Safta wasn’t Zoe’s only visitor: yesterday, PopPop flew into town. Here are some pics of the two of them hanging around last night, and “shaving” this morning.

-M

Though her Safta arrived in town yesterday, Zoe didn’t get to spend a lot of time with her – so she was quite excited when she woke up and realized Safta was still here! She showered her with kisses and stuck right by her side for most of the morning – even when Safta had to shower. Zoe just pulled up a chair in the bathroom and patiently waited for her (and I grabbed the camera).

-M

Yesterday afternoon, as Q and I were discussing (debating?) whose turn it was to give Zoe a bath, we heard the sound of a door opening and water running. Startled, we looked up at one another and then rushed to the guest bathroom, where Zoe had turned on the faucet in the tub. (Obviously she had heard the word “bath” and made a beeline for the bathroom.) She was jumping up and down next to the tub and laughing, clearly proud of herself for starting the bath – something she had never done on her own before.

I guess I underestimate the level of Zoe’s comprehension, because I was floored that she did this. (I know she understands basic questions/directions, but it’s not like we asked her to turn on the water. We weren’t, in fact, even talking to her!) I gave her a stern little lecture about the importance of waiting for Mommy and Daddy to turn on the water and get in the bath (I’ve always been spooked by stories of kids drowning in the bathtub), but the truth is: I was pretty proud of her, too.

-M

One of the best parts of living in San Francisco is the weekly street festivals, which start in the spring and continue right into the summer/early fall. This weekend’s was in Glen Park, a neighborhood fairly close to ours, and the three of us met up at the festival with Zander, Xavier (just 6 weeks old) and his parents. There was lots to do and see, but Zoe’s favorite things seemed to be holding hands with Zander and making a new canine friend with her dad. Here are some pics.

-M

Zoe had her first dentist appointment yesterday morning, and I think I was more nervous than she was! Q came along (mostly, I think, because he was so excited) – and the two of them wound up sitting together and watching Monsters Inc. while Zoe experienced her first cleaning. Though it took a bit of time for her to open up her mouth for the dentist , she was a good little patient overall. (As Q commented to me, it’s easy to forget sometimes that she’s only two!) And I’m sure what she was most excited about was the toothbrush, stickers, autographed picture and other treats she was sent home with!

-M

Waiting in the Daddy chair for the dentist:

Being a good patient:

That was easy! Now back to the movie…

As Michelle wrote in a previous post Zoe really liked her new drapes. We finally got around to posting the video we caught of her excitement. I can honestly say she is so cute…

Jon Q

Zoe, as mentioned many times before, is a bit of a chatterbox – and she has adopted several favorite phrases over the past few months. Aside from “so cute” (as discussed below), here are a few of her “frequently uttered phrases.”

“Me get it!” (said when she wants to do something herself)
“Got it” (said after accomplishing something)
“I see that” (usually said when looking inside someone’s mouth)
“Good job, Mommy/Daddy!” (said in praise of something she sees us do)
“Much better!” (said after we fix something for her)

-M

As mentioned below, we’re converting our guest room into a new bedroom for Zoe – and last night, we put up some new drapes. Zoe, who was has been carefully monitoring the remodeling process, took one look at the curtains and said, “Oh my gosh – so cute. So gorgeous.” Gorgeous came out sounding like “gor-jish,” and Q and I couldn’t help but laugh. Glad she’s on board with our decorating so far!

-M

Hot temperatures are not the norm in San Francisco, so we like to take advantage of the toasty weather when it does strike. Yesterday morning, Q and Zoe enjoyed the warmth by doing some gardening and pulling of flowers in the backyard, and Zoe was excited to bring inside a large bunch of calla lillies. The flowers towered over her, and we just had to snap a pic.

-M

It was sunny and warm yesterday, and I asked Zoe in the afternoon if she wanted to go for a walk. “No,” she said, shaking her head and turning her attention back to Panda. “I’m busy right now.”

She’s two – how busy could she have been?! (But, yes, she did eventually consent to going on a walk.)

-M

I had a rough morning yesterday (I blame work-related stress and pregnancy hormones), and I was a little grumpy as Zoe and I headed out for Elena’s. We were walking down to the garage when Zoe suddenly stopped, smiled and said, “Flowers!” I wasn’t sure what she was referring to, but then she pointed and said, “Your shoes are pretty, Mommy!” Sure enough, I was wearing a new pair of shoes (with a floral theme) – and the fact that Zoe noticed and liked them really brightened my morning!

-M

When Zoe heard that Safta was having a birthday today (she turns the big 3-0 for those asking) she was very excited. We couldn’t help but capture the moment in video…

Happy Birthday!

Jon Q

When Zoe left for Elena’s yesterday, the walls in our computer/guest-room were an orangish yellow; when she arrived home, they were two lovely shades of pink. (We hired a painter to do two of our rooms, and he started the project in the morning.) I couldn’t wait to show Zoe the room, which will soon become hers – and I was happy when she took a look around and said, “I like it.” Her one concern, though, was with the daybed; she pointed to it with a frown and said, “But the bed is brown, not pink.” Once I explained to her that we would soon move her (white and pink) bed into the room, she said, “Oh, okay!” and seemed much happier. Even at her young age, she gets the importance of matching!
-M

We got home last night; as mentioned below, our trip to Washington was very fun – and very busy! Aside from celebrating Passover, Zoe did lots of shopping, eating (chremslach and kosher-for-Passover bagels emerged as fave snacks), and hanging out with family, like Cousin Lexi below. (She was also particularly attached to Uncle Dan, constantly chasing after him and asking him to play.) She also experienced a few firsts on the trip: she visited the National Zoo to see the giant pandas for the first time, and then went to a Build-a-Bear Workshop for the first time, where she created her own panda. (I’m not sure who was more excited about the latter event: Zoe, her Safta, or her dad!)

I know Zoe had a great time, and it’s pretty clear that we wore her out with all the fun and travel… As I type this at 7:15 AM our time, she’s still sleeping – and has been for 13 hours!

-M

As Michelle mentioned below, we made it to DC with little troubles. We have also made it through two nights of Passover Seder. Here’s a quick picture of the festivities from last night. More to come…

Jon Q