She's Her Father's Daughter

Yesterday Grandma and Zoe were playing after quiet time.  According to Grandma, this was their conversation.

Zoe:  Grandma, can we go outside and play in the sand?
Grandma:  Sure sweetie.
Zoe:  To build sand castles?
Greandma:  That sounds like fun.  We'll need to get shoes on first.
Zoe (with a sly look in her eye):  Naked?

It took my mom 10 minutes to regain her composure. 

When I told N the story, he responded with "that's my girl." 

Our house is never dull.

A Saturday At the Park(s)

Eighteen months ago we went to our old stomping grounds outside Seattle and visited Ami and A.  We used to live blocks from their house.  We went to check on our never-selling house and to visit.  A showed us around his town.  His favorite thing is the zoo. 

Zoe wanted to show him her favorite things:  parks, swings, splash pads and a carrousel.  First up was the splash pad and playground.  While Zoe did much swinging, A ran through the splash pad.

He's not too keen on getting water in his eyes.  Who can blame him?  Isn't that the cutest expression?  While he was running and squinting, Zoe was doing this:

She's not keen on getting water in her eyes either.  In her mouth a different story!

Pretty soon we had enough water and wanted to do something drier.  We headed to another park to ride the carrousel.

I warned Ami that we'd need to get two rides since once is just not enough.  After our two rides, we played on a big slide, watched the ducks and then ate some shaved ice.  Zoe certainly planned a fun day with her friend.

As we were ending our day on Sunday Zoe said, "I miss my best friend A." 

I think it's safe to say we'll have to do this again soon!

At least once I catch up on sleep.

We Heart Friends

This weekend my friend Ami and her son A came to visit.  Ami and I met years ago while we worked for a company that shall remain nameless.  I knew her before she got married.  She knew me when I was single and wondering where HE was, but not knowing who HE was.

It's been a friendship that has only been in the making for 9 years, but it feels like we've known each other a lifetime.  She's a friend I can confide in, laugh with and be myself around.  To say she's a blessing would be an understatement.

She had A three weeks before I had Zoe.  I've always used A as my measuring stick for Zoe's development.  They haven't been together for over two years, so we were excited to see how close they would be developmentally.

It's funny because they have the same interests, the same meltdown triggers and are the same size.  After being in a car for 5 hours, A wanted to feel the ground under his feet and wind in his hair, so Zoe thought they should scooter.

Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything cuter.

In preschooler world, kids that scooter together are friends forever.

It also means that you can only scooter for so long before you have to find something more fun to do.  It does get hot under that helmet.  We got out the sidewalk chalk.

Here's where the boy vs. girl thing comes in.  Zoe wanted to draw pictures and shapes and then play games with those pictures.  A wanted to draw lines all over the place and be in several places at one time.  It was fun to see their differences.  I suggested maybe playing hopscotch.  Apparently that's a HUGE hit with the 3 year old crowd.  I drew up the hopscotch and they jumped.

That night during prayer time Zoe wanted to pray for Ami and A.  You know she enjoyed having them visit as much as I did.  That also meant she had plans for them.  I'm pretty sure she had our whole Saturday booked.  I'm still trying to recover from it, so I'll post those pictures tomorrow.

The Crayola Pot of Gold

For Zoe's second birthday she got a trike.  She was all excited and used to sit on it to watch TV or read a book.  She never really got the pedaling concept down until just recently.  It's never been one of her favorite things.  Mainly because as she's sitting on the sidewalk, she randomly just falls off the bike.  I've never been able to understand if that's because of bad coordination or her way of getting me to realize she's not into the trike.  Either way it usually sits in the garage while she wears her helmet to pick weeds or use the sidewalk chalk.

Then her sisters got scooters for their birthdays and pretty soon everyone we know is getting scooters.  Her friend Katie at church has one and her friend Cohen has one.  Every time we go to Cohen's house to play she wants him to get off his scooter and give her a turn.  Since they are both only children, that has caused some hard lessons in sharing and learning that just because you want something doesn't mean you get it.

Yesterday Grandma and Zoe went to Target to look for a 10-pack of washable Crayola markers in Classic Colors.  Which is my arch enemy right now.  They are on the preschool supply list and I've yet to find them.  I actually think they are like the pot at the end of the Crayola rainbow.  They make a 10-pack, but it's not washable.  They make an 8-pack that is washable.  I'm a bit at a loss as to what to do.  I'll probably end up buying both!

