Sunday, December 13, 2009

Sofia and I had a blast last night at my work holiday party. Ryan decided not to go because he was feeling a bit anit-social. It was a potluck, so there was a ton of food. My contribution included chips and salsa and little cocktail bread with dill creamcheese, cucumber and smoked salmon. The food was fantastic, I only wish my stomach was larger so that I could have eaten more. Sofia did a good job sampling some dishes, namely a deviled egg, cheese, crackers, and pita bread with hummus. However, as soon as Sofia heard the DJ start to play some rockin tunes in the teen room, Sofia was ready to party. She danced for over an hour straight. She shook her booty, twirled in circles, and basically ran the length of the room over and over. It was a blast and by the time we got home after 9:30, both she and I were ready to crash. Too bad she went to bed at 10 p.m. and decided to come into our room at 6 a.m. this morning. I mean, seriously? I think her big girl bed is cursed because she rarely sleeps past 7 a.m.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Here are some recent pictures. I'm just too lazy and tired to write much, so I'll say what I want through pictures.

Do you like our new cat ornament?









Thanksgiving 2009. This was a quiet moment with Sydney and Sofia. What you don't see is Sofia's room that got totally trashed within the first 5 minutes. However, both girls did a great job cleaning everything up.



Sofia the cook. I especially like the dish that is closest, looks like a mussel, sardines, and a cat hairball. Bon appetit!

Sofia's obsession with Aladdin continues with this rousing rendition of "A Whole New World"

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Today was an awesome day. Ryan and I don't get too many days off together, usually only one or two a month. When we do, we kind of go all out and try to cram as much stuff as possible into the day. Today was no exception. Let me take you through it...
We started the morning going out to breakfast. For some reason, every time we go out for breakfast, we fight or argue or, in today's case, Sofia falls off her chair and then has it tip over and hit her head. And we were sitting right in the middle of the restaurant. There's nothing like hearing gasps from those around you as your child lays on the ground crying with a chair on top of her. One point for good parenting.

After breakfast we headed to Inniswood Metro Park. This park is different from the other parks because it is made up of gardens. It's very peaceful - there's no playground, no people of bikes. In fact, no active sports are allowed. We walked through the forest and checked out the herb garden. Don't tell anyone, but we stole about 10 sage leaves in the Herb garden. This is a big no-no, but we couldn't help it. The sage was just going to die anyway, and as Ryan said, herbs need to be cut so that they keep growing.

When we got tired of the park (or I should say, got tired of hearing Sofia whining about how tired she was) we headed to a comic book store that Ryan has been looking for. The only way to see the turnoff for this store was a small paper sign. But we found it and made a great find there - a Wesley doll from The Princess Bride. I know you're jealous. Don't worry, everyone can come over and see it whenever they want. He's hanging on our living room wall for the world to see (along with my Librarian Action figure and the Marie Antoinette action figure with ejector head action.) We are such dorks.
Our last stop before nap time was Alum Creek park in Westerville near Otterbein, my alma mater. Ryan and I stood around while Sofia went down the slide over and over and over again. The trip ending when she bumped her mouth and bit her lip.
Finally, while Sofia was taking a nap, I attempted to make stew. I had the vegetables cut, everything set out ready to go, only to realize that the meat was bad. Not bad bad, but it had a funky smell. I didn't feel like risking everyone's health to make my delicious stew...so we went out to dinner instead. To Hoggy's. All I have to say is, "oh lordy, I am stuffed." I had a $10 off coupon so I went all out and got the taster platter. Who can seriously eat ribs, 3 different kinds of sandwiches, and 4 small sides? Not me. But, now I have lunch for tomorrow.
Our last stop of the night was Kroger's to pick up marshmellows, chocolate bars, graham crackers, and firewood. (Not to mention all the extra crap we got including: a Tinkerbell coloring book for Sofia, a Disney princess coloring book and a box of 96 crayola crayons for me, and Pepto Bismal for Ryan.) Yes folks, we made s'mores. Sooo goood. Sofia was able to eat two. I'm sitting here waiting for the sugar rush to start. Now Ryan is getting ready to go out for the night and I get to relax and perhaps read, or color, or watch a movie. I'm so excited!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sofia's intelligence never ceases to amaze me. I'm not saying my kid is any smarter than others her age, but it always takes me by surprise when she does things I'm not prepared for. For example, today she was sitting on the toilet (I know, I should be shocked just by that. I swear, that girl will never be out of diapers.) and out of nowhere she started singing the ABC song. Where the heck did she pick that up? Granted, I've sung it once or twice around her, but it's not something we practice every day. She also does a medley of the ABC song with Old MacDonald...perhaps musical theater in her future? The next American Idol (god, I hope not. )

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Trick-or-Treat


Let me just start off by saying that I think it is sacrilegious to not have trick-or-treat on Halloween night. Case in point, we had "beggar's night" tonight, a Thursday, as opposed to the actually holiday on Saturday. Why? Really, why? I just don't get it.


