There is Music in Her Blood

It's no secret that Zoe loves all things musical.  She loves to sing, loves to play instruments and loves to dance.  99.8% of her day is filled with one of these activities.  Last night I was doing a little workout to Just Dance 2 and the song Crazy In Love was playing.  There's a part of the song that goes, "oh oh ohohohoh oh."  Something like that.  It's hard to write how Beyonce sings.

Anyway, I turned the TV off and Zoe was singing that part perfectly.  N was beaming from the kitchen.

I've learned, as the mother of a musically inclined daughter and the wife of a guy who is constantly beatboxing, I've got quite a bit to learn. 

This weekend we were in the car, Zoe was playing her Disney Princess Recorder and stopped mid-note.  She looks at me and said:

"Mom, give me a beat!"

It Was The Best of Both and The Most Irritating

It's funny to watch your children grow and to see how their personalities come through.  There are times when you look at your husband and say, "she totally gets that from you" and there are times he looks at you and says the exact same thing.  Then there are times you watch your child and have no freakin' clue where they get something and realize it's 100% just them. 

What's been fun about Zoe is seeing both N and I come out in her and realizing what is all Zoe.  When we went to visit family in Austin, they'd make comments that she's just like N was at that age.  Apparently N and I were very similar as children.  We would've both been described as hams and very social.  If you've met Zoe, you know that's true for her as well.

Some qualities are coming out in her that are found in both N and me and I'm scared for her.  Yesterday at the playland a little girl who was 4 was there with her older brother, who was 10 and their grandma.  The little boy picked up his 4 year old sister.  Immediately Zoe thought she could lift the girl too.  She tried.  I'm almost positive I've never attempted to lift anything that I was sure I couldn't lift.  That is all N coming out in her.  He routinely tests his strength.  I find Zoe's act very dear and a little disturbing.  We will have to work on who you should and shouldn't attempt to pick up. 

I fear that will be an easier lesson than the other quality that has been coming out:  perfectionism. 

I hate to admit it, but she gets this one from me.  If I couldn't immediately do something, I just wouldn't even try it.  On one hand, it gave me a desire to excel.  On the other, it crippled me from trying new things.  Yesterday Zoe mentioned she cried at school.  When asked why, she said it was because she didn't know her numbers.

Zoe can identify her numbers.  She can even read time on a digital clock.  So I was confused.

When I pulled out her paper from the day I noticed they were tracing numbers.  The paper had several "3" in dotted lines that she was to trace.  Then there was a place without any dotted number that she was to write her own.  Instead of attempting, there were angry scribbles.

I asked her if that was what she meant, that she didn't know how to write her numbers?  She said yes and that she cried.

The teachers handled it well and told her we all had to practice writing them to learn how.  Which is exactly what we told her. 

I was the kid who would get so upset with myself for not being perfect or not immediately knowing how to do something.  My mother was someone who constantly encouraged me and never put pressure on me to be perfect.  It was all the notion from my very own mind.

Zoe has it too.

At age 3.

I know what I put my mom through.  She wished me luck yesterday.

Sew Happy

I've absolutely caught the quilting bug.  I did a wall hanging for our home for Christmas and have officially crossed over into the "can't get enough of it" place.

Several months ago I bought a kit from a wonderful quilt store called Quilt Patch Lane.  It was in beautiful blues and browns that actually match our bed set.  I thought it would look so cool on our bed.  Then I put it in a closet and forgot about it.

At Christmas I had some time and wonderful family that just let me sew.  It had a really difficult outer border because the blue and brown squares had to alternate.  I actually "worked it" so it matched up. 

When I was just learning to quilt, my mom, a totally seasoned quilter/queen of all things sewn would tell me to just "work it."  I would roll my eyes, thrown down the project and tell her to "work it" because that frustrated me.  All those times she said it and I never understood it.  Now I'm doing it.  Here's the finished quilt top in really bad quality taken on my phone.

Then my family gave me some additional time to sew and watch Modern Family season 1 on DVD and I made this too:

It's a really cute pattern called Soul Mates by Sandy Gervais.  If I could give a little shout out to Ms. Gervais!  Her fabric and patterns are awesome.  If I could buy stock in her creativity I so totally would.

Just thought I'd share.  Now I'm onto the next project.  27 capes for a certain girl's upcoming birthday party.  We're going to be superheros.

The Darndest Things

Zoe is becoming increasingly more vocal.  Which, if you know her, seems impossible.  Instead of just talking and asking questions, she's now got sayings and opinions.  Here are two conversations this week:

Before bed, as we talk about the day and what we liked:

Zoe:  I really want a puppy, you know.
Me:  I know sweetie.  Do you still want a black one?
It doesn't matter, I just want one.  We will need to get you and daddy one too. 
We need three dogs?
Yes.
Can you and I just share a dog?
Well, okay.  I guess.  Daddy needs one.
What if we all just share one dog?  Like we have a family dog?
If you want to do this the easy way!

During a conversation with Grandma Kathy:

Grandma, do you have a garage?No sweetie, I don't.
Do you want us to build you one?I would love that!
Well, that seems like a lot of work Grandma.  How about we just order one online for you?

I love how her mind works!

Unbroken

Over the holidays I did two things in addition to being with my people.  The first was I quilted.  I'm about this close (picture me showing you an inch with my fingers) to finishing a quilt top.  I'm beyond excited to have it done.  I bought the kit about 8 months ago and am just getting around to starting and finishing it.  It makes me happy!

