Keeping up with Sophie

Out and about...in Nagoya

2011-12-31T11:29:00.011+09:00

The other night we wanted to go check out a botanical garden nearby, but when we finally got there, they were closed. We were so bummed! We decided to just take a walk and take pictures. We ended up close to Oasis 21, which is a shopping center near the Sakae train station and bus depot. They had "ice" skating (more like plastic) and Sophie was interested in trying it out. When we're home in April, I think we're going to try and go on real ice. She had her moments of frustration (mostly because the floor was difficult to go on) but the gaggle of Japanese girls ogling her made it easier to take I think. :]

The view from our apartment

Central Park laser, with tower and sculptures

Ferris wheel in Sakae

Nagoya TV Tower

"Ice" skating with Daddy

This one ALWAYS makes me giggle!

My favorite ballerina

2011-12-30T15:03:00.005+09:00

Sophie goes to pre-ballet class two times a week with four other girls, all between the ages of two and four. This year for Christmas, she received some ballet clothes from Grandma and Grandpa. Here are a few shots that I took from this morning. Enjoy!

Twirling, her favorite thing to do

Jumping

Generally being cute

Miss Independent turns three!

2011-12-07T18:34:00.013+09:00

My baby is not-so-much a baby anymore! Wah! Part of me is clutching to the memories of her being a 5lb 6oz crying machine. Now she's still a crying machine, but 32lbs. Now at least she has the option of telling us what she wants or why she's crying. "I'm so frustrated!" is her favorite, when she can actually talk. Usually it's about a toy, or she wants something she can't get, etc. She's a drama mama to the core!

This crying is intermingled with moments of pure, unsolicited sweetness. One day, I finished my workout and she said, "I'd like to give you a hug and a kiss now." Um, ok. Thank you! This coming from Miss Independent, "I'll do it by all myself!" This is the reason parents are late. Kids wanting to do everything "by all myself" and it takes 60333049% longer than it should have to. But I don't mind. It gets better, right? Hmmm, I haven't seen any parenting "It Gets Better" videos. Poop. I think we're in trouble.

Three years old already. They say that having a child is like having a fast forward button on your life. This is so true! I can't explain where the last three years have gone, but they have flown by! Her favorite things are puzzles, music, books, lego blocks, Imagination Movers and anything Sleeping Beauty. I have no idea how this particular princess became her favorite, except maybe because her dress is pink. She also likes Hello Kitty, which was the theme of her party today. We had a little family cupcakes and presents time this morning before Jim had to leave for work. We also Skyped with both sets of grandparents, while they watched Sophie open the presents they sent. It was pretty awesome! It is 14 hour time difference but you can't tell that. Technology is pretty amazing! Then we had a few of her friends from Cirque over for a pizza and cupcakes party. It was so fun! Here are a few pictures from her party.

Cupcake with friends (that's Chloe hamming it up)

Playing with her new hula hoop from Chloe.

Sophie modeling her new hat from Iris.

Siani being a ham. I showed Sophie this picture and I said. "Who is that?" She said. "Sally!" Sally is the seahorse. HA!

Sophie playing with her friends. (Mio, Chloe, Siani, Sophie, and Iris).

I've heard that three is two with intent. Bring it.

I am deeply sorry for the lapse in posting, as I've been focusing my efforts on weight loss (-47 lbs since July 1!). I promise I'll post an update soon.

Quick update

2011-07-17T16:52:00.009+09:00

Tomorrow is luggage day and tear-down, so I'm here packing while Jim is doing the show. While I take a quick lunch break, due to popular demand, here are a few more pictures from the new camera. Enjoy, and if you'd like full quality pictures to print, email me. These were taken in our Shinjuku apartment and out front in the flower garden.

Spitting image of my beautiful mother:

New toy!

2011-07-12T22:21:00.006+09:00

With it being tear-down week and all, I don't have much time to update. Buuuut, Jim and I went shopping last night for a new toy: the Canon EOS Kiss X5 in Japan, or the Canon EOS Rebel T3i in the US. It is so pretty! So far, I don't really know too much about how to use it, but I know that I'm really impressed with the quality of the pictures. Here is a mini sampler from earlier today. I promise I will post more later!

Bubbles!

2011-06-23T22:51:00.011+09:00

Sophie has been obsessed with bubbles lately, so I would like to share a few (hundred) that I took over the last couple of weeks. Please forgive me, some are a bit artsy-fartsy, and some are just plain cute. They are not in any particular order. Enjoy!

A Natural

2011-06-16T13:32:00.006+09:00

"Never look at the trombones, it only encourages them!" -- Richard Strauss

Is this a good thing or are we going to regret this later? Haha! And please excuse the giggling!

Kamakura and the Great Buddha

2011-06-09T10:25:00.012+09:00

We decided to visit the Great Buddha in a small town near Kamakura. The train ride was about an hour from Shinjuku, and Sophie was very well behaved. We took two trains, from Shinjuku to Kamakura, then to Hase. The train to Hase looked like a trolley. You could tell it was a bit older, but very well taken care of. It almost reminded me of something at Disney. At the train station there were a few small coffee shops and gift shops. They had maps and a free Great Buddha stamp even. It was pretty cool. Once we arrived, there was a small walk to the park where the Buddha was. It was a very cute small town with restaurants, gift shops, a 100 Yen shop (set up pretty much exactly like a dollar store in the states), and other hand made gifts. I got a little handmade change purse for 100 Yen. There was also a surf shop or two, since the town was right on the ocean. It was amazing that we used to live on the other side of THIS ocean. There were a few surfers out. We followed them and took a few pictures. I REALLY liked it here.

Thumbs up!

Burning incense

Konnichiwa!

Giant Slippers

I love its hands.

Sophie's cute little head in the bottom corner!

Ueno Zoo

2011-05-29T13:28:00.016+09:00

We decided to visit the Ueno Zoo in Ueno Park, which has been on our "Must Do" list for a while now. We took the train and Sophie was a big hit, as per usual. She's a ham, and cute to boot. One woman asked to take her picture. Sophie gladly got her cheeseface on and I appreciated that the woman asked me. It was pretty inexpensive to visit (600 yen per adult, and kids up to 12 are free!) so there were a lot of really cute small children in their uniforms and matching hats. There was even a blanket in one section of the zoo for a class nap. All the children's shoes were surrounding the 20 or so laying down. It was very sweet. I desperately wanted to join them, but Jim had to go to work. And that I'm not a Japanese child. That would have been awkward perhaps.

Fancy turkey, who, for the record, shook exactly what his momma gave him:

Giant Panda Exhibit

This very beautiful Shrine was a gift from Taiwan I think.

Rawr. That's hello in Tiger.

The sign for the girls bathroom.

What is it about baby anything = cute?

I'm SURE they sell wrinkle cream SOMEWHERE in Tokyo.

Pygmy hippo!

The giraffe was eating the shrub outside of its enclosure.

Heh.

Cool baobab tree, with lemurs on the bridge

This is close to where we saw the class napping.

Mini update

2011-05-23T21:17:00.017+09:00

So we've been back in Tokyo for almost a week now. Things here are pretty much back to business as usual. We're keeping up with the radiation readings around town (readings are low, even after it rains) and the nuclear reactor situation. Aftershocks are happening a few times daily, but they still send me into shock when I feel them. (Sometimes to my [happy] surprise, I look at the list and realize after the fact that there was one and that I didn't even feel it. I like when that happens!) I really dislike that Jim has to work so much. Last time when we had to evacuate, Jim's parents were here to assist. It was truly a blessing that they came when they did. Here are a few leftover pictures of The Soph from our enjoyable time in Michigan, as well as some taken this last week. We'd like to thank the Grandmas and Grandpas for letting us stay at your homes and eat your food for as long as we did. We know it was a lot to ask with an almost 2 1/2 year-old, and thank you for utilizing that time positively to bond with Sophie. I know she enjoyed her time with you (because she talks about it every day!), as did I. This is definitely the most difficult part of being on tour and I'm glad you took the opportunity to build your relationships with Sophie.

Flying her ladybug kite
(PS the colors were not changed at all in this one.)

In the meadow in Mt. Pleasant, obsessed with the flowers

Sunglasses on her head, just like me, taken by Shinjuku Station Friday afternoon

In our apartment, we're having some breakthroughs with potty training (she consciously went two times!!!) However, sometimes we see her naked baby butt with the potty chair on her head, and are forced to get out the camera. I'll take my mommy of the year award now, thank you.

Sophie's first manicure this morning:

What color do you want? Pink? Again?

Smoothies for a bedtime snack. This girl is addicted to fruit! This pic was taken tonight after she drank TWO full-glass smoothies.

A few Michigan shots

2011-04-30T13:29:00.024+09:00

We have had many adventures here in Michigan. Here are a few highlights.
Sophie is 2 years and 4 months old, weighs 31 pounds, and is just under 3 feet tall.

