Sofia Freestyles

Sofia shaking her money maker. Play close attention to the second video, William in the background and what a *great* and helpful sister Sofia is.

Chugga Chugga Shoo Shoo

So I finally had a weekend where we had absolutely nothing on the schedule. Gorgeous weather and a clean slate, perfect. Naturally, I had to come up with something for us to do.

I decided it was time for the boys to experience the zoo. Judging by how unglued they become even driving by a random dog or horse (we live adjacent to a rural area), I figured they'd enjoy seeing some big game up close and personal.

All in all, it was a perfect day. We saw giraffes, lions, tigers, zebras, monkeys, lizards, snakes, birds and flamingos. We ate iced cream. We rode the merry go round. We took a train ride, felt the perfect 70 degree breeze whipping by us and listened to William exclaim "Shoo Shoo!" (as in Chugga Chugga, Choo Choo) the entire ride. You don't get much better than that.

They even had a little kid ride area, but the boys were too small to ride most of them. The boys got a thrill out of the merry go'round, so it all worked out perfectly. They were all really well behaved (for the most part) and good about being out of the stroller. They didn't bolt like their big sister did at this age. The boys are different. They're very busy and wild, but they like to stay close.

Way Back Whensday - Summer 2007

Dateline: Summer 2007
Sofia's age: A little over 2 yrs old
Place: "The Lion Park"

I love this picture of Sofia. She looks so happy, but has a glint of the blossoming devilishness that I have come to know and love (not always, but most of the time.) I'm having a really hard time with her lately. She has just gone off the charts with the sass and willfullness, so it helps for me to look back and remember these less emotional, drama filled days. I love this girl with all my heart and soul, but she brings new meaning to the word "precocious" lately. Payback. Total payback.

Also - regarding the aforementioned preschool teacher with the Playboy shirt? She gave notice today. I was actually a little sad because she brings warmth and laughter to the school and I know Sofia will be devastated, but life goes on, I suppose.

Ethel and Winifred

Sofia and Bella, doing their schtick. They were at times, the best of friends, at other times, bickering like little old ladies. Hence, the Ethel and Winifred nicknames. Here they are, hanging out in Ziva's pack 'n' play, talking penguins (pin-WONS)

Back to Reality

So, we are home - happily - back in the fog.

During the plane ride home, the stars aligned and Sofia fell asleep during takeoff and slept like a rock for the.entire.flight. She was sleeping so heavily that I was briefly concerned I'd not be able to roust her and have to carry her through the airport. It did take a good 5 minutes to wake her up, the girl was fried.

Aside from the usual anxiety producing turbulence (I hate flying and it never gets easier for me) it was a delightful flight. I had beverages, snacks, magazines and Direct TV in front of me. I watched the Hills season finale and the MTV Movie Awards while my princess dozed peacefully next to me. You just don't *get* much better than that.

I am now back home, back to the reality. Shortly before I left, my company eliminated a position and I was asked to take on some of the work. I have a meeting this afternoon to go over all of that. It's not going to be fun, this new workload, but obviously, I am going to roll with things because...well...I don't really have a choice right now.

Highlight of the flight back home? In one of the airport stores, checking out, Sofia repeatedly looking up at the magazine rack and saying "Micca has a shirt like that. The bunny shirt. Look. The bunny shirt. Micca has one of those!" (referring to one of her preschool teachers.) I was trying to balance my backpack, wallet, debit card, etc. so was only half listening. She kept tugging on my shirt, insisting I look up. In a very blonde moment, I was literally looking for a magazine with a rabbit on it. I was quite perplexed as to what she was referring to.

Then I saw it. Several rows of the Playboy emblem. Her preschool teacher has a "bunny" shirt. Beautiful.

I'm Alive in Well in Texas

So just so you know, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth. On Wednesday, Sofia and I flew to Austin, Texas to visit our best friends. It's been an *actual* vacation for us and I'm having such a good time.

