A letter from Aunt Jess

Dear "The Most Awesome Person Alive: Zoe B., 2 and 1/2",

I just got back from spending the fourth of july week-end with you and your family and I have to tell you, you're basically the coolest person who has ever lived. You have gotten SO BIG that I cannot even believe it. The last time I saw you was at christmas, which was 6 months ago. It might as well have been 6 years - you are like an adult now. Except cooler than an adult. By a lot.




You and your momma picked me up at the airport and you were shy for about 2 minutes - then you remembered that we're best friends. I also picked you right up and smooched all over you and you looked at me like - well, ok, you seem to look like me and act like me - so I'll let you smooch on my cheeks. You were really excited about the planes and the buses all around us.
You said "I wish I could go on a plane.... I wish I could go on a bus.... Can I go on a bus momma?"
Your momma said - "not right now, but we will soon ok?"
You said to me "My momma says, not right now."
I can't believe she can say no to you at all because you are so absolutely adorable when you say it and make everything you ask for seem totally reasonable. The Bauer-Greene force is strong with you my love.

Anyway, right then and there I decided that I would do anything you wanted because we're soulmates and if I don't spoil you like the awesome person that you are then who will? So here is what we did

* We blew bubbles and you laughed and laughed - especially when you blew them right into my face.



* I pushed you on the swing and pretended you were crashing into me everytime and you laughed so hard.
* We twirled around to the song on your new princess phone, I made up the words and you and I danced to it for like 150 million times. It was so completely great. (The song was to a waltz and went like this: "we're twirling around...around...around, we're twirling around, around, around... we're twirling around and arounnnnd and we fall down on our butts bu-bu-butts.) Then you would say "LET'S DO IT AGAIN AUNT JESSIE!" and I would say "OK!"
* We went swimming at grandpa david's house and you showed me how really excellent you are at jumping into the water
* We went to the movies and saw what you called "Toys thattalk" which was Toy Story 3 and you thought it was fun - but we did have to take a break in the middle to go get some m&ms and run down the corridor a few times. But really, who doesn't need to do that at the movies?
* we went to a clifford exhibit downtown where you were the cutest of all the kids and everyone knew to get out of your way because you are so awesome.




* We went to target and got groceries to make cupcakes and you helped put all of them in the cart and on the conveyor belt to check out. While your momma paid you and I twirled around with you in my arms and i gave you smooches on the neck. You thought this so so tickle-y so you tried to lick my face to make me stop. Whatever dude, try and gross me out by licking my face - IT WON'T WORK.
* We took naps together where you would snuggle up to me for a little bit, but then scooch back over to your mom and say 'i want huggies momma. I want you momma.' I just about died from adorable.
* We also had slumber parties together - you and your mom and I slept in the same giant bed and you would want to talk and talk and not go to sleep. The best was when you rolled over to me, put your arm around my neck - patted my cheek and said "hey chubby". Good one kid.
* We read soooo many books and you read them to me too - you have the best memory ever, you can almost recite pages by heart! If I tried to jump in you'd say "Don't say MY WORDS Jessie!"



* We took baths and I let you pour in the bubbles...you of course dumped in ALL of the bubbles but I was like..that's cool with me, so we just took a bath with sky high bubbles. There really are no worries when you're with your best friend.
* We ate so much sugar your mom said I would be responsible for your diabetes when you get older - but she just doesn't get that soulmates like us can eat endless sugar - it just fuels the coolness you know?

I had so much fun with you sweet girl, you really are such a source of joy in my life. I thought you might be sad to see me go but you were all "BYE!" and I was glad because if you would have cried I would have had to stay to make you happy. I would do ANYTHING for that bright smile and high pitched laugh.

If I'm ever having a bad day I can pull up a movie of you and feel better after watching it, I can video chat with you and it reminds me of what the really important things are in life. I am learning those important things are to be happy, to enjoy every moment and to have a great sense of wonder about this crazy world we live in and I'm learning it all from you. Of course. You're Zoe B., 2 and 1/2.

Please never stop...