Making a snowman

Using Grandpa's flashlight as a mic

An unconventional princess

With Daddy before he had to go back

At the butterfly exhibit at Meijer Gardens

Pigtails!

At the mall in the breakfast foods

Sandy!

Goofy girl!

I had NOTHING to do with this. She accomplished this by her own accord.
Brilliant.

Riding her car for the first time

Peek!

At the park

Cupcakes! ...or the demolition of them

Helping out in the garden

At the farm

In the driveway

Ladybug

Happy Easter!
(PS This is her Baptism dress!)

See?

Riding Willy the donkey at the cousin's house

Rock star

Pictures from Macau

2011-04-27T10:18:00.022+09:00

Here are a few pictures of our adventures in Macau. I'm sorry to say these were all taken with an iPhone, so the quality is not the best.

In the main lobby of the Venetian Hotel in Macau.

A park across the street from the grocery store. This is also the same park where 4 grown men (!) were going crazy taking pictures of and posing with Sophie. It was our first taste of the craziness. It would not be the last. They warned us that it might happen in Japan, especially with a blonde-haired blue-eyed baby as pretty as Sophie. But that was mild compared to China! Also, speaking of crazy, the taxis are out-of-this-world S-C-A-R-Y! Like, street signs are optional and the center dividing lines? Just suggestions. But, super cheap.

There's a Cirque du Soleil resident show at the Venetian, called Zaia. We got to see the show but the main character, played by a girl we knew from KOOZA, was not in that night. Still, it was fantastic! The Zaia people were nothing short of wonderful and amazing to give us shelter while we were refugees.
Outside the entrance:

Inside the entrance to go to our seats:

While in Macau, we had meetings that we had to go to, so they could communicate with us what was going on. Here's Sophie with Tara during one of them. Sophie has the best sense of comedic timing (besides the clowns!). During the first one, the meeting heads asked if there were any questions. Without missing a beat, she innocently asked, "What is this?" (about something she found on the ground) and thus easing everyone's mind about the situation. It was amazing.

Here is Sophie playing with some balloons with Paul Hanson's kids, Cirque du Soleil's Zed's bassoon player. You might remember that name, as he was on the Bela Fleck Live at the Quick album (which is my FAVORITE album of theirs!) They evacuated Zed (from Tokyo Disney) as well. Paul's wife Cynthia is wonderful and sweet! I can't wait to hang out with her more when we go back to Tokyo!

Here are a few pics that Jim took from the QUBE, the children's playroom. Sophie loved this, not so much for the playing, but for the PINK BALLS! I think she's addicted!
I. must. have. them. ALL. Mwahaaahahaha. (Evil Sophie laugh).

Miscellaneous and obligatory cute Sophie pics.

Wearing a ponytail for the first time:

Trying on Mommy's shoes!

In the food court:

Uber cheese face!

Yes, that's a remote. "Hello?"

Evil eye:

Well, duh. KOOZA is in the house!

It's funny I had to go all the way to China to see one. This was at the Hong Kong airport.

Earthquake and Update

2011-04-07T04:29:00.034+09:00

Just over a month ago exactly, Japan experienced the biggest earthquake in their history. On March 11, around 2:45 pm, I had just read Sophie a few books and put her down for a nap and went into my bedroom to do email while Jim's parents were in the living room talking and reading. I sat down on the bed and felt the 9.0 earthquake begin, just a little shaking. I figured it would stop quickly, as they all did, and went out to talk to them. The shaking grew into swaying, as we were on the 32nd floor in our building in Shinjuku, a village right outside of Tokyo. The floor just kept moving, back and forth. The walls were creaking and the doors kept opening and closing on their own. I ran into Sophie's room to stay with her, in case she fell out of bed. There was nothing on the walls and no danger of anything falling on her. I crouched above her, watching her face the entire time. I tried to smile and act like I wasn't scared. She clearly wasn't, as she was laughing and saying it was fun. It must have swayed a few feet, back and forth, for what felt like a lifetime. We didn't wait for it to stop. I ran out into the hall to my neighbor (another Cirque Mom) to see if we should evacuate. We decided yes, and the announcement came on over the loudspeaker, first in Japanese, to take the stairs down to the ground floor. I got Sophie out of bed to get her shoes on, and she fell and giggled (while announcing it, of course! HA!). I grabbed her coat and diaper bag and we made our way to the stairs. We made our way down. I think the building stopped moving, but I was too shaken and shaking to remember or notice. It was a long way down. Sophie wanted desperately to walk herself. People had their kids and dogs in tow. Jim's parents were amazing, carrying Sophie for me and helping us all stay together and safe. Once outside, we made our way to the park across the street, where we met a lot of the other Cirque families. The earth was still moving. Someone on site likened it to "cement surfing." There was no one screaming or freaking out. In fact, it was very methodical and orderly. The streetlights were still working and being obeyed. There were, however, a lot of video cameras. I'm sure you've seen a lot of the videos. Jim's dad shot one inside our apartment. The movement you see is not him moving the camera, it's because of the quake. Also notice the curtains, it shows just how much we were swaying.

There are a few more interesting earthquake videos, like this one (outside the buildings in Tokyo) and this one (walking in a park, watch the cement). And here is a really cool before and after picture site from the resulting tsunami. Toggle over the pics, it's really amazing and just plain devastating.

Once in the park, Jim and I were trying to contact each other. Of course the cell phones were not working, but Skype was! We finally got each other on the phone, and figured out where we were going to meet. Jim was waiting for the train to arrive when it happened. Thank goodness he was not on it yet. He made his way to the park where we were reunited. Saying I was happy is a vast understatement. He called Cirque to see what was going on, and they were adamant that he return to site for a rehearsal. I think they figured that everyone was there already, they might as well do it. I don't know, but I'm guessing they think that was a silly decision now. Hindsight is always 20/20, yes? Jim left again, walking the two miles to site with another musician, and we waited some more for things to calm down. Taxis were not an option, nor were the trains obviously. We went back to our apartment building, but the elevators weren't working. With the aftershocks still going, we didn't really want to be back up there anyway. We waited a few hours until Jim got home and walked up about 20 flights of stairs. While ascending, we heard an announcement that one of the elevators was back on. We ran to it (as much as our fatigued muscles could do) and squeezed in.
We heard about the tsunami, but were so far inland that it didn't affect us. We didn't know about the nuclear reactor situation until later. We went to bed, me in my clothes in case there was another emergency evacuation.

Fast forward a few days. Cirque sent an email telling us to watch our email at a certain time. That time came and the email we received said they were finalizing things and to wait for another email. This was a huge red flag to me, and Jim's parents too. They packed up and got on the phone to get a flight out. I also packed my and Sophie's things, and Jim packed his. We got the call around 3:00 that we would be evacuated to Macau, and that our flight was in 4 hours, and to go to the airport now. Thank goodness we packed and were ready to go. A two-hour taxi to Narita, a five hour flight to Hong Kong, a shuttle bus to the high-speed ferry, a one hour ferry ride to Macau and a half hour shuttle bus ended our trip. It was 4:00 am when we checked in. Sophie, by the way, was amazing. Here's a picture of her and Iris having fun on the ferry.

We stayed at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, which is where another Cirque du Soleil show Zaia is. Zaia and the hotel was very accommodating, allowing us to have access to the employee cafeteria to eat for free. There was also an amazing food court, which we frequented often. Sophie's favorite was Boost, the smoothie counter. Sophie was a ROCK STAR! At least a few random people would take her picture every day we were there. Even the children were taken with her!

We ended up staying there for two weeks, when it was announced that Cirque would be sending us home, which is where I am right now. It was decided that KOOZA would be resumed April 9, and all artists were to return to Japan. Not one wife with small children returned. Not one. It has been very difficult without Jim here, and Sophie is quite a handful. Even her worst is better than others, so I'm not complaining. Ok, I am, but I probably shouldn't be. And our parents have been amazing as well, allowing us to stay at their homes, eat their food, etc., while they bond with Sophie. It is definitely a good thing, as they hardly ever see her with us living on the road. The plan is for Jim to fly home on their May break, and we would all fly back together about a month from now. This is all depending on the nuclear situation, of course. So far, Jim and Cirque are taking all precautions and everything and everyone is safe. He is enjoying the cherry blossoms and beef bowls of Yoshinoya, while I am in the cold and rain of a Michigan spring. But my feet are firmly on the ground.

Things I learned from my two-year-old

2011-03-01T21:56:00.016+09:00

Aah, if only adults could live their lives as if they were two. Can you imagine? Here is a list of things I learned from Sophie on how to live your life.

