seal

Yesterday I went with a hike around Discovery Park with my friends Libby & Kerry. The park is amazing. It is between the North side of Seattle and Puget Sound. There are trails around and through it. I think we walked about 4 miles. When we got to the beach it was empty, windy, and gorgeous. I spotted this seal taking a break from the waves. Beautiful! The lighthouse and a couple of buildings are being restored. You can see a few more of my photos here.

yodle

This is from last week.

yellow balloon

Santa brought a new yellow punching ball/balloon. We all had to play with it all day long yesterday so it was kind of a blessing when she finally jumped on it and popped it around 10pm.

I tried some different camera settings. The ghostly, blurry shots are interesting.

Christmas dress & Santa slideshow

Nana Jo sent this beautiful red dress.

solid gold

Aunt Annie sent Zoe some shiny gold leggings!

I love it!

Zoe opened this birthday present from Nana Jo. It is a nursery school for her Calico Critters dollhouse. It is super cute.

The giant castle [below] was from Constance. It's big enough us to get in with her! it will take a long time to color the walls.

birthday princess

Santa!

Best Santa picture ever!

hello and thank you!

Based on what I have heard from everyone, I think we have received all of your packages. Thank you so much! Zoe is sleepless with anticipation.

We talked about Santa last night while I made cookies. She is very concerned that he is not spending enough time at his workshop getting the toys ready. I told Doug that we saw Santa on a Harley the other day. I thought that she was going to be really happy to see him - we were all stopping at the butcher shop - but she kind of skulked away from him and then told me "I think he should get back to his workshop!"

Last night she ran into the kitchen and told me that "Santa has a reindeer with a really shiny nose - and it's red - and it glows! And his name is Rudolph... and all of the other reindeer... have really complicated names."

So I haven't posted birthday pictures yet, sorry - I just haven't spent time with the computer much this week. I'm trying to get the chores done so that I am not doing laundry on Christmas.

Tonight we are going to see Santa. [Friday]
Saturday we plan to open presents from family. If anyone wants to call or Skype this would be a good day to do it.
Santa is coming Saturday night and then Zoe will open his gifts on Sunday morning.

We plan to be home all weekend, just watching tv & eating the turkey I roasted this afternoon.

Ho Ho Ho!

tea party & whale

Blocks & Marbles

We have played with the blocks & marbles a lot lately. Thanks Uncle Doug!
This is a blueberry factory.
The marbles are bright blue and Zoe said that we have to wear gloves when we put the blueberries in the factory so our hands don't turn blue.

pretty dress

Pete's company holiday party was last weekend and Zoe finally had a reason to put on this pretty dress that grandpa sent a few months ago. She was really excited.

accordian

Grandpa sent an accordian and when Zoe opened the box she said "it's an accordian! it's for polka music!" You wouldn't think that she would know how to play it, but she did.

last night talk

When we pulled in the driveway and Pete's work van was not there:

"ohhh, Daddy's not home." [zoe]
> nope. he's not here.
"Is he at work or is he at golf?"

[actually, he was at golf. the range.]

Later...
> Zoe, it is B-A-T-H time. What does that spell?
"Santa?" [with a huge smile, followed by giggles]

annie's blog

http://headeast.tumblr.com/

Annie posted a funny photo of Zoe on her blog. And there are some delicious-looking pictures from Pete's birthday dinner.

all talk

I overheard two women complaining about how "kid's tv these days" is just a bunch of junk with a catchy tune and how nothing is better than good 'ol Sesame Street. Well, these women would be surprised by the dullness of anything made in the 70's if they actually tried to watch it today and they obviously have not seen Little Einsteins which teaches little people some big words, music, and art.

This morning in the car Zoe told me "that caterpillar is hanging upside down."
 Oh, really?
"It's going to have a metamorphosis."

And then she hummed a little Tchiakovsky. I'm not kiddding.

Thanks, tv!

In this caterpillar episode an invitation to a caterpillar reunion is lost in the mail and they have to travel around the country to find it. Zoe tells me everything that's happening... "look mom, they are going to the United Nations in New York City!" "Look mom, it's a giant cave in Oklahoma!" "Look mom, it's Niagra Falls!"

On Saturday morning Zoe wanted to make a birthday cake for Daddy. So we mixed it up and waited for it to bake, and then we waited for it to cool off and it was finally time to decorate it. "You're a really good decorator, mom!" she said when it was all finished. She told me what to put on it, specifically a unicorn and dust bunnies. I don't know why, but she said that's what Daddy wanted on his cake.
The bottom picture makes Pete's hair look quite odd - there is a spiky plant in the background!

I made a cheesecake too - caramel, toffee, chocolate.

mixing the cake