Fun and games

My lovely little girl,

I'm finally over the guilt of taking you from Elena's class in Austin, although, she is still my favorite teacher. You have a new teacher at daycare. Her name is Brie and she is good! You two get along and she loves you. She thinks you are very sophisticated and smart. I've always known that about you, but it makes me happy to hear it from others. I'm so proud of you.
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A while back, your soccer coach asked each child what they liked most about soccer. All kids mumbled, unable to understand the abstract question. Then it was your turn.
Coach: What do you like most about soccer?
Zoe: Scoring goals.
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Sometimes the sun shines in Seattle. We jumped on our bikes and zoomed to the little beach around the lake.

"You can go topless," I said.
"No. Only boys can go topless," you replied.
"Where did you hear that?"
"At the old daycare," you said.

The water was cold, but you didn't care. You swam and splashed and squealed with joy. You were shaking and your lips turned into ripe blueberries. But there was no way to get you out.
"I'll race you out," papa said.
"No! Race me in," you replied.

I was trying to take your picture, and as usual, you weren't looking at the camera.
"Is there something behind me?" I asked, thinking you would say something like a bird, the lake, people...
"Your back!" you said, lifting your little finger into the sky victoriously, having found the correct answer.

I got us all ice creams, to have the perfect beach experience. "I won't finish it all," you said. "and I will brush my teeth." You were surprised that papa finished all his ice cream.

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As I said many times before, you have a gift for expressing yourself even when you don't know the words.
I want more sliced orange juice - referring to mandarin oranges
Eye gogglers - binoculars
Measuring hammer - caliper
Put on my zucchini - bikini
Zoe, do you want chocolate? No, I want the cold desert - referring to mochi, a Japanese ice cream.
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Zoe: Mommy, these shoes are getting smaller.
Me: Your feet are getting bigger. You are growing.
Zoe: Do you have shoes that are small?
Me: No, I don't. I stopped growing.
Zoe: But you didn't stop learning! We never stop learning.

"I know about boats and animals. I need to learn more about the space and space shuttles."
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We went to the zoo with our friends, and at the gift store, you saw a stuffed pink monkey you couldn't resist. We bought it for you, making you promise not to ask for other toys until the end of the week. You named her Fuzz.  When papa was out playing soccer, I put Fuzz on papa's seat while you and I ate dinner. I pretended Fuzz was papa and you had a blast. The next day, papa put Fuzz on his shoulder and fed her ice cream. "Papa is pretending the monkey is real." You laughed. "Funny, daddy."

A few times when papa was out during dinner I said "Zoe, how nice, you and me, having dinner together." I didn't think much of it, but then, you tried repeating what I said, and asked me to say it again and again, until you learned to say it exactly the same way. Every time you and I are alone at the dinner table, you say "how nice, you and me, having dinner together."

Your mental and linguistic development is ahead of the curve, which is fun and scary. Don't waste it, my lovely.
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You love watching the Powerpuff Girls. They have special powers. They fight crime, and kick Mojo Jojo's ass. Your favorite is Buttercup, the toughest of the three, dressed in green. I thought it would be fun to dress you like her. I got you white tights, converted one of my green tank tops to a dress for you, and tied a black belt around your waist. You went crazy with joy. You ask me periodically, to dress you like her, and we play. Papa pretends to be Mojo Jojo sometimes and you attack.

You really want to be like the Powerpuff Girls. Papa says that to be like them, you need to sleep on your own, because that's what the Powerpuff Girls do. You listen, look sad, but believe him, and reluctantly volunteer to start the night in your bed. Then you come to our bed, proudly saying that you are a Powerpuff Girl, because you slept in your bed. Some nights, you give up the thought of becoming a Powerpuff Girl, and start the night in our bed from the get go.

Another game you like is the Fairy. You ask me to put on your pink wings and a tutu skirt, and you pretend to crash into a tree while flying. I take care of your broken wings with tools in your doctor bag. Then we take turns, over and over again. "Now it's my tuuurn," you say. "Now it's your tuuuurn."

Love, Mommy