1. Pants are annoying.
Every nap should conclude by taking off one's pants and yelling "Naked baby butt!"
Example:

2. It is necessary to narrate everything your Mommy or Daddy does as loudly as possible.
Ex: In Miami, Sophie and I were bra shopping. She felt it necessary to tell everyone about my "biiiiig boobies." Awesome.

3. Vegetables hit the ground every time they are dropped/thrown.
Yes, it's true. And you, my dear, have to pick them up every time as well.

4. Toys belong everywhere but in the room where you sleep.
There's nothing I love more than stepping on a puzzle piece in the middle of the night when going to the bathroom.

5. Eating like a kitty cat is normal, and should be an every day occurrence.
Ex:

6. It is necessary to give a play-by-play narration to one's day-to-day happenings.
Ex: Sophie will be running ("Running so fast!") to get her ball ("Get the ball.") and she'll trip and fall ("I fell.") and maybe bonk her head ("Bonked my head.") It's actually quite cute.

7. One must follow directions literally or not at all.
Ex: Sophie and Jim were playing.
Sophie: Again?
Jim: Say please.
S: Please?
J: Now say the whole thing.
S: The whole thing.

Ex: Sophie was drinking water from her sippy, and there were wet spots all over the table.
Me: Sophie, when you drink, try to hold your cup up.
Sophie picked up her cup and held it over her head.
Stinker. I meant not to turn it upside down.

8. Feigning deafness is fun.
Sophie seems to not hear us a lot, usually when she's reading or when it's time for bed.

9. One must always yell/scream whenever anyone doesn't do what you want right at that precise moment.
Can you imagine doing this at work? Your boss comes in, tells you he needs a report, and you just scream at him?
Ex: I made cupcakes for Cirque in Miami and I was taking pictures of them. Yes, in front of Sophie, so it was totally my fault. Check out the progression in these photos. PS I think we let her have two (minis) before I even took pictures.

10. And lastly, it is necessary to be as cute as possible at all times. Or, most of the time, if you're two.
And not grow up too quickly.

Exploration

2011-02-20T19:22:00.016+09:00

Now say it like Spongebob:

Yes, that's the best video I could find. Seriously. Exploration.

Jim, Sophie and I decided to explore the area where we live (Shinjuku) a few weeks ago by checking out the little park next to where we live. We saw lots of things. There was a beautiful shrine (where some newlyweds were taking pictures!!!)

There was also a little playground with a slide, swings, pigeons, and a cute doxie. These all just happen to be on Sophie's Big Happy Fun Time Checklist. We also met a little 3-yr-old Japanese girl who is taking English classes and spoke with us a bit, and took a picture to fulfill her homework assignment.

And to my enjoyment, a few cherry blossoms decided to pop up a bit early. They smell delicious. I cannot even wait until they are everywhere!

Later, Sophie decided to explore how pretty and colorful her crayons would be on our brand new window sills. Don't worry, I sprung for the good, washable crayons. Exploration.

Last week, a few of the KOOZA spouses decided to take a night off and explore the town. We took the train to Harajuku and had drinks at TGIFridays and then dinner at an authentic Mexican restaurant that the Quiros family knew about. We walked and went down about 1000 stairs, and found it was almost like we were actually in Mexico. The menus were in Spanish and English (I had the chicken tacos and an amazing margarita), and there was a 3-person mariachi band there that was really, really good! It was hard to believe we were still in Tokyo! I had a great time!

Life in a Venn Diagram

2011-02-15T21:52:00.015+09:00

For those of you who don't know what a Venn Diagram is, it's basically two overlapping circles, where one can compare and contrast two things, where the overlapping part is what the two things have in common. This has been my life the last month. For realz.

I haven't posted, in all honesty, because I'm just too overwhelmed. I have a lot to say, just nowhere to begin. This country is beautiful and has its own nuances and way of things. For instance, people actually wait for the cross walk to turn green before going. I love that. And there are bikes not locked up. They know that if it doesn't belong to you, don't touch it. I love how efficient they are. Trains are always on time. And each station has a cute musical tone that plays. The steering wheel is on the right side because they drive on the left side of the road. Taxis open and close the door for you, and tips are considered rude. The workers here, in my experience, go over and beyond what they have to, just to do a good job. You don't hand the cashier your money or credit card, you put it on a tray. Every day at 4:30 exactly, a musical tone plays in Shinjuku. Every Sunday, people dress up in 50s/Elvis outfits and stand in a circle and dance at Yoyogi Park. People are MAD for their dogs and dress them up in cute outfits. Even the construction cones are cute.

Here are some posters of the show, and a picture of the marquee on the Fuji Dome. And why yes, that IS snow. And no I don't have my winter coat, thanks for asking. *cue sad trombone*

Speaking of Fuji, we can see Mt. Fuji from our AMAZING apartment. The sunsets have been nothing short of breathtaking. In the apartment, there are so many buttons I haven't even attempted to touch, for fear of something happening. And not knowing how to make it stop. We can fill up the bathtub by pushing a button in the kitchen. There is a heated toilet seat, for Pete's sake! We are so spoiled. For realz.

As far as Sophie, she is adjusting quite well. She is getting a lot of attention from the Japanese ladies, young and old. Pretty much every time we go out, there's someone saying something to her or patting her head. She's a beauty, that's for sure!

And she's even learning the language. Ish.

Sayonara Michigan, Konichiwa Tokyo!

2011-02-12T20:50:00.016+09:00

Hello all! Long time no talk, I know! We made the move to Japan and we're finally getting settled, figuring out all the stuff that needs figuring out. I promise I will talk about that later.

Before traveling, we got to spend two glorious weeks with our families in Michigan, got to see our brothers and sisters, and the kids got to spend time with each other, as well as with the grand parents. It was lovely seeing Sophie play and interact with her cousins, notably with Ivy and Eve (since they are closest to her in age of all her cousins), especially now that she's old enough to be able to do that. Last time we saw them, she just turned one, and was crawling. Now she can play and learn. It truly was amazing seeing all the kids play with Sophie. Here is Ivy showing Sophie how to hula hoop.

Her absolute favorite cousin was Hannah, I think. She read to her, she let her wear/steal her bracelets, and they genuinely liked each other. Sophie still talks about her! She truly was amazing with her, and it was lovely seeing them together. Plus it was nice being able to hang with the adults, knowing Sophie was safe and having fun. Sophie even got to check out the snow for the first time. Like her mother, she was not really a fan of the cold. She refused to wear her gloves and we had to use plastic bags on her shoes since we didn't have boots.

Another highlight was Jim's brother Jon coming up from Tennessee (to visit, but also to take our Prius) and going to the D to see the Red Wings live. My parents were kind enough to take Sophie overnight so we could actually enjoy the game. Our seats were pretty good and they won in overtime. Here are a few I snapped from the warmup skate and during the game:

The Perfect Human:

Z:

Drapes:

Helm/Draper Jr., making a funny face:

Ericsson, who is literally two heads taller than anyone on the ice:

Home Keys. LOVE. I know he's 12 but he's just so darn CUTE.
I have a very understanding husband!

Peppering the goalie at the end of warmups:

Franzen scored the winner in OT, here's the final score with the goal light:

Anyway, I just heard Sophie crying, so I will continue recounting this adventure on another day.

Happy 26 months!

2011-02-07T00:10:00.000+09:00

Or two years and two months. Going on 27.

Years.

But we love you anyway, crazy lady.

Lion Country Safari

2011-01-05T12:48:00.000+09:00

When I was in sixth grade, I came to Ft. Lauderdale, FL, for the very first time with my Grandma Bearss and my cousin Jenny for Spring Break. My mom and brother came to stay for a few days also. It was my first time out of the state, I think, and my first time flying. It was amazing. I remember we stayed in a tiny hotel with two pools (!) where we met these boys from New Jersey who had funny accents. They wanted to buy us a hot dawg and newspapuh. We crossed the street to swim in the ocean and to get ice cream. Every night for a week I got blueberry cheesecake in a sugar cone. My cousin always got something with a lot of stuff in it, and my Gram always said she didn't think someone should chew ice cream. It always made me laugh! We took a special trip to Miami to the zoo (where my cousin and I wore our special sunglasses and matching outfits. We were so cool back then!) and to Lion Country Safari. Since we were in town now with Cirque, we thought Sophie may enjoy seeing the animals. Boy, were we correct on this point! They had a drive-thru part and a walk-around part. Both parts were way cool. Here are a few shots I snapped that day.

Blame it on the little guy, with his one horn!

Lions:

Mmmmm, lunch:

Face to face with your mortality. Or something.:

He seriously tried to eat. his. face!!!

Petting zoo hugs:

Feeding the giraffes!:

Playing the drums with Dada:

Christmas pictures

2010-12-30T13:03:00.000+09:00

Jim actually had the day off (for once!) so we decided to do a small family thing for Christmas in the morning, then Cirque had a party/end of North America tour celebration later in the afternoon. Sophie loved her presents from the grandparents! We celebrated by reading a passage from a prayer book over breakfast and tried teaching Sophie what Christmas is all about, not just presents. She didn't really understand any of it, except that we got to sing Happy Birthday to Jesus. :]

Our tree, all four feet of it!:

Her puzzle and books from the Lutzes.

