Happy Birthday Zoe!

Zoe turned 2 today!!! Chris and I cannot believe how fast time has gone. It has been a wonderful first 2 years and we cannot wait for many happy memories to come! Happy Birthday to our little girl (aka Zoe, Zogee, Munchkin, Munchie, Pumpkin Butt, Zoe Monster, Munch-a-roo, Bubby, Princess, Bubster, Bubs)

Enjoying a "Pinkalicious" cupcake with Yaya

(Zoe in Chris's Hat 2 years old)

How Devine

Today Zoe and I attended a Fancy Nancy event featuring Mrs. Devine. Fancy Nancy is the main character in a series of children books. Mrs Devine is her glamorous neighbor that teaches Nancy about all things fancy. It was such a great event. They gave all of the little girls boas to wear and tiaras (Zoe had brought her own). Then Mrs Devine came out and read the most recent story in the series and played games with all of the little ladies. Afterward everyone had cookies and milk (or scones and tea for the grown-ups). All that and Zoe was given party favors including a free kids meal at California Pizza Kitchen. I will definitely be looking for more events at Borders.

(Probably the only picture of her face I managed to get all day)

(Zoe playing with the feather boa)

(Zoe and I before the event began...the tiara and boa didn't last long)

(Mrs. Devine talking to the girls)

(Zoe wondering around in her Fancy Dress...the invite did say to dress fancy)

In addition to attending book readings Zoe is quite the little lady that lunches as well. Here is a picture of Zoe eating with me at Nordstrom cafe last week. As a special treat I let her sit in the booth with me rather then in a highchair. She did really well so maybe this will be a regular occurrence.

(My little Lady sitting in a booth at Nordstrom Cafe...eating her macaroni and cheese)

Happy Birthday America!!!

Happy 4th of July to Everyone!

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the 2 best dads a girl could hope for...My Dad and Zoe's Dad.

Vegas Baby!

Zoe and I arrived in Las Vegas Friday night to surprise my Grandfather for his 80th birthday. The whole family was in town and Zoe has been loving hanging out with all of her cousins (4 boys!). Here are some highlights from Saturday,

Kai holding Zoe

Zoe hanging with the boys and playing football

Getting some advice from 6 year old Kai

Family Picture

Well after many days of trying to get a family picture taken we finally got one......everything from weather to naps to hunger seemed to get in the way. Zoe is not really smiling but at least she was staying still.

Best $2 we have ever spent!!!

Two weekends ago at a garage sale we bought a toy kitchen (for $5) and a toy shopping cart (for $2). Best money ever spent!!!!! We still have the kitchen put away (trying to space out the new toys) but Zoe put that shopping cart right to work.

(Showing off the "food" that came with her cart)

(Performing her favorite activity....put the boxes in....take the boxes out....put the boxes in...etc...)

Zoe will push the cart everywhere and try to put almost anything in it. Often Gigi (her toy baby doll) sits up front or her purse does, "just like Mama" Chris likes to point out. She has even gotten really good at maneuvering the cart into small spaces (the bathroom) or pulling it onto the rug if it gets stuck. Highly recommend this toy as it seems to provide endless opportunities for fun....at least in the eyes of a toddler.

As big as your head

Zoe and I had lunch on Sunday at the Atlanta Bread Company (just like Panera). Her kids meal came with a cookie that was seriously huge. She loved it!!! She would take it out of the bag, take a bite then put it back in. This routine allowed me to walk across the parking lot to Marshalls and browse with no complaints from Munchkin. I did stop the cookie fest to steal a few bites and offer milk to Zoe but man was she a happy camper.

Zoe the Destructor

Zoe broke our TV. And of course not the small one in the guestroom but the nice big one in the living room. How you may ask? By turning it off. Seriously that is all she did. Zoe turned it off then on then off and it will turn on no more. We have no idea what happened. Right now we are contemplating hiring a repair guy ($90 just to come out and look at it). Or buy a new one. This happened on Monday (Memorial Day), and honestly it has been nice with no TV in the living space but then again that is the TV that is linked to our DVR so lets see how long this lasts. Also Zoe and I have not been home during the day that much so not having access to Sesame Street has not been a problem.....yet.

Time flys when you're having fun.....

