Some Advice

Here are a few little life lessons that Zoe doesn't quite understand yet-- I trust she will understand them later, but it will be a bit too late.

1.  You don't want to eat my shoe.  Seriously, it has New York City all over it.  Matter of fact, I probably shouldn't even bring them in my house, but you really don't want it in your mouth.

2.  Hurling your body head first off the couch or the bed is NOT the best way to show that you are ready to play on the floor.  Since so far your dad and I have caught you each time you've done this, I'm not sure the best way to teach you this lesson.  But I promise there are better ways.

3.  Even though we pretend otherwise, you are not really in a contest with us and you do not win anything if you drop or break our dishes.  The points we've said we give you are not real and we aren't tracking them.  So, really, you don't need to try so hard to get to every dish we set out.  (Although when you somehow grabbed my coffee cup and spilled the coffee without dropping the cup or getting coffee on either of us, you really did earn a triple score!).

4.  Putting everything in your mouth is not a good idea.  See number one, but also include electrical devices, mail, the playset at the playground, and most things you can reach in the bathroom.

5.  People don't walk around with their tongue hanging out.  It really does look weird.

6.  There are actually things in the world that are funnier than peek-a-boo.  I kid you not! (Although, to be perfectly honest, I can't quite think of any since you came around.  Peek-a-boo is a lot funnier than I realized...)

Santas

We did a little Santa tour today.  I wasn't planning to get Zoe's picture with Santa, but at the Dekalb Market I saw that there was a free "Santa-Box" where you could take your own- I had my camera, so it was perfect.  Santa was a young guy, of unable to be determined ethnicity, who spoke to the three-year-olds ahead of me in casual hipster slang  ("Come on in, little dude....").   Zoe was a fan- she sat on his lap with no problem.


Santa number two was down the street at Awedacity, a boutique near my house.  Here we were buying sale earrings while waiting for Santa to "arrive down the chimney" aka dressing room.  Everyone in the shop was directing all santa narration at Zoe, as if she were following it all.  An Eastern European photographer arrived right before Santa showed his face-- he was thrilled about "black santa" and said he had searched Manhattan, unable to find another black santa anywhere.  He took loads of pictures of Zoe waiting (while she was calm)-- I should have gotten his name.  Her calm shattered on Santa's lap-- their photographer was doing free prints, and he snapped one right before I did so we have a stone faced print, with these more emotional versions.

One of the reasons I love that we are raising Zoe in Brooklyn is that diversity will be such a normal part of her world...starting with her first Santa(s).

Just Sayin'

When I'm out and about with Zoe, people regularly stop me to say how cute my baby is.  But can I be honest with you?  Do you know what that makes me think?  What the heck is wrong with the ones who don't?  Seriously, do you not see this baby? She is flippin' adorable!