end of the summer

freetown state forest wading pool with daddy, laura and henry. henry is now actually a head taller than zoey! zoey is getting taller too, just not as quickly.

cling!

got it under control

out of the woods they came, zoey with a pretty pine cone...
eric, with someones littered, used, swim diaper. what's wrong with people!?!?

pine cone carrying robot

fogland beach playground...a bit overgrown

weehoo

zoey, can you hug the chicken?

papa zoey kohle

back to fogland

sports illustrated swim suit photo

cinnamon bun hay bales

super green

fig. 1 watershot
unidentified beach snot

hand

yeeehaw!

amazing

fig. 2 land shot
unidentified beach snot again

beauty

making mud castles

zoo with jonathan

she loves these things

zoey, look at me, say cheese.

yes, one can mow the lawn in heels and a bikini. i think she should be in a calendar of beautiful women doing household chores...yes?

tiny bubbles

good castle

kohle jumps well

zoey does yoga well

this is the end of the summer. it is the first time in years, i've felt satisfied by the amount of summer fun (mainly ocean/lake/pool) we have enjoyed. eric and i never doubted zoey would love the water. we are very lucky to have been right in our prediction about that. zoey loves the water. she swims well with those swimmy arm floaty things, and loves the sand. in fact, she wallows in the sand like i used to, whether she is wet or dry. she will eat sand too if it is all over her food, even a piece of watermelon.

we found a small ocean beach that has very shallow water where she has had lots of practice holding her head up out of the water, when she tips over, or "swims" by walking on her hands and kicking her legs. she likes to talk about finding lots of "pinkywales" (periwinkle snails) too.

lately, i'm really noticing how much more she speaks than other kids her age. i'm very proud of this, but more-so feeling lucky about it because she can say what she wants and doesn't want. she's VERY expressive about what music she wants, or doesn't, in the car. sometimes i have to remember i should get a turn too, and i explain to her repeatedly while she yells "i don't want it! i don't want it! i don't want this song!!!!", that it's my turn, and then it will be her turn. i worry about her expecting to get her way all the time. she's usually very obliging though, as soon as she realizes she will get her turn, or she will get her toy back later, or that she will get her special treat, after she get's in the car.

her sleeping has continued to be monumentally better than the past. she generally goes to bed within a half an hour at 8:30 then sleeps until 3...we just need to work on the morning hour nursing...if only i could get her to take a bottle at that time!