Summer Love

Sophie has spunk. And sass. And just when D and I don't think we could love her personality any more, she does something to make us laugh until we cry. I didn't know that a 20-month old girl could have such attitude, such independence, and such individuality. It's both a blessing and a curse :)

Stink face lives on:

She even strikes a pose when practicing her golf swing:

Half girl, half demon...

CHAOS!!!

I'm amazed by Sophie's nurturing qualities. She is sweet, creative, and compassionate. This is best seen in her recent love of cheerio and juice tea parties.

She is thoughtful, serious, and intentional in all that she does, from her sense of humor to her interactive play with animals to her expressions of love.

Wearing an old sweater of MINE (complete with Kermit and Miss Piggy), Sophie looks up to God for an explanation for the crop circle behind her....

Doug and I run a tight ship around here. Now that she's officially 20 months, it's time for her to earn her keep. She isn't cheap and money doesn't grow on trees. It's about time she learned those life lessons. We gave her an ice tray and instructed her to fill it with water from across the yard. She then had to run quickly without spilling a drop to feed each flower.

Not more than one hour after my final staff meeting ended, Sophie and I were in the car, headed East to Spokane for some rest and relaxation with Grandma and Papa! Days were filled with lots of laughter and silliness. It was the absolute BEST way for me and for Sophie to kick off our summer vacation. Thank you to my parents for being the absolute best role models to me and to my little girl. Here are the highlights:

Swimming

Making homemade waffles for dinner with Papa

Listening for the birds

Loving 1:1 time with Papa

Swimming in the nude (Sophie only)

Dressing up like a stylish nerd

Thank you, Grandma and Papa, for showering Sophie and me with such love and humor. We both shed a tear or two as we backed out of the driveway!

I just love these three people.....

Happy Daddy's Birthday, Daddy!

We celebrated a wonderful Father's Day weekend in Central Washington with our neighbors. We couldn't get Sophie to say "Happy Father's Day" but she knew it was a special day for her Daddy. She kept repeating "Happy Daddy's Birthday, Daddy." Not only did she say this to Doug, but she told the butcher at Safeway, the birds in the yard, her stuffed animals, the stranger walking her dog on the sidewalk... She wanted everybody to know that it was her Daddy's day! Very sweet.

Here are some cell-phone-quality photos from our weekend getaway.

Sophie and Caylin playing in their jammies

Can you spot Sophie and her Daddy in this photo?

Getting closer....

Father's Day photo attempt #1:

Father's Day photo attempt #8:

Successful photo once we caught her!

Daddy and his girl

When I married Doug, I knew his long list of incredible attributes, but I had no idea what a devoted, patient, compassionate, and attentive father he would be. Sophie is so blessed to have a father who intentionally acts with such love and wisdom in every interaction he has with her. And I feel blessed to be his partner in this journey.

Happy Daddy's Birthday, Doug!!

xoxo, E and S

Working hard....

....or hardly working?


Rumor has it that Miss Sophie Whitfield, newest and youngest teacher at BHS, was in fact NOT responding to parent emails or researching the best curriculum. Apparently, she was watching videos of Elmo and his friends. It's teachers like her that give the rest of us a bad rap....

She then got pretty excited about the prospect of following in Mommy's and Grandma's footsteps...."L-E-T-S, LET'S GO! L-E-T-S, LET'S GO!"

(Look at that hair growth! It's actually blowing as she runs!)

All of the stars were aligned for chaos this week, so Sophie had the opportunity (?) to spend the day at "Mommy's School" with the "Big Girls" and "Big Boys". She did remarkably well. She tends to be more shy around new people, but for some reason, she felt comfortable and even proceeded to interrupt me as I gave my students instructions for their final essay. As I attempted to talk about the organization and style of the essay, she used her "big girl voice" to say "Mommy. Teacher. S (for) Sophie. Daddy working. Daddy airplane. Mommy heart (pointing to my 'S' necklace which I've told her rests on my heart). Sophie up high. Louie home. Hi big kids." It was hysterical.

By the end of 4th period, she had grabbed her babies and was standing by the door saying "Sophie home. Sophie home. Sophie home."

Needless to say, we both enjoyed a looooong afternoon nap.

Sunshine

8 more days of school and then Sophie and I will spend long days in the sun... throwing balls in and out of the red basket, running through the sprinkler, enjoying tea parties with our favorite stuffed animals, and enjoying Otter Pop happy hour.

I can't wait.