Sophia Marie Elise

My thoughtful, delightfully spunky, goofy, sweet,WILD,happy, talkative, dramatic, storytelling, trickster, too-cute-for-her-own-good, lovable, delicate, little Sophie turned three today. And she is really happy to be three...

We had a small party with family on Saturday...a "Madeline birthday..with Madeline sticking-out-of-cupcakes." It was a simple celebration with a gracious and grateful, (well-rested) happy little hostess.



So this morning, she couldn't believe it was true when I woke her up singing...telling her it was really her birthday. "Mah-ch twenty-eight?!?!? (round opened-mouth gasp)"...the day she has been waiting for.

We quickly put on her special cupcake birthday shirt (made by a very creative friend and former student) and brought Maya to pre-school. We decided to have a special date, just me and Sophie at Starbucks to celebrate her day. After a long look at all the baked goods behind the glass, Sophie decided upon a "birthday pop" (suggested by the barista) and chocolate "cow milk" for her "breakfast." (A "birthday pop" is a round piece of cake, coated in pink candy-like frosting on a lollipop stick.)

The cafe was filled with blinding yellow sunlight which lit up her wild yellow hair and squinty-eyed smile. She chatted earnestly, flashing goofy faces at me across the table. She really likes her tongue these days...

Next, we grocery shopped together. And she picked "blue-blaillies and stwah-blaillies, turkey, avocado and...(some red bananas which she was certain were) chocolate bananas." After the penny ride at Meijer, we went to school for first grade music class, where she passed out some birthday prizes for her "fuhst-gwade-ah fwends." After picking Maya up at pre-school, we headed home for lunch with Daddy...and nap time.
When Sophie woke up from her long hard sleep, Maya and I were just finishing wrapping some gifts, a wooden puzzle, a hungry caterpillar coloring book, and a 'playmobile' farm set. We waited, ready, eager, and excited for Ryan to come home.



Finally, he arrived and we opened the gifts and headed to the Olive Garden (Sophie's choice) for dinner. However, on our way, I realized that she had something different in mind when she asked if we'd see the "turtles" at the gardens. I think she was counting on butterflies and playgrounds too. Once we were inside the Olive Garden, she wondered where the "lobb-stahs" were...so we avoided the long wait and walked across the parking lot to Red Lobster for a delicious and ridiculously buttery meal.


Yes, that is ice-cream too. Things will have to change tomorrow.


Despite all the sugar, she fell asleep quite contentedly tonight after we snuggled in bed and read "The Mitten." She thought that mouse was so nice to share her warm mitten with all those animals.