The Adventures of Zoe & Avery (and their Parents)

Six years

Michelle — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 16:59:50 +0000

“The adventure continues,” the card that Q got me for our anniversary read. What an appropriate word: It totally captures the highs and lows of a new marriage, new house and two new kids – of which there are many. It’s all been pretty amazing so far, and I’m really looking forward to an adventurous next six years!

-M

Daddy’s hat

Michelle — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 02:42:27 +0000

As mentioned a few weeks ago, Avery’s a big fan of taking people’s hats. Q’s the hat-wearer in our family, so he’s usually the victim of her thievery… Example below.

-M

San Francisco girls

Michelle — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:34:15 +0000

Sometimes I have to laugh at my kid’s San Francisco-ness. Because of our mild climate, neither girl really understands the concept of seasons (Zoe thought it was going to snow during our trip to Madison in June), and Avery has a definite dislike of warm weather. (On the rare occasion that the thermometer hits 75 here – like it has the past few days – she becomes irritable and has difficulty falling asleep.) And this morning Zoe was quite confused when she saw I had picked out a dress – and just a dress – for her to wear to school. “Mommy, where are my pants?” she asked, before being assured that it was warm enough to go legging-less today. Bare legs are a rare thing for Zoe!

-M

Bye, bye duck

Michelle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:25:15 +0000

I finally retired our bathtbub duck – something I should have done several months (and five pounds) ago – the other night. Avery didn’t seem to miss it, and I just had to snap a pic of her first duck-less bath at home.

-M

First day of school, part II

Michelle — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:41:03 +0000

As promised, here’s a picture from Zoe’s first day of school – as well as one from last year. Some things – like the curly hair and the panda lunchbox (which has held up remarkably well) are the same – but she’s definitely older! “Look how small she was then,” Q just said, looking over my shoulder. “And we thought she was so big.”

-M

First day of school

Michelle — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:37:09 +0000

After dropping off Zoe at school today (picture of her first day coming soon!), I walked past another mom who had just said good-bye to her child and was strolling out with her newborn. A lump formed in my throat, as I remembered Zoe’s first day last Aug. and thought, “That was me and Avery last year.” As sentimental as this time of year makes me about Zoe, Zoe’s school also makes me think about Avery, who was still very new (barely 10 weeks) when her big sister began. My routine – of getting Zoe to school while pushing Avery in her stroller, and then running errands or working out with Avery afterwards – was the same for many months – and it’s hard not to get emotional when thinking of how little Avery was back then.

Of course, though Avery is a lot bigger these days (she can actually walk inside with me when we drop off/pick up Zoe now), it’s all relative. And I know in a year or two – when Avery starts preschool – I’ll be sniffling over how little she was this year!

-M

Little tree

Michelle — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:00:17 +0000

At an event at Zoe’s school this spring, one of the moms commented that it felt like we handed the teachers our babies at the beginning of the school-year – and were presented with little boys and girls nine months later. I understood what she meant: The change in Zoe at 2 years, 9 months (the age in which she started her first year at the JCC) and 3 years, 6 months was incredible, and, like that other parent, I credit her teachers for helping her grow into the happy, fun, educated “big girl” that she is today. And speaking of big, when she started school in the Neta (or “little plant”) class, the 3- and 4-year-old kids in the Elan (or “tree”) class looked and acted so much bigger than she was. And now, just one year later, it’s Zoe who is one of those big Elan kids!

I’m excited for my little tree, who starts school tomorrow, and I can’t wait to see the changes that this next year brings.

Visitors, part III

Michelle — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:05:09 +0000

My parents left this afternoon, but not before doing some last-minute stuff with the kids – like feeding Avery and taking her on a stroll, and getting Zoe ready for her nap. We miss them already!

-M

Visitors, part II

Michelle — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 23:04:41 +0000

As mentioned below, Grandma and Grandpa kept Zoe entertained this week. The three of them took advantage of the incredibly (and unusually) hot weather by going on walks in the neighborhood and doing some gardening work; when it cooled off, they played games, shopped and read books together. Here are some pics.

-M

Bingo!

Michelle — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 18:32:09 +0000

Do you ever have moments when you feel like you’re making a memory? One of those happened for me last weekend, when Q and I stumbled upon this (non-descript) little restaurant in Sausalito and wound up having an amazingly delicious – and really fun – impromptu brunch with the girls. (I don’t think I’ll ever forget the perfectly prepared banana pancakes I ate, or the look on Avery’s face as she devoured a huge bowl of fruit.) Then the other night, Zoe challenged me and my parents to a game of Alphabet Bingo (her new fave) – and I can’t remember ever having so much playing a kid’s game. It’s the little things in life, right??

-M