Yesterday, we drove a few hours south to San Antonio, to a kick ass resort. It's situated on extensive grounds & is incredibly family oriented with multiple pools, activities, a lazy river, etc. It's really like a vacation, for the most part. I mean, it's the kind of sticky, humid hot that one only experiences in the south and Sofia is her usual high maintenance self, so it could never be a real vacation, but it's been great. I actually had a margarita poolside yesterday and let me tell you, it's been YEARS since I did that.

Lots of things to do, Sea World today (complete with feeding dolphins and lunch with Shamu), girl bonding time for all, room service and ,multiple bottles of wine. What more could one want? The accents are cute too. Sometimes, I forget where I am and then I talk to someone or overhear a conversation and hear the drawl. It's actually quite charming.

I've talked to Steve a few times and the boys are doing great. I miss them terribly, but apparently not enough to make me homesick...yet. :) We're back to Austin tomorrow, then Sunday - home.

The girls within minutes of getting to Austin. Sofia was into Bella's dress up stuff within mock speed.



Sofia enjoying the water area at Sea World today.



Shamu showing off.

Happy Sunday

Dateline: This Morning.

Overheard at our house?

"Mommy? Why is your belly button so big?"

Good morning to you, sunshine!

We're off to a sleepover at pseudo grandma's house (just Sofia and I.) I'm looking forward to it as pseudo grandma spoils Sofia rotten and I may actually get to read a book! A non parenting book!

7 Quick Takes Friday - 5.22.09

This 7 Quick Takes Friday is kind of lame and very stream of consciousness. I apologize in advance.

1. Sofia's new favorite phrase? "OHH-EMM-GEEE" (as in O.M.G.) She picked it up at preschool, from her teacher, apparently. When I posted this on Facebook, a fellow preschool mom posted that her little one said "That's hella cute, mommy," apparently also learned from this same teacher. I actually think it's kind of funny and fairly benign. It's certainly easier to deal with than trying to explain what her previous teacher's tramp stamp was and why it was not ok for a 3 year old to have one. (No offense to lower back tattoo lovers, I just don't necessarily want to see one on my kid's preschool teacher. I figure there'll be plenty of time for that exposure in high school, junior high school, elementary school. )

2. Despite being a licensed cosmetologist, I think I jacked up Sofia's bangs tonight. Her raging cowlick/Ocean Spray swoosh and I do NOT get along.

3. I made the colossal mistake of adding my cousin on Facebook. He's a bit of a black sheep (young marriage, drugs, ne'er do well type stuff.) Most of my family are black sheep, but he's pretty far up there on the spectrum, right next to my cousin who is in the State Penn. In any case, I instantly regretted it as I can tell he's on Facebook 24/7 and loves to leave idiotic comments with incorrect grammar and spelling. *sigh* How does one de-friend their first cousin from Facebook?

4. I am obsessed with TAPS (The Atlantic Paranormal Society) and their show on Sci-Fi, Ghosthunters. Honestly, I will only watch it during the day, but I can't.get.enough.of.it. Plumbers by day, Ghostbusters by night. LOVE it.

5. I'm sitting her watching Chelsea Lately, one of my nightly rituals. It's a rerun, so that's disappointing, but I still laugh, even though I already know the jokes.

6. Sofia has become very attached to one of those remote control stuffed dogs. She "feeds" him, puts him to bed and talks about him as if he her baby. As this is the closest this kid will get to a dog for a pet, I am all over this, asking if her doggie needs to go for a walk, wants more food, etc.

7. I was introduced to another neighbor yesterday. She has a 3 year old and a newborn. She seemed nice. As the twins poked their head outside the front door, her instant response was "Are those ALL your kids?" Good times.

That's it from here.

It's All About the Princesses

And finally, some Disneyland fluff. Not much as I left my camera in the suitcase the first day and had to buy a disposable, but you get the idea. :)

Que Sera, Sera

Thank you so much, blogger friends, for the positive words of encouragement. It means more than you know.

