Perfectly Parr

New Blog

2011-04-26T15:59:00.000-05:00

Please check out the new Parr Family blog at www.sarah-parr.blogspot.com

The Twins Are Coming

2010-06-28T18:56:00.002-05:00

Yes, we are expecting twins. I am about 16 weeks along (check out the new ticker ----->) and feeling so tired I wish I was Sleeping Beauty! If I make it 37 weeks (full term for twins) then we will be seeing their faces the week after Thanksgiving. And, before you ask, we do not know the sex of the babies and do not plan to find out. Actually, we will find out, but not until they are born.

I am still trying to get a grasp on the fact that we are having more children. We never seem to be able to plan these things!

That's all for now.

Love Via Mail For Zoe Scout

2010-04-28T16:40:00.004-05:00

Today Zoe Scout received a package in the mail from my aunt and uncle, Vicki & Richard.

She was so excited that she had to hug the box.

Once we got it open she shouted, "My Blanket!" It was a quilt that Vicki and Richard had hand made for her!

She got the plastic off lightening quick.....

......and it was time for another hug!

She jumped in the recliner to "watch a show" and snuggle up!

Thanks Vicki and Richard for the beautiful quilt. Zoe Scout is so lucky to have an aunt and uncle who love her so much! Y'all are wonderful!

Summer of Discovery

2009-09-24T14:38:00.007-05:00

The summer always seems to provide endless fun when you are small. This summer was no exception for Zoe Scout. She has "discovered" many new things and has had a great time in the process.

Discovery: Drinking water from the hose

Discovery: "Potsicle" (Popsicles)

Discovery: "Teeking" (Tickling)

Discovery: Making "mupins" (muffins)

Discovery: Helping Coach water his trees

Discovery: Making a bed anywhere

Discovery: Love of Thomas the Tank Engine

Discovery: Using the potty (note the rubber panties)

Discovery: Drawing on yourself with "cauk" (chalk)

Discovery: Wrapping your hair in the after-bath turban

The Fort Worth Zoo

2009-07-04T21:07:00.005-05:00

This spring we got season passes to the Fort Worth Zoo. Zoe Scout is loving seeing all the animals!

In the reptile house.

Looking for eagles.

Feeding the parakeets.

Looking at the bears with Daddy.

Looking at the hippo.

She loves the flamingos and stands there saying "Honk, Honk".

Wedding, Christmas, Fort Building, and Baby Bowling

2008-12-29T19:00:00.006-06:00

Wedding
My brother, Miles, got married on the 13th. We are really happy to have our new sister-in-law, Jordan. The wedding was beautiful. The church was decorated for Christmas so it made the ceremony seem so festive! Colin and I were both in the wedding (groomsman and bridesmaid) and the baby got to watch from the pew. Colin's parents were so wonderful to bring the baby and sit with her during the wedding (thanks Sue and Geoff). After the wedding we tried to get a family picture and it was a little difficult but I thought I would include some of the pics so y'all could see her super cute dress!

So, since we have a new family member, I thought I would tell you why I love her......

Why I love Jordan
1. She loves Miles unconditionally.
2. She adds a much needed non-crazy personality to our family dynamic.
3. She is supportive of Miles and whatever choices he makes (i.e. going to the police academy in February).
4. I know God has specially made her to be Miles' life companion!

Christmas
We had a great Christmas! On Christmas Eve we went to my grandparent's house and had a great time. There is nothing like Miles family holiday food. It is hands-down my favorite! ZS got tons of great presents!

One of her favorite gifts was this rocking horse my uncle Richard bought for her!

This lantern was also a big hit. She and Coach went in the back of the house and turned out all the lights to explore with the lantern.

We spent Christmas morning at home, just the 3 of us and it was great. It was the first time we have been together as a family in our own home on Christmas morning. Colin got me some wonderful gifts including a brand new string of black pearls and a black pearl bracelet (I looooove black pearls).

Christmas afternoon we went over to the Parr's house. Both of Colin's grandmothers were in town for the holiday so it made it extra special.

ZS even helped Grandpa deliver the gifts.

The day after Christmas we went to my parent's house. We had Christmas breakfast and opened gifts. It was also a great day of fun. Her favorite gifts that day were her stuffed Backyardigans. She was so excited that she spent her entire nap time setting them up in a semi-circle and talking to them.

Fort Building
ZS has recently discovered couch forts. No one makes a fort quite as well as Colin. Today was no exception. While I was making supper he entertained her and even got a few pics from under the blankets.

Baby Bowling
One of the things we got the baby for Christmas was cardboard bricks. Colin and ZS decided to build them up so she could slide into them.

Extras
First thing this morning she had to get up and play with her rocking horse. She even kissed it!

BTW....I am not sure what happened to the font size.

Christmas Preparations

2008-12-16T21:33:00.005-06:00

Now that Zoe Scout is two we are trying to create more family traditions. We set aside a day after Thanksgiving to decorate our tree and put up lights. We had a great time and even got to enjoy the decorating with our first fire of the season!

First was a trip to Wal-Mart to get lights. When Zoe Scout saw the tricycles in the garden section neither she or Colin could resist a ride.

Zoe Scout had to check the tree out before we cut the cover off. She was especially interested in the water down in the stand.

Helping me put on the lights.

Zoe Scout got to put the star on top of the tree (with help from Daddy, of course).

We have not spent a Christmas in our own place since the first year we were married. Consequently we have no Christmas decorations. I decided (in typical "bite off more then you can chew" Sarah fashion) to make all our Christmas ornaments this year. It has been a lot of fun but the tree is not nearly as full as I wanted it to be. I thought I would show off my hard work!

These are the pine cones I spray painted silver to wire onto the tree. Zoe Scout loves playing with them so much that I still have not put them on the tree.

Now, who doesn't love pickles and strawberry applesauce? But, pickles and strawberry applesauce?!!!? Yes, my child likes weird flavor combos.

This picture is obviously to show off the great static hair-do she received from her slide! I can't wait until she learns what "smile" really means.

Here are my two "natural" Parrs reading what has become ZS's new favorite book.....The Berenstain Bears Go To School.

Big Girl Bed

2008-11-24T09:23:00.004-06:00

Note: I will update on what has been happening with the Parr family over the last month in another post.

Zoe Scout has had a few big milestones in her life so far..... taking away the pacifier, moving out of the crib, learning to walk..........but this is the first milestone that she was excited for.

She has been sleeping on the twin mattress since we moved into our house in June but today I put up the headboard and foot board for her. She was so excited when she saw it. She hopped right up and proceeded to play, running back and forth over the bed! The bed is actually a set of two. They were my great grandparents beds back when couples sometimes slept in two twins rather then one bed together (ie Lucy and Ricky Ricardo). When I was growing up both twin beds were in my room and now ZS gets to sleep in them too!

She keeps getting bigger! I guess that never stops. I am excited to how she does tonight!

Note

2008-10-09T22:31:00.001-05:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that my computer is acting up and is going into the shop for repair. I have been unable to post for quite a while but hopefully everything will get fixed and there will be new pictures soon!

