Carissa explains it all (or some of it)

Easter Photos

2011-05-04T08:34:00.002-05:00

I know it's not Easter, but here are some photos from the night before at Jessi's coloring Easter eggs and the next day at Linda's eating Easter lunch.

Updates

2011-05-02T19:14:00.003-05:00

Between doctor's visits (for me), working full-time (me), and traveling (me + the girls), I've had no time to update this blog. So, here is a short, but sweet, look at the past couple of weeks.

Sofia - we're still having our good days and bad days, but lately the good days are coming more frequent. We still have the battles, and she still does random destructive things - such as pouring out the hot wax of a candle all over the bathroom sink and cutting her dolls' hair. But on the flip side, putting her to bed is now easier. We used to keep a small light on in her room, but when I finally realized that "hey, maybe the light is what's preventing her from going to sleep," I started turning it off and what do you know, she falls asleep faster. Sofia has also been pretend playing a lot more, which makes me happy. I'll find her in her room playing with her princess dolls. However, for some reason, the princess doll usually dies in these senarios and then the prince brings her back to life. (Is that the next Disney movie - Zombie Princess?)

Adeline - is so stinking cute! She's at that fun age where she's not crying as much, she's pretty much on a schedule, and she does new things almost every day. For instance, last week she could barely sit on her own without toppling over. Now, she's a champion sitter. She loves to stick anything and everything in her mouth. She's squealing all the time. But, my favorite thing she's doing right now is this leg-kick that I call her "kangaroo move." She'll be laying on her back and all of a sudden she'll start kicking both legs at the same time and slamming them down together on the floor, bed, chair - whatever she happens to be on at the time. And it's not just a couple of kicks either - it's a lot, over and over.

So, that's about it. I'm still getting used to working full-time, even though it's been almost 4 months. Everything feels like such a blur. Now I know why my friends who worked full-time and had kids could never hang out much on the weekends. Because there is so much stuff you have to get done on those few precious days off. Oh, and did I mention the never-ending pile of laundry? I'm serious - I'll have it almost all done and I swear it magically reappears.

Baby Food Porn

2011-04-08T20:17:00.003-05:00

Okay, so tonight I gave Adeline her first taste of rice cereal and bananas. Well, that's not entirely true. Last night was the first time she tried rice cereal, but since the camera battery was dead and I didn't get any pictures, it didn't really happen.

Now, I know you're "supposed" to just do the rice cereal for a week, then move on to the other types of cereals. Since Adeline is my second child, I can throw the rule book out the window and take more liberties with her feeding schedule.

Tonight I mixed a gourmet meal of Gerber Rice Cereal and pureed bananas. Adeline seemed to like it. She swallowed it, so if you take that as an indicator of her liking it, then yes, it was delicious.

Sofia did a good job eating tonight as well. I whipped up cheeseburgers and sauted zucchini, and she ate almost all of her portion. But Sofia couldn't let me be happy for too long, because as she was in my bedroom "watching" a Barbie movie, I walked in on her butt naked on my bed. Ew. I'm the only one allowed to be naked in my bed. She was naked because she spilled her water from her water bottle on her clothes. Oh, and on my bed as well. I snapped and told her it was time for bed. (I may have dropped an F-bomb as well.) I feel bad after yelling at her, especially when I curse, but I can't help it! She just makes me so mad sometimes. I can't believe how much she tests my limits. If I wasn't on my happy pills, then I think there would be broken furniture and broken children in my apartment. Thank goodness for happy pills.

Food Porn

2011-04-06T20:14:00.001-05:00

Who needs to watch Top Chef when I have one in my own house?

You can wipe the drool off your chin.

2011-04-05T19:45:00.002-05:00

I can't believe I am 30 today. 3-0. Where has the time gone? I don't feel like I'm mature enought to be thirty, if that makes any sense. Probably because I hang around children all day, read children's books, watch Spongebob Squarepants, and still wear the same type of shoes since 7th grade. It's like I got stuck in junior high and haven't been able to find my way out.

2011-03-30T18:02:00.004-05:00

I've been waiting and waiting for it to happen, and today it finally did. Adeline had an exploding poo. You might be thinking, "It's been almost 6 months and Adeline hasn't exploded out of her diaper?" That is correct. Well, to be more precise, she hasn't done it for me. Until today. I'm sure all mothers recognize the tell-tale grunt of poo explosion. Adeline was in her exersaucer and I heard her little grunt from the couch. When I lifted her out, I smelled it, but didn't see it. Sofia and I took Adeline into the other room to change her and when I first took off her pants and saw a little stain I couldn't help but think, "Hmm...that's not to bad." Oh how wrong I was. Once the pants were off and I unbuttoned the onesy, that is when the full force of the explosion hit home. Not only was it up her back, but up her front as well. Poor Adeline. I didn't know if I should just cut the onesy off or risk getting poo on Adeline's head and face. I took the onesy off over her head. What can I say, I'm a risk-taker. I got her into the bathroom with the special mommy-maneuver of holding the baby as far away as possible. After careful deliberation of two point oh seconds, I decided the easiest solution would be to undress myself and the baby and hop into the shower together. What I didn't figure into the equation was the four-year-old wanting to join. I vetoed that request right away. Sofia was relegated to the sidelines, or in this case, peering into the shower and commenting on the situation. Adeline enjoyed her first shower experience. I was afraid I was going to drop her slick butt a couple of times, but we made it through. After getting her out, drying her off, and redressing her, it was my turn to take a "real" shower so that I could get ready for work. Again, this involved the audience of the four-year-old. After she watched me shave my legs (which have been neglected for too long), I heard silence. I peek out of the shower to see Adeline in her seat happily chewing on her hands and stuffed monkey and Sofia trying to shave her leg. With my razor. Wha!? It's so great to have a four going on thirteen-year-old.

2011-03-15T18:42:00.002-05:00

Sharing is such a wonderful thing. Except when it's not. Like this weekend at our house. We shared the gift that keeps on giving - stomach virus. It started with Adeline and then she didn't want her big sister to be left out, so she passed it on the Sofia. Poor Sofia. I think she got the worst of it. She puked on herself as well as the backseat of my car, herself, a couch cushion. We had to break out the "bucket." Which is really a bowl with paper towels in it, but we use it as a puke-catcher. Ryan slept out in the living room with Sofia all night, until about 5 a.m. when I heard him getting sick. I made it until Monday night, but mine was a pretty mild case. Sharing is caring, at least in this house it is.

2011-03-14T18:46:00.000-05:00

Some of the things going on at our house:

Sofia constantly saying, "Oh my god! Oh my god, mommy!"

Adeline eating her toes (I only wish I could bend like that)

My job interviews (you'd think I'd actually get one)

Sofia was playing with Adeline. Adeline grabbed Sofia's hand and Sofia said, "Ewww...I don't want your baby slime Adeline." So now drool = baby slime

Adeline is still not sleeping through the night. Partly my fault - when I only see her a couple hours each day, I don't mind getting up in the middle of the night at least once. By the second or third time, on the other hand, that's a different story.

These are just a few things that have been happening. Nothing too exciting, but stuff worth remembering.

New Day, New 'Do

2011-03-12T11:06:00.004-05:00

Thank the lucky stars I was able to get Sofia a hair appointment at 9 a.m. this morning. I was really afraid that she was going to go out today with her butchered hair. Ryan is taking her to a library program this morning at my library, and I really didn't want to be embarrassed. Here's a shot of the new 'do.

