Frances and the Chinese Dress

Mark went off to China quite awhile ago now with instructions to bring back something Chinese (not just Made in China) for Frances to wear. I was eagerly expecting some red silk pajama-ish outfit. But Mark, being Mark, brought back two lovely dresses for Frances, one of which is displayed here.



It's red corduroy with a purple print for the cuffs and chest piece and turquoise button ties. I love it. Frances has worn it or the other Chinese dress (which I haven't managed to capture on film yet) every Sunday for a couple months now.

And now, for the amusement of my fellow short people, here's a photo demonstrating how the rest of the world looks to Mark, an official Tall Person:

How he ever manages to spy us all the way down here on the ground is a mystery.

Seventeen Months of Toddler Frances

For Frances's Seventeen Months Birthday, she and I headed over to the Arnold Arboretum, a really lovely park for a stroll. Frances had a really lovely time strolling around the parking lot - collecting bits of asphalt for me to hold, walking in the drainage ditch and meeting dogs. I was eventually able to tempt her out of the parking lot with a ball. She's a sucker for balls, these days.


Frances at seventeen months.

• Firsts: For the first time, Frances has started swaying to music. I don't think she necessarily sways to the beat - she may not be destined for dancing greatness - but she has a good time dancing in her own little way.




• Comment: One of Frances's caretakers at the gym nursery said about Frances, "She's sensitive, very sensitive." I think of Frances as a real trooper so I'm not sure how I feel about this, but Mark pointed out I definitely would not have wanted her to say, "She's insensitive, very insensitive." So, we'll just have to like it.




• Favorite Foods: Mayonnaise - terrible but true. She dips her French Fries in mayo every night. We just pretend she's European and terribly sophisticated.




• Words: She can identify and point to all sorts of things, like her head, eyes, nose, ears, hands, feet, shoes, socks, jacket, milk and Daddy. She sometimes can point to Mama and Frances. She can say "bye-bye", "yeah," "no" and "nose," but it sounds a lot like "no." She also says something that sounds like "Dubai," but I'm pretty sure she's not talking about Dubai. Some days she'll babble and then stop and laugh, like she's just told me a funny joke. I can't wait to get the joke.




• Guaranteed Giggles: Like I said above, Frances loves balls right now. She's sure to smile when her daddy holds her and kicks a ball back and forth with me. Of course, any one would giggle at these Hayward v. Upton soccer games in the living room, but Frances gets a big kick out of it. She also loves helping me make the bed. She sits on top of the covers and laughs hysterically when I yank them into place.




• Greatest Aspiration: She would love to be able to jump. Right now, her attempts consist of bending her knees then standing straight up and bouncing on her feet a little. She doesn't actually leave the ground, but she thinks she's pretty cool.

Next up, a Year and a Half!

For Mark

Mark asked me to put this photo up long ago. He likes Frances's little smile. The photo's a little blurry, but Frances took it herself using my phone. Taking photos with my phone is one of her favorite pastimes these days.

Frances, Post-Nap

Wild hair and chubby cheeks!