We’re all a bit tired today, because last night Zoe hosted a slumber party for her upcoming birthday. Zoe has been carefully planning this for weeks, and she and her five friends (and Avery) did everything on her list: played games, watched movies, and did lots of crafts. What they didn’t do a lot of was sleep – but I guess that was part of the plan, too.

-M

Like her sister before her, Avery had a homework assignment to create a turkey that isn’t really a turkey. Avery’s is a ballerina who says, “Please don’t eat me!”

-M

The girls have gotten really big (see last post for evidence), but they’re not too old for slides and swings. Thank goodness.

-M

The girls’ school photos…

-M

The girls were off school on Friday, and the three of us spent the day together. I let them each pick one activity; Zoe wanted to visit a used bookstore in Half Moon Bay that we discovered a few months ago, and Avery chose a picnic and stroll in a park…

-M

The girls welcomed a new cousin to the world on Tuesday. They were both super excited when they heard the news (“I love Dorothy already, and I miss all of them,” Avery suggested that I tell Dan and Jenny via messenger), and Avery was particularly concerned about her aunt. “I hope Jenny’s okay when the doctor checks her,” she said. (It sounds like she was…)

-M

Saturday was Avery’s last soccer game of the year. Getting to practice and games this fall sometimes felt like a lot, but it was totally worth it: Avery learned a lot (including the importance of teamwork), got to socialize with kids she hadn’t yet known well, and – most importantly – had a lot of fun.

-M

There are certain books that are difficult for me to read, and one of them is The Giving Tree. By the time I finished reading it to Avery one recent night, I was a blubbering mess – and Avery sweetly tried to make me feel better by rubbing my arm and telling me that it was okay, that the tree was happy… Her efforts weren’t really working, but I couldn’t help but laugh when she said to her sister (who had just walked in and hadn’t said anything), “Uh, Zoe, can I have a little help here?”

-M

Zoe’s 9th (!) birthday is fast approaching, and she decided she wanted to have a slumber party (her first!) to mark the occasion. For weeks now she has been scouring books for ideas, getting prepared and making lists; here she was working hard on one such list recently.

-M

When Q is out of town I let the girls take turns sleeping in our bed with me. He was on a business trip earlier this week, and when it was Zoe’s turn to be in our room, Avery decided she didn’t want to be alone and would sleep next to us in a sleeping bag. Hearing this, Zoe set up a mini projector next to Avery and projected on the ceiling a sweet little message for her sister…

-M

And one last one from Halloween (which you may have seen on Facebook)… Here are the girls, around 3 PM on Saturday – just itching to get the evening’s activities started.

-M

Some photos from Halloween, including one of Zoe parked in her favorite spot: on the porch, ready to hand out candy. (Though we mixed things up by venturing out and doing more trick-or-treating this year, Zoe still spent most of her time giving out the treats.)

-M

We’ve been counting down all month – and we’re ready!

-M

Avery’s reading is coming along (her homework is to read at least ten minutes each night), but she still prefers being read to. While waiting at the dentist’s office the other day she snuggled up to her sister for a book, and I just had to take a photo.

-M

The four of us had two Halloween parties last weekend, and we jumped at the opportunity to dress up! The first party was thrown by a classmate of Avery’s, and a highlight was Avery playing games – and doing a lot of giggling – with a new friend there.

-M