Zoe is learning all sorts of words at school – including ones that I wish she didn’t know. Take this exchange from the other night, when I was talking to Zoe about a character in a new book we just read:

M: “The mommy likes everything about her baby – just like I like everything about you.”
Z: “Well, I don’t like everything about you.”
M: “You don’t? What don’t you like?”
Z: “Um… your lips and your mouth. But I like everything else.”
M: “What’s wrong with my lips and mouth?”
Z, laughing: “They’re disgusting.”

Zoe obviously didn’t know what she was saying – so I was hardly insulted – but I wasn’t thrilled that she picked up that word. And later I found out who to blame: one of her new best buddies in class. (Boys!!)
-M

Zoe is a flower girl in Uncle Dan and Jenny’s wedding (just one week away), and she’s taking her responsibilities very seriously. She helped pick out her dress, she’s been practicing throwing petals around, and this weekend she had an appointment at the hair salon. She wants to look her very best when walking down the aisle!

-M

I also captured some video of Avery playing with her cupcakes the other night. She’s not super active in it – but since she so rarely gets quiet, alone time at home, I wanted to share.

-M

Another weekend, another fair. This time we went to the Polk Street Blues Festival, where we strolled around, listened to live music, went on some rides and did some shopping (Avery needed a new Giants hat). It was hot and sunny – a typical San Francisco fall day – and Avery was grateful that I brought my sunglasses.

-M

School was closed yesterday, so Zoe went to Elena’s with Avery. She was so excited about going, and Elena reported that she spent most of her day playing “doctor” and checking on all the (much) smaller kids. (“Anders had a tummy ache,” she reported to me that night. “Is he going to be okay?” I asked her. “No, he’s not. He’s really sick…)

She must have played “hair salon,” too, because she came home sporting a new hair style. I loved the little bun – it made her look like she was about 8 years old! – and I just had to take a pic.

-M

During some quiet time at home tonight (while her dad and sister were out shopping), Avery had fun with some cupcakes.

First, she prepared her ingredients:

Then she reached out to get the cupcakes in the oven:

She sprinted to the oven to take them out:

Then she sat down to enjoy one:

And, later, she played the cupcake-on-the-head game (saying “hat, hat, hat”) the whole time:

-M

Maybe Zoe’s not completely ready to stop napping. She actually napped twice at school this week, and when I asked her this afternoon whether she slept she told me, “Yes. I had a long day.”

(I’d love to know what constitutes a long day to a 3.5-year-old!)

-M

And so, it seems, Zoe’s napping days are just about behind us. It’s becoming increasingly clear over these past few weeks that Zoe is giving up her nap: She basically stopped sleeping at school, and she started telling us “I can’t sleep” when we put her down for a nap at home.

I can’t say I’m completely thrilled with the development, but I shouldn’t be too surprised (books say only half of 4-year-olds still sleep during the day) or upset (after all, we had a good long run with the nap). And the good news is that she’s still content, for now, to go to her bed and “rest” when at home, and she told me wanted to continue doing naptime at school (as in the picture below). Plus, she’s been going to bed earlier – giving me and Q some more alone time.

As long as Avery naps for another, oh, two or three years, I’ll be fine.

-M

The other afternoon when I walked into Elena’s, I looked right past a tall, smiling, dark-haired girl who was walking towards me. After doing a double-take, I realized it was actually Avery – and my “baby,” who today hits the one-and-a-quarter-year mark, was looking less like a baby and more like a little girl!

So what’s Avery like these days? As you can see from the recent videos, she’s a pro at walking – and it’s common to find her zipping through the house, following one of us (usually me) while carrying around a (play or real) cup, bowl or spoon. She’s also often chattering away; though she doesn’t say as many “real words” as I remember Zoe staying at this stage, she’s got her own language that she likes to use. It’s also common for her to mimick what we say (or at least how it sounds to her), and the real words she uses most often are “uh-oh” (whenever anything drops) and “hi.”

