The Herrins from Scratch: Meet Coco Jones...

Ella and Coco Jones taking a spin...

Parenting has taken on a whole new dynamic at our house as Ella is now an active participant in the world of language. She is quite the little talker. It was crazy, until she turned two she said very little. In fact, she maybe only had a couple of two word sentences before she was two and communicated with a smaller range of single words. I had even talked to my friend, Erin, who is a speech pathologist because I thought her language was progressing a little slower than average...I guess it was the teacher in me over-analyzing everything. Erin assured me her language was progressing just fine. Then, Ella turned two and about two weeks later she just started talking...like sentences talking. Ella's talking has made life all the more interesting and rather hilarious. You never know what she is going to come up with next. I am absolutely amazed at all she knows. For example, the other day she was playing with her foam squares that have pictures and words on them. She picked up the one labeled cup and said, "this tea-cup"-- she was absolutely right, it wasn't just a cup, it was a tea cup. And then there is her technique of asking for something she wants. Let's take pretzels for example. She'll say, "I want pretzel. I need pretzel. I need this. I need this please." It's astounding all the things she thinks she "needs" these days!

So, what about Coco Jones? Well...it all started New Year's Day. My Mom kept Bells and Jane for us New Years Eve, so around lunch that day we headed over to pick them up and watch some of the UGA bowl game. The game began immediately following the Rose Parade, so we watched that for a while before the game started. Ella was not overly interested in the parade. However, one thing got her attention...a performance by a Disney Star named Coco Jones. Ella loves music, so when Coco started singing, she kind of stopped what she was doing and watched and danced a little. Brent asked her if she like Coco Jones and she said, "Like Coco Jones." She said it so cute that Brent and I kept asking her about Coco Jones just so she'd say her name again. I can't really describe how she says it--you'd have to hear it-- but it's just really cute. She sounds British or something. So, that was kind of the extent of us talking about Coco Jones-- and 2013 proceeded without much thought of the Rose Parade or Coco Jones.

The real Coco Jones

A couple of weeks later, the girls and I were riding down the road and Ella was telling me she wanted some milk. I told her she had to wait until we got home. Then, she proceeded to tell me, "No, need milk. Stop and get some milk." Um-- nice sentences there...but no we are not stopping was what I was thinking. I reminded her that we would get some as soon as we got home. She continued to jabber about milk and all of the sudden she said, "Coco Jones...Coco Jones...Coco Jones." I was shocked that she actually remembered something so fleeting that had happened two weeks early. From that day on, we've heard about Coco Jones on a regular basis. I feel like we need to buy her the CD or something...she really loves Coco Jones.

Well, yesterday, Coco Jones became one of our family members. Not really. But, sort of. Ella loves to play with her dolls (she totally gets that from me...I was obsessed with dolls too). She was loading two of them in her Barbie car and all of the sudden I heard, "Come in car, Coco Jones"-- she was definitely talking to the doll. So, I, of course, ask her if her Baby is named Coco Jones. She says, "Yes...Coco Jones." Later that day she told Brent that her Baby was named Coco Jones. Today, when she was playing she was calling the doll Coco Jones. She has officially named her Coco Jones. Please bare in mind, the doll she named Coco Jones is the same doll we bought when I was pregnant with Ella to prepare Dolce our doggie for Ella's arrival. It cries and drinks a bottle. You may recall, this was the baby doll that Dolce repeatedly mauled so we had to put it up because we thought it was making her even more angry about a baby coming into the house. Now, the Dolce Doll is named Coco Jones, go figure. And she named one other doll too. She has this precious little doll Mimi and Papa gave her for her first doll...it is now named Baby Ella. Coco Jones and Baby Ella...interesting combination.

Who knew "Coco Jones" would be a part of our everyday life...but she is. It's just so funny to me that I had to share. I'm off to bed now. Don't worry, Coco Jones is sound asleep with Ella in her bed. Can't wait to see what tomorrow brings in the world of Bells and her trusty sidekicks, Coco Jones and Baby Ella. Goodnight!