tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-138423752024-03-12T23:04:42.683-04:00Memory JonesJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.comBlogger116125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-20740538043077656442019-11-24T12:12:00.000-05:002019-11-24T13:34:59.703-05:00A Tale of 2 Sisters...Disneyworld and Halloween.
Clara and Freya are now 7 and 4, respectively. Clara is funny and smart, and very kind. Freya is offbeat and silly, and she truly marches to the beat of her own, wacky drum. As a family we seriously love Halloween and decided to take the girls to Disneyworld in October to show them the Disney version of Halloween. When I asked the girls what princess they wanted to dress up as Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-19372404137318323572018-07-21T15:19:00.003-04:002018-07-22T08:56:54.625-04:00Ghosts and Fairies and Learning to Sew.One of the best parts about having 2 children is seeing how different they can be. Freya has been going to day camp three hours a day and she is loving every minute of it. Every day I pick her up she's bouncing to tell me about her day.
"I had a great day at camp. I listened to all the teachers and I played with all their toys"
"I made a jelly fish!"
"My name is Freya. F.R.E.Y.A. Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-9304069829876297212018-06-26T12:54:00.000-04:002018-06-26T12:54:22.234-04:00Conversations with Clara and Freya Episode One.Clara and Freya constantly amuse me with their conversation and comedy. Both have a fabulous sense of humor and love to make people laugh.
Clara's Graduation from Kindergarten.
Freya continues to perfect her Banana, Orange Knock Knock Jokes. She keeps me on my toes - changing up the punch lines.
Knock knock...Who's there? Strawberry. Strawberry who?...Aren't you glad I Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-79888660793113576882018-05-13T14:54:00.000-04:002018-05-14T11:01:26.591-04:00Mother's Day.
I remember always wanting to be a mother - in the abstract as a child - deciding I would have 4 boys and marry my current crush that I had never even kissed.
I remember wanting to be a mother in my 20's when that perfect partner to do this with failed to appear.
I remember wanting to be a mother in my 30's and seriously considering becoming a mother on my own. ConsideringJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-73460121235261298302018-04-15T14:14:00.001-04:002018-04-15T19:13:49.216-04:00Life Gets in the Way.Haven't written in a while. It's been a crazy few months. A fluke spill off her scooter put Clara in the hospital with two bone breaks that required surgery. Cast is off, brace is off...now off to the wonderful world of Occupational Therapy.
It's taken a lot of juggling but the girls have definitely kept their spirits up. Laughter and smiles are always the best medicine.
Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-86619751607191340742018-02-03T14:47:00.003-05:002018-02-03T14:47:56.020-05:00Clara and Freya and what they do.
It's fun watching how much Clara influences Freya. Freya seems to jump in leaps and bounds simply to keep up with a sister that is 2 years older than her.
Clara enjoys telling jokes and has a natural sense of timing that often makes me laugh. Freya likes the idea of people laughing but doesn't really get what the structure of a joke is.
Like these attempts:
FreyaJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-65636914163930729102017-11-12T10:47:00.000-05:002017-11-12T10:47:18.271-05:00I love Halloween. 2017
It is no secret that I love Halloween. Always have, always will...and what I love about being a parent is that I can instill that same rabid loyalty to the excitement of Halloween in my children. This year I had Clara decide on her costume in the beginning of September - I need time to plan these things, people!
All summer Clara had wanted to be Powerpuff girls. Clara, FreyaJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-62687431535873910942017-10-29T14:24:00.000-04:002017-11-04T16:25:55.805-04:00Sesame Street - 2nd Generation
Last week Gerald and I had the amazing opportunity to take Clara to visit the set of Sesame Street thanks to my old friend (and puppeteer) Tyler Bunch. There was so much nostalgia to this visit. There aren't many shows that have been on the air since Gerald and I were kids that are still on and relevant to our children. As fate would have it...and our parents differing industry Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-44504563475271805932017-08-27T14:12:00.000-04:002017-08-27T14:12:58.716-04:00Conversations with Clara...Movie Night.