Zoe,

Please never stop saying the following things:

* MilkSugar. You call milkshakes by the name of MilkSugar. It is adorable.

* Ketchup Eggs. You refer to eggs as Ketchup Eggs - as you eat your eggs with ketchup.

* Fridge-id-dator. 'Nuff said.

* Lalla Bar. This is how you say granola bar.

And please PLEASE never stop saying your age after your name like it's your credentials. "I'm Zoe B, two and a half."

Thanks. Carry on.

Half and Two

Dear Zoe,

You are now "half-and-two" as you sometimes say. Spunky as all get out.



Some noteworthy conversations with the half and two year old:

Me: "Do you want some more milk?"
Zoe: "No, I'm good." (this you learned from your big sister)

Me: "Look, I downloaded this game for you..."
Zoe: "I 'ever saw that! That is so awwweesome!"

Me: "It's Daddy's birthday, today."
Zoe: "Yeah, it's not my birthday."
Me: "When is your birthday?"
Zoe: "Tuesday."

Me: "It's time for bed, Zoe B."
Zoe: "Here's the thing...I just want to read a little book for a little while, ok?"

Me: "Let me help you."
Zoe: "No! I'm a big girl!"


Hey remember that weaning thing I was talking about in my last letter? Well, you blew my mind with that, kiddo. I stopped the morning nursing and you protested a bit, but then stopped asking to nurse altogether - even when going to bed! What I thought would be a slow process...maybe 2-3 months, you knocked out in a week. Seriously. Way to show me up, dude.

Here's a shot from your big girl party, which you decided to have at Chuck E. Cheese. Who knew that Elton John sunglasses were in the prize case?!?



This month we went to the hot air balloon festival, which was pretty cool if you don't count the 50 minutes we spent standing in line to buy a $5 corn dog from a 6 year old kid. You loved the balloons, and when we finally got that corn dog you really loved that, too.





It's officially summer now, so we're doing a lot of swimming, staying up late, eating "vanilla-chocolate-sandwiches" (ice cream sandwiches) and playing outside. In a little over a month we'll be in Michigan where we can summer properly (not die of heat stroke and swim in actual lakes). Hooray!



This summer is going to be all kinds of fun, little girl. I just know it.

I love you,
Mama-sita

Dear Zoe B

Dear "I Do It MYself" Zoe B,

Holy crap you're almost 2 and 1/2! Just typing that makes me want to smash my head into my keyboard and sob. I can't believe you are growing up so fast. PLEASE. STOP. For the love of god, kid. Stop growing so fast.

Still, you are more and more marvelous every day, which I guess has to be possible because it is happening before my very eyes. Life is magic. Never forget that.

We are just about to start the process of weaning. My breastfeeding goal was 2 years and you're almost 2.5, so I think we win. Plus, I think you're ready because you are getting so independent it's absurd. You want to do EVERYTHING by yourself, including drive the car. You're nothing if not ambitious. I figure if you think you can drive a car on your own, you can figure out how to fall asleep without nursing first.

You're only nursing at sleep times now, so I think it'll be fairly easy (probably harder on me than you). I have promised you a "big girl party" and you're very excited about that idea. Cupcakes at a park? You're IN. You have made that very clear.




One of my favorite things that you're doing right now happens when you see something that surprises you (like a field of cows or an ice cream store). You wrinkle up your nose and open your mouth WIDE and then say, "THAT IS SO COOOOOL!!" You look at me like, "Are you seein' this shit??"

The other big favorite these days is when you say, "this pencil is just perfect," when you get a pencil out, or "my little blankie is just perfect." I'll tell you what's just perfect, my little bean, and it's not that pencil.

You love to play outside and especially at the playground, where you are an adept little monkey climber. You get there, walk up to the slide or climbing wall, remove your shoes and get to work. It's pretty impressive.




You are a little ray of light in everyone's life. Jack and Josie are always thrilled to see you when they come back from their mom's, your Dad's eyes brighten when he walks in the door from work. I recently read a blog post that was full of amazing insight. My favorite bit was this:

"We don't have children - adopt them or give birth to them or summon them by stork - as a favor to them. They come to us as a favor to us. They are a gift to us. They rescue us."