Sweet Cream Cheese Covered Moments

2008-09-16T20:40:00.004-05:00

This morning while ZS was watching her Backyardigans I fixed myself some coffee and a bagel. Those of you who know me well know that I loooove tons of cream cheese on my bagels. After settling into my chair at the kitchen table the baby came trotting over to see what I was having. Now, those of you who know ZS well know that she also loooooves cream cheese. She asked for a bite of my bagel and after discovering there were mounds of cream cheese to be had she promptly asked to sit in my lap. After swallowing the first bite she eyed my bagel, picked out the part with the most cream cheese, and pointed at it as if to indicate that was the exact spot her next bite should come from. Of course I obliged and after taking the coveted bite she leaned her head on my chest, said "mmmmm", looked up and gave me a cream cheese covered kiss, and layed her head back against my chest. I love her so much it makes me ache sometimes!

ZS also had her first bubble bath today. I have been feeling badly that she has out grown her bathtub toys so while at Wal-Mart today I scoured the toy section. Coming up short I pushed the cart over to the bath section. At the end of the isle I saw it......Mr. Bubble! After carefully choosing the fragrance free variety (poor baby inherited Colin's sensitive skin) I mentally patted myself on the back in advance for the fun it would provide during tonight's bath.

She did indeed love it and had us tell her over and over again what it was and even let Colin take smiling pictures of her!

Furniture Playground

2008-09-15T20:24:00.003-05:00

Today Zoe Scout decided to use the arm of the couch as a slide. The slide is always her favorite part of any playground so I guess it should have been no surprise that she would find one in our house!

Luckily, Colin ordered her a slide for the backyard a couple of days ago.......I can't wait to see how excited she is going to be!

I got a couple of cute smiles today. I am hoping this marks the end of the eye close smile she has been giving for the last year!

23 Months Going On 16

2008-09-14T20:17:00.002-05:00

ZS loves to pretend to talk on the phone. Normally she brings the phone to me, holds the phone to my ear, and I say something like... "Oh, hi Mimi! How are you? Yes, Zoe Scout is fine. Ok, I'll tell her." Then ZS pulls the phone away from my ear and I say..... "Zoe Scout, Mimi says she loves you."

She very much enjoys this game and all her grandparents and great-grandparents "call" multiple times a day.

This particular day she took her phone, and after getting herself situated just right on top of the couch cushions she proceeded to make her own phone calls.

She looked like a teenage girl. It kinda reminded me of the girls in the "Telephone Song" from "Bye, Bye, Birdie".

Some days she seems so old!

August

2008-09-04T19:14:00.012-05:00

August has been full of many "happenings" soooooooo here we go......

Learning To Sleep In A Big Girl Bed
Zoe Scout has been sleeping in her pack-n-play since we have been living in our new house. We had planned to move her to the big girl bed when we moved but she started taking off her diaper and I was not going to have a half-nuda baby running around her room unsupervised. We finally learned from a friend to tape her diaper shut.

One morning I went into her room and somehow she had gotten her jammies off and her diaper off. Her pack-n-play was so soaked with tinkle that I assume she slept the whole night without a diaper on.

We could not get the mattress clean so we had to move her to the big girl bed out of necessity. The first day was quite a struggle. It took me three hours to get her to take a nap but eventually she passed out on the end of her bed. I was able to stick my camera through the door and take a couple of pictures.

Since then things have become progressively better with sleep time. She seems to really like her bed and is now sleeping on her pillow.

The Importance Of Sweet Bun
I am sure you have noticed a certain pink bunny makes it into many pictures on this blog. Her name is Sweet Bun. ZS doesn't go anywhere without her and actually uses her as a pillow. She is starting to get very worn.....not only from all the "love" but from the trips through the washing machine and dryer about once a month. I hope when the time comes to replace her it is not a traumatic experience.

Seeing The Gecko Once Again
Here he is again! I found him in the front hall and I was able to show ZS. She was really excited and started making barking noises at it! Since this time the gecko has escaped our house but Colin told me that he saw a couple of new ones last week so I am keeping my eyes open.....

Back To The Drawing Board
Bunnie gave ZS a drawing table. It has been so great! We put it in the kitchen and it provides a much needed distraction for her while I am cooking. As you can see, she likes to put the colored pencils down her shirt!

Colin's New Guitar
Colin just bought a new guitar and I am not sure what makes it so special (I just don't know that much about guitars) but I do know it is a fun color. The day it came he was so excited that he postponed some of his lessons to come home and open his package! ZS thought it was great too. She especially liked the case!

As Long As It Involves Cheese......
she will normally scarf it down. However, this day she was skeptical of her first homemade grilled cheese sandwich.

Backyardigans Snuggle Time With Daddy
ZS gets to watch only one television show called Backyardigans. Sometimes Colin will lounge on the couch while I make breakfast and the baby watches her show. This particular morning she decided to lounge with her daddy.

Snitching
We had a birthday party for Bunnie and ZS made the dessert rounds to almost everyone in the room! She seemed to really like chocolate cake and ice cream.

Playing At Mimi And Grandpa's
Mimi has these great plastic wilderness animals and ZS has a great time playing with them. She does however seem to reject any of the ones that have antlers....she just throws them on the floor!

Any high heels are free game for this child!

Washington DC Day 3
On our 3rd day in our nation's capitol we decided to drive to Monticello which was the home of Thomas Jefferson. The grounds and the house are beautiful.

This is the back side of the house. Jefferson's bedroom is on the bottom floor on the right hand side.

This is the only structure still standing from the slave's quarters. It overlooks the gardens.

This is the Jefferson family cemetery. The headstone is Jefferson's. His wife and oldest daughter are also buried under it. I thought it was really neat that Jefferson's ancestors are still buried here to this day.

Washington DC Day 4
Our last full day was spent at Mount Vernon which was George Washington's home. It was even more impressive then Monticello the day before.

Here I am in one of the flower gardens. Behind me is the greenhouse. Washington had many foreign diplomats bring him exotic flower seeds. His gardener would grow the flowers in the greenhouse to learn how to take care of them and then they would be planted in the garden. The garden is currently being excavated so the original pathways placed by Washington can be restored.

This is the front of Washington's house. His bedroom is on the second floor all the way to the right. The interesting thing is that his bedroom still contains the bed he and his wife, Martha, slept in and he died in.

This was the original vault Washington was buried in. In his will he asked that a new vault be built and 3 yrs after his death he and all the family members in the old vault were moved to the new one.

This is the new vault. In the first picture you can see Martha Washington's white casket. George Washington's is to the right.

We went on a cruise of the Potomac River. This is the view of Mount Vernon from the river.

Here I am sitting on the back lawn of Mount Vernon. This back porch was one of Washington's last additions to the house.

Well....that's it. I am not sure I have the energy to add anymore so it is a good thing I have come to the end of my August pictures!

Washington DC Day 2

2008-08-29T22:05:00.005-05:00

Today we started our day at the Library of Congress. We saw the Gutenberg Bible and the first map in the world to have the word "America" on it. Our country purchased the map for 10 million dollars from a family in Germany. It is our country's most expensive historical purchase. Thomas Jefferson's personal library is also in the building and is about 6400 books large.

Here I am in the rotunda.....the Gutenberg Bible is located on the 1st floor to my left.

The Supreme Court building was next to the Library so we headed there next. Unfortunately the courtroom was closed today so we just toured the building.

Next was the National Archives. It has many important documents including the Declaration of Independence (see below), the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Magna Carta, and the Emancipation Proclamation.

