Sandoval Family Blog

Friday evening in Sandbridge

I was off on Friday and took Olivia to Little Island Park in Sandbridge. It was too cool to really get in the water, but perfect weather for sitting (or in Olivia's case, running, jumping, leaping, sprinting, etc.) on the beach. Here are a few photos of our relaxing getaway:

Olivia loves to pretend to be a dog. Specifically, she calls herself a "Tooshi dog" - yes, sounds like the word some people use for the posterior or "peaches" as we call them. I don't know where she got the name "Tooshi dog" but it's become a household name around here. And just wait until you hear the low moan of a howl the Tooshi dog makes when she is abandoned by family and is left alone (one of the scenarios Olivia has made up for the Tooshi dog - whereby she gets in the den cabinets, shuts the doors and howls - her howl is the funniest thing I have heard lately). So, here she is as the Tooshi dog:


I watched her watching the waves. She'd hike her little cover-up up her legs in anticipation of the water coming closer.


In action! Love the reflection of her body on the sand and the way she's still running on her toes.

Running. Non-stop. That's half of what she did on the beach - the other half of the time she was piling up old seaweed. Note the hair in her face - the normal state of things.   

Let's take a few photos...

One of the best things about having the photography side-biz is that Olivia willingly lets me take her photo again. I wanted a little practice with a new wide-angle lens and she willingly jumped at the chance to go outside and jump around with me. I love how her hair is blowing in the wind in the top two - the same photo in color and black/white because I can't decide which one I like best. Either way, we had a lot of fun and she gets more expressive each day!

I call this one "Here I am world!"

April Showers...

Olivia really wanted to play in the rain this afternoon. So she got herself all dressed for the occasion (she got the CareBear umbrella, raincoat and what she calls "rain boots" and went out for almost an hour in the rain. I couldn't resist the opportunity to get some updated photos.

She is changing so fast - not as much physically these days as emotionally. She's so much more of a person - if that makes any sense. She shows so much more of a range of emotions. The other day she told me she was "really sad for me" because I had a cold. She also has her own little relationships forming... she was invited "exclusively" to a little girl's house tomorrow - the little girl got to invite one friend and invited Olivia. That's especially cool since this little girl is from the old school, which Olivia left in January!

She went shopping with me tonight - we literally walked from one end of Lynnhaven Mall to the other side - and back. I didn't get home with her until 9:30, so it was a late, late night. And we had such a good time. I explained the importance of a spring purse and why she'd one day appreciate the fact that there are just certain patterns that petite people should not attempt to wear. She was particularly helpful when I picked up a purse and she said, "No mommy, that's the same one you have now." Well, yes, I guess I've been in a bit of a fashion rut!

She went to work today with Steve for a few hours. Get this: she attended a meeting, watched a movie and played "fort" under his desk. Not to mention the pink doughnut. I told him she was going to get the wrong idea about "work" and think it was all fun and games. She loved seeing the office, hanging with the people and seeing daddy do some number "plussing." (Which she will almost never see mommy doing.)

This is my favorite age so far. It gets better and better for me. Five is full of spontaneous fun, laughter, and a ton of learning. It's serious at times, but in a way that's completely natural for someone learning so much. Five is definitely sensitive in the kindest, gentlest way - not manipulative or whiny but genuine sensitivity. It knows when it's being made fun of - but it also makes some really funny jokes, too! Five is sweet, and sneaky. Five will feed the cat treats when we're not looking. Five will also help itself to a snack and forget to mention said snack until a bit later when five refuses to eat dinner. Then again, five is fully capable and proud of the ability to grab its own breakfast items in the morning while it watches Strawberry Shortcake.

Which brings me to the other cool thing about five. Five is very, very retro! We're watching the same cartoons we grew up with and shopping for "jelly" shoes for the summer. Five genuinely likes old-school Madonna songs like "Borderline" and "Holiday." But beware, five will also ask for random hip-hop music (and do this by providing the actual lyrics to the songs! - "the dollar,dollar bill song, mom!") that it has heard on the radio. Word to the wise: five has big ears. Five hears all.