One of the best parts of having an older kid is introducing them to movies you loved as a kid. The first one I tried with Clara was Labyrinth, and it went over like gangbusters. Come on - strong protagonist young girl goes up against and defeats the Goblin King to save her baby brother? And the Goblin King is David Bowie? Clara was going to love it - and she did and has now Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-68306285521644842732017-07-15T09:15:00.000-04:002017-07-15T09:15:26.252-04:00Conversations with Clara. Episode 13. (Freya joins in)
Clara recently turned five years old. She had been obsessed with turning five for months and was crazily over-excited as the big day approached. The Friday before her birthday I brought in cake for her summer camp class and everyone sang her happy birthday. I left and came back later that day to pick her up.
To preface, this was not her last day of camp - she still had 3 Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-68988385989684152512017-05-28T09:55:00.000-04:002017-05-28T09:59:07.216-04:00Clara as Big Sister.
It turns out that an unintended perk (consequence) of having two children is that the older one (Clara) is constantly teaching the littler one (Freya) to do things.
Positive examples are:
Clara has taught Freya to count to eleven. Super cool. Clara is currently hard at work teaching Freya the ABC's.
Freya is also the most polite 21-month old in town because Clara has Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-43523330474853739852017-04-29T14:57:00.000-04:002017-04-29T14:57:13.238-04:00Lousy.
And there I was sitting on the couch next to Clara. It was 7:45 am on a Tuesday morning and I had miraculously gotten everything done five minutes early. Five minutes before leaving with my two kids on the 20 minute walk to Clara's school. I wish I had been late. I wish I hadn't sat down.
There was innocent Clara - sitting beside me - coat on, backpack on. She told me Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-80137122210925237592017-03-11T13:40:00.000-05:002017-03-11T13:40:44.102-05:00San Juan or BUST!
When your best friend surprises you with a trip to Puerto Rico, what would your reaction be? Mine was astonishment coupled with excitement and then the whole wait! - kids, family, work...can I? should I? And then I went to tell my husband and his reaction was: "Are your bags packed yet?"
So the next time your best friend surprises you with a trip to Puerto Rice your immediate response is: "Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-33634868921729286732017-01-22T08:35:00.000-05:002017-01-22T08:35:18.370-05:00Hope.
Friday January 20, 2017 Americans witnessed the handing of the baton off from President Barack Obama to President...Donald Trump. I didn't witness the inauguration. I did not what to see the beginning of this bleak new chapter in American history. I read the transcript of President Trump's speech and died a little bit more inside.
My friend Anna had the idea weeks ago that friendsJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-40619913403857545922016-12-17T13:58:00.000-05:002016-12-17T14:03:50.098-05:00Christmas Rolls Around Again.
Today my almost 16 month old apparently said: "It's Christmas time" while at home with her Dad and Clara. She adds this to her recent repertoire of words that include: Blue, Yellow, Duck, Moo, and Hello. With Clara in full on Santa-Christmas-Fever mode, I am hardly surprised that Freya is jumping on the Christmas-enthusiasm train.
Flashback to a couple of weeks ago, when Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-3398017360370944402016-11-20T09:32:00.001-05:002016-11-20T10:12:36.597-05:00Halloween and November
The Fall has been a bumpy ride - beautiful weather, autumn trees, starting school, Halloween, taking ballet (Clara), talking up a storm (Freya), and an election with far reaching effects for everyone I know...but through it all there are these two little girls, bouncing along and taking it all in.
Halloween in our house is always a big deal. It was preceded by many days of Clara Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-24140639876758935622016-09-24T14:30:00.000-04:002016-09-24T15:11:35.749-04:00Conversations with Clara. Episode 12.
Clara's Self Portrait.
Last night Freya was asleep in her crib. I did Clara's normal bedtime routine - some conversation and some songs. I kissed and hugged her goodnight and a minute later over the monitor I heard: Mom...Mom?
I walk back into the kids' bedroom.