I'm trying not to freak out too much as a) it's not a done deal yet and b) we've been wanting to move out of the area forEVER and c) 75% of my salary goes to daycare and health insurance, so getting laid off is probably not the worst thing that could happen to me (thanks to extended unemployment and the stimulus package ensuring that 65% of your Cobra can be paid by the government - via a tax credit to your former employer) I hate to look at it like that, but I have to be practical.

We do plan to sell the house we own in the fall and I'm ramping up the job search for Steve and I in the area we've talked about moving for years, using a local address there on our resumes (thanks to Steve's brother who lives there) and hoping for the best. If one of us does find a job there, we will probably rent, depending on what happens with the house we are selling. I'm also going to talk to my sister in law who lives there about getting Sofia on a wait list for pre-school. I'd hate to see her miss out on the most important pre-K year because I didn't have my act together. I figure no matter what happens, it certainly can't hurt to get her on a wait list.

The thought of my having to work full time sends me into panic attack mode, so I try not to think about it too much.

Que sera, sera, right?

Meanwhile, the boys have taken their 2-yr-old-boy-ishness to a new level. There is not a waking moment when they're not getting into something, throwing something, climbing something or just causing shenanigans. Yesterday, I went for my morning walk and when I came home, William was out of the crib, crying hysterically, because he could not get back in. The thought of having to transition them to big boy beds right now sends me into a whole other panic mode, based on the fact that the only thing that gets me through the day is looking forward to their bedtime. They already have a party in there, many nights, throwing everything out of their crib - numerous times - only to have me come in and almost get clocked with flying binkies as they laugh uproariously. I shudder to think what kind of party they'd have should they be freed from the prison of their cribs.

It's a good thing they're so stinkin' cute.

We're Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

We had an amazing time at the Happiest Place on Earth but it was much more crowded than I anticipated, so we didn't do a whole bunch of riding on rides. Apparently, no one clued in the Disneyland people that we're in a global recession or possible global pandemic. There were hordes of people as far as the eye could see, spending money and exchanging germs.

The days were full. Between the princess lunch, the Princess Fantasy Faire, the royal treatment at the Bippity Boppity Boutique and meeting up with my L.A. friend and her kids, there was nary a moment to spare. By Friday night, we were both exhausted beyond belief and I think, ready to get home.

Imagine my surprise upon reaching LAX on Saturday morning to find out that my Alaska airline flight had been changed to an American Airlines flight, which meant about a mile walk to another terminal. We were greeted by sheer chaos there and for a while, I was not sure I'd be able to check in in time to catch our flight, even though we had allowed plenty of time. We finally got through all of that insanity, then security to arrive at the gate with the news of possible rain delays into San Francisco. I was shocked. Planes fly in rain quite a bit, I know I have. Steve told me it wasn't stormy, was drizzling a bit. I can only surmise that the delay was from fog, not rain. The morning fog had bumped all the flights back.

We then had to sit there for a few hours while they provided information on a piecemeal basis my anxiety level rising with every passing announcement. Sofia was an absolute mess by then, kept wanting to lay on the floor, not understanding why I would not let her. Meanwhile, people are walking around with face masks on. In all the chaos, I completely forgot that I was in the "Thirty Mile Zone" and to look around for the TMZ cameras or celebrities. (I'm kidding...sort of)

We did eventually arrive home, after a 3 hour delay. Not a huge deal if I was alone, but with a cranky, exhausted child, I'd be hard pressed to imagine a situation I'd less like to be in at that moment. (I exaggerate) I would not like to wait in another line for a very long time.

I will hopefully have some pictures to share soon. All the running around and sore feet was worth it seeing Sofia's face when greeted by the princesses. What a kick.

The Disneyland Reveal

The Big Disneyland Reveal. In all its confusing glory.

She so doesn't get it, but that's ok. She will. :)

Just Keep Swimming

Behold the princess at her pre-school birthday celebration, devouring a cupcake.

I am so.bone.tired.

