Another 18 months goes by and WHOOPS GLOBAL PANDEMIC

WHOOOOAAA, things are super nuts! What happens when I don't update your blog for 18 months? A global pandemic, I guess.

Before all of this happened, a lot of other major changes went down. We had been really enjoying our first year of homeschooling and traveling a lot. I think our family favorite was spending all of February in Puerto Rico. We all are pretty obsessed with the place. 

I wanted to update your blog so you will have a little snippet of what our lives were like during this quarantine. As I type this, we have stayed home for a SOLID MONTH. We have actually done really well since we were already homeschooling and used to being together all day every day. Our days haven't changed all that drastically, but it is very weird to eat every single meal at home, never go to restaurants/movies/coffee shops/friends houses and not make any travel plans. We get our groceries delivered so we don't even go to the grocery store. Our stay at home order began on March 24 and now they're saying it's likely to be extended into May. I have never seen anything like this!

We have come up with some fun things to do and you're baking up a storm. I should have taken a picture of the eclairs you made the other day (YUM)! You have a gift! We have been using the Marco Polo app to send videos back and forth to Grandma Patty, Grandpa David and Aunt Jess. We spend a lot of time outside. Today, for example, we went on 3 scooter walks (you and Junie scooter, I walk)! You play on the swing, hang in the hammock and one day we made our own birdfeeders. We had the tent up for a week or so in the backyard and Zinia and Willa had theirs up about 8 ft away. You guys have gotten pretty good at playing without being too close to each other, which actually really amazes me. Honestly, you're better at remembering to stay 6 ft away from people than your dad is! He forgets!

One thing that has made things more fun is your parody songs. You are writing songs that are about Covid-19 to the tune of popular songs. You have one called "Corona Corona" that is a remake of Hakuna Matata (this one is my personal favorite). "It means you worry...for the rest of your days...." :) You have another called "Stay Inside" that is to "Show Yourself" from Frozen 2. There is at least one more but I don't know the song so I can't remember. This is where Junie would roll her eyes and say that I'm "not an internet mom" which seems to be some kind of insult. Cuts like a knife. 

Well, I love you, you almost-teenager. It's funny - you're actually approaching 13 and are acting less like a teenager than ever before. You acted more like a teenager at ages 3-11. Life is weird.

xoxoMama

I may or may not have just skipped two entire years on this blog

Dear Zoe,

Tonight I was thinking more about what tattoo I should get to represent you (it has to be perfect!) and doing a little online research. I decided to look at your blog to see if there's something I'm not remembering...and I was slightly embarrassed to see I haven't updated this freaking thing in TWO ENTIRE YEARS. Ouch.

This is one of the advantages of waiting until you have a fully-developed brain to get tattoos - you understand the way time works enough to know you really have to put some thought into it or you'll end up with a tweety bird on your lower back. You don't like my opinion on anything ever, but I'll just leave that bit of wisdom here in case this is the ONE thing you take to heart.

You are almost 11 years old, my love. It is soooooo weird that you're a tween suddenly. And it really was SUDDEN. At the start of 5th grade, you started setting an alarm and getting yourself up for school. Wearing deodorant. DECIDING to shower. Whaaaaaat?

It's fun because we can do things together like go see Crazy Rich Asians - which I would have gone to with friends - but now I can go with you! I think we will have a lot of fun together when you're not following me around the house telling me I'm doing everything wrong. It's ok, I think most people are doing it wrong, too, I have just learned I probably shouldn't tell them all the time. I still slip up from time to time, ask your dad or any of my friends. :)

I'm really proud of how driven you are. You started your own company called Look Shades. You bought cheap sunglasses in bulk from Amazon and rebranded them with Look Shades labels and you sell them for a profit from an Instagram account and via word of mouth. Mostly our friends buy them, but you have made really decent money and manage to keep suckering them by changing up the colors/styles. Who can pass up cute $5 green sunglasses?

 Next month we are going to Portland to see Grandpa David, Aunt Jess, Charlie Coconut and baby Banana-Pants who is still hanging tough in Aunt Jess's belly. Last year when we visited, we went to a fun pumpkin patch - this year I hope to go to the coast. We haven't been to the ocean in a few years and even though I won't swim in that garbage salt water, I love to be near it.

