Zoë Calamity: The last word in little girls.

Zoe has chosen to eschew clothes today, choosing instead to run around in a diaper. I don’t really have a problem with that, as long as she doesn’t take the diaper off, but it is kind of cold today. She apparently realized this, because a couple minutes ago she came out of her room, dragging her big monkey blanket for me to wrap around her. She’s no dummy!
And, apparently she’s also taken up studying, as she just ran full speed past me carrying the book “How to write your name in Kanji”. Maybe she has a Japanese pen pal?

In an effort to help Zoë be a polite little girl, we have taught her that if she wants something, you say “please”. Typically this comes in the form of her pointing at something and then we ask “what do you say?” and she makes the sign for “please”. Lately, as her vocabulary has been growing, she has started actually saying the word. It comes out as “peeeease”, which is just too cute.

The other day Maryanne asked Zoë a few questions:
Maryanne: What does a monkey say?
Zoë: (makes a monkey sound)
Maryanne: What does a pirate say?
Zoë: (scrunches her eyes and says arrrrr)
Maryanne: What does Zoë say?
Zoë: peeeease!

I couldn’t ask for a more suitable little girl. She loves grits, being tickled and can’t wait to get her hands on some hot sauce.

Last week, Zoë put on one of Maryanne’s sweatshirts and started cruising around. Maryanne snapped a bunch of pictures of her since she looked like a little Jedi running around. So the next day I was bored at work and spent a couple minutes with my friend photoshop. Click on the slideshow below to see the pics in full size.

Zoe is busy pushing a metal garbage can around the apartment, using it as a stability ensuring device. She hasn’t yet fallen on her head. The garbage can contains a toy truck and 2 crackers, that I probably won’t let her eat, but that if she did, would most likely be fine because I SCRUBBED that garbage can while she was taking a nap, and I don’t think metal holds germs when drowned in burning hot water and soap, but who knows?

She also has a new tooth (upper left) which finally poked through, and ended the stream of whiny-ness that went on for days and days.

And now she’s trying to reach her daddy’s mouse, and who knows what havok she’s got planned for his computer, so I better go.

While Zoe isn’t quite talking yet, she’s sure making her wishes known. Yesterday while we were at the swimming pool, she pushed herself to standing on my stomach, and put her hands up in the air. After trying everything else, I did the only thing that was left- throw her in the air and let her land in the water. And she LOVED it. Apparently it was exactly what she’d wanted. She had me do it over and over again, and she closed her eyes and held her breath each time. While we’re swimming she’ll just thrust off in the direction she wants to go, and I have to go along or I’ll lose my grip and let go. Sometime soon I’m going to try it and see what she does.

Also yesterday- and today- she started pointing at her umbrella stroller and whining. So I set it up and put her in it. Yesterday she sat in it for 45 minutes drinking from her sippy cup, and then started whining again, so I took her out. But she didn’t want to be out, she wanted to be in, with me pushing. So we went for a walk, and she was in heaven. Today when she started trying to climb in the stroller I just put her in it and we went for a walk right away. Someone’s learning something here, but I’m not sure who it is or what’s being learned.

She’ll also find her bottle or sippy cup (or today a regular cup) and hold it up if she wants a drink, and she’ll just go rummage in the cupboard for crackers if she wants some. Not too subtle, this one.

This morning while Zoe and I were playing in her room I picked up her little sheep and said, “What does a sheep say?”. She looked me straight in the eye and said “BAA”. I was shocked. Shocked I tell you. We’ve been talking about sheep and cows and what they say, and she’ll sometimes say “mmmmmu” very quietly when you ask her about cowspeak, but the Baaing is new. She hasn’t done it again, but I tell you, that girl has surprises in her brain just waiting to come out!

Zoe’s been progressing at a stunning rate, doing things almost daily that just shock and amaze us. Last night she walked (Yes, WALKED!) 4 steps from the table to B’s computer chair, and then did it again, and again. Two or so days ago, she was listening to a toy her grandma got her and sang along to the end of the song, saying “hello, goodbye” pretty clearly. Today we went swimming, and she started paddling her arms (she already kicks her feet) and really wanted me to just let go so she could go. I wasn’t quite ready to do that, but she sure was! This morning I said (not figuring anything would come of it) “Why don’t you put your spoons in your backpack?”. A few seconds later she brought the backpack over to me, with about 4 plastic spoons in it. She just blows me away. Right now she’s protesting taking a nap, and is very sad that I won’t come get her. I’ll probably give in in just about a second, I’m kind of a sucker that way.

For those of you that don’t know, one of Zoë’s grandaddies played defensive line. Here she’s showing that famous Snell 4 point stance, ready to sack that quarterback! Just look at that game face!

Here’s a slide show of Zoë’s first birthday! Either click on the slide show or follow this link to browse through and see them in a larger format.

You might notice a couple pictures with her “ugly doll”. M took that picture so we would have a nice comparison of how much she’s grown in the last year.

Compare this:
297

With this:

She’s come a long way!