Zoe en Voice

No! I said No!

While swinging one morning Zoe declared happily, “MyGrammy loves me!”

That bug standing on me.

Please! Pretty please!!

This butter's yummy!

Zoe: Neibaur . . .
Me: Are you thinking about Neibaur?
Zoe: Yes, Neibaur.
Me: Neibaur and Leila are our special friends. I think about them all the time. I miss them.
Zoe: No! My friends! Neibaur&Leila.
Me: Are they your friends?
Zoe: MyNeibaur. MyLeila.

With her legs as far apart as she could get them standing Zoe will proudly call our attention and say, “Kids do that”. She must have seen some kids somewhere doing that and has been trying it ever since.

“Nia nadda Stroller!” She addressed the stroller in Russian! We were out walking and she insisted on pushing it along and it proved too difficult. Nia nadda means it’s not necessary or you’re not supposed to do that. Des has been hearing a lot of that word.

Pointing at one of the biggest freckles on my arm Zoe asks, “Chocolate?” I say no. “Ice cream?” She wonders. I say no. “Take it off?” She suggests. I say no.


As a baby approached us, Zoe pointed and said, “Little man coming.”

“Not me, not me school.” She’ll say this in order to be reassured that she does not have to go to school. She only lasted about 4days before it was decided that she would not go any longer. She and I are now spending consecutive, one-on-one, days together and it is the most blissful discovery – the company of my daughter!

No way Jose!

“Eat something, tummy hurts.” She never used to ask for food and now to hear her say this on a regular basis is greatgreatgreat.

Desi happy?

Zoe had her finger up her nose. I asked her what she was doing and she explained, “Get something nose”.

“My teachers, byebyebye. Pakah pakah!” Again reflecting upon school and the happy fact that she doesn’t have to go.

Zoe found some coins on the floor and was so happy, “My kopeks!” then she started tapping them together and said, “ Singing kopeks!”

After searching a bit to find her favorite socks, she began to put them on and say, “Don’t worry socks, don’t worry. Mommy find you. Hi!”