One thing that is making me feel incredibly proud is how you seem to float above some of the more annoying social drama with the girls at school. You have absolutely no problem saying no to an invitation if you think you won't have fun - no FOMO for you. The other day I asked you wanted to go to a birthday party and you said, "Mom - it's too many girls. They divide up and leave people out and there is all this drama. No thanks." Can't argue with that!

I am feeling incredibly proud of MYSELF for jumping back into this blog after a two year drought. I recently found my old journals from when I was 20-23 and though it is painful to read them (and I mean PAINFUL) I am so glad I have them. Life is so full and you just don't remember everything no matter how hard you try. Plus, you grow and change and it's just fun to have a little glimpse of yourself when you were younger. Sort of like time travel.

I love you, Bo. I think these tween and teen years are going to be an adventure for us but we'll have fun. Even if you roll your eyes through every minute.

xoxoxo Mama

Zoe B, third grader

Dear Zoe B,

You are so much like me I can't even handle it sometimes. I went up to the school the other day to take care of some forms and it happened to be your lunch time. I decided I'd pop in and say hi to you and your friends. You just looked at me in this perplexed way and said "Um, I don't really want you to stay. Thanks." Ha! I was the same - school was MY thing and I did NOT want my parents there gettin' all up in my biz. I love that you're that way, too.

You're quickly approaching 9 years old, which is TOTALLY WACK. You are so funny, though, and you get funnier as you get older which makes it easier to take. You made this hilarious commercial for school the other day and you added in all of these clever little touches that made the whole thing hysterical. I wish I could post it, but it's on your school iPad and it's at school with you as school iPads should be.

You have Mrs. Wright for 3rd grade and you seem really happy with her. It's a big year at Briarwood for you - a ton of cool field trips to all kinds of Kansas City hot spots, a big chili cook-off,  the whole grade makes a huge replica of Washington DC and then a big Washington DC trip at the end of the year. Heck, I'm excited and I'm just the mom.

We had a great time in Michigan. We did about 4,000 things which is just the way you like it. You drove the boat with uncle Colin, we kayaked, canoed, floated in tubes, etc.




Charlie was there for 10 days and you LOVE being the oldest. So many people to boss around! Heaven! You're so sweet with little kids, though, and you were very sweet with him. It makes me so proud.

I love you so much, my sweet girl. Sometimes I feel like I forget you're still little - you act so grown up sometimes and you're so independent. But really you're still a pretty little kid. Growing fast, but still my little girl. Which you will always be. Sigh. I love you so much. I hope you know that every minute of every day.

xoxo
Mama

Zoe B - 7 years old

 Whoa, you're 7? What?!?

I remember being a little kid and thinking that 7 seemed old and that when I finally got to be 7 things would really start picking up for me. And now I have a kid that's 7? Things picked up, indeed.

The last few months have been busy and so much fun. Although you were sick on your birthday, which I honestly can't believe. You had the flu - you woke up in the middle of the night of your birthday with a killer headache and a fever. You were out of your mind disappointed because you had been looking forward to it for months. The week that you were sick, 26% of the kids at Briarwood were sick. NUTS!

You had a pretty awesome birthday party, which fortunately was planned for a few weeks after the real day. You and 3 friends went to see Annie on the day it opened. You had a blast. I thought the movie sort of sucked, but shockingly you never asked what I thought. :)

Suddenly it was Christmas time, and Grandma Patty came to visit. We had a great time. There were Christmas jammies and cookies and we drove through Candy Cane Lane a hundred times (or at least it felt like it). It was magical, as Christmas tends to be.

You are such a smart little cookie and often times really think you have things handled and that I could just resign as mother because you'd be happy to take over. You love to read (lately it's Junie B Jones books) and you're an amazing reader. You also love to watch not-so-amazing YouTube videos made by children whose parents give them free reign with a video camera and internet connection. But I'm trying REALLY hard to just let you be you and to let you like what you like even though there are all kinds of cool things you could watch on YouTube that don't involve weird strangers video-taping themselves doing handstands. NEVERTHELESS!

