What is New with Zoe...

Zoe is now 2 years 5 months old...almost 2 and a half! Where did the time go?! She is preparing to be a big sister and loves her "Big Sister" shirts. I was folding laundry and she pointed out her "Big Sister" shirt. I think she is beginning to identify words. She can pick her name out of a list of kids' names and knows how to spell it.

Potty training is basically done besides the night time deal, but most of the time she wakes up with a dry pull-up. We have found the nights that she is the most tired, is usually the accident nights. I am not quite ready to let her wear underwear at night. The other thing is that she is so tiny still that it is tough even with a stool to get on the potty, so we still have to help with that, but that sure beats dirty diapers!!!

Lately, she has been warming up to strangers better...as long as Mommy or Daddy is VERY close by. Her latest phrases that she has picked up on are, "don't even think about it", "don't throw tantrum otherwise you will go to timeout", and "may I have ______?".

TV is not so much a favorite of Zoe, but she sure does like music. Her all-time favorite is Taylor Swift's "Mean" song...they are not the best lyrics for her :), but it sure is cute to see her sing almost the whole song and dance around. At bath time she likes to run into the living room naked and sing, "I like to move it, move it. I like to move it, move it." (From the movie, Madagascar...she only likes that part) Meanwhile shaking her little toosh.

Reading is still a favorite for her and she has her favorite books. Some of which, she has memorized, so she can "read" them to us. I had to video tape it for evidence later.

Disney princesses are becoming more frequently talked about these days and she even said that she would like to be the pink one, for Halloween. The only two princess/fairy names she knows is Cinderella and Tinkerbell. She calls Sleeping Beauty-Aurora...Cinderbeauty. Papa and YiaYia got her a pair of dress up princess heels and she clip clops through the house, just like a princess.

All kinds of foods are in her "like" category. We are very lucky because she eats well balanced meals most of the time. Soup, when we are out, is becoming a favorite. She is very good at using her utensils and rarely spills a drop of her soup when she eats it. Grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe, and watermelon are some current fruit favorites. Peas, corn, broccoli, and cauliflower are the top veggies, and chicken and tri tip are the favorite meats. Most of the time, she likes to drink out of a regular cup, but if she is wondering a lid is a must.

We have definitely hit the "terrible twos"...she can definitely throw a tantrum, but is usually very understanding after a timeout. I think she may have learned some of the unwanted behavior from other kiddos she is around during the day, but we try very hard to tell her what our expectations are at home and that it may be different elsewhere, but at home we follow all the rules and use our manners. Most days are really good, but we definitely have a terrible one from time to time.

Outside, she likes to jump a lot and run back and forth on the grass. She won't go too far from us, so we are able to sit out front and watch her go. Her throw with both hands is pretty good already and she likes to kick around balls too. We have not gone on a bike ride in awhile, but she loves riding in her in her trailer behind my bike.

School for her is on hold...we did not really like the program that she was in (very costly play dates is how Shaun and I looked at it) and there are a few preschools that we are interested in, but their licenses will not permit them to take a child before they are 2 years, 9 months. In January, we are hoping to have her enrolled in a good program that incorporates the academics Zoe is ready for.

We are looking forward to taking Zoe to Hawaii for my cousins wedding in October. It should be a lot of fun and we will get the opportunity to go out to the restaurant we went to on our honeymoon :). The last big hurrah before the baby comes...