Merry Christmas, Indeed

We just returned from a wonderful Christmas in Indiana, where the girls were spoiled rotten by all the gifts they received (as usual). I am just so very thankful that we have such incredible friends and family in our lives. I'll try to write more later, but in the meantime - here are some pics and a video of our Hoosier holiday(s). Enjoy!

Opening gifts at Aunt Karen's on Christmas Eve.

A very sleepy Sophie gets kisses from Grandma and Emma before everyone hits the hay and waits for Santa!

This is the face of a girl made VERY happy by Santa this year.

The girls getting silly with Grandpa.

Callie, Cadin, Grifin, Sophie & Emma on Christmas day.

And some video highlights of our sledding adventure in Dad's backyard...

Cool Move, Mrs. Parker

Emma came home from school today practically bursting with excitement because Mrs. Parker had given each of the kids a gift to take home.
This woman has 30 kids in her class! Maybe this is SOP for schoolteachers and I just don't realize it? All I know is that I don't remember getting any gifts from my teachers way back in the day, although admittedly my memory is only slightly better than Dory's. Either way, I think it's pretty cool that Mrs. P. used her very valuable time and money to make a personal keepsake for each member of her class. It makes me feel like Emma is in good hands with a teacher that cares enough to do something like this for her students, you know?

Now I am SO GLAD that we got her a gift weeks ago, because there's no way I'd be sending Emma to school tomorrow empty-handed!

Playgroup 2004 LIVES!

We haven't seen the old playgroup gang in several months, but all of us (except Colleen and the boys - missed you!) gathered today for a really fun afternoon. The kids played together so well, you'd never guess that many hadn't seen each other in almost a year. Sharing time with all the amazing women who saw me through those first few years of parenthood always renders me so grateful that fate brought each of them into our lives. What a great way to spend a Sunday!

First Haircut

Sophie had her first haircut today. This is how she looked in the beginning:

This is how she looked by the end:
In case you can't tell from her lovely facial expressions (or lack thereof), dubiousness was Sophie's response of choice throughout the entire experience. But she did not scream, or cry, or pull away - or even wriggle around. Considering Sophie's aversion to strangers, we were expecting more of a...well, a reaction from her. However, we were mistaken; she simply sat and endured. She obeyed all commands (ie, "look down," "look up," "look straight," etc.) and otherwise stayed as still as a stone. The only time she made a peep was to ask occasionally, "Almost done?"

The kid next to her screamed his head off the minute the hairdresser laid a finger on him. I refrained from shouting "My kid is better than your kid!" at the mother, but I was singing the taunt repeatedly inside my head.

Proud Mama day.

Tis The Season

Matching outfits courtesy of Grandma Kitty...

VH1 Divas, Watch Out

Some nuggets from Emma in the car this morning, while singing along to her Disney songs:

"Wow, I can hardly see a thing because I was singing so high. See how my eyes go way up up up when I sing really high?"

"I do that last part of the song so well. I gave myself the chills."

"I don't know how I sing so good. I just do. Like Ariel. I guess I'm just like Ariel...well, except my Daddy isn't mean."

"Sophie, you need to open your mouth more, like this: Ahhhhhhhhh! See how it's supposed to sound? Try it again."

"I want to be an orphan singer when I grow up. And a bus driver. But mostly an orphan singer."

Another Favorite Thing About Sophie...

• She just went pee in the potty for the first time!!!!!!
  

Favorite Things About Sophie

• Her version of reading or recognizing letters (no matter which letter it may be) is to point and shout, "H I J J!"
• If a food doesn't meet her high standards, she drops her jaw and lets the food dribble slowly out of her mouth before declaring, "No like it."
• When she sings along to a song, she really sings - eyes closed, head thrown back, belting it out for all to hear.
  
• She has my sweet tooth. Pudding is a particular favorite.
• She's got moves.
• She's quite a character, her own little person. I love watching her in action and marveling at how her mind works. Plus, the kid can really make me laugh.

Sister Love

Talkin'

Emma Quote of Day:
"Mama, if a tornado tried to pick up our house, it couldn't because our house is good and strong. But the tornado could pick up other houses that are not strong. Like ant houses, of course. And doll houses if the doors aren't closed. And pig houses. But only the straw ones."

Favorite Sophie Phrases:
"Sip up!" (Sit up)
"Had fun at the gym!" (First words out of mouth when I pick her up from the gym nursery.)
"My do it!"
"Emma, no-no." (Did not know where she was getting the repetitive nos from until my visiting mother-in-law pointed out that when she runs away I scream, "N-n-n-n-NO!")
"Go in living room."
"No song. No soo-ngggg. No song!" (This particular phrase is repeated approximately 25 times a day while in car.)
"Mommy, uppie." (Emma talks baby talk to her, so up is "uppie," juice is "juicy," etc. Sigh.)
"Watch Gora."
"Yep." (ie, when asked if it hurts when she jumps in the air and lands on her butt, which is a favorite pastime.)
"Yum. Dee-licious!"