making dresses

Zoe and I just made a dress for her out of an old baby blanket (a large piece of pink polar fleece), the one I made to go over the car seat and let the straps through... we used a stapler! to put it together... and she added a head band (a frequent belt in her accessory line)..

pics coming

gum goes under the table

M: Zoe, where does your gum go
Z: in the garbage or under the table
M: No, Zoe. That is where people with bad manners put their gum. Please put yours in the garbage when you are done.
Z: oh mom! Stop complaining!


(Zoe has spent more than the last year pulling gum off the bottom of tables and playing with it like playdoh.. I know, I know.. disgusting... we've tried to tell her....)

ruined!

"You have ruined my life! I am going to my room!"

(took away her ipad.. wouldn't let her play Zombies)

my pleasure

I asked Zoe some question this weekend to which she replied, "It would be my pleasure!"

Ar-Star Barbie

Zoe often "leaves" us and is replaced by another girl who looks just like her, but has a different name.. This weekend we had a visit from "Ar-Star Barbie"...luckily all her friends will answer to "sweetie" or "honey" or "cutie" ... but not Zoe. Ar-Star Barbie.. or Ar for short is a fairy who lives in the sky. A delightful little girl.

The next day, when Zoe came back (as was evidenced by her saying she was back and asked how our time was with Ar and what did we do together), Zoe told us all about her time in the sky.

artist progress

This morning for the first time I saw Zoe cut up shapes an assemble a scene. She started by cutting a wavy sheet of paper.."a fence", building a house (rectangle and triangle, out of different colors), decorate it... I'll put pics up soon.

Then she made a little girl.. she had me cut a circle.. she used a heart for the shirt, a triangle for the dress.. I cut strips (at her request) and she made them the length she wanted for arms and legs...

seems like it was a major mark in her art/processing skills.

proud mama!

Parenting

Nothing like a trip to see the family to make you think about your parenting.  I feel like my philosophy is at a mismatch  of my upbringing, but that is what it is. Part of it is me, part of it is knowing my kids, part of it is that parenting by fear and intimidation or corporal punishment is not necessary or in vogue. My job is to love my kids and nurture them unconditionally.  Next I provide for them: food shelter clothes things education.  Up to this point, my childhood and my parenting are the same.. I am lucky... My parents are great parents. The place where I feel I differ the most is that I expect my children, even at 2 and 4, to think for themselves... And that may include them questioning and reasoning with my decisions. For example, I let Zoe pick out her clothes... I may question if she will be warm enough but In the end it is her choice and I gave up battling that particular battle long ago... I will separate out extra things to bring with her... I provide for her.. But  I am not raising a robot.  My children are not here to be seen and not heard. Sometimes I ask Zoe to do something.. Like stop working on art and go pick up her room... If she says to me..  Can I finish this drawing first, it is important to me...(that is our key phrase)... I would definitely say yes... I do not expect her to respond to me like I am her drill sergeant.  I do not expect her to always listen and do what she is told.  In fact because she is her father's daughter I often have to remember that her focus is like a laser. It is not easy to interrupt either of them if they are focused. Additionally she is 4.
The hardest part of being around other parents is that I know what is age appropriate and event appropriate actions from my kids... And not everyone else does....