Third Christmas

We had our first Christmas in our own home.. kids went to sleep in their own beds.

Zoe got into Christmas this year, but she was still a child in training. We put our cookies and milk for Santa and a carrot for the reindeer.. When she got up, she went to the table and said, "Oh No! Mom!"... she was very sad, worried.. all of the cookies were gone. I told her that is why we set them out, for Santa to eat. I thought it interesting that was her reaction.. I never pictured it that way.

Nana called us at 7:30.. worried we had forgotten her.. but we were still sleeping.. The kids woke up at 8:30.. we started on presents with Nana and Grandpa watching on video for about an hour. We unwrapped really slowly.. the last present was unwrapped at noon.

Zoe received several wands, a tiara, hair barrets, box of dress up clothes, little pans and rolling pins, apron, fairy dress-up puzzle like thing, and the biggest thing was the Imaginex Princess Swan Castle, Barn, Carriage and lots of figures. She also got a Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty dolls and Tinkerbell. As well as Playdoh, drawing pads, paper. Games: Don't Break the Ice, Cooties, Hi Ho Cherrio.

It was a wonderful day, very easy going, relaxing.

We spent Boxing Day in the same way.. enjoying Croissant breakfast sandwiches, burrito lunch, hot chocolate, home made gingerbread cookies... Playing games with the kids.. watching videos.

visit to Santa

I took the kids to Hillside mall to get their pictures with Santa this morning.. Finn was in such a good mood, playing around on the little fence while waiting in line. Zoe was anxious, in an excited way, happy, wanting to go see Santa now.. but still kind of wary. We waited about 15 minutes.. got our turn.. Zoe gets up there and starts playing shy... she won't talk to Santa, hides behind me.. Then I sit down, trying to get her on my lap, then Santa's.. but all of the sudden, Finn is too close to Santa and starts the big freak out cry... Time to take picture I say, I try to get both kids on my lap, but I can't hold Finn and Zoe.. Zoe wants me.. I finally ask Santa if he is ready to hold a screamer... he does, I hold Zoe, we get a picture of the three of us with Santa. It wasn't at all what I expected.. I thought Zoe would be the screamer ;)
(Picture up soon)

I tooted a ....

Putting Zoe in her car seat.. Bruce said, "wait.. you've poo'd a juice box".. there was one on the seat under her... later today, while at lunch at the club, she just started dancing around saying, "I tooted a juice box".. at dinner tonight, it was "I tooted ketchup" "I tooted ranch".... then she was tooting tickles.. oh it kept going...

My nose feels picky...

While putting Zoë to bed in the hotel in Seattle we had a strange conversation. There were two lamps in our hotel room. One directly above Zoë's bed and another on the far side of the room. In preparation for putting Zoë to bed Amy turned on the far light and turned off lamp shining directly onto Zoë's bed. Then came the following dialogue.

Zoë: Mom, Mom turn the light back on.

Amy: Zoë I turned on the other light and turned off the one that was shining right in your eye. There is still plenty of light in the room.

Zoë: But Mom, I want the light shining right in my nose.

Amy: Zoë why do you need the light shining up your nose.

Zoë: I don't know, but my nose is feeling all picky.

master shopper

We got to Seattle on Monday at 5:30ish.... Zoe was woken up from a 30 minute nap, which is never good.. she needs to wake up slowly, or she is a bear cub woken from hibernation. She was screaming, crying, whining, I was restless and wanted to go shopping. I dragged her out of the hotel room, out of the hotel, and to Nordstrom's Rack.. we went in the door, she saw all the kids clothes, she immediately snapped out of it... "ooohh... the pretty dresses!" In 10 minutes, she picked out 4 dresses and had tried them on right on the spot. Then we went to shoes and she tried on 6 pairs.. then she spent the next 25 minutes finding shoes for me to try on. We didn't get to my clothes, we needed to head back to the hotel.. but I can't wait for her to help me find clothes!

"I'm a friend" & Kitten pictures

Here are some pictures from 12.04.2009 and 12.07.2009 of Zoe and her new kittens:

"Mommy...! You bought kittens for me?"

Z: "Mommy, What's that box?"

M: "Its something I need to give to a friend."

Z: "I'm a friend."

It was a cookie box.. maple leaf cookies, I had been planning to give the neighbor...

With that statement and the fact it was at the table during dinner, I couldn't resist giving her one.

Daddy and Finneas and Zoe were playing in the bedroom, playing dress up princess.

Zoe handed Daddy a princess shirt,
Daddy: "Zoe I don't think it will fit me"
Z: "It is for Finneas"
Finneas was fighting the shirt...
D: "I don't think this is going to work"
Z: "yeah Finneas is not a fan of dressing up like a princess"
Z: "here, I'll get the skirt"

(Zoe wanted to dress him anyway ;)

Dr. Jekle and Mr. Hyde

I'm surprised by Zoe's (and any 3 year old's) ability to switch from angel to devil in a split second. For example.. this morning I was giving Finn a broken gram cracker from the remainder of one sack, Zoe wanted one.. I tried to give her the one that I was giving Finn, and she said, "No, its broken"... and took over in a crying fit, slamming the door.. not giving me anytime to offer her the unbroken ones. She came back minutes later, I was still analyzing what happened, and she was acting like it never happened.

fear of new people, new places

Zoe is really afraid of new people and new places.. I didn't have a name for it until I went to one of the parent information sessions at the preschool.. but this is one of Zoe's 9 traits that make her who she is. It really became obvious when Gran (Bruce's Grandmother) came to stay with us. Zoe is often telling me that she is afraid of her, "I'm scared" "She scares me" "No I don't want to go home, Grandma is here".

But she's now been here a week and we are on our way to "a beautiful relationship".. via chocolate ;) Gran gives her one treat a day. Its working. Light night they played that stacking hand game...

We also had a 2.5 week hiatus from preschool.. and I spent the first day back at the school.. today I took her and it worked better.. I had to stay for the story time, but once she was off to go play with Emily, she was able to say goodbye without the "no, don't go".