Worst Day Since Yesterday

2011-03-11T21:51:00.002-05:00

Today has been one of the worst days in a long, long time. Here, let me show you:

6:30 a.m. Wake up to Adeline puking all over the bed.

8:30 a.m. Go to work

9:30 a.m. Get a call from Ryan. His car is broken. Again.

10:00 a.m. Leave work to go to the doctor.

11:30 a.m. Get back to work and try to arrange an appointment with a stomach specialist. Call Tuffy about the car.

3:00 p.m. Get a call from Ryan. Adeline keeps puking and has been sleeping all day.

4:00 p.m. Leave work, pick up Adeline at home, and take her to the doctor.

5:00 p.m. Adeline probably has a virus. Am instructed to give her Pedialyte. Go back to work.

6:00 p.m. Leave work. Pick up dinner and Pedialyte.

8:00 p.m. Feeding Adeline. Suddenly she projectile vomits all over me and the couch. She looks like Linda Blair from the Exorcist. Pass her off to Ryan, strip off my puke-covered clothes, clean the couch and get in the shower.

8:30 p.m. Out of the shower. I hear banging on the bedroom door. Sofia has locked herself in our room. I hear "Oh my God, what did you do?" Step out of the bathroom, look at the floor and see hair. Sofia's hair. Sofia gave herself a haircut. I'm not just talking the bangs like my older sister did at that age. I'm talking huge chunks out of the side of her hair. I can barely look at her without laughing/crying.

9:00 p.m. Call my mom, dad, and sisters to tell the story.

9:15 p.m. Can't handle it anymore. Go to bed with Adeline.

Here are some pictures of Sofia's lovely haircut.

2011-03-03T21:03:00.002-05:00

Pictures, finally!

Adeline with her bunny Thumper. Its got a bigger head than her.

What you lookin' at?

Sofia's secret identity - Crazy Butterfly Girl!

2011-03-01T13:52:00.003-05:00

I took Sofia and Adeline to storytime this morning before work. Since we were up at 7 a.m., I figured we had the time. Storytime was fun - Miss Jenny was great, as always - we got some books and left. Afterwards we went out to lunch, which lately has been my biggest vice. By the time we got home, I had about 20 minutes before I had to be at work. During that 20 minutes, I spent most of the time looking for Sofia's yellow blanket and turtle stuffed animal. I knew she had brought them to the library because I distinctly remember putting them in the basket of the stroller. I was pretty sure she brought them into the restaurant for lunch. After a quick call to both places, no luck. Sofia kept insisting that she had her yellow blanket, but I told her she was wrong. Finally, as I was leaving for work, I decided to check my trunk. Lo and behold, there was the turtle and blanket in the basket of the stroller, all folded up. I brought them inside and apologized to Sofia for saying she left them. Oh, and the blanket she brought with us? It wasn't yellow - it was pink. Oops.

2011-02-15T14:16:00.002-05:00

Sofia is turning into the little girl in The Exorcist. She got in trouble today for picking up Adeline. She'll carry her to another part of room and put Adeline in her chair, or turn her around on her playmat, or pull her up. I've told Sofia repeatedly not to do this. Today, before I left for work, she got a timeout for now listening. I thought that would work (and the threat of Adeline puking on her). I guess I was wrong.

I called home a little bit ago and could hear Adeline and Sofia crying in the background. Ryan told me that Sofia had picked up Adeline and was swinging her around. I'm sure the vision of this in my head was much worse than the reality, but it sounded pretty awful. Sofia would not listen to Ryan as he told her over and over to put the baby down. When she finally listened, Ryan smacked her on the butt and sent Sofia to her room. Now, Ryan doesn't normally spank Sofia - he's usually the calmer of the two of us, but that's how you know he's mad. Ryan went to check on Sofia a few minutes later and noticed something. A puddle. On her art table. In the middle of her room. Sofia without pants or underwear. Yes, that is correct. My child peed on her table because she was mad. I was speechless. What is wrong with her? Who does that?

I'm at my wits end with Sofia. After all the stuff with the babysitter (that's a whole other story that I'll have to post sometime), we're really hoping things will get better with the new daycare and a new schedule. I know we're not alone in this, that what Sofia is doing, while not good, is normal. But still. Peeing on a table. What will she do next?

2011-02-08T14:05:00.002-05:00

Adeline had her 4 month checkup today. Here are the stats:

weight: 11 lb. 3 oz.
Length: 23 inches

She's 10th percentile for both. Another small baby, just like Sofia. I can't get over how fast time goes. This time around I haven't been wishing for Adeline to be older. With Sofia all I could think was, " I can't wait until she sits up." "I can't wait until she crawls." With Adeline it's the opposite. There are some things I can't wait for her to do, like sleep through the night. (Do you hear me Adeline? Mommy would love you even more if you slept through the night.) As for now, I'm enjoying the baby stage. She's not mobile, she smiles all the time, and there is minimal crying.

2011-02-01T10:17:00.002-05:00

Dancing Queen!

2011-01-30T22:13:00.006-05:00

Can you guess who is who?

Now that I'm working full-time, I really look forward to having the weekend off. Not that I do much. For example, today I did laundry, talked to my Mom on Skype, cleaned the bathroom, vacuumed the floor, and took a nap. Not what you would call exciting, but I enjoyed it. The girls were both pretty good. Adeline didn't have anymore screaming fits like yesterday. She would cry for about 20 minutes, and then when she finally started eating, she would be sucking away and farting - so it must have been gas. I won't be eating cabbage again anytime soon.

Adeline is starting to play more. I got her to laugh earlier today. Usually this involved me rubbing my nose on her belly and tickling her armpits over and over again. When she does start laughing, it almost sounds like crying, but I can't help it. I'm addicted to hearing her giggle. She's also really started to go to town on her hand. She'll shove three or four fingers in there and the drool! It's everywhere. I even got it in the mouth the other day. (Note to self: do not do airplan with a drooling baby.) Adeline is just such a happy baby, constantly smiling. Sofia was a lot like that too, but now she cries more than the baby. No one ever tells you that four-year-olds will cry at the drop of a hat, or a chicken nugget on the floor. And she'll have real tears too. I should get Sofia into movies, I'm sure there's a need for children who can cry real tears.

2011-01-27T22:04:00.000-05:00

We took a trip to the Zoo earlier in January. It was the middle of the week, the temperature was above freezing, and we knew it was now or never. The great thing about the day was the lack of people. That's the one thing I hate about going to the Zoo on a weekend, is the crowds. I don't get why people feel a need to walk in the middle of the trail and then stop, forcing everyone else to go around them. Are they really that oblivious? (Do I really need to answer that?) At one point, we were the only people in the aquarium. It was awesome. Sofia made a friend, and was holding the little girl's hand, dragging her around to look at the fish. Adeline got a kick out of the fish and seemed to be enjoying herself. But then again, she was 3 months old - anything is enjoyable at that age.

I like this picture because it looks like the polar bear is going to eat Sofia's face.

