Sophia

Alameda County Fair

It's Fair season and this year was a year of several firsts. I was completely prepared to willfully force my daughter to participate, but she managed to shock all of us and show her fearless side. She rode roller coaster after roller coaster, went down the super slide (which I couldn't get a picture of because I was shaking with nerves...they wouldn't let her go down on Tim's lap, so she had to ride alongside him), and even managed a ride on the Tilt-a-Whirl! We were so proud of her and at the same time couldn't believe this was the same child who was so scared the year prior she chose to just "wave" at the rides when she walked by.

Here we are waiting for the concert to begin. The Imagination Movers were in town and Sophie danced to some of her favorite tunes.
Even Noah was enjoying the Imagination Movers. He was wishing he could dance with his sister!
Goppie and Sophie getting ready to ride her very first roller coaster. She loved every second of it. By the end of the night, she was raising her hands in the air!
Here's Grammy and Sophie taking a turn on the Dragon roller coaster. She laughed like crazy on this one.
A much tamer ride on the merry-go-round. Last year, it was a huge debacle getting her to ride this, and now this year she seems almost bored with it!

And I Wonder Why....

...my children's sleep cycles are easily disrupted. I've been off work for five days now and I am already suffering from insomnia (okay, maybe an exaggeration, but seriously, I shouldn't be awake right now). And since it's late at night, I can't do the things I'm wanting to do because they all involve making a bunch of noise and waking up the entire house (i.e. putting dishes away, vacuuming) so I'm left with blogging and watching Seinfeld. When my body is not in a routine or if my body makes the slightest adjustment in a routine, my sleep is the first to be affected. I think I closed my eyes for a total of 20 minutes this afternoon while the kids were napping; therefore, I will most likely not be able to sleep until after 1am. It's like my body does not know how to deal with 8 hours of sleep. I feel more refreshed having 6 hours of total sleep rather than 8. If I get 8, I feel like I'm dragging a piano. But yet, I'm still convinced I need more sleep. And I am a total sucker for products that advertise relaxation, calm, help you sleep stuff. Like lavender for example, it doesn't help me relax, it makes me sneeze. Maybe this is what almost 3 years of never being able to sleep in does to you...even if you can get more sleep, your body won't let you. Who knows, what I do know is it's now close to midnight and I can already tell the wake up call at 4:30 is going to be so enjoyable.

Smiles for Everyone!

Noah received the cutest Ohio State hat from Grammy and Goppie. I was able to get some cute pictures out of it. I was starting to feel a little bad because it seems a lot of my blogs are about Sophie rather than Noah. He's 5 months, what can I say? He eats, sleeps, poops, not too much excitement yet! I'm sure there will be in the near future, but for now his only job is to be the angel baby that he is. And he truly is....but don't fret because we must remember this is Tim's son. There is no doubt in my mind he will keep us on our toes!
I cannot even begin to tell you how his smiles just melt my heart. It doesn't matter how tired I am, how stressed I am from a tough day at work, or how overwhelmed I'm feeling with the numerous jobs I hold...his smile seems to make all of those feelings go away in an instant. Love it!

Bound to be Best Buddies

Noah and Sierra already have a great relationship. Usually, Sierra just gives him kisses and Noah loves to laugh.

They're both focused on who is going to get the tennis ball first.

Mensa Stands For?

Tim is convinced our daughter is a genius. He saw a story on the news about a 2-year-old with a 152 IQ (I call b.s. if you ask me) and she is now a member of Mensa. They noted characteristics of geniuses and, of course, Sophie fits these characteristics quite perfectly according to Tim. I told Tim I'm not sure we're capable of producing a genius, especially considering although we know what Mensa is, we don't know what the actual name "Mensa" means. Is it an acronym? Was there a really smart guy named Mensa that started this whole group? Really, in all honesty, what is Mensa? (Please note I have since studied up on Mensa and do not need comments on the origin of Mensa. Thanks though.) Maybe a lot of parents hope their child is a genius, but I'm not so sure. I'm thinking well-above-average is a good place. Lots of pressure comes along with being a genius and I'm not so sure I can handle that. Forget Sophie, that would stress ME out.

Sophie's Golf Outing

Sophie is very lucky to have a daddy who works on a golf course. Personally, I think Annika needs to watch her back because Sophie is getting the hang of it quick! Here's a pic with the clubhouse in the far background.

Sophie and one of her rare misses on the day.

"Hold on Daddy! I need to fill in my divot!" It's only appropriate Sophie learns proper golf course etiquette!

This one is for birdie.

"Hmmmm, let's see. I eagled #8, birdied #9....I'm on my way to a course record!!!"