Okay, enough of that rant. Trick-or-Treat was so much fun tonight. Sofia was dressed as Tinkerbell. We went out on Sunday night and got the costume. She actually let me pull her hair back in a ponytail, which I would love to have her wear more often because it shows off her face. I digress. She was so excited about her costume, especially the pink hair spray and the make-up. What pink hair coloring has to do with Tinkerbell I'm not sure, but it worked.


We joined up with Russ, Vanessa, Genevieve, Vanessa's mom, as well as another family, and hit the road. The two little girls were so into getting candy. They would race up to a house together, get their candy, and then come back and say, "Okay, let's go to the next house." We walked around a neighborhood that was close to Russ and Vanessa's just because it had houses ans sidewalks, as opposed to condos and apartments. The neighborhood was really nice and the people were friendly. I just walked down the street wishing I could afford a house like those and thinking of all the fun decorations I could put up if I lived there.


We stayed out for the whole 2 hours. Sofia got a little cranky towards the end and only wanted to ride in the wagon. But, I will say, she did a lot of walking/running in the beginning. Both her and Genevieve were very possessive of their candy. We brought an extra bag to put the candy in when her little princess bag got to full, but it was such a battle to convince Sofia that we weren't stealing her candy, we were trying to help her get more. I can't wait to go through the candy and see what we, I mean Sofia, got.




Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Leed's Farm




This is a little late posting, but we went to Leed's Farm again this year. It wasn't quite as fun as last year - probably because of all the people. There were a ton of people this year. It's wierd, I work with the public at both jobs, but I can't stand large crowds of people.

Anyway, we did the giant black slide, the barn full of hay, and Sofia even rode the Banana Bus all by herself. Which is good, because I didn't want to try and humiliate myself getting in and out of one of those little cars.
Yes, this is the banana bus. Jealous that Sofia got to take a ride in it? I thought so.
This was the giant black slide. It was actually pretty fun. I think all my extra weight really helped us fly down the slide.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

TinkyPell

We took Sofia to her first movie yesterday. I had a couple of free passes to the new TinkerBell movie. This was the only time it would be shown on the big screen, because usually it's a straight to DVD type of movie. So, we got up early and left for the theater. The paper said to arrive early, so we got there about 30 minutes before showtime. The line was almost out the door. By that point, I figured we weren't going to get in and almost wanted to leave. However, we did get seats and Ryan bought popcorn and soda. Sofia was fantastic the whole time. She did hog the popcorn and ate practically half the bag herself. Most of the kids in the theater were really good! There was a really funny moment **spoiler alert** when during the film, the magic moonstone was smashed, you could here the guys in the audience (not little kids, but dads) gasp and yell. It was hilarious. The movie wasn't half bad, I will admit. After the movie we went and got lunch at a pizza place Ryan used to work at back in the day. (Way back in the day, like 10 years ago). By the time we got home, I was feeling like crap, so I took a 5 hour nap. This nap did not make me feel better, however. In fact, it made me feel worse. I kind of left Ryan with Sofia for the evening, while I sat on my bed watching Say Yes to the Dress on TLC. Thank you Ryan, for letting me watch crappy television while you watched Sofia.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Puzzle-liscious!

Sofia is all about puzzles. You know, the kind that have lots of pieces that you lose all over the house and are never quite complete? Well, Sofia has mastered the age 3+ puzzles. These usually come with about 24 pieces. Sofia will do the puzzle once, and then from there on out, she can do it over an over again. It's not a challenge. Ryan decided to buy her puzzles for the 5+ crowd. These have 100 pieces. How can you go from 24 to 100 pieces? Sofia likes these puzzles, but she hasn't finished one on her own. I've helped her finish a Tinkerbell puzzle (Tinky-pell anyone?), but she does still need a little help. However, it truly amazes me how much she likes working on puzzles and totally obsessed over them everyday. It's so cool!

Saturday, October 3, 2009

As I was driving Sofia to the babysitter's this morning, she said the sweetest thing to me. She goes, "Mommy, I'm really happy. Mommy, you make me happy."

How sweet is that? I love that little girl.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

New Family Member


Here's a picture of Max, finally. He's such a great cat, but it's so strange having a kitten. I'm not used to the biting and play scratching, but he's acting a lot like Kitty did when we first got her, so that's good. Not to make Max feel bad, but Kitty was an awsome cat. Deep down I'll know that Max will be pretty awsome too! Sofia loves him. Like, LOVES. He gets along with her, which I'm happy about. She's been pretty gentle with him, too. Too bad he was sick when we first got him, and so far vet bills have cost $160. But, he's worth it!


