Speaking of our last visit to Scientopia (back in April 2011), what a difference a few years makes in a preschooler’s life!

-M

Zoe has been begging us to go back to Scientopia – essentially a mini-children’s museum – up in Napa for some time now, and since we had no plans on Tuesday I decided to make the trip. I got the feeling that Zoe’s memories of it were better than the real thing (it’s been two years since our last visit, and she’s close to aging out of the space), but she did have fun, as did her sister. In fact, when I asked Avery later what her favorite part was, she answered, “Everything.”

-M

During art time at “Mommy camp:”

Zoe: “You have really good cutting skills, Avery.”
Avery: “Thanks. Yeh, I’m good at cutting.”

-M

Yesterday marked the first day of this summer’s version of Mommy Camp; because we’re so often on the run, I decided we should take it easy and stay close to home. The girls spent most of the morning finishing off workbooks (math concepts for Avery, U.S. states for Zoe) and then using cupcake liners to make a poster of fairies, butterflies and flowers. They were very proud of their creation!

-M

I was right about Avery (pictured below trying on hats at Gilroy Gardens) feeling good that she was included in Saturday’s activities. “I can’t believe I’m friends with a big girl,” she told me before she went to bed last night.

-M

Back to Gilroy Gardens we went yesterday – this time for a small birthday party. A friend of Zoe’s from kindergarten invited both Zoe and Avery (and one other friend) to celebrate with her, and it was clear how much Avery liked hanging with the “big girls.” (She fit right in!)

-M

I was tired and a little grumpy at bedtime last night, and I wasn’t in the mood to go into Avery’s room when she called me in for the third time. But when I went to see what she wanted, she looked up at me with big eyes and asked, apropos of nothing, “How do birds take their baths?” The question was so innocent and out-there – totally typical of a 4-year-old and a reminder of how sweet these days are – that I suddenly wasn’t so grumpy.

-M

Not sure where the summer went, but here we are at the last day of camp for the girls. It was Pajama Day for Avery, and a day of good-byes for Zoe, whose counselor, Geoff, won’t be returning next summer. We’re all moving on, yet again!

-M

One of the things I’ve always admired about Zoe is her loyalty: Despite not having been in school with him since she was three, she still calls Leo her best friend, for example. And her loyalty extends to teachers, like her beloved Erica. It’s been more than a year since Zoe left her pre-K program but she remains nostalgic for the class and attached to her  former teacher. She wrote the following letter to Erica just last night.

-M

Zoe has never been into princesses, but her sister is a different story. Over the last few months, perhaps due to several viewings of the movie Cinderella (whom she calls “Cindarelly”)and/or the influence of girlfriends at school, Avery has presented herself as a big fan. Some stories:

• On the drive to camp this morning, she told me she couldn’t sleep last night and just lay in bed thinking about princesses. “I thought about Ariel, and Jasmine – and Cinderella, of course,” she said.
• “I don’t want to grow up,” she declared recently. “I just  want to be a princess.”
• Avery has asked to wear her princess socks (she has just one pair – a hand-me-down from Zoe) every morning lately – and when I tell they’re dirty she asks if I can quickly wash them or just “go buy some.”
• “I wish I was Sofia,” Avery said longingly, after watching Sofia the First (uh, a princess) tonight before bed. When I asked her why, she told me, “She’s so beautiful.”
• I casually mentioned one night at dinner that there’s a place where princesses live. Avery doesn’t remember Disneyland, but when I asked what she would do if we went there and got to meet Cinderella she told me (causing tears to come to my eyes), “I would hug her sooooooo hard.”

-M

That big squeeze I mentioned yesterday? It kinda looked like this.

-M

Despite Avery enjoying summer camp, we’ve still had some clingy drop-offs there. (She often refuses to let go of me!) After trying several other tactics last week, the girls had the idea of having Zoe do the drop-off – and it worked wonders. While I wait outside, Zoe walks her sister into the classroom, gives her a big, long squeeze, and then slips out with no trouble. Avery is happy, I am happy, and Zoe – who obviously feels proud to have such a big responsibility – is happy! (“You’re going to be such a good Mommy someday,” I told Zoe the first time she did it – and she gave me a proud smile.) My only regret: that we didn’t think of this earlier! (This is the last week of camp.)

-M

Uncle Gil brought his fancy camera to Victoria and used it to capture some close-ups of the girls.

-M

And one last birthday story: Zoe asked me that night, “Wouldn’t it be funny if your birthday wish came true and you became a princess?” It was a comment I would have expected from Avery (a huge princess fan), not Zoe, and I couldn’t help but smile. She may act like she’s 16 at times, but she’s still a little girl!

-M

My birthday was last week, and I didn’t mention how cute the girls were about it. They were both eager to celebrate, with Avery telling Q the night before that she couldn’t get to sleep because she was too excited about my birthday and our Vancouver trip. The morning of, they greeted me with a cup of coffee (“with milk and sugar, Mama!”) and cards and presents, including homemade coupons from Zoe for such things as “empty dishwasher,” “help with laundry” and the items below. As I mentioned recently on my Facebook page, I could use about a hundred of the first one! (Alas, Zoe said they be redeemed only twice.)

-M