2011-01-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Lately we've been a little off putting Sofia to bed. When I was on maternity leave, we let her stay up later because I knew I wasn't going anywhere and she didn't have to get up at a certain time. Now, with my schedule change, we've been trying to put her to sleep earlier but some nights it just doesn't work that way. The other night I came home from work at 9 p.m. and she was still awake. Finally around 10 p.m. I told her it was time for bed, led her to her room, and tucked her in. I returned to the couch to veg and watch t.v. As I was sitting there, I thought I kept hearing a noise. When I turned the t.v. to mute, it was silent. But as I sat, I continued to hear it. After a little while I decided to investigate. I went to Sofia's room and what did I find? Sofia, laying in her bed, drawing on the wall with a blue crayon. All over the wall. Blue crayon. To say I was a little upset would be an understatement. What get's me is I know she's only 4, but she knows better. I know she knows better. She knows she knows better. So why oh why was she drawing on the wall? It could be that she has Ryan's artistic talents and was just expressing herself. Or (and this is the most likely answer) she was pissed at me for making her go to bed. Let's just say, Saturday we will learn just how well Magic Eraser's take crayon marks off the wall (per my Mom's suggestion).

2011-01-25T16:06:00.003-05:00

Now that I'm working full-time, it's much harder to get errands done during the week. Luckily today I didn't work until 1 p.m., which gave me time to run out to Target with the girls. Ryan and I are low on cash, so we're only getting necessities until we get paid on Friday. Diapers and formula are necessities.

Anyway, I got myself showered and ready while having a "girl party" in the bathroom with Adeline and Sofia. Sofia's words, not mine. Any time it's the three of us, she says we're having a "girl party." After getting everyone else ready and bundled up, with minimal yelling at Sofia, we were off to the wonderful land of Target. Here's the thing, though. Sofia has gotten so used to getting a small toy or candy whenever we go anywhere that she freaks out if you don't do it. I know, bad parenting 101. Most of the time we let her get something small, like a gumball. Today, for instance, she wanted fake fingernails. Umm...no. Then she wanted some little $2.99 light-up toy. Okay, that one's fine. Then I saw 99 cent candy. That had Toy Story on it. I got her to trade the more expensive item for the cheaper one. Sucker! (Just kidding.)

So, after spending a lovely 20 minutes in Target we went to Panera for lunch. Panera always reminds me of when I used to go there when Sofia was only a few months old. Lunch was surprisingly easy and fun. Sofia was well-behaved, which she usually is at resternauts (her word, not mine). I enjoy spending time with the two of them and to be honest, it's really not as hard as I thought it would be.

2011-01-24T20:19:00.002-05:00

This has been a long, crazy last couple of months. Looking back I really wished I would have kept up with this blog, but I just didn't have the time. Can you blame me? I will admit that when everyone said, "The second child is nothing like the first!" they were right. Here I was scoffing behind their backs, but they were right. Where Sofia was sleeping through the night by 2 and a half months, Adeline is still getting up anywhere from 2 to 3 times. Adeline and I had the worst time trying to breastfeed the first month or so. It was horrible. So horrible I cried for three weeks straight. We've got it worked out now, better late than never.

Other differences this time around also include: I got help for my post-partum depression. They put me on Zoloft which has changed my life. I mean that in a good way. I don't feel ashamed that I had to get help - it has made me a much nicer person. I also started working full-time a couple of weeks ago. I switched buildings and work with different people, but I really like it so far. I miss being around my kids, and I admit that I feel like Adeline is getting the short end of the stick because I was around for Sofia at that age, but it's better for everyone. I'm happier, which makes me look forward to coming home and seeing everyone.

I'm excited to start posting again, especially after going back through some of my older posts. We'll see if I can keep it up!

Welcome Adeline!

2010-10-06T20:17:00.000-05:00

Adeline Elise Lupi was born about 10:15 a.m. She was 5 lbs. 6 oz. and 17 inches. She is beautiful, tiny, and perfect.

New Design, New Start

2010-08-19T10:21:00.002-05:00

It's been forever since I last posted. I needed a little hiatus from posting, but my how things have changed since my last one. Rather than go back through everything that has happened (and since the majority of my readers already know me) we'll just pretend I never stopped and pick up where I left off.

Stats so far:

Sofia is almost 4. Where has the time gone? She's turned into such a little character (both good and bad). It's amazaing to hear what comes out of her mouth day to day.

We've got baby number 2 on the way. Welcome Adeline! These past 30 weeks have flown by, but I still feel like the next 10 are going to last forever. This pregnancy has not been as much fun as Sofia's. Between the nausea, vomiting, and tiredness I've lost about 18 pounds. I'm not going to complain too much about the weight loss, but man oh man, this little baby is causing trouble already!

It's been a crazy year and I'm sure I'll have more revelations and excitement to post. Soon. I promise.

2009-12-13T11:38:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-12-07T13:37:00.006-05:00

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"

2009-11-07T20:04:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-11-04T20:00:00.002-05:00

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. )

Trick-or-Treat

2009-10-29T21:08:00.003-05:00

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.

Leed's Farm

2009-10-21T20:58:00.002-05:00

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.

TinkyPell

2009-10-18T08:46:00.002-05:00

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.

Puzzle-liscious!

2009-10-14T23:24:00.002-05:00

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!

2009-10-03T09:31:00.001-05:00

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.

New Family Member

2009-09-23T22:53:00.000-05:00

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!

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

2009-09-12T22:35:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-08-29T09:51:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-08-25T09:43:00.000-05:00

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?!

2009-08-20T09:34:00.001-05:00

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.

2009-08-10T20:53:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-08-07T11:28:00.002-05:00

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.

Boops

2009-07-17T15:06:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-07-07T21:24:00.001-05:00

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.

Support Ohio Libraries

2009-06-25T14:03:00.004-05:00

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.

2009-06-24T13:51:00.002-05:00

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?

Slate Run

2009-06-22T13:36:00.003-05:00

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!

2009-06-20T14:40:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-06-13T21:26:00.002-05:00

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.

Phoenix 2009

2009-06-01T10:44:00.003-05:00

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!

Hocking Hills

2009-05-25T23:14:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-05-13T13:52:00.002-05:00

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.

Attitude

2009-05-01T10:50:00.001-05:00

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.

The Easter Bunny Has Arrived

2009-04-13T14:52:00.004-05:00

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.

Color Me Bad

2009-04-11T17:06:00.003-05:00

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!

Skater Chick

2009-04-07T19:12:00.003-05:00

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.

2009-04-03T16:31:00.002-05:00

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.

2009-04-02T19:03:00.000-05:00

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.

2009-03-30T14:35:00.003-05:00

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.

The Haircut

2009-03-28T14:29:00.000-05:00

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!

Artist

2009-03-23T14:37:00.003-05:00

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.

2009-03-22T10:40:00.002-05:00

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!)

2009-03-20T22:37:00.000-05:00

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.

Princess of Style

2009-03-19T19:40:00.005-05:00

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.

2009-03-16T21:19:00.006-05:00

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'.

Date Night

2009-03-12T13:41:00.003-05:00

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!

We Offer Fluff and Fold

2009-03-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

I got the dreaded call at work on Tuesday. The one that always makes my stomach clench. Ryan calling to say something is wrong with Sofia. In this case, I guess she woke up after ten minutes of nap and started crying and wouldn't stop for over 20 minutes. She kept saying "I hurt, I hurt" but couldn't be more specific. I had noticed that the right outer corner of her eye was red and bloodshot a few days ago, and thought maybe this was what hurt. So, I called the doctor and Ryan brought her right in. Yup, it's pinkeye. On top of that, she also has an inner ear infection in her left ear, poor thing. The doctor prescribed anitbiotics (the awesome tasting pink bubblegum stuff) and we're supposed to give it to her for ten days. That's it. No drops, no other instructions. I did tell Ryan to wash all of Sofia's bedding and for us to make sure she's washing her hands all the time, just to be safe. But after that little crying episode, you'd have no idea she is sick. Go figure.

