Archive for the '75.Two kids-September 12' Category

A new haircut

Saturday, September 29th, 2012

Some of you have seen or may have noticed something different with Zoe: She is sporting a new, much shorter, haircut. Q and I were uncertain whether we should fulfill Zoe’s request to chop off her hair, but we decided to go for it when we visited the stylist last weekend. (Below are a few post-cut photos; after the appointment, we went to the Presidio and visited George Lucas’ film production company.)

We’ve gotten lots of comments on Zoe’s new style from friends and teachers at school. And though I was initially sad that her long hair was gone, I really like the cut. She looks like such a grown-up!

-M

Daily reminder

Friday, September 28th, 2012

When I came across this on a mommy blog the other day, my first thought was: wow. And my second: “Enjoy today, mama” needs to be my new daily mantra. I love this.

-M

Zoe’s card

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

Things are better now, but work was very, very difficult there for awhile. Zoe knew I was having a tough time and one night last week – quite out of the blue – she came home with Q from a store and handed me an envelope. Inside was a card, in which she had written, “Dear Mommy. I wanted to tell you that I am sorry that your work was so hard. Love, Zoe.” Q told me later that the card was completely her idea – and it is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever gotten.

-M

“But I don’t have horses”

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012

We had another Amelia-Bedelia moment with Avery yesterday. As she was rushing out of the car holding a bunch of stuff, I told her to “hold her horses.” She gave me a weird look and said, “But I don’t have horses in my hands –  just shoes.”

-M

Cousin time

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012

Speaking of Isaac, the girls were super excited to get to hang out with him and Uncle Dan over the weekend. Here are a few a pics.

-M

 

“It’s Baby Isaac”

Monday, September 24th, 2012

The other night I showed the girls the video below, from when Avery was first born. “It’s Baby Isaac,” Avery said, pointing. “No, it’s actually Baby Avery -  its you when you were little,” I told her. Avery just shook her head. “No, it’s Baby Isaac,” she said stubbornly.

I tried a few more times and then finally gave up!

-M

Zoe the Artist

Sunday, September 23rd, 2012

I forgot to mention that Zoe did a bit of artwork during our recent trip; she was lucky enough to use Safta’s studio and get counsel from Pop Pop on a project. In the video below, she talks about her creation.

-M

Three-and-one-quarter-year update

Saturday, September 22nd, 2012

I’m a few days late to this, but Avery has reached another milestone: She’s three-and-one-quarter years old!

I’ve mentioned this before, but Avery has an incredibly bright personality – I don’t know if it’s that she’s older or that her hearing issue is now fixed (or a combination of both), but she is like a different person than she was even a few months ago. A very happy, bubbly, funny and giggly person!

Like her sister before her, Avery is very much influenced and shaped by preschool. Not only does she (continue to) play school at home, but she often comes home and shares lessons (“It’s responsible to clean up!”), sings songs (“Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” is the current fave) and does other little things (“Freeze like a popsicle!”) that she has learned there. I was concerned she might not feel as comfortable at school without her sister there now, but it hasn’t been an issue. Despite the occasional clingy drop-off (still!), she seems very happy.

Her favorite things to do are much like last time: She likes to play school, restaurant (“What do you want to eat? How about a drink? Water?”), and hair studio. She likes singing and dancing (a few weeks ago she adopted a one-legged hop-type dance, which you can in the video below), running around and using one of her pretend phones (“I have a text!”) and doing most anything her sister does. She’ll watch the occasional TV show with Zoe, but the only thing she truly loves is the movie Dolphin Tale.

She loves playing with her sister, of course, and she’s also a big fan of her new cousin. In fact, we were shopping a few weeks ago and she randomly picked out a little shirt for him. “This is for Isaac!” she told me in excitement and, sure enough, it turned out to be Isaac’s size and for a boy. (We were in the girl’s section.) It made me happy that she was thinking of him instead of picking out things for herself.

In terms of skills, Avery can identify most of the letters of the alphabet and has been able to spell her name and her sister’s for some time now. Her speech, while not quite at the level of other kids her age, has drastically improved since her surgery in May. We give her a lot of encouragement (and mention her old speech therapist, Kelly), and I had to smile the other day when she said out of the blue, “Kelly would be so proud of me! I talk so much.” Oh, and as for cute kid-pronounciations, my favorite is that she prounces girl like “ghoul.”

