29-32 Months

I want to first apologize for not keeping up with Sophia’s site. The last few months have been crazy around here between the start of school, holidays, and my gallbladder surgery. Mike and I have been taking care of a lot of other important details in our lives that took time from keeping up with Sophia’s blog. So having said that, I am so excited that I have finally have time to share all the great memories that we have made over the last few months. I hope that everyone had a wonderful holiday season full of love and happiness. I know that we did.

September
Sophia went back to school and I went back to work. The first day of school is always bitter sweet with the memory of summer fresh in our heads but the eagerness and anxious anticipation for all the great adventures that await us in the fall. I was happy to know after the first day of school that I had an amazing group of children to work with and Sophia had a great group of children at her school to learning and play with.

Along with starting back at school Sophia began taking dancing lessons. She loves to dance and Mike and I were excited to find a dance school geared towards young children. Her class is only ½ hour but that is long enough. The best part is that they don’t do on stage recitals until next year! I have posted some pictures of her first class. You can tell how much she likes it and how cute she is in her dancing outfit!

We spent a lot of time outside during September.

One of the best memories of this month was apple picking. Usually we go alone but this year we decided to go with the Rogers Family during their Annual Apple Picking Party. We met at their house for some apple treats and then made our way over to the farm. After picking we took a hayride. While waiting for the tractor, Daddy and Sophia spent time playing on the huge pumpkins.

October
Out of the last 4 months October was the best…hands down! We spent every weekend with friends having a blast. The best weekend of this month was Halloween.

Mike and I thought since Halloween was on a Saturday we would get the gang together for a day of fun and a night of trick-or-treating. Since there wasn’t much for the kids to do outside in the fall Mike decided to rent a bounce house for the kids to play in.

The adults had just as much fun as the kids did!

Halloween turned into a 3 day party with friends coming and going from Friday night until it began to rain Sunday night. Trick-or-treating was a great time too!

Seeing all the little kids walking together through the neighborhood was a sight!

We tried to get them all together on the wall to take a picture but there was just too many of them and they were all going in different directions!

Here is a picture of half the gang!

November
We kicked the holiday season off with a trip to a farm with Sophia’s buddy Logan for some horseback riding and a visit with Santa. This visit came the same weekend that the Toys ‘R’ Us Big book arrived. Sophia found a doll that eats, cries, talks, makes facial expressions and poops. She called, “pooping baby” and wanted it for Christmas. Mike and I explained to hear that Santa Claus will bring her a present from the North Pole. So when we went to visit Santa she marched herself over to Santa and told him that she wanted a “pooping baby” for Christmas. Santa was a little caught off guard from the request and I was caught off guard that she wasn’t afraid of him. It was quiet the moment!

We hosted Thanksgiving this year.

The week before Thanksgiving we took down the crib and turned her bedroom into a “big girl” room. Nana Deb made her the bedding and pillows for her bed. Sophia was in heaven having everyone at her house and couldn’t wait to show them her big girl room and bedding.

Thanksgiving night we put up the Christmas tree and the Christmas season began. Sophia loved our snowchild. She moved her around the house playing with her all night.

December
December was a month of traditions. Last year was all about the presents and this year was all about Santa and Rudolph. We began the season off with “Frosty the Snowman” as the video of choice. By Christmas day Sophia was reciting the entire video with the video as it played. Every morning and every night she needed to have the Christmas tree lit and almost every night Mike or I would sit with her at the tree and tell her where all the ornaments came from.

Sophia and I decided that we would attempt to make a gingerbread house. Sophia did most of the details and I just put the house together. Not bad for our first time. Next time we use our own frosting!

Throughout December I would gradually start putting everyone’s presents wrapped under the tree and she would know when new ones were added and needed to know who they were for and what was in them. This will be the last year that we do this since she told everyone what they were getting. We stuck to the tradition Mike and I started the first year in our house that the cookie jar can never be empty during the Christmas season. Sophia loved making cookies so this tradition had a few benefits for her. Christmas Eve was magical. After supper we made cookies for Santa (and Sophia). Then we put on our warm clothes and sprinkled reindeer food in the front yard so Rudolph will know where our house is.