Fun at the Park!

Sophie and Noah's cousin, Nick, celebrated his birthday yesterday. All of us went and had a great time. Here's a pic of Noah and his first time in the swing! N i c e and s l o w !
Alex and Sophie posing for a pic.
Sophie hangin' with her older cousin, Melanie.
Sophie loved everything in her giftbag. Here she is showing off her bubble blowing skills!!!

School's Out For Summer!!!!

Yay! I finished up my last day of work yesterday and today was my first official day of summer break. Graduation was actually last week, but I had a lot of cleaning up to do. Having a baby and then only working from Spring Break to mid-June is fantastic. I should try that type of work schedule more often! I am so not going to miss my 89 degree office. And, I most definitely will not miss the mice! I won't really have time to miss all my kids since I see them ALL the time. Seriously, they all work at Target, Starbucks, Safeway, EVERYWHERE. The occasional free perks are nice, but sometimes running into students when I am looking not-so-professional and holding a crying baby and dragging a disobedient toddler....nope, not my best.

Anyway, I hope to make the most of this summer with Sophie and Noah. Fun day, everyday!!!

Ready, Get Set, Go!!!!

Noah is so anxious to get moving like his big sister, Sophie. He can scoot while he is on his back, but that has proved to be a bit dangerous because the other day he scooted so far he bonked his head. We prefer that he learn to scoot on his tummy so he can at least see what's in front of him! Anyway, he hasn't really gotten anywhere yet while on his tummy, but he definitely gets an A+ for effort. Check out the clip of him getting nowhere fast....

http://www.vimeo.com/clip:218792
password: sono

The Otter Pop Diet

Apparently, Tim bought stock in otter pops and failed to tell me. We bought a Costco size box of otter pops (which means there's, what, 1000 pops in it?) and little did I know these things would become Tim and Sophie's main staple in their diet. At 25 calories a pop, who could go wrong, right? Wrong....these two are addicted and Tim has managed to train Sophie to "fetch" these pops in the freezer like a dog. Next thing you know, she'll be ripping the plastic off the top with her teeth just like Tim.

Tonight I just watched the two of them as they sat on the couch together, sucking away. Sophie seems to have mastered otter pop etiquette, complete with a total head tilt to slurp down the last drop of otter. And then they have a conversation about what color each of them is going to have next. "Hmmmm, I think I want purple, Daddy. What about you?" The bonding that goes on because of these stupid freezer pops, I tell ya.

Has This Ever Happened To You???

Sophie is well into the age where I must be careful with what we listen to in the car. When she was younger, rocking out to my usual music was totally okay....or at least I thought it was okay. But then she started to understand and even started to sing words to songs. Last summer, about the time Sophie started running around singing, "I'm bringing sexy back!" I knew it was about that time to change the station!!! Even though I thought it was totally hilarious and would occasionally, to people I knew wouldn't judge me, made her sing the catchy Timberlake tune.

Anyway, I now listen to KidStuff on Sirius radio everytime the kids are in the car and, without fail, these tunes keep getting in my head. So much so that I often catch myself humming to myself, casually throwing in a verse or two....sometimes I might flat out sing it outloud, not realizing I'm singing, "Ooh, aah, I've got a pain in my tummy!" Really? Did I just say that?

I must say I did become a fan of Jack Johnson, thanks to listening to KidStuff. His songs make me feel like I'm not listening to children's music (he did the Curious George soundtrack and the rest of his cds are good and for adults); but unfortunately, I never get these songs stuck in my head! Instead, I end up reciting the Wiggles....they have some catchy tunes!!!

Bedtime!

Sophie was very sad when I told her Noah couldn't stay with her. He did seem to love hanging out in big sis' bedroom!

Road Trips Will Never Be the Same

In general, I enjoy riding in the car. I don't really mind driving, either. As long as I'm not sitting in traffic, which I'm able to avoid for the most part here in the bay area, driving does not bother me. Good music, good company, a fun destination are all important variables. But then.....I had kids......and my life behind the wheel has never been the same. I don't have the kind of kids who fall asleep the second the key touches the ignition, so maybe you should stop right here if these are the types of kids you have. My kids occasionally sleep in the car....when I drug them, that is. Sophie has become a non-stop talker, singer, screamer, all-around-entertainer, and saves her best material for long car rides. You would think it takes two to take part in a conversation, but Sophie tends to overlook this requirement.

