A Surprise for Aunt Becca

Sophia and her Great Grandfather wait for the guest of honor to arrive:

Joshua and older sister Aimee prepare one of Becca's gifts from Aimee and Becca's boyfriend Mark, a big wheel of Parmesan:

Becca, Joshua's younger sister, is surprised with her son Aaron:

Mark, Becca, Blake and Sophia enjoy the delicious assortment of homemade soups, sandwiches, and salads:

The 30th birthday party ends with an improvised duet by Blake and Sophia, and a very fancy cake:

Additional highlights from the New Hampshire / Vermont Weekend included playing Doctor with Grandpa:

Serving tea with the set Grammie gave her for Christmas:

And a science Museum visit with Sophia's friend Elyse, accompanied by parents Alex and Kim:

Christmas 2014

My favorite part of Christmas happens the night before. 

Holding a lit candle in a darkened church, surrounded by others doing the same, while singing "Silent Night" right before midnight. 

Silent night, holy night,

Son of God, love’s pure light; Radiant beams from Thy holy face

With the dawn of redeeming grace, Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,

Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

"Son of God...love...grace..."- in five words this is Christmas.

I look forward to sharing this message with my children at Christmas and throughout the year. This year however Sophia was in bed and Christmas started for her the following day. It took place in three parts.

Opening presents from her Gran, Grandpa, and Aunt Jan (via mail):

Showing her Dad how to use her new flashlight.

Opening a doll from Gran

Giving Grandpa a gift.

Getting a gift from Grandpa.

Uncle James demonstrating how to use a gift from Great Aunt Jan.

Next was Christmas dinner with dear family friends. Nada threw this party for her husband who has now lived in a nursing home for several years following a stroke. Instead of just stopping by for a visit on Christmas day, she brought the family, food, and presents to him. She reserved the communal room on his floor and put the gifts under the tree so that he could watch his grandchildren open them. We ate a delicious meal (including two turkeys, two hams, and eight sweet potato pies)shared with the nursing staff:

4 yr old Josiah leading Sophia back to the party room

The day ended with a trip to see the Christmas lights and life size nativity scene at Rose Tree Park:

A dramatic reading of "Moo, Baa, LaLaLa"

Washing Deviled Eggs

Washing Deviled Eggs (or "Breakfast with a Toddler").

Sophia's typical breakfast is a scoop of raw old-fashioned oats and a spoonful of frozen blueberries in plain organic full fat yogurt or milk. We do try to add in some variety and eggs are near the top of her many favorite foods. Scrambled...hard-boiled....fried- she hadn't encountered one she didn't like.

This was until the day I attempted to serve her Deviled Eggs for breakfast. It soon became clear that the consistency of the mashed yolk was the most distressing. 

Upon first encounter with yolk:

Refusing to even look at it:

Fearing that it has become a permanent paste:

I have a hard time with wasting food for many reasons:

• Someone had to grow it or
• An animal had to die for it
• Someone's money was spent to buy it
• And many people who don't have it, would be grateful for it

Despite being able to afford otherwise, it was common in my family to cut mold off of food where spores weren't involved. I don't encourage Sophia to finish her food when she is no longer hungry, but I do find myself often eating up her leftovers.

In this instance, I decided the best course of action was to wash the offending matter off of the Deviled Eggs. Once the yolks were gone, Sophia was happy to eat up the whites.

Two Kingdoms

Free airfare under age two combined with a job that requires frequent travel means that Sophia and I accompany Joshua on as many business trips as make sense to increase our time together.

This time his conference was in Orlando in December, so Sophia's Maternal Grandparents and Uncle James also came along.

We visited Disney's Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom parks, and enjoyed the rest of our time outdoors at our hotel.

Sophia had a front row seat on the "It's a Small World" attraction and kept pointing in all directions during the ride.

While she clearly enjoyed "It's a Small World" the best of all the Magic Kingdom rides, her favorite part of the Park was looking through a door with a missing panel which was part of a playground on "Tom Sawyer Island".

At Animal Kingdom Sophia waved to the animals from the Safari truck and got to pet some tamer ones.

Her favorite ride at this park was the "TriceraTop Spin", which was the only one on the whole trip she requested to go on a second time.

Back at the hotel she enjoyed, pushing her Grandpa on the swing:

Using her Uncle's sandals as boats:

And playing in the pool(her newest word which she says with lots of o's)with her Uncle James and Gran:

Thanksgiving 2014

This Thanksgiving Sophia was able to spend time with Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, Parents, Grandparents, and a Great Grandparent.

She made an apple pie with her Grammie and Aunt Aimee.

Walked in the snow for the first time. 

Played in a sheet fort that used to belong to her Dada (Grammie fit better than Uncle James).

And said a new word, "Pie". 

Her Great Grandfather put the Pumpkin filling that wouldn't fit in the crust in her very own pan. She managed to eat all of it over the course of three meals.