Her alphabet magnet toy and bracelets from the Mallorys.

Her new hat to match her new jacket:

After she was trying to put it on her doll:

Her absolute favorite thing to play with:

In fact, she was so taken by the wrapping paper and bows, we still had two presents from us she never even opened.

Here are a few shots from the Cirque Christmas party. It was on the roof of a restaurant in South Beach. It was so hot and sunny that we just sat in the shade and talked the entire time. And drank mimosas. :]
Sophie, on the other hand, did not have such a grand time. She was soooo tiiiiiired and at the end she lost her pacifier over the edge of the building. Poor baby!

Not a fan of the big guy. I have no idea what Jim is doing in this one.

She got to wear a pretty dress that she picked out (that cost $4):

Before, clapping during the speeches:

After losing her paci forever but gaining a cozy skull cap (in 75 degree weather).

Anyway, we came home, ordered a pizza (you know, like ya do) and watched "A Christmas Story" while Sophie slept. It was magical.

Twinkle Twinkle - by herself

2010-12-29T13:12:00.000+09:00

I can't believe she knows ALL the words! She is so bright! I swear this will be the last time (for now) that I post vids of her singing.

More singing, but no Mommy this time...

2010-12-28T15:00:00.000+09:00

Here is a medley of songs that Sophie likes, but this time Sophie is singing all by herself. Gosh, we love this little girl!

Yup. More singing.

2010-12-27T09:20:00.000+09:00

She keeps getting better and better!

Part 1:

Part 2:

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-25T23:55:00.000+09:00

Happy holidays to all!

Singing goofiness

2010-12-20T12:32:00.000+09:00

Yup. More singing. She absolutely loves it. Once again, turn your volume down. If you don't, it may cause a neighborhood disturbance when the dogs start howling uncontrollably. These were taken last week during dinner. Her pitch is pretty good, for being two years old and all. She cracks me up!

I love it when she says "Good job!" in this one:

Birthday, with pictures!

2010-12-10T11:00:00.000+09:00

The Monday before Sophie's birthday, we met Sasha (saxophone/clarinet/keyboards), his wife Olga, and his 1 1/2 year old Iris at a botanical garden, Pinecrest Gardens. Iris and Sophie adore each other! By the end of the day, they were holding hands and giving each other hugs. Sophie's favorite part was watching/stalking a bumblebee, petting the pigs (only) in the "petting zoo", swinging and going down the slides. She even talked about swinging today, that's how much she loved it! Then we shared lunch at The Cheesecake Factory, which I had never been to before. The Caesar salad was excellent and the Kahlua cheesecake was so rich that I had about three bites and Jim had the rest.

On Sophie's birthday, we had a small breakfast and couldn't wait to do presents and cupcakes! She got a cell phone toy, a Red Wings sweatshirt, and books that were recorded reading to Sophie from Grandpa and Grandma Mallory; a LeapFrog Tag junior reader and clothes from us; and special books for the reader from Grandpa and Grandma Lutz. I even made the special girl a special t-shirt to wear for her special day!

She looks just like my Mom in this one!

LOVING her Little Mermaid cell phone

CUPCAKES!

Later in the day, we went to site for dinner. Jim put his makeup on and Sophie was interested, so we let her have some too!

I made 96 mini yellow and chocolate cupcakes to share with site. They put them out at intermission and Jim said they disappeared within minutes! I made the white and chocolate butter cream frostings myself, and the '2's are homemade marshmallow fondant that I used a cookie cutter for.

We would like to thank everyone for their gifts, thoughts, and well-wishes. We are truly blessed to have such a sweet, caring little girl in our lives. Thank you all for thinking that too! :]

HAPPY SECOND BIRTHDAY!

2010-12-07T18:00:00.000+09:00

Well, the time has come. I must admit that Sophie is no longer a baby and is her own person.
We went from this (Day 1):

To this:

I both love and loathe this age. Every day her emotions take over. She has at least one fall-down-on-the-floor-kicking-and-screaming-flailing-everything tantrum a day. And it's usually about something completely not important, about wearing pants or having her blanket. I'm not proud how I handle it sometimes, but overall I think I pass the test of a good parent. And the thing is, ten minutes later she wants you to read a book like nothing has happened. She still needs us to help her, but she's old enough to communicate that need to us. ("Help you," she says.) I LOVE that she can tell us if she wants more juice, if she needs a diaper change, if she wants to eat ("Hungry" she says), etc. She is excellent at using colors as adjectives ("big red truck"), making things plural ("One ear, two ears"), and using past tense ("It fell" or "I dropped it"). I am so proud of her! She still literally and figuratively needs to hold our hand , but she also can let go without fear. We're always going to "help you" whether or not she needs it! Overall, Sophie makes everything more beautiful. She opens our eyes to things we don't notice that are right in front of our faces. I'm so grateful she is in my life. She is my life.

I love the sound of her voice. I love her laughter. She loves when you sing and leave out words that she can fill in, and when you do the same with her books. She can spell her name and count to ten. She can say a few words in French and in German. I love her excitement for learning and knowing what things are called.

I also witnessed her playing pretend for the first time a few days ago. She was crawling on the ground saying, "Meow!" It was super cute! She is growing and blossoming into such an amazing girl, and I'm privileged to have her in my life. Happy birthday beautiful girl!

Twinkle, Twinkle again

2010-12-03T13:06:00.000+09:00

Every day she gets better and better at singing it! Here she is watching her one twenty-minute video ("Your Baby can Read") of television she gets a day. She's REALLY into music and especially singing. She demands a song about every. three. minutes. And as soon as you're finished "Again." (Notice, it was NOT a question.) It's cute the first three (hundred) times. We make her say please, so it's not as obnoxious as it could be. Plus, it's not like she's asking for a certain cartoon character that is an explorer or a sponge that lives in a pineapple under the sea. Television is more about quality vs quantity. If she does watch television, it's high quality stuff. I'm not saying Spongebob or Dora is bad per se (I actually love Spongebob!) but she's not even two yet. When she's older (i.e. in about 10 years) and she wants to watch it, she can. Sorry, rant over! Let's get on with the cute shall we?

Twinkle, Twinkle AND special bonus

2010-11-29T06:38:00.001+09:00

We were coming back from picking up the Christmas tree (all 4 feet of it! Woo!) and Sophie wanted a song. Again. Here is what we sang. Please remember to turn your volume down, as I sing like Yoko Ono.

Miami Seaquarium

2010-11-26T06:11:00.000+09:00

Last week our friend Angie visited from Maine and we wanted to check out the Miami Seaquarium. It was super nice, with not a lot of people but a lot of marine life available to look at and interact with. The first thing we did was go watch the dolphins in the large central tank. We went upstairs to look at them, and one came right up to Sophie, squeaked at her and dove down under the water. I took too many pictures to upload individually, so here's a slideshow I put together. I think the sea turtles were my favorite of the day!

Also, when we saw the dolphin show, Jim decided to get a video on his iPhone. The baby crying at the end is indeed Sophie!

Oh and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I am TRULY BLESSED!
PS and Happy Birthday, Mom!

Annual Leave

2010-11-17T05:40:00.000+09:00

This two-week annual leave was spent driving from Calgary to Michigan (three full days) in crazy wind and snow/blizzard warnings. We spent a lot of time in the car, but Sophie was amazing, pretty much as always. The only time(s) she was fussy was when she needed her diaper changed.

We went from Calgary, to North Dakota, through Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The only way to get to the Lower Peninsula is to cross the 5-mile Mackinaw Bridge. The wind was so gusty, trucks were banned from crossing. We decided to stop for dinner, and as we sat down we saw a line of trucks go past the restaurant. They were allowed to cross, but only going 20 mph.

So that's why we didn't see any in Banff.

We made it to Mt Pleasant later that night, and had a wonderful time catching up with Jim's parents, professors and even getting a chance to swing dance! Sophie and Grandpa shared a special time looking at the big band, listening to the music, and dancing of course!

We also went to the CMU football game to see and hear the Marching Chips play Lady Gaga and South Park! HA! It was pretty awesome and the band looked and sounded great! They had Sophie's full attention as soon as they started playing until the very last note. We were bummed we missed a tailgate hang put on by my brother- and sister-in law (and our nephew Brett, since he attends CMU now) because Sophie was sleeping, but Jim got to go so that was a plus. He said both the food and the conversation were excellent. I think the team lost, but I admit I don't go to games for the actual games. The marching band was playing that day, and there just happened to be a bunch of guys there that like to get in two lines and fall down for a while.