That is exactly how I feel. You have been a gift to me, a favor to me, you have rescued me. And I am so lucky. And forever grateful.

I love you, my sweet angel baby,
Mama

Chicago, Detroit road trip

I AM ZOE B

Me: "You are so lucky."

Zoe: "No! I'm not lucky!"

Me: "Why not?"

Zoe: "Because I. AM. ZOE B!"

Dear jet-setting Zoe

Just LOOK at you, kid!

In February we went to Florida with Grandma Patty, and this month we went to see Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Russell in Arizona. You are quite the jet-setter.

We have been so busy that I've hardly had time to write on this website and my Dear Zoe letter is later than EVER (well, ridiculously late if you consider Grandma Patty wrote last month's).

You had a FABULOUS time in Arizona. You spent lots of time with your brother and sister and you were especially glued to your cousin Sophie. You'd wake up in the morning and say, "Is Soph awake?"








You had a great time in the pool engaging in all sorts of shenanigans with the big kids. You are definitely one of the big kids now, dude. Weird.

This month you have started the "but why?"only it's not annoying, it's totally cute. You kind of pucker up your lips and say, "but why?" like you will never be able to comprehend why it's not such a great idea to sit on the edge of your learning tower and try to turn on the faucet with your feet.

Your dad occasionally says "ma'am" to you and your sister...he'll say, "thank you, ma'am" or "of course, ma'am." Naturally you have picked this up, too. I told you to get in the car the other day and you said, "Well ok, MA'AM!"

You're sleeping in your big girl bed like a champ and you're down to nursing just at sleep times and you're rollin' with that better than I ever thought you would. You're so grown up, Zoe B!

I love you, my sweet bean. So much. More every single day.

Mama

shazam!

Destin, Florida, with Grandma P

A letter from Grandma Patty.

Dear Zoe B,

I had so much fun with you in Florida. It all started when you ran to greet me as I got off the plane in Memphis. I didn’t realize that you would be meeting my plane. And there you were smiling and happy to hug me. What a welcome that was for me. Your Mom was right behind you smiling so wide. She is so very proud of you. It is such a joy to see how much she loves you.

It was so good of you to share the painting of those pretty ponies; and then to be able to do it again and again. I had never seen such cool “paper dolls”, (that’s what we called them when your Mom and I were younger). The magnets make it easy and cool. I like how we gave those girls a swing in your new shoes. Do you remember?

I’m enclosing some pictures so that you can remember some of our adventures in Florida. The sand was so white that you at first would call it snow. Pretty soon you realized that it was only the same color, but we made some sand angels anyway. Our hotel was so close to the playground on the beach. That was a neat surprise. We had lots of fun there, even after it rained that one day. Remember we couldn’t slide inside that big dog because of all the water? Here are some pictures of us at that very spot, including inside eating lunch.






You really had a good time with your beach ball even when we were inside our hotel. Do you remember that? Your Mom got some great exercise chasing that ball on the windiest day.



Seeing the dolphins in Destin Bay when we were eating dinner that first night was a grand surprise. We knew then that we would have to take the dolphin cruise in Destin Bay. That was a beautiful trip; the late afternoon sun made everything glimmer. I learned a great deal and I appreciated the trip into Choctawhatchee Bay. You got to select a prize from the treasure chest. How has your crabbie adjusted to the weather in Kansas? I’ll bet that she’s happy as long as she’s with you.



I almost forgot about the train ride in Destin Commons and dinner at Zoe’s Kitchen. We were the only ones on the train. Wasn’t that great?

I’m so glad I got to ride with you on the plane to Memphis, but sorry to have to dash off so quickly to my next plane.

You are such a joy my sweet Zoe B. I can’t wait to see you again soon. I love you so!

I’ll be seeing you on video chat.

Your Adoring Gramma Patty.

Today it was a balmy 45! So we went to the park.