As mentioned last time, even when she can’t talk, Avery has no trouble letting us know what she wants. She’ll often walk up to us with a bag of goldfish she plucked from the cupboard, for example, and when she’s hungry she’ll smack her mouth together. And after having her milk before bed one night, she climbed down and pointed to the ball (where we still bounce her to sleep) – and once on the ball, pointed up at her bookshelf, since we usually read a book together. I was impressed!

Her new “party tricks?” She can do the sign for and “say” touchdown, as shown in our recent video. If you ask her for a “kissie,” she’ll open her mouth wide, make an “ahhhh” sound and plant a kiss on your cheek. And she’ll likely lift up her shirt and look down when you ask where her “beebo” (belly button) is.

In terms of personality, our new theory is that we have a diva-in-training. She tends to whine or complain if things aren’t just the way she likes; if her sister touches her – even lightly – Avery is likely to lodge some sort of complaint. And when she’s unhappy about something, she usually flings her body to the ground and puts her head down in dramatic fashion or makes a beeline straight to me for comfort. Similar to Zoe as a toddler, Avery tends to be very quiet and serious in new situations; and she’s (still) more clingy than Zoe ever was. At a playdate last week, as example, Avery didn’t have much interest in playing with the other girls – she instead wanted to watch things from a distance, cling to my leg, or sit on my lap and snack. (She did warm up to the girls eventually, but it took awhile.)

Her favorite things to do are similar to last time; she loves flipping through her books, climbing up on her table and just sitting there, and pushing her sister’s doll strollers (usually two at once) around. Though she does get irritated with her sister at times, I don’t think her smile is ever as big as it is when she first sees her in the morning. They’re also playing with each other more than ever before (see the recent hide-and-seek video), and I told a friend the other day that I can the light at the end of the tunnel: that day when the girls entertain themselves on their own, and allow me and Q to sleep in!

As for physical appearance, Avery has (finally) gotten much more hair, and what has grown in is fairly dark. She has eight teeth – four on the top and four on the bottom – and because of her big (still grey) eyes, I like to say that she’s all eyes and forehead. I can’t think of a face that I like kissing more (well, except for maybe Z’s)!

-M

As a de-stressing measure, when I get in the car each morning I take a deep breath and name a few things I’m thankful for. Zoe loves that I do this, and before we left for school today she decided to join in. “I’m thankful for the wedding,” she said, “And that you’re picking me up from school at 1.” It’s always fun to hear what a 3-year-old finds important, and I was especially happy that she’s so excited about Dan and Jenny’s upcoming wedding. (Only two weeks away!)

-M

…And another fun thing about Avery getting bigger? Seeing her having so much fun with Zoe, like during last night’s game of hide-and-seek.

-M

One of the things I love about Avery getting older? The fact that she can do more things – like sit at the table (no high-chair needed!) and enjoy a little breakfast – with her sister. Here was the scene in her bedroom this morning.

-M

A few funny, recent quotes from Zoe:

-The other night, as Zoe was getting undressed for bed I commented to her, “Your underwear is kind of big.” Without batting an eye, she said, “Well, you’re the one who picked them out.”

-When Zoe heard a car honking its horn outside one day, she said with a laugh, “Dude, why are you doing that?” When I asked her who says the word “dude,” she answered, “You do – to the car in front of you when you’re driving.” (Hey – at least it’s better than “a-hole.”)

-This morning, Zoe, who normally dresses herself, was too busy playing to put on her clothes. After asking her numerous times, I finally said, “Okay, Zoe, since you’re not listening, I’m just going to have to dress you myself.” “I’m fine with that,” she replied.

-Her friend Leo’s dad recently asked Zoe what she wanted to be when she grows up. “I want to be a doctor or a princess,” she said, perhaps thinking of one of her shirts, before adding, “Or a doggie.”

-Out of the blue recently, Zoe asked, “When you grow, does it hurt?” (We assured her that, no, it doesn’t hurt!)

Speaking of touchdowns, Q and Avery did their fair share of watching them today. Zoe and I had a birthday party in the morning; while we were away, the two stayed glued to the TV. (Some things never change, huh?)

-M

In preparation of this quasi-national holiday (the first Football Sunday), we taught Avery how to give the touchdown sign. Like her sister before her, she was a fast learner!

-M