Saturday, September 12, 2009

Happy 3rd Birthday!!


Sofia had her 3rd birthday today. I can't believe she's 3 years old. I mean, seriously, where has the time gone? I wish I could have hung out with her more today, but I had to work. During my lunch break I picked up cupcakes for us from Pink Moon Cupcake Bakery. These are the best cupcakes I have ever had...ever. When I came home from work, I had Sofia sit at the table and then I put the candles in her cupcake. I brought it over to the table and she had the biggest smile on her face. Ryan and I passed on the idea of a party just because our schedules are so hectic and I didn't want to spend the money on it, to be honest. I think the next party birthday will be her 5th.


Anyway, Ryan took her to the toy store and got her some more paints and a few art supplies. The bike we got her a couple of weeks ago has already been put to good use, as you will see in the video I posted.


Saturday, August 29, 2009

I finally had a full day off on Thursday. Working two jobs is really starting to take its toll. I enjoy having the second paycheck coming in, and I actually enjoy serving again (wow, didn't think I would ever say that again), but working everyday is starting to get tiring. So anyway, back to Thursday. When Ryan got home we decided to get out of the house and better yet, get out of Columbus. For the past couple of years I have been wanting to take Ryan to Yellow Springs, so what better day than Thursday? We left the house a little after 1 p.m. and headed the 66 miles to Yellow Springs.

Our first stop was Young's Jersey Dairy Farm. This place was pretty neat - and free. They had a store where they sold fresh-made cheese, minature golf, goats and cows to see, awesome ice cream, and a restaurant. The first thing we did was check out the store and buy stuff - blackberry jam and plum preserves! Sofia had fun climbing on the tractors. After that, we headed over to the restaurant for a late lunch. The food was so yummy! But the homeade ice cream was even better. After that we headed into downtown Yellow Springs. We walked through the town and stopped at a couple of shops. Ryan wanted to go to the comic book store, which was fine with me. While we were both browsing the comics, Sofia was browsing the candy rack that was conveniently right at her height. While I wasn't paying attention (bad parent alert!) Sofia was doing some "shopping" of her own. Two seconds later she walked up to me with half a peppermint patty in her mouth. I made her walk over to the comic book guy and apologize - and give him the 10 cents she owed for the candy. I think he was more embarrassed than I was!

After walking through the town, we hopped in the car and headed back towards Columbus. Along the way we stopped at Peifer Orchard. As soon as Sofia got out of the car, a huge labrador came lumbering over and tried to sniff and kiss her. She freaked out, which is only natural when something bigger than you comes over. I can only imagine how that dog must look to Sofia. We did a little shopping here as well - fresh peaches, tomatoes, jalapenos, and fresh herbs. This is another place I was to come back to. Soon.

We capped off the day at Unos. By the time we got there, Sofia had been napping for all of fifteen minutes and I really needed a beer. We were still stuffed from lunch, but I knew I could get some free snack appetizers. Sofia was slap-happy and crazy, but pretty well-behaved for the day we had.

Sometimes it's just nice to get out of Columbus.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009




Now that Ryan works very early in the morning (we're talking 4:30 a.m. here people), he has the rest of his days free. Since I'm back at Unos part-time (I just can't get away from that place!), Ryan has a couple of days where he has Sofia all day long. The other day they went to the Zoo together and had a blast. However, we have created a face-paint monster. I let Sofia get her face painted once, and now she talks about it all the time. Well, the day that she went with Ryan, the monster reared its head. Sofia ran from Ryan straight to the face-paint booth. However, this next part I kind of blame on the employee. The girl working the booth started asking Sofia which picture she wanted, and even helped her up into the chair. Ryan wasn't even over there! Who conducts business with a 2-year-old? Ryan caved and let her get her face painted, only he picked a the bigger design which cost him $11. Oh well, it made Sofia happy. Ryan's just happy because now he can paint her face for Halloween. Zombie toddler anyone?!


Thursday, August 20, 2009


Sofia got this sweet ride for her birthday, even though her birthday is a few weeks away. I couldn't pass it up - the bike was $12 off. She loves it. Ryan got to see her ride it outside first. Sofia really caught on quick - she seems so much older now that she can ride a tricycle.

Monday, August 10, 2009

With mine and Ryan's schedules so weird now, it's hard to go out and do things. I keep meaning to go to the park, but it just doesn't happen. There just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done. I don't have much Sofia news, she's still not potty trained, she never stops talking, and she's a blast to hang out with. She's really been into painting as well. Everyday she wants to stand at the dining room table and paint with watercolors. It's awesome to watch. Now, someone just needs to blast me with some energy and I will be all set.

