Well, it sure has been awhile. Quite awhile. Too much of awhile! Although it really feels like there isn't much that's happened. I'm still not married, I'm still loving my job, and life is pretty good. However, I'm going to attempt to remember what's happened since I last blogged.
Tori has started preschool! I can't believe my baby is that old. It almost scares me that she's going to start her 13 years of school next month. What a world this is to grow up in. It pretty much terrifies me. All I want to do is wrap her in my arms and hide her from the harsh realities of the world. Keep her innocence intact as long as I possibly can. But, since I know that would be a detriment to her, I need to learn to let her go. Makes me want to cry sometimes, but what can you do. She's having fun in preschool though! She is learning her letters and how to wash her hands. ;-) She's such a big girl.
She is also finishing her ballet classes in two weeks. I don't think I'm going to sign her up for the next set. She just doesn't enjoy it enough. She never practices at home and she never seems excited about what she learned when I pick her up from class. So we'll see what happens and if she even asks why she's not going anymore. Next year after she turns 5 I'm going to sign her up for the beginning jazz/hip hop class. I think she'd have so much more fun in that class! She loves to dance and "shake her booty" to pop music. She's so adorable!
Her favorite music right now is actually soundtracks. For about a month, maybe a little longer, pretty much the only thing she would listen to was Prince of Egypt. She would listen to the song "Deliver Us" over and over again, and if you could open her bedroom door without her noticing you would see her standing by her little baby cradle, holding one of her baby dolls in her arms wrapped in a blanket, singing her heart out to the music. It's absolutely precious and I so wish she'd let us record it, but I know that would never happen. She's now at the age when she's getting embarrassed. Such a shame! She has now started listening also to Tarzan and Swan Princess. She loves to sing and, speaking of singing, for those who weren't there, let me tell you about the Primary Program. It was her first year doing it, and I was afraid she'd be petrified! I was afraid that she wouldn't do anything, wouldn't say her line and that I'd have to take her out or something. But she stayed completely calm, said her line (something about families. I can't remember exactly what) and sat back down. She sang every song and was doing beautifully. As a mother I couldn't have been more proud. Then they started singing the last song, and I started crying. And not with pride or sadness. They were TEARS OF LAUGHTER! The song began, and all you could hear was Tori! She obviously knew this song well and I'm guessing it was her favorite song from this year because she was belting it and pretty much drown out the entire primary!! The entire ward was laughing, my whole family had tears running down our cheeks, and she was mentioned later in both Sunday School and Priesthood. It was hilarious. And when it was over and she came down to find us, she acted almost annoyed that everyone kept telling her what a good job she did. Like "what? I did what everyone else did. Can we go now?" It was SO funny and I can't wait to see if the performance is repeated next year!!
Some funny stories of Tori:
~ One of her new favorite movies is Road to El Dorado, and apparently it's been affecting her language. Last Sunday my dad was putting a church movie in for her to watch and she was a little annoyed as she wanted to watch a different movie that we don't allow her to watch on Sundays, and all of a sudden she burst out with "Papa, you're such a little twit." My dad and I looked at her startled and asked her to say that again and she repeated, "Papa, you're such a little twit." It was SO funny!!! We both burst into laughter and ever since then, we always call my dad a twit.
~Tori is now officially a member of the family! Last month at some point she suddenly started quoting Ice Age. Her favorite line from that movie is "No thanks, I choose life" from Sid the sloth. Not only that, but she'll finish that conversation! Here's how it goes,
Tori: No thanks, I choose life
Me: Then I suggest you take the shortcut!
Tori: Are you threatening me? (with the waving finger and all)
Tori and I together: MOVE SLOTH!!!
It is so adorable and such a part of the Shapiro family's lives to quote movies! To see the four year old doing it is simply fantastic. And now she's starting to quote Road to El Dorado also. I'm so proud! 'Tear'
As for me, my life is pretty much unremarkable! I did finally break it off with Dave. It was a long, drawn out and occasionally painful process, but it made things better for both of us. I know I'm happier now and more at peace, and apparently he is too. He let me know that he's already met someone new, an 18-year old girl from Canada, and he's leaving to go see her in less than two weeks. I'm glad that he's happy and moved on, but still. He goes from begging me to let him come out and see me to being in love with another girl and going out for a month to see her and hoping to come back engaged? He sure bounces back quickly. Oh well, I wish him all the best in that respect!
Otherwise, I'm still at the same job, which I love, and I'm still living with my parents. Which I probably will be doing until I eventually get married. If I ever do. Ugh, shoot me now...not that I don't love my family. But still, living with your parents at 24 can be a little trying at times. But it's best for Tori (and I don't really have enough money for rent and groceries) so I endure. Oh! I did make a new friend. Her name is Margo and she's fantastic. She's a great influence...she's challenged both of us to read the Book of Mormon by the end of the month. WHAAAT? Yeah, I know. But I've actually been keeping up and I'm already almost to the end of 2nd Nephi and it's been like 5 days. Crazy. So I'll try and keep that attempt updated.
Love you all, sorry I'm so bad about writing about our lives. This will be one of my new year's resolutions! =)
Merry Christmas to all!
