Preschool Concert

Today was Zoey's first (of many, many) concert at school. In order to celebrate spring, she and her classmates sang songs and recited poems about frogs, flowers, bees, and the like.

We, as her parents, totally did not do the crazy-parent picture and video taking during the concert. We also totally did not arrive early for good seats or fight over said good seats. We are totally not those parents, okay?  Please stop looking at us that way! (Okay, okay... we totally are those parents. Sue us!)

our (felt) family

Mommy: Zoey, what is this?
Zoey: It's our family.  In felt.
M: It's really clever, Zoey.
Z: Yes, it is. This is Daddy (pointing to the one on the far right), the tall one with the spiky hair on his chin.
M: I like how skinny my legs are.
Z: Yeah, and do you like the sky and the grass?
M: Yes, they are lovely. What are purple circles in the sky?
Z: Mommy, you know what they are!
M: I do?
Z: Yes, they are lots of O's for Olson Family!

my little lovies

It's about time for an update, one fit for the grandparents.  If you're not one of the aforementioned grandparents, please feel free to skim or skip until your heart's content.

This little lovie is my constant companion.



She loves to play doll house, draw, cut, and glue, bead necklaces and bracelets, read books, watch her shows, play pretend just about anything, and to make her little sister laugh.  When she plays doll house the mommy, Dalene, sounds very mean and a little too strict.  Sigh. I'm trying to find balance. When she does crafts she makes a huge mess but she loves it and I love it occupying her time.  Her beaded jewelry?  I let her play with it or we "mail" it to family and friends, but then I cut the string and put the beads back in her baggie.  She never chooses to read books, so I will often grab a stack and start reading to myself, and before the end of the first page of the first book she is snuggled by my side.  She loves to watch Miss Spider's Sunny Patch and Team Umi Zoomi and Little Bear and Franklin.  I can't stand Franklin and we're trying to watch less TV.  We pretend our lives away playing doctor/patient or mommy/sweetie or Tangled/Mother Gothel.  I never get to be Tangled.  She is so good at getting Kaia to laugh and helping me with Kaia.  I don't know what I'd do without her.

She loves treats and asks for one every five minutes throughout the day.  She told me today that she wants my tummy to stay big and when I asked why she responded, "Because we don't have any treats when you're trying to get your tummy smaller."  That made me laugh.

She comes into our room twice a night saying that she is scared of the dark.  Half asleep, I walk her back to bed and tuck her in.  She's asleep in seconds and once in awhile I stay and watch her sleep.  I often get emotional, still, at how fast the time has gone with her.  She is such a child now and has very few baby-like tendencies left. I hope we are doing an okay job with her because the end of the really formative years seems to be approaching.

My favorite recent memory with her was sledding in Vermont with Melissa and Maya.  Zoey cried more than she laughed, I think, but wanted to keep sledding.  She's so funny like that.


When we tell her we're going to take a picture she totally poses and it is funny but also a little irritating.  Sometimes I want a nice, normal picture, not her tilting her body one way or another. Oh, well.

She LOVES preschool and church: her friends, teachers, and lessons.  She has grown and changed so much just since September and I find myself overwhelmed with gratitude for the teachers in her life.

I struggle with balance where Zoey is concerned.  I want to document her life while it is fresh in my memory, but is it worth ignoring her for 30 minutes to do a blog post or a scrapbook page?  I want her to be kind and accepting but not too trusting.  She is polite and well-behaved, but are my expectations too high?  I want her independence to grow but I dread the day she no longer needs me.

To say I love this little lovie seems like an understatement.



This little lovie is my other constant companion. Constant as in most of the day and even some of the night.


