Happy Halloween!

My little superboy and my little clowngirl. We threw ourselves together in under 15minutes. Hectic day. Grammy had sent the costume many months ago (the ‘S’ lights up!) and I’d found Zoe’s at a flea market somewhere – lucky it still fit!



Desi and Thomas as hulk – these two boys are very attached to one another. Anytime they go anywhere they each want to know if the other is going to be there. And when they find each other, they always embrace with such happiness.

Zoe doing clown tricks. She did a lot of people watching -- so many crazy colors and noises!!

Zoe and Emelia as cowgirl – Emi is a month older than Zoe. Emi was standing at 8mos and walking at 9mos!!! Amazing little girl!!

Ayden Fugal (Emelia's big bro) as Buzz Lightyear and Des and Thomas. These boys have fun together.

Zoe and me people watching from the sidelines.

Grammy also sent other options the day before Halloween. Des loves being a Knight in Shining Armor. He puts it on and asks us what he can do to help – so this morning I asked him to get me a drink of water.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

Bronx Botanical Gardens II

I Love taking this trip in the Fall with friends here in NYC! Here’s the group of babes – I think only 2 are missing. From left: Cole, Margaret, Desmond, Famke, Roscoe, and Zoe.

Lots of scarecrows along the way. Des tried to undress a lot of them or shake their hands.

Here he is falling into a bunch of potted plants. Instead of getting him out like a good parent would, I snapped pictures.

Here we are having a good time.

Zoe a budding scientist.

Des is taking art very seriously these days.

Leaving the gardens – Roscoe and Desi hand in hand.

Sleeping Zoe – a very big day for my little baby.

There are many more pictures -- click here

Le Petit Academy

We held our second co-op preschool class today. It was all perfectly timed: it was our turn and I happened to have the day off due to a UN observed holiday (Ramadan)! Nate will be teaching from here on out. We're basing our lessons around the alphabet and today was the letter "B' and also number "2".

We colored pictures with letter "B" objects. We also played a matching game trying to find "2" of each picture out of many in a large pile. We had wiggle time and many beverage refills. At the end, we made Halloween bbbats with our hands (thanks Heidi for the idea!). After the boys hands had been traced, I busied myself with the cutting and tried to go quickly till I realized they were each happy doing their own things: Des was most content coloring on the floor and Ian and Ayden had each found a book and sat themselves down on the couch completely absorbed. I couldn't believe it! There was a complete studious silence for 30-seconds or more (before I tried to raise an enthusiastic round of the Alphabet Song!) 3 boys!! So quiet and diligent!! I had envisioned things a bit more, er, crazy!


These boys are sooooo great!! It was so much fun! Ayden Fugal is the oldest (turned 3 in Sept) and he instructed me on how to spell his name (!) and Ian Todd was most pleased with himself when he decided to color his bbbball with bbblue and Des Jones was so pleased to have his friends with him that he was frequently playing good host and asking them if they needed any more refills for their bbbeverages. ;)

Desi Candor VII

He's been speaking unforgettable things at a fast clip these last few weeks. So much laughter!

With the crib tent now gone, Des rises when he wants and tries to recruit playmates. On a recent morning, too tired to move, I tried to coax him to come cuddle. His reply was, "No. I have my own bed."

“Magnet guy is stuck – his powers are broken!” Our can opener became a favorite plaything for a week, he said this when it had gotten lodged between some folded chairs in the kitchen.

“Jesus! Hi Jesus! I’m Desi and I love you!” While looking at a picture of Jesus Christ.

After a morning bath, I sent Desi into the living room with his towel, clothes and diaper while I got Zoe dried off first. When I entered the living room, I saw Des there with his rain boots on and nothing else saying to me, “I’m a naked boot guy!!”

"Mommy? Can you open the door for us? Can we get out!?" I heard this through the closed bedroom door one morning. It struck me that it was the first time, I could remember, that he spoke for Zoe and used “us” and “we”.

While getting seated in his high chair one evening Des says, “We’re at Mommy’s restaurant”.

Des enthusiastically approached me saying, “Hey everybody! I’m a kazoo!” then he gave a big blow on the little kazoo in his mouth, “Thank you for all mine heart!”

Hello little lady!

I’m doing hip-cups while I’m reading.

I was showing Desi one night how full my belly was after dinner and he smiled and asked, “Do you have another baby in your tummy?”

Mommy, can I watch the superhero video? Pleeeeeeaaase? You’re a nice girl... Please!