Friday, August 7, 2009

I have a good reason for not posting, I swear. I've been finishing up my Master's and I turn it in to day. Now that I'm finished and have more time to sit around on the computer, I'll post more. Promise. The one thing I wanted to point out today - Sofia and I woke up at 11 a.m. That's right, 11. I love her. She's the best. I'm so glad she got her sleeping habits from me. Could I have asked for a better sleeper. I'm sure the next child (whenever that will be) will be the complete opposite, but I'm going to enjoy it now. Thanks Sofia.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Boops

Let me set the scene: Ryan, Sofia and I are sitting in the living room watching television this morning. Ryan is on one couch and Sofia and I are on the other. Sofia is leaning against me when this conversation happens:

Sofia: (pointing to my chest) What are these?

Me: (looking down)What?

Sofia:( pokes my boob) These.

Me: Those are boobs.

Sofia: (lifting up her shirt) I have boops.

Me: No, only big girls have boobs.

Sofia: Why don't I have boops.

Me: Because you're not a big girl.

Sofia: I want to go to the store and get some boops.

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

We went out to dinner tonight and then to the pet store. Sofia got a big kick out of the kittens and we had a hard time dragging her away. Finally, two men came up behind her to look and we pulled her away. Two seconds went by and then she walked up between the two men and said, "Excuse me, excuse me. You're in the way." And then she pushed her way back through. Well, at least she sounds polite when she's being rude.

After the pet store we went to the shoe store. I don't know why, but I really wanted to buy Sofia a new pair of shoes. She grabbed an ugly, gold pair of Dora sandles off the wall, but I made her put them back. I then saw a pair of white gym shoes with the Disney princesses on the side. I asked Sofia, "What about these?" She then said, "Oh Mommy, those are perfect. They're perfect, perfect, perfect." I had her try them on and walk up and down the aisle in the shoes. She wasn't walking, she was prancing. She kept saying, "Oh thank you Mommy. Ilove my new princess shoes. They're perfect." Ahhh...love of shoes starts young.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Support Ohio Libraries


Sofia and I did a couple of things this morning. First we tried Yoga for preschoolers and their parents. Let me just say that I enjoyed it. Sofia, on the other hand, wasn't too thrilled. She didn't want to try the poses, she sat on some steps and pouted, she told me wanted to go outside, she cried. There were only 4 other little girls in the class - and they all participated. I tried to engage Sofia, but she just wasn't having it. I was a little disappointed because I thought she would get into it. She's always clowning around at home. I thought that maybe she's just not that used to structure and other kids since she's always home with me. Who knows? If I had the money, I would have signed up for the 6-week session, but after today I'm glad I didn't. I've thought about getting her into gymnastics or dance, something to help blow off steam and get her around more kids. Hmm...maybe something to look into if I can find a place that doesn't cost an arm and a leg.


The other place we went was down to the Statehouse to the Save Ohio Libraries Rally. This is a big deal to me, not only because I work in a library, but also because libraries and books have greatly impacted my life. I can remember riding my bike up to the Mt. Washington library in the summer to get books, or going to the Batavia library and attending an origami program. I want Sofia to be able to have these same experiences. Keep your fingers crossed that the budget committee will figure something out! The rally attracted a few hundred people, including lots of parents and kids. Sofia was on my shoulders at one point and was clapping along with everyone else. I also had her saying, "Save Ohio libraries!" We didn't stay too long because of the heat, but I'm glad we got a chance to go.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I finally, after three years, bought chairs and plants for the back patio. It looks a lot better and is lot more comfortable to sit. I also bought play sand and filled up Sofia's green plastic turtle. She has a blast in there, however, I think she had more fun the day I bought the new green tub to put her balls and toys in. What do you think?

Monday, June 22, 2009

Slate Run







This was a couple of weeks ago, but I kept forgetting to post until now. Sofia, Ryan and I went to Slate Run Living Historical Farm in Lithopolis a couple of Saturdays ago and I just have to say that it was so cool. It's a restored 1880 farm house with barns, livestock, and costumed volunteers. We saw women weeding the garden, a guy plowing a field and planting pumpkins, as well as lots of animals: geese, ducks, pigs, chickens, sheep, horses. Sofia liked it to, except that by the time we were there, she was a little grumpy and tired. She didn't want to see the pigs and instead stood outside holding her nose say it was too stinky in there. She did enjoy playing with the marbles and other 19th century toys that were laid out. I think she would have played all day. Ryan and I attempted to walk on the stilts - well, okay, my attempt was lame, but I wasn't about to fall on my ass and make a fool of myself. I left that for Ryan (he didn't fall, though). It's such a neat place that we're planning on going back in the fall when it's a little cooler out. I highly recommend it to anyone living in the area. Gotta love those metro parks!



