Happy 3rd Birthday!!

Go Zachy, it’s your birthday!

Go Zachy, it’s your birthday!

And go Zachy did.

To celebrate his 3rd birthday, Zach had his friends Ty, Kody, Sean, Hannah and Samuel over for hot dogs, cake and ice cream.

They checked out Zach’s Christmas toys and engaged in a spirited game of “Monster” with daddy playing the title role, chasing the group from one end of the house to the other.

Then it was outside for some whiffle ball and bike riding in the driveway.

By the time it was over, Zach had barely enough energy to open a few presents before uncharacteristically falling asleep at 8:30 p.m. while watching “The Sound of Music.”

“The sun has gone to bed and so must I
So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye, goodbyyyyye.”

Merry Christmas!

Christmas Boat Parade

Zach went to his first Christmas boat parade.

Daddy was a judge, so we had a birds-eye view of all of the boats decked out in holiday lights.

Zach especially liked his gift of a Santa stocking stuffed with treats and toys.

Zach Loves Elmo

Zach recently received an "Elmo Live!" doll for Christmas.

The little red Muppet opens his mouth, moves his head, waves his arms, sits, stands and even crosses his legs while telling jokes and stories and singing songs.

Mommy thinks it's funny when Elmo tells a joke, which is followed by the sound of crickets followed by Elmo asking, "Is this mike on?"

Zach likes it when his doll tells him, "Elmo loves you" followed by "Kiss, kiss."

Zach puckers up and responds with a kiss.

The Sweet Life: On Deck

Zach, right, and Kody take a much-needed nap after a full day of boating with the boys recently.

Snow Day

"Snow" fell on our sunny city recently.

Zach had a blast. Check it out.

A Smile For Santa

The wait for Santa is usually excruciatingly long for an almost 3-year-old.

But Zach's was short, at least this one time.

Zach was the first person in line to see Santa one recent Wednesday morning at the mall.

Sure enough, Santa emerged from his workshop at five past the hour, just as promised.

Zach was so happy to see the jolly old elf he bolted from line and ran across the mall to greet him.

He got to visit with Santa for a good five minutes while the elves got the camera and computers fired up. Zach showed Santa the footballs he brought with him for that very reason and even played a bit of catch with the big man in red.

Then it was time to say cheese, which Zach is always happy to do. You can see the results here.

Zach Goes Visiting

Zach-In-Motion

"Football game?"

Many a day begins this way as Zachary opens his eyes and wonders if there's a football game on the agenda.

Whether it's his 7-year-old friend's flag game or a state playoff game for the local high school, Zachary loves to go to a football game.



He watches the action for a quarter or two then tries to get in on it himself. At the pee-wee games he loves to bring his own ball and play on the sidelines, kicking and passing the ball to anyone who will join in on the fun.

At the high school games he works the sidelines, greeting the school mascot ( a shark) with a friendly, "Hi Sharkie!"



He loves the marching bands and cheerleaders. Whenever they strike up "We Will Rock You," which every school seems to use as a rallying cry, he's quick to lead the chorus.

Folks who meet Zach for the first time tend to remark, "He looks like a football player." Little do they know how right they are.

Sugar Baby

Zach recently attended his first concert.

Mommy took him to see Sugarland, one of her favorite country bands. (If you're not familiar, here's a couple of Mommy's favorite Sugarland songs: "Who Says You Can't Go Home" and "Stay").

The concert was packed with thousands of people and Zach was a little overwhelmed. But he quickly overcame his fears, thanks in part to a mechanical bull.

"The Bull," as he kept calling it, was a blessing and a curse. Zach enjoyed watching all the people take a turn on the gyrating machine, even trying to coax Mommy into giving it a whirl (She politely declined).

When Sugarland took the stage it was difficult to divert him away from "The Bull." Mommy managed to whisk him to our spot (with the promise of cookies) and soon he was dancing and clapping and completely captivated by the music and lights on-stage.

Here's a glimpse of Zach's first concert:

Happy Halloween!

Show Me The Money, Grandma!

Grandma Natalie is in town this week, visiting her favorite grandson.

Here's how you occupy a restless 2 1/2-year-old while Mommy tries to get ready _ Grandma Natalie style.

"Whassup?"

Zach's got a new catch phrase:

"Whassup?"

Although, Zach prefers the more hip, " 'Sup?" As in, " 'Sup, Mommy?" or " 'Sup Daddy?" or, my favorite, " 'Sup dude?''

Who knows, maybe the kid's got a future in a Budweiser commercial.

Headbangers Ball

It used to be that Bob Seger's "Live Bullet'' was the most played CD in my car.

These days the sounds of bubblegum rock fill my Escape.

And for me, there is no escape.

Here's pretty much how every car ride plays out:

I get Zach buckled into his car seat and I turn on the ignition.

Then I cross my fingers, hoping he doesn't notice the song that's on the radio, which is usually tuned to classic rock or oldies.

Inevitably, Zach notices.

"Hannah?" he asks, and I comply, popping in his favorite CD.

"Mommy loud," he says.

I turn up the volume a little bit.

"Mommy loouud," he demands.

I turn the volume up a little more.

"Mommy loouuuuuud!!!!" he screams until I turn it up to a nearly earsplitting level.

And then Zach starts singing.

And I start singing.