The next day, we drove to Lowell where we were welcomed by my parents and my relatives, many who have never met Sophie. We seem to never be in Michigan on the weekends, so it could never be arranged. It was fantastically loud and chaotic, but I'm so grateful that so many made the trek just for us, and especially for my parents who hosted the fête. And the food wasn't bad either!

Sophie and her cousin Eve, who happened to be a puppy dog that afternoon.

My cousin Stacy, with her two kids Alex and Abby (the little one) with my nieces Ivy and Eve.

By far Sophie's favorite part of Lowell would have to be the dogs! They L-O-V-E her!

Cuh-laaaaay

Stella Bella

And Grandma and Grandpa too, of course!

Here is some randomly random cuteness.

Yup. Let's Go Red Wings!

Playing the drums like a natural!

After that, it was two days to Chattanooga to spend time with Jon, Tina and Erin. Then another two days to Miami. So far so good. The apartments are nice, and the view isn't bad. We had a friend, Angie, from Blast! visit. She just left this morning, so now I can focus on getting this thing caught up! Here's the view from our balcony, overlooking Bay Biscayne.

Sophie singing 'Twinkle Twinkle'...sort of

2010-11-12T00:34:00.000+09:00

Almost... and mini update

2010-11-08T00:54:00.000+09:00

Happy 23 months, little princess!

Sophie is talking up a storm! In fact, the only time she ever

doesn't talk is when she's sleeping. :] She's quite the little tape recorder. She repeats literally EVERYTHING anyone says. Her vocabulary consists of hundreds of words, too many to count. She can spell her name, count to ten, identify all of her body parts and colors. I'll post a video soon. She thoroughly enjoys songs and books and requests them often. She has too many favorites to mention. Every week it rotates.

She no longer says 'wabee' for water (Who knows where the heck that came from?) and 'nunny' for bunny. She says 'water' and 'rabbit' now.

She still gets 'spoon' and 'fork' mixed up, but I suppose we can forgive her.

She's quite the girly-girl too! She loves bows in her hair, necklaces, rings and those fairy wings that go on your arms. She's a bit hesitant at first, but put her in front of a mirror, and she's convinced!

She also takes dance class with Miss Nastia and a few other girls her age. Last week in a hotel, I took off my shoes and socks and laid down on the bed. She came and physically moved my toes while saying "point" and "flex." It caught me off guard but it was so unbelievably CUTE! She's going to be a teacher someday just like her Mommy! Speaking of being just like me, one of her favorite toys is a baby stroller. She can push her baby (or anything else that just happens to be there) around for hours. She also gives her stuffed animals puffs, water, her paci, etc. and loves to do 'pattycake' with them too! She's such a wonderful child! She's just a funny girl. I literally laugh a thousand times a day at the things she says or does. She's such a joy and we're so blessed!

Anyway, just a (sort of) mini update for now. We just arrived in Miami and I'm planning on posting a transfer week post soon.

Happy 22 months!

2010-10-08T12:19:00.000+09:00

Happy birthday to my favorite Sophie in the whole world!

So sorry about the delay! My computer is still being repaired and I'm forced to use Jim's pretty, shiny, sparkling MacBook Pro. Sucks for me! Anyway, I'll post more when/if I ever get my computer back. And PS She loves blueberries, even if the frozen ones stain anything and everything within a 10-foot radius. Please enjoy the photographic proof above.

Banff: A great place to visit, and a fun word to say...

2010-09-19T07:59:00.000+09:00

Last week before the hustle and bustle of premier week (especially for Jim, who took over for Seth as Music Director), we decided to use our free time and drive to Banff National Park. We stopped at Lake Minnewanka to stretch our legs and have a look-see. It was pretty gorgeous, but, like Calgary, a bit chilly.

We were hungry so we drove a little bit more to Banff and we spotted a little hotel restaurant named "The Meatball." I got the margherita pizza to split with Sophie, and Jim got the homestyle macaroni and cheese. Both were super spicy and I'm glad I remembered to pack extra snacks that day, as Sophie didn't really like it either. The bartender was super nice, but I wouldn't recommend it for the food. We decided to drive through the village of Banff, and it was a cute, quaint little ski town. It almost reminded me of Frankenmuth in Michigan, but with mountains and junk. We went to the falls and took a few pictures. There was a [drunk] wedding party there taking pictures, climbing up the rocks, and yelling in Russian. Here are a few pictures of what it looked like. The falls, not the drunk Russians.

You can see the bride in the corner, so I kinda lied...

We then went to the gondola to go to the top of the mountain. It was chilly so we put on Sophie's new winter coat. She didn't really like that, but she didn't really have a say either.

Notice the impressive beard growth. On Jim, not me!

We went outside to look around and to look for any wildlife. Apparently they all got the memo that we were coming that day and to stay home.

We did see a chipmunquirrel running around. Sophie kept yelling "HI!" at it, but it still wouldn't let Sophie give it a hug. His loss!

We noticed the clouds were getting grayer and grayer, so we decided to head to Tim Horton's for a hot chocolate and then home before the rain got us.

When we got inside to take the gondola down, I wanted to take Sophie's jacket off, but she wouldn't have that either. And the Taiwanese tourists were very taken with Sophie! They couldn't keep their hands off of her! We drove home, missing the rain and savoring the rest of our break. It was a good day!

Life lesson #642

2010-09-16T16:00:00.000+09:00

Remember when Mama told you the light was hot and not to touch it?

Yup.
But you did get extra snuggles and extra books to take your mind off the nasty blister on your finger. Ah, the trials and tribulations of being headstrong and stubborn! We love you anyway.

Happy 21 months!

2010-09-08T02:15:00.000+09:00

Today is moving day! We're off to Calgary this morning. We're sure going to miss Vancouver! Oh and Happy 21 months babygirl! Your magic and love fill us up completely. Thank you for making us smile.

Oot and Aboot in Vancouver II

2010-09-07T08:36:00.000+09:00

We have been enjoying the last of our time here in Vancouver. It truly is a beautiful city! The weather has been nice and it has allowed us time to get out and explore. Sophie has REALLY been into her "Your Baby Can Read" DVDs (which is the only TV she watches), and in them they talk about a lot of zoo animals. So, we decided to bring her to the Greater Vancouver Zoo to see some of them live and in person. It was super hot so we didn't stay too long. We saw many animals that Sophie adored. Here are a few pictures.

The next day, Jim and I took Sophie for a walk. I wanted an iced tea from Starbucks, so Sophie and I stopped in while Jim went to the music store across the street. There, we met Reese, the cutest little brown doxie this side of the border.

And of course, Sophie decided she must try the lemon.

I also had the opportunity to make Alice in Wonderland cupcakes for a friend of mine's birthday. Click here for my flickr to check them out. I am pretty proud of myself! I made the fondant myself and the birthday girl was extremely pleased! While I stayed home, Jim took Sophie to the Walking With Dinosaurs show (where he got to see an old friend Lynda from Blast!).

Last Friday I took Sophie to the Davie St community garden. Here are a smattering of photos I snapped. I kind of pretty much really love sunflowers, and they had a few beautifully bloomed ones. Sophie was very gentle and enjoyed smelling the flowers as well.

This has been one of our favorite cities on tour and we hope to come back someday!

Les photos de Brad F

2010-09-01T14:59:00.001+09:00

Gordon White, the premier 'king' clown on KOOZA, and his wife Elaine graciously invited the band to his house for a gathering. Brad Fernihough, KOOZA's fantastic physio, is a near-professional photographer and shot a a few pictures of Sophie at the BBQ. Check out his other amazing work here. These were taken August 10, 2010. Sophie is 20 months old.

Oot and Aboot in Vancouver

2010-08-08T13:54:00.001+09:00

We have really been enjoying ourselves here in Vancouver.

(I found this fabulous shot of site on the interwebs. I did not take it, nor do I own the rights. I just thought it was cool! That's the Science Center you see in the middle.)

It is quite a beautiful city and the weather has held out for us too! We've been pretty busy visiting the local spots. We went to the beach and the pool, which Sophie has gotten more used to. Lately she's been having a fear of water (even seeing it on a poster invokes fear) so we're trying to take it slow and easy. Here are a few shots of her having fun in the pool.

Last Monday we made the beautiful drive along the water (the Sea to Sky Highway) to Whistler and spent the day exploring. They held a lot of the Olympic events there, so we could still see a lot of reminders. We sadly got held up at lunch so we didn't get a chance to go up the gondola to the top of the mountain, but we did watch the bikers and walked around the town below. We were amazed at the amount of people and dogs, and at the sheer magnitude of the place. There are literally miles and miles (or kilometers!) of trails to hike or bike or ski. We kept imagining all the skiers and the racks of skis in the wintertime. We drove around looking for bears and other wildlife, but none were found. I heard there are a set of twin bears up the mountain. We definitely want to go back! The drive alone was worth it!