You're super sweet with your sister, who is mostly super sweet with you, too. You guys seriously melt me into a giant puddle you're so cute together. It snowed the other day and I saw you out there pulling her in the sled and I wanted to lay down and the floor and sob because it's so lovely to have a sister and I'm just so happy for you. I'm emotional. I know you understand - you're an emotional lady. You come by it honestly, as your dad likes to say.

You keep talking about the 10 year old trip you'll take with your dad for your 10th birthday. Now you're considering Mexico and Tokyo (even though it's supposed to be continental US) because I think you've got your Dad's number. I love it. The other day you had a day off school and we had to take Junie to preschool and you said you'd rather stay home with Dad. When I told you Dad was going to work, you said, "That's ok - I'll go to work with him. I like elevators and being in New York." So I said, "Dad doesn't work in New York." And you replied, "Well, it's LIKE New York with all the tall buildings and stuff."

We went to Arizona a few weeks ago and we went to the Phoenix Zoo. You totally shocked me because the first thing you wanted to do was ride a camel. I was like, "really?" and you said, "I'm brave now." And yep - you got right on a camel.  You're brave now. For sure.

I love you, my sweet 7 year old. You are, as always, the light of my life.
xoxox
Mom

Well, I'm the worst blogger to ever have lived

Dear Zoe,

You know what? We moved! And moving is stressful and time consuming and nutty and it makes you feel frazzled and just leaves very little time for blogging.

And we had a crazy fun summer and crazy fun also leaves very little time for blogging.

But here we are now and school is in full swing (um, first grade?) and we're mostly settled into our new house and things are starting to settle down.

Here's our new house. We love it.

Here's your room (that you share with Junie - her bed isn't pictured, obv).

Here's a shot of you having fun on the beach. Never mind that this skim board purchase sent you into a whirlwind temper tantrum because it wasn't YOURS ONLY. Ha. 

Here you are on your first day of first grade. Ack!

It's weird how I am just in utter disbelief that you are in first grade. You get up early and you walk to school with Gabby (we walk with you guys, of course) and you're gone all day and it's nuts. Your teacher's name is Mrs. Boetcher and you really seem to like your new school. Phew! Also, I'm so impressed with how well you read. You're reading fluently now and a year ago you were hardly reading anything at all. 

Your Aunt Jess and baby Charlie came to Michigan when we were there. That was so much fun. You just love that Charlie Coconut. I think you wish you could just pick him up and walk all over the house with him like the babysitter that you dream of being when you're older but of course he was just too tiny for that. 

The other big thing that happened is that you lost tons of teeth. You are the cutest little rascal. 

Well, I love you my sweet girl. You are hilarious and precocious and feisty and determined and persistent and willful and independent and sweet and sensitive and I just want to eat you sometimes. I guess that never wore off from when you were a chubby little baby. 

Love, 

Mom

Zoe B 6 year old

Well...guess who is 6 going on 16? Or even 26?

Yeah, you. 

Where do I even begin? You are doing SO well in school. You LOVE it and never want to miss a day. There was a day last week that you had a fever and I told you that you had to stay home from school and you lost your mind with anger. You HAD to go to school! YOU HAD TO! I'm so happy that you love it so much. I hope that lasts a while. 

You're reading up a storm - I can't believe how much you've learned in such a short time. I also can't believe that Kindergarten is already more than half over and that you'll be in first grade next year. I guess I can't believe a lot of things. Don't want to get me started on that. I mean, Sam Brownback is our governor? Why? 

You had a great 6th birthday party at SkyZone with all of your friends. When you were smaller you used to kind of freak out about a lot of attention but man, you have really grown up. You loved every second of it. Basked in all the attention.

We have been/are traveling maniacs. We drove to Michigan for Christmas this year which was really fun. We haven't been there for Christmas EVER since you were born so it was a big treat for me. Aunt Jess was there with her cute little baby bump (you've named the baby Coconut) and you had a great time sledding with Uncle Michael.

Next we are off to France Cancisco in a few weeks for Aunt Jessie's baby shower. We're meeting Grandma Patty there - it's going to be awesome. February makes me crazy so it will good to get the heck out!