The second was I read.  A gentleman I work for told me about a new book called Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.  It came with the pitch of, "if you don't read any other book ever again, this is the book to read."

I put it on my Christmas list and planned on reading it.  Someday.

I had time between quilting and dancing, so I cracked it open.  Around the third sentence I couldn't put it down.  It's a biography on a man named Louie Zamperini.  He was a rebellious teen, a running sensation and then a Japanese P.O.W. 

To say it's an incredible story is an understatement.  That's only half the story.  What he did post-war is just as amazing.

It's a story of forgiveness.  If you have some time, I highly recommend the read.  It brought me to tears on more than on occasion.  Yet it left me with a hope that I can't quite describe.  It is worth your time.

If you never read another book ever again, this is the book to read.

I promise!

We Danced and Then We Needed a Minute

For New Year's this year we had D & E over.  I tried and tried to rack my brain for what we could do to ring in the new year right.  I'd heard about this Wii game called Just Dance 2 and thought it sounded like fun, but didn't do anything about it because what if it's totally last year and I was a total nerd.

Okay, I'm a total nerd anyway, but you don't want your daughters rolling their eyes, going, "really mom, really?" 

When the girls came over and I mentioned the game, they started talking at racehorse speeds about this move and that song and we.so.need.to.get.it.NOW!  We took a late evening drive to the store and purchased Just Dance 2. 

Oh! My! Word!  Such a fun game!  You dance the same movements as the person on the screen, then you laugh at how nerdy you are, then you sweat some, then you sit, too tired to do another one.  Then our daughter finds a song that you have to do with her, so you take a sip of water, catch your breath and end up dancing for the next 2 hours.

It was such a great way to bring in the New Year.  All our girls giggling, staying up past their bedtime.  N being a nerd right along side me and doing disco moves with me.  I realized just how blessed I am.  No need for a resolution, just need a reminder to slow down and enjoy this moment. 

Christmas and Constitutional Amendments 1 & 2

I'm not entirely sure where 2010 went.  Last thing I remember I was making cookie blobs and then it was January 1st.  It was an unintentional blog hiatus, but I'm not gonna lie, I loved every minute of it.  I spent it all with my people and I couldn't be more excited about the awesome family that I have. 

Christmas Eve is spent with my family.  My sister and brother-in-law have three boys, which always leads to some kind of throw-down battle.  One year we played with those stackable cups.  Another year we had a Christmas themed family-feud and we ended up having to eat an entire tv dinner that I think cost $1.  Because we are a family of girls, we lost.  Boys don't care if the potatoes are gritty or that there are mushy peas.  They eat to win.  N, while he gave it a good effort, can't eat faster than four boys.

This year I thought we should even out the field a bit.  We bought all the guys and Zoe a Nerf gun.  Zoe's had a laser sight on it for better aiming.  I borrowed one of N's guns from a Christmas past.  We had an all-out war on Christmas. 

My mom was never safe and apparently an easy target.  Zoe even managed to hit her in the mouth from across the living room while she was talking.  She looked like she had a cigarette hanging out of her mouth mid-sentence.  It was the shot of the night.  N couldn't have been more proud.  We took the gun battle, even being down two girls.

D & E come over on Christmas morning.  Then it's a swarm of presents, paper and screams as I try to write down everything three people are opening at Olympic record speeds.  I'm getting better, I think I only missed a couple things this year!

This was the first year that Zoe really got into it.  She was totally okay with sitting on Santa's lap.  She couldn't wait to put out milk and cookies for Santa.  When I woke her up on Christmas, she asked to stay in bed a few more minutes to give Santa time to leave.  She asked the man in red for a Hide-n-Seek Jojo and a new yo-yo.  She's apparently been very nice this year.

D got new make-up and E got a new movie.  Plus, they also got loads of gift cards.  In fact they each had over $200 to go on a shopping spree.  While that's not much to play with, they were totally okay about the future shopping trip.  They did get some cameras, so they were busy taking pictures of themselves in the mirror. 

D couldn't wait to try out her new make-up.  Apparently she also got some at her mom's house.  She eagerly put some on before she came over.  If you think Cleopatra and then add a couple layers, you'll get an idea of what she looked like.  When she got to our house she asked if we could tell she was wearing make-up.  N starting laughing and I just told her, "is that what's different about you?" 

When she saw she had more make-up, she immediately took to taking off her morning face and putting on her mid-morning face.  You can't tell too much from this picture, but it's there.  In layers!

E wanted in on the action too, but with her new coat.  She said she was trying for the Alaskan look.  Given her curly, wild hair, I think this is the perfect coat for her.

After hours of Jojo seeking us, D putting on her new face and E getting cozy, we had a taco bar for dinner and then this for dessert.

Isn't is beautiful.  I've been going to the same bakery in town, Happy Cake Co. since my wedding.  I love her cakes.  Diana always does something beautiful and different.  Which is amazing since this is my 5th nativity cake.  She was all excited to hand-paint the wise men on this cake.  Isn't it gorgeous?  It wasn't so gorgeous that I couldn't eat it, but I do have like 10 pictures of it!

That was pretty much our Christmas in a nutshell.  Guns and Jesus's birthday.  Which, ironically, are the first two amendments in our constitution.  Maybe next year we'll look at adding in a few more into our celebration.