This is something

I have been compiling a list of Zach stories & facts for a while now. I haven't blogged them sooner as I was hoping to include some cute pictures of our boy. It's not easy these days, for various reasons. For example, standing still is not his favorite activity, so many of the pictures turn out like this:

And, for some reason, he still hasn't really mastered smiling on command. He's getting better, as you can see, but it's still not quite natural. Plus, he's just goofy, so many of the pictures turn out like the others scattered through this post.

However, I discovered one way to get a great picture of him, smiling happily. Last Friday was pajama day at Zach's school, so I brought along my camera and asked Zach if he wanted a picture with his new friend Brett. He sure did, and look how darn cute they both are!!!! So I guess if I want a good picture of him, it'll have to include Brett!

If you live in our house, you hear a lot about Brett. The boys bonded on the second day of school over Mario Kart, of all things (we don't even own the game, but somehow Zach has become an expert and quite obsessed). When I picked Zach up that day, he asked if Brett could come over for a playdate. When I picked him up the next time, he wouldn't leave Brett's side until he learned Brett's address (necessary for a playdate, I guess). The teacher has commented many times about how well they get along; the other day she said "it's amazing - they even have real conversations!" That is unusual for boys this age!

Zach's other buddy is our neighbor Payton. They are both home in the afternoons, so they end up playing for a couple of hours every day (a blessing, since Zach is otherwise bored to pieces while Charlie is napping). I've enjoyed watching them figure each other out, considering they are similar in many ways (love of anything involving a ball, cars, trains, etc), but also like to do some very different things. Payton, for example, is an expert grasshopper-catcher, and that is clearly one of his favorite activities. Zach will gamely participate for a while, but I think he remains in the role of spotter, and lets Payton do the dirty work. :)

Some random Zach facts:

1. His latest career ambition: ice cream truck driver.

2. When wearing a hoodie, coat, or vest, he prefers it zipped to the very top. And never, ever can it be completely unzipped. Apparently zippers were made to be zipped.

3. Zach has discovered that everything is made in China, and he enjoys pointing out all the evidence.

4. He would like to change his birthday to May. If that can't happen, he'd recommend that our other babies have birthdays in May.

5. Wondering about the title of this post? Lately, that phrase is what Zach says before he tells us just about anything. We'll be in mid-conversation and he'll say "this is something," pause, and then tell us (a classmate fell on the pavement and scraped his knee, that another one is allergic to bees, etc). We have to try not to laugh. He started out saying "this is something I want to tell you," but now he just goes with the abbreviated version.