Speaking of France Cancisco, Junie and I went there a few weeks ago and it's the first time I've ever left you! Well, aside from the one night I spent in the hospital when I had Junie. I was really, really nervous about it. But you did REALLY well - you hung out with Grandpa David during the day and daddy at night and you had a blast. You're amazing. You really roll with things well when you have to. I love that.

Ok - right now I have to run and pick you up from school. It's so cold I want to freak out. I think we should move to Hawaii.

I love you so much. More than you could ever imagine.
xoxoxoxo
Chelsea Mama

A Letter from Grandma Patty

Dear Zoe,

I loved my visit with you and all your family. Of course, you and I get to sleep together and so many other things. It is very special.

What a treat it is to be your Grandma! I mean it. I get so excited to be with you. Making a pumpkin pie from scratch - that was great - we did a great job! You are such an awesome pie crust roller, and pie crust is not that easy. It turned out so well and it tasted so good! Let's make another one at Christmas, ok? Perhaps we'll even cook the pumpkin. How about that cow cake? I liked making that with you. You weren't so sure about how good I was at doing that, but I wasn't so sure, either. I had never made one before. It just looked like fun and don't we just have to try new things? It turned out pretty darn good, I'd say.

Everything about spending time with you is fabulous: the park, building Kiwi Crate craft activities, stories, games, pretend, swings, and just hanging out with you and Juniper!

I am very excited to spend Christmas with you this year. We will get a real Christmas tree - we can cut it down if you want to, or I'll get it ahead of time and we can decorate it when you get here. We can make cookies, gingerbread people and do all the fun Christmas stuff that your Aunt Jess and I like to do. Santa will find my house and bring you gifts!

You are such a big girl now. I was so glad to be there when you received your first report card and to see that you are doing so well. Congratulations. My sweet baby. I am proud of you and your achievements. Of course, I knew that you would do well, my bright shining star of a child!

Grandma Patty loves you so...just like a red ribbon bow.

Magic

Zoe: I learned that trees are part of the earth.

Mom: Yep.

Zoe: Also, houses are part of the earth.

Mom: Houses? How are houses part of the earth?

Zoe: Um....magic.

Zoe's Twitter

A friend of mine emailed me the other day and told me that Zoe was spamming her on Twitter (or is it twamming?). I had completely forgotten that Zoe had a twitter account that I set up to record the funny things she said when she was around 2.

Here's a little snapshot (click to enlarge):

Zoe B Kindergartener

Dear Zoe B,

Guess who goes to school now? REAL school? YOU. Kindergarten. What the what (this is something you say now and I think it's hilarious)?

You are in Mrs. Garey's afternoon kindergarten class at Forest View. You seem to really like it and you're making lots of new friends. We miss you in the afternoons, but you were so ready to get this school thing going. I don't blame you.

We had an amazing Michigan summer. We were gone for 6 weeks this year and it FLEW by. Too bad that as I write this (IN SEPTEMBER) it's approaching 100 degrees. Ugh. This place!

We did all of the things we love to do in Michigan. Sailboating, SUPing, tubing, lots of beach time, rides at the Cherry Festival, hanging with cousins, dog-walking with Grandma, making new summer friends, eating tons of ice cream, and swinging on the swing in Grandma's front yard. I'm so happy we're making all of these great summer memories (if you don't mind me getting all sentimental on yo ass).

Then of course you were glad to get back to KC and see your BFF Gabby and sleep in your own bed and stuff. 

You're hilariously high-intensity, kidlet. Whenever we have any kind of conflict lately and you're mad at me, you say things like, "Is this how you treat your DAUGHTER? Your CHILD?" I love it because I'm usually mad and it makes me laugh and reminds me that whatever was making me mad is probably not that big of a deal. 

I'm very proud of what a good big sister you are. You are really able appreciate Junie for who she is and you are (mostly) very patient with her. I know how hard it can be to have a little sister gettin' all up in yo biz and you're so good with her. Go you! 

I love you, my sweet growing-up-girl. A few weeks ago you got your first wiggly tooth. I almost cried. But I don't cry about that kind of stuff because I'm awesome that way. I can reign it in (or maybe I'm trying to convince myself I can). 

xoxoxoxo

Mama

Zoe says...

Mom: Why don't you go get the blue iPad out of the car?

