Merry Christmas!

Its Zoe's 2nd Christmas and it has gone well. We've really messed up her nap/sleep schedule but she is adapting well.

The first few days of our Christmas vacation were spent at Nana and Grandpa's. There was one memorable evening where Zoe demonstrated her talents singing.. it started with the usual, "No don't do that" anytime anyone tried to join in (or she'd just stop singing).. but eventually she wanted a sing along, and wanted everyone to join in. She has mastered: "Frosty", "Rudolph the red nosed reindeer", "Mary had a little lamb", "Row, row..", "Twinkle, Twinkle Little star", The theme to Dora.

At the Gooches, she loved playing in Brooke's room.. (boy did they ransack it).. her favorite was the Dora toys, Polly Pocket, and baby doll stuff. When we get back I'll get her a doll stroller and bed. She is in love with the idea of snow, but not the coldness of it. But spent some time out playing in it.

Christmas Eve she enjoyed opening gifts at the Gooches, but very slowly, and eventually I think I opened a few. She was particularly in love with some of Brooke's toys.. in particular her Bath time Barbie and some other bath toys that Bruce got for Brooke.. there was a bit of cry-fest on that one.

It is now Christmas night and she was spoiled again by too many gifts, so many that it took several sessions to open them. Santa brought her the Rose Petal cottage, Baby alive doll with carrier, some videos, Mermaid Dora figure, My little pony, lots of candy, etc.
Other gifts include: Alive Elmo (took a little adjustment, but she is now a big fan)
A grocery cart, books, shoes, clothes, Dora book with iPod like device, Curious George doll.

Now it is 6pm and without a nap, she will not last more than 60 minutes more.. time to try to get some food in her.

singing all day

Zoe has been making up her own tune and singing it all day.. super cute.

Now she is playing at the sink, she's naked, shreking with laugher.. power water all over her naked self.

conversations with a two year old

"Zoe, please do not color on your place matt"
"NO, Mommy, don't say that. Listen"

minutes later I grab paper to write this ditty down and she wants it, I say no.
Daddy walks in

"Daddy, he will help me"
"Help you with what?"
"Paper, I need the paper"

Pirate Zoe

One night, Zoe decided to play dress up.. it was very cute!

Me and my friend Panos

Taken on Nov. 28th, 2008; The park where we played before Music class (Windsor Park)



Snacks after class, and then a cute little cuddle on a chair at Panos' house.

story...

Zoe told me a story this morning at breakfast.. I think unprovoked.. when I told her dad about it at dinner, she started to tell it again:
"Once upon a time, there was a girl; here name was Abby. She was crossing a bridge and she saw a crocodile. It went snap"

then the story repeats.

occasionally Abby falls in the lake.

;)

Dear Santa,
This year I have been a very, very good girl. I'm happy, always busy. My favorite things are singing and my new love is painting (I've always loved to color). I'm starting to perfect my own way of filling in shapes and have a great sense of color.

This year for Christmas I have a few things I would like:

• Art project book and coloring books, really anything I can doodle with
• Puzzles (I'm nearly bored with the ones I have)
• Movies (Disney cartoons/CG films (I have all the Pixar ones though, but am not excited about them) )
• Curious George Videos (George is a funny monkey, always very curious and he makes me giggle everytime I watch him)
• Thomas the Train set (my Auntie Heather is going to set me up with some of these)
• Leapster games (Mommy bought Dora the Camping one, but really I like the paint/drawing program that comes with the leapster more)
• barrets for my hair (okay, my mom wrote that one)
• baby doll stroller and bed
  

I promise to leave chocolate out for you this year (Mommy says that is your favorite and you get enough cookies already), and carrots for the reindeer.

Sincerely,

Zoë Serenity Gooch

What's his name?

Zoe's favorite thing after reading through a book and starting to go through it a second or third time (she loves to read things multiple times still).. is to ask: "What is his name?".. she will do this to every character (people, animals, etc.).. for every page.. the thing that gets me is that she remembers them! I'm developing quite a library of kids names.. not creative or anything, but able to give a name to any character ;)
She also is getting really good at differentiating between girls and boys.. and almost always gets ti right (for living and book characters).

singing girl

Last weekend we went to party, they pulled out the music and guitars (three of them) and started singing.. Zoe did not hesitate to list what songs she wanted to sing: Row, row your boat. followed by Mary had a little lamb... followed by Itsy Bitsy Spider.... she could have gone all night..

She now sings quite often... and has quite a memory.. I sang "Jingle bells" once, and she repeated it to Panos (just those words, but almost to the tune) one day later.

She can now sing the first few verses of "Frosty the snowman" and parts of "Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer"

it is not a tunnel.

I was putting laundry into the dryer, Zoe looked into and said,
"It is not a tunnel".

I thought, "why, you are right" (imagining that she now knows she does not need to crawl into it to find out where it goes).

getting taller

For the last month, Zoe has been using this box in the kitchen to stand on, to get into anything she wants.. she carried it around, puts it down where she needs it and stands on it. She can now get almost anything off all but a small region of the kitchen counter, including getting into the utility drawers (yes, scissors, tape, screwdrivers).. I need to re-baby-proof my house.. again.

She is also in love with stickers.. Nana sent her a bunch.. she put all of them on one hand (~10 smiley faces).