Sunny Days Are Here Again

2009-03-05T15:48:00.005-05:00

It finally feels like spring really is just around the corner. Today it got up to 60 degrees. I know, break out the swimsuits. But seriously, after all of the below zero temperature and the nasty weather the past couple of weeks, I am happy to have anything that feels slightly warm. Sofia and took adventure of the weather and headed to the Zoo. We had a blast. Seriously, it was one of the best days I have had in a long time.

Rather than pull Sofia along, I let her lead the show. We checked out the North American animals, and when she was ready to move on, she would let me know. She'd say, "Mommy, let's go. Let's go." She was scared of some of the animals, even ones that never bothered her before. On the other hand, she was terrified of the aquarium for a while, and today she had an absolute blast. She was running up to the window of the tank and her favorite fish were the sharks. Everytime she saw one she would run up to me and point them out. We were probably in there at least 20 or 30 minutes. I had a slight celebrity moment while in there as well. I was sitting looking at the tank when a little girl points to me and goes, "it's the library lady." Her mom said that yes, it is and then asked my name. It's always weird when I see people from my storytimes or from the library outside the library.

Anyway, just to brag, but I couldn't have asked for a bettter behaved child today. I brought out the older stroller, and Sofia was all for riding in it, pulling down the visor, climbing in and out. For once, I didn't have to yell at her to sit down, stop bending over, etc. Wow, I really need more days like today!

Pasta Pasta

2009-03-03T22:40:00.002-05:00

Ryan makes the best homemade pasta (being Italian really helps) and tonight he and Sofia made pasta for our dinner. I came home from work and Sofia was helping make the dough and she was also helping roll out the dough. It was so cute and I can tell she will be like Ryan when she grows up.

(By the way, I finally uploaded my camera to my new computer. This computer is awesome, I can finally upload video as well!!)

Now that I don't feel so lazy, I promise to blog more.

Name Game

2009-02-14T17:15:00.002-05:00

I took this idea from another blog. Sometimes it gets a little dull writing about Sofia.

Name Game.

Your Real Name: Carissa

Witness Protection Name:(mother and fathers middle names) Marie Riley.

Secret Spy Name: (your first name spelled backwards) Assirac. (that's right, ASSirac.)

Nascar Name: (first name of your mother's dad, father's dad) Ronald Charles.

Detective Name:(favorite color, favorite animal) Purple Dolphin.

Soap Opera Name:(middle name, county where you were born) Anne Hamilton.

Super Hero Name: (2nd fav color, fav drink, add "THE" to the beginning) The Green Guinness.

Fly Name:(first 2 letters of 1st name, last 2 letters of your last name) Cate.

Street Name:(fav ice cream flavor, fav cookie) Mint Chocolate Chip Thin Mint.

Rock Star: (current pet, current street) Kitty Turnstone. (since I don't have a current pet, I'm using my last one.)

PORN NAME: (1st pet, street you grew up on) Thumper Bursal.

YOUR GANGSTA NAME:(first 3 letters of real name plus izzle) Carizzle

YOUR GOTH NAME:(black, and the name of one of your pets)Black Kitty

STRIPPER NAME: (name of your fav perfume/cologne, fav. candy) Om Rolos

Snow Disaster

2009-01-31T19:08:00.002-05:00

My friend Jessi and I took Sofia to meet some other people at the awesome sled hill at the part up the road. This sled hill is sick. There's a smaller one for little kids next to it that it also really cool. Anway, even before I picked Jessi up, disaster struck. Sofia totally bit it on the ice right in front of our apartment. She was crying for so long that I was really afraid she broke her wrist or hand or something. Well, we finally got on our way and picked up Jessi and made it to the park. I unloaded out ghetto sleds. (Both Meiers and Walmart were sold out of sleds. Hello?! It's still the middle of winter. But I guess spring clothes and shoes are more important.) Our sleds were the top to Sofia's turtle sandbox and a plastic storage container. We never did get to see if they worked because we were able to use real sleds at the park. So, anyway, we get there and I take Sofia down the kiddy hill. We flew down that darn thing. So fast that I crashed into the bales of hay at the end. Poor Sofia got a face full of snow when I attempted to plant my feet in the ground as a brake. After that run, Jessi took her down. As I watched them prepare to fly down, Sofia had her hands covering her face. Well, I guess the kiddy hill wasn't good enough for Sofia because she wanted to go down the big hill. Ummm...I wouldn't even go down that hill so there was no way I was letting Sofia. Cut to ten minutes later and Sofia is sobbing uncontrollably and continued to do so for at least fifteen more minutes and then half of the car ride home as well. Next time Mommy's going to the part without Sofia.

Which would you prefer?

2009-01-30T14:44:00.002-05:00

So, I love Sofia - I really do. However, after the two of us have been stuck in the house for three days together, our relationship is wearing thin. Wednesday was a snow day, Thursday we did get out of the house for three hours. Ryan, Sofia and I went out to dinner at Max and Erma's had a really nice time. Sofia kept saying hi to a girl sitting at the next table. After dinner and a sundae, we went to the mall down the street. I haven't been to the mall since Christmas, so it was a quite a shock to see it so slow. We went to Barnes and Noble so that Sofia could play with the toy trains - which actually is her playing with trains for two seconds, running to the Dora books, jumping on the storytime stage, and repeat. Over and over. After this, we decided to go to the main part of the mall (because our's is now one of the fancy ones with an outside part and an inside part.) We took her to the kids play area and she had a blast. She's always been fearless when she played, but this time she was running, climbing, and jumping. She must have gone down the slide at least 20 times in a row. I wish that was an exaggeration, but it isn't. She kept going and going! Finally we left, only to realize it was ten til 9 p.m. Where did the time go? We got home, Ryan put Sofia to bed while I took an hour to get all of the ice off my car. It was a hard battle, but I finally won. We went to bed - only to have Sofia wake up at 3 a.m. crying. I guess all that playing and ice cream didn't sit well in her stomach because she threw up a little. So Ryan put her in bed with us, and after that she was wide awake. She kept talking and talking and talking. This lasted about 30 minutes before I decided to remake her bed and put her in it. By this time it's 4 a.m. and I have to get up in 3 and a half hours for work. I sleep. At 7:30 a.m., right inthe middle of me pushing the snooze alarm, my babysitter calls to let me know that she can't watch Sofia today. I love my babysitter and she's always reliable, so this isn't a big deal. I call my supervisor to let her know I will not be at work today.

On the one hand, I am happy for the extra two hours of sleep. But on the other, I really wish I was at work because I have a ton of stuff to do. I only work part-time, and we were closed Wednesday, which means I only work two days this week. Now, most people would not complain - I would only ask you which you would prefer?

Three house-bound days with a crazy two-year-old? or Nine hours working at the library with dozens of crazy kids and there parents? (Remember, the library people go home eventually, the two-year-old is always there.)

Snow Frenzy

2009-01-29T11:38:00.002-05:00

I'm not even going to try and pretend that I've been keeping up with this blog. If I wanted to, I could write a bunch of posts and backdate them, but to be honest I'm too lazy. Besides, things haven't been all that exciting around here. So, instead I'll just jump ahead and talk about things that are current.