Zoe:  Well, because I'm not .... I'm not much of a walker. Especially not in the morning.


Sheesh.

A Letter From Aunt Jess

Dear Zo, 

Well, another awesome visit with you is in the books. And let me tell you, that girls week-end in Palm Springs was one of the best ideas yet. 

You picked me up from the airport without going to starbucks first - because - you thought what if I wanted something too? How thoughtful are you my sweet?! 

You are growing like a weed - so tall and so grown-up - I can't believe how fast time flies. It's a good thing we are best friends because there is no awkwardness in not seeing each other for a while. We fall right back into our awesome routine - which is me basically doing everything you want. 

We watched Barbie princess movies and danced and sang to it in spectacular outfits on. We swam in the pool and we ordered fancy drinks while poolside - 'I will have 8 cherries please!' So. Awesome. 

You pretty much act like a teenager already, which is so funny because I thought you were only five. You were schooling me left and right - 'are you really going to wear that Aunt Jess?' Sass. Pot. The B-G force is strong with you little one. 

We slept in one bed while your mom and Junie slept in another. You were so cute snuggling up when it was time for bed. I loved it. You also ate about 600 mini-muffins from Trader Joe's that you hid under the bed from Junie. Nice one - sharing is for suckers. 

You are a great big sister though - even though you give her crap sometimes. She just adores you. Always remember that ok?

You're a really amazing observer - you pay such close attention to detail and are very perceptive of everything around you. I often wonder what you're thinking. 

You're also very into your outfits and it's just so awesome because your mom is sooooo not like that. It makes me happy you're a fashion lady, just like your Aunt Jess. 

You'll be starting kindergarten this fall, which is BANANAS, because I remember kindergarten. Clearly. Also, you were just a baby a second ago. 

I'm so excited to see you in Michigan this summer and to teach you all about mermaid dives...because on our trip you were getting better at putting your face under water. "Oh man - Mom is going to be SO proud of me." And she was. And so am I. 

Love you like ca-razy. 

Aunt Jess

And suddenly it's almost June

Dear Zoe B, 

You couldn't possibly get any cuter. Just look at this picture! Sheesh! 

Hey - 7 years ago your dad and I got married! That was a good day and I think I made an awesome decision when I decided to marry him. He's a great husband and great dad. Go me.

I have been trying to keep notes here and there of the funny things you say so that when I update this blog I'll have a long list. Here are some recent gems: 

You: "It's not easy being me."  
Me:  "Why?"
You: "Because of chores." 

(ps - you do almost NO chores ;) )

Me: "Let's brush your hair and pull it back." 
You: "No! It's not what you look like it's where you go."

"When I grow up and have my own kids I am going to name that Sam and Allie. If they are two girls I will name them Allie and Tori. And I live in your neighborhood. In Kansas City." 

Daddy: How do you spell your name? 
You: Z-O-E 
Daddy: You're pretty smart. 
You: That's because I've been me for a while now. 

We're about to take off for Michigan for 6 weeks. Well, we leave in another month. Until then you're doing swimming lessons, summer session at your preschool that you ditched and then we're in MI til school starts. CRAZY! You start kindergarten half way through August and you're doing afternoons. Originally we were going to do mornings but then we snapped out of it. Getting up at 7:30 every day? No thanks. We have one more year of sleeping in and then it's all over for us. 

You and Junie are getting along better than ever and also fighting more than ever. I guess that's just the way it is with sisters, huh?

You also now have a neighborhood friend, Matthew, and you're super excited about that but still a little shy about going to his house to ask him to play. I'm excited for you. Part of that is just me - I grew up in the country and just had Aunt Jess to play with most of the time. No neighborhood friends for me. I can tell you really like him because you act all coy and shy and half the time when he comes over you just hide from each other. I hope this isn't what's ahead for us when you're a teenager. It kind of makes me cringe. 

I love you, sweet girl. I am so lucky that you're my kid. 

xoxo
Mama

March 2013

Dear Zoe,

It's March and I love March. Spring! Birthdays! Spring! 

This is funny - we went up to Michigan for a few weeks to escape the brown Kansas winter. We wanted snow and snowpeople and sledding so we took off (right after I yanked you out of preschool, more on that later) in the van and drove to Traverse City. When we got back, the sky opened up and dumped like two feet of snow on Kansas City within a week. No joke. That's the way things work, my love. 