Saturday, June 20, 2009

One of my worst nightmares came true yesterday afternoon. Sofia took a head-dive out of the grocery cart while shopping. I feel partly to blame (okay. mostly) because I let her sit in the big part where the groceries go. We were in the chip aisle, I turned around for one second, and when I turned back everything was in slow motion as I watched Sofia fall. Head first. Onto the ground. Oh, it was horrible. At first I was afraid she broke her arm or something because of the way she landed, but then I realized that she hit her head pretty hard. A big goose egg popped up right above her right eyebrow along with a couple of other bruises. I had to leave the cart with all the groceries in the store (I told someone first.) Because this has never happened, I called the doctor to see what I should do. He had me come on in, even though it was almost 5 p.m. on a Friday, so that he could check her out. We wound up sitting in the office for close to an hour and a half, and by that time I could tell Sofia was fine. She was running, yelling, crying - everything she normally did. When we were driving home, she sat in the back saying, "I fell out of the cart. It was mommy's fault." I'm so glad she learned her lesson.

Saturday, June 13, 2009

Sofia, Ryan and I went to Roosters tonight for some much needed chicken wings. Sofia was awesome. Sometimes we have problems with her throwing things and getting bored, but not tonight. She sat next to me in the booth and proceeded to hug me, over and over and over again. At onr point she was hugging me and said, "Mommy, you're my best friend." How cute is that? It was one of the sweetest things I ever heard come out of her mouth. Then after that she started "mixing" up a yummy cocktail of lemonade, lettuce, mustard, ranch and applesauce - and yes, she took a drink. Future bartender? Perhaps.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Phoenix 2009

I should have posted sooner, maybe right after we got back from vacation, but hopefully I'll remember everything.
Day 1 : Flying with Toddlers
It was hard. It was loud. It was squirmy. Jessica can vouch for that. Poor Sydney had been sick for days - hacking cough, runny nose - so we were a little worried about how she would do flying. Sofia I wasn't too worried about since this was her third time flying. It was a long day. Our first flight didn't leave until 5 p.m., which means by the time we got to the airport, Sofia hadn't napped all day. She wasn't happy when we had to go through security. She started crying when she realized that bunny would have to ride through the x-ray. She was sobbing as she walked through the metal detectors, but luckily a really nice, grandmotherly-type worker was on the other side. Sofia walked right up to the staff worker and hugged her. It was actually quite cute. We flew, had a layover in Houston, and then flew some more. Sofia slept most of the second leg and Sydney tried to sleep. By the time we got to Phoenix it was almost 10 p.m. their time, 1 a.m. out time. We were all a little out of sorts and exhausted. I really thought Sofia would sleep in the next morning - no such luck. She woke up at 7 a.m.

Day 2 - We went out to breakfast. It's amazing how long a day seems when you're up at 7 a.m. By the time we were done eating and had visted the dollar store, we were all exhausted and it was nap time. We went swimming that afternoon, and really that's all I remember. The day was a bit of a blur. We capped off the evening by watching Beauty and the Beast in Mom's room with the little girls and us piled on the bed.

Day 3 - Today we went to the Phoenix Zoo, which was a lot of fun. We tried to get there early, to beat the heat. it was a balmy 100 degrees. Sofia had fun riding the carousel and looking at the animals. However, she threw a fit when we wouldn't let her play in the fountains. We were trying to save those until later, so she pouted. We looked at tortoises, she pouted. Finally she found a little fountain that she could put her hands in and she was happy. Then we finally let her play in the play fountains and she was in heaven. Sydney, on the other hand, didn't really know what to think. Tonight we watched Aladdin with the little girls.










Day 4 - I think we went to Target this day. Target in Phoenix isn't any different than Target in Columbus. We also got Sofia and Sydney's pictures taken at a studio. They did pretty well, and Sofia got a really good shot. I cooked dinner in the evening and it was tasty. Pan-fried chicken breast with a mustard balsamic sauce with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Day 5 - Today, Mom, Jessica, the girls and I rode to Tortilla Flats. Along the way we stopped at an old mining town that has been redone for tourists. We walked around, drank frozed lemonade, and then hopped into the car to see Roosevelt Damn. At one point, as we driving through the curving roads of the mountains, I really thought Sofia was going to blow chunks. Luckily, she didn't. We finished our evening with the final Disney selection: Cinderella.