It was time for lunch so we headed to Union Station for a bite to eat. We decided on a diner called Johnny Rockets.

Here I am eating a chili-cheese fry......my very first one.

Outside Union Station....this is a replica of the Liberty Bell.

Due to the rain yesterday we had to see the Washington Monument today.

Then it was on to the Lincoln Monument.

Here we are on the steps of the Lincoln Monument with the Washington Monument behind us.

Washington DC

2008-08-28T20:20:00.003-05:00

Rachael and I are in Washington DC and are having a great time. Here is what we did today......

We got up early this morning to get tickets for the Washington Monument.

We then proceeded to walk down the mall to the Capitol building while it started to rain.

It started to rain so hard that we had to duck into a building outside of the US Botanic Garden. These are pictures taken from inside the building.

Due to all the rain we decided to forgo all the monuments today and do the museums. We went to the Smithsonian and the Holocaust Museums.

Sorry this is not very much info but I am really tired! More tomorrow!

Last Day Of July

2008-07-31T19:43:00.008-05:00

There was tons of play today. As expected, our (almost) 22 month old goes very quickly from activity to activity. Just for a frame of reference, all the following activity happened within 45 min.

Activity 1: Fun on the farm
ZS spends lots of time playing with this farm. Most of that time is spent dropping all the animals into the silo and then pulling them back out through the door. Every time the horse or sheep come out she points to them says "shhhh" and expects me to tell her what they are.

While sitting with her I thought I would take a couple pictures of the house. Please excuse the boxes/mess.

Activity 2: What's this?
Although she doesn't actually say "what's this" she definitely understands the concept. She points to everything and says "hiiiiissssssss" (like a snake) and expects you to immeadiatly tell her what the object is. This happens most often with books. Today it was "The Poky Little Puppy". Normally I enjoy her asking me to name things but have you seen this book? There are like 8 puppies on every page and very little else. I said "puppy" so many times the word seemed to loose meaning.

The batteries in my camera ran out and when I went to retrieve new ones she had to follow me into the study to make sure I did not miss her pointing to any of the puppies.

When we finally concluded what seemed like the 87th read through she decided it was enough and gave herself a round of applause!

Activity 3: Table topping
In the last post I mentioned that when we moved into the new house the baby started climbing on the coffee table. Today she wanted to see me spin her new top (thanks Bunnie!) on the table while she layed down to get a really close look.

This makes me think she is totally ready for ballet in the fall when she turns 2!

Activity 4: Emptying the dresser
These were taken in her room. No, we did not paint her walls that color (hideous isn't it?) and yes, they are going to get changed.

We keep all the toys in her dresser. I can't stand to just have piles of them out on the floor in her small room and I hang all her clothes up in the closet so it is the best way to keep things as neat as possible. She has discovered that she can very easily open the drawers and empty the entire contents of the dresser in a matter of minutes. She even stands on her big girl bed to see into the top drawer.

Activity 5: Mommy's shoes
As I have said before, ZS loves to try on shoes and on her way down the hall from destroying her room she discovered my flip flops.

I was so proud that on the very first try she even got the thong part between the correct toes!

This one is about me
The day we moved in I found a gecko on the front porch. He was so cute but had a nubbin for one of his front legs. I felt so bad for him and mentally wished him well on his life journey. About two weeks later I was unpacking some of the breakfast room boxes and saw him again. To my surprise his nubbin leg had gotten longer hand appeared to have grown a hand (no fingers). He was too quick when I tried to catch him so I just went on about my business and thought "surely he will find his way back outside". Then today I went into the baby's bathroom and noticed something in the corner above the shower.......it was the Gecko! I ran to get my camera, wishing ZS was old enough to care, and decided to take some pictures of it. This way if I see it again I can kinda keep track. When we went back into the bathroom this evening for ZS's bath he was no where to be seen. I wonder where he will turn up next?

Oh yeah, his nubbin hand had grown all his toes back!

Goodbye July, Hello August!

July

2008-07-30T19:18:00.005-05:00

So.....we moved into our new house the last week in June and have been very busy ever since. Here are a few updates.

One of our last days in the Denton house.......the baby will miss this piano.

New game.....putting things down her shirt!

After moving into the new house the baby got to watch lots of Backyardigans for the first couple of days while we got boxes unpacked. She also decided the coffee table was her new chair......with all the adjustments she was going through we figured this was probably not so bad.

Sometimes while the car is cooling down Colin lets her "drive".

Having fun at the Gaylord Texan Hotel!

Feeling A Little Under The Weather

2008-06-14T18:49:00.005-05:00

Here at the Parr household we are fighting the sniffles/sore throat/fatigue bug. Although I don't like for the baby to feel bad, I do love her snuggly and "cool your heels" temperament.

The couple of times she has been sick she has gotten to watch more Backyardigans episodes then her normal 1. She has also begun to love sitting in the recliners and wanted to be all snickled down with her Sweet Bun while enjoying her show.

There was no smile to be had but I did, at least, get her to face the camera.

While ZS has many "favorite" books, the Noah's Ark book is ranking at the top right now. She spend extra time looking at the page showing all the animals going into the ark......she LOVES all animals.

What do prunes make? Let's say it all together.....poopy diapers! Unknowingly my mom and I gave the baby about 15 prunes in one day. I changed so many diapers that day, I just let her run around with no pants on .

Not A Baby Anymore

2008-06-09T22:21:00.002-05:00

Quick Note -

Dr. Day, Zoe Scout's pediatrician, told us at the 18 month checkup that we needed to get rid of her pacifiers. She is now over 20 months old. We have delayed in doing this for various reasons but today was the day. When we put her down for her nap this afternoon I explained to her that she was not going to have the pacifiers any more. She seemed to be ok with it and went to sleep. At bedtime we went through the same talk and she was just fine.

I am glad she achieved the milestone with no hesitation but disappointed at the same time. Every step away from something that links her to being a baby is very sad for me. I guess this will be a pattern for her whole life....joy mixed with a twinge of sadness.

And......for any of you who might have been thinking it.......the loss of the pacifier DOES NOT in any way make me want to have another baby. I would like for Zoe Scout to go back to being an infant but there is no baby fever in the Parr house! :)

Scouting Out Parks In Keller

2008-06-08T19:08:00.004-05:00

As many of you have heard/gathered we are moving at the end of the month. We have a contract on a house in Keller and close on the 23rd. More about the house in a later post.

One of the great things about the house we live in now is that there is a great park 4 houses down the street. It is the thing I am going to miss the most about this house. I have been trying to find a great park to take the baby to when we move. We found it! ZS had a great time playing and it is totally covered by trees so there is lots of shade!

ZS loves slides and this park has a short one so Colin could go down it with her.

Here she is doing the sign "more" to tell Daddy she wants to go again.

We had to stop and take a grape break but she couldn't stay away long......

....she wanted to climb and eat at the same time.

Her favorite book is this one about Noah's Ark. She likes to look at the picture that shows all the animals walking into the ark and she wants me to tell her all their names and the sound each makes.

Funny smile.

A Note From The Author

2008-06-04T17:45:00.002-05:00

I saw on the news this evening that the mother numbers are in for this year. Supposedly for all the things a mom does she should be earning $117,000 annually. The report also said a mom works, on average, 94.4 hours a week.

