DJ Lance Rock & Other Funtimes

The highlight of Veronica's year (and the rest of Team Gore, I'm sure) was the live Yo Gabba Gabba show... and because Veronica has charmed Dreas of all shapes and sizes, she even got to go backstage.



That's right, that's DJ LANCE ROCK, y'all. In the flesh! Carrying around our girl!



Veronica, of course, was nonplussed. Ain't no thang to her, she's been rocking those shades for months.



Something she can get excited about? Avocado sushi. Girl after my own heart. Also bringing on the total Amanda-style manic grins (and she does this a lot, she is one happy little beast)...



Friends & forts...



Dorky glasses & big eyebrows...



And being turned into a bunny at Alabama's awesome birthday party!



She's also capable of more pensive looks, which is fitting considering her ever growing vocabulary (and her even newer ability to process and respond to in-depth questions). Here she is pondering the meaning of life and the origin of species while staring out a train window (she hearts trains big time).



And here she is questioning gender roles and the continued existence of the glass ceiling while enjoying a lollipop. Oh, and she gets a new one of these sweaters every year as they are our favorite (and hers).



Fear not, all of that conjecture and philosophizing doesn't slow down her social skills! V loves an outing and being around the big kids, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade was a perfect place for that.



Um, this hat kills me and needs no funny-funny caption. SO EFFING CUTE.



Independence, big words, alone time, cognitive & rational thought... whatever. At the end of the day, she's still our favorite baby. COME ON! Look at this girl! Sigh 4-evah.

Drea

Regular Sayings

Talking with Amanda last night, I remembered there are several other things Veronica is regularly spouting now that I knew would amuse us to look back on later.



She loves to greet things with "hi". This is awesome, and can take many forms. "Hi gabba", "hi Chester", "hi car", "hi horses". Of course, the reverse is true and even less expected (and therefore thrilling when uttered). Nothing better than the unexpected "bye store".



With a mom like Amanda, the only way V can really rebel in the future is by becoming a straight A having varsity soccer playing cheerleader. This in turn means she'll be skipping a stoner phase, so it appeases me now to hear her regularly request "kind". She doesn't mean the bud, obvs, she means she wants a different kind... this most often comes up in concerns to juice.



My favorite word? "Hiding!" Because she yells it, which is SUPER secretive. Any ninja will tell you that. "Veronica, where are you?" you can shout. "HIDING!" she'll respond. She's totally the next James Bond.

Drea

Fall Activities

Gotta catch up on some autumnal funtimes with Lady V! I've had an especially good time of it lately, as I've been lucky enough to spend my Thursdays squiring Her Highness around.



She does this awesome thing now where she answers "sure" when you ask her things. "Veronica, can you eat another piece of eggplant before you're done?", you inquire. "Sure," she responds.



However, she's also expanding her repertoire. For instance, when I request, "hey, my little friend, can you please stay closer to me when we're playing near the street?", she will counter with a solid, "I don't want to!".



"Well, we all do things we don't want to, sister!". Which, of course, sets off, "sister? TT?!?!". (TT, clearly, is Amber. Short for "auntie". Obviously.)



Or my favorite little smarty manipulation pants move she pulls... we'll be going through the getting-ready-for-bed routine, which concludes with a book, and she'll ALWAYS request David Gets In Trouble.



Because she KNOWS that the very last word of it is "mom", and that will just set her up for the perfect, squealing, sobbing "mommyyyyyyy" breakdown post-book. And even if I don't read the word "mom", or try and skip the last page, her face (which until now has been content and sleepy) will totally crumble.



I find her sneakiness in book requests even more impressive than the fact that since she's now a real little human, she can answer questions and analyze and tell you things (which, admittedly, does blow my mind).



Anyway, the world is Veronica's (happy, busy, ever expanding) oyster and the rest of us are just grains of sand in it.



Lucky us.
Drea

Veronica's 2nd Birthday

Hey, you guys... remember what happened two years ago today?



OH MY GAWD. Soooooooo tiny! Let's get a closer look.



Seriously, coooooo. Look at that tiny little head and that sweet little face. How in the world do you improve on so much perfection?



ACCCCCKKKK! It DOES get better with age. To Veronica on her second birthday: all the love and sweetness and fun and protection and adventure in the world. You are such a gorgeous little ball of giggles and smarts, and we are all so lucky to have you!

Love,
Zia Drea

New Haircut!

Veronica just got her second haircut and I must admit... I'm completely besotted. She looks super stylish and professional, which is how any two year old should look.



Oh, what I meant was she looks super stylish and PROFESSIONALLY ADORABLE. It's the truth, right? I love her grinning mama here; they totally have the same smile, though it's hard to get them to do it at the same time. It's science.



In honor of Labor Day, here are a couple pictures of V not laboring at all. Instead, here she is with Lazlo, concentrating incredibly hard on Yo Gabba Gabba.



Then again, I think I'd probably stare at this group with gape-mouthed wonder myself.



Exactly.

Happy Labor Day!
Drea

Clothes Are For Losers

Don't be fooled by the date: it's 100 degrees every day, and feels nothing like autumn. With that, I present Veronica Don't Need No Stinkin' Clothes.



Nakey time at the beach, yo.



My kingdom for an inflatable pool.



You can also be sans clothing and appreciate things like motorsports.



Or reading. (Thanks Deena and Lazlo!)



Or crafting.



Or for sleeping/jumping on big, white beds.



Or group bathing. (Everyone has this picture from their childhood, right? And everyone is totally embarrassed by it later? Veronica... you're welcome.)



That's enough of all of you! Veronica is off to find some pants.

Drea

Summertime and the Livin's Easy

Veronica has so much she can do, I might as well give you a little sampler platter.



She can slide AND be demanding simultaneously.



She can be cuddly and alert and turn the page whenever she wants to.



She can carry her own things, thank you very much.



She can meditate about philosophical principles. Or tell you when she needs her diaper changed.



She can out sass her friends.



She can be active and naked and use this photo as a reference point in the future when she is explaining exactly how her mama and auntie and zias ruined her life.



She can skate or die, dude. (Every board is a longboard when you're 30" tall.)



She can recognize the form of electronics, while being a bit shady about the function.



She can keep it so fresh and so clean, clean.



She can demand a little effing privacy, already, please.



Muuuuuuuuuch better.

Exciting news... Veronica got her first official haircut on July 3. Did it up as a special occasion (Team Gore is really good with special occasions), and mama got to keep a lock. Pictures soon, but I'll tell you this: Suri ain't got nothin' on this child!

Summer: Full Throttle

This is Veronica's second summer, and she is thriving.



Since tomorrow is the 4th of July and we are sure to get tons of amazing pictures of all her new skills (swimming in waterfalls, devouring cupcakes), I thought it was about time I unloaded so many of these gems on you!



Taller. More sturdy. Still Inquisitive.



Team Gore's porch is another mini living room. Veronica Gore's smile is another mini living dream.



Science demonstrates for us that this is an old picture, because this is the spot where Veronica's Garden now exists. Thanks to Kathleen (who better still be in the uma business if I ever get to breeding), V has grown some sensational (and edible) peas.



This is their beginning stages. For you not familiar with pea growth, this is the "larval stage". It's true.



When not pea-ing (heh), Veronica does enjoy a more primal, Days of Thunder kind of activity.



Like wrestling with her wagon.



And losing.



Lest you think ALL of the baby is gone for her... sigh. Look at that. Still a little there.



But mostly she's an active, growing girl. Confronting the world head on, one small (wet) footstep at a time.