Handy

The girls helped me change a broken belt on the vacuum cleaner one day. I left the room to throw some stuff away and came back to find this. . .

(If you can't tell, she's trying to open her "vacuum".)

Say Cheese

Sometimes having mac 'n' cheese-colored walls comes in handy. (And a cute, 24-hour model.)

A Typical Night Around the Table

The following is seven minutes and 17 seconds that you will enjoy every minute of (if you're a grandparent of my kids).

Or seven minutes and 17 seconds of your life that you wish you had back.

Just warning you.



If you'd rather skip to the good parts, here's a little guide:

0:00 - Ivy and I sing a "Jesus Wants Me for a Sunbeam" duet. (Listen to how Ivy's voice changes pitch! She can barely talk but maybe she'll start singing first.)
0:48 - Sophie sings "I am a Child of God" (with tickle-interruptions by dad)
3:00 - Sophie sings "Happy Family"
3:30 - Sophie pulls her tank top over her head mid-song
3:55 - Ivy pulls her shirt up to find her belly button
4: 17 - "Happy Family" redo
4:55 - Funny faces commence
5:30 - Sophie starts instructing Steve on finger placement when making a funny face
7:07 - One more shirt goes up (Ivy's)

Hello Party

We tried to keep Sophie's party relatively simple this year because Steve was in the middle of boards (literally... he had boards Friday and Sunday. The party was Saturday.). We had her party at the park (easy entertainment) and whittled the guest list down to her little friends and their parents.

As I was sorting through photos from the party, I noticed that Sophie and Ivy stayed together most of the time. It almost made me tear up to see them walking around holding hands and sitting next to each other as she blew out her candles.

They really are best friends and Sophie isn't "too cool" to hang out with her little sister. I hope they stay that way.

My favorite part: Ivy's wide-open mouth. That girl knows how to eat, but you'd never tell by looking at her. She'll appreciate that even more later on.

Sophie started to get sleepy around the time we opened presents. She started out opening her own (v-e-r-y s-l-o-w-l-y) . . .

. . . and then made me open the rest and hand her what was inside.

Then she got her second wind. And never took a nap at all that day.

We tried to get some family shots while we were at the park, but I had my camera stuck on a setting all day that made the pictures a little washed out (oops). So I played with them.

Steve's family came for the day, too. From left: Jennifer (Steve's sister), little Nathan, Matt, Grandpa, and then Grandma over on the right.

One of my favorite parts of throwing a birthday party is making a cake or some other sweets. I don't bake that often (especially stuff like this) because we end up munching on it all day every day until it's gone. We have no self control. I'll eat a quarter of a cake/a few cupcakes/a half dozen cookies (or whatever happens to be sitting on the counter) in a day because I grab a bite every time I go in the kitchen. It's bad. It's better to make stuff like this when I have 25 other people around to keep me from eating more than my share.

Sophie wanted a chocolate Hello Kitty cake, so I got gutsy and tried out some fondant. I didn't think the cake would be enough, so I made cupcakes, too. Chocolate chip cookie dough ones. I posted them on my blog a week or so ago and haven't posted anything since. I need to quit looking at them before I make more. They're amazing. Really.

Birthday Breakfast & Boxes

Because the morning of Sophie's birthday was going to be hectic, we had her birthday breakfast the day before and opened the boxes that she got from her grandmas.

Birthday Breakfast: pretty pink waffles (per Sophie's request. . . I just added some pureed beet to the waffle batter and it didn't even change the flavor!)

When my family sends birthday gifts to one girl, it's impossible not to throw something in for the other. Ivy thought everything Sophie got was for her, too. (Which it is, really. Except for the clothes. Oh wait, she'll wear those in a couple of years, too. Yep, they share everything.)

When Sophie opened that little purse and saw all the lip gloss and nail polish in there, she was absolutely giddy.

Sophie got some Go Fish cards, and we can actually play a real, structured game together! Except she usually has her cards face-up in front of her. And she tells me what card she gets every time she "goes fish". And I whisper to her what to ask me for so she can complete her sets.

(Mom doesn't take advantage of her. Yet.)

Three

That's her swimsuit. She picked it out herself.

Sophie's three. I have a 3-year-old. That shouldn't surprise me so much considering most of my friends who are my age have children in elementary school already. It still does, though.

It's strange how older pictures of her are now her "baby pictures" instead of just older pictures of my baby. Does that make sense?

She was about a year old here.

This is Sophie at 4 months, on the day we moved out to California. At that point I thought to myself, "Wow,... she's going to be THREE when we finish school!" It seemed like it was so far away it would never happen.

This picture is a rare one in Sophie's life. She almost never fell asleep on me like that and has never been much of a cuddler.

I was sifting through some recent photos, trying to decide on a photo that best portrays Sophie's personality. It was a tie between this one. . . sticky fingers & a sassy/defiant/crazed look on her face.

Or this one . . . smoothie face, crazy hair, big eyes and a smirk.

We have been on quite a journey this past year with Sophie. Here's a bit of what she's been up to:

Height: 39 in. (90th per.)
Weight: about 30 lbs (50th per.)

Recent Milestones: POTTY TRAINED (although still going through stubborn phases of accidents). She's also started writing a little and can draw H's, I's, S's, and Z's. She also loves to sing and can find about a dozen songs she knows (by herself) from the Primary Children's Songbook. She also hums to herself almost constantly and makes up her own songs.

Favorite Foods: She's gotten picky over the last year, but she still loves Mexican food. I can get her to eat almost anything if I chop it up small and wrap it in a tortilla. She loves all kinds of fruit, cheese, goldfish crackers, and chocolate. And she would drink fruit smoothies all day if I let her.

Interests: Anything that has to do with gluing things, coloring, painting, and other types of crafts. She has always loved books, and will sit either by herself or with Ivy and "read" to her. Sophie loves to help me in the kitchen. She's getting pretty good at cracking eggs and can get them into a small bowl without any shell shards most of the time. She loves animals, going to the zoo, and likes to watch Discovery shows. As soon as I open the front door she (and Ivy) run like made and would stay outside all day if they could, scribbling on the porch with chalk or playing with the hose. She also loves taking care of her "babies" -- feeding, changing, swaddling, nursing, and putting them in time out. She also loves shopping, particularly grocery shopping and often asks to go to "Crater Joe's" (Trader Joe's) when I ask her where she wants to go or what she wants to do.

Personality: She's definitely strong-willed and likes to be in charge of whatever situation she's in. (Luckily she has a patient little sister who plays along fairly well.) She's very observant, often noticing small details and things that go on around her. She's cautious, meticulous, and does things at a slower, more careful pace (like Steve). She's also very nurturing and likes to "take care" of her babies and her little sister (whether she needs to be taken care of or not). Sophie has a silly/crazy side and likes to make people laugh.

Mommies in Training

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom. And to all the moms out there who raised little punks like me.

On a sentimental note, this little clip is a wonderful tribute to motherhood and an incredible example of the sustaining power of faith and family, regardless of your beliefs.