Well it's official

Sonja and I received an official document from the U.S. Government indicating Zoe is now officially a United States citizen.  How exciting is that! Much more exciting for Sonja and I as it makes no difference to Zoe today.  Woo hoo…

This is a big week for Zoe.  She went to her first gymnastics class at the Kids Body Shop in Papillion on Tuesday evening. They will be introducing back bends, the parallel bars and dismounts. I was completely surprised that they would introduce so much so early.  But what do I know.  Sonja said at first she was reluctant to participate but soon the instructors were able to get her out there.  Of course, the only issue is the language barrier and the instructors at times had difficulty getting her attention but for the most part she was active and appeared to have a great time. So, neither Sonja or I have any experience with gymnastic, so you may be wondering why we enrolled her.  Zoe is very energetic, high energy level and very flexible so we thought it would make sense to introduce her to gymnastics to see if she likes it. So, the jury is out and we will see if she likes the kids, instructors and the activity.  More to come.

Zoe's first day of gymnastics

Zoe on the parallel bars

Zoe having fun in the stands at a fall baseball game

Tomorrow, Zoe will begin practicing soccer with her new team…the Locusts! The Locusts…interesting team name…what happened to names like the force, the flames, intimidators, etc.  This past weekend I took Zoe to Dick’s sporting goods to pick up some cleats.  Black cleats with pink accents…I am just a little out of my comfort zone but I went with it and Zoe was so excited. In fact, when I told her to put her shoes on for school this morning she went to put on her cleats…Good news. She likes the shoes… I guess I am going to have to adjust…if Zoe shows an interest in soccer her older brother and her cousin Hallie who is quite the soccer player might be willing to teach her a thing or two since her mom and dad didn’t play soccer either. Also, maybe we can coax jack, her uncle to help coach her from time to time…   So, hopefully by getting her into a couple of different activities we will figure out which ones she likes and seems to gravitate towards. We will let you know how that goes.  Nathaniel has brought her outside to kick the ball and she still wants to pick it up and run with it….

As far as her language goes…she continues to make great strides.  Her English vocabulary continues to grow and her understanding of what others say completely amazes me.  She is quite astute and is a sponge. I am just amazed with her ability to learn.

I wanted to send out a note to Kathy & Dean Kampschneider for the presents she dropped off to Zoe last week.  Zoe loved them. Not only does she like opening up presents but she kept saying for Zoe, for Zoe. Thank you so much for thinking of her. The globe with the maze puzzle inside has been a particular favorite as I have seen Nathaniel and Sonja also playing with it on occassion.  Very cool gifts.

Finally, an update on Nathaniel.  He is still alive. For the past few weeks I have brought him to a large parking lot and let him drive my car.  Oh my….I guess I never realized how stressful that can be! However he is doing well even though his father is a complete wreck.  Another reason to appreciate your parents and their patience when they were teaching us. So that’s it for now. Thanks for dropping by!!!