Z' wants her own room!

Z is trying to get Mommy and Daddy out of her room, so she started to get our new room ready for us. We rented the sander because Z's credit is a little sketchy. (She made some bad investment choices last year.) So, anyway, Z had some pretty bad flooring to start with, but she powered through it and they came out gorgeous.

No child labor laws were violated, I think, but

we gave her grapes for a fabulous job.

Hangin' with Au*ggie

Z and A have so much fun together these days. When we get in the car in the mornings before I go to work, I tell Z we are going to auntie's house and she responds, "Aug*gie!" Z is very fond of giving kisses and hugs to more people these days than she used to as she has shed much of her "stranger anxiety" - or redefined "stranger" to more closely align with Webs*ter's definition. However, no one gets a kiss from Z quite like A does! (I took this with my sister's camera when we visited the cemetery where my grandma Ne*lson is buried in ND this summer. )

 

But mostly, they just like hangin' together:

Snack time on my kitchen floor (we have to sit for snacks - a very difficult task for toddlers!)

Trick or treating - Unfortunately, my camera battery was dead for the actual trick or treat, but you can see pics of Z and A in costume at my sister's blog here.

Watching for grandpa (see the red truck? he just pulled up!)

At the Children's Mu*suem this past summer

Z has P*atrick genes

This is a shout out to the Pa*tricks, who are cat lovers (we just received our second Christmas photo card for the season in the mail from one of you - a picture of the new cat, of course!). Here is Z with that same cat at a family party a month ago or so. Z is so excited about kittys - hers, yours, ones in books, etc. When you ask her what the kitty says, she sounds just like M*ilo (her kitty). When mommy puts her to bed at night, she needs to kiss and hug M*ilo before daddy - and the same is true when daddy puts her down. M*ilo, like all house pets, is rather annoying at times, but is really patient with Z - he takes it like a champ - or like a C*huck, for those of you who knew that very tolerant cat. Oh yeah - that's what we Patric*ks do too (I guess I am now one of them!) - talk fondly about those felines who have passed on. 

Z and M*ilo a few months ago

Z and M*ilo a year ago

Pumpkins...

So I am yet again a bit behind on my seasonal pictures, but I guess if you live outside of Minne*sota, you may be fooled into thinking it's still fall here. Its not, but I still couldn't pass up sharing these pics... Gma K*athy and I took all four of her grandchildren to Mother Earth Gardens in Mpls to each pick out their own pumpkins (Z's is currently beginning to "turn" on my porch). We then took a few group shots - if you look close, you can see Aug*ust losing it, N*oah shushing her, Z trying to climb out, and Oli*ver sitting nicely... behind the wagon. Z had a blast (and became a bit attached to Gma's duck in the mean time!).

Z at the last birthday party.

I did a little photoshop to see what it would look like.

Final Days of Summer I - WALKING!

We are back after a bit of a hiatus - the second half of August and first half of September have been very busy to say the least! (Culminating with the most exciting event - Mea*gan's wedding - last night!)

So for this post, I want to share a bit of what has been happening for Z. The biggest news in her life (apart from having a new uncle Ph*il) is that she can walk! Z began walking at just over 16 months - we assumed this would happen much much sooner since she rolled at 2 months, crawled at 6, has been on the move since birth, and is just quite advanced, frankly :) 

However, true to form and after a few weeks of literally practicing how to fall, one day Z just went from no steps to running (like a drunken sailor, I might add!)

On Gpa and Gma's boardwalk...

Being goofy...

 

 

Or the "open road"... (don't worry - actually an empty parking lot - except for that big rig!)

But not too independent to still hold hands sometimes...

Cabin memories

I have many fond memories of summer trips to "the cabin" as a child - that cabin, belonging to my paternal grandma, was on South Twin Lake, approx 35 miles west of Itas*ca Sta*te Park in northern MN. (Itas*ca boasts the mouth of the Missis*sippi for you geography buffs.) Unfortunately, the cabin was sold after my grandma's death in 1989.  Da*ve and I now frequent the cabin that has been in his stepmother's family for 50 years. Interestingly, it is near Be*midji, a town in which my mother first developed her social work skills and where she married my father.  (This cabin is also less than 70 miles from the cabin of my childhood.) While we have been going to "the Patrick Cabin" for over 10 years now, my childhood cabin memories have new meaning for me these days as I begin to re-live them through Z. 

One memory I have is of bathing in the kitchen sink - my mother tells me that she bathed all of her children in the kitchen sink every night at the cabin amidst a few random comments regarding 'taking a night off.' But she says there was just something special about this ritual, and swears we slept better too. (I'm guessing we had sand, etc in places we shouldn't as well.) I get that now - but with no running water at our island getaway, I prefer skip the kitchen sink (we do have one!) for the old-school washtub. It will be bittersweet come Labor Day when it's Z's last time in the washtub - I'm pretty sure even little Z will be too big for it next year!!! 

The next trip we tried the bath with 2 tubs - one wash and one rinse - Z loved this, especially after she realized she could climb back and forth!

 

The Cabin

Its a whole new experience this year compared to last year at the cabin. Here are a few shots from Memorial day weekend. Confined to the playyard... and loving it! New chair from Grandma B and Grandpa M for Happy Hour (a cabin tradition) Feeding myself... Feeding grandma...

antique?

Z's sweater in this picture is a bit of an antique. One of Da*ve's mom's (J*udy) coworkers made this for D when he was a baby. We took this a month ago because we wanted to make sure we got pictures of her in it. Every time we wore it out this spring, someone commented. I have an appreciation for the sweater as an heirloom and also because of the detail and precision of the knitting (especially since I have only mastered the scarf and just recently moved on to the hat in my knitting abilities). It also makes me think about the gifts I give and receive - how often do I put this much effort into a gift for someone else. My other question lately is... who was this woman who knit this sweater 37 years ago???

More of "That Face"

This may be the last post about this goofy face that Z makes because we are seeing it less than we used to (we posted about it once before). So I just had to share about it one more time! The face at dinner time... The face "around town"...

Animals

Z is fascinated by animals these days - all kinds in all places. She loves reading books about animals, going to zoos, playing with her Aunt Emily's spaniels, and especially playing with her cat, Milo.

She has also learned how to make many animal sounds - some sound very accurate and therefore hilarious while others just sound hilarious! I believe her favorite is growling like a tiger, a very gutteral, deep noise that sounds like it couldn't possibly come from such a tiny person. This picture was taken at the Forest Park Zoo on our trip to Springfield, Mass area back in April. Como Zoo in St Paul

Hanging out together

Z and her cousin, Au*gust have lots of fun together these days - 

Acting silly...

Strolling along...

Swinging...

And hanging...