Clara: Mom. I have to ask you something. Are the police ever going to come get me and put me in jail?
Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-81195729384528656822016-09-18T14:48:00.000-04:002016-09-18T14:48:19.739-04:00Sliding out of Summer and Galloping into Fall
It's been a crazy, fun, exhausting, and very hot summer. Clara loved summer camp and when she wasn't there we were cooling off in playground sprinklers with friends. We are loving the cooler Fall weather.
Freya is officially a one year-old. She has a confident walk that is quickly turning into a lurching sort of run that terrifies me on a regular basis. She has a Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-83996301786545013782016-08-06T09:35:00.001-04:002017-05-28T10:14:45.656-04:00Freya Walks!!!
Two days after she turned 11 months, Freya decided it was time to start walking. I was sitting on Clara's bed, placing an Amazon order on the ipad for some baby-related item I can no longer recall. Freya was playing with some toys, when out of the corner of my eye I saw her simply start walking over to me. 6 or so wobbly steps while carrying a toy in each hand, (an empty Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-63727831042777637822016-06-26T09:26:00.000-04:002016-06-26T09:26:51.722-04:00Growing Up, Moving Up, Standing Up.
Clara has had an action packed June. For months Clara has been talking about being a Flower Girl in her Aunt Margaret's wedding, and finally the day arrived. Clara an I had many discussions about what an important job she had at her aunt's wedding. We discussed dresses and shoes and when Clara decided she wanted to wear a red dress I told her: Margaret's the boss of this wedding so Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-27123975930798729032016-06-05T14:02:00.000-04:002016-06-05T14:14:32.049-04:00On Her Feet.
As if it isn't enough that Freya has been crawling since she was 7 months old, she has the sheer audacity to start pulling up at nine months, and if THAT wasn't enough, a few days later she's cruising along the furniture. It's wonderful and heart-stopping at the same time. You would think having Clara would have prepared me for this but nooooooo. Clara waited until she was a sensible 10 Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-28340515160195240212016-04-24T10:10:00.005-04:002016-04-24T10:10:47.701-04:00The Superhero Book. By Clara
Clara's preschool class has recently been working on making their own books. The kids are crazy about it and I have been "gifted" with a number of scribbled books by Clara. This week, Clara brought home a new book, this time with a twist. Clara got to describe what was happening and her teacher dutifully took notation. I present to you: Clara's first "book."
Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-16930934399498673162016-03-18T18:29:00.000-04:002016-03-18T18:45:28.389-04:00Conversations with Clara. Episode 11.Today Clara, Freya and I got on the Bx7 New York City bus in order to get to her school on time. We sat next to each other.
Clara: Can I pull the yellow string?
Me: Yes, when it's our stop you can be the boss of pulling the yellow string.
Clara: I'm the boss?
Me: Of the yellow string.
Clara: No, I'm the boss of you. I'm the boss of Freya. I'm the boss of the WORLD! Because I'm getting boobs.Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-67888133262351769652016-02-28T13:13:00.002-05:002016-02-28T13:13:41.816-05:00Flat Clara...Flat Mommy.
First a disclaimer. I had and still have no idea what Flat Stanley was or is. A quick internet search informs me it's a child's book about a kid named Stanley Lambchop who is squashed as flat as a pancake when a bulletin board falls on him. He remains flat and goes on to be mailed in envelopes in order to visit his friends (for the insanely cheap price of a postage stamp) as well as Jeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13842375.post-50544874404003678812016-01-31T20:32:00.000-05:002016-01-31T20:32:14.654-05:00This is 40.
If you had asked me at
18, what being old meant I would have said: ‘Being 40.” Back then, 40 felt so
distant is was virtually unreachable – something impossible that I would arrive
at “someday” when “someday” really meant “never.”
Clara, sliding into 2 feet of snow.
But here I am. Forty. I am 40. How did ‘never’
and ‘someday’ become today? Two summers ago it wasJeannine Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05361598661696818275noreply@blogger.com0