Snow...all of this freakin snow. Don't get me wrong, if it's going to be cold and winter, then bring on the snow. However, heavy snow + 2-year-old = major cabin fever. I've been feeling really guilty with the amount of t.v. that Sofia has been watching this past week because, frankly, I can't get out of the house. Plus, I started classes last week so I'm trying really hard to keep up with everything which results in lots and lots of Dora. I wish I was one of those craft moms who does arts and crafts with their kids, has the t.v. off all day, and bakes. Unfortunately, as much as I wish that was me, but it's not. Instead I have days like yesterday where I'm trying to make lunch, cut up veggies and brown a roast to put in the crock pot, have the kitchen sink back up and start to leak, and have Sofia climbing all over me. Nope, no Betty Crocker here. Instead, maintenance never showed up, I had a kitchen sink that could not be used, and my crock pot dinner kind of sucked. Well, at least work was called off and I got a snow day - which to be honest isn't much different than any other day.

Have you heard enough bitching for one day? You haven't? Oh great, because my car's Check Engine light also came on during my hour long drive back from my cancelled class on Tuesday night (that was after the two hour drive to said class, which I wasn't aware was cancelled.)

Okay, now I'm really done. Wow, I don't know what to write now. Sofia's been surprising Ryan and I with her new vocab. She's picking up shapes from who knows where - hearts, squares. It's really cool.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-26T14:21:00.000-05:00

What a busy, busy Christmas! Santa came and brought lots of goodies for Sofia. She was up at 7:30 a.m. this morning, after going to bed at 11:30 p.m. last night. I went to bed a little later, so I didn't have a lot of sleep. The first thing Sofia said when she woke up was, "I want to open presents?" She really got into the spirit of things and loved all of her presents. Of course there were tons of Dora items - including a sheet and bed set from Chelsea, toys, and a Cabbage Patch doll from Mommy and Daddy. I know she's a little young, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to give her the doll because it's the 25th anniversary. (Wow, has it really been that long?) She didn't get into the doll as much as I would have liked, but I wasn't surprised.

After presents with my Mom, Ken, and sisters, we packed everything up and headed out to my Dad's house. There we opened even more presents (and got lots of cool stuff) and had brunch. Sofia got a drum filled with musical instruments. As my dad said when she opened it, "Revenge." Sofia was playing the tamborine and recorder. She really had a chance to shine when Ryan, Chelsea, Logan and I played Guitar Hero. We were rocking (some more than others, I was on vocals and I feel sorry for everyone who had to listen.) I'll tell you what, that game is just as addicting as the Wii. Maybe there will be a Guitar Hero in my future? After spending a few hours there, we packed up all of the new presents, added them to the other presents and then headed off to our last destination, my aunt and uncle's house (my Mom's brother).

We ate lots of yummy food, watched Sofia be a spaz while playing with Sydney, and then opened more presents! Sofia really wanted to open presents, and I was astounded by how well she handled herself when other people got to open presents. I would have though that a lot of kids Sofia's age would whine or grab at other people's presents, but not Sofia. By 8:30 p.m., Ryan and I were practically falling asleep and we still had a two hour car ride back to Columbus. After packing up the car for the last time, saying our good-byes, we finally headed back out on the road. By the time we made it to Columbus, I was practically falling asleep behind the wheel. I was so tired that I completely missed our exit and had to turn around. All that stood between me and bed was the unloading of the car. I finally got to bed by midnight - only to wake up at 7:30 a.m. on Friday to get ready for work!

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T13:38:00.000-05:00

This will be post-dated because I have been a big slacker blogging lately. Anyway, Christmas was fun. Ryan, Sofia and I drove down to Mt. Orab Christmas Eve. We only had one major hiccup along the way - Sofia decided to puke in the car for the second year in a row. It was gross, it smelled, and it was a bitch to clean up. Luckily we were only 15 minutes from our destination, so we didn't have to be around the nastiness too long. As soon as I got my cousin Stacy's house, we put Sofia's clothes in the washing machine along with the carseat cover. Instead of wearing her cute sparkly pants and top, Sofia wore her jammies. She still looked cute. Luckily the puke was from carsickness as opposed to her being sick. We ate lots of food and checked out all of the new little babies. Sofia had a blast chasing Sydney around the house, talking to people, eating, and playing. The best part of the evening was when Santa came to visit. Everyone piled down into the basement and sat around as Santa passed out presents to all the children. One thing that must be noted is that my dad's side of the family is huge. I've lost count how many cousins and second cousins I have. Anyway, Sofia had a long wait until her name was called. As she waited, she stood right next to Santa and kept saying, "I want a present too. Santa, I want a present please." It was funny, and a little sad, all at the same time. Finally Santa called her name and she went and sat on his lap (much to my surprise) and was happy the rest of the evening. After spending time here, we popped over to another cousin's house to visit with the rest of the family. By this time it was close to 10 p.m., but Sofia was still going strong. She got a big kick out of watching the kids play the Wii. She would yell and jump and generally cheer them on. By the time we left and got to my sister's place to spend the night, it was 11 p.m. and Sofia was STILL up! She sat for another half an hour while my sisters, mom, Ryan, and Ken all played the Wii. Needless to say, it was a long day and night - but totally worth it!

Christmas Lights

2008-12-19T13:08:00.002-05:00

Last night, Sofia, Ryan and I got in the car and went driving around looking at Christmas lights. I can't remember the last time I did this, but it was great. Ryan popped some popcorn, we grabbed some water and went on our way. Sofia was so good and really enjoyed seeing all the "pretty lights." She would yell "I see them, I see them!" However, I think she loved the popcorn even more than the lights. That's her new favorite thing - popcorn. We've been letting ehr watch the Christmas specials, Charlie Brown and the Muppets, and giving her popcorn. I hope we can make this a new tradition and keep with it!

Partay!!

2008-12-16T13:15:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we had our work Christmas party. It was a blast! There's nothing like partying and dancing at a library afterhours. Sofia was great. She really was a dancing queen. She was jumping, twirling, shaking her booty, and running around. She tried to become friends with two other little girls close to her age, but they didn't want anything to do with her. It was kind of cute, because the two little girls were dancing, and Sofia was standing by them waving saying, "Hi girls. Hi girls." Over and over.

Another funny part of the night. Some of my coworkers noticed that most of the kids were running to the food table and grabbing cookies. Not my kid. Now, don't get me wrong, Sofia loves her cookies and she had her fair share, but at one point she must have gotten tired of them. She ran to the table but veered away from the cookies and grabbed... a huge hunk of broccoli. I love that girl.

Poopy Hands

2008-12-12T20:18:00.001-05:00

I'm talking on the phone to Mandy when Sofia comes up to me holding her hand out and saying, "Eeewwwyyy." I look at her hand, see nothing, decide to smell it - bad idea. She had poop on her hand. She had pooped in her diaper and stuck her hand in it...the joys of motherhood.

