traveling woes

The cold that David gave me, we think is now affecting Sophia. Just in time for our trip to see family! The night before we left she was up all night. David finally took her in the guest room bed with him, and she slept some, he even less. So, no one got much sleep. We make it to the provincial capital and spend almost an hour in the taxi (usually 20 minutes), because of construction. All this would have been fine but it was dinner time and we all were starving. David saved the day by braving to get out of the car to the trunk to get my snack bag with almonds and oranges. whew! Healthy snack to be topped off with dinner at McDonalds...the night in the hotel?
we don't know if Sophia is changing or really not feeling well, but she screamed screamed at bedtime. Because we are in a hotel with thin walls (and our neighbor tapped the wall when we tried to let her cry some), we put her in the bed with us and maybe she fell asleep by ten, and slept through, thank goodness. A better nights sleep. She definitely sounds very stuffy in her sleep which kept me awake on and off, if I couldn't hear her labored breathing I got scared...this is the start of our vacation. It can only get better, right? At least we are off to warmer weather....leaving soon.

Snippits of my life right now

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it would be fun to do (and remember some day)...
what I am doing these days...

• Drinking: water, OJ, hot tea (decaf)
• Reading: Outliers: The story of success (a fun and fascinating read), Canon Camera Manual (not kidding), just finished ‘girl talk: mother-daughter conversations on bibl womanhood’, I have a book list of just over 20 books for 2009 (which is actually small but since baby 2 is coming I am not setting myself up for defeat) (David’s is 40 books strong)
• Studying: Canon Camera Manual, how to potty train
• Linking: I have many fave blogs and links, but will not post here, maybe in a letter.
• Watching: We are NCIS fans, and House fans, which is just a once a week watch, but for two weeks we have been enjoying just reading books, reading the word more, and having great conversations about both (which we didn’t do when we just vegged out and watched movies often). We really hope to keep doing this through the year, and our lives…
• Listening: Music: ‘Sing Over Me’ children's CD of various artists, excellent, speaks to my soul more than Sophia’s at the moment. G. Fee on Phil. (excellent as well). Will soon listen to Dever on Job, and must listen to more music!

"Cute. Funny."

After breakfast, Sophia was looking at a book that had various pictures on the page...
Me: "Where is the flower, Sophia?" (referring to the flower on the page)
Sophia (looking up at the vase of flowers David had just brought me): "right there"
David and I laugh, clever girl.
Sophia smiles and says: "cute. funny." meaning, "I am cute, I am funny" our jaws dropped, where does she get this? Oh yeah, us. She thinks those two word are her middle names....oops.

Toes for Thailand

K and I went and got our toes painted today to get ready for sunny Thailand. Thankful that TCC sent us a very fun Christmas package which includes one of my favorite colors of fingernail polish called "I'm not really a waitress." We wore this for my sister's wedding. I took the color to the shop and they did the rest, all for a little more than a dollar. I wouldn't normally post my feet, pale and ugly, but who cares...incidentally, in Thailand feet are considered very dirty...

Two more cute gator fans

My sis just sent me this pic of Isaiah (her oldest), and Micah (second oldest), watching the Gators win the championship. It was a late night, she said Micah was asleep by half time, and Isaiah made it to the fourth quarter before snoozing. Still, that is really loyal for a five and three year old! Love the gator gear!

About Tim Tebow

This guy, the QB for Florida is a stand up guy, I don't link to much stuff here, but here is a pretty good article about how He serves the Father off the field, and loves football, but loves HIM more.

whooo hooo!!!!

Gators up by 10 with 30 seconds left and the ball, it is over!!!! National Champions...a-gain.

Gator Game Day and various asundries

It is the fourth quarter now, Gators with a small lead in the NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME....I am just watching the screen refresh with the play by play while I do other things. I had to put Sophia's Gator cheerleading outfit on, even though it is too small. I put it over her warm clothes. A dear friend came over and took Sophia out to play for over an hour so I could do a few things. What a blessing. She got a little dirty, always a good sign of fun!


She has this teenage boy hairstyle, I know..


A little blurry, but the Gator loyalty is clear right?

And then....

trying on more clothes for our beach trip...what a trooper, she is ready!


wearing Daddy's backpack (empty of course)

A great shot....

up from a nap, leave me alone.

Grandma Pinnie, 87 years old today

I had a fairly good childhood. Sounds vague and unimaginative , I know, but without making this some divulgent (I just made up that word) diary, this actually best describes it, for now. There are things I wish I could forget, things I wish I could remember better…and on and on. But what I do know to be true and what I am thankful that I remember clearly (in my own interpretation of events), is that my Grandma Pinnie.. .she was real, she was there, she was everything a Grandma should be and then some. She made our family seem real, and if you don’t understand what I mean here is a little background…

I grew up in a ‘broken’ home, whatever that means. You can have a very broken home with parents still married but what I mean here is that my parents divorced when I was very young, and my siblings and I went back and forth between our parent’s houses. This was normal for me because I was so young, I don’t remember it any other way. And everything turned out okay. My brother and sister are both people I love dearly and admire tremendously. I do know that their interpretation of events are certainly different from mine, simply because I was the baby, they experienced a lot before I ever existed. But, by the simple and profound grace of God we grew to adulthood without criminal records, with college degrees plus some, and as great friends. Grandma’s house may have had something to do with this. In a subtle way I think it is true.

