One recent morning Avery woke up early: closer to 6 than her normal 6:30 or 7. When I went to see her, I said we needed to be quiet because the rest of the house was asleep; every morning since, she has put her fingers to her lips and said, “Shhh, Zoe and Daddy sleeping” (regardless of whether they are or not). And the other afternoon, when I told my mom on Skype that Zoe was napping, Avery gave her the “shh” sign – see below. She’s becoming quite considerate when it comes to other people’s sleep needs!

-M

My neck is bothering me and I didn’t get a lot of sleep last night, so Q suggested this morning that I take a sick day. (I have too much to do, I told him.) Zoe overheard our conversation and as we headed out this morning she called out from the backseat, “Mommy, be sure to walk slow and relax at work, since you can’t stay home today.”

So sweet!

-M

Avery loves singing Happy Birthday and playing “birthday party” at home, so you can imagine how excited she was to celebrate for real with her friend over the weekend. Here are a few photos of her time at Natalia’s birthday party.

-M

When our friends Doug and Amy invited us to join them at Gilroy Gardens this weekend, we jumped at the chance. The kid-centric amusement park is about 70 miles from San Francisco, but the drive was worth it: The kids loved it, and so did I. I’m already bugging Q about when we can go back next…

-M

A few days after our trip, I thought I’d share a few random, travel-related thoughts:

-As I was sitting and playing silly games with Zoe in our hotel room one afternoon, something hit me: A big reason I love being on vacation is that the family gets so much uninterrupted time together. As much as I try to spend quality time with the girls when we’re home, there’s usually something to distract me: laundry, dishes, dinner, e-mails, work calls, or (bad mom alert!) an online sale. Not so in a hotel, where I have no responsibilities aside from feeding and entertaining the girls – and I really wish the care-free feeling I get when away could somehow carry over to the real world. (Perhaps I just need a maid, chef, and personal assistant.)

-The girls shared a room during our trip – Zoe was in the big bed, and Avery in a portable crib – and each morning we woke to Avery’s happy cries of “Uppo, Uppo!” (which is what she calls Zoe’s beloved hippo). Once awake, Zoe would roll over and start chatting with Avery – and it was so fun to lay in bed and listen to their conversation. We’ve kicked around the idea of the girls sharing a room when they’re older (Zoe has her heart set on bunk-beds), and I felt like this was a sneak preview of what our little roommates would be like.

-Flying was a cinch this trip, though we did encounter an extremely unpleasant woman on our way home. Even before the plane got off the ground, she turned to an (admittedly rambunctious) Avery and rudely said, “So, are you going to be kicking my seat the entire flight?” Her snotty remark served little purpose: We were already doing our best to keep Avery from kicking, and it’s not like Avery – at two – could understood what this woman was saying. Everything wound up being fine (a very tired Avery was asleep even before we were airborne, and we heard nothing more from our fellow passenger), but I couldn’t help but think that this comment and past negative flying experiences are karmic payback for all those dirty looks I used to shoot moms and their babies on planes. (Oh, how I wish I could go back to the single-and-childless me and shake her!)

-M

Because of a major dust storm that hit Phoenix on Tues. night, we were uncertain whether we’d be able to swim before heading home the next morning. I was trying to take a picturesque photo of Zoe when she learned her favorite pool area was closed:

Then a resort worker told us another pool had already been cleaned, and we could swim there:

Avery, meanwhile, was unfazed by it all:

One last poolside story: Avery and I were lounging around one day when a bird swooped down on the concrete and started walking towards us. “No cup!” Avery scolded the bird, referencing a plastic cup that had just fallen to the ground. She then came over to where I was lying, cupped my toes with her little hands and told the bird, “No toe! No toe!” (She went on to repeat this until the bird was out of sight.) I’m not sure where she got the idea that the bird might attack my feet, but I was touched – and amused – by her concern.

-M

Avery hasn’t had tons of experience in water, but she showed no fear during our trip. She spent much of her time walking back and forth through the shallow end of the pool, splashing around in her tube all alone (“no touch, Mama”), and even jumping – with little hesitation – into the water. (Videos are below.) At one point Q and I looked at each other and said, “We’ve got to get her in swim class.”

And speaking of swimming, Zoe was also quite the little fish. She’s not floating on her own just yet, but she was constantly under the water and had no problem going down slides and getting herself out of the deep water. It suddenly felt like all those Saturdays at the JCC pool paid off!

-M

When you’re in 115-degree weather, you want to spend as much time as possible in the water. And so, aside from a few breaks to eat, take photos, or shop in an AC’d mall, most of our Phoenix trip was spent poolside. Here are some pics.

-M

We’re back from our (extremely warm) trip. And what did Zoe think of our time in Phoenix? “I want to stay here forever,” she sniffled as we drove from the hotel to the airport this morning. And a few minutes later: “When I’m a grown-up I’m going to move to Phoenix.” (I guess she had fun!)

Pictures coming soon.

-M

I could only laugh and shake my head when I saw Q fling his (empty) suitcase on the bed and begin to pack for our get-away to Phoenix – several hours before our flight and about five days after I started putting together the one for me and the girls. It’s easy for Q – he can just throw in some shorts, t-shirts and toiletries and call it a day – but my to-pack list is a bit lengthier. (I’m the one who packs for the girls, because there’s no way I could let it go until the last minute.) Diapers; diaper cream; wipes; thermometer; baby Tylenol; sippie cups; blankets; Hippo and Baby; food and juice for the trip; swim diapers; sunscreen; beach toys; inflatable rafts; and activities, toys, snacks and extra outfits for the plane – and that’s in addition to the necessary clothes, shoes, pajamas, etc. It’s enough to make a parent never want to take a trip!

When it comes to readying for our vacations, I’m often exhausted before the plane even leaves the ground. (In fact, on my grumpier days I’ve been known to tell Q that traveling is a real pain.) But yet I know that my efforts will be worth it when the girls are happily splashing in the water, and Q and I are by the pool with a drink in our hand!

(Happy Fourth!)

-M

It was sunny and warm here yesterday, and Avery and I drove down to Burlingame for a playdate with friends Natalia (“Talia!”) and Greta. The three look a lot older than last summer, huh?

-M

Q’s arrival from work in the evenings is a big deal: The girls routinely squeal, jump up and down, and/or run to greet him when he walks in. The other night, Zoe heard the garage door and raced from where her sister was standing to the backdoor. Then the following happened.

-M