Please never stop...

Zoe,

Please never stop saying the following things:

* MilkSugar. You call milkshakes by the name of MilkSugar. It is adorable.

* Ketchup Eggs. You refer to eggs as Ketchup Eggs - as you eat your eggs with ketchup.

* Fridge-id-dator. 'Nuff said.

* Lalla Bar. This is how you say granola bar.

And please PLEASE never stop saying your age after your name like it's your credentials. "I'm Zoe B, two and a half."

Thanks. Carry on.

Half and Two

Dear Zoe,

You are now "half-and-two" as you sometimes say. Spunky as all get out.



Some noteworthy conversations with the half and two year old:

Me: "Do you want some more milk?"
Zoe: "No, I'm good." (this you learned from your big sister)

Me: "Look, I downloaded this game for you..."
Zoe: "I 'ever saw that! That is so awwweesome!"

Me: "It's Daddy's birthday, today."
Zoe: "Yeah, it's not my birthday."
Me: "When is your birthday?"
Zoe: "Tuesday."

Me: "It's time for bed, Zoe B."
Zoe: "Here's the thing...I just want to read a little book for a little while, ok?"

Me: "Let me help you."
Zoe: "No! I'm a big girl!"


Hey remember that weaning thing I was talking about in my last letter? Well, you blew my mind with that, kiddo. I stopped the morning nursing and you protested a bit, but then stopped asking to nurse altogether - even when going to bed! What I thought would be a slow process...maybe 2-3 months, you knocked out in a week. Seriously. Way to show me up, dude.

Here's a shot from your big girl party, which you decided to have at Chuck E. Cheese. Who knew that Elton John sunglasses were in the prize case?!?



This month we went to the hot air balloon festival, which was pretty cool if you don't count the 50 minutes we spent standing in line to buy a $5 corn dog from a 6 year old kid. You loved the balloons, and when we finally got that corn dog you really loved that, too.





It's officially summer now, so we're doing a lot of swimming, staying up late, eating "vanilla-chocolate-sandwiches" (ice cream sandwiches) and playing outside. In a little over a month we'll be in Michigan where we can summer properly (not die of heat stroke and swim in actual lakes). Hooray!



This summer is going to be all kinds of fun, little girl. I just know it.

I love you,
Mama-sita

Dear Zoe B

Dear "I Do It MYself" Zoe B,

Holy crap you're almost 2 and 1/2! Just typing that makes me want to smash my head into my keyboard and sob. I can't believe you are growing up so fast. PLEASE. STOP. For the love of god, kid. Stop growing so fast.

Still, you are more and more marvelous every day, which I guess has to be possible because it is happening before my very eyes. Life is magic. Never forget that.

We are just about to start the process of weaning. My breastfeeding goal was 2 years and you're almost 2.5, so I think we win. Plus, I think you're ready because you are getting so independent it's absurd. You want to do EVERYTHING by yourself, including drive the car. You're nothing if not ambitious. I figure if you think you can drive a car on your own, you can figure out how to fall asleep without nursing first.

You're only nursing at sleep times now, so I think it'll be fairly easy (probably harder on me than you). I have promised you a "big girl party" and you're very excited about that idea. Cupcakes at a park? You're IN. You have made that very clear.




One of my favorite things that you're doing right now happens when you see something that surprises you (like a field of cows or an ice cream store). You wrinkle up your nose and open your mouth WIDE and then say, "THAT IS SO COOOOOL!!" You look at me like, "Are you seein' this shit??"

The other big favorite these days is when you say, "this pencil is just perfect," when you get a pencil out, or "my little blankie is just perfect." I'll tell you what's just perfect, my little bean, and it's not that pencil.

You love to play outside and especially at the playground, where you are an adept little monkey climber. You get there, walk up to the slide or climbing wall, remove your shoes and get to work. It's pretty impressive.




You are a little ray of light in everyone's life. Jack and Josie are always thrilled to see you when they come back from their mom's, your Dad's eyes brighten when he walks in the door from work. I recently read a blog post that was full of amazing insight. My favorite bit was this:

"We don't have children - adopt them or give birth to them or summon them by stork - as a favor to them. They come to us as a favor to us. They are a gift to us. They rescue us."