On our way home from Reno this weekend, Sophie sang and talked LOUDLY for what seemed like two hours straight. This included random unidentified flying objects being tossed around the back seat. Occasionally, Tim and I would participate (not the throwing part), but for the most part Sophie was content entertaining herself. Okay, maybe Noah was a little entertained too. More often than not, I find it pretty funny and love to hear her sing and babble. Granted, the times I feel this way are typically short trips to Target, the grocery store, basically trips that require us to be in the car for 20 minutes max roundtrip. But this particular trip from Reno felt like an eternity. I would look at other people as they drove by thinking how peaceful they look, how they must be enjoying some casual conversation, maybe some good music. All the while I could barely see straight because of all the joyful noise occurring in our car. I did all I could to not go completely nutso, but I totally lost my cool towards the end of our trip and told EVERYONE in the car to be quiet, the radio included (insert a Cheryl tantrum here). For the last 30 minutes of our ride, the whole car was silent and I pondered whether or not bringing my ipod on the next trip would make me a bad mom.

Laughs and Giggles

Here's a clip of Daddy making Noah laugh. He loves to squeal and it is so cute....even at 4:00 in the morning. Enjoy!

http://www.vimeo.com/clip:206984
Password: sono

I'm Complaining Again

There are many things I like about California...the diversity, the beauty, the weather....or at least I should like California for it's weather. I mean, people have written songs about the beautiful weather out here, right? I'm beginning to wonder if these songs were limited to the regions down south, because up here it's been absolutely miserable. Mild is a term used by most, but to me, it's been miserable. We had maybe three days of valid heat, but the rest of the days have been windy, foggy, bitter, all-around yucky. Yesterday, I went on my usual walk with one of my friends after school. Tim called me to ask if I had brought warm clothes. "No" was my answer because for one, I like to be unprepared, and two, I somehow think I can trick Mother Nature by bringing shorts and a t-shirt in hopes that the weather might make some complete turnaround and the sun will come out and actually radiate some heat. No such luck. Tim let me know I was going to freeze and he suspected snow. Maybe not snow, but it did feel like the weather right before a big snowstorm.

Anyway, it's hard for me to feel like summer is right around the corner when I feel like I need to unpack my parka most mornings. I walk by our pool at school every morning and feel so bad for our kids who have to swim for P.E......even my teeth were chattering and I was fully clothed and wasn't even within 50 feet of the pool. Sophie cries everyday because I won't let her wear dresses. Today, she duped our nanny and wore a long sleeved shirt underneath her summer dress and socks with sandals. Needless to say, she was desperate.

Please send warm weather...please!! I'll even take hot, humid, sticky Ohio weather...bugs and all. Just send it over!

She's Freaking Us Out

Sophie's memory boggles our mind on a daily basis. When we're in the car, she remembers EVERYTHING. We drove by her doctor's office the other day and she immediately identifies it, even though she hasn't been there in months. We bought her bike helmet a few months ago and just tonight we drove by the store we bought it in and she recognizes it and points it out. She remembers things we say weeks and months ago. She remembers people's names better than I can. She constantly does this and never seems to forget anything. I could go on and on with examples to further prove her photographic memory, but like the forgetful person I am these days, I can't remember all of them! I like to think I am on top of things, but I have definitely noticed the amount of lists, sticky notes, and reminders I must make for myself to get through the day. I am constantly getting lost and rarely pay attention to my surroundings; I'm convinced Sophie could get me around town in San Francisco better than a GPS. Little does she know she is going to become my personal Rand-McNally.

Say Aaaahhhhh!

Sorry Noah, but did you not get the memo? Solids are just around the corner for you. You are constantly hungry and never feel full enough, so we have decided to try the solids a little earlier.
I think Noah is slowly beginning to tower over Sophie. It's a little awkward having such a big baby and people probably wondering why he's not walking and talking, or even sitting up for that matter. I decided to try and start the rice cereal a little early with him. The kid eats like a football player and is constantly giving me the evil eye when he's not being fed. We waited until Sophie was six months before we started with her, but he's close to five months and is seeming ready.

Funny how things change with your second child. I'm a little more relaxed with Noah now. With Sophie, this type of decision would have required a phone conference with my doctor, three references from professional journals, and a personal consultation with every mother I know. Don't worry, I still fret about Sophie's new experiences and milestones and question whether or not I know what I'm doing. But with Noah, decisions aren't as calculated and researched, and I'm just not losing as much sleep over it.

It's 80's Night!!!

This is what happens when you let your daughter dress herself and do her own hair. As long as she's not out in public, I'm totally okay with it. Her hair is a disaster, though. It's all different lengths and all in her face....it's like she has bedhead all day long.
She's learning how to shoot a basketball. So far, she has great wrist action but the spin is not exactly what it should be. I have no doubt she'll get it down soon. The three hours of practice a day is doing her good!