Vivster is Five

Vivian is five. We never let her birthday pass without remembering her as our baby who came out purple with the cord wrapped around her neck.

But we also recall what a fat and happy baby she was!

And how she used to put everything, everything, everything in her mouth...

And how she was the most challenging toddler/preschooler.

Lately we're often commenting on how Vivian's behavior is improving. She wants to be helpful and tries to please her parents. She's the easiest sick child because she's tough, her pain tolerance is incredibly high, and she never complains. She's keeping an eye on Felicity and learning how to be gentle. When Mommy recently had her gallbladder removed, Vivian became Mommy's right-hand-girl. She ran to fetch things while Mommy recovered, bent over for Mommy to get things off the floor, helped switch loads and loads of laundry, didn't whine about Mommy moving slowly. Being needed made her feel valuable and loved and helped her mature.

She's curious and thinks outside the box...actually she's so busy being a Vivian she doesn't realize there is a box. She was born into a family of rule followers and straight line thinkers. Sometimes we have to take a step back and just watch her before reacting because her methods are very different from ours but she's just doing her best to learn. And someday she'll be inventing all kinds of wonderful things with her wonderful brain if we can manage to channel that wonderful energy and teach her a pinch of self-control.

She received some special gifts this year - Barbies. The first Barbies to enter our home. Presumably, the first of many.

Living with five-year-old Vivian is going to be a treat.