Zoe at 13months

More Zoe, more of the time.

Can't get enough of this girl. She's such an interesting little person. Coming to this world so sober and contemplative, not feigning a full fledged smile till 6mos. Then little by little squeeking and scratching out little laughs. The dimples in her cheeks are now frequently flashing -- the exclamation point to her smile.

She's comprehending so many things -- I love testing her. One morning this week, she was reaching for Desmond's beverage and I told her it was his and we don't share beverages, then I told her to go get hers from another room where she left it. She turned around waddled away and came back holding it with a triumphant smile on her face! It was such an amazing moment! Ah! She understands our language!

This last Sunday another similar episode: she made off with little Noah Horey's (9mos?) puffs while we were in a meeting together at church. I told her they were Noah's puffs and she needed to return them, then I held up some puffs I'd brought and told her these were Zoe's puffs. Again, she turned around, walked across the room to Noah's diaper bag, stuffed them back inside, then returned eagerly to claim her puffs! (Later she got a cute little laugh from Noah as she played peek-a-boo from behind our stoller -- watch the video in the link above to hear his cutecute laugh!)

Here's the current lexicon of Zoe's baby talk:

Nana (banana)
Desi
Dada
Jesus
Ninigh (night, night)
Hi!
Key (turkey)
That
Ahhhh… ohhhh….
Nonononono (no)

Also, shakes her head “yes” and “no” when asked a question.

Perhaps you've noticed one rather significant word missing from the list above... Yeah, she's not keen on the "mamma" word yet. But actions speak louder than words, I know she loves me.

(Say my name girl!)

Desmond Jones

birthday - 11-20-03


grade - preschool


school - preschool co-op


favorite thing to learn - abc's and the number 5


favorite food - pineapple


where (s)he was born - nyc


a scripture story (s)he likes - jonah and the whale


a book (s)he likes - curious george books


brothers, sisters - (1) sister, zoejones


likes to do, is good at - play with big batman, watch, read, play with friends&family, sing, go to the playground, go to church


extra - loves the color green! loves to kiss his babysisterzoe

{recently spotlighted in Primary}

pictures taken by the talented Natasha Layne Brien

MEGA Pictures

This is for the serious Jones/Simkins family picture viewer. There are 244 Christmas pics in this album! I'd still like to see the pics Holly took -- send them to me sis!

Opera on my Mind

Went to the opera recently and still have that lovely evening on my mind. It is indeed nice to enjoy this city from time to time for all that its fabled for. Dinner at Asiate and opening night at the Met, featuring Renee Fleming, in Yevgeny Onegin (Tchaikovsky!) In the opera, Onegin turned out to be far less of a sympathic character than I remembered -- perhaps if he would have been a tenor... Well, it's probably my affinity with words, esp. lovely rhyming ones, which can render all kinds sympathies and allowances from me ! ;) I think I will always associate the story with Pushkin and his wrenching story in verse.

Oh, but the tenor, Ramón Vargas, a gorgeous man from Mexico, with such a superb voice. I love tenors! I was so moved by his aria right before the duel that I nearly cried! I hardly ever take opera so seriously the only other time I felt that way was during Rigoletto (my favorite opera). I did sleep quite a bit, effectively missing all of Madame Flemmings exquiste arias. Darn! Nathan enjoyed trying to keep me awake with a steady 20minute pinching campaign, but it didn't work.

Ahhh... sometimes I pine for the Phildelphia-arts-gorging days... Honestly, the babes don't have a lot to do with our arts scarcity -- it's the cost of living here! In Philadelphia we could do it all: live in the West Villiage-esque part of Center City (Rittenhouse Square) in our little 2-bedroom which we moved into at $850 a month -- we had to downsize a couple years later due to frequent trips abroad, but the cozy 1-bedroom was $725; eat out regulary and follow the restaurant scene and hot chefs; memberships at opera, small theatre groups, museums... I was even a regular runner in those days. It was during this period when I finally, after seeing consecutive operas and merely feeling fascination for the form, felt emotionally affected by Rigoletto. Ahhh.... I obsessed about it for months! I rented filmed versions from the library, read the libretto, cried and mourned through all the lovely wrentching arias... ahhh... Verdi! It's actually not primarily a love story. It's largely, for me, about a father and his daughter. It's a sad bitter tale. I suppose it is more believable -- irony, sadness, regret, those emotions mingled with love all make a story more realistic to me. And, of course, the music is sosososososo glorious! The best recording is the version with Joan Sutherland, Pavarotti, and Sherill Milnes this is the version I watched over and over from the library. Electric!

Desi Candor IV

You’re my biggest star ever – the biggest one!

Cheer up mom be happy – it was mistake everyone has mistakes!

My body has a broken heart.

Des came into the kitchen looking a bit shaken, “I heard growls.” I replied lightly, "Maybe it was my stomach”. He said, “No, it was me – it was me scaring myself.”

“Lets dig in guys, shall we?” Finally the morning arrived – I had made muffins for everyone.

Des has had a hard time transitioning into the big primary -- he misses nursery quite a bit. But finally today he announced out of the blue, “I love the primary!” Hooray! Thanks Annette!

When I went in to set Des free from his naptime, he asked me directly, “Do we speak Spanish or English?”

Eating peanut butter sandwiches at home the other day I overheard Des say, “I love my lunch bunch sandwiches” Eating peanut butter nearly exclusively at lunch bunch has caused him to rename the PBJ!

Yeah! She’s walking! My walking sister!

You need to get off the couch – you need to move. I smell you feet you need to move away. (This was said to me. Gurrrr…)

Des got into some bows and things we had for gift wrapping and began to tie a yellow ribbon around his neck. When he finished, he said, “This pretty is a guy”.

In talking about Vanessa’s engagement Desi processed the conversation thus: When I grow up to be a girl, I’ll get married?” I told him that he’d actually grow up to be a guy. “Oh, when I grow up to be a guy, I can get married to my friend? What about Lexi, she’s a girl. And when I’m a big man she’ll be a woman!”

It was a cold day and I bundled Des up in multiple layers. We were delayed for a minute and he started to get very uncomfortable; tugging and generally whining he finally let out a cry, “my elbow is hot!”

Here’s some more juice if you have the time

I want to eat the captain cereal – it’s my life long dream!

My arm is cold and spicy.

After spending 20minutes making a soup with all manner of non-traditional items Des finally tastes it,
“that’s yucky I made – what yucky soup!”

After making a makeshift barn Des begins to coax Zoe, “Here’s a barn, go in there cow!”

Ayden is a treat! Ayden is a treat! Ayden is a treat! Ayden is a treat to eat! (A budding flesh-eating poet)

One unfortunate afternoon DesJones was a bit too loud and woke Zoe a bit too early from her nap. I was displeased. Des sweetly began to persuade me thus, “It’s alright mom – be happy! Cheer up! It’s alright!” He repeated this a number of times, in many variations and finally after getting no response from me said, “Say it’s alright mom, say it’s ok to Desi. It’s just an accident!”

While shopping in the grocery store, Des announced from behind me, “It’s a smiley face!” I turn around to look and I see him smiling widely and walking with a happy bounce to his step. He *is* a smiley face! Love that face of his!

Look mom my milk has lip on it. (He had a milk mustache)

Mom, I found a cow! This is amazing, I found a cow (hugging cow) cow-ever!

I’m gonna brush my teeth by myself, but first I’m gonna fire you. (my services are no longer needed)