Five also starts to read - the mail, notes lying around the house, and even things on TV. Five recognizes her name everywhere it appears - including on brand-name Olivia stools at Target. It pays attention now when mom and dad spell things so as not to be understood. By age six, we joke that we may have to begin speaking pig-latin in order to have secrets! And these days, five also apparently does greater than/less than and basic math. Which, let's face it, is more than thirty-five does on a good day.

I adore Olivia at age five. I feel like everything up to this point has been a sweet and fascinating warm-up for the discovery of who she is and what she will do with her life. I feel parenthood turning a bittersweet corner - the point where we no longer teach basic life-skills and dictate orders, but instead give her the tools to make her own decisions and begin her own little journey. It's pretty amazing to see it all unfold.

Old chair made new, and an Olivia moment

I bought this chair last summer at the small junk/antique store in Pungo (there's only one!). It was $40. I picked out some very funky fabric, got it recovered (finally) and it's my new favorite chair. Of course, the cats were trying it out within 10 minutes of its arrival. 

And now for...An Olivia Moment

A couple of nights ago, Olivia and I were watching High School Musical 2. It's the end of the movie and the main characters kiss one another and then these big golf-course lawn sprinklers comes on and drench them and they all sing and dance off into the sunset, so to speak. So Olivia says during this scene, "I want to do that one day, mom."

"Oh gosh", I think.

So I say calmly, "Oh, you want to kiss a boy one day?"

"No, I want to play in the sprinkler like them," she says all cool.

That was a close one. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day has been a big deal this year - it's all hearts, kisses and tiny cards. Olivia got some adorable cards from her classmates and has informed me that "as soon as you finish up my Valentine's Day card, just let me know and I will open it." She also purchased for Daddy a very cool heart-full of Tony Stewart chocolates.

I'm running a little bit behind...Halloween Photos

I am swamped. Completely, totally, freakishly swamped. Whose idea was it to take all these photography sessions anyway?

I can't complain. It's been so much fun. I think it's been the answer to a lot of creative angst for me over the years. So the obsession is totally my own fault. In the meantime, I go through spells of just not wanting to pick up the camera in-between sessions. But I did manage to get some on Halloween of Fairy Olivia.

Look, she asked originally - repeatedly - to be Tinkerbell. But then Halloween night came and although she was in a Tinkerbell costume and I did her hair in a bun (because all the other moms kept saying, "You're going to put her hair in a bun like Tinkerbell, right?") even though I didn't even remember the whole Tinkerbell-had-a-bun thing....well, she just wanted to be a fairy - not so much Tinkerbell.

And so, I present to you....fairy (who looks an awful lot like Tinkerbell) Olivia...

Look at her back hand on the last one - she's really got this cute little gracefulness about her (that I totally don't have!). I think those classes -  tumbling (over for now) and the current dance class might be paying off!

I'll put prints in the mail to family soon - but you know, expect them on or around Thanksgiving! :)

Recent one of Olivia

This one...she is mine!
Originally uploaded by amiefletch

I've been processing photos of so many other people's kids that I haven't spent enough time enjoying my sweet girl. She was home sick today and once she got through the throwing up part (thankfully it didn't last long and Steve was on duty, I missed it for the first time ever!) she was a pleasure to be around all day. She also apparently spent part of the afternoon memorizing the lyrics to the "High School Musical" soundtrack - 'cause that girl knows nearly all the words to several of the songs now. And boy, does she like to sing and sing and sing them.... just ask Steve. :)

Olivia's Fifth Birthday

Five years ago tonight, Olivia arrived. She arrived with gusto, but not until the doctor went in and got her. We should have known then that she had a mind of her own. I remember seeing her tiny little self bundled up in the requisite white hospital blanket with blue and pink stripes - as they held her up to me - and thinking, "Wow, she's tiny and cute - and loud - and look at all that hair!"

Five years ago tonight, as Olivia says, the family gathered at the hospital to "Get to know her." I remember that night almost like an out-of-body experience. First time having surgery and first time having a baby - what a combo. I remember being pretty overwhelmed with so many new emotions those first few hours. I also remember that they came at dawn's early light to sign paperwork and get me out of bed to walk. Poor nurses, never knew what hit 'em!