Day 6 - hmm, this day was probably the most memorable. Not because we were heading back to Columbus, but because Sofia got sick and threw up all over herself in the car on the way to the airport. It was gross. We had to switch out carseats and leave mom with the icky one. I had Sofia standing in nothing but a diaper in the parking garage attempting to wipe her down with wipes and change her clothes. It was not fun. Plus, this was the leg of the trip that Jessica and I were separated on the plane. The woman next to me was nice enough to agree to trade with Jess, but the next thing I knew, she came back and said that my sister decided to stay ( a decision she would later regret.) So, this very nice woman sat by the window and we had Sofia in the middle seat. I did warn her that Sofia had gotten sick earlier, just in case it happened again. Well, this was probably the best leg of the trip for me. Sofia was asleep before we were even out of the gate, and she slept the entire 2 and a half hours. These were nice planes too because they had televisions in the back of each seat, so I was able to watch a movie and t.v. The last leg of the trip, from Houston to Columbus, Sofia wound up sleeping again and I had Sydney passed out on me as well for over an hour. I didn't mind because I figured Jessica needed a break.
It was an awesome trip and I can't believe it came and went so quickly!

Monday, May 25, 2009

Hocking Hills



On Saturday, Ryan and I decided that we needed to get out of Dodge and so we headed for the hills, Hocking Hills. I have only been once, but I've always remembered how cool it was. We hopped in the car and headed on our way. It took a little over an hour and by the time we got there, Sofia was passed out in the back seat. It was pretty crowded when we got there, and I figured it would be, but it's a big place so I wasn't too worried. We went to Old Man's Cave, because that's the only place I had visited. It was beautiful. Even with the ummm, variety of people. Sofia had a blast. We let her take off her shoes and play in the creeks. She found a big stick and used that to explore with. When it was time to move on down the trail, we literally had to drag her on with promises of more water and rocks around the next bend. It took a few times before she finally started to believe us that there was more water to play in. By the time we left, she was covered in mud and sand, we all were.




The only bad part of the day is that by the time we got home, Sofia was sick. She cried while I gave her a shower and then just laid on the couch the rest of the evening. It was kind of sad. But don't worry, she didn't have to suffer alone because Ryan and I both got sick the following day.




Wednesday, May 13, 2009

I know, I know, I haven't posted in a while. I've gotten kind of lazy about it, but don't expect anything anytime soon. Sofia and I are leaving for Phoenix tomorrow to see my mom. Jessica and Sydney (or "babay Sydney" as Sofia constantly refers to her.) It'll be interesting flying with two children under the age of three. Sofia's an old pro at flying, this is her third time in three years. Jessica has never flown with Sydney, so it should be fun!

Just some funny Sofia stories:

The other day I bought Sofia a new pair of pajamas. I asked her if she wanted to try them on and she said yes. When I put them on her, she turned to me and said, "Thank you so much Mommy. Thank you for the pajamas. thank you, thank you, thank you." And she was sincere when she said it too!

Sofia is starting to "tell" stories. She gets the idea of putting events together, so it's always cute to hear her tell one.

She has been the poster-child for bipolar disorder. Seriously. One day she is awesome. She listens, she does what she's told, she's happy. The next day she is a complete psycho (and I say that with as much love as possible). Ahhh, toddlers. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em but sometimes you want to drop kick them.

Friday, May 1, 2009

Attitude

Sofia was in her room playing very quietly. I walked in to see what she was doing and as I stood in the doorway, Sofia turned to me and said, "No Mommy, get out. Get out of my room and go sit on the couch." She said it in a very nice, quiet kind of voice. It had to be one of the funniest things I have ever heard her say.

Monday, April 13, 2009

The Easter Bunny Has Arrived



The Easter Bunny came to our house yesterday and boy did he really go overboard. It felt a little like Christmas. Most of what Sofia got were toys - Play-Doh, a Dora the Explorer gardening kit, bubbles, coloring books. The only candy were suckers, because I figured she get more candy later in the day.
When Sofia woke up, she came out of her room and at first didn't seem to notice the giant pile of stuff on the floor. But when she did spot it, she kept saying, "The Easter Bunny brought me stuff." She really got a kick out of everything and was really happy. Ryan left for work soon after (and only cooked for one customer the entire time he was at his job) but I had a bunch of stuff to do. I made scalloped potatoes to bring to Jessi's parents house for Easter lunch/dinner. Sofia got to wear her brand new Easter dress (or princess dress as she kept calling it). She loved being all dressed up and looked so pretty.


We went to Jessi's parents at 1 pm. I was worried that Sofia would be scared or overwhelmed being around people she didn't know, but she was fantastic. She pretty much took over the house as if she owned it. Ann, from the library, hid eggs in the front yard for Sofia to find. The little Easter egg hunt took literally 5 minutes, Sofia was a pro at finding all of the eggs. After we played outside for a while, Sofia got it into to her head that it was time to leave. She kept tugging my hand saying, "let's go to mommy's car. i want to go home." We had dinner with all of us sitting around the table and I was totally overwhelmed with how good Sofia was (and how good the food was!). She didn't eat anything besides Jello, but she sat in her seat and said "no thank you" and was very polite. I really thought she would crash after eating, but she didn't. When we got home, I changed her clothes and then I took a nap. All of that food wore me out. Sofia fell asleep from 5-6:30, but was still able to go to sleep at a normal time. I was sorry Ryan couldn't join us, but I brought home leftovers.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Color Me Bad




