New Family Member

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

Happy 3rd Birthday!!

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

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

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.

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?!

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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!