It’s common for Avery to enter our room and ask for food first thing in the morning. “I’m huuuuun-greeeeee,” she’ll call out, usually pulling at Q to direct him to the kitchen. (And once there she’ll likely ask for one of her favorite cereals, Cinnamon Life or Rice Krispies, which she calls “Rice-pees.”) She’s a huge fan of the first meal of the day, so I wasn’t surprised when I saw a poster in her classroom the other day that referenced it. She and her classmates had been asked what they were thankful for, and Avery’s quote was, “I love my sister. And I’m thankful for breakfast.”

-M

A holiday weekend meant a playdate for the girls: Halle, a friend from school (and Zachary’s little sister) spent the afternoon with us, and decorating and playing in a cardboard house was the top thing on the agenda. (Thanks, Aunt Sandy, for the gift!)

-M

Avery was particularly slow at drop-off the other morning and I had to prod her along so I could go. “C’mon, Avery, Mommy’s gotta get to work,” I told her. Her eyes got really big as she asked me, “Before the grown-ups get there?”

-M

I forgot to mention here another highlight of our time with Pop Pop last weekend: a mini birthday celebration for Q, complete with cake and lots of candles. I’m happy to report that Q managed to blow out all 40 of them.

-M

Avery has shown before that she likes to play with store mannequins (especially ones her size). She was at it again this weekend – making some new friends during a visit to Gap Kids.

-M

Thursday morning, Zoe woke up early and called me into her room. After I entered she threw her arms around me and said with a sniff, “I don’t want Mama to go!” She knew Q and I were leaving that day for a little vacation, and she was clearly feeling sad about not seeing us for two days. I assured her all would be fine, and her tears went away – but later that morning, after dropping off the girls at school, I was the one to feel sniffly. Forty-eight hours doesn’t sound like much, but it would be the longest I’ve ever been away from the girls (something that is, in my view, both pretty cool and pretty scary).

Our trip to Vegas was taken to celebrate Q’s big birthday - and was only made possible by Pop Pop, who flew across the country to babysit for us. While we were away, the girls had a blast with Pop Pop, who had his most-ever amount of bonding time with them, and Q and I got some much-needed relaxation and kid-free time. It was a trip for Q, but it did a lot for me, too: reminding me of what life was like before the girls, reconnecting me and Q, and recharging my battery. And it also made me realize how lucky I am – especially because we have family that makes a get-away like this possible. (Thank you, Pop Pop!!)

It filled me with happiness to see the girls at the airport upon our return (“I missed your faces,” I told them), and I know they were happy to see us too. And yet: I’m more than ready for the next birthday celebration or other excuse to get away. Any babysitting volunteers out there?? ;)

-M

Avery to a visiting Pop Pop (more on that shortly): “You’re a giant, Pop Pop – because you’re a big guy.”

-M

Over the holidays Q got me a necklace with two letter – A and Z – charms. (I’ve wanted one for years; I had a Z necklace from when Zoe was first born, but nothing that represented both girls.) Several days after I opened the gift, Zoe came home from school and presented me with a necklace she made; when I took a closer look I saw that she had included two tiny beads with the letters A and Z. “I know you like those letters,” she told me, beaming.

A new favorite!

-M

Before Zoe left for the space center yesterday, I asked her to report back to me her favorite part of the trip and what surprised her most; she later told me that she liked lunch the best (ha) but also enjoyed seeing a big telescope that was “like an owl because it had big eyes, too.” (I guess nothing surprised her.) She had a few things to say this morning, too, explaining to us about the “gas giants” and saying to her sister on the way to school, “Avery, do you know the sun is a big star?”

Sounds like the field trip was a hit!

-M

Zoe was sick when her school visited the California Academy Sciences last year – which makes her class’ trip to the Chabot Space & Science Center today her first official field trip! She and two of her classmates were very excited as they got ready this morning.

-M

Zoe, whose very first bestie was a boy, still seems to have more boy friends than girl ones. (I practically melted when she ran across the playground to give a good-bye hug to one of her newest close friends, another Zach, at pick-up yesterday.) Curious why this is, I asked Zoe a series of questions last night (e.g. “Do you like the games boys play better?”) and got few answers. Wondering if perhaps she has crushes on these little guys (she does plan to marry Leo, after all), I asked her if she thought any of her friends were “cute.” She said she did and then  commented that her teacher, Mr. Ferris, was cute. “And you know what else is really cute?” she asked me. “Babies.”

(And so, the mystery remains.)

-M

Speaking of sleeping, one thing I didn’t mention in Avery’s recent update is her love for her “finger blanket.” The blanket was a gift to Zoe from Jenny’s mom years ago, but Avery adopted it when she was a toddler – and now she can’t sleep without it. And if you’re wondering where it got its name, Avery demonstrates below what she does to the blanket before drifting to sleep each night (and at naptime)…

-M

Everyone loves a good sleeping-baby photo, but I’ve got to say that sleeping preschoolers can be pretty cute, too! I couldn’t resist snapping Avery’s picture during yesterday’s nap…

-M

Since New Year’s I’ve enjoyed a few days of “Mommy Camp” with the girls. On Wednesday we went to a neighborhood we don’t often get to (Laurel Village) to shop and have breakfast, then we met up at a playground with friends after doing some art projects at home. Yesterday we explored another neighborhood and went to a new playground in the Presidio for a picnic and “nature walk.” We had never been to that park before – and it was just gorgeous, with long, winding paths and peek-a-boo views of the Golden Gate Bridge. We’ll be back!

-M

In the car this morning, I commented to Zoe that we had forgotten to brush her hair. “That’s okay,” Avery piped up. “You still look pretty, Zoe.”

-M