Happy "Be-lated" Thanksgiving

2008-12-03T18:15:00.003-05:00

I am the slacker of all bloggers, I swear. My fellow mommy-bloggers are much better. We had a great Thanksgiving with Ryan's parents last week (thanks Rose and Mark!). I was dreading the three-and-a-half hour car ride out to eastern Ohio, but Sofia was great. We are still having the problem with her taking her arms out of her carseat. Luckily, with these nifty 5-point harness seats, she's still attached at the legs and middle. Since I knew the car ride could be trouble, I put Sofia's seat in the middle so that Ryan had access to her while I drove. I packed one bag full of books, one of toys, snacks, her blankie, her bunny, mommy-bear (it's what she calls my old Carebear), and Dora. It was a packed car for only an overnight stay. Traffic sucked coming out of Columbus, of course. Once we got past Zanesville, however, the load lightened. We stopped for dinner at Cracker Barrel. Ryan had never been there (shock!) so I had to introduce him. Of course I wound up buying things in the store they have. I'm a sucker for stick candy, I had to buy a Christmas count-down calender (like the one on National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation), Ryan got a harmonica, and Sofia got M&M's. I just told myself it was a special occassion.

We got to Ryan's parents and settled in. Sofia was so good the whole time. She wasn't timid or nervous, and opened right up to everyone. She didn't eat much during dinner on Thanksgiving day, but Ryan and I made up for that. My pumpkin cheesecake was a success, if I do say so myself! I had never made a cheesecake, but Sofia helped and it was tasty! Then the three of us took a nap in the afternoon before our trek home. It took Sofia a little while to settle down, but soon all of us were out, lying in the same bed.

Check out those muscles!!

The trip home wasn't bad at all. We listened to soothing music and walked in the door around 9:30 p.m. Sofia went straight to sleep. Ryan and I followed soon after!

Blech

2008-11-20T10:23:00.003-05:00

Sofia is finally feeling better after days of being sick. It started last Thursday with throwing up. Luckily, for me anyway, she waited until I had just left for class to let loose. Poor Ryan had to deal with it all. When I got home around 9 p.m., Sofia was laying on the couch, wearing nothing but a diaper, covered in blankets, and watching Dora with her arms behind her head. It was a little pathetic and amusing all at the same time. She threw up again Friday morning, so I had to call off work for the afternoon. (I went out the previous evening to get my dance on for a friend's birthday, but it didn't feel quite the same because I was worried about Sofia.) Saturday things seemed to go better, Sofia was perking up. Ryan and I had the day off and we went to the library. Sofia is obsessed with the computers and she ran around like she owned the place. We went out for a late lunch and then popped by the store to grab food for dinner. Sofia was such a trooper because she didn't even take a nap until 3:30, which is an hour and a half after the normal time. Sunday dawned bright and clear, Sofia was quiet and we watched lots of television. (Who am I kidding, we watch lots of television all the time). However, Sunday evening I got a nice surprise...Sofia puked on me. It was disgusting, to say the least. Finally, after throwing up again Monday morning (do you see a pattern?) I took her to the doctor. He promptly told me it was probably a virus (which I already figured out) and there wasn't anything they could do (which I knew as well). I knew Sofia was back to normal yesterday because she was back to whining and crying. Is it bad that I liked her better when she was sick?

All better!

Halloween

2008-11-13T15:08:00.002-05:00

This was the first year we took Sofia trick-or-treating and I must say, I'm glad we waited. Sofia was a princess this year and she absolutely loved this costume. In fact, she wants to wear it all the time. She looked really cute in her costume and the night was perfect. We went to Russ and Vanessa's to meet up. They have more neighborhoods with houses, rather than apartments, around them. We took the wagon for the girls, a little Halloween limo. It took a few visits to houses before Sofia caught on but after she did, she was on a role. She would run up to the house and say, "trick treat. Tank Ew." She would then run back to the sidewalk, put down her bag, add the candy, pick back up the bag, and then run down the sidewalk yelling, "Next house, next house." Genevieve took her time and rode in the wagon...maybe she should have worn the princess costume! We went to all kind of houses and got lots of candy. I thought for sure the girls would tire out, but they lasted the whole 2 hours. I think they would have kept going, but us adults were pooped. (In addition to Ryan and myself, we also had Russ, Vanessa, and Vanessa's parents.) Sofia was really good about not trying to eat all of her candy, although we did give her a bite or two along the way. I was excited to get home and see what kind of loot we got because, I'm not going to lie, most of that candy will be eaten by Ryan and I.

Pumpkin Party

2008-10-27T20:54:00.000-05:00

Pumpkins + Knives + Two-year-old = interesting!

We had a good time carving pumpkins tonight. This was the first time we've tried it with Sofia. At first, I don't think she knew what to think. I tried to get her to stick her hand in the pumpkin, but she wouldn't touch it. I tried shoving the pumpkin goo in her face, but that didn't help either. (Are you surprised?) However, after she aw how much fun Ryan, Jessi and I were having, Sofia decided to give it a try. However, I don't think she quite had the concept down because she started to put the goopy insides back into the pumpkins as we were trying to get them out. All in all, it was a good, messy time and I think we made some good pumpkins.

Leed's Farm

2008-10-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

We went to this farm and had a blast! It's out in the country near Ostrander and we couldn't have picked a better day. It was cool, but sunny. When we got there, the first thing Sofia did was this black tube slide.

She took turns going down with me, then Ryan. I think we each went down a total of four times. Sofia was having so much fun that she didn't want to stop, but I wanted to check out the hay barn.

Now this barn is not for those with allergies. It was filled with hay. So much that Sofia could barely walk. Even Ryan and I were falling down. It was such a blast that I felt like I was eight years old again! After playing in the hay barn, we checked out the goats and donkeys. Sofia really got a kick out of feeding the goats.

I was afraid they would bite, but they didn't. After playing, we got a quick bite to eat, including one of the best pieces of pie I have ever had. After that we went on this little tractor ride called the banana bus. The only stipulation for riding was if you can fit inside, you can ride. I'll be honest, it was a tight fit. Ryan and Sofia rode together and I sat in front taking pictures. It was a little bit scary being smooshed into that little car, but was worth it. I can't wait to go back next year!!

Pretty, Pretty Princess

2008-10-20T12:19:00.000-05:00

I picked up this princess costume for Sofia at Old Navy for half off, you really can't beat that. Well, now she wants to wear it all the time. And when she wants to wear it, this is what Sofia says," lollollollipplillipp wear pretty princess." Quite a mouthful. This will most likely be her Halloween costume as well, for all of you who are curious. (However, I did pick up a really cool ninja costume there as well, so who knows!)

Mother - Daughter Outing

2008-10-17T13:16:00.005-05:00

I've been feeling a little guilty lately because I've been doing so much homework during the day, that I've been putting Sofia in front of the television with Dora. I don't think she minds too much, but it's been weighing heavily on my shoulders. So, since I had the day off today, I decided to take her out and about, away from the t.v. We started the morning at Old Navy, where they are having awesome sales. 99cent shirts and tank tops, how can you pass that up?! So, I bought some shirts, a couple of Halloween costumes for Sofia...in all about 24 items for $90. After our shopping spree, we went to the library for some Dora the Explorer books (you never can get away from her), then we went to the park. This was one that we have never been to, near my old college Otterbein. There were a ton of kids there running all around. Sofia was brave and got right into the middle of them. After that, we topped off the first part of the day with hotdogs at The Dog Joint. The food was tasty,my only complaint was the women's restroom didn't have a changing table. I just don't understand why a restaurant, especially one that has such kiddie food, wouldn't have a changing table? This isn't even the first time it's happened. All in all, it was nice to get out of the house and play!

Mmmm...Pudding

2008-10-16T13:10:00.000-05:00

Mmmm...I like chocolate pudding.
I like it so much I want to lick the bowl.
Do you like my goatee?

