Snoozin'

So glad...

...we built the addition, so that he can establish himself right in the middle of the highest traffic area in the whole house.

Gratuitous picture of our son figuring out how to turn the sprayer into a sprinkler.

Family

And one wonders why we don't take more family portraits........perhaps because no one can stay still long enough!

Edinburgh

What a lovely place! I miss my boys but they seem to be enjoying themselves without me--just as it should be.

A boy and his dog.

Not a fabulous picture, but it was a flash picture in a dark room. For all the hassle he gives her, they really are best buddies at the end of the day.

Yum

Kelly and Zack made starfish pretzels, a recipe out of his My Big Backyard magazine. Wow, were they yummy!

Checking out tadpoles

A few more pics from the past couple weeks. 

Chopsticks (front view)

The face of determination.

Chopsticks.

He was bound and determined to use chopsticks when we had sushi yesterday.

B'more

We spent the day in Baltimore today (thanks the for the idea, Kelly!). We went to the Aquarium, had sushi, went for a paddle boat ride on a dragon boat, and had ice cream. Zack was awesome and had a great time. What a fabulous day!

Zachary Dali

Genetics

Zack seems to have inherited someone's good (and expensive) taste.

Quote of the day

I was driving Zack to school this morning and we were talking about how it might storm tonight, which would mean we'd have to have the school's end of the year party inside.

Why?

Well, because we can't be outside when it's storming, right?

Yeah, cuz storms have superpowers that will give you a boo-boo.

Quote of the day

"I am a daddy and I have a bug bite "

Sent from my iPhone

Payoff

Perseverence

He's been waiting at the corner of the yard for about an hour, waiting for the ice cream truck to come back. We missed it the first time. Note the stool that he brought out to sit on. I sure hope that ice cream man comes back around......

Tired

He had a really busy day yesterday. As evidenced by the fact that this was him at 8 this morning.

Daddy's helper

Wall

This is what Rob did this weekend. He does nice work, huh?

Hatched!

Our praying mantis egg sac opened this morning. Thanks, Papa!

Happy Mother's Day!

Thanks to this little guy for making me a mother.

Magic.

Over the past few weeks, Zack has been saying that when Rob and I were little, he (zack) didn't have a Mommy and a Daddy and that he was all alone. I tell him that he wasn't even around then, so he doesn't have to worry about it. This actually renders him speechless for a few minutes (a rarity, believe me!). Last night he started this conversation again, then he added that when Mommy and Daddy were little, they were with their Mommy and Daddy. I said "So do you know who our Mommes and Daddies are?"

Yes.

Who?

I don't know [This is a rather comon course of conversation].

Well, my Mommy and Daddy are Grandma and Papa, and Daddy's Mommy and Daddy are Nonni and Nonno.

But they're MY Grandma and Papa and Nonni and Nonno!

Yes, but they're also my Mommy and Daddy and Daddy's Mommy and Daddy.

By this point, he was sitting on my lap, and we had done another round or two of this. He was nearly in tears at this point, insisting that they are HIS Grandma and Papa, and Nonni and Nonno, not my Mommy and Daddy. There was just no room in his brain for these people to hold two roles, so I dropped it. It made me think that all these concepts that we adults take for granted are so difficult to acquire. That there is an awful lot in this world that is really, really difficult for these little guys and gals to understand. And that it's so very amazing how our brains and bodies grow to accommodate and ingest all the that we encounter in the world. One day a few neurons will grow some dendrites and make a connection with another neuron, and all of a sudden he'll understand that his grandparents are also Rob's and my parents. Magic.

Happy Birthday!

To the bestest husband and Daddy ever! We wish you many, many more!

Edited to add: Click on the pictures to see them in their entirety. I have no idea what happened to them.

Happy Spring!

Our pathetic pooch

This is Georgia, simultaneously watching Cessy in her kitchen and willing someone to come out their back door with biscuits. 

Spring

The first signs of spring have popped up in our garden.

Quote of the day

"I'm going to run like a tomato!"

He may have misinterpreted me when I suggested he run like a tornado. His version provides a better mental image, I have to say.

Pictorial evidence of Being Too Smart For One's Own Good

He wanted to see the cars that are his reward for going to bed by himself, which were on top of the bureau. So, unbeknownst to me, he brought a wooden stool upstairs and stacked it on another one.