The biggest thing in Sophie's life is that she's now taking pre-ballet classes from a classically trained Russian ballerina named Anastasia. She is pretty much amazing! She's so patient and understanding of toddler tendencies/personalities. Sophie has had four classes now. She has one by herself and one with some other children on site. It's so nice for Sophie to get some time away from Mommy and to socialize with other children her age. (Plus it gives me a chance to go workout! WIN-WIN!) This is to replace Kindermusik, for now at least. I'm so disappointed that she couldn't do it this city. Either all the classes were at capacity or they were at a bad time and far away. Here are a few shots that Ms. Nastia took last week. We're not allowed in, but it looks like a fun time is had by all!

Aaaaaand my favorite:

This past Thursday, Jim and I celebrated four glorious years of marriage. We went to Stanley Park (a huge park in the middle of the city, with everything you can possibly think of in it!) and ventured to the aquarium. Click here to check it out! They had whales and dolphins and (my favorite!) a sea turtle! They even had sea otters! One of the sea otters seen in this video holding hands was there. I wore my shirt to celebrate, and even got a compliment! Here are a few of the best shots we got.

The baby beluga was a ham for the cameras!

So far so good! This is truly one of our favorite cities on the whole tour. We look forward to exploring the city more and sharing the experience vicariously with you!

20 months!

2010-08-07T16:04:00.000+09:00

I honestly have no idea how I'm resisting the urge to kiss her right this second. Happy 20 months, Cheese-Face! We love you very, very much!

Transfer week between Seattle and Vancouver, BC

2010-07-25T08:33:00.002+09:00

We made it to beautiful (and rainless so far!) Vancouver, and premier was this past Thursday. Life is pretty good here on the road, but we long for our own home, pets, close-by family and friends. This need was illuminated moreso by traveling home to Michigan during the break. Sophie was a trooper but had some problems on the plane. I think it was because her whole routine was missing, and she had to sleep while one of us held her (instead of her nice, dark, comforting crib and toys). She cried quite a bit on both trips, and kicked a whole glass of my Diet Coke into the lap of the nice, extremely patient man next to us. It's really a good thing he sprung for the expensive, stain-resistant slacks. And the fact that he's also a parent helped our cute little Sophie stay that way!

We left Monday and got in late that night. Lutzes drove all the way down and generously offered to pick us up at the airport. Not the most convenient thing, but I think since there was a Sophie involved, there was no hesitation. I don't really blame them! She remembered them, talked to them a bit and finally fell asleep on the drive. Lutzes just got back from their epic Europe trip to Germany and Switzerland, and we loved listening to the stories, looking at pictures, and drinking the dee-lish apricot brandy they brought back. All the families came over to visit and we had a fantastic time. The kids were super great with Sophie! Allison, Ben and Hannah played with her and even went outside on the deck to blow bubbles.

Kristin and Rhonda laughed at her when she put the lego bucket on her head. Nut!

Grandma and Grandpa sang to her and read her books.

They got her a doggie from Switzerland and two books in German, that Sophie ALWAYS wants me to read. I think I'm getting better every time, but usually I just try to point out the pictures and sort of make it up as we go along. Of all the 20 books we have here, lately she has been picking the German ones 99% of the time. It's cute and I'm pretty sure she's on to the fact that I have no idea what I'm doing or saying!

Thursday we left good ol' Mt. P and headed down to Lowell. The last time Sophie has seen the dogs was around Christmas, when she cried when Clay tried to kiss her. Now, it was an entirely different story! She was just as interested in them as they were of her. It was pretty cute!

We visited Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park on Friday in the 2018 degree heat. Click here to check out the website! It was so amazing! It's been open this long and I can't believe we've never visited! Here are a few pictures of Jim and Sophie. The flowers were beautiful and the sculptures were thought-provoking and interesting, however, I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't had the pleasure of visiting.

Afterwards, we picked up Grandma from work and went to our favorite pizza place (Salvatore's!) in all of Grand Rapids. This is also where Sophie decided to show Grandma and Grandpa her "evil eye" face.

More random photos:
Sophie enthralled with the hummingbird on the feeder.

Sophie found the toy drawer! The princess is wearing her rightful crown! (These three were taken by Grandpa Mallory.)

Sophie "jumping" in the backyard.

Breaking News: The Cuteness sighted!

2010-07-11T02:22:00.000+09:00

THIS JUST IN! We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you this important bulletin. The elusive creature that is The Cuteness has been sighted again. Reports are coming in that this time she has been seen in and around Seattle, WA. Authorities confirm that witnesses have, in fact, seen The Cuteness, and strongly insist she is not dangerous, nor should caution be exercised if confronted. In fact, physical contact is suggested and encouraged. She has responded well in the past with hugs and kisses. There is video evidence of one sighting, shot by an Adrienne Lutz aka Mama from Bellevue, WA. The video footage of the incident you are about to see is unedited and raw.

Now back to your regularly scheduled program. Stay tuned as we keep up with this important story, more at 11.

19 months!

2010-07-08T00:33:00.001+09:00

Happy birthday, sweetheart!

STATS:
33 1/2 inches tall
25 pounds

Walking and Talking!

2010-07-02T13:17:00.000+09:00

I thought it would be nice to give you an update about The Soph. She is blossoming into an absolutely beautiful child, walking and talking! If I do say so myself. And I do. She is quick, too! Besides running around, she also enjoys playing with us (hide-and-seek, blocks, drawing on her MagnaDoodle, coloring), reading books (over and over and over!), ANYTHING Mommy and Daddy are doing, pretty much getting into EVERYTHING, and dancing to music! Anytime she hears anything musical, she moves her little butt! She likes it so much that we even have random dance parties during the day. She's pretty good at staying in time with the music. I don't know where she gets that!

As you saw a few videos down, Sophie likes to talk. A lot. About everything. In fact, I thought it would be a nice time to chronicle what she says and how she says them at 18 months. This will be interesting looking back, I think, in a few years. Or at high school graduation. Same diff.

There are a few words that she says quite clearly and there are times that Jim and I both look at each other and say "HUH?!?"). She babbles constantly, incoherently but confidently! She says things and acts like we should have understood everything she said. It's quite cute. The words she says are really mundane things to most adults, but to us it's pretty impressive. We are proud that she knows so much.

WHAT HOW
flower.................flowah
wow....................wwwwowww
ball
baby
this/that.............diss/daT (she enunciates the T)
mama/mommy
dada/daddy
grandpa..............gampah
thank you...........taintyu
water..................watah
milk....................milhhh
banana...............nana
juice
blueberries........bubeebees
strawberries......stahbeebees
apple..................ahhhpoh
tickletickle.........tittletittle
duck...................duh
doggie................dawdie
yuck...................yuhhh
wooo, stinky.....wooo teentee
bye-bye
hi/hello
night-night......nahnah (this gets confused with banana. A lot.)
purple..............puhpoh
blue.................behhhh
airplane...........beebee
yay (clapping)..eeeeee
tree
turtle
fish
bunny.............nunnah
elbow
knee...............Neeeeeeee
Henry ............Ennnnnnreeee (Our friend's little boy. She calls all baby boys this.)
Up Up Up
shoes
bath

When she sees the Cirque tent, she points and says "Dada" so she knows that's where he works.

She likes to sing. When I sing a scale, she imitates me. Also she sings to herself when playing or in her crib.

Can identify body parts when asked. Where's your eye? Where's Daddy's eye? etc. This is one of her favorite activities also. I was reading an alphabet book, the letter I was up. She pointed at her eye. She is very bright!

Can make animal noises. When she sees birds, she tweets. When she sees monkeys, she oooh ooh aah aahs. (Once at Trader Joe's grocery store, she saw a monkey by the bananas and made the noises. Even passers-by commented on how bright she is!) When we ask what a walrus says, she can even bellow. :]

She understands simple directions. Push the button, pick something up, put something in a specific place, let's go brush your teeth, etc.

She can identify many different household objects also, like clothing and furniture. The other day we were putting on her shoes to go out and she had her sippy cup in her hand. We have two tables in our apartment, a coffee table and a dining table. Sitting by the coffee table, Jim asked her to put the cup on the table. She got up and put it on the dining table. :]

As you can see, I'm a proud mama! Here are a few recent pictures that I snapped here in Seattle of Sophie being cute/doing her favorite things.

Playing with Dada

Laying on the floor, reading

MagnaDoodle

She also insists on putting her socks on HERSELF. She's very persistent. (Make sure the volume is down, there's a mommy voice in there.)

Flashback Friday

2010-06-26T08:12:00.000+09:00

This short video was taken in Atlanta, GA, six weeks after Sophie was born. To this day, she plays with her hair, and mine. I can't remember when she DIDN'T kill your back when you pick her up! She was so little here- probably 7 pounds?! Now she's 26ish! We even had to roll up the sleeves on her monkey onesie! Not any more!

