As you’ve probably gathered from all the blog entries this month, Halloween is a pretty big deal in our house. We’re going to be trick-or-treating in just a few short hours, and the girls were all smiles when they got in their costumes and talked about our plans (“Mommy, do grown-ups dress up, too?” Zoe asked) earlier.
-M
Q’s recent purchase of a pirate hat came in handy this morning: Zoe had a pirate-themed birthday party to attend and, thanks to her dad, she was very much in the spirit of things there!
-M
The last time we went to “Boo at the Zoo” the girls were 1) dressed as matching cats; 2) very little and 3) at least in Avery’s case, not very mobile. Flash-forward to the event two years later and the girls were 1) dressed as matching ladybugs; 2) not quite as little and 3) extremely mobile. Here are some pics from our morning.
-M
We continued our Friday-before-Halloween playdate tradition today; Avery and I played host to four toddlers (and three babies) this morning. It was great (chaotic) fun watching the kids run around in costume – but, sadly, taking our traditional photo was not meant to be. Most of the kids squirmed or squealed as we tried to line them up like last year, and both the cow (Greta) and ladybug (Avery) were more interested in taking their costume off than sitting and posing. Still, I at least got a shot of Avery doing a little “resting” before her friends arrived!
-M
Speaking of Avery, she has really come out of her shell (at least at home) lately – and also shown an extremely feisty side. When Zoe grabbed something from her the other day, Avery yelled “STOP IT, ZOE!” so loudly and forcefully that Q and I looked at one another with raised eyebrows. And when I was changing her (much to her displeasure) the other night, Avery looked up at me and said, “Hey! I said ‘no,’ Mama!”
I certainly don’t want Avery to turn into a diva/difficult child, but I’m happy that my past concerns that she, as the second child, would get overshadowed by her sister were unwarranted. This girl can clearly fend for herself!
-M
The most recent newsletter from Avery’s class included not only a picture of the group but an update on how the kids are interacting with one another. “They know now there is a task at hand, and that is finding their place in the group,” the teachers wrote. “Some children seem to concentrate on interacting with one child, while others spend time with many children. Some keep to themselves.” My hunch is that Avery fits in the latter category (“parallel play” is still quite common at this age) – but I don’t much care, as long as she’s happy and having fun!
-M
When I asked the girls yesterday morning if they wanted to go to a pumpkin patch with me while Q watched the Redskins game, my question was met with two blank stares. “Would you prefer to stay here and just relax?” I asked, and they both nodded their heads. I figured they were just really tired from our Gilroy Gardens trip the day before, or perhaps a little pumpkin’d out – but by the late afternoon it was a different story. After Avery’s nap, the girls rallied and walked with us to a near-by patch, where they ran around in the hay, posed for photos and, yes, picked out a pumpkin. Next activity: Carving!
-M
I cut my finger opening a box last night, and Zoe was there to hear me say, “Ouch.” She immediately jumped up to look at the injury and tell me I needed a bandage, and then she headed towards the door. “Let’s get her a Band-Aid,” she said to Q. “C’mon Daddy – Mommy always helps us, we should help her.”
It’s moments like these when a parent thinks, “Wow – we must be doing something right.”
-M
More Halloween activities for us, as we headed to Gilory Gardens for their Scary Boo event today. It felt too hot for Halloween-time to me (85+ degrees!), but the girls didn’t seem to mind…
-M
I’ve written before how the girls often remind me and Q of little ducks – by following us around the house and looking up to us (both literally and figuratively). Lately, though, I’ve been noticing how much Avery follows her sister around like Zoe is the mama duck – and I thought these two recent pictures perfectly captured that.
-M
A khaki trench-coat that I ordered for Avery arrived in the mail yesterday. It was a bit big (I like to buy things that the girls can grow into) and Avery was confused about who it was for. “Zoe?” she asked, eyeing the long length and sleeves. After I shook my head, she said, “Mommy?” I told her no again and she ran to the chair over which my similar-looking khaki coat was draped. “Baby Mommy!” she cried out. And, indeed, when she tried the coat on later, she looked like a baby Mommy.
-M
Aside from entertaining my parents, the girls did a lot of hamming it up and posing for them – as you’ll see below.
-M
As you’ll see in the first video below, the girls did a bit of entertaining for us the other night. They then became too busy to sing and dance (they had a “party” to go to) but not too busy to take a quick bow for their previous performance.
-M
My parents had never experienced a true San Francisco street fair (one of our favorite things), so we took them to the Bernal Heights neighborhood for Fiesta on the Hill today. It’s a small and mellow festival – and was the perfect place to be on a Sunday morning.
-M
What have the girls been doing these past few days? Spending lots of time with Grandma and Grandpa, who came on Wed. night and spent the day with the girls when their school was closed on Thursday. And, I’m happy to report, Avery had little trouble warming up to them. (Perhaps her shy days are behind her??)
-M