Points for cleverness. Demerits for initiating heart palpitations in his mother.

Happy Birthday

Dear Zack,

Happy 4th Birthday! I can't believe that four years have gone by since you took your sweet old time to arrive in this world (and no, I will never let you forget that). And yet it seems that you've always been a part of our lives. How does that work? I'm not sure, but you might figure it out one day. Because Dude, you are sharp. And you don't miss much. I'm not sure how well that bodes for your Dad and I over the next few years, but it can only serve you well as you grow up.

You are one of the happiest, funniest people I know. It's so obvious that you love being alive. You have a crazy sense of humor and love to laugh and make jokes. Four-year-old jokes, but jokes nonetheless. While you like to have fun, you're also very sensitive to what other people are feeling. You wanted to make sure that we brought cupcakes for all your friends today, and the same for bringing Valentines to school last week. You want to know why people are sad or mad, and you don't like it when they are. You're very empathetic to Georgia (most of the time), and it's so sweet to hear you talking to her reassuringly when she's frightened in the car, or when you're proud of yourself for petting her gently.

That said, you have a very strong sense of self which I hope that you'll keep forever. You know what you want and you aren't really afraid to go about getting it. You're favorite phrase lately is "If I want to do that, then it's OK." This all makes your Dad's and my job of setting limits for you a little more challenging, but again, this will serve you well later in life.

You started writing your name recently and it's just been amazing watching you develop an interest in words and letters and numbers. You're well on your way to reading, and I just can't wait until that world opens up to you. You love to create, whether it be with crayons or playdough or legos, or imagining fantastical stories with all of your toys. You spend lots of time engrossed in these activities and I love to watch the concentration on your face.

You have finally started to go to sleep by yourself! It may have taken some bribery on our parts, and I think a few things have finally clicked in your brain, but regardless, you're doing it all on your own. And you're rather proud of yourself for it, too. There are other signs that you're maturing, too--you're much more conscientious about cleaning up your toys now, you help set the table, you were such a big boy for your first dentist visit.

I hope you know that your Daddy and I love you very much and that we think you're a really cool dude. Many more happy birthdays to you!

Wacky Wednesday

It's Wacky Wednesday.

He has fully embraced the occasion.

Buddies

This was taken about 5 minutes into our trip home from Mark and Judy's.

This weekend

We were busy this weekend. Saturday morning, Zack started a gymnastics class with one of his buddies, Sebastian, from school. While he was a little nervous before it started, it helped that his friends were there (turns out, another of his school classmates was also in the same class). Parents aren't allowed in the room, and we could only see the kids for part of the time, but he seemed to enjoy himself. His perceptions might be slightly tainted by the meltdown he had on the way out when I wouldn't buy him a toy he saw there.

That night, Sebastian, and his mom and sister came over to play and have dinner. After dinner, all the kids got in the tub together, got jammies on, and watched a show before Sebastian et al headed home.

I'm not sure if this is an example of how scattered we moms are, or how we sometimes lose our identity, but it cracked me up regardless. Before dinner, Sebastian and Zack were coloring. Sebastian told his mom that he was making his picture for Erica. Sebastian's mom looks at him and says, "Who's Erica?" I just burst out laughing. Sebastian just pointed to me and said "Her" with a "have you lost it?" tone of voice.

The next morning Zack and Sebastian met for a playdate at Boden's house. (I told you we were busy!) Boden is another classmate and oft-mentioned friend of theirs. The kids all did really well together and I think we managed to call it quits right before everything melted down.

Boden has two sisters, one of whom is 4 months old. I offered to hold her and give her a bottle, to give Boden's mom a break. I was doing this when Zack walked around the corner. His eyes got as big as saucers, and he said, rather apprehensively, "Mommy? Is that MY baby?" He seemed pretty relieved that this was, in fact, really a playdate, and not a baby-acquisition-date.

Finally, Sunday night we went over to our neighbors' house to watch the first half of the Super Bowl. There were a bunch of kids there, so Zack got to play some more. We had chili, and Rob made some really amazing empanadas. Yumm!

And did I take one single picture of all this fun? Why no, I did not.

Pizza and pre-reading

Zack helped Rob make pizza last night. I think he enjoyed it.