My, What Big Feet You Have!

2008-10-06T15:03:00.001-05:00

This is why pens and toddlers don't mix. That is pen drawings (by Sofia) all over the arm of my couch. I can't really blame her, because I'm the one who left her alone with access to my pens. Argh!!!

We're Engaged!

2008-10-05T15:24:00.001-05:00

This news is a little late, but I thought I would still post it. Ryan propsed to me Saturday, September 27, 2008. We've been talking about it for a couple of years, but I was still totally shocked. Thanks to Russ and Vanessa who went with Ryan to get the ring. It was the exact one I wanted, a claddaugh ring with three, small diamonds inside the heart. It's prefect!

Renaissance Fair

2008-10-04T15:14:00.000-05:00

We went to the Ren Fair today with Jessi and some of her family. I hadn't been there in 15 years, but it looked pretty much the same. We had a lot of fun, and Sofia acted good for not having a nap! There was so much stuff that I wanted to buy, but it's so expensive. If I had my way, I would have bought tons of clothes. We aw tons of people in costume, a washer women show (pretty bawdy!), a belly dancer, and the queen. Ryan got to throw Chinese throwing stars and knives, and I got to shoot some arrows. The only thing that resulted in shooting arrows is a huge bruise on my upper arm. I guess all of my college skills have been lost.

For the Love of Dora

2008-09-24T18:01:00.003-05:00

Sofia is obsessed with this little import from Mexico. I love Mexicans and people from all over, but I'm really starting to dislike Dora the Explorer. Sofia, on the other hand, couldn't be more in love. It's a girl crush of course. From the moment she wakes up, Sofia is asking to watch Dora. I know, I know...kids under two shouldn't even be watching television. Well, whatever sadistic nut thought that up hasn't ever been a stay-at-home-mom. So, Dora is turned on. Last Friday I wasn't feeling well, and Nickelodeon was running a marathon. A four hour marathon. And oh yes, you've guessed it, we watched the whole thing. I think I deserve an award just for watching all four hours. But you would just have to see Sofia's face to understand. It makes her so happy! She was smiling, singing, dancing...who could deny her such pleasure?

Happy 2nd Birthday!!

2008-09-12T11:26:00.002-05:00

Wow, Sofia is 2. I can't believe it. Where has the time gone? Sometimes I forget that she is only two, because she acts so much older. I'm so proud of my smart, beautiful little girl. And that's what she is, a little girl. She's no longer a baby! It's only been two years, but I can't imagine my life without her!

Here are some pictures from the small party we threw!
Yes, Sofia has put herself in that little box.

The cool place to play!

Two wild girls!

Tantrums

2008-09-01T13:00:00.002-05:00

Ugh...I am so sick of Sofia's tantrums. I was trying to sleep in a little this morning because Ryan was going into work later but all I could hear was Sofia crying. Why was he crying? No clue. I think it may have been because she got pissed about something and threw herself on the ground, resulting in her head banging off the ground. It's kind of hard to sympathize when she does it to herself. Silly child. I'm hoping that since she's not quite two, and has already started the tantrums, that maybe she'll grow out of them sooner. (I know, I can hear the laughter coming from all of you, but it's just a wish. It's what I'll be thinking when Sofia blows out her candles on her birthday.) Luckily for me, next weekend I am going away to Cincinnati all by myself. Did you hear that? All by myself! This will be the first time in two years that I have been away from Sofia for more than just an evening. I'm not trying to sound heartless, but damn am I excited. I think it'll be good for everyone...I'm sure Sofia gets sick of seeing me too, I would!

Terrible Two's

2008-08-25T13:24:00.005-05:00

FYI: make sure you look at previous posts, I've added some pictures. I figured it was about time to stay on top of this blog.

Sofia is being a terrible two. Yesterday was one of those days. Sofia was a turd (and I'm not afraid to say it). She was whiny, yelling for Dora the Explorer, saying she had to use the potty every ten minutes (but not using it). The kicker was right when Ryan came home she decided to pee in the potty and then pick up the little bowl and dump it on the floor. I was pissed. After that I had to get out of the house for an hour. I had been home with Sofia for 1o hours while Ryan was at work and I needed a break. So, I went to Target, bought a portable CD player with headphones (and no, I don't own an I-Pod or MP3 player, I'm still stuck in the mid-nineties), then I took my new purchase to the gym for half an hour. I came home a much saner mommy.

Today, knowing I would be home with Sofia all day alone again, I made the decision to go to the zoo. This is the third time we've gone in as many weeks, but it is so worth it. Well, except for the over-priced food and annoying kids, but that's fine. Sofia was pretty good and it was a perfect day for it- 75 degrees and sunny. The animals were out and about. And finally, for once, I did not get pooped on by a bird. Sofia did. It was kind of funny hand of course it was right after she had a full outfit change, but that's Murphy's Law for you!

2008-08-19T08:46:00.003-05:00

This weekend was fun. Sofia, Ryan and I went down to Mt.Orab to visit with family. There are so many new babies it's hard to keep track. There are 6 kids under the age of two. It's crazy but I love it! Sofia was really good. One of my little cousins wanted to play with her the whole time, which was fine with me. However, I think Sofia was getting a little frustrated. We stayed and watched some of my brother's soccer scrimage as well. I can't believe he's going to be a junior in high school. I remember when he was Sofia's age. We only lasted at the game for about a half an hour before Sofia started to have a major meltdown. I don't blame her, it was close to bedtime.

Sunday Sofia and I went to the park with Russ, Vanessa and Genevieve. Sofia and Genevieve are so cute together, and they play well. Russ was the impromptu daddy since Ryan wasn't there. At one point, Sofia wouldn't let me put her in the swing, it had to be Russ. The only snag of the morning was when Sofia and Genevieve were holding hands, walking in the parking lot. Genevieve tripped and went down, pulling Sofia with her. Sofia's hand was still in Genevieve's, so the only way she could catch herself was by falling on her face. I felt so bad! We went to Wendy's and got a frosty to make up for it (the power of the frosty!). So was fine, but she has a little mark on her face.

So, the whole potty training is going really well. Sofia kind of initiated it on her own, and we're just following. I started a potty chart for her yesterday. It has all of the days in August (starting from yesterday) and everytime she pees in the potty she gets 1 sticker, and when she poops she gets 2 stickers. When she gets to ten stickers, she gets a prize. Yesterday alone she went 6 times. Impressive. We're still a far cry from underpants, but we're getting there!

Potty News

2008-08-15T08:35:00.002-05:00

It's sad when the most exciting part of my day is when Sofia pees on the potty. I need to get a hobby. But seriously, yesterday Sofia peed in her potty three times yesterday afternoon/evening. She's starting to tell us when she wants to go, and last night she went in her romm alone, took off her pants and diaper, and went to the potty all by herself. That's a pretty big feat I would think. Now I've got stars in my eyes and am counting the days until she is out of diapers.

2008-08-06T21:48:00.005-05:00

It seems like forever since the last time I posted. You would think I had been incredibly busy or something, but not really. I do have more time now that classes are done for three weeks (yea!) and Summer Reading Club is over at the library (double yea!). Sofia has been hilarious these past couple of weeks. Today she was with Ryan all day and she decided she wasn't going to take a nap. When I came home at asked if she was tired she said,"I'm not tired." Just within the last week or so she's been talking in sentences. It's still a mix between her garbled language (Sofiaism) and English, but it's getting much easier to understand her. It makes it so much easier to get her what she wants, or deny her what she wants, when I know what she is saying. I just can't believe she'll be two in a month. Where has the time gone?

