It's April - and its catch up time!

Recently, I find myself stopping what I'm doing to find some scrap of paper to write down some juicy tidbit I "just had to post" on this blog...its been so long! But as I sit here, finally able to log on, I have no inkling where to find any of the said scraps of paper!
Well, let me just start here, randomly... earlier today you said something that caught me completely off guard - "It's not fair." Yep. Already. You said it quite simply, with no emphasis on any particular word. I'm sure you overheard it (oops) and thought it sounded interesting.
Later on, I cracked up with your dad when you said it in front of him too.

You've also recently begun shaking your head emphatically with 'big' comments, for instance "Mommy's not shopping" (adamantly shakes head no, with wide eyes) "Mommy's hoooome, Mommy's not shopping. Mommy - you're not shopping!"
You said this after being caught by surprise in the hallway, not realizing I'd just walked in the front door.

On another note, yesterday I registered for Summer and Fall semester at AASU and finally changed my major to Psychology. This is something I've been considering and going back and forth on for a while. Nursing is so practical after all and sensible, easy to find a job - but the long hours and the long days for those first few years... and considering the amount of time I'd spend away from you during these few short years I get you all to myself - I won't trade it. You're first on my list (lucky us!) and I want to keep it that way. School can be second for now and as long as I stay steady I'll get my degree and accomplish my professional / personal goals while I get to play with you at the same time!
I know this path will be good for us and I'm excited to finally find something I can do involving medical care and psychology. I hope to get a masters in Nutrition or Naturopathy soon after completing the bachelors in Psych. And down the road I'll do something to make lots of people's lives better and healthier - including ours.
This summer I'm going to have to be in class a lot but only for 1 month - some days from 8-5! None of us are used to that, but Daddy has really been hitting it off with you since I re-entered school in January, and I know you'll both be just fine - except I'll miss you while I'm there!

We'll have to make weekends as school-free as possible that month and have lots of family time.
Thank goodness you have no problem napping for Daddy at this point. Before you would only go to sleep if Mommy was there to nurse you to sleep. Since Daddy obviously cannot do it, you don't require it, however you do pick back up at bedtime, unless Daddy puts you to bed, of course.

Today we went to our first day of toddler swim class - you did great! I think you remember a lot from your first class... when you weren't even 1 yet! (I have your graduation certificate around here somewhere!) You were jumping in like a pro, kicking and paddling and climbing out on the side. We were really proud of you and we all had smiles from ear to ear!

You have really been eating a lot of cake lately missy, between birthdays and Easter (we didn't do candy, but you had cake and ice cream - especially since your birthday party was the day before!).

Violeta and Roumen came for Easter again this year (and your party), as they usually do. But this time they stayed with us, and of course you and their boy Alex played non-stop. He understands mostly bulgarian so you guys communicated with "GAAAH" and "RRRRRRRRRRRRRR" a lot (during unavoidable toddler disagreements). You were the one yelling, but at least he didn't cry and run away this year. We've got plenty of video - yippeee!

Speaking of your birthday party - you had a wonderful Dora party with lots of surprises (like a bubble machine, sidewalk chalk, and your friends and family who all showed up just as you woke from your nap) and another surprise we had for you was a rented, blow-up "moonbounce" designed to look like a carousel. (the Dora one was out, but it worked since you love horses, and merry-go-rounds, and especially since one of your favorite Dora books is the one where she goes to the carnival and rides the carousel).

You still LOVE animals, whether they're books, stickers or toys - but especially the real thing! You love Diego the animal rescuer (probably more than you love Dora) and I love for you to watch the shows once in a while because you remember the animals names and also the spanish! Mommy learns spanish too, which helps in my actual college spanish class, I've found lately! Thanks Dora! specifically with the "Abre - open, Cierra - close" song.
We also read a lot of books - you'll even sit by yourself and "read" during the day at times and we always read you "one more" at bedtime.

And you are such a fun library visitor. I think you deserve your very own library card, as you've been very generous with allowing me to return books. And when we first walk into the Oglethorpe Library you always say in a stage whisper, "We have to be verrrry QUIET in the library!" Then you always hand the lady the card and "pay" at check-out time.
You are doing really well with numbers and know your colors, but lately you have even started to show an interest in ABC's so that's great. You're doing ok in the potty training department, but as it warms up I think we'll make a lot of progress by letting you go diaper-less, then maybe you can tell me when you need to go - before it happens.

As far as picking up bulgarian goes, you keep surprising me. You seem to use more of the spanish we learn on Dora, daily, but if we're at Baba and Diado's house and they're only speaking to you in bg, you respond appropriately in actions most of the time. You usually do say "nasdrave" and "Lecka Nocht" but you used a funny term with Baba and Diado, calling the Baboosh and Dadoosh, which is something your grandma had taught you, and its considered a humorous way of addressing Baba and Diado. Well, just like it sounds. But we didn't expect it at the time. It was very funny! And out of nowhere the other night you said "Zdrasti" to either Mitko or Diado, & I didn't even realize you knew that word!

If we get to travel abroad extensively, I have no doubt you'll be able to pick it right up, as they say, but your mom is going to need some structured lessons! Maybe you can help me, too, maybe translate for me now and then (my little 2 or 3 year old translating for her silly mommy! very cute!) I hope we'll go sometime before you start school, while we've still got a lot of flexibility. We can both learn a lot! I really want to give you that gift, its one of my strongest desires - for you to be able to experience both sides of your culture and have at least the language from both mom's and dad's home countries. It will open up a whole other world for you - even a small one within your own family.
xoxoxo
Mommy
p.s. This week (Friday) is Aunt Jen's senior art show and lots of family will be coming to see the show / visit - and some are staying here with us, so that will be exciting! I've been meaning to get some good, recent photos of all your relatives who you don't see that, and that way you can look at their photos and "know" them as much as possible. Talking about them is good, but we'll have pics to help you remember, too!