All I know is that today I did 6 loads of laundry, cleaned a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room, ZS's room twice, the living room 3 times, emptied my house of trash (tomorrow is trash day), packed for our upcoming move, made dinner, lunch and breakfast for a child who mostly rubs it in her hair and throws it on the floor or better yet, closes her eyes, shakes her head and says "no, no, no" to it like it is toxic waste. In addition, there were 3 comforting/counseling sessions when ZS hurt herself, 2 baths, 5 diaper changes, and 3 loads of dishes. Where is my money?

By the way, the Dallas Cowboys signed a new contract with Terrell Owens on Tuesday for 27 million dollars so he can continue to show the American public his snazzy dances on the field and botch touchdowns. Doesn't really seem right does it?

'Nough said!

Daddy's Girl

2008-05-19T18:56:00.006-05:00

After Colin heard about the fun time ZS and I had getting ice cream at the square he wanted to go with us the next time. On Saturday Colin came home early, we jumped in the car and headed to the ice cream parlor. ZS was not really into the ice cream that day.....I think she has more of a "salty tooth" then a "sweet tooth" (just like her mommy).

After the rejection of the Apple Pie Ice Cream she spotted the pansies again.

Colin began chasing ZS around the flower bed which resulted in...........................

.......................hide and seek!!!!

Then there was climbing up and down the courthouse steps! Daddy was so patient and went up and down about 20 times.

Yogurt As Hair Gel

2008-05-14T17:28:00.003-05:00

Yesterday morning Zoe Scout got some yogurt in her hair at breakfast. When I cleaned her up I tried to wipe the yogurt out of her hair and ended up with quite a hair-do. It dried as hard as hair gel.

After a bath and a nap we went over to Bunnie's and ZS played outside even though it was sprinkling.

It cracks us up when she runs around with her tongue hanging out like this.

She loves sticks. One of the first tasks when she gets outside is to find a suitable stick. She had a great time digging in one of Coach's tree pots. When she got a little mud on the end she would pretend to feed it to me.

I am not really sure when her "smile" morphed into this face but I still want to kiss it every time!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T14:25:00.004-05:00

We got to spend Mother's day with the Parrs this year. After church we had lunch together, opened presents, and played around. Zoe Scout loves to water Mimi's flower beds.

Geoff got a game table for his birthday about a month ago and there was an incredibly fierce Foosball tournament.

Who Makes The Most Delicious Mashed Potatoes On The Planet?

2008-05-09T18:28:00.005-05:00

If you answered any name other then "Sarah Elizabeth Parr" you are a very misguided and mashed potato deprived person. In case you are not convinced I have several points for you to consider.

1. It is the recipe I am asked for most often.
2. It is a melding of several family "secrets".
3. Whenever I take them as a dish to events I NEVER bring any back home.
4. My kiddo eats 4 bowl-fulls in one sitting, eventually resorting to scooping them with her hands so she doesn't miss any!
5. And finally, my husband claims I could open a restaurant, serve only mashed potatoes, and I would have a huge hit on my hands.

I rest my case!

Apple Pie Ice Cream
Today Zoe Scout and I took a trip to the ice cream parlor on the square. It was such a hot day and she was so very sweet during our errands that I figured she deserved it. We went in and she was fascinated by the fun colors of the ice cream. I chose apple pie ice cream for her and after paying tried to give her a bite. She promptly refused by closing her eyes and saying "no, no, no"! I offered again and she just barely let me slip a little past her pursed lips. She immediately started signing for more. We decided to go across the street and sit under a shade tree to finish the ice cream. After finishing the sweet treat she spotted a near by flower bed and had to investigate.

Eventually she wandered right into the flower bed.

After properly inspecting the flowers she moved on to climbing up and down the courthouse steps. I figure she was just getting familiar with legal buildings as she will undoubtedly have a brilliant career in law. She is already great at building a case and getting any verdict she desires from her daddy.

Four Legs Make A Table But Five Make An Atrocity

2008-04-28T19:12:00.008-05:00

Playing at the park by our house.

Pretending that the wood chips are food. She is saying mmmmmm to tell me how good they are.

I think they are the two cutest people I have ever seen!

Fun times......two cups and some Craisins!

ZS is still playing with Easter eggs. Here is a pic she took of her foot and the eggs! She loves the camera!

Playing with placemats.

Remember what I said about messes with yogurt?

Props to my husband for the random title!

All American Girl

2008-04-24T20:06:00.003-05:00

So, what is more all-American then a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? When I tried to explain it to her she was not buying it.....

We have had to wait for certian milestones to give Zoe Scout some foods (strawberries, honey, milk, etc). 18 Months was the milestone for peanuts. I thought we should celebrate her 1 1/2 birthday with a pb&j (strawberry jelly, of course, none of that grape nonsense!). She turned her nose up to it at first but then, in typical kiddo fashion, she tore off the crusts and it became a little more enticing.

She has since warmed up to the pb&j however, just like her mommy, she has to have it her way. Creamy peanut butter, no crust, strawberry jelly, all smashed down, and cut into bite-sized pieces.

Cute To The Max

2008-04-13T16:18:00.009-05:00

Grandpa's Birthday Party
I love time spent with the family and birthdays are no exception! Geoff (Grandpa) had a birthday last week and so we had a great family dinner and spent time playing games.

We had Thai food for dinner and we were so impressed when Zoe Scout cast aside her fork and picked up chop sticks. With much coaching from Daddy she actually figured out how to "use" them and got most of her Pad Thai down the hatch!

Mimi made a great cake, completely from scratch I might add. It was so good even I partook in the chocolate icing!

After dinner and cake we proceeded to the living room for Zoe Scout's favorite video. I am not sure what it is called but it is children singing and dancing to Gospel tunes. She was so tired she couldn't even muster the strength to sit up.

Of course Zoe Scout wanted to play bubbles with Mimi. Mimi is hands down the best bubble blower. I am not sure how she gets so many bubbles out of one wand full of syrup but she is truly gifted!

Yogurt
I have known from the git-go that ZS loves anything that is contained in the dairy section of the food pyramid but things are starting to get a little out of hand. Yogurt has quickly become her favorite food. It is part sweet and part fun for her. She has officially entered the world of utensils and loves feeding herself, smearing all over herself, and dumping yogurt anywhere she can get it. I try to hold off her yogurt craving until right before bath time.

Shoes
If there are shoes left out in the house....especially mine.....the baby will put them on and walk circles around the house. She is always so proud!

Baby Model
Ok, not really, but aren't these cute!

One Fish, Two Fish, Make A 25th Birthday Wish!

2008-04-02T20:22:00.007-05:00

Colin had a couple of days off at the end of March and that was when I planned his 25th birthday festivities. One of the things we did was go to the Dallas World Aquarium. It is a fun in-doors activity that we enjoy and the baby LOVES! As you know, she has a fish tank in her room and spends time every day talking to the fish, trying to share her pacifiers with the fish, and showing them her toys. I wish you could see the look on her face when she stands in front of the floor to ceiling fish tanks at the aquarium! Shear amazement......I think she also wonders if those fish would like to share a pacifier.

When you first walk into the aquarium there is a little river that the penguins can swim. It eventually leads down to a penguin area....more on that later.

