April

Oh my! I am learning what it is like to live with a three and a half year old! I think this is the "hard" stage my mom referred to at three. It is also SO much fun! Zooey has so much excitement about everything, and as she's saying more every day and is understood more and more, it is a lot of fun to be able to communicate and hear her thoughts on things. I love how carefree she is about everything she enjoys. She dives in and enjoys with full abandon - whether it's ice cream, babies, animals or art, she loses herself in it. It's so neat to see how little kids are able to do that. There's no fear over what others think, no need to be perfect, she just exists in the moment and loves new experiences (for the most part). There's something to learn from three year olds in that way. As you'll see from her love of babies, Zooey is a very affectionate, empathetic child. She is moved to try to comfort people, big and small, who are sad. God has given her such a loving, sensitive little heart.

Zooey loves:
- Watering flowers
- Playing with water, be it the watering can, the hose, in the tub, and especially in her new pool
- Babies! During group hymn time at BSF, she was more excited to see and hug & kiss the baby than she was to sing. She is very gentle most of the time, and always tries to tell the babies who are crying that "it's ok" while giving them hugs.
- Music. She is starting to enjoy dancing a lot. She loves to hear her BSF hymns sung to her at bedtime.
- Peter Pan. She is obsessed with Peter Pan. And Captain Hook. And Jake & the Neverland Pirates. At this rate, we will be having a pirate themed birthday party. Which leads me to her other obsession...
- Birthday parties. We went to about three this month, and she loves to sing "Happy Birthday to you Peter Pan" and make cakes now. She loves to pretend birthday and says it's Peter Pan's birthday every day.

Zooey's become very curious this last month. She wrote on the floor and her wall with a dry erase marker, then tried to erase the wall (BTW - if anyone knows how to completely remove dry erase stains from the wall and the carpet, please let me know!). She filled up a toy cup with toothpaste one day and said it was paint. She also poured a bunch of shampoo into one of her bath cups to try to make bubbles.

Some funny things she said:
- "Like your hair Mommy!" I said, "Thanks!" "Like your boobs Mommy!" I said, "That's a little silly." Oh my! This was right after Gideon was born and she saw him nursing at Sarah's house.
- At dinner one night she kept saying, "That's my a-hole." I finally figured out she was trying to say ankle.

Snuggling up with me when I wasn't feeling good one day.

Splashing in her new pool.

Out for a dinner date with Mommy.

Zooey and her beloved flowers.

A trip to Target in Cinderella apparel.