While looking in the mirror, Des said to his reflection, “I’m Desi and I love you!”

I explained one afternoon about my wedding ring and after listening carefully Des said, “When I grow up to be a girl, a guy gonna marry me and give me a ring! Yippie” and began to prance around the apartment shouting over and over again, "Yippie!”

Without fail now, while eating dinner together, DPJ will ask me, “Mommy? What you do at work today?” He loves to hear my work stories – it’s so cute. Even on the weekends and my (1) day-off during the week, when I’ve spent every moment with him, he’ll ask me.

Mommy? Dadda was eaten by an angry bear last night. Poor Dada.

Last Sunday morning after getting all dressed up in his finery Desi declares, “Excuse me everybody! I’m a church boy!”

Zoe I love you. I’ll keep you forever!

As I placed some avocado’s on Desi’s tray, he sang out in a happy voice, “Avocados! These are my favorite!!” Then he placed them in his mouth and immediately spit them out, “Yuck!” It was then I realized that they weren’t quite ripe enough. Ha!

Tonight, for some reason, I referred to Des as “My Pet”. I’ve never called him that before. He screwed up his face and said, “What Pet? What you talking about pet!? I’m a pet! I’m a pet?”

“Here’s spaghetti, you should eat it.” He said this to Zoe after putting some long shoelaces on her highchair tray.

Des was undressing for his bath and got as far a taking his shirt off then was briefly distracted by something else. When he took up the task again, he looked a bit confused and asked me urgently, “Where did my shorts go? Mommy, where are my shorts?” I asked him what shorts. “The shorts I was wearing at breakfast time, those shorts.” I responded, “Honey, I think you’re still wearing them.” He looked down and saw them still on his body and began to laugh at himself.

Hi Zoe! You’re a cute baby.

Pretty Baby

I know, I know but I just can't contain my love for her!!! I had some friends visiting from Utah a couple of weeks ago and so I had the use of a camera. One gorgeous evening, while we were walking through Central Park, we found the prettiest place with a little pond and a bridge all glistening in the setting sun.


Here are the pics.

Zoe is now 9months old. Her hair hasn't quite reached it's birth length again, but she's probably easily doubled her birth weight (8.2lbs) by now. We visit the doctor next month. She's still sticking to her creeping around, no knees just elbows. She's moving quicker though and now will follow us from room to room. It's incredible. She's gotten used to her nighttime routine, bedding down at 6:30pm and even if she hasn't fallen asleep before I leave her most evenings she won't cry in protest. Such a triumph!! She regularly creeps around at the playground while i intercept acorns and leaves from going into her mouth. I don't want to dicourage her from feeling things with her hands so I will let her touch and hold them all the while telling her, "no mouth Zoe". Sometimes I think she understands me, though not quite able to obey! She recognizes her name, which is most sweet, and will usually smile when I include it in my little sing-songs and chants. She still enjoys Desi but definately lets it be known when he crosses the line and she wants him out of her face. I know I've written here before, this girl can be fierce!

Desmond's Weekend with Auntie Heidi III

Desmond P. Jones loves his auntie Heidi it looks like from the below account a lot may have to do with her apartment (!) or the fact that she spoils him everytime he takes a solo trip to spend a weekend with her in Connecticut. This was their 3rd CT weekend together. Heidi sent me an email account of their adventures together:

Urgh- another missed opportunity. I accidentally left the camera I borrowed from Chris, with Heather so I had to turn to the ol' camera phone. I was still able to catch some fun moments although I didn't have my bright idea until the day was half over. :(

We had a great time- I picked Des up from the city around 8:30 on Saturday morning and he was half out the door before I could walk in. Very excited to come to Connecticut to my apartment. The trip up to CT was full of laughter as usual. A lot of cute funny things came out of his mouth. It started at the elevator in NY when I went to kiss him. He had a grossed out look on his face and he said "Heidi have coffee" I giggled and said yes, can you smell it. He said "Yes, it's yucky and not for little boys. Little boys only drink milk and juice not coffee" ha ha Soon after that I popped in some gum to avoid grossing him out any further. lol :) Once we got into the car, we started talking about all the fun things he did last time he came to CT. He'd obviously had been thinking of it for awhile. He remembered EVERYTHING!! :) I told him he was a "Keeper" and he asked, "what is keeper?" I told him that it means I hope we are friends for a long long time. He then informed me that we couldn't be friends cause I was a girl and that he can only be friends with "boys and big guys". lol :) So who knows where that leaves us girls. He was very talkative 15 minutes into the trip and then silence. Every question I asked was ignored until suddenly he warned me that he was going to throw up- I quickly pulled off the road and found a bag and got it to him just in time. We cleaned up what missed the bag and I realized it was the same spot I pulled over last trip up to CT. At least he is consistent. :)

