Zoey's Shopping List

Had to take a picture of the list that Zoey made me for our shopping trip the other day. She wrote down everything that I told her too and didn't ask for help on the spelling at all! I am so proud of her! My personal favorites on the list are in no particular order--the toofbrushes, the chicken in a can, and the Mountain Dew 4 mom.

You may notice where it says fre Zoey and fre Zander. When my kids go shopping with me they like to stand in the aisle or on a bottom shelf and yell "Free Zoeys! Get your free Zoeys!" Then of course Zander gets in on the game and says, "Free Zandas! Get your free Zandas!" So I go over and inspect them (when I am in the mood for this game) and say, "Oh this one is too dirty." To which Zoey replies, "They're washable AND free!" My only fear is that someday someone else is going to realize what a great deal that really is and take these two joys home with them.

Thank you Zoey and Zander for making us laugh each day!

Zander and Nana's first theatre outing:

The weather was rainy and threatening to freeze up everything, but we carefully took a window of opportunity for a 2 p.m. show of "A Christmas Story." Zander was happy to go with no hesitation. Judy got him hooked into the car seat and I drove the big SUV very carefully taking many side roads away from freeways. Zander was very quiet. I was expecting the Zoey chatter of earlier days. Not so with Zander. He fell asleep on the way to the theatre. I asked him to sing a song before he fell asleep and he said, "I don't know any songs." His eyes glazed over and the next thing I knew he slept. As we exited the downtown area he was wide awake. We had to look for parking - there was nothing available in the free ramp but I found a free outside lot just across the street. It only took me 5-6 minutes to get him out of the car seat... whew! I was willing to break a nail if I had to.

Again, I have to make a distinction between Zoey and Zander. Zander took my hand and we walked together to get to the door, to get the tickets, hang up the coats, stand in line to give the ticket to the lady and walk to our seats. I had to chase Zoey on her first trip. Zander was always near and never wandered or ran away. We sat in great seats. Just perfect for the little guy to see everything. He kept saying, "what movie are we going to see?" I explained he would see real people acting as different characters. This would be a story about a boy who wanted a "Red Rider BB Rifle" for Christmas and his adventures leading up to Christmas. This is called a play. He said, "Oh."

I read a book to him as we waiting for the light to go out and the play to start. This play was done very well but wasn't as slapstick as "Cinderella" and "Mulan." He didn't belly laugh real loud like Zoey - he'd smile as the story went along. He was fascinated by the kids in the show. One kid pretended to be a pig for his mother. This way she got him to eat his oatmeal and he got oatmeal all over his face. So, if Zander tries that at home you know where it came from. We spent the intermission eating a rice crispy bar and some juice. He wasn't interested in any of the toys for sale...

He sat in my lap a couple of times but mostly he paid full attention to the play. He applauded at the right times. Very little conversation because I think he was taking it all in. As we walked back to the car he held my hand with one hand and held his program with the other. All buckled up again, we drove past the theatre he said, "Can we go to this play again, Nana?" Wow, I think he liked this.

How can two children be so very unique. I'm looking forward to more fun times individually so I can experience the extremes the Z's are capable of. They are so fun! Next time I hope to pick a more raucous show for Zander.

What the Zs do when they think no one is watching. . .

Because I know what I was like to my brother when we were little, I am posting this video to myself as a reminder of how well my kids get along and enjoy each other. After a full day of Halloween, the kids helped pass out candy to a few trick-or-treaters. They were super excited and very impatient for people to come for our candy.

However, I am always amazed at how well they entertain themselves and what actually keeps their attention. This video was taken without them ever knowing I was spying on them. It makes me smile.