Today we tried to dye Easter eggs for the first time. It was, um, interesting and very colorful. Literally. All of our hands are stained with that dye and I don't think it will ever come out. I feel like Lady Macbeth (out damn spot!). Anyway, Sofia kind of got the gist of what we were doing, but was more interested in taking all the eggs and putting them into as many colors as possible (while getting as much of the liquid on the table as possible.) Surpisingly, her multi-dipped eggs were quite pretty. I'm sure we'll have better eggs as she gets older. I can remember coloring eggs with my sisters and doing all of the multi-layered effects with the colors and things like that. This year it was more of a dunk and run. But it was still a lot of fun!


The finished product. Yum!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Skater Chick



Sofia came running out of her room tonight wearing this hat. I must say, she looks pretty cool. Cooler than I ever did at age 2. And boy can she accessorize.


She's such a silly girl lately. I feel bad for being cooped up in the house because of (pick a reason, or pick two): I'm doing homework, I'm sick, Ryan's sick, I have to go to work, Ryan has to go to work, it's snowing. I keep telling myself that after my final projects are done on next Monday, I will start playing with Sofia and do crafts and go outside. Until then, good old Max and Ruby and Dragontales will have to keep her occupied. Until then, I'll let her jump on the furniture and go crazy. Then we'll all be one crazy, hot mess.



Friday, April 3, 2009

Sofia is just like most two-year-olds when it comes to food. Sometimes she likes things, other times she doesn't. Like broccoli and green beans - she used to love them and now won't touch them. Or cheeseburgers. Or she'll take a couple of bites and then be done.

However, my child is not like most. Ryan made mussels for himself one night (eww) and I guess Sofia ate a whole bowl of them. She was even slurping them out of the shell like a pro.

She also likes steak (which isn't all that stranger). Ryan had grilled out the other night and I made chicken, he had steak. Sofia tried some of his steak and absolutely loved it. When I offered her some of my chicken she said, "No, I want some of daddy's chicken." Mmmm, steak flavored chicken.

While she doesn't like some veggies, she'll eat ones most kids won't touch. Asparagus, baby portabello mushrooms (or any mushrooms), black olives.

Weird kid.

Thursday, April 2, 2009






Today was an absolutely perfect day for the Zoo, so Sofia and I went. We left the house by 10, bot Subway sandwiches for lunch, and were on our way. Sofia isn't into watching a lot of the animals, instead she's just go, "Let's keep going Mommy. Keep going." So we breezed by the flamingoes, most of the reptiles (except the turtles. for those Sofia had to lay on her stomach on the floor in front of the glass), and the kangaroos. Her favorites are the bonobos, acquarium, and the manitees. Oh, and the carousel. I even decided to splurge and buy myself a sea turtle and Sofia picked out a baby penguin. She picked it up and started to squeeze it, so I let her get it. I got Ryan a packet full of fake insects. Ahhh, nothing says I love you like a plastic fly.



Monday, March 30, 2009



Warmer weather has finally started to arrive in Ohio. We have a small back yard behind our apartment, with a thick "wall" of trees and bushes. Sofia has become fearless with the bushes and intentionally kicks her ball in, only to have to go after it and retrieve it. She's my little queen of the jungle.


Saturday, March 28, 2009

The Haircut

Sofia got her haircut on Thursday. Ryan was going anyway, so we all walked down to the salon together - Sofia even got to ride in her wagon. When we got in, it was empty so it wasn't a big deal to fit Sofia in. Check out the before and the after:


In the first picture, Sofia looks like Britney Spears's little hillbilly kids, but in the second picture she actually looks like a cute little girl. I think we'll be keeping this look for a while. I always wanted a little girl with long hair, probably because I always had short hair growing up, but when Sofia's hair gets long it gets all straggly and whispy. Not a good look, even on a cute toddler!


Monday, March 23, 2009

Artist

Sofia definitely must get her love of art from Ryan. Yesterday, she found her watercolor paints (that were hidden in the pantry) and brought them out to me. I wasn't sure if I really wanted her to use them, make a big mess, and then I'd have to clean it up -OR- let her use them and say "to hell with it." Well, I chose the latter and I was blown out of the water (no pun intended). I put newspaper down on the table, filled a little cup with water, set out paper, and let Sofia go to town. She stood and painted for (and this is not an exageration) 2 HOURS STRAIGHT. Can you believe it? She even ate her lunch while painting. Plus, she didn't even make a big mess. I knew she would probably knock over the water at some point, so I put it in a plastic bin. That way, if it was knocked over, it would fall in the bin and not on the carpet. Smart, huh? When I would go over to look at her work, I told her, "What a great job! You're doing such a good job painting those pictures." To which she would reply, "I painting mommy. Now go sit on the couch." Uh - gladly.