Or being sick or just living I guess. Pardon the delay in posting. We have been having a great time with all of the commissioning week activities only partially interrupted by a nasty cold that caught Chris and I completely off guard. We managed to still be able to partake in some of the Naval Academy's commissioning week activities. First was Herndon:

The craziness that is pictured above was the plebes (freshmen) trying to climb to the top of that monument which was oh by the way covered in crisco!!! They try to wipe down as much as possible before climbing up. With the ultimate goal to be getting the hat at the top and replacing it with a plebe cover (silly hat that only the plebes have to wear). They finally made it in a little over an hour. Pretty funny to watch but painful to partake in I would assume. Often they would get a couple of feet away only to then slip and all fall down....and then start all over. Oh what the poor plebes have to go through.

(Zoe walking with Chris after the Herndon Event)

Next (Tuesday May 19th) was the Blue Angels practice and then the actual show on Wednesday. They were awesome!!! Traffic around the Academy was not! One of the bridges was shut down to allow for the Angels to use it as a reference point and that kinda messed traffic up all around. Parking on the yard was also sooo much fun that week. There was plenty of extra security and many many guests so Chris walked to work everyday and we tried not to drive if we could avoid it. Did I mention how awesome the Blue Angels were though? Truly amazing to watch. The most common word heard in the crowd was, "WOW!" followed by "did you see that?" Very fun experience, already looking forward to it next year.

(Blue Angels Performing)

(Zoe laughing hysterically as Chris C. flies her around like a Blue Angel)

Chris remained busy the rest of the week with graduation events. Zoe and I watched some of the activities (the silent drill team, the color Parade and the bag pipes perform) but were not able to get into graduation itself (President Obama was speaking so security was tight and desire to get in was high). It was nice to have Chris home mid day on Friday and then we went to a bar-b-que at a friends house to celebrate that week (and year) being over. Now the summer begins and I think Chris may end up being even busier......we shall see.

Zoe is 18 Months Old!!!

Our Baby Girl is ONE AND A HALF years old!!!!! So hard to believe that so much time has gone by. Her 18 month check-up is not until Monday so her "stats" will have to wait until then.

We love you Zoe!!!

All Smiles Right Before Bed on Sunday 5/9

Crayons are for Paper

Well we have hit a milestone, Zoe colored on something other than paper....the couch! She was peacefully and quietly I might add coloring at her picnic table with paper and crayons. Then as she had already done about 4 times she brought all of her supplies to me on the couch. But instead of handing them to me as she had done the 4 times before she stated frantically coloring the couch with her green crayon. I jumped and grabbed the crayon and said "No, we do not color on the couch" causing her to cry of course but as soon as I started scrubbing the couch (and yes it came out beautifully) she wanted to help as well and she was no longer upset. After cleaning the couch she then wiped down her picnic table.....sweet! Didn't think to grab the camera and take a picture of my little Picasso/ merry maid or the couch. This does make me re-think ever getting a light colored couch though!

Mind Boggling

The current issues boggling the minds of the McCurrys are:

• Where are Chris' car/ house keys? (seriously can't find them) - they were under the couch cushion wedged into the back of the couch (found them late in the day on Tuesday)
• Is Zoe sick or is the clear runny nose because of teething? - still not sure
• What should we have for dinner? - Veggie Lasagna won out
• Will Zoe ever go to bed before 9:30 again? - Still waiting to find out on this one

Happy Cinco De Mayo everyone!

Lunch

I decided to let Zoe eat her lunch at her picnic table....here she is enjoying her cookies after she finished her main course......

Finger licking good I guess.

We went to the.......

On Saturday we headed to DC to visit the National Zoo. We took the Metro again (even easier the second time around) And Zoe insisted on her own seat for most of the journey.

We grabbed lunch when we got there and due to the staggering high 80/ low 90 degree temps (what happened to Spring???) we got some ice cream....


(Zoe is actually wearing a shirt that says I scream for ice cream...ain't that the truth!)

Finally we got to see some animals. We saw Lions and Tigers and Bears oh my. The Lions were sleeping and we could barely see them but one of the Tigers was a little active even in the heat

("Mom do you see the elephants???")

After the hippo we decided to call it a day. We headed home via the Metro after a quick stop at Starbucks to help Chris and I stay awake for the trip back. We will definitely go back (afterall we missed the Giant Pandas and the Zoo is free) but we will pick a cooler less humid day for sure.