We came in and Sophia opened her Christmas Eve present from Nana Deb. They were her Christmas pajamas.

We put on our Christmas pj's, put put Santa's cookies, and went to bed..

The next morning she woke up to the glow of the Christmas tree and made Mike go see if Santa came because she was nervous. As soon as he said, “OH MY GOODNESS!” Sophia was out of the room standing by the tree saying the same thing. I thought she would have started tearing open all the gifts but instead she went right over to see if Santa ate the cookies, read her letter from Santa, and then went through her gifts from Santa. Presents took us from 6:00am to 11:30am since she had to unwrap and open the gift, play with it and then put it away in her room. It was actually pretty fun!

The rest of the day we hung around the house and played with Sophia’s new toys and took a great family nap.

Here are a few more pictures that Iwanted to share from Decemember.

January
The beginning of January was tough since I had surgery and we got a lot of snow in a short amount of time. We spent a lot of time at home relaxing and having playdates.

Mid-January Sophia and I went to Elmo Live again. She loved it more than she did the last time we went…I didn’t think that was possible! She was talking to them from her seat and when they would come off the stage she would get high five’s. She was not afraid at all. We had seats in the second row so she was able to feel like they were there for her. Every time they would wave she thought it was for her. So Mike and I are planning to take her to Sesame Street Place this summer. We got her tickets to Disney on Ice for Feb Vacation and she should LOVE IT!

Developmentally
Sophia has finally been able to eat that chocolate cake and frosting! She had her first cupcake at her friend Alyssa’s birthday party. It was nice that she had her friends there to share the experience! Mike makes it appoint to indulge in cupcakes once a month so that she can make up for lost time!

Mickey's Birthday party!

She can, and does, eat everything except peas, peanuts, and celery. Her favorite foods are Ragu Mac and Cheese, steak, M&M’s, and pizza. I know very healthy! She is a great eater and loves fruits and vegetables as much as her junk food when she is not being a toddler/pre-schooler.

Sophia is fully potty trained as has been for awhile. She can dress herself on her own and can put on her own shoes and jacket. She is an expert on stairs and now plays on her own downstairs in the playroom. She has begun having “drop-off” playdates with some of her friends. She is very smart. She knows all her colors, can count, knows her alphabet and can recognize many of the letters and her name. She knows her full name, address, and Mike and my full names. She has chores and does them independently. She is speaking in full sentences and stringing 2-3 sentences together at a time and carry on a conversation. She has very funny facial expressions to go along with that conversation. She is very social and inquisitive. She loves being around people as long as she is center of attention. I am reminded every day that she is going to marry Daddy and “get diamonds.”

Catch Phrases and Embarrassing Moments
This is a new section added for a good laugh. This will be where I can share things Sophia has said or done that challenged us as parents.
•Every time Sophia sees President Obama on TV she will call Mike into the room to show him and say, “Daddy, I love Obama!” It is funny to watch Mike’s reaction and hear her giggle when he leaves the room.
• Mike and I were kissing in the kitchen one night and Sophia came running in and got between us. She pushed Mike away and then yelled, “Daddy, stop eating mommy’s face!”
•When I had my surgery I could not have her climb in bed with Mike and I in the middle of the night. So the first night Sophia got into the bed on Mike’s pillow and his side of the bed. Mike came in and told her she needed to get up. She handed him her pillow and princess blanket and said, “Go sleep on the chair. I am sleeping with mommy.”
•When Sophia saw the incisions from my surgery yelled, “Mom, you’re disgusting!”
•Sophia and I were in target and she asked the Jamaican woman ringing us out if she was Obama’s Mommy.

Have a great February!