It's true that I yanked you out of preschool. In fact, it was Liz's idea originally. We had talked about what a racket preschool is in terms of cost and what you actually get out of it and she said she would just like to take the money and take a big road trip. A few months later we started getting into arguments about what your friends at school would think of ____ outfit, and I can't wear that kind of coat because _____ doesn't wear that kind, and so and so will laugh at me if I wear that. That was pretty much what you were taking away from preschool. Eh, no thanks. What I truly wanted you to gain from preschool was a sense that you are able to work as part of a group. I wanted you to separate from me and have your own thing that was different from our life at home. That all happened when you went to school when you were 3. So, now we're home. We're taking several trips and you're spending some good time with your little sister who is THRILLED to have you home. 

We have been going to kindergarten round-up activities - what? It's true you're starting kindergarten in 5.5 months. I'm hoping you'll go in the morning and then we'll have all afternoon to carry on with our shenanigans. We'll see. 

One totally craptastic thing that happened when we were in Michigan (craptastic is downplaying it, but I'm trying to repress it, thanks) is that you burned your precious little butt cheeks on Grandma Patty's gas fireplace glass. You got two huge (like 3 and 5 inches) 2nd degree burns on your butt. Thank God Grandma Patty was there and was able to call her pediatrician friend. Because of that, we were able to avoid the ER and spare you that trip when you were already absolutely beside yourself because of the pain. This parenting thing just tears me up sometimes. Your poor little butt - my poor little baby. That night I hardly slept - I was a balled up mess of anxiety and stress. Overall you were amazingly brave about all of it and amazingly you'll end up, I'm told, with an absolutely scar-free butt. 

You are learning how to read. You've totally got the sounding out the letters thing down. It's pretty amazing. You can read quite a few of your BOB books. Crazy. 

You're super funny, too. The other night you told me you wanted to wear your leotard all day the following day and I told you we had to run some errands. So you thought about it and then said, "I have an idea! I'll wear my leggings over my leotard and my leotard will be my shirt so I can still wear it when we go out!" So I said, "Great idea." You sighed and said, "Ah, you always love my ideas." 

I love you, my sweet girl. I am so blessed that you are my kid and always feel lucky when I go to bed at night knowing we're going to get to spend the next day together. 

Love, 

Mama

5

Dear Zoe B,

It seems like the only time I have to write on this blog is when I leave the house. Little Junebug is a rascal! Not that you're not demanding yourself but it's in your genes; you guys can't help it.

In just a few days you'll be FIVE YEARS OLD. I'm pretty sure there's some kind of rip in the fabric of time because you just can't be that old. The end.

I realized I didn't write anything about out trip to France Cancisco here, so I need to go back and get caught up there.

Jess and Michael moved to SF from Brooklyn in June and we were all super excited to be visiting her somewhere other than NYC. Don't get me wrong, New York is great. Just not so great to visit all the time with kids and you know, the fact that everything costs money there (even breathing air and peeing)  and she never had enough room for us to stay with her and everyone's mean and they act like you're in their way and out to ruin their lives. Anyway. She moved to SF and got an apartment with enough room for us to stay, and the people in France Cancisco are so laid back and hippie-ish. The guy at the hot dog cart (where they also had veggie dogs) looked right at me when it was my turn and said, "What'sss uuuupppp?" Score one for SF.

Just you, June and I went because your dad couldn't get the time off work. You guys are awesome travelers, I have to hand it to you. I was a little nervous about going it alone with two small kids but you handled it all beautifully. Yesssss.

It was a really great trip. We just did a lot of parks and hanging out and checking things out. We did some touristy things you wanted to do (trolley, sea lions, aquarium, etc) but we mostly just hung out.

The day we got there was actually the Dia de los Muertos. Jess lives in the mission district which, as we learned that day, hosts quite a crazy Dia de los Muertos street party. It was great because though you hate people in costumes when they're right in your face you are fascinated by them when you can watch from afar. We had an amazing view from Jessie's third floor apartment windows and you were just enthralled. I was also enthralled, until they wouldn't stop with the damn drumming at 1am. (Crotchety old lady!)

