All About Sophia

Approximately three weeks ago, Sophia started pre-school. She only attends for two hours, two times a week, but she absolutely loves it. On her first day of school I was a little stressed out but not for the reasons one might assume. I had arranged for a baby-sitter to stay with Keenan while I spent some time getting Sophia settled in class. However, when the baby-sitter overslept, I found myself scrambling to get Keenan in some clothes and both of them strapped into their car seats and on the road.

I managed to arrive in time but my shirt was soaked in sweat and my nerves were a little frayed. Keenan got one look at all the toys and books and made a beeline for the nearest truck. Which was all fine and dandy until the teacher rang the bell and I had to pry his little body from the rocking horse he had discovered. Many tears and screams later, I was heading out the door, but not before making sure that Sophia was handling this new adventure okay. As she sat down in the class circle, she looked at me and waved and said "Bye Mommy, I'll see you later." I had expected she might cry but foolishly did not anticipate that the only one who would have tears in her eyes was me. Having to deal with Keenan's meltdown saved me from an emotional meltdown of my own, so I guess it all worked out in the end.

I know it is cliche, but I am constantly struck by how fast our little girl is growing up. Her vocabulary is astounding and sometimes exceeds the adults around her but she is still a little shy and tentative in new situations. She is gradually finding her voice and when someone asks her name, she finally is willing to softly say "Sophia." If somebody calls her Sophie, she nicely corrects them with a smile, saying "my name is Sophia." Most of the time she says please and thank you and you're welcome without being reminded. She has learned to write her first name in school and loves pointing out the letters in words that she sees on signs.

When we drive in the car, her favorite game is to point out every single UPS truck she sees. A little background might be helpful here. Last year, Colin interviewed at UPS and was placed in their hiring pool. We were all thrilled beyond belief and expected he would start some time in 2009. Unfortunately, the confluence of two events has put that expectation on hold. The pilot retirement age was raised to 65 and the economy has taken its painful and much talked about down turn. We are still hopeful that Colin will be able to switch from blue to brown sometime in the near future but, in the meantime, Sophia has made it her mission to shout UPS whenever she sees a truck. I have a feeling our local UPS driver must feel like a celebrity when he shows up at our house since Sophia makes it known that she thinks he is terrific..

Sophia has an incredibly complicated relationship with her brother. She adores him and is very protective of him, sweet to him if he falls or is upset. On the other hand, she doesn't hesitate to start big brawls with him and is often unrepentant after she has pushed him or scratched him. Two hours later, they are side by side, and she is showing him one of our photo albums from our trip to China. They will spend an hour, huddled together, intensely studying the photos and Sophia provides a steady stream of narration to accompany the photos. Before bed, they chase each other around the coffee table and laugh hysterically until they both collapse from exhaustion.

Sophia is extraordinarily observant and has the memory of an elephant. Her ability to accurately recall small details from events weeks or months behind us leave me feeling ancient and oblivious. She is a mercurial little being. All sunshine and smiles one moment, pensive and withdrawn the next, and then perhaps angry and oppositional only to exude bonhomie the very next breath. She is affectionate and loving, giving unexpected hugs and lovely compliments.

To sum it up, I am so grateful I was lucky enough to become a Mom and can hardly believe I almost opted to never have children. I would have missed so much. Sophia is an indescribable gift and her presence in our lives humbles me.