Zoe B : The Holy Terror Edition

Dear Zoe,

Today Grandma Patty posted this on Facebook,"You're nobody until someone calls you bossy." -Tina Fey

I think that pretty much says it all. Right? What I'm saying is YOU'RE SOMEBODY, KID!



I am pretty sure I don't have to worry about you growing up to be a pushover, which is good. I'm glad you are following along in your mother's, aunt's and grandmother's footsteps. Bossy broads unite!

I have to say, though, things are a little difficult these days because you're constantly bossing me around, yelling orders at me and scowling up a storm. I know it's hard when people don't do what you want them to do. I struggle with this STILL. I KNOW BEST - JUST DO WHAT I WANT! Yet, it doesn't work that way.

I think right now you're sort of stuck in a funny place of wanting to still be a little one and at the same time wanting to be a big kid. You still want a ton of attention and are now wanting us to do things for you that you used to beg to do yourself. On the other hand, when you are with your friends or Jack and Josie or your cousins, you are so eager to be JUST LIKE THEM. Sleep upstairs, watch big kid shows, play by yourself outside. Plus, you're so smart I think sometimes we forget you're just a little wee girl.




Preschool starts in a few months and I'm very excited for you. I think you're a little nervous about separating from me, but I think once you get comfortable you're going to absolutely LOVE IT. You've been taking a tumbling class with Gabby and you adore your teacher and are totally comfortable there after just a few classes. So I have high hopes. It will be good for all of us.

You are such a good big sister, Zoe B. You LOVE your little Junie so much. Sometimes when she cries you say, "Oh! I think she needs me!" I bet in a few years you guys are totally going to team up and take us on. I know I'm in trouble. BIG trouble.

Pretty soon things are going to kick into high gear - we're going to New York for Jessie's "brivate shower" (as you say), then two weeks later we're off to Michigan for three weeks and shortly after we return we're back to New York for Jessie's wedding. ROCK AND ROLL!

You are so much fun, Zoe B. You say the funniest things. The other day when your dad was in the shower you opened the bathroom door and said, "FART!" and closed it and ran off. You are clearly our daughter. As if there was any question.




I love you so much, kiddo. I look at you sometimes and wonder how on earth you've turned into such a brilliant, hilarious, determined, and loving person in such a short time. You've only been on the earth 3.5 years and you are such a FORCE! I love it. And I love you. So much I could cry.

Love Love Love,

Mama

my sister's blog

Junie has a blog, too!

Check it: Junie Beth.

Zoe Says....

"I love shorts. They have pockets and you know me - I just love pockets!"

Z: "Can I have an ice cream sandwich?" T: "You haven't had dinner." Z: "But it's my life's dream to have an ice cream sandwich!"

"I am the team champion. Now get me some orange juice."

Zoe B, 3 and 1/2

Dear Zoe,

Remember when you were two and a half and you used to say, "I'm Zoe B, 2 and 1/2"? Like it was your credentials? Well, now that you're 3 and 1/2, you don't do that any more because you're practically an adult. More teenager-ish than your 12 year old sister these days, I swear.

The other day I asked Josie to set the table and you flipped out because YOU wanted to set the table (I didn't ask you because the last time you set the table you burned out after you did the napkins and a table with only napkins and plates isn't exactly SET if you know what I mean). Josie, being the agreeable person that she is, handed the plates over to you so you could set the table. But the whole thing was so offensive to you at that point that you no longer wanted to set the table and while I was in the pantry getting out dinner ingredients you opened the pantry door, threw the paper plates at me and walked away.

See? What are you, 14?

You are SO MUCH FUN, though. I know I'm biased, but there has never been a funnier kid than you. No kid has ever been so much fun. Almost everything is fun with you - you just have such a knack for making everything awesome. I'm not surprised or anything because you've been like that since you were born.

One of my favorite things that you do right now is pretend to talk on the phone. You say things like, "Well, Aunt Jessie, I don't know when you're coming here but when you do I'm going to play princess phone with you and then we can twirl and everything BUT (tons of emphasis on the "but") you live in New York and you're there and how's Sophie?" You kill me.




You have also decided that the word "dude" has some sort of negative connotation - probably because of me. I say things like, "Dude! Slow down!" to other drivers and what not. So when Josie and Jack bum you out in some way, you call them dudes. The other day you said to me, "Josie and Jack are dudes because they ate all the popcorn."

