A couple Quotes!

A few things I've heard Sophia say lately:

1. "Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart" :)
2. "When I grow up I want to be a babysitter. No... a hockey player!"
3. "Mommy you frustrated my reading!"
4. "The boys were tussling on the teeter-totter? Ridiculous!" (She says the word "ridiculous" with great drama... it's the cutest!)
5. "Do cats have bones? What do they look like?"
6. "What do blood cells do?"
7. "I want your coworkers and me and you and daddy to go to Minneapolis."
8. "Grammy is an almost vegetarian." (I think mom said that during her last visit... it's amazing what kids remember!).

Valentine's Party!

I was able to slip over to Sophia's school for a bit yesterday and take part in her classroom Valentine's Day party! The kids had strawberries and bagels with strawberry cream cheese for snack...

The Montessori philosophy places great emphasis on fostering independence and confidence in small children... it was such a treat to watch Sophia prep her own food and handle snack and clean up all by herself... I would never have her do all of that at home!

She made a "love bug," which is now proudly displayed in my office :)

And she showed me a few "works!" This is a pouring "work" using small beads. Turns out beads are a lot more challenging to pour than water!

Her friend, Gowri, pitched in. It was a fun afternoon!

youTube Link for the Pop Diva Sophia!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmfwBPX-qNg&feature=youtu.be

A few recent pics...

Sophia loves making lego garages for her cars!

This was Sophia's first ballet recital: a 5-minute segment during the winter showcase. The dance school was PACKED!

Aria is now in Sophia's ballet class, and a couple weeks ago she came over for a playdate after their lesson. She really likes the pets!

The girls had a very busy crafting playdate!

Practice :)

The joy of bed-jumping!

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

Travis was thrilled when Sophia stuck a mini basketball in a blue ring and announced it was Saturn... she gets all of her science education from him! They're both really into "outer space!"
The Academy for Children put on an awesome "Winter Carnival..." see the video in the post below this one!

All preschool songs have hand motions :)

Sophia's FIRST BUS RIDE! She was SO thrilled! (The Academy bussed the kids to and from the performance center where they sang for the parents).

Grammy came Christmas Eve, and Sophia had a solid week of being spoiled!

Christmas morning!

Here is a link for a video of Sophia unwrapping the tractor in the above pic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKUtVSIAYZ8&list=FLEu2PP31BwRFKQ_t7wOAOrw&index=2&feature=plpp_video

Of course Christmas is fraught with difficult, tiny construction projects!

Holding up a Disney princess for her new princess castle (thanks, Chris and Sammy!). Aunt Berta (Sky's girlfriend) made Sophia an AMAZING art carrying case!

Here is a link for a video of Sophia unwrapping this present from Chris and Sammy (another Disney princess doll!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1jonE86mTU&list=FLEu2PP31BwRFKQ_t7wOAOrw&index=1&feature=plpp_video

The present opening took over 2 hours, and actually got kind of overwhelming :)

Sophia unwrapping legos from Chris and Sammy... here is a link for a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cClgbCkLSw&feature=autoplay&list=FLEu2PP31BwRFKQ_t7wOAOrw&lf=plpp_video&playnext=2

Yay! Long underwear! Haha. And, yes, I don't love posting pics of me in glasses and no makeup and PJs, but this is reality!

The shrapnel!

This just sums my daughter up: she had her Cinderella doll driving a John Deere tractor!

After presents at home we headed north to open more presents with Grandpa and Grandma!

All the cousins were there! Ava is such an adorable little butterball!

Travis' parents, three siblings, and the our families!

Next we headed to Sophia's great-grandparents' home for Christmas dinner! Ava again :)

The kids wrote and directed a Christmas skit, of which Kevin (Travis' uncle) was a super compliant participant! The two older kids in the background are Travis' cousins... they were slightly more reluctant participants, but very good sports! It was hilarious!

Kevin, the pregnant santa :)

Jaylin (striped shirt) usually does the screenplays and directing!

Sophia and Grammy, having a little mellow play time after the Christmas hoolpla!

A few days after Christmas our friends Leslie and Leonard and daughter Aria came over for a wrapping paper and boxes bonfire!

The girls got into the candy canes...

Sophia's first writing! This pic is sideways--sorry--she wrote "Sky!" It was a card for my brother, who's birthday is 2 weeks after Christmas!

Sideways again... "love Sophia"

She is LOVING the art set from her great-uncle Kevin!

Again... she has princess dolls for this furniture, but this is how my daughter plays! That would be Holly Shiftwell and Finn McMissile from Cars 2! She's obsessed!

Cars love going to the theater, you know...

Aria came over Sunday morning for a playdate... she has just joined Sophia's ballet class, so the girls wore skirts and "practiced!"

Aria is a leader in all things silly!