ZS spent quite a bit of time sitting in front of this large floor to ceiling tank. It has large turtles, manatees, and random huge fish.

Zoe Scout really enjoyed the tanks with the colorful Caribbean fish in them. Colin was so nice to lift her up over and over again as each tank had to be inspected multiple times but for only a few seconds each time.

One of the last stops in the aquarium is the penguin habitat. She loved yelling down to them and wanted to walk around their cage a couple of times.

She wasn't too sure about the albino turtle......

......luckily daddy walked away quickly.

The birds were especially intriguing because she doesn't get to see them close up in normal life.

This was Zoe Scout's favorite spot. She just sat and watched the waterfall.

The otter was also a big hit....she sat (along with lots of other children) by the tank and watched him swim by over and over again. The long blur in the tank is the otter.

I just thought these were cute......I was trying to get a smile out of her.

March Madness

2008-03-26T21:36:00.015-05:00

Subliminal Messages Do Work
The quest for just the right material for your sweet little girl's bedding is a very important one. My friend and I searched high and low before Zoe Scout was born, eventually finding a precious print. In case you don't remember here is a picture:

I loved it immediately not only for the bright colors but because of the little girls dresses and the fact that they are doing chores. I had hoped that Zoe Scout would go to sleep every night with dreams of brooms and irons dancing in her head. A mere 17 months later I now see the results of my careful planning.

This child loves the Dirt Devil! She will also ask for paper towels to clean the floor and wants to clean off tables at restaurants after she eats.

Snow Day
On March 6th we had 9 inches of snow! I don't ever remember seeing so much snow in Texas! It was beautiful and snowed all day! When it started to die down we decided it was time to play.

I took some pictures of the street and our house.

This is the window in Zoe Scout's room.

Poor Jeb and Layla.....we cracked the garage door so they would have a dry place to sleep and hang out and I didn't see them come out for about 36 hours. We coaxed them out of the garage which resulted in massive amounts of energy to burn and yellow snow. Colin made snowballs, threw them up in the air and the pups jumped to catch them. Zoe Scout was greatly amused.

Colin loves this "action" shot of the dogs playing.

Looking back we now realize that 9 inches of snow looks very deep when you are about 2 feet tall. On the snow day however, we were really pushing Zoe Scout to play in it and she was so scared. She wouldn't even stand in it and opted to balance on top of my shoes.

The only way we could get her to walk around was for me to walk away from her and she followed.

When Zoe Scout had finally had enough I think the dogs were sad to see us go.

Colin turns 25....
or as he calls it "one third of the way to death". We had birthday dinners with both our families. At my parent's house Zoe Scout put on quite a show.

She has learned all the parts of her face so we thought we would try to get it on camera.

"Zoe Scout, where's your nose?"

"Zoe Scout, where's your ear?"

"Zoe Scout, where are your eyes?" (she just squints)

Music, music, music. Not just any music though......it has to be a Joe Scruggs tape called Late Last Night and not just any song on that tape......her favorite is one called Belly Button. It has a part that says "no, no, no, no" and she loves to sing that part. She also dances by stomping her foot. Super cute!

Bubbles!!!!!
What more is there to say.......

Mimi and Grandpa's New Highchair
There is nothing more exciting to a girl then a new piece of furniture.

This child looooves fruit. Recently she has started eating apples whole and much to my surprise she eats all the peel off and leaves the meat!

Trying to sneak some scraps to Jack, Mimi and Grandpa's poodle.

Zoe Scout has started shying away from giving smiles for pictures.....it takes a lot of sweet talk now.

Easter
On Saturday we went to church with Colin's parents and Zoe Scout got to wear her pink Easter dress.

Colin and Zoe Scout reading a book before leaving for church. While this just looks like a cute photo it holds an important clue to how our evening at a church would unfold.....please take note of the rubbing of the left ear. That left ear.....

.......I know the rubbing of the left ear as a sign of exhaustion goes back at least 4 generations. My grandfather does it, my dad does it, I rub the left side of my head, and now Zoe Scout does it. Usually Zoe Scout loves to be dropped off at the nursery and play with all the new toys and children but Saturday night was a totally different story. She was crying so hard that the nursery worker had to call me out of the service. By the time I got there she had become hysterical. I felt so bad for her that I broke my own "no pacifier or Sweet Bun (her stuffed bunny) outside of the crib" rule. Once she had her treasured items she was just fine but I have learned to pay more attention to the pre-public behavior.

On Sunday afternoon the Parrs and the Bates all had Easter lunch together at my parent's house. The grandparents "hid" Easter eggs in the backyard and the baby had a fun time finding and collecting them.

Notice, once again, the complete exhaustion in her eyes....she didn't even make it to lunch. She took a 3 hour nap that day. All that egg gathering will really wear a girl out! Isn't her green Easter dress super cute? The pink sweater was actually mine when I was young.

Having A Duckie Good Time

2008-02-25T20:41:00.006-06:00

Sometimes when we go over to my parent's house Zoe Scout gets to go on a walk to the neighborhood pond. There are lots of ducks that live in the pond and she loves to see them. Today we let her feed the ducks and she then she wanted to pet them. She thinks all living creatures are open to and anxious for petting like Jeb and Layla.

On our way back to the house she found some dandelions and I tried to teach her to blow them.

After she got bored with that we threw leaves into the stream that leads to the pond.

Valentine's Day

2008-02-18T18:46:00.010-06:00

This Valentine's day was a lot of fun. We started out by having breakfast at a local cafe......the baby was excited when we told her in the car that she could have pancakes!

After breakfast and a nap we had a Valentine's Day surprise for Zoe Scout.......FISH!!!! We took her to the pet store and let her pick out a beta, an albino cory cat, and an aquatic frog. What could be more fun for a little girl?

Dogs Are Fun!
Zoe Scout loves Jeb and Layla! Every time we get out of the car she asks for treats to give to the pups. I usually hand them over and the dogs sit expectantly at the gate waiting for her to run over with the goodies.

Under The Weather
Zoe Scout woke up this morning with a fever and even though she was feeling crummy I do have to say that Colin and I enjoyed the snuggle time she offered up freely. By the time she got up from her second nap she was feeling much better and I think she will have made a full recovery by tomorrow morning. I did let her lounge around in her pjs all day.

Zoe Scout has started to become aware of when she needs to go to the bathroom. She will come to me, point to her diaper, do her business, and then want an immediate diaper change. A friend suggested that I try her on a potty to see if we can at least get the connection started in her mind. Colin set it up for her today and she loved looking it over and analyzing each part. Just in case you were wondering.........she is 16 months old and the fact that she is able to recognize at such a young age that she needs to go potty before it happens is just one more reason why she is a genius.

Here Are Some Randoms

Challenge: We noticed that there was a new store going into a strip center near our house. From the sign we couldn't figure out what the store's business is.......any guesses?

There Is Just Never Enough Room In A Girl's Purse!

2008-02-06T19:53:00.001-06:00

Many of us have had this moment....You have the perfect purse for your outfit but you just can't seem to cram all the essentials into it. This happened to Zoe Scout today.....poor baby!

Step 1: Smile for the camera.

Step 2: Pick your purse and gather the essentials.

Step 3: Commission your mom to help load up your purse.

