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!

Skinny Legs And All

But she's not so skinny anymore! After six weeks of french fries, ice cream and peanut butter, Frances went back to the pediatrician to check on her previously-resistant-to-growth weight. She'd gained over two pounds and is back on her growth curve. The pediatrician wants me to keep up the high calorie diet, but she isn't worried about Frances's weight anymore.

Frances is also getting taller. What you see here is Frances getting into the drawer where I used to stash pens and matches and bleach sticks. Not quite sure where I'm going to hide these no-no's now.

And teeth! It's hard to get an accurate count, but she's got at least five teeth coming through her gums. It seems impossible, but the teeth don't seem to bother her a bit.

All this growth, she must be one healthy kiddo. Way to thrive, Frances!

Then and Now

Last year, on March 21st, Frances posed with our neighbor's crocuses:

This year, on March 18th, Frances, not being one for posing anymore, ran past the same crocuses. The difference a year makes!

And then yesterday, it snowed most of the day. Not to worry, it didn't stick and Spring is definitely here on its way.

All Together Now

What gets Frances, and the rest of us, up and at 'em of a brisk Sunday morning?


A 5K road race, of course! Yes, that's right, Mark, Frances and I participated in our first race ever. Frances had a little help from our friend Dave (thanks, Dave!), who wanted to hone his running-while- stroller-pushing skills. The rest of us just wanted to finish the race. Here's Racer #792 warming up for the start:



And, 3.1 miles later:

We all completed the course in good form and really enjoyed ourselves. We're thinking of joining another race in May, but this time Dave wants to try it with Frances and his own daughter which will be over 44 pounds of baby plus a double stroller. (Mark and I just want to finish with better times.) Frances thinks she'll be ready to take on the race all by herself, thank you very much.