She loves to climb up and down the stairs, empty out any and all bins, cupboards, and drawers, eat Cheerios and puffs off the floor, dance, jibber-jabber, giggle, and "play" with anything with which big sister is playing. Climbing the stairs is a relatively new interest, so my heart still lurches into my stomach when she decides to stand on a step midway up or down. She's so proud of her accomplishment, though.  While the emptying out is a good developmental skill, I know, it is also maddening.  People tell me I will miss finding stuff all over the house, but I'm just not quite convinced.  Eating off the floor?  Not possible for a child of mine.  Alas, it is done on a daily basis. Dancing is another new talent, and it is the cutest bouncing, twisting, rocking you can imagine. Her jibber-jabber is so deliberate I feel as if she is trying to tell me something important. I can't wait until she says something besides hi. The giggling is so cute and so silly at the same time. We love it. And big sister NEVER complains when Kaia comes to "play" with her toys. Nor does she whine or cry or scream, "Mommy, help me!" at the top of her lungs.

She loves crawling around with something in each of her hands, even though it makes her movement more difficult. A few days ago she latched on to these weird pink balls and wouldn't give them up for several hours. Even during meal times. Just look at her daring me to take them away.

Though not as frequently, she still wakes up during the night.  I tried, really tried, to appreciate that alone time with her. At this point, though, I am so sleep-deprived I am over any alone time that involves anyone besides me, myself, and I.  How's that for selfish?

My favorite recent memory with her was watching her learn how to clap. She focused so hard to put her two tiny hands together and it made me thankful for her mind that works.



She loves people. She stares them down until they acknowledge her presence, and she especially loves her daddy, mommy, and sister. When seeing us for the first time in a day, it is as if she hasn't seen us in weeks. We love it.

I struggle with the heavy guilt of knowing that because of fatigue and depression I missed out on most of Kaia's first year. By missed out I mean it was very difficult to enjoy. Though there is really no way to make up for that, I am trying to be more positive, more grateful, more present.

To say I love this littlest lovie seems like an understatement, too.

rough night

We've had a lot of rough nights in the last six months. Rough as in no sleep. Last night was the roughest.

We woke up to Zoey screaming. Ran in. BLOOD EVERYWHERE. We thought she was vomiting blood there was so much. Covering her face, hands, hair, pajamas, bedding.

Once she was relatively calmed down we were able to assess that she had fallen out of bed and caught the frame right on her mouth. She has two cuts on the outside lips, one on top and one on bottom, and one bad cut on the inside upper lip.

Here she is this evening, after most of the swelling has gone down.

Poor, poor baby...

Still so beautiful...

preschool

Today was Zoey's first day of preschool.

We wrapped an apple for Mrs. Drew and Mrs. Manna...

...we posed for pictures with our new pink boots and butterfly bag...

...we posed for several more pictures...

...we would only allow Mommy one picture once at school because we were so excited...

...we RAN out after school to see Mommy.

 Zoey, this is what I want you to remember about today: After yesterday's disappointing cancellation of your first day, I think you were doubly excited to go to school this morning.  You insisted on wearing your new pink boots even though it was 85 degrees outside. You went right into the classroom, put your bag in your cubby, gave the apples to your teachers, found your name tag, gave Mommy a kiss, and didn't flinch once. No tears, no clinging, nothing. Mommy cried all the way down the hallway, until I saw another mother sobbing and then I just started laughing and I was fine. Mrs. Drew emailed us later in the day to say that you loved the stop sign game and were attentive and helpful all morning. My favorite part of today was when you came running to me after school exclaiming, "Mommy, mommy!" It made my day. I also loved hearing about your morning the whole way home and at random times during the day. You seemed to remember every detail and I loved hearing your version of everything. I am so excited for you to have this time. I sure do love you.

go get dressed, please...

In the last few weeks Zoey has successfully transitioned from needing help while getting dressed to being able to do it on her own.  The proof is below.

Every single day for about 5 days in a row this is what Z would come in wearing.  Then I put my foot down and said, "And don't come back with your ballerina outfit on!"

Helpfully, this was her alternative. She laughed and laughed. Hilarious.

When I really laid down the law and insisted on no more costumes she insisted this was not a skirt made from a Happy Meal box but actually a sleeping bag so technically she had listened to me. Sigh.