Step 4: Try to cram in Noah or maybe a hippo.

Step 5: Ask for mom's help one more time.

Step 6: Take a rest in your Elmo chair as a reward for all your hard work.

As Zoe Scout gets older she seems to be developing a strong sense of organization. Wonder where she gets that? :0 No matter how I group her toys she always has a "Better Way" to do it. I felt like she was saying "Silly mommy, don't you know all the dolls and stuffed animals belong in a pile in the middle of the room?!"

Just for my dad.....doesn't she look cute in the t-shirt you brought her from Canada?

"These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things"

2008-02-04T17:50:00.001-06:00

Dinner at Rosa's Cafe

Zoe Scout and cousin Kendall
Kendall was so nice to let Zoe Scout play with her phone.

Super Cute Baby!!!!

Dancing in Bunnie's kitchen.

After the big "Christmas Dress Photo Shoot" we let her get in her pj's and she rummaged through the tupperware cabinet.

Christmas with the Bate Family
On Christmas morning we opened presents with my family. BTW my New Year's resolution was to get rid of all that yucky baby weight.

After opening all the presents Zoe Scout was clamoring for some Christmas morning breakfast.

Christmas with the Parr Family
Both of Colin's grandmothers were able to come to Texas for Christmas so we had a great time celebrating with them the day after Christmas!

Zoe Scout was very free with the kisses!

Dinner at Rainforest Cafe
ZS has developed a love/hate relationship with lemons. Super cute pics of her making sour faces.

And Finally......Today
Good Morning!

Ok......So this doesn't happen very often but I caught ZS touching the VCR this morning. She loves to make the DVD drive open and close. When I told her "no" she turned around and was so cute that I couldn't be upset.

Need I mention again....Zoe loves jewelry. She has recently discovered the joy of rings!

Besides the grocery store, Target is the store we go to the most often and ZS always wants to stop and play on the big red balls in front. I never let her because 98% of the time it is just the two of us but since Colin was with us today she got some climb time. She makes this face every time there is a big gust of wind.

I couldn't believe it when I asked ZS to smile for the camera and she did it! It resulted in some of the best smiles I have ever seen!

I have a friend who has a little girl who is a few months older then ZS and my friend talks about a kid's show called "Backyardigans". Colin just bought me a Tivo so I have been recording them (pre-screening of course) and letting her watch them. She loves the singing and dancing and tries to imitate the steps and hand motions. While not dancing to the music she likes to watch from her Elmo chair that she got for Christmas.

A sure sign "quiet time" is needed.

I am sorry for all the font size and color craziness....I am not sure what happened and I couldn't fix it.........my apologies. :)

A Note To All Zoe Scout Fans

2008-01-07T14:14:00.000-06:00

I very much apologize for not posting Christmas pics yet. I left my camera at a relative's house on Christmas day and I just haven't gotten it back yet. We also have been out of our house since the first week of Dec which has interrupted my blogging ritual. We move back in on Wed so I will do my best to have some pics up by the end of the week!

Sarah

The Last Two Weeks

2007-11-13T09:54:00.001-06:00

Well, it has been a while since I have posted so this is going to be a big one! Here's what has been going on with the Parrs!

Striped socks and a beaded necklace......the perfect ensemble!
Putting on and taking off socks has become a new game for Zoe Scout. I got these socks for Christmas last year and they are super soft so the baby likes for me to put them on her. They stretch all the way up to her hip!

There are no pictures but it is still a funny story.....or so I think!
Vomit. Throw Up. Puke. Any way you say it, it all stinks, especially when it happens to be coming out of your precious little pumpkin. Colin got up with the baby one morning before Thanksgiving so that I could get a morning to sleep in. :) As I rested in the comfort of my warm bed I hear the thing moms hate the most.......dad yelling your name from the other room in panic. Now, in my case Colin's "dad panic" can come in many forms. There is the mild "diaper drawer is empty" panic, the medium "Zoe Scout is dripping bath water on the floor because he forgot the towel" panic, and the red hot "she is bleeding from the mouth" panic. It was the red hot kind. I get out of bed and rush into the living room to find Zoe Scout sitting in Colin's lap on the floor vomiting every where. I immediately grab a tee shirt, wrap her up and carry her upstairs to the bathtub, leaving Colin, literally, in a pool of throw up. Once upstairs and in the tub she was happy and vomited no more (score one for mom). After showering off Colin came upstairs and finished giving the baby her bath while I took care of the mess in the living room (score a second one for mom). Once it was all over with I found the whole situation extremely comical. I could not stop picturing the look on Colin's face and hearing his yells. All in all the experience lended itself to some of the most memorable phrases that have ever come out of Colin's mouth. Here is a fun sampling: 1. "My daughter just gave me a vomit shower." 2. "I will never look at Zoe in the same way. She is now a walking vomit time bomb. Anything she picks up she could destroy!" 3. "At first I thought it was just a little spit up but then uuuuuggggghhhhh!!!!"

Hotels are fun!
We went to Iowa for the week of Thanksgiving which meant lots of hotel time. Although it is nice to have someone else clean and cook for you during your stay it is quite a challenge to keep a 13 month old entertained in a hotel room. I think it was maybe only 30 min into the first morning in Cedar Rapids when Colin and I figured we would just let her do whatever she wanted. This of course resulted in huge messes every time we left our room for the day (bless those poor housekeeper's hearts)! I bet she spread at least 4 rolls of toilet paper around our room! She had a great time!

Happy Thanksgiving "You Guys"
It is a well know fact that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I would like to say it is because I relish having a day that is all about being truly appreciative every wonderful blessing that God has given me - my husband, my daughter, a great family..........but the sad truth is I LOVE the food! Although I didn't get to have my usual Texas Cajun turkey I did have some new and very delicious things in Iowa including brussel sprouts, complements of my wonderful mother-in-law. Who knew they could be so good! We got to see all of Colin's extended family and everybody had a great time. We even got a few offers from relatives to adopt Zoe Scout (who can blame them).

Colin relaxing at Mumma's (his maternal grandmother).

Zoe Scout in the kitchen with Mumma and Sue's sister, Barb.

Who can resist watching Mimi feed Jack the dog.

Colin's cousin Alice was one of ZS's favorites. I caught her several times on Alice's lap!

ZS and Colin's aunt Debbie.

Pre-meal snitching with Mimi.

Our Thanksgiving table! Check out the artwork on the left wall!!! I just love it! So retro!

ZS's favorite part of the meal was the dressing. She scarfed down two adult size portions.

Laughing at the anticipation of petting Jack!

Cousin Becky was nice enough to monitor the petting.

Looking at Alice's senior pictures.

Reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear with Colin's uncle Roger and cousin Andrew.

Getting cheerios from Colin's uncle John.

Colin doing a crossword puzzle. While in Iowa we both picked up new intrests. Mine is sudoku.

Iowa was a ton of fun and it actually snowed this year which was soooooo beautiful. I can't imagine anyone else having a better in-law family!

P.S. I really am thankful for all the wonderful blessings God has given me!

Fun At Bunnie's

2007-11-12T11:03:00.000-06:00

Today Zoe Scout and I went by Bunnie's house. ZS loves all her grandparent's houses for two key reasons......1)she always gets to do things that she doesn't get to do at home and 2)they just have great toys! One of the things she likes to do at Bunnie and Poppi's is play with the stereo and the volume knob is the button of choice.