Some time passed and I told him about the haircut appointment I'd made for him at a salon for kids. He was not excited about it in the least. "I don't need a haircut", "I don't like haircuts", "No haircut- go to Heidi's apartment" In fact, all he seemed to want to do is go back to the apartment but I promised him a "creature guy" if he was good during the haircut. That worked. He was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo good during the entire cut. He sat in a jeep and watched "Dora the Explorer" even when she got out the razor and the blow-dryer he remained still. So good- I was proud of him! He walked out with a new do, balloon, and lolly pop. I have a feeling the next cut will be a little easier to talk him into. :)

Off to Target we went to find a creature guy- he specifically wanted an "angry guy". Not sure why he is so fascinated with angry guys- it must be a boy thing. :) We found one that he was quickly drawn too and we were on our way. I suggested we buy something for baby Zoe, which he quickly got excited about. He went straight to the pink isle and found a stuffed frog and hugged it saying, "it's cozy- this will be good for baby zoes"..."and it's little". :) (So Heather, that's the explanation for the random frog in your target bags) :)

During our whole shopping trip all Desi wanted to do was go back to my apartment. What is it with that place that sucks you in and you never want to leave???? ha ha :) It was such a nice day, I wanted to take advantage of it but des was persistent with his request. I managed to keep him out longer by going to McDonalds and eating inside. But even then he wanted to take the food back to my apartment. Strange huh?

So finally- I was the good Jeannie and granted his wish. He inspected each room one at a time and then went straight for the toys I keep under a chair in a box- we played for a little while and then he wanted to watch the movie he picked out at Target "POWER RANGERS"- well ... he wanted angry guys and boy was that movie angry. He was glued to it for the first 5-10 minutes before I realized how violent those guys are. I shut it off quickly, knowing that if Heather saw this she would be cringing, telling Des that it was a very short movie and we would have to find something on T.V.

A few hours later he had enough and wanted to go to a playground- Bad me- I hadn't done my homework so I wasn't sure where a park was located in my area. So we went for a walk to find one. He stopped to smell each patch of flowers and took it all in. I was amazed how much he noticed and appreciated. He would go to every flower sit down on the ground and stick his nose in each bushel. So sweet. We came across the court house where they have recently added a few statues. That was all the playground he needed. He was so surprisingly happy with just this small area. He climbed on the benches, balanced along the wall, came nose to nose with the statue (See Pictures)- we spent about 30 minutes there before it got too cold and back home we went.

We got home and started making Halloween Decorations. Desi painted a paper plate with all fall colors and we made a pumpkin mask with a paper plate, a wall hanging, a few lolly pop ghosts, a spider wind sock, and the funniest part we made hand print spiders with googly eyes, and ghosts out of his footprints. Applying the white paint to the bottom of his feet was hysterical- we were both giggling so hard and then trying to get him to stand up on the paper with one foot painted was so funny. After a few tries and a lot of laughs we just applied the paper to his foot instead of his foot to the paper. :) ha ha They all ended up really cute and he was very proud of all his work. After that we ordered pizza "AND ROOT BEER" (which I almost forgot), and got ready for bed. It was such a FUN day!

globalgirl246's AOL Pictures Public Gallery.

Flea Market Saturday

Fun times last Spring when I set up a spot with a friend at a local flea market at the Ring Garden, so we decided to do it again this Fall and invite two more friends to do it with us – we split the cost of two spaces between the 4 of us and had a great time talking, helping each other sell their stuff and sharing hot cider and cookies! The weather was perfect and the other goods were so enticing to me that I found I could easily shop and sell at the same time! Therfore, I came away with $11 and lots of new great junk – clothes mostly for the babes. Great fun (such a nerd!)

Heidi, the cool Simkins, came to the city to hang with the babes while I was gone all day -- they stopped by for a visit and as usual showed them a good time. We love her!!


SEE MORE PICS

Excursion to the East Side

Back in September Nate had a Saturday free so we took the babes through Central Park over the the East Side to this wonderful playground north of the Metropolitan Museum. Took some footage of the babes and the playground and a bit of the neighborhood.