You see, I remember coveting (being seriously jealous of) my friends who went on family vacations every summer to neat places and neat just because it was with their family. Wow. What would that be like? We went to my Grandma Pinnie’s. It included a beach, and great fishing, but it also included Grandma. She came to our birthdays, she came to our graduations, she came and went as a constant in our life. And those summers were a constant. And one of the coolest things? She gave us those ‘neat family vacations.’ I didn’t think about it at the time but now I know that is exactly what they were. Every summer for three to four years at least she took us (the three kids), on some pretty exciting adventures. One time she took us to New Mexico, my third grade year, my first time on an airplane. We camped out, made candles, saw bears in the wild (obviously not on purpose), and where I had my ‘most embarrassing moment’ when I peed in my pants on a long hike because I didn’t want to go in the woods. By the time we got back to the campground my Grandma had already found out about this and she didn’t laugh or make me feel small, she comforted me and was not embarrassed by her 8 year old granddaughter having an ‘accident.’ Whew. I will always remember Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. One summer she drove us all the way from Florida to New York City stopping along the way for another incredible adventure. In New York City we all four walked up to the top of the crown of the Statue of Liberty, where most of the steps are a spiral staircase. That was my 65+ year old Grandma Pinnie.

Today at 87, she remains the woman who, for me growing up, gave predictability, unhindered love, and countless hours to sharing in her grandchildren’s lives. And she may not have known (until now), how deeply, uniquely, and awesomely, her presence affected my childhood and certainly my adulthood. I am grateful to God for giving her to me. Happy 87^th Birthday Grandma! I love you.

Grandma with Sophia, she held Sophia the whole time we visited, and Sophia loved it.

I posted this before but worth a re-post.

Pure Love.

More funny videos

David was doing his 'wall' push ups (still nursing a hurt shoulder), and Sophia started mimicking him, then she tells herself 'good job.' Watch it here.

The day I kept putting different outfits on Sophia she would run and show David, so proud. See her in action here. sorry the video is a little unclear.

Sophia in the closet (video)

here it is, Sophia having fun in the closet. She is not afraid of the dark, obviously.

Parenting advice needed for 2009

This year will bring many new things for our family, not least of all a new baby in June. In preparation for this big transition I have been reading a lot about milestones Sophia should go through before then (if all goes well)...two big ones, potty training, and going to a big bed. I have read all the stuff but I am calling on you experienced moms to help me out. Please email me your input, here are the questions:
1. when did you start potty training? what method did you use? pros cons? things you would do differently?
2. when did you transition to a bed? what type of rules/ discipline did you use to get your child to stay in the bed? were they scared? how did you introduce it? did you use a railing?

Okay, that's it for now. Thanks for the help!

when mommy is away...

It is Saturday. Many times on Saturday I go to the market by myself because it is easier, I can explore a little more and maneuver much better. This particular day at the market was especially gruesome. Piles of pig heads were everywhere, maybe I was earlier than normal, I don't recall seeing so many. The stench is gross enough...then a guy was chopping away at some meat with his machete on what must have been a tough piece to cut through because he put his whole body into it and meat pieces were flying everywhere. That was right when I felt something hit my hair. Sick. I quickly shook my hair out and scurried away, thankful I had already gotten my meat through the grinder....
And when I returned I was greeted with an interesting scene:


A summer sun dress over warm plaid christmas pjs. What did daddy do, I asked? "well, she pointed to it, I gave it to her and she tried to put it over her neck so I just helped her ." Actually Sophia was probably reenacting yesterday, (which we have video of ). Going through her clothes I started trying different dresses on her to see what still fit. She was game for this through about 5-6 outfits, which I thought was amazing, only a girl would comply with this for sure. I would put it on in her room tell her to go show daddy, and off she would run to his office, so proud of her new (to her) outfit. She especially loved running back and forth with no clothes on at all (just the diaper)....

In other events, Sophia here is helping me pick out our 300 pics for our 2008 album (which is almost complete), as I pulled up pics she would look at what was in the picture and comment or go get it, which is how she ended up in the hat. Here she is touching her outfit and I am laughing because she is looking at a picture of her in that outfit, and tells me emphatically about it.


and then there is the constant mimicry. That is her middle name. who is she copying here? I always put my bag on her big stroller as we go out. Here she is putting my bag (it was empty), on her stroller, which didn't fair well for the stroller, it would topple. So she just sat down and got her water out, I had no idea she had put that in there...

drinking coffee with Sophia

Sorry there has been a lag in videos, I got in an argument with my video software, but we made up and things are better now. Here is Sophia in her new tent 'drinking' coffee with me.

Sophia as a sheep

Here is Sophia in her first play on Christmas Eve. Promising career?? Check it out...