Who knew that coasters could be so fascinating?

Playing with the rocking chairs on the front porch.

ZS really is so sweet and fun. I am constantly amazed at how her mind develops and the amount of love she has for me. Here are a few moments from my day.

1. Usually when playing with her Noah's Ark animals, Zoe Scout just plunks them down on tables pel mel. This morning she meticulously picked each one out of the ark and set them upright in one straight line next to one another.

2. Zoe Scout waving to everybody in the grocery store and smiling real big when someone waves back.

3. ZS leaning waaaaaay over the grocery cart to put her arms around my waist in a big hug while I push her around the store.

4. My mom dancing with ZS in the kitchen to the Beatles.

5. Reading Brown Bear, Brown Bear 8 times before bed while ZS leans her head on my shoulder.

Play Date

2007-11-08T19:01:00.001-06:00

I am not sure when she figured it out but Zoe Scout loves to kick balls around now. I think Colin taught her when they were at the park together the other day. The front hall is a great place for her to kick the balls because they bounce on the tile.

Zoe Scout had a play date with Luke Mansfield on Thursday. Luke and his mommy and daddy, Jessica and Mark, are friends of ours. Colin and Mark grew up together and their families have been friends for over 20 years. Mark is currently serving our country in the army in Iraq. Luke and Jessica live here in Denton so it was great to get to spend some time with them. Luke is 2 and was so sweet to Zoe Scout. ZS doesn't understand sharing yet and Luke was so patient when she walked up and ripped toys out of his hands. Luke was even sweet enough to share his Goldfish with Scout when it was snack time. She was so enamored with him since she rarely gets to spend time with children who are older then she is. I often think she is really big but when Luke was here she seemed very small. Sweet Girl!!!

Totally Out Of Catchy Titles

2007-11-05T17:56:00.001-06:00

Sunday afternoon we decided to go to Barnes and Noble to get the baby a new book. Zoe Scout found Colin's book way more interesting. We did get her a book - Is Your Mama A Llama? My grandmother used to read it to me when I was little and I can hear her voice saying the words with me as I read it to ZS.

Today ZS figured out how to pull her caterpillar behind her. It has wheels on the bottom and when the sting is pulled in activates the singing. The child must have walked a whole mile today just pulling that thing through the house while it sang the ABC's over and over and over and over and over and over...................did you know that the ABC's and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? I didn't but I had plenty of time to figure it out today! :P

Orange Pumpkin, Orange Face

2007-11-01T15:51:00.001-05:00

A couple of days ago we set out to carve our Halloween pumpkin. We thought it would be a fun family activity to do at the park down the street from our house.

Here are Colin and Zoe Scout getting ready to leave for the park.

Zoe will imitate just about any face Colin makes.

Kicking the pumpkin around.

This is when she started to become disinterested in the process.

Sorry these pictures are blurry, but it was the only time she touched the pumpkin before......

.......she took off running around the park.

On our way home we ran into my parents who hung around for a few minutes.

Well, today we had another spaghetti meal and even though the pictures aren't as good because Colin wasn't home, I still felt the need to take and post them.

She greatly enjoyed the sausage and picked out every piece first.

Picking the food up with her fingers became too frustrating and so she resorted to shoving handfuls in to her mouth.

This picture was so disgusting that I had to include it.....notice the milk drip. Apparently there is nothing better then milk with Italian food - she drank a record 4 cupfuls!

Once she figured out she could not wipe the sauce off her arms and hands she became upset.

We promptly proceeded to the bathtub where she tried to "catch" the water coming out of the facet. Even after much scrubbing, I think she still smelled a little tomatoey. Oh well, she had a good time!

Cheerios, Cherrios Everywhere But Not An "O" To Eat

2007-10-28T15:53:00.000-05:00

Zoe Scout and I spent the day on Friday with Rachael. We were running around Frisco shopping for winter clothes for ZS. One of our stops was Target where we got a box of Cheerios for the baby to snack on. She rode very contently in the cart eating and dropping a trail of Cheerios all across the store. I then made the messy mistake of letting her play with the box in the car. My backseat is now covered in Cheerios. Rachael says that she should be the next Cheerios spokeswoman.

Insight Into Parts Of My Day

2007-10-25T18:49:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I look up and the clock says 10pm and I am not sure what I did all day. The truth is I do a lot, some of which is kinda boring but necessary. Here are a few pictures from common events in my day.

Event: Colin leaves for work
Since Colin teaches lessons mostly after school hours ZS almost always gets to say goodbye to him before he heads off. She even walks back to the door several times after he has left, waving.

Event: Making a mess of the living room
No more explanation needed.

Event: Mealtime
ZS's new thing is trying to share her food. Usually I take a bite but tonights dinner was hard boiled eggs, pickles, cheerios, and grapes all mixed with tomato soup (her concoction).

Belles On Their Toes

2007-10-24T18:04:00.001-05:00

Can you name the reference?

Zoe Scout found a new use for her bunny rattle today. She had me put it on her ankle and she was delighted by the sound it made when she took each step.

I was so excited today when I saw ZS putting the rings back on the post for the first time.

This singing caterpillar was a birthday gift from Cheryl, Tommy, and Mason (my aunt, uncle, and cousin). ZS presses each one of the feet which all play a different song and dances.

Sometimes I turn my computer all the way off and ZS loves to press the keys and touch her reflection in the screen.

My friend Rachael gave ZS this interactive block for her birthday. One of the features is blocks that drop through holes. She understands that the blocks go through the holes but can't quite get them turned right. She even got the "4" placed on the right opening!!!! What a genius!!!!

My cousin Jennifer and her friend Mark gave ZS a Noah's Ark set for her birthday. All the animals even came in pairs. We often play "animals walking into the ark" and ZS can't get enough. This evening she played the game all by herself......exciting but kinda sad because it means 1)she won't need me in order to play it and 2)I am going to have to come up with another new game. ;)

Here ZS and I are having milk before bed. Super sweet moment for me.

A Plethora of Parrness

2007-10-23T21:33:00.001-05:00

Zoe Scout Turns 1
Zoe Scout had her first birthday on October 2. It seems like just yesterday we were driving to the hospital at 3 in the morning expecting her arrival. We had a party for her and lots of our family and friends came. I don't have a lot of pictures but here are the ones I had.

ZS's party wasn't until 2 in the afternoon so after her nap time we went up to get her ready.

Zoe Scout didn't really understand the concept of unwrapping her gifts but Colin helped her......we are hoping she will understand better at Christmas.

Miles and his girlfriend, Jordan gave Zoe Scout this Tigger doll which she of course she had to immediately kiss!

Nana and Grandaddy (my grandparents) gave ZS this activity table. She was immediately enthralled! Colin showed her how to press all the buttons.

Let's all just take a moment to oooohhhh and aaaahhhh over my homemade cupcakes!!!! The one with the candle was ZS's. I strategically chose one with yellow icing so she didn't stain her beautiful dress.

Dogs, Shoes, and Music Tables
Here is ZS kissing Jeb and Layla through the window.

ZS has recently discovered the joy of shoes and wants to put them on if she runs across them somewhere in the house.

