Friday was Zoe’s chance to celebrate Purim at school; below, she’s with some of her classmates and her good friend Gideon. The video, which Avery and I captured while waiting for Zoe’s class to march out of the school, reminded me of one I took at the preschool several years ago!
-M
At bedtime the other night Avery was chatting about the sky, and how the time change meant that it stays lighter later. “You know who made the sky?” she suddenly asked, before telling me (when I asked who) that it was God. “You knew that, though, right?” she said. “You just forgot.”  She paused and then continued, “Who even is God?” She moved her arms around in a circular motion and said, “God is like one big circle.” (Pause) “Oh, maybe I’m God.”
And then, like four-year-olds do, she moved on to an entirely different (less deep) topic.
-M
Guess who dressed as Frozen’s Elsa for her school’s Purim celebration today? (She even has white-ish hair.)
-M
It’s been awhile since I’ve written about life with two kids this age – mostly because things are so busy that it’s hard to take the time to stop and reflect! But I’ll quickly take the time now and say that there are real pros and cons of life with the girls these days, and with their difference in age.
The pros: In terms of day-to-day stuff, things continue getting easier. The girls are both pretty self-sufficient – able, obviously, to get ready for school, get their own breakfast, bathe themselves, etc. Zoe also makes her own lunch (and Avery helps packs hers) at least a day or two a week. On the weekends, they let us sleep in (a little) by snuggling up on the couch and turning on a show or two. And the other morning, I even headed out to work out while their dad was still sleeping. I gave them a little to-do list – eat breakfast, take showers, don’t wake up their dad – and they were both like, “Okay, Mommy – sounds good.” As I was walking down the street, I was marveling how much easier this stage is than when they were, say, toddlers. Leaving them has never been so easy!
The cons: Though the girls (luckily) get along fairly well and play with each other a lot, a 2.5-year age difference means their interests are going to differ at times – which can lead to tough moments. Zoe, for example, often wants to be left alone to read – something Avery doesn’t always understand. She’ll pester her sister, which leads to conflict, which then leads to one of them coming to me or Q complaining. On other occasions, I’ll be working with Zoe on her homework and Avery will (understandably) feel left out and become disruptive or start complaining that she’s bored. I can’t be in two places at once, or (very easily) do two things at once – so that can lead to some frustration (for me and Avery), too. I’m always sensitive to the little sibling’s feelings – so often, they’re in the older child’s shadow – but on the other hand, there are times when Zoe’s schoolwork just has to be the priority.
Really, though, the pros far outweigh the cons – and it doesn’t hurt how close the girls are. Just last night I asked Zoe, who had commented on how her sister sang herself to sleep and how cute it was, whether she liked Avery. Zoe replied, “I don’t like her – I love her! In fact, I adore her.”
-M
Zoe’s school had an open house the other night. Among the things I snapped photos of and wanted to share: her Chagall-inspired artwork, a poster from her anatomy unit, and part of her hippo report. (Every student chose an animal to write a research report on and highlight in an exhibit; Zoe and her dad sewed the little hippo in the picture.) And, of course, I had to get a picture of Zoe with her (wonderful) teacher, Mrs. E.
-M
I’ve said it before, but it’s pretty entertaining when you hear your words come out of your kid’s mouth. I had to laugh the other night, for example, when one of the characters in a book I was reading to Zoe called something “stupid.” As soon as I read the quote, Avery (who I didn’t even think was listening) called out from another room, “We don’t say that word in this house!”
-M
After yesterday’s post, I couldn’t help but think about what Zoe looked like in the ladybug rain gear – so I went through the archives and found this. Zoe, just days shy of her fourth birthday, is younger here than Avery is now, but I do see some similarities. Especially with that hair!
-M
It was rainy here earlier this week, and Avery took her new rainboots (or, at least, new to her – as they were once Zoe’s) out for a splash. She had asked me if it was okay if she waded through the puddles, and she looked really surprised when I said yes!
-M
I wore a skirt to work yesterday and when Avery saw it she told me, “Oh, you look so fancy.” Then today she asked if she could wear something fancy – more specifically, a new pink dress with a colorful tutu bottom. She quickly pulled it on, then jumped up and down in excitement, ran to the mirror, and said over and over, “I can’t believe I’m wearing this, I can’t believe I’m wearing this!”
-M
As you may have figured out from the earlier photo below, we went to the movies over the weekend. Q got us sneak-preview tickets to Mr. Peabody & Sherman, and the girls invited a bunch of friends. There were eight kids, ranging in age from 3 to 7, in total, and the most amazing thing: They all sat together in one row (behind the parents) – without incident! I see more group movie outings in our future.
-M
Q and the girls were reminiscing the other evening about when Zoe was rewarded for having stopped wearing diapers at night. “I got the best present ever,” Zoe told her sister. “You!” Avery ran up to her, give her a big hug, and replied, “And your present is still here!”
-M
Er, I mean, where’s Zoe?
-M
Below is a piece of artwork that I was excited to see when visiting Avery’s classroom the other day. According to the teachers, the project stemmed from the kids reading a book called Sun, Moon and Stars and deciding that they wanted to create their own version of space. It’s a mixed-media piece, involving fabric for planets, beans for rocks, sand for space sand, and red yarn for stars.
-M
A few pics of Avery at school this week – first with me and then with her bestie, Sofia.
-M
I mentioned last month what an avid reader Zoe has become. At any given time she’s working her way through three or four books, and our trips to the public library (luckily only two blocks away) are frequent. (Below she’s reading one of Avery’s weekend selections there.) And perhaps most exciting of all: The two of us signed up to be part of a monthly mother-daughter book club! It’s designed for girls slightly older – 9-11 years- but she’s able to read the first selection, and the librarian said we should give it a try.
A mother-daughter book club! This is what I’ve been waiting for!!
-M
