random spring happenings

toe jam puppet band baby!

nuts

nuttier! (they were singing a song about farting cows, so zoey decided to put her hands down her pants and twirl...)

foam face...whining, "aaaaaaaaa" ala, "wanna hear the most annoying sound in the world?" from dumb and dumber, because she didn't want uncle lou to say hello to her, or kiss, or hug her, or look at her.

hello humphrey

ti tia's flowers

great ti tia's embroidery work on downstairs front door

levi ablaze

buds

the other day in the car, we were listening to music and a saxophone solo came on. i said, "mimi used to play the saxophone in college." zoey paused, then said, "i used to play the tuba in my mind".

what's new....well, i might get a full time job, and zoey might start going to school, daycare, preschool, to get her school on (as eric says) soon...if i get the job. i am very nervous that i will be very depressed suddenly having a full time job, and hours away from my zozo bird. i don't feel we are too attached...well, i get attached to people and patterns in a heartbeat and have a hard time adjusting, so in that respect we are. but i feel i let her stay with other people a lot, and have her space when playing at home...but still, we are together all day long every day. i'd rather have a part time job, but i'd rather work in an office (especially back at hasbro toys) than retail, or childcare...if only all parents could have part time jobs, and part time child duty, life would be so much happier.

the preschool we're looking into is expensive, but less expensive than many. it looks awesome, and i loved it when i toured. i know zoey would love it once she got used to it, AND eric and i are convinced potty training will magically happen there. the school is called Learning Brooke and follows the reggio emilia approach to education. it reminds me of sant bani.

it will be an adjustment for sure.

watercress

eric's mom and stepdad (grandma and pepe) have a LOT of wild watercress growing in a stream behind their house. they make salads with it every time the season comes around. it's delicious! zoey especially liked it the night i took these pictures. she was extra hungry as well. she leaned over the counter as grandma prepared other food and started taking the giant wooden paddles and scooping "spoonfuls" of watercress (which was drenched in salt and white wine vinegar that hadn't been mixed in yet) into her mouth! or trying to at least. it was hilarious. she couldn't get enough of it. the dark funny face picture is what happens when you get too much vinegar.

first hot day

that's a big puddle

see how well she holds on, and how well mommy "let's go"? i just need to be prepared for disaster if i let go...this picture was taken before an hour or so of play. later we revisited the tire swing. she had done so well on it before, held on tightly, i didn't twirl her too much. so we were braver later...and she wanted to go "faster faster!" so i spun her a bit faster. she put her feet up on the tire and slipped right through the center and did a stellar splashdown on her back, in snow angel formation. i quickly picked her up laughing, and she stood, dripping wet, with dirt in her hair and down her back, horrified. i could tell she was going to cry so i kept saying, like a crazy person, "it's okay! it's just water! it's just water!" she shivered, but it was very warm out and i had felt the water before she fell in (earlier) and it was warm too. if only i had brought a change of clothing...or shoes. i DID happen to find a pair of christmas pajamas i bought for her ages ago and never opened in a box from the old house. the sandals i tried on her from the same box were just too small...size 3 and she wears size 5 or 6 now. see pictures of the special outfit further down.

pretty

adventurous

watching the big girls on the big teeter totter

determined

Cute Drowned Rat Child Rides Bike (that's the newspaper headline for this front page story)

and then the cousin love. he is SO sweet with zoey.

heehee

she wasn't afraid to ride on kohle. she requested it, but she held onto his neck with great vigor and kept saying, in a mock "i'm doing something strenuous" voice "i have to hold on tight"