You were super into your Aunt Jess and when I asked you what your favorite part of the trip was you said, "Seeing Aunt Jess!". Just tears me up how cute you guys are.

We had your 5 year old birthday party the other night at our house. In attendance were: Jack, Josie, Junie, me, Daddy, Grandpa David, Grandma Jackie, Grandpa Russell, Aunt Jill, Uncle Mark, Sophie, Dominic, Michael Holloway, Liz, Ryan, Gabby, Cora, Karen, Helen, Stephanie, Alex and Alayna.

It was super fun. There was pizza and beer for the grownups and tons of cake. I MADE a piñata (probably won't ever do this again so let's get it on the record) and your dad made this punch-out party game. It was awesome.

I'm so happy to be your mom. Sometimes before you go to bed you ask to hold my hand. You say, "I want to hold your hand because you're my momma and I love you." It's so cute!

Anyway, I'm running out of time. I'm at the bookstore and a woman behind me is talking LOUD on her cell phone about the great deals she got at Wet Seal. MUST LEAVE.

I love you to bits.

xoxox
Momma

Election 2012

Dear Zoe,

THIS HAPPENED! YESSSSSSS.

I am so excited I can hardly stand it. I knew I was nervous but until today I didn't realize how nervous I actually was.

I wrote about Barack Obama in 2008 when you were just a baby - you weren't even 1 when he was elected. Now you're an awesomely feisty almost 5 year old and he's been re-elected. I'm so happy that for 8 years of your childhood he will be the President of the United States.

Sure, we're not in the best place as a country but we're in a better place than we were 4 years ago when he took office. We're making progress. Most of all, I feel so relieved that we have someone in office who believes that gay people should have the same rights as the rest of us. Someone who believes that women can make their own reproductive health decisions. Someone who believes that we all should have access to affordable health care.

And not only was Obama re-elected, we have 18 women in the Senate. We have our first openly gay woman Senator. Elizabeth Warren was elected! Claire McCaskill beat Todd Akin! It was a great night for us, Bean. Particularly for you young people. I feel good about the road we're on for your generation.

PHEEEEWWWW.

Oh and....

Zoe, 

Lately you've been asking to read the Where Did I Come From? book about how babies are made. It is KILLING me - you're so funny. 

Of course I probably wouldn't have gotten this book for you yet but you're the third kid in this house so you've inherited it early from your sibs. Fine with me - easier to talk to you about early so it doesn't become hard to talk about. 

The last time we read it you said you were just going to call breasts nipples and not breasts. "Mom - penises look like hot dogs!" During the birth part you seemed absolutely horrified that babies come out of a woman's vagina. Also - the umbilical cord grossed you out. 

Tonight you hid under the covers for the sex part and were absolutely out of your mind about the idea of eggs being inside a woman's body. Of course you were thinking chicken eggs. 

You were asking questions and wanting to see videos and we were talking for quite a while and then you refused to settle down to sleep. I said, "Zoe! You need to sleep - stop finding reasons to stay up." and you said, "MOM! Listen. I just didn't know where I came from."

I love you, Bean. 

Dear Emma or Tess or Hope or Kate

Dear Zoe,

Mostly you ask to be called Emma these days. And you ask to call me Quia. Quia, huh? Where on earth did you get that? 

We had kind of a whirlwind September. The 5 day a week peer model preschool didn't turn out to be the kind of preschool experience I was going for for you, so I pulled you out and put you back in Pioneer, which is the very sweet preschool you went to last year. You're in there with your buddy, Abby, and you're very pleased. 

We also went up to Michigan to help your Grandma Patty because she was in a Vespa crash. She fractured her pelvis in three places and broke a rib. I think our visit was mostly a very nice distraction for her but having two rascally kids in the house made things a little chaotic especially when I threw my back out. But - we got to be in Michigan in the fall, which is rare, and that was awesome. 