Sad News

2008-07-21T11:38:00.002-05:00

Well, today we have some sad news. Our wonderful cat, Juliet, passed away this morning. We had no idea that she was sick or anything and it was really very shocking to find her this morning. I won't gross you out with the details. We are going to miss her very much. Ryan and I got her almost six years ago, a year after we first started dating and right after we moved into our first apartment together. She was our baby before we had Sofia. Juliet was the best cat ever, just ask anyone who knew her. She was sweet, even-tempered, fun, playful, and just really awesome. We'll always have a special place in our hearts for her.

Water Fun

2008-07-19T16:18:00.004-05:00

Sofia and I had a lot of fun on Thursday when we went to a really cool park in Hilliard with some friends. Emily introduced this park to us and along with her daughter (who is pretty close to Sofia's age), Jenn and her two kids, we all had a great time. This park is pretty amazing. They have about three different playgrounds, a huge fort/water gun play area, and a place for 5 and under kids to play in the water without being demolished and run over by the older kids. Sofia had a blast in the water. It was funny because Abby, Jordan, and Jeremiah would play near each other, and sometimes with each other, but for the most part Sofia was on her own. We stayed at the park for over three hours, so needless to say by the time we got home, we were all exhausted. Oh, and did I bring a camera, of course not. Will I ever learn?

2008-07-16T19:28:00.002-05:00

So, I haven't seen much of Sofia the past couple of days, but she is really starting to crack me up all the time! She still does her ornery things, but wow-she's got one heck of a sense of humor. Oh, and her dancing is incredible. Monday night we had a little dance party in the living room, getting down to some Paramour and Snow Patrol. Sofia couldn't get enough. "Up! Up!" that's all I heard. I was swinging her around like a deranged monkey, it was fun. She's such a goofball!

Beautiful Day

2008-07-10T13:17:00.003-05:00

Today is a perfect summer day. Sofia woke up at 10:30 a.m. which was wonderful. Yesterday she slept until 11 am. I have no idea why she's sleeping so much, she's acting healthy so I'm not going to complain. I'm going to thank my lucky stars that I have a daughter who loves to sleep as much as I do. Anyway, today was so pretty when I got up that I decided it would be a good Zoo day. Sofia and I practically ran out the door and when I told her we were going to the Zoo, she got very excited. "Goin' to da Doo?" (For those who don't understand toddler, that means, "We're going to the Zoo?) As soon as she sees the sign, Sofia goes crazy. This time we stuck to the North America and Asia areas of the park. It was so much fun because Sofia gets more and more into the animals everytime we go. She loved the petting zoo with the goats. In fact, she walked around for about ten minutes with a brush, brushing every goat she could find. Sofia also really liked the bird aviaries. At one point I couldn't get over how much fun I do have with her when we get out of the house and go do things. Maybe I should do that more often instead of sitting at home. Hmmm...just a thought.

Here are some pictures from another Zoo trip, just not this one.

Here are some other random pictures I thought I would add. And yes, that is a beer Sofia is holding in the one picture, and no, it is not open. However, it does make for a good picture!

You can tell these are all pre-haircut. Unfortunately, Ryan and I haven't had a chance to take too many new pictures. However, if you want to see some new ones from the other day, check out my friend Mandy's blog. Mandy's so fancy with her blog, she even included a video link of Sofia. Even I can't do that!

2008-07-02T15:55:00.000-05:00

So, I did vacuum and clean the bathroom before work. I'm not that gross!

To-Do List

2008-07-02T15:53:00.003-05:00

So, last night I was bored in class (I'm going to Library School for my Master's degree, and yes, you need a Master's to be a librarian.) and decided to write up to-do lists for this week. I put down things to clean, go to the gym, go to the grocery store, clean my car etc. Today I had
-go to the gym
-clean the bathroom
-put away clean clothes
-go to the grocery store
-vacuum

What did I do today? I went to the Zoo. So, I get to use a dirty bathroom, sit among piles of laundered clothing, starve, and not lose weight...but hey, at least I got to see a monkey pick his nose and eat it!

Oh, from the mouths of children

2008-06-28T13:04:00.002-05:00

I'm at work right now, and I just had to tell you the question an eight-year-old girl just asked me. She saw the picture of Sofia that is on my computer screen. "Who is that?" she asked. "It's my little girl, my daughter," I replied. "Does it hurt having a baby?" she asked. "Whaaa...," I replied.

What the heck do you say to that? I could have been honest and said," Why yes, it did. It felt like my uterus was being squeezed and a giant rubber band was being wrapped around my waist by a sadistic monster." But I didn't (although, what a great form of birth control). Instead, I said, rather meekly, "Yeah, but just a little."

Ahhh...sex ed at the library. Gotta love it!

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N

2008-06-26T20:03:00.004-05:00

That spells vacation. Which, unfortunately, is over. Time went by way too fast but we had a lot of fun. I was so worried about Sofia and the plane ride and the time difference, but everything worked out great. Sofia wa really good on the flights, only having a couple of meltdowns on the way. It's taking her a little longer to adjust back to Ohio time, but we're working on it. As we speak, Sofia is softly whimpering in her room. However, that may have more to do with the fact that I put her to bed after telling her not to scratch the walls with her nails and when I picked her up, she proceeded to rake her fingers down my back repeatedly. OW!

We did a lot over the course of a few days in Phoenix, including going to the Phoenix Zoo, the Arizona Science Center, Tortilla Flat, swimming in the pool. Rather than me write a bunch of stuff, why don't I just show some pictures!

Sofia's first day at the pool. She is totally fearless, jumping off the edge of the pool into our arms and even letting me dunk her under water. We tried to go swimming almost every day, and the water was perfect.

Sofia really liked the Zoo, but I think in the beginning she was really hot. The tram ride around the park was fun, and we got to see a lot of animals. It's so hot in Phoenix that we were at the Zoo by 9 a.m. We rode the carousel twice and saw a really neat giraffe exhibit. Sofia was a bit whiny in the beginning. However, once she saw these fountains, she couldn't have been happier. It took a couple of minutes of standing there watching the other kids before she would venture in. However, once she did . . .

. . . she abolutely loved it!

Checking out the prairie dogs.

Enjoying the Arizona Science Center's Grossology exhibit. Yes, the sign says, "Toot, toot" and yes, it's talking about farts. You pump air into the tubes and then push down on the rubber stopper on top to create beautiful butt music...it was hilarious.

This is right before the wheel barrow tipped over, hitting Sofia in the head. She liked this little play area because it had a little house and tons of stuff to climb on. One of the neatest exhibits was a weather "immersion" theater experience. You stand with a bunch of people on a raised platform in the middle of the room, surrounding by theater screens, speakers, and lights. The screens talk about and display various forms of weather (tornados, thunderstorms, earthquakes) and while that is happening, you are able to experience it thanks to rain machines, wind, and heat lamps. It was pretty cool, and I was really afraid that Sofia would be scared, but she really liked it, especially the wind.

Our last day, right before we left for the airport.

Look at those smiling faces. All in all, we had a great time (thanks Mom and Ken!). Ryan got to take his first airplane ride and we all got to experience new things!

And now, back to the real world...sigh.