That is exactly how I feel. You have been a gift to me, a favor to me, you have rescued me. And I am so lucky. And forever grateful.

I love you, my sweet angel baby,
Mama

Chicago, Detroit road trip

I AM ZOE B

Me: "You are so lucky."

Zoe: "No! I'm not lucky!"

Me: "Why not?"

Zoe: "Because I. AM. ZOE B!"

Dear jet-setting Zoe

Just LOOK at you, kid!

In February we went to Florida with Grandma Patty, and this month we went to see Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Russell in Arizona. You are quite the jet-setter.

We have been so busy that I've hardly had time to write on this website and my Dear Zoe letter is later than EVER (well, ridiculously late if you consider Grandma Patty wrote last month's).

You had a FABULOUS time in Arizona. You spent lots of time with your brother and sister and you were especially glued to your cousin Sophie. You'd wake up in the morning and say, "Is Soph awake?"








You had a great time in the pool engaging in all sorts of shenanigans with the big kids. You are definitely one of the big kids now, dude. Weird.

This month you have started the "but why?"only it's not annoying, it's totally cute. You kind of pucker up your lips and say, "but why?" like you will never be able to comprehend why it's not such a great idea to sit on the edge of your learning tower and try to turn on the faucet with your feet.

Your dad occasionally says "ma'am" to you and your sister...he'll say, "thank you, ma'am" or "of course, ma'am." Naturally you have picked this up, too. I told you to get in the car the other day and you said, "Well ok, MA'AM!"

You're sleeping in your big girl bed like a champ and you're down to nursing just at sleep times and you're rollin' with that better than I ever thought you would. You're so grown up, Zoe B!

I love you, my sweet bean. So much. More every single day.

Mama

shazam!

Destin, Florida, with Grandma P

A letter from Grandma Patty.

Dear Zoe B,

I had so much fun with you in Florida. It all started when you ran to greet me as I got off the plane in Memphis. I didn’t realize that you would be meeting my plane. And there you were smiling and happy to hug me. What a welcome that was for me. Your Mom was right behind you smiling so wide. She is so very proud of you. It is such a joy to see how much she loves you.

It was so good of you to share the painting of those pretty ponies; and then to be able to do it again and again. I had never seen such cool “paper dolls”, (that’s what we called them when your Mom and I were younger). The magnets make it easy and cool. I like how we gave those girls a swing in your new shoes. Do you remember?

I’m enclosing some pictures so that you can remember some of our adventures in Florida. The sand was so white that you at first would call it snow. Pretty soon you realized that it was only the same color, but we made some sand angels anyway. Our hotel was so close to the playground on the beach. That was a neat surprise. We had lots of fun there, even after it rained that one day. Remember we couldn’t slide inside that big dog because of all the water? Here are some pictures of us at that very spot, including inside eating lunch.






You really had a good time with your beach ball even when we were inside our hotel. Do you remember that? Your Mom got some great exercise chasing that ball on the windiest day.



Seeing the dolphins in Destin Bay when we were eating dinner that first night was a grand surprise. We knew then that we would have to take the dolphin cruise in Destin Bay. That was a beautiful trip; the late afternoon sun made everything glimmer. I learned a great deal and I appreciated the trip into Choctawhatchee Bay. You got to select a prize from the treasure chest. How has your crabbie adjusted to the weather in Kansas? I’ll bet that she’s happy as long as she’s with you.



I almost forgot about the train ride in Destin Commons and dinner at Zoe’s Kitchen. We were the only ones on the train. Wasn’t that great?

I’m so glad I got to ride with you on the plane to Memphis, but sorry to have to dash off so quickly to my next plane.

You are such a joy my sweet Zoe B. I can’t wait to see you again soon. I love you so!

I’ll be seeing you on video chat.

Your Adoring Gramma Patty.

Today it was a balmy 45! So we went to the park.

a snow adventure