elmo

Light

Egg

Set

Go

Nina

Chica

dpgmarine

Huge Week

Last week was really big for you Vladimir. It started off as usual. You went to your daycare and school during the week. I was picking you up because your mom had been staying late at work. Wednesday was a nice day so I wanted to take you to the park after I picked you up so that you could run around for a bit. Anyways, I had you get into your car seat. Immediately you start looking around for something to eat and drink. I gave you your cup with water. Then I ask you if you wanted a cookie (which is really an air puff). You gave your usual grunt meaning yes. I've been asking you to say the word cookie before I give them to you. This time I asked you to say the word and to my surprise you said it back to me. You stretched out the word and it sounded like that bird when he says Coo-kie Crisp. I asked you to say it again, but you didn't. Maybe I was just hearing things. So we headed to the park to have some fun together. As soon as we start driving past the park you start pointing towards it because you are very familiar with it. We just haven't been going as often because of the rain. So we get off and you have a blast. You mostly wanted to go on the swing, but you also went on the slides as usual. When I got you back to the car and into your seat I wanted to test you again. I asked you to say cookie again and you did. I said, "Holy Ghost Batman" I'd better record this to show your mom. So I pulled out my phone and asked you to say it again and you did. David U. Genius! I wanted to keep going. I asked you to say swing and you said what sounded like swin. Close enough for me and I got you on camera again. Finally I asked you to say the word mama. To this point you've only ever said Dada even though I've stressed you to say Papa. Well, I asked and you said mama to me. I pulled out the camera phone again and got you to say it three times. How cool of you? How happy and proud was I? I just know that 2011 is going to be a big year for you. Your mom came home later that night and didn't exactly have a great day. I knew what would cheer her up. I showed her the videos of you and it brought a huge smile to her face. Then I asked you to say the same words to her in person and you did. However, you weren't finished yet. Just before she came home, you wanted to me to read your ABC book to you. When we were on the N page you said the word nose. You've never done that before. I also asked you to say the word sappato and slipper and you definitely tried your best to say those as well. Finally later that night your mom said that you knew how to say the word hi. So I asked you to say hi and you did and also gave me a wave. Amazing, you said all these words in on day. Have you been holding out on us??? I don't want to press you too much, but I'm so excited to hear you say words. Let's keep it going. Lastly, every once in a while you will raise your voice and say Dada when we play around. That night you said mama instead and started yelling it out. It was so funny. I told your mom she better get used to it and she just smiled.

dpgmarine

Our First Family Trip..Sort Of!

Alucard

I had taken the day off from on Friday so that I may begin work on a presentation for one of my classes. Of course you dad procrastinated and waited until the last week to start his ten page paper, but what else is new. Anyways after doing some chores around the house I decided to sit down and start typing my paper. Then the phone rings. It was your mama on the other line telling me that I needed to get down to your school and pick you up. Well as it turns out, you decided you wanted to have a half day yourself. In order to accomplish this you came up with the plan to bite your teacher. That's right, you bit your teacher Ms. Sandra for no reason other than maybe you didn't like being told what to do. Vlad, this was a big no no. You left a bruise on her arm and I had to bring you home. It's very hard to get inside your head because you can't talk back yet and tell us what you were thinking. You did seem like you were sorry, but we can only keep our fingers crossed that this does not happen again. Be good!!!

dpgmarine

Backpacking

Just wanted to show how cute you look with your little backpack. You were the only one in your new class that did not have their own back pack yet. So we went down to Target and got you your very own Elmo backpack.

dpgmarine