Zoe's First Hair Cut

Yesterday we took Zoe to get her first haircut.  We didn't want to cut too much hair, but we knew we wanted to get it more even and cleaned up just a little.  So Dylan, Zoe and I headed to the salon where I go to see my stylist, Angela.  Daddy took off work a bit early so he could meet us there.

Another view of Zoe before entering the salon.

She was so good!

Look at all that long hair.

All done!  Look at those smooth, even locks.

 Zoe was too occupied by her lollipop to take a picture.

Dylan leading the way out of the salon.

Daddy and Zoe with her new hair cut.

Where O Where has My Baby Girl Gone?

Wow!  I remember when I was young my dad telling me that the years fly by much faster the older you get so I should enjoy each day and not rush life .  I also remember him telling me how fast the time would fly by with my kids and they'd be grown up before I knew it.  Unfortunately, he was right on both fronts. 

I can't believe that two years ago this week I gave birth to the most beautiful baby girl.  It seems like it could have been only a month ago.  I no longer have a baby in the house.  I have a walking, talking, very interactive girl who has a little mind and personality all of her very own. 

Not only has Zoe grown so much emotionally and mentally, but her physical appearance keeps changing drastically as well.  She's growing out of any baby pudginess and getting slimmer and taller.  Those baby features are diminishing each day before my eyes. 

I took Zoe to have her 2 year old pictures made this week.  I'm quite thrilled with the results, but at first glance I was thinking "Who is this little girl? Where has my baby girl gone?"  She really looks like a toddler now and no longer looks like a baby. 

Here are some of my favorites from her photo session. 

This is her birthday party dress for her "sundae" party.

I had "Zoe" embroidered on the dress.

I had her monogram put on this outfit.

This is my favorite outfit. 

Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!

Ok, well skip the lions and tigers, but we had bears, Uncle Ivan, Dylan and Zoe on this trip to the zoo.  We packed up for a day and headed out about 100 miles or so to our state's zoo.  This was the kids first trip to this particular zoo so it was exciting to see their reactions. 

Unfortunately for D&Z, the animals all have very nice and very large habitats which is a bit hard for toddlers.  These wonderful settings for the animals can make it hard to even view the animals and also creates a good bit of distance between exhibits which means "boring" for toddlers.  While the kids enjoyed seeing the animals we were able to visit, I think some of their favorite things were the attractions between exhibits. 

Mommy and Dylan at the Elephant Exhibit - Mommy loves elephants! And since Mommy is usually behind the camera, it's nice to be in front of it for a change.  (Thanks, Daddy for taking this shot!)

Wait!  Is Dylan hugging Zoe or holding her to keep her safe?  What a great big brother!

Dylan is taking him and Zoe for a ride on the Elephant Tracking Helicopter

Do we have a future pilot on our hands? 

D&Z loved climbing all the animal statues, but for some reason these beetles were Dylan's favorite. 

Zoe cooling down in the mist.  I didn't think we'd ever be able to get her away from the mist spray.

The Crocodile Hunter Dylan

Check out this handsome dude on the carousel!

Dylan rode on a gorilla.  That was his favorite animal at the zoo.

Zoe picked a cheetah to ride on.

The biggest hit of the day was the chalkboard wall in the Kid Zone.  They had barrels of water with paint brushes and tons of side walk chalk.  Dylan painted that wall a dozen or more times.  Zoe drew on the wall with chalk and then painted over it.  As soon as parts of the wall were getting dry, they'd paint those parts again.  What a great entertainment idea.  I know the kids spent at least half an hour doing this.  We were the ones who told them it was time to move on. I'm need to find out how to recreate something like this at home.

Oh my, what a great and wonderful trip!

Earth Day

Uncle Ivan came to visit us for several days and we were looking for some fun outdoor activities to do with the kids.  Some of David's team from work put on an exhibit booth at a local museum's outdoor trail for Earth Day.  David wanted to go show support for his employees and we thought it'd be a fun day for the kids.  Well Earth Day at the museum ended up surpassing all of our expectations.

There were all kinds of exhibits, crafts, food and more lined up all over a beautiful walking trail through the woods.  Dylan really enjoyed all the craft exhibits.  I can't tell you how many crafts we brought home.  The kids learned how to drink like a butterfly.  Zoe enjoyed exploring all the nature around here such as the sticks, bugs, and leaves.  Dylan's favorite activity was definitely the bounce house while Zoe's favorite activity was learning to play the bongo drums. 

Since a picture is worth a thousand words, I'll skip the words and share these pictures instead.

Our little monkey climbers!

Zoe looking all innocent after I had told her "no."

Zoe playing the bongo drums.  This was her absolute favorite thing of the day.

Now she's ready to teach Dylan.

Such a natural musician and dancer.

Now everyone come join in to play including Daddy.

Dylan the Explorer

D&Z couldn't resist a picture with a big doggy.  Well Dylan couldn't.  I think Zoe was trying to escape.

Dylan coming down the huge inflatable bounce house slide head first.  This boy has no fear!

Hey Mommy!

Dylan would get airborne being so little coming down this giant slide.