Turkey Sandwich

Thanksgiving was sandwiched this year between Zoe being sick on either side of the Holiday. Last year, she got her first fever on Thanksgiving day. This year, she had the Hand-Foot-Mouth virus in the day's leading up to Thanksgiving, was healthy on Thanksgiving day, then had a cold and cough all week following Thanksgiving.

It's been a stressful couple of weeks. Vera started a new job, Zoe was sick, Zoe started full time day care. So that means little sleep for all of us and lots of emotional ups and downs. Not fun. I even forgot to bring the camera to Thanksgiving feast at Nana's house (Vera's mom).

Zoe is moving through her first-cold-without-fever this week while attending day care full time. I can't begin to describe the heart wrenching feeling to drop off your sick child at a place that she does not want to go to. Today is Friday and she is beginning to feel better. The saving grace is that Sonja, the woman who runs the day care, sent home this lovely picture that Zoe drew yesterday. I almost cried when she handed it to me. It's amazing what a little thing like a first art project can do to make two stressed-out Mommies feel better.

A big thank you goes out to Aunt Jackie for calling every day to see if we needed her to come over to watch Zoe, in the event Zoe was not well enough to go to day care. It meant the world to know there was a back up plan available this week!!!

All I can say is TGIF and TGFFB (Thank goodness for fluffy bunnies).

You decide...

I mentioned in a post the other day (see post called Walking, Walking, Walking and Stacking) that when so Zoe walks, she holds her arms up in such a way that she looks like the Mutant in the closing credits of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It's tremendously adorable.

Here's a clip of her walking taken Sunday Nov 11, next to a clip of the closing Buffy "Mutant Enemy" credits. You decide... Similar, eh? Zoe's cuter though.

Kissing strange boys, already

We went to the Vacaville Outlet Mall today. While we were in the Gymboree store, Zoe walked to the play area where some kids were playing on small chairs. She walked right up to a little boy and said "Hi". He said "Hi" back. Then she made a "mmmm" noise, leaned in toward him with her lips pursed. He obliged by kissing her smack on the lips. Vera and I stood there, jaws dropped and watched. Then we laughed... and then we both said something like, "Oh God, this can't be starting already."

The boy's sister, also named Zoe, told us that her brother was called Tyler and is two. Sigh, and he's an older man...

Walking, Walking, Walking and Stacking

Zoe is walking and loves it. She just walks and walks. She goes from the kitchen to the living room and back. She walks with her hands out in front of her, a bit out to the side with her elbows bent. She looks like the Mutant Enemy animation at the end of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer credits - "Grr Argh" It's tremendously cute.

The other day Vera was in the master bathroom brushing her teeth and Zoe was with her. Zoe walked away thinking Vera was following her. She got down the hall and once she realize that Vera was not there, she turned around and walked back through the bedroom to the bathroom.

This past weekend we had the quintessential family moment. We went out for breakfast as a family. Afterwards Zoe wanted to walk out of the restaurant, she made it very clear that she did not want to be carried. So Vera and I each took one hand and the three of us walked out along the side walk, Vera holding her left hand, me on the right. It was such an amazing feeling. Later we went into San Francisco and did the same thing walking down the street.

Zoe loves putting things away. She will stack blocks in the kitchen cupboard - one by one she will pick up a block, walk into the kitchen, open the cupboard place the block on a shelf, close the door, walk back to the stack of blocks and do it all over again. This kept her occupied long enough for Vera to make dinner the other night.

Zoe even helped me put soccer balls in the ball bag the other day. I had pumped up 5 soccer balls in the living room before my game. I said to her, "Can you help Mommy put the balls in the bag?" I didn't have to show her what to do, she knew! She picked up a ball, walked over to the bag carrying the ball and dropped the ball into the bag as I held it open. She did the same with each ball. It's amazing to realize how much she understands. I'm sure all parents feel their kid is extremely smart and we are no exception!