Good Luck with That

Zachary has begun refusing to have his picture taken. This usually happens when I am trying to take a video or a picture in the car. I hear "No cheese, Mommy! No cheese!" like I am trying to force him to eat vegetables. Now he just hides behind something. I can wait you out, buddy, just try me.

Horses, horses, horses

A few weekends back we took Zach to a Polo match at the Houston Polo Club. We had no idea what we were getting into and figured it would either be cool or pretentious. Lucky for us there were numerous people who were trying their hardest to be pretentious, but they were sitting in plastic chairs drinking champagne out of plastic cups. I just scoffed my nose and walked right by with my baby in his "GoNuts" shirt on.

We ended up parking right next to the stables so we got out of the car and came face to face with about 20 horses. Zach was scared and thrilled all at once. When the match started we witnessed one of the few times in recent history that Zach stood totally still to watch the horses run up and down the field. As you can imagine "horses, horses, horses" was said in rapid fire, broken up only by "ball, ball, ball."  He will still mention the horses every now and again with a big smile on his face. We might have to go back. Not many other places to see 100+ beautiful horses in the city of Houston.

"Yes, Zachary we are going over there towards the horses. Can you please just cheese for me?"

About to go stomp the divots.

Not that we knew what we were doing at the time,

we were just excited to be on the field. Classy.

Right before he got so excited about the horses

running towards him on the field he scratched my neck off.

Still very, very focused on the horses, horses, horses

Happy Birthday

Last week Zach came home singing Happy Birthday. I don't really think it was Katia's birthday, but he is certain it was. When he sings it to Trinity he now says "Happy Birthday, Trick-or-Treat". He will also just wish you a Happy Birthday at random times too. Since I LOVE to celebrate my birthday anyway this is working out very well for me when he turns to me and says "Happy Birthday Mommy!". I just melt.

Drop the ball

Zach and I have been doing Gymboree (remember that plus Music class wore me out) for a while now and we are having a problem. This is all he wants to do.

See the hoop? See the buckets 'o balls? Putting all those balls into that hoop is what Zach wants to do in Gymboree class. I literally have to carry him kicking and squealing away to go climb on the various contraptions they build for the kids. You know, contraptions that allegedly build motor movement, coordination, sense of adventure and other wonderful things that are the reason I rush from work to scoop him up and race to the Galleria. But, no, all Zach wants to do is put the balls into the hoop. WHICH HE COULD DO AT HOME.

Except that I finally got him to climb into this tube, but it was filled with balls so I really don't think that counts.



Squeeze

When Zach is "helping me" on his stool in the kitchen he likes to squeeze things. I can't be sure if he learned this form watching me or from school. It always takes me a while to figure out what he is doing as it usually involves him clutching something un-squeezable to his chest and saying "eeeez".

Today I was making a banana-lime jam (of course I was - I can hear you) and Zach was helping me squeeze the limes. He then decided to try to eat one. His stunned face made me laugh. Nothing new with kiddos eating limes and lemons and making funny faces, but this is MY kid eating a lime and making a funny face.

Sort of a Reader

Though we have read to Zach for a while now, it has only been the past 6 months or so that he really likes to read with us and look at books on his own. I still remember the first time I saw him sitting with his board books and turning the pages. I love to read so it thrilled me to no end.

However, for a book to really hold his attention it needs to DO something - have pop out pages,  make noise or have texture. He is starting to like to read books with things that he knows, like Goodnight Moon since he spotted the giant full moon last week and has been talking about it ever since.

This is his Thomas the Train book that makes all sorts of sounds. I don't know that this is technically reading since he just focuses on the noises, but whatever, a book is a book.

My Sweet Boy

Here is a little video really showing who Zach is right now. Trying to say everything and just the sweetest thing ever. Of course I stopped the video before he splashed me and himself in the eyes and started to cry.

Zoo Boo

After the Halloween parade at school, Alex, Vince and I took Zach to the Zoo for what they call Zoo Boo which is just the Zoo with extra Halloween decorations. This year they opened it up on Friday morning specifically for stay at home moms and their "young children". Needless to say, Alex and Vince were some of the few fathers there. We walked around the zoo; saw the baby elephant, the bear and the seals. They had a little pumpkin patch full of tiny pumpkins that the kids could decorate. We opted out of decorating and just posed for pictures and took our unpainted pumpkin home to sit on the porch. 

Vince & Zach looking at the sleeping bear

In front of the tigers

Baby Elephant

A few weeks back Vince took Zach to the zoo to see the new baby elephant and Zach has been talking about that baby elephant ever since. It took us a while to figure out what he was saying...it sounds like "baby llfffnnnt" but he says it so much that it is getting clearer.

This Friday we went back to see the baby elephant, who is darling by the way. Zach has really stepped up the baby llfffnnt calls now; he talks about the baby llfffnnt every morning and says night night to the baby llfffnnt at night. I have to reassure him that yes, the baby elephant is night, night with his mommy. And if we get anywhere close to the zoo he starts shouting "Baby Llfffnnt! Baby Llffnnnt". I am trying to get him to branch out a bit to lions, zebras or giraffes, but he just loves that baby llfffnnnt.