There are all these things that you say that make me think, "Chelsea! Get it on the blog!" Alas, I'm a procrastinator (I actually won Class Procrastinator in high school - did you know that about me?) and I forget. I remember a few things, though, so here we go:

In preschool you say a prayer before your snack and you were telling me about it one day when we were on the way to the liquor store (you love to go to the liquor store because they give you lollipops, and here in KS you can't buy wine at the grocery store so you have to make special trips - lame). You were trying to get me to say the prayer - you said, "Say this mom - 'God made the sun, God made the trees, God made the mountains, God made me'" and so I did, and then you said, "GOOD! NOW LET'S GO TO THE LIQUOR STORE!"

One of the songs I sometimes sing you and Junie at bedtime is You Can Close Your Eyes by James Taylor. The chorus goes, "So close your eyes, you can close your eyes it's all right. I don't know no love songs and I can't sing the blues anymore." It's a sweet song. The absolute best part of this, though, is that when you request this song you call it "the blues". So when you can't sleep you say, "Mom, will you sing the blues?" Best ever.

You are really excited about turning 5 in a about...6 weeks now. I really can't believe you're going to be 5 so let's just not talk about that right now.

You are growing and changing so much these days. You suddenly became very concerned about what shoes and coats you wear. We spent quite a bit of time in several shoe stores looking for the perfect shoes (you suddenly outgrew all of your shoes). At Target when you were trying on coats, you didn't like the hood on one of them so you said, 'Hmm...this one's not lookin'." And I thought it was funny so I laughed a little and this other woman nearby also laughed. The old you would have gotten upset but you would have hidden behind my leg and waited until the woman was gone to tell me you didn't like that she laughed. But the new-almost-5 you looked right at her, put your hands on your hips and said, "DON'T LAUGH AT ME!" I was pretty impressed. Of course it was slightly rude, but I was just so proud of you for being assertive. Atta girl.

In a few weeks we are going to visit your Aunt Jess in France Cancisco, as you say. I'm super excited to see what you make of it. You're so much fun to travel with - you're always up for anything and just roll with it all so well. I bet you'll be dancing on roller skates wearing a rainbow wig and hot pants in Golden Gate Park by the second day. 

Ooh - and Halloween is coming up. You and Gabby are going to be bees. Bee Princesses to be totally accurate. I can't wait.

I love you, sweet girl. I am so lucky to be your mom. 

Love, 

Mama 

Zoe B Big Kid

Dear Zoe B,

Where do I even start?

Well, this happened:

I know. You took off for preschool on the SCHOOL BUS. I was so excited for you and super proud of the way you just bounded up those steps and didn't look back. What a big girl. Sheesh. 

This year you are doing 5 afternoons a week at preschool. You go to Heartland Early Childhood Center and you're a peer model in a disabilities classroom. It's a great program and so far you seem to be really liking it. And you get to ride the bus! SCORE! Especially since you won't be able to ride the bus to elementary school since it's just right up the street.   

                           

We spent 5 weeks up in Michigan this year and you loved every minute of it. You woke up crying in the middle of the night on our last night because you didn't want to leave (but a few days after being back home you said, "I really am glad I'm home!"). You and Grandma love each other to bits and you're truly a beach kid if ever there was one. 

You made some crazy progress in the swimming department, which I did not expect. You've always been very cautious around water and don't like your face to get wet, etc. But this year it took you about a week and you just put on your life jacket and went for it. Bobbing up and down in the waves with your cousin, Zinnia, and then Gabby when she came. You even started working on putting your head under the water when you weren't wearing your life jacket. That's HUGE, dude! You worked hard and really took some risks and I'm so proud of you. 

I am so happy we get to spend this time up in Michigan for a million reasons but a big one is that it really gives you and your Grandma Patty some good time together. You just love to be together and I know you're making amazing summer memories living at her house for such a big chunk of time. It kills her that she doesn't get to see you all the time, so having you for so long in the summer is a big deal for her. 

This year Gabby, Cora, Liz and Ryan came to Michigan for a week. We had an amazing time and I think you really got a kick out of showing Gabby where we go each summer. 

I am so proud of what a big girl you're becoming. I can't believe that in just a few months you'll be 5. FIVE!?! That is a KID. Not a little kid. A kid. And just a few minutes ago you were a baby. Sometimes I look at your face and I can still see the baby you in there. It makes me melt, my sweet girl. You really will always be my baby. 

As I always tell you - I love you all the time. Every minute of every day.

Love, 

Mama