Here Comes A New Shelmet

On Saturday, Zoe was just hanging out in her playroom when she decided she wanted to go for a ride. One mount just wouldn't do, so she'd go from her unicorn to the dog. In between rides she was showing off just how cool she is by wearing her sunglasses inside and making long distance calls from Cheryl's cell phone. This Sunday we celebrated Harlie's first birthday at her house. Even though the weather wasn't very hospitable, it was a lovely day. There were a number of pictures taken, but here are just a few. It's great to see all the kids growing up and it's still hard to believe that it's been a year for Harlie already. Of course, Zoe's set on Flickr has more pictures, so be sure to check it out.

Zoe has been getting much better at walking. She also really hates to be cooped up in the house just before bed. So on Sunday evening, sometime later in the day, I decided to go for a walk around the block with her. Just over halfway through the first block, I decided to take out my phone and record some video. Here's what I caught. I promise you that she was totally fine from that first fall. I picked her right up and she didn't even cry. She was a total champ the whole way. She even climbed the steps to get into the house once we made it back. We'll see how far she can go next time.

On Friday morning we packed up the car and we all headed up to Coney Island for the weekend. This would be Zoe's first Mermaid Parade as well as the first time that we spent a night in a hotel room with her. Needless to say, we were a bit nervous, but Zoe was excited to get into the room and unpack. Even though the parade wasn't until Saturday, we figured we could drive over to Coney Island after we checked in to enjoy the boardwalk, the photobooth and maybe a little time on the beach. Zoe isn't a stranger to french fries, but she is most fond of ketchup, which we refer to as dip dip. To her, I think fries are just a means of eating ketchup. Thankfully, unlike her father, she knows when she's had enough. Unfortunately, like her father, sometimes she just makes goofy faces. With her belly filled 90% with ketchup, we took Zoe past the Wonder Wheel and onto the boardwalk. Even there, you can see folks checking out the cute baby in the orange seersucke...

For Father's Day this year we didn't do much. Zoe and I left the house early in an attempt to let Cheryl sleep in. On the way to the park we stopped to pet a dog, which Zoe was eager to approach but reluctant to touch. Later in the day we all went to Penn Treaty Park to spend time with some friends. There Cheryl took our yearly father/daughter pictures. I'm still not sure she really likes spending time with me. Just for reference, this is what we looked like last year. What a difference a year makes, huh? Also, we found out that if Cheryl lends a hand, to make sure Zoe doesn't kick my glasses off my face, she can sit pretty well on my shoulders. She'll even smack on my head if you say "drum drum." Well, Zoe's set on Flickr has all of these pictures, and more! Don't forget to check them out.

I like to think that Zoe is a good eater. She generally consumes a wide variety of foods and does a good job feeding herself. Of course she has favorites, but who doesn't? Currently, she's a big fan of meatballs, specifically the ones from Trader Joe's as well as black beans. Here's a couple of pictures of her enjoying neither of those things, but, instead, strawberries and cheese puffs. Like I said, she likes a variety of food. But not only is she good at eating, she also enjoys it too. Just take a look at this video. Did you catch the eyebrows at the end there? Go back and take another look. I think it's the first time I really caught them myself. As always, you can check out Zoe's set on Flickr to see all of her pictures.

On Saturday I got to pick out Zoe's outfit for the day. When I think back over the past 14 months, I actually haven't dressed her that often, unless you count putting on pajamas, which I don't. Anyway, I don't have tell you how awesome she looked. Cheryl said she looked a little crazy, but I kept insisting that she looked bad ass. I'll let you judge. Now, before you decide, picture this. You're walking through West Philadelphia, just enjoying the day. You happen to stroll through a playground when you're confronted by a zebra-striped street tough who demands all your graham crackers. She looks like this. As you quickly give her your crackers to ensure your continued survival, you'd probably think to yourself, "That baby looks bad ass!" At least, that's what I'd think. After terrorizing the playground, the three of us jumped into the car and headed down to Linvilla Orchards to do some strawberry picking. Of course, while Cher...

I'm not always able to take pictures of Zoe with our camera. Sometimes, the only camera I have is on my phone. Since these pictures will never be of the same quality as those taken with a camera, I have created a new set called Zoe Mobile on Flickr. In it you will find pictures of Zoe making friends at the park. Zoe looking cute in her pajamas and her wagon. Zoe eating and sleeping. And, most recently, Zoe on her way to and at the comic book convention. There are already more pictures there, so be sure and take a look. Hopefully this will translate into more pictures of Zoe, since there aren't enough already.