The Crayola trip to Target was a total bust, but Grandma did find a scooter that is perfect for Zoe.  It has an extra wide base for her feet and grows with her.  Plus it's a Disney Princess scooter which matches her helmet.  And, if that's not awesome enough, it has a little purse on the front of it for things like crackers and bandages.  Which, with some lip gloss, are the three essentials in every preschooler's arsenal.

Zoe practiced all day at Grandma's house.  I'm proud to report, she's mastered scootering.

The first thing she wanted to do was go to Cohen's house so they could scooter together.  Cohen and his parents came outside to play.  Zoe created a track.  She'd go up the street, turn into Cohen's driveway, down the sidewalk and out the neighbor's driveway.  It was the perfect track.

Until Cohen was sitting in the neighbor's driveway.

And Zoe couldn't complete her lap.

This was the conversation:

Zoe:  Excuse me Cohen.
Cohen:  You can't scooter.
YES I CAN!  (screaming at the top of her lungs)
NO YOU CAN'T!
(Zoe goes over to sit in the grass and pout):  Cohen, can I ride my scooter now?
NO!
YES!
NO!  I'm going in the house.

If you've never seen two, small children argue over something so ridiculous, you're totally missing out.  It was absolutely the funniest thing I've seen.  When we got home Zoe put her scooter in the kitchen and just sat on it.  When I asked her what's wrong, she said, "Cohen said I couldn't ride it."

I told her that she absolutely could since we were at our house.  It would be our secret. 

Just like sneaking in 10-count non-washable markers into her backpack will be mine!

Future Class Clown

My friend Becky and I were talking about how our kids go through stages.  Zoe is going through the trying three-and-a-halfs.  There are tantrums, crying and testing.  I'm not always successful, but I try to remind myself that it's just the stage.  In six months we'll be in a new stage.

All throughout Zoe's life, I love the stage we're in, but always ready for the next one when it comes.  I think this crying stage is the first one I really am not fond of.

However, it does come with some hilarious sides too.  She's starting to show her imagination.  She's telling jokes she's made up now.  Here's a sample:

How does the photos get to Costco?
With your fingers!

That leads to much laughter from Zoe herself.

She's also starting to play practical jokes on people.  She has a whoopie cushion that she'll squeeze and they blame someone.  This weekend she was in the backseat and N was driving. This was her conversation:

You need a tissue daddy.
I do baby?
Yep, all the boogies are running out.

Which led N to look directly at me and go, "is there a bat in the cave?"  He was totally paranoid.  There were no bats, but a big smile on Zoe's face as she whispered "April Fools!" 

I think it's safe to say there will be much fake laughter and some paranoid parents in the next phase.

She Headlines at the Nursery

If 18 months ago you would've told me that I would have no problems dropping off Zoe at the nursery at church and that I'd have a problem getting her to leave, I would've laughed in your face.  That is exactly how it works now.  She trots into the nursery ready to see all her friends.  It's much tears and sadness when I pick her up.

I think I know why.  She's the star of the nursery. 

Yesterday she organized a concert.  She put all the chairs out for her friends and stood on a makeshift stage while she wowed the crowd with Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

Apparently it was a benefit concert because several other kids got to sing too.

10 Days of Sheer Exhaustion

I'm going to warn you now, I'm whiny and all around exhausted.  A certain three year old is wearing me out.  I actually long for the days of all evening Wii playing.  That kind of exhaustion sounds heavenly.  We're onto the mental exhaustion.

Maybe she didn't hit her stride early enough, but I get the feeling this is what the terrible twos are all about:  crying, whining, stomping of feet.  That's just me!

It seems like every night for the last 10 days we've had a meltdown over something.  She can't have ice cream for dinner.  She can't live at Grandma's house.  She can't make her small, play cooking pot any bigger so it's a pool.  It's always something that sends the entire night into a meltdown of epic proportions.  If this is a preview to the teenage years, I best take out stock in Kleenex because we're both going to need them.

Last night took it to a place that broke my resolve.  She was crying in the backseat on the way home.  She wanted Grandma and she didn't want to go home.  When I asked her why, she said "because I don't want you and I don't like you." 

Crush my heart.

With 9 days of build up, I cried.  She yelled at me for crying because she is the only one who can cry.

I'm not going to lie.  For a brief moment the hurt spoke in me and I thought I could give her something to cry about.  I just continued to cry, which ticked her off more. 

I'm actually at a loss as to how to get through this phase.  Whatever this phase is.  This girl is wearing me down.  Bedtime cannot come fast enough.

It's in that moment where my sweet girl comes back to me.  She asks for cuddles and I as I sing her a song, she tells me she loves me.

This girl is going to be the death of me. 

There's no better way to go.