Have I talked about how Zack is pre-reading? He's known what a Z looks like for awhile ("Z is for Zachary and Zoe and zebra."). But more recently he's definitely been realizing that these letter things mean something and can tell people important information. So this isn't an actual example, but he'll do something like take the jar of his vitamins, point to the letters, and say "This says 'these are vitamins and I can't take too many or I'll get sick'." When I read to him at night, he askes me which page I'm reading. And of course, he wrote his name the other day. So he's getting the mechanics of it all. Then last night Rob was reading his new Big Back Yard magazine to him. There are several pages that have pictures of pairs of animals--two cheetahs, two rabbits, two turtles--with the name of the animal in a heart next to the picture. We've looked through this numerous times, and he knows all the animals. But last night, Zack pointed to the words in the hearts, used his finger to follow along the letters, and "read" the name of the animal. Pointing to the words isn't something we've done (though we should probably start), so this was all his doing.

The other thing he's been doing that I wasn't expecting at all is that he picks out words that rhyme. At first he didn't really get the concept---"Orange and orange juice rhyme." But now he's getting really good at it. As he was falling asleep last night, I could hear him whispering words under his breath. Then all of a sudden he said (as if it were the most exciting discovery ever), "Mommy! Shirt and hurt rhyme!"

There is a lot going on in that brain of his, that's for sure. He picks up on EVERYTHING and is so very curious. The other night we were reading his magazine, and we ended up talking about what rhinocerouses (rhinoceri?) eat. I told him that he should remind me the next day and we'd look it up. "You'll look it up on your iPad, Mommy?" Uh, yeah, that was exactly what I was going to do. And we did and he was really interested in clicking on all the links and finding out more about them.

And baby rhinos? "Awwwwww! They're so cuuuuuute!" Just in case you were wondering.

Joy

He wrote his own name (cue my heart swelling with joy and pride).

In other news, perhaps some things we say ARE sinking in:

Zack (being very nice to Georgia): Georgia likes me.
Me: Yes, she does.
Zack: You know why she likes me? Because I being nice to her.
Me: EXACTLY!!!

Scene: Zack's bedtime last night. Lights are out, he's tucked in.

Zack: Lie down next to me, Mommy.
Me: Not tonight, sweetie. I'm going to sit here by the door.
Zack: (said infused with tears and drama) But I want you to lie next to me......I don't have anybody to lie next to me.

(insert the sound of my heart being stabbed, with an extra twist just for good measure)

He finally went to sleep. I still feel guilty.

"There is no in appropriate weather, just inappropriate clothing."

I'd prefer the white to be mountain laurels, but I'll take this, too.

Product of his environment

We're raising a true DC kid--he's playing Traffic Jam.

Jammies

It's Pajama Day at school today. This is the best pic I could get,  as he was anti-paparazzi this morning.

I don't envy the teachers today. Something about wearing PJ's to school winds those kids right up!

One more...

...to add to that file that we're going to pull out when he's 14 or so.

Babies

We were all at a baby shower yesterday. I'd been telling Zack that Liza had a baby in her belly, and that we were going to go give her gifts for the baby. He'd even gone shopping with me and had wanted to pick out toys for the baby (which I let him do).

We were getting ready to leave the shower when this conversation occurred.

Z: I want to see the baby.
Me: You mean Liza's baby?
Z: Yes.
Me: Well, she's still in Liza's tummy.
Z: I want to wait for the baby.
Me: (It took a moment for me to process this) You want to wait until the baby comes out?
Z: Yes.
Me: Well, I don't think the baby is going to come out today. They come out when they're ready, and she's not ready yet.
Z: Yes she is (is there anything so confident and optiimistic as a 3-year old?). I want to wait for the baby.

We finally convinced him that there wouldn't be a baby that afternoon, with a little help from Liza asking if Zack would come visit the baby when she was born.

We're in so much trouble

Zack and I went to Target last night. We were looking for granola bars. He saw the chocolate covered ones.

Mommy, I want the chocolate ones.

No, we're going to get the ones we usually get (which contain zero chocolate).

But Mom, they're granola bars, not candy.

(Cue snickering from everyone else in the aisle)

Puzzles

Somewhere along the line he's figured out how to do puzzles. He looks at the picture on the box, looks for the pieces, puts them together. All by himself. It's pretty amazing to watch.