Happy 2nd Birthday Sophia!

We keep up our blog, in part, because we want our friends and family who live far away, to be able to see photos of the kids. The second, and primary purpose of the blog is to keep a journal for Sophia and Keenan.

So on Sophia's second birthday, we are writing this entry directly to Sophia. Friends and family are still welcome to read it :)

Dear Sophia, our sweet, feisty, stubborn, smart, beautiful, funny little girl, we can't believe you are turning two years old. Time truly flies so incredibly fast. We wanted to capture a written snapshot of your life right now and hope that someday you are able to look back and have a sense of what your life was like at two years old.

Some foods you like:
-Nearly everything, the only food you have ever flat out rejected was olives.
-You are a big fan of pizza, oatmeal, Special K, tomatos, cucumbers, avacado, cottage cheese, pancakes, hot wings and popsicles.
-Milk is your security blanket. Whenever you are nervous, tired, or upset, we hear a plaintive 'milk, milk, milk' that gets repeated with increasing volume until the milk appears.

Some of your favoirte toys:
-A calculator, yup, a calculator
-A toy phone
-Your music table
-Books, especially Curious George Books, Richard Scarry's 'A Day at the Airport' is your all time favorite book (at least at two years old it is)
-Baby Tad
-Bubbles

Some of your favorite things to do:
-go on the slide
-go on the swing
-beach outings
-running through the sprinklers
-dancing with Daddy
-building sandcastles with Mommy
-bath time
-playing piano with Opa and Nana
-playing with Opa and Nana, period............

Some things you do that make us shake our heads in amazement:
-Picture this, Dad is on the deck with you. You point to the thermometer and say 'clock,' Daddy corrects you, telling you it is a thermometer which tells us the temperature outside, whether it is hot or cold. You sagely nod, smile and say 'like ears'......this isn't a question, you have stated that you realize that the temperature gauge is like the thermometer we use in your ears to take your temperature. I think I only explained to you once (two months ago) what your ear thermometer does, how did you make that leap?
-I'm on the phone with Daddy, and call waiting clicks in. Our caller ID tells me that it is Grandma calling. I tell Daddy that his Mom is calling and I will call her back when we hang up. We talk several more minutes and I finally hang up the phone, you look up at me and tell me 'call Grandma' and resume inspecting your book.
-You pick out letters in signs in the grocery store and repeat them. An example of a recent trip down the grocery aisle "A", "C", "M".....your mind is so quick it is frightening.
-When we were visiting with your cousins, someone mentioned that they were going to the pool. You ran to your suitcase, pulled out your 'little swimmer' diapers and handed it to Rachel. After that, you ran back to your suitcase and dug up your swim suit.

Some things you do that crack us up:
-At the dinner table, you love to mimic us. If I'm resting my hand on my chin, you study me intently then copy the pose. If one of us puts our hands on our hips, so do you, and you are able to precisely duplicate our position. When we open the front door to call Marz, you stand right next to us, and call out in the same tone 'Marzy, Maryzzzzzzy', when he comes flying by you, you say 'goot boe' (good boy). Your imitation of Mommy running or driving is hysterical. Your imitation of Brett playing video games was priceless.
-We love the crazy way you dance. I don't think you are likely destined to be a professional dancer because your sense of rhythm is questionable at this point, but you do like to spin, jump, move your hips, and bop your head when we put on music you like. You have made us laugh so hard that we end up rolling on the ground.
- When you see Keenan head for the Marz's water bowl or the stereo, you yell out 'no Keenan, no', then you run and tackle the poor boy.
-The minute someone walks into our house, friend or stranger, you pounce on their feet, start to untie their shoe laces and try to pull their shoes off much to the consternation of the uninitiated.


Some things you do that makes us love you more every single day:
-You look up at us with those bright brown eyes of yours and say "love you Mommy" or "love you Daddy."
-When you curl up with me in the morning and give one of your great Sophia hugs and a kiss on the lips.
-It is true that you have been known to torment Keenan, but you are also the most incredible sister to him. You are generous with your hugs and kisses and have become extremely protective of him, following him around like a mother hen.
-All we have to do is watch you sleep..................it reminds us how lucky we are to have you in our lives.
-Watching your eyes light up when you see something you like or want to try for the first time. You get scared sometimes, but you seemed to trust us enough to give it a try.

Some things that test our patience:
-Your temper can be fierce. You don't like being told no, won't allow yourself to be redirected to something else, you see right through us when we try. You don't like having to get off the swing or leave the beach and you make sure that everyone in a three block radius hears your displeasure. Sometimes you take it out on your little brother. You used to try and take it out on Marz, then Keenan came along.
-You are a tad impatient.
-You have been known to pinch, bite or hit when things don't go your way.
-You have become the squirmiest child ever when we try to change your diapers.

Some things that make us proud:
-You are so helpful. You feed Marz on your own every day now. When the dishwasher needs emptying, you are right there. Unloading groceries are a favorite past time, and you sure are strong!
-I have never met such a big heart and spirit in such a small body.
-You love to read and are always eager to pull out a book.
-You say please and thank you, often without prompting.
-You are our daughter, nothing more is really needed.

Some things we hope for you:
-We hope you are healthy, physically and emotionally.
-We of course wish you happiness, but it such an elusive goal and hard to define, so instead, let us hope you are content with your life.
-We hope you find a career you love. When something is your passion, it really isn't work.
-We hope you know how very much we love you.

Happy Birthday little one...............