Zoey's Texas

Zoey has adjusted well to the move and is happy to have her daddy back.  It's her understanding that our old house was getting too big so we had to move into our fifth wheel.  She says her favorite part of her new home is her new bedroom which has a ladder up to reach it and is decorated in all girlishness. She loves going up her ladder, hiding out and pretending it's Rapunzel's tower and hiding from the ruffians, hooligans and bad guys. Although a loft room is great for a little girl, it makes putting her to bed a bit of an acrobat act and although she cleans up herself, it still needs brushing up and that would be easier if I were a contortionist. 

Zoey speaks constantly about her family back in Idaho and starts most of her stories, "When I was two in Idaho....", because everything in the past was when she was two. Sometimes she questions it and scrunches her eyebrows together and asks "or was that when I was three?"

The fun thing about this age is they are always absorbing the world around them, and Zoey is no exception.  She loves all the new things she is learning and spews facts at random times.  She has learned a lot from TV, family and such.  Some random facts I have recently heard during our long commute to and from town are the following:  "Did you know what?" (it always starts with 'Did you know what?'), "Elephants have hair!" and "Horses can sleep STANDING UP!".  Some of her facts have sprung from her new experiences too.  "See there's a cactus! I told you there are cactus in Texas, but not big ones like in Arizona."  " Mom, when I go to school I'm going to tell the teacher that Oil Derricks can also be called Pump Jacks", and "There's a Pump Jack, and another, and another, they're everywhere, but not in Idaho because there is no oil in the ground in Idaho."

Recently Zoey refuses to eat any meal unless her "tummy has grumbled".  This is nondiscriminatory so neither her favorite food nor treats can tempt her into eating a  minute early.  Although this will no doubt contribute to her never having to worry about weight issues, it does make feeding her a challenge.  I have become an on demand cook and started slipping granola bars into my purse when we leave the house because she just may get hungry at any minute, but not now.  Not to worry though, when she does eat,  she eats well, and if we're out and she has something with catchup, she'll lick the catchup container dry; must be a Campbell thing.


The best part of being in Texas right now is the warmer winter.  We've tried to make the best of our long trips to town and visit the park between errands to take advantage of the best days.  Some days it has reached nearly 80 degrees and Zoey has been upset that the swimming parks aren't open yet. She tries to make friends at the park each time we go, sometimes she is successful and sometimes she is not, but every time she is adorable.