But mostly I remember bits and pieces of being a new mom - holding that teeny little baby in my arms. Attempting breastfeeding for the first time. Dressing her in lots of cute little outfits - probably much to the nurse's chagrin, since she could have stayed in her hospital-issued gown to make it easy on them. But no....I had her dressed in long pink gowns and the hats...oh, the hats - that girl had every had known to man. Knitted strawberry hats, knitted pumpkin hats, little Florida Panthers hats - she had a wardrobe.

She was not big on being swaddled, but she did like to sleep on our chests. A lot. And she adored the bouncy seat from the first evening home. Driving home from the hospital for the first time with a new baby feels like you've stolen someone else's baby - what do we know about raising this thing, you wonder.

I remember writing down each thing she did - and the time - sleeping, eating, pooping, all of it - recorded on a notepad. I know some of you laughed at me. But when you aren't sleeping, a list of those things does come in handy sometimes! It didn't take long for her to prove that she was day/night confused. Those little blue-gray eyes would pop open around 4 p.m. and she'd be up until midnight or later - straight through. But she wouldn't wake for anything during the day. Who knew she'd be sleeping through the night by 4 months and be the great sleeper she is today. Steve and I definitely wouldn't have taken that bet those first few weeks.

I can't believe it's been five years. In five more she'll be 10. Holy cow. I love each year more and more - they are speeding up and I am not ready. But nothing is better than watching her turn into her own lovely person. She is so funny - and the older she gets the more I realize that she has her dad's dry sense of humor. She is so caring and sweet - she adores the family, her teachers and her friends. If we haven't seen someone in a while, she will routinely ask about them. She is incredibly independent - if she can do it for herself, she does. Of course, she is also very strong willed - the two do seem to go hand-in-hand. But if given the choice, I'd take it over again - this is who she is - strong willed, independent and hard-working. I think we are seeing her grow into these traits to really use them to her advantage. They will simultaneously come in handy and drive us batty for years to come!  She is Olivia at five - we love her and each moment with her.

Some party photos:

It was a Cinderella Party...

In her dress-up getting ready for the ball

I didn't tell him until this morning that he had to dress up like the prince. He did a fantastic job. I owe him BIG. :)

Dancing at the "Ball"

Princess cake

Getting ready to blow out the candles

More Olivia-isms

It pays to have a girl! Olivia came out of the bathroom tonight and said, "Mommy, I did you a favor and put another roll of toilet paper on the holder because I used all of the other one."

Yay!

And tonight she amazed me with this: "Mommy this is my spine (points to her back). Books have spines, too!"

Preschool is paying off!

Olivia-isms

I have been making notes to remind myself to blog some of Olivia's recent Olivia-isms. Here are a few:

Who will pick the corn?
There was a large field of corn that sits next to London Bridge Road - it's behind a giant fence because it sits on the Oceana Naval Air Station property. While driving past it one morning Olivia asked with much alarm, "Mommy, who will pick that corn? Who will eat it? It's behind a big fence, no one can get to it!"

Naked Bed Jumping
Not too long ago we stripped the sheets off Olivia's bed (have I mentioned how much she loves changing sheets and making beds? This is not from my side of the family!) and she began jumping wildly on the bed. Some music was going on her CD player and it turned into a mini jumping/dance session. Then she stripped off her pants and continued jumping. After shouting that she was hot, she took off her little shirt. After a few more minutes of jumping, I left the room momentarily to do something. When I came back, she was...yes, you guessed it, entirely naked.

"I'm jumping on the bed NAY-KED mommy!," she laughed and giggled.

We have that commercial
While out to eat one night, Olivia pointed to the TV in the room and said, "Hey, we have that commercial at home!"

She was right, too, it was one of those commercials that runs constantly, and we certainly do "have it at home" just about anytime the TV is on!

Chicken...flanks
While at the same restaurant, we worked on what Olivia wanted to order. "Do you want chicken planks?" Steve asked. Olivia didn't understand what they were, so we explained that they were like chicken "fingers" but a bit different. "Oh, so they're chicken flanks?" she asked. I know she had no idea how she'd combined the two words, but we got a big kick out of it!