Proving that kids will play with anything, Zoe and Avery had a lot of fun decorating a cardboard box the other night. (The box has since been transformed into a robot.) Suddenly, I’m feeling justified for making all those online purchases!
-M
Spider-Man came to the zoo over the weekend, so we took the girls for a visit. Amazingly, Avery was less afraid of him than she was of a life-sized Elmo. Go figure!
-M
One last story about our recent trip. We had a very long travel day last Wed.: We left my parents’ house for the Milwaukee airport at 3:30 PM and didn’t get on the ground at SFO until 9 hours later, around 10:30 PM our time. As we were making our way to baggage claim, with Q pushing Avery in her carseat and me holding the hand of a bleary-eyed Zoe, Q made a comment to me about another plane. Zoe heard, looked up at me with big eyes and said, “Are we getting on another airplane?” The way she asked it was so innocent and sweet – no irritation, just curiosity – and it broke my heart a little. (I personally could have cried at the thought of more flying.) It was so late, and she should have been sleeping, and yet there she was, walking through the airport in her guitar-themed pajamas and little pink Pumas and ready to go wherever we were going.
Kids really are amazing sometimes.
-M
Just a few more pictures from last week…
-M
Like last year, my parents threw an early-birthday picnic for Avery during our trip. Among the highlights for the girls (aside from the cake): hanging out with their cousins Tanner and Brock, running around the “Splashpad,” and (of course) posing for pictures.
-M
Since it was so hot in Madison, the girls swam every day of our trip. The baby pool may be small, but that didn’t stop them from having fun; even the oft-hesitant Avery loved it.
-M
Another (surprising) feature of last weekend’s downtown event was a yoga class for kids: The kids did their downward dogs right in the middle of the festival. Zoe has been doing yoga at school all year, so she was eager to show her stuff. (And the other cool thing: It turned out that the teacher is also an instructor at Angela’s studio. Small world.)
-M
We’re back from Madison, exhausted but full of happy memories. The weather was way, way too warm (a real contrast to last year’s too-cool temperatures), but we still managed to do a lot of outdoor activities – including seeing Cows on the Concourse (again) and hanging out at the lake. (Union Terrace looked a lot different than the last time we were there!) Here are our first batch of pics (all of Zoe, since Avery was hanging out with Grandma and Grandpa).
-M
We flew to Madison on Friday, and a slightly delayed flight led to something fun: While we were waiting, the pilots invited Zoe and Avery to the cockpit for a look around. I didn’t think pilots did this anymore (in the post-9/11 era), but I’m glad the girls got the opportunity for a visit!
-M
Q and I often comment that Avery, with her dramatic outbursts and dirty looks, is the little diva in our family. But then yesterday, when I was singing in my bedroom, Zoe called out from the other room, “Stop singing that song! I need a little quiet time in here.” I scolded her for talking like that, of course. And then I thought, ‘Uh-oh.’ Maybe Avery isn’t the only diva in the house after all!
-M
Zoe’s teachers took some end-of-the-year photos of the students, and I thought I’d post one of our favorites in honor of the last day of school. Hard to believe that it’s summer vacation – her first day doesn’t feel that long ago!
-M
Question: When does a rendition of “Over the Rainbow” make you tear up?
Answer: When it’s sung by your daughter as part of her preschool’s “moving on” ceremony.
(No, Zoe isn’t actually moving on – she’ll be in the JCC’s pre-K program next year – but last night’s event, during which the four- and five-year old classes performed songs, dances and a gymnastics routine, was still so sweet.)
-M
Always a good sleeper, Avery has never really needed a routine – but we’ve still always included a book, a song and a good bounce at bedtime or naptime. It occurred to me recently, though, that our bouncing days are fast approaching their end. Avery is on the cusp of being too big to fit comfortably in my arms as I sit on the ball; her legs spill over my lap, and her head and chest take up as much space as her entire (newborn) body once did. It’s just a matter of time before she squirms away or my arms give out.
I know bedtime with a bigger child is also special and sweet – no ball required – but nonetheless I’ve found myself singing an extra song, bouncing a few extra minutes, and just lingering a bit longer when putting Avery to bed lately. I’m about to say good-bye to yet another phase (one that’s lasted her whole life), and I want to drink in those sweet moments – with Avery’s big eyes gazing up to me before slowly glossing over and closing – as long as I still can.
-M
