November 30

Ah, tomato soup and grilled cheese sandwiches... wonderful comfort food on a chilly day and mommy with a headache. I did make the tomato soup from scratch, and it was quite tasty (if I do say so myself). I only wished that Sophie was more interested in eating her soup as opposed to playing with the goldfish that were swimming in it!

November 29

Today was the annual "Downtown for the Holidays" event, and we attended again this year. We met up with Grandma Sue, Papa and Grandma, and the Feeks. We started out with the parade, which is always a favorite for Sophie, then we saw the Singing Christmas Tree, and the lighting of the tree in Sylvester Park. It got pretty chilly quickly, but it was a fun evening.

November 28

Sophie mailed her first letter to Santa today at the Christmas Forest! She asked for a play kitchen, so we'll see if he comes through! Sophie enjoyed looking at all of the beautiful trees, running into her good buddy Will, and avoiding Santa as much as possible!

November 27

Mom made a mini Thanksgiving meal for Sophie and I this evening, and it was delicious! I loved the stuffing, and Sophie loved the pumpkin cake (go figure!). I took some pictures of the two of them for my mom's Christmas card. This one's my favorite!

November 26

After a delicious Thanksgiving dinner at Dad and Marcia's house, and then seeing "New Moon" with mom, I thought about taking out some Christmas decorations. Karen had the bright idea of placing my Dickens Village in the kitchen window where there is a good amount of space. I gave it a try and think it looks great!

November 25

We finally woke up to clear skies, and a beautiful sunrise! I ran out into the street to catch a glimpse before heading off to work.

November 24

Tonight, my little Sophie was crabby, crabby, crabby!! I got her into her pajamas early and we had a little quiet time watching Sesame Street. I hate to have the TV on when I have such little time with her, but tonight, nothing seemed to make her happy. At least she looks pretty darn cute sitting there with her blankie next to Max!

November 23

I received my first Christmas gift over the weekend and enjoyed showing it to Sophie. It was very sweet of Jessica to have an ornament made with Sophie's birth information on it. I am anxious to put it on the tree in a few weeks!

November 22

Poor Grandma was without power this afternoon, so she spent time and dinner with us. Sophie enjoyed playing "Simon Sez" with her and showing off all of her new tricks. It's so fun seeing the two of them playing together!

November 21

Today, I made the trek to Eastern WA to visit my old college roomies, Jessica and Miriam. I love those girls so much, and so enjoy our time together. We reminisced of old times and talked about our kids a lot. I guess going to that side of the state is worth it to see those girls! Hee hee...

November 20

Sophie and I had fun playing around this evening with the camera. She loves having her picture taken (shock, I know since there is always a camera around) and then loves looking at herself afterward.

November 19

Sophie didn't take a nap at daycare today, so I knew she'd be going to bed early. We ate dinner, had a quick bath, and then got her in pajamas. She still wanted to play a bit more before hitting the hay, and she chose her puzzles. I enjoy watching her complete the "Sophie" puzzle that Dad and Marcia got for her in Louisville. She can point out the "S" and the "P" so far. She's part of the way to knowing all of the letters in her name!

November 18

I have finally gotten around to uploading all of the video I've taken of Sophie since she was born. I want to burn these videos to DVD, but am having difficulty. So for now, the DVDs remain in their packaging...

November 17

Sophie loves trying on Mommy's shoes. At first, she had a terrible time keeping them on and trying to walk in them. Now, she's an old pro and she can clop, clop all over the house. She is so proud of herself too... "Mommy's shoe" she says!

November 16

I have worked on trying to make Sophie's room more of a "big girl" room. I moved out the rocking chair, and brought in her beloved Dora sofa. She sits there when we read books before nighttime. Tonight, she started doing the reading until she demanded that I take over!

November 15

My little Sophie still loves to suck on her pointer finger. I thought she might start to grow out of it, but she still does it a lot. When she's tired, resting, or reading, in goes the finger. We see the dentist in a few weeks, so we may find out to work on quitting. I sucked my thumb until right before Kindergarten, so I know how tough it will be!

November 14

After a tough night's sleep for Sophie (and me), she woke up stating, "I crabby." I couldn't help but giggle, and braced myself for what was to come. It turns out, she was happy as a clam today, and we enjoyed playing, dancing, and just being together. I love my time with my special little girl!

November 13

Man, I was exhausted tonight! By the time I got Soph to bed, I was ready to go myself. I managed to pull myself out of bed for a little snack before I turned out the lights. Yum, satsumas are in season!

November 12

My little girl was in a great mood when I picked her up from daycare today! We went to Costco and out to dinner with Grandma, and she did really well! She ate a lot and loved drinking her milk with a straw. When we got home, she was still full of energy and ran, jumped, and danced all over the place! It was very fun to watch!

November 11

Today is Veteran's Day, and we had some nice weather, so Sophie and I made it to the park. She has really been missing her playtime at the park due to poor weather, so I'm glad she got the chance to get out there! She loves making sure I try out all the toys and enjoys taking my hand to guide me onto the big toys. "Mommy's turn!" she shouts and gets angry if I don't "obey!" She also loves to find the "S" for Sophie, and she was proud of herself when she found it on the toys too!

November 10

Today, we had our Veteran's Day assembly in honor of 11/11 tomorrow. Our fifth graders were the main attraction, with mc-ing, singing two songs, and reading a poem. For a crazy, nutty, and exhausting crew of kids, they did a great job!

November 9

It's been raining pretty constantly these days, which is no big surprise since it's November! It is also dark so early, that I don't get outside much except for on the weekends. Tonight, I grabbed a picture of my beautiful hydrangea that is still blooming! I am surprised that it's still going strong, even amid the cooler temperatures.

November 8

My silly little girl! On Halloween, Will gave Sophie a little gift bag which had these fun glasses in it. She enjoyed wearing them and doing a little singing and dancing too. She had a lot of energy tonight!

November 7

Today, Sophie and I had a little arts and crafts time. She spent about an hour playing with her new little special markers and then we made a fall leaves tree. She really enjoys doing art and getting messy, but it's a lot of fun!

November 6

My little girl is growing up! She is getting tall enough that she can almost reach the light switch. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but she is sure proud of herself!

November 5

It's fall which means that squash are in abundance! I am planning on doing some harvest cooking this weekend which includes a butternut squash soup and homemade spaghetti sauce on top of spaghetti squash! I hope everything turns out the way it's supposed to!

November 4

I love the concentration on Sophie's face in this one. She enjoys playing with her etch-a-sketch, and concentrates so hard on what she's drawing/writing. Maybe she'll have good handwriting like her mommy someday!

November 3

Sophie brought home all of her October art work from daycare today. It's fun for her to show off her creations, but I still haven't figured out what to do with everything! I have nearly 2 years worth of her cute art, but I know that I can't keep it all!

November 2

Every runner loves getting new shoes, and I haven't had some in quite awhile. Thanks to my mom's generous birthday gift, I bought myself a new pair of Asics that feel great! I made the switch from Nike because these just felt better. Now I have to wear them in and fight through the heel soreness. It will be worth it though, especially if they encourage me to run more and faster! :)

November 1

I wanted to get some cute photos of Sophie by the lit pumpkins, but she wasn't cooperating very well. All she wanted to do was play with the lock on the screen door. I started tickling her and ended up getting some super cute candids of her. Sometimes, what mommy plans doesn't happen, but something great comes out anyway!