Sunday, March 22, 2009


Sofia absolutely loves our friend Russ. He's the father of Genevieve, who is close to Sofia's age. Anyway, he came over last night because he and Ryan were going out. Sofia started showing off right away. "Hi Russ! Hi Russ!" "Watch me Russ!" She had to show off her princess dress, her new twirling ribbon. She tried to get him to do a puzzle with her, but as it was close to bedtime and Russ was really here to hang out with Ryan, I told him he could say no. The icing on the cake was Sofia asking Russ to read her a bedtime story. She curled up right next to him and listened to the whole story. It was sweet. (Russ-you can come over anytime and babysit since Sofia likes hanging out with you so much!)

Friday, March 20, 2009

Sofia and I had the cutest conversation tonight:

(Sofia had just had a bath and I had her wrapped up in a towel on the changing table.)

Me: You look just like a sausage.

Sofia: No Mommy. I not a sausage. I Sobia. (that's how she pronounces her name)

Me: Are you sure you're not a sausage?

Sofia: No! I Sobia Woopee. (Sofia Lupi)


I just thought it was a funny conversation because I love to hear her say her name, now that she knows it.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Princess of Style




Sofia has had the same pink princess dress since September. She alternates between it and a blue princess skirt everyday. We're talking morning and night. Her pink dress was originally last year's Halloween outfit and was all shiny and new, but now it's literally in tatters. Cinderella went from the ball back to her rags. So, tonight we finally decided to get her a new dress. I figure it's totally worth the $18 since she wears it all the time. Plus, it's big on her, so it'll last a long time (I hope). The new dress is really cute and even has wings (and it's purple, and purple rocks). Sofia was so excited to get the new dress that she had to put it on as soon as she got home.



Monday, March 16, 2009



Sofia had her 2 1/2 year checkup today - even though we were at the doctor twice last week. She weighed in at a whopping 26 lbs. and is 36 inches tall. Because of her skinny little butt, all of her pants look like highwaters. Oh well, it can be quite fashionable - we'll just call them capris pants. She also seems to either be sick or has a reaction to her new antibiotics (WARNING! this could be gross) that seem to effect her pooh. The doctor warned us that is could turn her sh*t red, but he didn't mention that she would have exploding diapers. She hasn't had these since she was really little. And we're not talkinf once a day here people, oh no. We're talking 3 times just today. Three. The only plus side (if there is one) is that these diapers don't smell. I know, there had to be a silver lining. I'm hoping these exploding poohs don't continue much longer, but at least Ryan gets to hang out with her all day tomorrow while I'm at work and then class.

On a different, and much less disgusting note, Ryan and I had the whole weekend off together. I think this is the first one in probably 6-8 months. Sunday we took advantage of the free admission and went to the Museum of Art. Well, first we went out for breakfast, which we never do. I had been out the night before with a bunch of my college friends (I had a blast Mandy, Emily, Jenn, and Jessi!) so mommy was a little hungover Sunday morning. I had crashed the night before at Mandy's on her couch and even though I wasn't home, I still woke up earlier than usual - not fair. Anyway, I got back to the house around 10 am, we all got ready, and hit the road. Even though the Museum is free on Sunday's, I wanted to check out their Egypt exhibit, and that cost regular price. I went in knowing that we wouldn't get to sit and really look at things because Sofia would be all over the place, and I was right. She had fun and was actually pretty good. She was more into jumping and stomping her feet on the wood floors than looking at art, but that's okay. We got her cultured a little bit. Plus, she got lots of comments on her outfit - which was her silver sparkly pants, Dora Snow Princess t-shirt, and her blue princess skirt. She was stylin'.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

Date Night


My friend Jessi is awesome. She offered to watch Sofia so that Ryan and I can go see the Watchmen tonight! Ryan and I have both been looking forward to this movie for months. We both have read the graphic novel (it's awesome, check it out) and have watched the trailers over and over. We plan on going to Easton and getting dinner first. I've had a couple of gift cards burning a hole in my pocket. Then Ryan has an AMC gift card that we can use. A virtually free date night - you can't beat that. Since the movie is almost three hours long, we're going to get dinner first. We have it narrowed down between a Japanese sushi restaurant or a Turkish cafe. I've been to the turkish cafe, but have never had sushi. I think I'll let Ryan decide, even though I know he'll want the sushi. He likes all of the crazy seafood like eel, squid, octopus, etc. I don't do seafood, but I will eat fish, so maybe we'll live on the edge and try something completely new. Thanks Jessi!