A Glimpse Into The Future

She's only had the bike for a few days and she's already doing tricks! ;)

Mommy Lesson #17: When your child helps you load the washer/dryer, always check for foreign objects before running the load!

This morning, we had a short and sweet play date with a teacher friend of mine and her 21-month-old daughter. I wasn't really sure what to expect before they arrived, so I just left some of Zoey's toys sprawled out in the living room and was actually in the middle of changing her diaper when I heard the knock on the door. After some initial hesitation, Stephanie's daughter, Sawyer, made her way through the entryway, and as soon as she saw all of the toys, she dove right in! From that moment on, she was like a precious little Tasmanian Devil! (wait, is that an oxymoron? LOL) She was zipping around from toy to toy, taking things from Zoey and showing them to her mom (who promptly reminded her that she is not allowed to take things from other children). At one point, I was nursing Zoey and Stephanie was facing me as we spoke. I happened to look past her, at the kitchen table, and say Sawyer standing on a chair, snagging jelly beans from the candy dish! Oh.My.Goodness! Is this what Zoey is going to be like before this next year is up?? And to top it all off, Stephanie is expecting a baby boy in May! Like I said, Sawyer is absolutely precious, but my gosh, I can't imagine having a wild 21-month-old Zoey (not to say that all kids are exactly alike) running around, and anticipating the arrival of another child. I know I want Zoey to have a sibling, but right now I really can't envision it. Every time I try, I can't picture how it's possibly going to work, and my brain starts to feel overloaded!!

Anyway, the play date was cut short because nap time came sooner than Stephanie expected. They had gone to an early doctor's appointment and poor Sawyer was just wiped out. You know when kids are so tired that they start acting hyper instead of sleepy? That's exactly what it was.

Stephanie and Sawyer weren't able to attend Zoey's party, but they still brought her a gift. 

These awesome puzzles came with their own stand; how cool is that?!

Cooking up something delicious, I'm sure.

When Michael got home, he had two gifts for Zoey, from one of his coworkers. The coworker and his family couldn't attend Zoey's party either (last minute illness), but again, they still wanted her to have her gifts :) 

She was too preoccupied with her motorcycle to be bothered with the wrapping paper...

But once she saw that a set of blocks and a Barnyard Bowling Set were hers for the taking, she couldn't resist!

I know I've said it before, but we are so blessed to have such great family, friends and coworkers. So many people love Zoey, and think of the three of us often, and that really makes me and Michael proud.