Speaking of being helpful: We’ve been working with Avery on her speaking skills (as previously mentioned), and Zoe loves being part of that. She’ll often practice words with Avery in the car, and the other night – in full-fledged teacher mode – she did a set of flash cards with her. Luckily I was there to capture their session.
-M
I read somewhere that little kids are hardwired to be helpful to others. That sounds about right to me, and it’s been to see Zoe take on more responsibilities and doing little things around the house (like making her bed and helping with laundry) over the last few years. Avery is increasingly showing her helpful side, too; her new chore (and one she seems to really enjoy) is to empty the dishwasher!
Now if only I get the girls to make dinner…
-M
One morning earlier this week, the girls ran into school with huge smiles. They stopped to give each other hugs good-bye, and then, as Zoe headed towards her classroom and her sister headed towards hers, Avery cried out, “Mommy will miss you today, Zoe!”
I love drop-offs like these…
-M
Our last batch of Chicago pics – these from the well-known and well-worth-the-visit Field Museum… I’d love to go back with the girls when they’re a bit older (and perhaps can better appreciate all the dinosaur bones).
-M
Some more pictures from our trip – including stops at American Girl Place and the LEGO Store and our 95th-floor brunch.
-M
The centerpiece of our weekend away was the Friday-night reunion dinner; below you’ll find the girls bonding with various family members (including Uncle Gil – visiting from Israel) and hamming it up for the camera.
-M
If you’ve ever thought about how fast time goes (and who hasn’t, really), this video is a must-see. A little girl grows from baby to preteen in under three minutes and, well, it sometimes feels like our girls are growing that fast!
-M
We’re back from our long-weekend trip to the (very) Windy City, where we frolicked, shopped, played and gathered for a family reunion. We’ve got lots of fun pictures, but I thought I’d tease with this reunion picture of our more immediate family, taken yesterday morning on the 95th floor of the John Hancock Building.
More soon…
-M
Another milestone was reached recently when Zoe had her first sleepover. It was totally unplanned: The four of us had dinner at our friends’ house, and I brought along the girls’ pajamas (and Hippo)  just in case we stayed late. Once dressed, Zoe and her friend Angelina came up with the idea of Zoe staying over – and both sets of parents were game. (A pillow fight then broke out.)
I admit to being a little sad as we headed home with just one child (“Bye, Zoe!” Avery cried out sweetly as we walked to the car); I couldn’t help but think about how big (read: old) Zoe was getting. But when we got a text – at 6:15 AM! - saying that Zoe was up and wanting to come home to eat breakfast, I was strangely comforted. She’s still a little girl!
-M
Avery hasn’t lost her enthusiasm for singing and “playing” the guitar; here are a few pics from a recent performance.
-M
I had what I think of as a “personal assistant” type of morning today – as in, I was so rushed and stressed that it would have been ideal to have had a personal assistant to help out. (This despite the fact that Q got breakfast for the girls, and made their lunches.) As I helped Zoe pull on her dress, I admitted to her that I was having a rough morning and feeling grumpy. Zoe thought for a moment and then asked, “Did you make your bed yet? Do you want me to do that for you?”
Leave it to Zoe to make me feel better!
-M
During breakfast this morning I heard Zoe ask her sister, “Avery, do you know who Obi-Wan Kenobi is?” And, a few minutes later: “Do you know what a light-saber is?’ No word on Avery’s thoughts on these items, but I can say with confidence that she’s not as into Star Wars as Zoe!
-M
Another Sunday, another swim class. Here’s another video of our little goby, who has come a long way since she started up class again last month.
-M
While Spring Break (for me) once meant swimming suits, Coronas and flirting with boys, it now means amusement parks, playdates and seeking shelter from the rain (at least this year). We’ve had a fun week, and below are pictures from two of our adventures: playing tourist and shopping at Fisherman’s Wharf, and running around at the indoor playground Hop-n-Play.
-M
Q and I have talking lately about what an adorable age 2.5-years+ is: On an almost daily basis Avery says/does something that drives me crazy with its cuteness. (I don’t, in fact, remember feeling this way with Zoe – but since we had a newborn at home also, I’m thinking we may just have been too sleep-deprived to truly take notice.) Below are a few examples of things I particularly love.
-When she comes up to me and randomly cries out, “Straw-bear-ee!” with a big smile. The back story is that we’ve been working with her on enunciating words; she learned to master “strawberry” a few weeks ago, and she’s so proud that she can say it now.
-When she responds with “You’re welcome” when someone says “You’re welcome” to her. Zoe always gives me a knowing smile when she hears Avery say it; neither one of us has the heart to correct her.
-When out of the blue, she looks up at me and says, “I’m a big girl, right?” (And along the same lines, while in the bathroom the other day she gave me a triumphant look and said, “I’m potty-trained!”)
-When she tells me something I’ve said to her earlier – for example, saying that the pull-up she wears during nap is for “Just in case,” or saying, “No tears, right?” when I say I’ll read her one more book if she promises to go right to sleep after.
-When she reenacts pages of her Daddy Kisses book at night. “Daddy wolf gives his pup a kiss on the nose,” I’ll read and she’ll kiss me on the nose; “Daddy squirrel gives his pup a kiss on the paw” guarantees a kiss to the hand, etc. I’m not sure where she got the idea to do this, but I love it.
-M