Double Dark Adventures

2010-06-23T14:00:00.000+09:00

So at the beginning of a city run, we write down a list of everything we'd like to do/experience while we're in the city. Yesterday, we got to check something off that list! In the morning, we went to Pike's Place Farmer's Market. This place has pretty much everything you could ever want! I mean, who DOESN'T want chocolate noodles? I mean, really!?!? The flowers were gorgeous and the produce was indescribable! The array of colors was breathtaking! The fish stands were stinky but the prices are quite good for the products. On our way out, we went to the first Starbucks where I had an unsweetened iced tea and Jim had a banana/strawberry smoothie. Mine was very delicious.
Next, we visited the Experience Music Project and the Science Fiction Museum at the base of the Space Needle. Click here to check it out! The EMP was just plain FUN! They had a self-playing guitar sculpture in the middle of the entry way.

We checked out the Jimi Hendrix experience room first. They had his lyrics and smashed guitars and his butterfly costume on display. I wouldn't say I'm a HUGE fan, but I admire his phenomenal contribution to musical history. They also had a room where you can play the drums, play bass, keyboards, sing, EVERYTHING! Sophie liked this room! They also had a DJ section where you could spin records and add your own touches to a song. This was my favorite spot!

They also had these AMAZING costumes that The Supremes actually wore! The colors and detail and the SPARKLES! All that for a performance on Soul Train or Flip Wilson! I fell in love! There was a black sparkled trench I wanted to steal! We came home, and I made quiche for dinner. It was a good day!

Today, we decided to take advantage of the nice, nice weather and made the drive to the Northwest Trek, a wildlife park, about an hour south of Seattle. We saw a lot of elk, moose, deer, rams, and other various wildlife. It was a nice, but tiring day! Here are a few pictures. Enjoy!

This one of Sophie and Daddy turned out super cute! She has her fingers in her mouth because of her teeth coming in. Boo! :[

Cutie:

Elk

Baby ram!

Brown bear

Wolves

There was supposedly a baby porcupine, but we didn't see it. :[

This beaver was scratching on the glass. So funny!

Overhead view:

RIVER OTTERS!

On the way home, we saw Mt. Rainier and had to stop to snap a pic.

Now we're home and the kids (Yep, Daddy too!) are in bed after a long, fun day! I think I might join them in a bit. Life is pretty good!

Sophie the Nut pt 1

2010-06-19T14:47:00.000+09:00

A few mornings ago, after breakfast, Sophie (18 months) allowed us to videotape her being silly. In this vid, Sophie teaches us what a walrus, a monkey and a birdie says! She's such a sweet, goofy girl!

Sophie the Nut pt 2

2010-06-19T14:42:00.000+09:00

In this video, Sophie is babbling and making silly faces/noises. She sings too! Gosh, I love her!

Picnic in the Park

2010-06-15T07:53:00.001+09:00

We moseyed over to Marymoor Park today for a picnic. We had turkey sandwiches and had a great time pointing out squirrels and birds. Sophie pointed and said, "tweettweettweet!" whenever they flew by. Sophie picked a few flowers and even ate one by accident, haha! We gave her a bit of a fruit bar, and she popped it into her mouth right with it. Oh well! It's natural, right?
We were sitting right next to a children's play area, so of course we let Sophie explore. She went down the slides a few times with and without one of us, and she went on the swings. These are her favorite!

Reflections of Maui

2010-06-12T05:42:00.000+09:00

Happy 18 months!

2010-06-08T02:49:00.001+09:00

Happy 18 months, Sophie-belle!

Maui Waui! pt 2

2010-06-05T11:52:00.000+09:00

Day 3
We woke up early and decided to try to see some sea turtles at a local beach.

We brought the snorkel gear and saw lots of cool fish, but no turtles. As much as a nice time we had, Sophie was having a tough time. The water DID NOT agree with her. In fact, she pretty much cried and whined the whole time. To make matters worse, a wave hit her and she ate sand. Literally. :[ I thought we would never get it all off of her. She had it in her ears for Pete's sake! POOR BABY! We high-tailed it home, took a bath, gave her some teething tablets and put her down for a nap.

When she woke up, we put a flower in her hair and went out to Lulu's for lunch. Of course, we snapped a few pictures since she was looking so beautiful. I can't believe she kept that flower in her hair as long as she did!

Afterward, we went to downtown Lahaina and did the touristy thing. We walked around, took pictures, and sampled the local ice cream at Hula Cookies. Jim had an ice cream sandwich and Sophie and I shared a pineapple upside down cake with vanilla ice cream. It was superb! We were on vacation, so we had dessert first, haha! We went home, grabbed some picnic stuff for dinner and watched the sunset and turtles. The day ended significantly better than it began!

Day 4
Today, our last full day on the island, we decided to drive the coast on the lookout for dolphins. We researched as well as we could and decided to go south first to windy La Perouse Bay, a known resting place. We didn't see anything, but we took some great pictures.

We went to lunch and stopped at a small beach that looked inviting. This was the highlight of the trip. Sophie was a little leery about getting in the water (justifiably so, after yesterday!) but there was another baby in the water that calmed her down. We played in the warm water, not really paying attention around us. We looked up and there was a beautiful sea turtle literally 10 feet from us! He popped his little head out and looked right at us! Sophie pointed and said "Tutuh" and waved at him. Jim ran in to get the camera while Sophie and I stared in amazement. Wow.
I can't believe that happened! An hour before, we thought that beach looked cute and shady and that we should stop. It was just so random!

After the sun got to us, we decided to go home for a quick shower/rinse and head back up the coast to the other dolphin spots. This pic was taken at Slaughterhouse Bay, a gorgeous out-of-the-way beach in which you had to go down these treacherous stairs to get to. That's why Sophie is with Daddy!

We saw a net set up in the bay, and got out at a pull-off. A man pulled in behind us and said it was his net. Fishing has been in his family for many generations and he talked to Jim a lot about it. He said the dolphins haven't been around much, but that they help get fish into the nets. They're too smart to get caught themselves, he said. I was reassured. It was a nice revelation about the local people. They are friendly and are always willing to help you out. Next time we go to Hawaii, I hope it will be during whale season, so we can see whales and dolphins. And there WILL be a next time.

Day 5
The next day, before our flight, we went to the same turtle/sunset/picnic park to take some last minute pictures. We saw a few turtles and reveled in the beauty and peacefulness of the island and its wildlife.

We made our way to the airport, dropped off the rental car, and had no problem going through security and to the gate. The one cool thing about the airport was that a lot of it was outside, so we could still breathe in the fresh air and feel the warmth. Sophie was an angel on the flight (the little man next to us, notsomuch) and was making friends around us. We helped the parents of the little boy, and we talked to a couple that went to Maui to get away from a personal tragedy. It really opened my eyes to how lucky we are, and it made us hug Sophie even tighter than we already do. We are so very, very lucky to have each other to love and to be able to take family trips like this. Our next trip is to Michigan to see the Grandmas and Grandpas at the end of July. We are very excited to be able to see family again!

Maui Waui! pt 1

2010-05-31T06:34:00.000+09:00

Seattle is cold, rainy, and quite depressing after the amazing four days we had in Maui, HI. We stayed in Lahaina, a small, rather uncommercialized town on the western peninsula of the island of Maui. A bunch of Cirque people stayed there before, so we knew it was a good place. Nancy, the owner, was personable and thoughtful. She even got us a pack n play so Sophie had someplace to sleep! She brought Sophie a Hawaiian rose that Sophie was so careful with, she didn't want to drop it! And she gave us fresh papayas right off the tree in her back yard.
Monday, we left Portland and made the drive to Seattle. We stayed in a hotel super close to the airport, so getting there would be easy. This is the sunshine that we woke up to Tuesday morning.

We boarded the Hawaiian Airlines flight and there were no problems. They even fed us too! Sophie was great until the last hour, but the view made us feel better - as well as a few teething tablets.

We landed

and got the rental car, a red Jeep Compass with car seat. I like their license plates.

We drove to Lahaina to where we were staying and changed clothes. Flip flops and shorts were required at this point! We decided to drive around, get our bearings and get a few groceries. On the way home, we stopped at a beach for a picnic to watch the sun set.

While waiting, we happened to see a few little heads pop up here and there - Green Sea Turtles!
They happened to be a highlight of the trip, but we'll get to that later.

Day 2
We woke up to the sound of birds (of which Sophie yells "tweettweettweet!" EVERY. TIME.) and decided to drive the road to Hana. Everything we saw when researching said the road was just as interesting as the destination. This is absolutely true. We took our time (at the end of the day, drive from 8:30 am - 6:30 pm, Sophie was a trooper!) and stopped at all the scenic views. There was one where there was a paddleboarder and his dog were chilling in the water. So cool! This was very laid-back and Aloha! The water is an amazing color of blue. These photos are not photoshopped nor enhanced in any way - like I know how to do that anyway!

