Smart Summer Challenge: Day 1!

Zoe and I have decided to tackle the Smart Summer Challenge over the next couple of months and we were excited to get the ball rolling today!  This week is "You on the Map" week and we made a life sized paper "Zoe" doll.  She's been really into tracing bodies with sidewalk chalk and then trying to draw exactly what the person is wearing, so I knew she'd love this--and she did!  I was surprised when she chose to use markers to color the clothes with, even after I offered paint.  I had decided to just go all out with it and let her go nuts, but I guess she wanted to keep it neat, and I was more than happy to oblige.

Zoe drawing her clothes

The finished product.  There's even a pair of paper underwear under that skirt!  The line about her kitty cat hat was her addition...she added it on and told us it was her "getting a massage"...okay!   I cut all the other clothes out, after she made requests as to what pieces she wanted, and then she colored them and we taped them on together.

She is really excited to see if Grandma and Peepaw think the doll is actually her when they come to visit this week.  We giggled over what their reaction will be if they think it's her! :-) ("Oh hi Zoe!  How are you?  Hello?  Zoe?  Hellooooo?")

The rest of the day was pretty quiet and filled with art and friends (and gymnastics in the morning)...at one point, she was trying to get a piece of paper out of the bookcase and spilled the whole stack on the floor.  When she decided to be stubborn and not pick it up, I told her that whatever she left on the floor, I'd just give away to some other kid who knew how to pick up the messes they make.  She slouched her shoulders, stuck out her bottom lip, got down on the floor and started picking up while singing "It's a Hard-Knock Life" quietly to herself and in slow motion.  Nathan and I about lost it.

This afternoon, we had Zoe's friends Sierra and Ainsley over for a bit and the girls had a big painting party while Owen napped.  So nice to have such good friends so close!