Beaches, Babies and Bedtime

Hi Sof! I was just thinking to myself that this must be the cutest age of all, and realized I should probably attempt to capture how much personality you have now.

Let's see... Yesterday I buckled you into your carseat and we drove about three feet before you said "Mommy, you put on your seatbelt too." You called me out, kid!

Tonight, as I was boiling your corn on the cob (your new fav), you were putting two babies (Snow White and Poppy George) to bed. I think you think all babies come in pairs, given all of our friends with twins or two-under-two. You had both of them on identical throw pillows, and had covered one with a baby blanket and the other with your orange shorts. Just like Mom -- whatever works in a pinch! I was inwardly patting myself on the back until I heard you tell Poppy George he had to go to time out. Poppy George, by the way, is really named Georgette (after Poppy George), and she was mine when I was a baby. You somehow figured out the connection to your Great-Grandpa, and adjusted accordingly.

Every time you see an airplane, you yell "Papa Skip!" It's adorable.

You have this imaginary place called Happy Land. You say it like a Chinese immigrant -- "Api Lan." I've googled it -- it doesn't appear to be from any cartoon or TV show. This morning you woke up and said "I wanna go to Happy Land." I groggily asked you where Api Lan is, and you said "New York."

I told you a couple of weeks ago that in three Tuesdays we are going to Mexico to see Daddy. About four times a day you ask me where we're going on Tursday.

The other night I tucked you in and said, quite sentimentally, "I love you, Sof." You chirped "Thanks!"

You are seriously the brightest, funniest, most adorable kid on the planet. Even when you're being a brat. :-)

We've been busy lately. We went to visit Aunt Donna and Uncle Jason last week, to go to the beach at Mark Twain Lake. It was FREEZING, and we spent most of the day watching Dora at their condo while the twins slept. Finally we got out to the beach, your first time, and you loved it! It was like your own giant, private sandbox, and before long you were flopping around in a mud puddle -- in your hoodie!

Yesterday we went to Baby Annabel's baptism party and you played with Anderson and John, and poked the adorable Annabel a couple of time. You are currently obsessed with babies, and you told me the other morning that you want a baby brother like Christina has a baby sister. I thnk you're too young for the birds and the bees conversation, but you should probably not hold your breath for a sibling any time soon. Ethiopian brother in six years!!! That's our plan.

Speaking of Christina, you two are still bff. We went swimming with her and her parents yesterday. You slipped and fell in the locker room, and then did a weird twisty thing down the slide, so I was afraid I'd ruined you for life when it comes to the pool. You bounced back though, and were kicking around on your noodle by the time we left. I, once again, was feeling quite proud until you said "Ms. Rose taught me that at her house."

You've been going to her a few hours a day the last week or so, and you love it. I might pull you out of Baptistville and just let her watch you next year. You are quite happy, and she really loves you.

As do I, baby girl.