Also like Zoe at her age, Avery can be a bit bossy and a bit of a negotiator – especially at night when she wants an additional book read to her. She is also (still) feisty – quick to lash out at her sister if she feels she’s been wronged, for example – and naughty. She often does things to get a rise out of her sister, like “discipline” her (“Don’t do that, Zoe!”) or rub it in Zoe’s face if her sister is in trouble. Just last week, for example, we took away a toy shopping cart from Zoe because she was misbehaving. While I was talking to Zoe, Avery strolled past us, pushing the shopping cart, and smirking at her sister.

At the same time, as mentioned before, she has an incredibly loving side. She loves to hug and will often tenderly rub my face as I’m putting her to bed. If she thinks someone is upset, she’ll try to comfort them – “It’s okay,” she’ll say. Her new thing is to come up to me and ask, “Guess what, Mommy? I love you!” And just last night she asked if she could put Zoe to bed, and she wound up lying on the floor next to her (which is what she likes someone to do for her).

Speaking of bedtime, she’s still fairly mellow about it. After a bit of Dolphin Tale and a book or song, she usually asks one of us to sleep in bed or next to her (“just for a little while”) and then calls us back to her room with various requests after we leave. It’s usually not a terribly long process. She made me laugh the other night by crying out my name and sounding very distressed, but then greeting with me a big, happy, “Hey, Mama. What are you dooooooing?” when I walked back in. (Clearly, she wasn’t very tired.)

Finally, a little story: During an open house for parents at the preschool a few weeks ago, the teachers asked us to jot down what we wanted for our child this year. I wrote that I wanted Avery to be happy and healthy – and for her to shine. (Because of her hearing issues. I don’t think she ever showed, or felt, her true self at school last year.) And just a few weeks later: She’s shining!

-M

Overheard…

Friday, September 21st, 2012

Avery got a DVD in the mail this afternoon and is all excited about turning it on. When Zoe asked if she could watch it, too, Avery told her excitedly, “Yes! It’s a CD and I can share it with you!” “Thank you, Avery,” I heard Zoe say. “You’re such a loving sister.”

-M

Dancing machines

Friday, September 21st, 2012

As I referenced below, Avery did a bit of dancing (or, perhaps more accurately, hopping around) with Pop Pop during our recent trip. I couldn’t resist posting two little videos of their time together.

-M

Maryland trip

Thursday, September 20th, 2012

As mentioned, we were recently in Maryland visiting Safta and Pop Pop. Among the trip highlights: riding the train and running around Wheaton Regional Park, seeing the pandas and strolling through the National Zoo, shopping and buying new friends at Build-A-Bear (thank you, Safta!), dancing with Pop Pop (video coming soon), and of course celebrating Rosh Hashanah. Here are some pics.

M

It’s the little things…

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012

Speaking of innocent, I’ve been reminded these past few days of just how sweet kids are – and how it’s the little things that make them so happy. We’ve been traveling (just got back from a four-day visit to Safta and Pop Pop), and my heart swelled just a little when:

  • Avery ran through the airport, squealing “Pop Pop!!” when she first saw him in the airport last Thursday
  • The girls spotted the various (very cool) play structures at Wheaton Regional Park and started running through the park and yelling “Playground!” in excitement
  • Zoe practically jumped up and down in her chair when her favorite grown-up show, The Big Bang Theory, came on in the airplane on our way home
  • Avery declared with great enthusiasm as we landed yesterday, “I want to go on an airplane again!”
  • The girls danced, laughed and did Ring Around the Rosie this morning before school – and looked as if it were the most fun thing in the world (which, to them, it likely was)

If only I could bottle up their enthusiasm for life!

-M

Zoe’s balloons

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Just when I think Zoe is such a big girl, something like this happens. She’s still young/innocent enough to be into running around a room with a bunch of balloons!

(And I love how she stops towards the end to pose for a picture.)

-M

Nature walk

Sunday, September 16th, 2012

Angela is living in California for a few months – and her new home, overlooking the hills of Wine Country, is the perfect place to go to escape the hub-bub (and fog) of the city. Here are a few pics from our recent visit and “nature walk.”

-M

Good Morning (from Avery)

Saturday, September 15th, 2012

Like her sister before her, Avery enjoys performing a Good Morning medley (in Hebrew and Spanish) that she learned at school. Her Spanish could be worked on, but I still thought it was worth a share here.

-M