My Baby Loves Baby Dolls
First of all....how cute is her face!?!?!?!

Zoe Scout got a baby carriage from Vicki and Richard (my aunt and uncle) for her birthday and a baby doll from Bunny and Poppy. The two gifts together mean hours of entertainment. She pushes that carriage all around the house!

This Will Have To Tide You Over

2007-10-17T19:19:00.001-05:00

The blog website is having trouble downloading pictures so I could only get a couple on. I will try again tomorrow.

These are of Zoe Scout walking around with her sippy cup of water.

Evolution Of A Spaghetti Lunch

2007-09-24T19:11:00.000-05:00

What can I say.....It was a messy afternoon.

Zoe Scout loves to go to the window and slap it hoping the dogs will come over. Here she is showing me that she got Jeb to come over and climb into the chair. She was so excited.

I know y'all have seen a million eating pictures but look at her cute ponytails!

I Didn't Know People Still Got Croup

2007-09-20T18:26:00.000-05:00

The last time I remember hearing about croup was when I read Anne of Green Gables as a little girl. Remember, Diana's little sister gets croup while her parents are away and Anne is the only one who knows how to bring her fever down and as a result the Berry's decide Diana can be friends with Anne again. Ok, so, apparently one can still get it, and by one I mean Zoe Scout. We actually think Colin caught it from one of his students and then Zoe Scout and I caught it. She started coughing on Monday and woke up with a fever on Wednesday morning. We took her to the doctor that morning and got some instruction about how to handle it (FYI she is 18 lbs now!!!!). It isn't serious and with a little baby Motrin and rest with a vaporizer she will hopefully be back to normal by the end of this weekend. She has been extra sweet since she doesn't feel well. Most of Wednesday morning she just sat with me and rested her head on my shoulder. I even let her have her bunny all day on Wednesday which she LOVED.

These aren't great pictures but I thought y'all would want to see some.

Today I went and got Zoe Scout some winter clothes and she had a great time inspecting and then throwing them on the floor. She did carry the brown cords around for a while.

Wait Just A Second!!! Who Is Jeb And Where Is Chloe?!

2007-09-14T19:32:00.001-05:00

The first part of my post is a response to a comment left a couple of days ago about our dogs. For those of you who knew me pre-marriage you probably know who Chloe is but for those of you who don't let me fill you in.

Let me first share pictures of my first baby: Chloe the Jack Russell Terrier.

Here is Chloe, Layla, and me after coming home from a walk. I think this was shortly after we got Layla.

Here are Chloe and Layla in my parent's backyard summer 2006.

Where to begin.......Chloe is a great dog a I miss her terribly. I got Chloe in 2004 after moving into my very first apt. She filled an emotional hole in my life (I had just been broken up with) and we became fast friends. I even let her sleep in the bed with me. Not long after that Colin and I started dating and then got married. She had trouble adjusting to the new person in our lives and sleeping in her own doggy bed. Then we got Layla the next year in an effort to cheer her up. Soon after Layla joined the family we found out I was pregnant with Zoe Scout. When we moved out of our apt the dogs had to start living outside which Chloe didn't like after the "new" wore off. Colin and I tried to spend as much time as we could with the dogs and spent several hours with them almost every night. Once ZS was born all that changed. I didn't have the time or energy to devote to Chloe like I had had before and so she started running away. Some parts of our fence are only 4 feet tall and she could easily jump over them and go exploring around the neighborhood. We would get calls from the neighbors at all times during the day and sometimes have to come home from work or call a family member to go retrieve her. The last straw was when a neighbor called at midnight and said she saw Chloe trotting down the street. I had to get in the car in the middle of the night and go find her. We decided that we could not give her the attention or exercise she needed and that she needed a new family. The next day we went to the SPCA and got Jeb. We knew Layla could not be alone and we figured the transition would be easier if Jeb came before Chloe left. Now our search began for a suitable family for Chloe. Our friends, the Wiguses, live out in Celeste and know a family who is from Australia and have a couple of Jack Russell Terriers. They agreed to try Chloe out with their other dogs and see if everything worked out. If I remember correctly I think they have over 50 acres and tons of animals to chase. Chloe loved it and they loved her. They have a 15 yr old son named Denny and she is now his dog. They also go on English fox hunts (yes, traditional red coats and all) and I hear through the grapevine that Chloe loves to tag along. They even say she is the most obedient of all their dogs. So now we have Layla and Jeb. They are great, although, I still don't spend a lot of time with them but Colin does. Layla will be 2 in Nov and is around 65 lbs and Jeb is about 7 months old and is about 45 lbs. They are great with the baby and pretty calm for the most part when she is in the back yard. They do like to lick her all over which makes her giggle. All this said, I do wish we had been able to keep Chloe. She was so sweet and was a huge part of my life. It was one of those hard decisions when you do what is best for the animal and she really is better off and happier in Celeste. I just hope she still remembers me with good thoughts. Maybe she thinks about our walks in the park or jumping around in the snow together when she was a puppy. I do hope one day to have another Jack Russell Terrier, not to replace Chloe (impossible) but because I miss the sweetness of her disposition.

Here are some pics of Jeb and Layla. The look a lot alike. Jeb is wearing the red collar.

These are just some cute egg eating pics. You can see the egg she rubbed in her hair.

Today Zoe Scout was so cute! Here is a list of fun things she did!

1. She learned what the word "kiss" means today and gave them freely to her mommy and daddy.

2. She walked through the kitchen and hugged and kissed each appliance.

3. She tried pickles for the first time today and scarfed them down.

4. She let me pull her hair up in a new way and put a bow in it......check it out.

5. She helped me fold laundry and didn't even complain about the chore!

Isn't she so cute! I love her so much. Today I realized how good God is to give me such a wonderful little girl. What a privilege! I am also thankful for how He has protected her over the last 11 months. Barring one minor ear infection she hasn't been sick once so I know that God has kept her healthy! I am also hoping she got that Bate immune system of steel! Even so, I am blessed every day that I get to wake up and see her smiling face!

May I Please Have An Order Of Cute With A Side Of Ponytails?

2007-09-13T18:51:00.001-05:00

How incredibly cute is she? I can't get over her precious face. Has a baby as beautiful ever existed....I think not! Best of all her personality is just as sparkling as her smile!

Was that enough verbal love? Scout's hair has started to get pretty long so this morning during breakfast I decided that I would pull it up. It had super cute results!

There is a little door in the front hall of our house that looks like it is straight out of Alice and Wonderland. It leads to a cubby underneath the stairs and the door knob is much lower then normal ones. As you can see in the picture she can reach the knob and normally her hand doesn't even get close. Now that she has figured out what a door knob is for she wants really badly to open the door. I am thinking that it might have to become her special, secret toy storage closet when she gets older.

Having now conquered the regular stairs Zoe Scout seems determined to climb the other set in our house.........

...........which as you can see from the picture below this scares me. Colin's office is at the top of these stairs and the sound of Daddy's voice is sometimes more then she can take. She just sits at the bottom until she thinks I am not looking and then tries to climb up. Of course I grab her immediately and tell her "no" to which she replies with a loud wail. I hate to see her cry but the alternative is even worse.

If you haven't reached your cute quotient yet I suggest you go back up to the top and look at the first picture again!