Here's a question: what is with all this clothes-changing? You probably change your clothes 7 times a day and that is NOT an exaggeration. I guess it's probably because now all of your clothes are accessible to you and you can dress yourself completely. I'd say about 1/4 of the wardrobe changes are due to potty accidents and the rest are purely for practical or fashion purposes. It's funny. And kind of annoying because with all of this clothes changing and Junie's constant spitting up, we are drowning in laundry. But whatever - you'll only be 3 and a half and maniacally changing your clothes for a short time. I can live with it. I know someday I'll be wishing you were still little and changing your clothes 40 times a day instead of all grown up and too cool for me.

Speaking of Junie, you are such a good big sister. You love her so much - you love to make her smile and I can tell you're very excited for her to grow up a little so you guys can play. When we wake up in the morning, you're usually much more excited to see her than you are to see me. You have had a few episodes of blaming something on having a baby sister, but that's mostly stopped and I know you didn't really feel that way. Well, maybe you did for five minutes. But I know you know Junie is a little sweetie pie and that you'll be BFFs soon.




Guess what? I love you TO PIECES. You're magic, Zoe B. You really are.

Love,
Mama

Move Your Body

guess who's a big sister?

Zoe B is a big sister!

Juniper Elizabeth was born on March 28, 2011 (also big sister Josie's birthday!) at 2:13am. She weighed 9lbs 13oz. and was 21 inches long.

Of course, Zoe B is ROCKING this big sister thing. She loves Junie and can't wait to teach her all of her tricks.





Here she is with her BFF Gabby - they're both big sisters now!

Dear Zoe

Dear Zoe,

God I SUCK at this lately. When you were a baby it was so much easier...we weren't so busy and I had tons of time to sit and blog about how you were growing. Now, we are on the move all! the! time! it seems and the longer I go the more I know I should write and then it all becomes very overwhelming.

You are a very big girl. Which makes me want to curl up in the corner and sob sometimes because I can't believe how fast you've grown, but in other ways it's so much fun to be able to do all kinds of new things with you. It's so fun to pick you up from Grandpa David's and say, "Let's go get root beer floats!" and have you say, "Great idea!" It's awesome, for instance, that you are big enough to grab my car keys, open your automatic car door and go get your Barbie phone out of the car by yourself. By yourself! It's awesome that you say funny things like, "Let's go, turds!" when it's time to get in the car.




You are very independent most of the time - when you want to be. When you don't want to be, well...watch out. You have been known to get right in my face and say things like "I want milk RIGHT NOW and I'M NOT WAITING." Hmmm.....

Every time I say something about you being bossy, your dad says, "Weird, I wonder where she gets it?" The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, kid, and you come from quite a line-up of bossy broads. Your Aunt Mary Ann told me recently that someone told her she seemed like the kind of person that likes to try and control everything - to which she responded, "And there's something wrong with that?" I say go with it.

You are overall SUCH a happy kid. I LOVE how happy you are - and it's contagious. In February we spent a week in Detroit with Grandma Patty, Aunt Jess and our Bauer family because our Aunt Barb passed away. It was a really sad time for all us but having you there made it all so much easier. You were like a little ray of light.




I have to mention this love/hate relationship you have with people in costumes - like mascots. You hated Chuck E. Cheese but you love the dog mascot outside of PetCo waving at cars. You really hated the timberwolf and dog mascots at Jack's school carnival, but you somehow found this video on the internet of a person dressed as bigfoot parading through New York City that you love to watch. You talk about them all the time - how they are just people under there and how they are NOT coming to our house. I guess I get it, when I went to Alaska I was terrified of grizzly bears but I couldn't put down this book called Alaskan Bear Tales.

Right now we are waiting for a new baby to join our family. You are very excited. You keep saying, "when our baby comes I'm going to teach her _______". It's very cute. I really think you'll do great and you'll be a much better big sister than I was in the beginning. You have been very sweet to me as I've gotten bigger and bigger and less able to do fun stuff. I think the big sister role will come quite naturally to you.

We are also gearing up for Aunt Jessie's wedding in September. You want to be the flower girl and so you're planning what dress you'll wear. Every week or so it changes and you pick out some dress you already have and declare that to be your dress. I imagine we'll have a lot of fun picking out the real dress you'll wear.