And then Zach starts beat boxing.

And I start, er . . . well, I continue singing.

And we're rocking out.

Who cares if it's to Hannah Montana.

We're having a ball!

Zach shows off his beat-boxing skills

as he rocks out to Hannah Montana's

"Pumpin' Up The Party."

A Day At The Pumpkin Patch

Having A Ball-oon

In Zach's world, everything's more fun when a balloon's involved!

Paging Dr. Zach

A visit to the doctor isn't any fun unless Zach can bring his stethoscope, courtesy of Grandpa Richie.

A Boy And His Dog

Zach and Archie take a rare break from chasing each other around the house.

Pedal Power

For weeks Zach has been taking his tricycle out for a spin every evening.

His little legs weren't able to reach the pedals just yet, so Mommy or Daddy would have to hold onto to the bike for balance.

Until last week.

Now he cruises down the driveway on his own like a little Lance Armstrong.

Potty Mouth

Like any 2 1/2-year-old Zach is always on the go.

So when nature and Grandpa come calling at the same time, what's a busy little boy to do?

Well, you get the picture.

Rubber Soul

Zach loves wearing his new green rain boots.

Even when it's not raining!!

Goodbye "Carly," Hello "Diego"

Zach's long love affair with "ICarly" seems to have waned.

He's got a new favorite TV show, also on the Nickelodeon channel, called "Go Diego Go." The show's central character is "Diego," an animal scientist, who goes on all kinds of adventures which lead to all kinds of encounters with animals. He's usually accompanied by his sidekick, a baby jaguar aptly named "Baby Jaguar."

The best part of the show (besides the BoBo brothers!) is that it incorporates Spanish into the stories. Zach can already count to diez (10).

Check out the "Diego" theme song on this video:

Sunny Z

When it comes to juice, Zach prefers Sunny D.

Now you know.

Just Beachy

On Friday, Zach and I attended a party at the beach for our good friend Zeineff (Kody's mom), who was celebrating getting her U.S. citizenship.

Here are some pictures from that day taken by our good friend and photographer extraordinaire Annette.

Meet Yanira, Joe, Heather and Kiki

When Zach's daycare closed last year it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

One of his teachers, Yanira, watched him in her home until the daycare was to reopen at its new location. Only the daycare never reopened.

Yanira has been watching Zach exclusively for more than a year now and we couldn't be happier. Zach loves Yanira, whom he calls "Mommy," and her husband Joe, whom he calls "Poppy."

Yanira and Joe have two children of their own, Kiki and Heather, who treat Zach like a brother. There's plenty of hugs, kisses, fun, and food (Zach loves Yanira's Cuban cooking) at this house.

Everybody, meet Yanira, Joe, Kiki and Heather:


Yanira.


Joe


Heather




Kiki

Just Wondering

Does every kid eat two puddings with two spoons at the same time?

Scene But Not Heard

What a serene backdrop, right?

Well, getting this shot was anything but smooth sailing.

What you don't see _ or hear _ is the row of ticked-off old guys in lawn chairs whose peaceful Sunday afternoon racing remote-controlled sailboats was briefly interrupted by an uncooperative 2-1/2-year-old who wanted to go see Elmo rather than pose for pictures for Mommy.

Where's %#&@ Elmo?

Elmo visited our city over the weekend, which really isn't news since sightings of the furry red Muppet aren't all that uncommon around town.

Whether it's a toy store grand opening or a kiddie party at the local amusement park, you can pretty much count on an appearance by Elmo _ unless Spongebob gets the gig first.

Not too long ago Zach and I (Mommy) were at the mall when who should show up at the opening of a new cell phone kiosk (this is an event?) but Elmo.

After that whenever we went to the mall, Zach would associate going there with seeing Elmo.

"Melmo? Melmo?" he'd inquire on the car rides down.

But his excitement would quickly be replaced by disappointment when Elmo wouldn't be there to greet him.

So when I found out Elmo was going to be making an appearance at a local toy store I made a mental note of the date and time.

The big day came and Zach was all smiles, giving Elmo hugs and high-fives and getting his picture taken.

Then I made the mistake of taking Zach to the mall later in the day.

As I carried Zach up the sidewalk to the mall entrance, the lure of a peanut butter and chocolate smoothie from Frulatti beckoning, my heart sank as I heard him utter the dreaded word:

"Melmo?"

Hair Peace

Zach got a haircut yesterday.

Normally that wouldn't be anything to write home about. Zach has already made many trips to the barber shop in his 2 1/2 years.

But yesterday's visit was the first time Zach didn't sit on Mommy or Daddy's lap while the barber trimmed his slightly curly locks.

He didn't fidget, or cry, or turn his head sharply, barely avoiding a collision with the pointy end of the scissor.

He sat by himself in the chair, with a booster, while the barber snipped away with his scissors, smiling and hamming it up as Mommy snapped away with her camera.

Maybe it was the promise of candy at the end that made this haircut experience pleasurable for all involved.

Or maybe our little guy is just growing up.

Anatomy Of A Tantrum

For the most part, Zach is an easygoing and happy kid.

But when it comes to tantrums, Zach can throw down with the best of them.

For our far-away relatives and friends who've never had the pleasure, here's a glimpse of a recent tantrum.

Now, if we only had thought to get sound . . . .