While I am sure that the kids at camp will sing to Sophia on her real birthday (June 30th), we decided to celebrate here at home a little early.
Sophia got a much-needed new bike a few weeks ago, (it should last her through college), but she still got a few fun gifts: a watch, a nice 3d book in Chinese, and a bracelet.
I decorated her doorway for when she awoke:
And I accidentally made a ton of pancakes and forgot the salt too, but we still ate them up for two days. Sophia 'made' the chocolate chips the day before by going to the store at our neighborhood entrance and buying some dove candy bars and then putting them in my hand chopper.
We had a great morning making her cake. She wanted a river with a bridge. Like Bella, I let her design it and put it together. They love this.
the jello worked well.
She decided to add Sofia the 1st and Princess Amber to the cake, so they needed places to sit:
The lean two of saltines was clever.
Sophia decided to do a very small 'party' and then go to the new water park. This was a great idea.
YY and LBH came to enjoy cake, Sophia explains all that she did to it.
We sang!
LBH has a wonderful pet poodle that we took care of for a few weeks when her Grandma died. Yesterday the dog bit her on the hand. Even though it had shots, they went to get LBH shots. The doctor said she cannot eat chocolate, fish, alcohol, etc. for a month. Very interesting. We were laughing at this but also very sorry that she could not enjoy the cake. More interesting is that this dog even bit her, I considered him to be the kindest, most fun-loving dog, and he still is, but like I tell my kids: any animal can and will bite if feeling threatened.
Back to the birthday:
I can't believe this girl is NINE, can you?
Only YY could go with us to the park this day. The water park was SO. MUCH. FUN. again. Yes, we just went a few weeks ago. It has rained ever since and was supposed to rain this day too, but since we call the forecast app: inaccuweather, we were not too surprised when it turned out sunny and perfect for going down water slides!
Sophia continues to grow into her own. She loves to do creative play (ice cream shop), she loves riding her new bike, and wants to play soccer in America when we go for a few months. She loves having friends. She and I continue to maneuver her emotional move into lady-hood. We both do not like surprises, we like a sense of control (no matter how faulty that is), and we like to be right (who doesn't). But God has shown us so much grace together in this area. I am learning to decipher the emotions of a nine-year-old girl, and there is no book for it. One night as she was crying over something, I gently asked her: "what is it you really want Sophia?" and she said: "I don't know." So I just crawled up in bed with her and we cuddled.
She has great ideas, has amazing Chinese language, and is a great student at home and local school. Though she gets into it the most with Tobin, she will go to bat for him in a sec. She is an incredible big sis!
We continue to apologize to Sophia for 'all our mistakes being on her, our first-born' and she laughs and forgives. We are so thankful for our eldest, Sophia Grace, may God grow you into your namesake: wisdom and grace!