Cloth Diapering

Ok so a few months ago I got the brilliant idea that I would start using cloth diapers on Zoe. I bought 2 to try them out and they were great. Chris thought so as well so we decided after a few weeks that I would buy some more. The first 2 were purchased at a store in North Carolina and with no option to buy from a store near me in Annapolis I turned to the Internet. Do you have any idea how many freaking websites are out there for cloth diapers????? It is ridiculous and of course for every website I check out I find out about more products leading me to even more websites to do more research.

We are up to about 7 diapers now with more being ordered as I type. I have 4 different brands thus far and the ones I am ordering are going to be a completely different system all together. I am glad I am doing this for so many reasons (mostly environmentally and financially) I just wish they were more readily available at say a store within 50 miles of me!

Well wish me luck on my ongoing hunt to find the perfect cloth diaper and cloth diaper website!

Starbucks

Yummy Starbucks.......

Just kidding that was my drink this was Zoe's.......good old water. But she did enjoy a very tasty banana chocolate chip coffee cake along with the water.

On the Go!

Today Zoe and I walked downtown to attend Zoe's first "On the Go" class (think My Gym or Little Gym). As we were walking through the Academy what did we find....soap bubbles!!! Apparently someone pulled a senior prank or just a prank in general and filled a fountain on campus with soap causing lots and lots of bubbles...

(The fountain is in the middle of those 2 buildings...the soap was all over this grassy area)

We continued on to class and Zoe was thrilled from the start. She got to walk upstairs to the gym where she found toys galore and other kids to play with...here are some highlights of the 45 minute session:

(building a block tower and then knocking it down)

(Walking through the "tunnel" all on her own)

(Climbing up the slide again and again like a big girl....even was ok with other kids taking turns)

(Playing drums and beating the heck out of the floor with the rest of the band...ie the other kids)


(And perhaps the best part....BUBBLES!!!!!)



Afterwards we went and picked up lunch and walked over to Chris' office to enjoy it with him. Zoe of course fell asleep on the way home so I enjoyed a quiet walk and an amazing view...can't wait to do it all again next week!

Happy Hour, Playgrounds, and Croquet oh my

So I bet my title got you wondering right? Well that was our weekend in a nut shell. On Friday afternoon we drove over to Gate 1 (the main gate of the Academy and the closest to downtown) we parked our car and then proceeded to walk downtown and over the bridge to Eastport. The MRE moms and dads were having a happy hour. It was a great walk as the weather was beautiful and happy hour was fantastic. Kids were of course welcome and the family that hosted has a beautiful home on the water. Chris got to finally meet some of the moms that I spend so much time with and I got to meet many of my friend's husbands. Around 7:30 we called it quits and started our walk back home. Downtown was packed!!! Tourist season has definitely begun but all the energy is fun to be around.

On Saturday morning we headed to a park nearby to check out a craft fair I had heard about. We were not so impressed with the sale but Zoe had a blast on the playground. After messing around there for awhile we headed out to get some lunch and run errands. We did stop on the Seawall inside the academy and watch the sailboats as they were out in full force for the first time since last fall.

(View from the playground)

(Zoe on the Swing)

Sunday was a great day as well. It was the annual Croquet match between the Naval Academy and St John's College. We obviously had no idea what went into this event as we showed up in casual clothes and no alcohol. Many people dressed up for the Gatsby-esque affair complete with 20's style hats and dresses. Food and Drinks were in abundance and the jazz music could be heard all over. We meet up with some MRE friends as well as our navy buddies over on the St John's front lawn. Zoe loved showing off her walking skills and eating the cupcakes. The Croquet match, while it was the purpose of the event definitely was more of a side show to all the socializing and drinking.

(Zoe and Daddy when we first arrived)

(The croquet match. The Midshipman in the Letterman sweaters were playing and the midshipman in uniforms were their caddies - often holding up umbrellas for full effect)

(Zoe and Daddy still having fun)

(The McCurry girls together at last)

(The whole fam)

Afterwards we headed to Costco for some much needed supplies (we hadn't been in over a month!!! - that is a long time for us). Hot dogs and pizza for dinner and then home at last. Zoe is now sound asleep after a weekend full of fun and Chris and I prep for another work week.......but on the calender for next weekend....the Zoo!! Hopefully the weather stays nice.