When I urged for real clothes and fully clothed she wore all green. She knows how mommy loves "matching" colors.

When I yelled from downstairs, "And not all green today!" she came down in all pink and thought she was so clever (and, really, she is).

Today she is just flat out mocking me.

Luckily preschool starts this week and mommy gets to pick out the clothes. I'm thinking all purple - four different shades, of course.

To My Baby

Happy Birthday to my Baby Girl:

Here you are at your birthday party, moments before licking all the frosting off your cupcake. I love this picture because I can see everything I love about you, from your perfect complexion and rosy lips to your love of butterflies and all things pink. It is, of course, nearly impossible for me to believe it has already been 3 years since you entered our lives - although the time has flown by I can scarcely remember how it felt to not have you in our family. You make us laugh every single day with your funny questions and sayings. You still love to dress up and accessorize and play kitchen but all of it is becoming more sophisticated. Just today you reminded me that you need napkins, a garbage can, and a refrigerator for your little play kitchen. It made me laugh. You are happy and carefree and think everybody loves you. I hope you can hang on to that for a lot longer. You love your mommy and daddy and all your "best friends" - many of whom celebrated with us today. You are learning to color and paint and spell and read and to listen the first time mommy asks you to do something. You are growing up way too quickly and always ask mommy to stop being sad about that. I can't, baby girl, I've tried. I love you more than life itself. Happy Birthday.

Happy 4th of July

We celebrated the 4th in Vermont a couple days early because some of the husbands had to travel back to work on the 4th.

These little critters turned into this deliciousness:

I've never had lobster before today and it was fantastic. Thanks, Uncle Bobby! The next morning the little girls asked where the lobsters went... eye contact was averted and giggles were suppressed.

Zoey and her cousin Maya received matching cowgirl hats from Tia.

a taste of summer

a.k.a. trying to tame the monster...

Zoey loves watermelon - she has since her first taste of it when she turned one. Here is our first really yummy watermelon of the summer.

history in the making

Never in the history of the world has this happened:

But it happened today!  

TV on, toy in hand, food in mouth - fast asleep.  This transitioning to NO NAP is slow and painful torture - for ME!

easter pictures

We were spoiled this year for Easter.  Brian's mom was here, we were invited to a beautiful egg hunt, and we had a special evening with our good friends.

The scenery behind the Bayless's house is, well, scenic.  This is our third consecutive year at their annual egg hunt and they really outdid themselves this time around.  The weather was georgous, the food was yummy, and the hidden eggs were plentiful!  To make it even more special, Zoey was able to hunt for eggs with her grandma.  So fun!

Our dear friend, Cami, helped make our Easter evening very special by helping the Easter Bunny hide Zoey-sized and Kaia-sized eggs all over their living room.  Zoey was thrilled to have a little hunt all to herself and especially loved the note and the stickers from the Easter Bunny.

the one where we're finally home

Here are a few pictures from our first days at home with both of our little girls:

This last one is just one of the many ways Zoey likes to "help" Baby Kaia.

the one with big sister

Zoey is already a great big sister. She was so excited to come see mommy and Kaia at the hospital. She has shown a remarkable level of maturity for a 2 1/2 year old. In her own little way, she seems to be re-assuring mommy and daddy that she is okay with this big change in her life and to not worry about her.

the one with some love

Happy Valentine's Day to the people we love the most!

the one with the concert

This definitely makes us smile:

http://seguinephilly.blogspot.com/2011/01/piano-concert-by-zoey.html

Thanks, Jen!

the one at the crayola factory

(OR the one where Dalene finally shows her huge belly and fat face pregnant self)

For the past 18 months, give or take a few exceptions, Saturdays have been all about errands and cleaning house and preparing for the upcoming week. Today we wanted to do something just for Zoey, so we went to the Crayola Factory in Easton. She had a blast and it was a great time together with our little family.

the one with lots of snow days

We're just trying to stay warm and cozy (and sane, if I'm being honest).