You are also VERY excited to start preschool in the fall. You talk about how you'll learn all kinds of things in preschool and how you'll have one teacher just like Jack has one teacher. I can't believe you're old enough now to start preschool - arrgghhh! HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

I love you so much, my sweet bean. Sometimes I just look at you and marvel at how much joy you've brought to all of us. I am so blessed to have you in my life. I know you'll read this someday and roll your eyes because your mom's a huge sappy loser, but it's all true so you can just ... stick that up your butt and blow it out.

Smooches,
Mama

p.s.
Here's a photo of you and your dad bowling. Check out your stance - sass!

A Letter from Grandma Patty

Dear Zoe,

It’s been 8 days since I kissed your little face goodbye at the airport. We were both sad because we knew that we would miss each other. I really wish we lived closer together too. Someday I hope to have so much time off that I can go to your house whenever I want to and stay as long as I want; and of course you’ll keep coming to see me in the summer for a month or more.




We are having a big snowstorm here; it has snowed all week long, a little bit each day, but now it’s going to be really deep. Tonight, Sam loved it outside and wouldn’t come in. He was covered in snow and looked like a white dog when I finally got him inside the house.

Are you enjoying all your new toys? You got some great gifts. I am enjoying my gifts also, but my best present was being with you and your wonderful family. I loved being on the carousel with you; wasn’t that a beautiful panda that you rode?! I really like to go to the playground with you; it’s nice to have that so close to your house. Are you still playing the Kai Lan Super Game Day on the Wii? You are really good at that. I bet Josie and Jack play with you too.




Is Momma’s belly getting even bigger? It won’t be that long before you’ll have a new baby at your house and you will be the big sister. I’m sure that will be exciting. I will come and play with you and help your Momma when she needs me. So, look for me in March or maybe sooner.




I’d give anything to send this letter through the mail slot on your pink house.

All my love, and kisses and hugs.

Gramma Patty

1/7/11

(68 years ago tomorrow my mom and dad were married)

the awesome things you say

Last night when your dad and I were headed out for dinner, Grandpa said, "Where are you guys going?" and you said, "...out to shake your butts?"

You had your friend Helen over and you guys were finished playing play-doh. I said, "You need to clean it up now." You put your hands on your hips and said, "Helen will." and walked away.

A while back you said, "I want to go outside now. Mama, tell my cereal I'm done eating it."

I said, "Zoe, I love you," and you said, "Me, too, but I'm sorry I just don't like you."

Zoe B, 3

Ah, it's been way too long. Life has been NUTS around here.

Beginning in November, we had a lot of visitors and LOTS of action. Aunt Jess surprised me for my birthday (and you!), which ruled.



Then, we found out you're going to have a little sister. I am SO excited for you (and for all of us)! I hope having a little sister turns out to be as fun for you has it has been for me. I bet you'll be a lot easier on your little sister than I was on mine, too.



For Thanksgiving, we went to Branson again with Grandma Jackie, Grandpa Russell, Uncle Mark, Aunt Jill, Caitie, Sophie and Dominic. You had THE GREATEST time. You are a total Sophie groupie and was so excited to be staying in a hotel with her. You woke up every morning and said, "Where's Sophie? Can we go to her room?"

While in Branson, we went to Silver Dollar City and you rode your first real rides. You went on the teacups, the elephant ride and the haunted mine. You were all over it. Here you are with your handsome daddy on the elephants.



Next comes the best part, your BIRTHDAY. You had been talking about your birthday since...um, September? "When I turn into 3, I'm going to get a pink house." Some neighbors up the street had a pink playhouse on their driveway that you thought was the bee's knees. So, we had a lot of buildup. Pink house mania was reaching fever pitch. God, I'm glad Aunt Jess was here for the first week of pink-house ownership because she plays anything you want all the time so you were in heaven.




We had your birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese, which turned out to be both awesome and horrible. The first half was awesome - you were so excited, you played games with your friends and then...it went to shit. A person dressed up in a Chuck E. Cheese costume came out to your birthday table and scared the crap out of you and continued to scare the crap out of you for the following few weeks (well, the memory of him did). Hell, it's January 17 as I type this and every now and then you still mention how much you don't like Chuckie.


I'm so far behind this is going to have to be a two-parter. I'll go ahead and post this to get your Grandpa David off my back and then I'll come back and work on part 2 - St. Louis and Christmas!