There were waterfalls and roadside stands open for people to meet the locals. We stopped at one where we bought yummy banana bread ("Nana!") and candied coconut.

We stopped at the Twin Falls also. It was about a mile trek back to see them, but it was worth it. The flowers were AMAZING ("Fwowah!") and we saw bamboo and a one-armed lobster. A tour guide gave Sophie a princess crown as a souvenir, and we both got sunburned. After, we treated ourselves to a fresh pineapple and banana smoothie. It was delicious! Here's a pic with Sophie and Daddy in the bamboo.

The next stop was the Garden of Eden. It was a place that had colorful foliage, ducks you could feed and nice overlooks of the ocean and islands.

This peacock jumped out of the tree when I went to take a picture of it and fanned his feathers just for me. I was flattered, but told him I'm already married.

We made our way home through the bumpy, winding (and sometimes single lane) road and called it a night. I will continue in another post.

Multnomah Falls

2010-05-23T14:52:00.000+09:00

The thing about teardown week is that this is when Jim and I try to cram in all the places that, in the beginning of the city, we thought there was plenty of time to visit. Now it's three days until leaving and there is still a looong list. Last Monday, the weather held out long enough for us to go to Multnomah Falls. They were beautiful, and not too far a drive. Here are some pictures. Sophie walked up the path to the bridge, all by herself. She held on to Daddy's finger. It was very sweet.

Mother's Day weekend

2010-05-21T13:45:00.000+09:00

So sorry about the delay in posting this! It's teardown/packing/moving week here, so it's extra crazy to begin with. In addition to that, I've had some stress here. About two weeks ago I went to the OB-GYN for some pain in my breast I've been having. She felt nothing and sent me on my way, saying it was a muscle thing. I had another appointment with a different doctor yesterday and she felt a lump. I had an ultrasound today, and the doctor there said it was nothing to worry about. It's a non cancerous nodule that is pretty common in women of my age. She didn't see a need to do a biopsy, but does recommend that I see a doctor in six months to make sure there aren't any changes.

ANYWAY...

Mother's Day 2010 was amazing! Jim took Sunday off [as a reward for doing such a great job when Seth had his baby, Esh had kidney failure, and he integrated a new singer and a new drummer. I'd say he deserves a MONTH off!] and the weather was AMAZING! The sun was out and we decided to go to the park and have some fun. That night, we got a babysitter and went to see Iron Man 2.

Monday, we went to the Portland Children's Museum and out to dinner. Here are a few pictures from the day.

I am truly the luckiest mommy in the world to have a beautiful family to love!

Happy 17 months!

2010-05-08T01:32:00.000+09:00

As we approach my second Mother's Day EVER, I am so very blessed to have such a beautiful and intelligent daughter (and such a caring, thoughtful husband to boot!). Thank you for making me laugh a thousand times a day. You (both) have made my life brighter! Happy 17 months!

Pictoral Update

2010-04-18T13:24:00.001+09:00

I just wanted to post a smattering of pictures I snapped here in Portland. If you'd like high-res versions for printing, please email me. These were taken within the last week. Sophie is 16 months and getting more and more beautiful.

This was taken today on our walk along the river this morning. Notice the foreboding clouds. Yup, it rained. Howd'ya guess?

Being a cutie.

Loving her dachshund Grandma and Grandpa Lutz sent for Easter.

Her long, curly hair.

Jack Nicholson in The Shining, anyone? I'd say her impression is pretty dead on.

Reading a book, on Dada's lap.

I'm in love.

Gorgeous.

Transfer week

2010-04-10T15:10:00.000+09:00

Jim, Sophie and I took a road trip during our transfer week between San Diego and Portland. We decided to take our time this week and not be in any rush to leave California. We took the 101 or the 1 as much as we could, to stay by the coast. We stopped when we felt like it and it felt wonderful. Many times on transfer weeks, it is imperative that we JUST GET THERE, but not this week. After spending over six months in California with KOOZA, we understandably weren't ready to give it up just yet.

We left late Tuesday morning. Orange County was perfect, as per usual. We drove through beautiful Huntington Beach and stopped for lunch at Baja Fres h where we had yummy fish tacos. To those of you reading in far away lands, or Michigan in layman's terms, fish tacos are fried fish fillets in corn taco shells, topped with cabbage and a pico de gallo salsa. They are definitively a California thing. We continued up the coast and stopped at Hearst's Castle for lunch. We didn't go up, but it looked like a nice place. Click here to check it out. We remarked pictures showing Hearst and his dachshund named Helen around the area. It was a nice place to stop and eat. We shared a slice of pizza and homemade potato chips.

Just up the road there was a nice view of the ocean where seals had taken over. I snapped this shot of Jim and Sophie. It was very cold and quite windy. I won't bore you with pictures of beautiful sunshine or blue skies or sandy beaches or crashing waves. It would be excruciating, I know.

Here is a video I shot while we were driving. I caught Sophie singing to herself.

Day Two started and ended the same way, however, we stopped at In N Out Burger for the very last time. I'll wait while you get a tissue. Or you can wait for me. These, my friends, are the best burgers pretty much EVER and are missed dearly. Even Jim commented how much he misses them just today.
The road we decided to take on this day closely resembled EVERY CAR COMMERCIAL YOU'VE EVER SEEN. It was GORGEOUS! So is this one, I have to admit:

Day Three was when we started seeing more forest and less ocean. We drove through a 2400-year-old Redwood (here's the website) while driving the 31-mile Avenue of the Giants (a scenic drive through the giant Redwood forest). It was awesome in the correct usage of the word. These trees were unimaginably grandiose and just plain mammoth!

We also saw a herd of young wild elk sitting by the road in a field.

We also drove past the Smith River and I snapped these during an obligatory diaper-changing stop. The water was a natural aquamarine color that I do not ever recall seeing in person, except maybe in Mexico.

Day Four was a fairly short drive on the 5. In the rain. We have definitely arrived in Portland.

16 months

2010-04-08T04:40:00.000+09:00

Sophie is 16 months today!

That's my Daughter in the Water

2010-03-28T03:34:00.000+09:00

There is a song that Jim and I heard just about the time we found out we were having a girl. Please listen to the lyrics as they are important to us. It is called "Daughter" by Loudon Wainwright III.

Now, to preface this post, I must strongly insist that I am not a mommy that ever leaves her child alone, especially near a bath. I was gathering her after-bath supplies [diapers, clothing, lotion, comb, etc] and went to turn off the running water in the bathroom. This is the sight that greeted me upon my return.

Yes, my friends. Sophie GOT INTO THE BATH. WITH ALL HER CLOTHES ON. BY HERSELF. That would be my daughter. In the water.
This whole walking thing has gone to Sophie's head I fear.

Big news!

2010-03-26T09:26:00.000+09:00

We have a WALKER on our hands! Here's a quick, unedited video demonstrating how she is getting more solid on her feet and more confident every day! She enjoys playing with her $5 push-toy (until it gets stuck) and getting around from person to person. Grandma and Grandpa Lutz came to San Diego for a week (and I got to experiment with a few new recipes) and had a lovely visit. I will do a post about our trip to the Wild Animal Park another time. Sophie is 15 1/2 months old.

Sophie's Cuteness

2010-03-16T04:58:00.000+09:00

This was taken a couple of days ago here in San Diego. She was being cute and we decided to get out the camera. Ok, when is she NOT cute, right?! She is 15 months old.

15 months!

2010-03-08T04:20:00.000+09:00

Happy 15 months to such a big girl! She can put on her sunglasses all by herself!

Poor "baby"

2010-03-07T06:30:00.000+09:00

Sophie's latest addiction comes in the form of puffs. She sees the canister and needs to have some NOW. The cans have a picture of a baby on it, so Sophie points at them and says "baby" when she wants some, while doing the signs for eat and more, please. She's quite insistent! When we do give her some, it's gory. Those poor babies don't stand a chance. Like Godzilla in Tokyo. Here is evidence of the carnage!

Here is an unedited cell phone video taken a few nights ago. She eats puffs like her dad eats popcorn! It must be hereditary. Oh, and please excuse our giggling!

Cupcakes!

2010-03-03T08:42:00.000+09:00

Click here to see my cupcake gallery on flikr, if interested. Thank you!

Dancing Queen

2010-03-02T14:14:00.001+09:00

Here is a better video of Sophie playing with her musical table. I love how she waves at us at the end. Her little butt wiggle is cute too, but the one at 1:27 is especially adorable! She is almost 15 months old. You can see how she cruises, but she isn't officially walking yet.
PS I've been trying to upload this for about three days, I REALLY hope it works this time!