April to June 2017

Ready for three whole months of smiles and happy memories?

Okay, here we go...

Back in April Zoe stole my hat.

I doubt she knows about my past life as a baseball catcher, 

but she quickly put on my hat...backwards.

...just like I used to wear it.

Too cute for words.

In Early April...AUNT MEME CAME TO VISIT!

They are each others' biggest cheerleaders.

Zoe was excited to show Aunt Meme her 

favorite beach in Malibu.

Beach life is pretty good.

Zoe asked me to dig a big hole and then she jumped into it.

So, like any good dad...I buried her in the sand.

Right now you're thinking, "oh, Daddy...why didn't you bring a hat?"

I did.

And guess where the hat Daddy brought to the beach went?

*sigh*

"Yes, dear."

A long day at the beach means you deserve ice cream.

Or, in Aunt Meme's case, two giant funnel cakes smashed together 

around a big scoop of ice cream.

 I think they had too much sugar because as soon

as we got back to the house a light-saber battle broke out.

Speaking of sugar...

Easter came soon after.

The Easter Bunny hid eggs all over the house and Zoe

had so much fun finding them.

It took a second for her to realize the basket was for her!

With all that practice, Zoe was now ready to hunt the 10,000 

eggs the Easter Bunny hides at Santa Anita each year.

No, really -- there were 10,000 eggs.

 Basket in hand, she was ready...

She made Mommy so proud when she ran for the BACK of the 

enclosure and hunted for eggs where there was no competition.

Zoe collected 24 eggs and celebrated by going crazy

on a practice race horse. 

 Later in April, Daddy had a birthday dinner and afterwards

John and JJ came back to the house for some dancing.

I love that the only thing in focus is her face.

And then came...May.

And (apparently) some Zen-like contemplation.

Also some coloring on a giant stack of boxes.

And Mother's Day!

Continuing on the sugar theme, Mama took Zoe to 

the Museum of Ice Cream.

See?  I told you.

They got to play in a swimming pool full of

100,000,000 sprinkles! 

And ride on a giant ice cream sandwich swing!

And play with an ice cream polar bear!

Wait.

Maybe the polar bear was somewhere else.

But that's the perfect segue into the next segment I like to call:

"ZOE PLAYS WITH CUTE ANIMALS!"

Some of them were hungry!

Zoe takes lots of zoo classes and gets to meet all kinds of fun new friends.

Mama was especially glad Daddy took her to this one.

Okay, maybe the bugs aren't so cute but Zoe loved

looking at them and that's what counts.

And she's still best friends with all the horses in our neighborhood.

I love this picture.

In June we went for a Friday night hike with

The Tree People off Mulholland Drive.

Zoe was excited by all the things to climb up and jump off of.

We hiked out into the canyons and watched the sun set over Los Angeles together.

Zoe made sure to bring her lantern for when it got dark.

Here she is watching the last few rays of sunshine disappear 

over the distant horizon.

But we don't always have to leave our back yard to have fun!

Zoe still loves going to "Hill Park" and playing in the leaves.

The night before this particular visit, we had watched a segment on

"PLANET EARTH" where bears scratch their backs on some trees.

Here is the clip:

Zoe just had to try it out for herself.

Jungle Boogie...

 One of my favorite places to take her is Descanso Gardens.

Zoe loves to explore all the paths and typically sleeps well after we visit.

But then...it was time.

Time to head back East and visit with Grandma, Grandpa, 

Grammie, Grandad, and so many other special people!

We were worried about the plane ride, but Zoe was an angel!

She put on her head phones and watched cartoons with a 

content little smile on her face the whole way!

First we went to Vermont to celebrate Grandpa's retirement!

Grandma loves to make Zoe laugh.

And she's so good at it!

Zoe is a social butterfly and made everyone so happy.

She also found all the best rocks to climb on.

We went to the Montshire Museum and played with the bubbles...

And Grandpa treated us all to some songs.

Zoe even sang along!

Zoe and Grandpa celebrated his first day of retirement by exploring 

the yard together.

This was just Day One.

I think retirement suits Grandpa very well.

Looks like a painting.

Grandma even joined in the fun with some bubbles!

We went for a quick walk around the neighborhood and 

met some sheep, a few dogs, two chickens, and a hedgehog! 

Congrats, Grandpa!

Then Zoe jumped back in the suitcase and we drove to Albany!

...to visit Granmmie, Grandad, Aunt Meme, Aunt Lisa, 

and Zoe's cousins, Lillian and Sophia!

First stop, of course, was the Schuyler Bakery.

Zoe knew exactly what she wanted.

Then we headed for some ice cream.

Ironic that we had to go to Albany to see cows.

Anyway, Zoe downed that whole cone and had plenty of energy for...

Huck Finn's Playland!

At first Zoe only wanted to go on rides with Mama.

Except Mama is too tall for some of the rides, and 

Zoe was too scared to go without her.

And then something incredible happened...

Cousin Lillian and Cousin Sophia took Zoe by the hand and went on a ride with her.

...then another...

...then another...

...and another!

Zoe LOVED going on the rides with her cousins and 

quickly left Mama behind.

None of us could believe when she wanted to go on this one.

That's Zoe and Lillian up top.

But she loved it!

After an hour, Zoe was begging to go on EVERYTHING 

with her cousins...even the big roller coaster (which is still

a few years away for little Zoe, who is only 2).

The girls had so much fun together.

Daddy sat down to rest (handing out tickets is hard work, ya know)

and heard some laughter from behind him.

I turned around and my mouth dropped open when I saw this:

 Zoe went on the ride all by herself!

The same ride she bailed on just 

two hours earlier because Mama couldn't join her!

 What a great night!

A few days later we went to the NY State Museum and saw some familiar friends.

And upstairs they had a carousel.

It was a windy day outside.

Maybe too windy...

Good thing Daddy has a strong grip...

We spent lots of time with Grammie and Grandad...and Jackson! 

Grammie loved reading with Zoe...

...and Grandad took as many hugs as Zoe would give.

It's good to be the princess.

 It was wonderful to see everyone but all too soon 

we had to head back toward Boston.

On the way we stopped at our friends, Aaron and Samantha's house
and got to see Fraya and meet little Sydney!

Aaron gifted us this website, so THANK YOU, AARON!

...and had dinner with our friends Jim and Sharon.

After dinner, their son, Emmett, played with Zoe in a nearby park.

Life imitating art...

Young Emmett was rather smitten with Zoe...and, swept up in the moment...

 Well, let's just say they had a moment.

Ah, summer love.

But Zoe knows to always leave them wanting more and 

ran away to Boston, where her first boat ride (not including

the one at Huck Finn's) awaited!

She loved the boat ride across the Boston Harbor

and we got to show her where we used to live.

We also went to the aquarium!

Zoe learned the secrets of the sea that day.

I'll leave you with this image from Malibu.

May your lives be as wonderful as this little moment.

Love to you all.