Costco has been visited. Chairs have been stood upon, decorations laboriously hung with thumb tacks - glittery fish and colorful, mermaid riddled streamers. Yard chairs have been arranged. Arrangements have been confirmed with Ariel (a.k.a. "Bryce") and the jumpie company. Food items have been planned, always hopeful there is enough, when in reality there is probably too much. Rain is no longer in the forecast (*thank you, GOD*) so the only downer will be ground fog and the icy, ocean breeze. But I'm not complaining. Cold I can handle, wet I cannot. I was having visions of the jumpie turning into a nightmare slip-and-slide with litigation following.

In the morning, Sofia will find out about the trip to Disneyland next week. I considered waiting until the night before we leave to tell her, but honestly, so many people at this party know about the trip, I'm afraid the surprise will be blown if I don't say something. And let's be honest, I am bursting at the seams to tell her. I made a card with a photo of me, Sofia, an airplane and the Disney castle. I feel like it's Christmas Eve!

Sofia's Early Drawings

A lovely piece of artwork by my daughter. That is me in the center with my "fat tummy." That is also one of her attempts to write her name there in the middle upper left. You will see the letters for Sofia, but in no particular order.



Out of the blue, she wrote her name from left to right. I beamed with pride.



And another representation of Mommy and Sofia.



And we like to call this "river of rainbows."

Day o' Partays

So yesterday was busy. Birthday party for Sofia's little boyfriend, then sister in law's surprise 40th birthday party in the evening. At the last minute, we decided to bring Sofia (thanks to a late nap) and she was so excited. As usual, she worked the room the entire night. When we were leaving, everyone kept saying "You're LEAVING?" to her in a genuinely disappointed tone. I tell ya, I could learn a thing or two about mingling from little Miss Thang.

My sister in law was genuinely surprised. This I know because she showed up with no makeup on. Natch, the men had planned the party and their "ruse" to get her there was to "play poker," so she shows up in jeans with no makeup. It never occurred to them, because they are men, that she would not be dressed up for her party. I could tell she was a little embaressed at first, but a few Black Russians later and it didn't seem as though she had a care in the world.

The Brazilian nanny was a smashing success. The boys loved her and didn't even cry when we left. They were saying "Bye Bye" and waving at the window. I thought they would freak when we left w/Sofia, but not. They were quite mesmerized by her. She played games with them, read them stories. etc. When I explained how to use the remote, she told me that her host family does not have television. I was speechless. I think she studied most of the night. Yeah, this one's a keeper.

Today is Baby Loves Disco. I can't wait to see how the boys do. Last time we went, they weren't walking. Yesterday, William was dancing along with Yo Gabba Gabba (my new FAVORITE show, btw - the boys love it ), so I suspect he will be shaking his butt on the dance floor today.

Positive Monday

In light of the fact that I was a complete downer yesterday, I have decided that today's post will only talk about positive things.

(I won't mention that one of the cats shat in my leather boots that I attempted to wear this morning. Fumigation will need to occur before they grace my legs anytime soon. But I won't be talking about that here, today)

I finally entered this decade and have a functional, loaded IPOD. Steve loaded most of my CD's on it, then I downloaded some Britney and Lady Gaga and got in a few good walks this weekend, which always improves my mood. I feel good about that.

On that note, "Sexy Back" is a great song to walk to. I'm just sayin'.

I also feel good that Sofia is getting much better with getting dressed by herself and not always in a horrifying way. Saturday, she put on her tights, leotard and ballet shoes on her own, no small feat. She's also getting much better about picking clothes that actually match.

I feel good about how amazing and sweet William is. He is always wanting to clean. Sofia dropped yogurt on the floor and he was very concerned. Kept saying "Lo lo! Lo lo!" (yogurt) and ran, grabbed wipe and cleaned it himself. He loves to wear all of Sofia's socks, the brighter the better, but primarily the Little Mermaid ones. He *brings* me my shoes or slippers and tries to put them on my feet. When you say "Ni, ni!" He runs into his room and tries to climb in his crib to go to bed or take a nap. I could just eat him up most of the time.

Ok, what else positive? I applied to another city job, hopefully will get called to another exam. It doesn't pay as much as the one before, but more than I make. We'll see. Things are picking up in the office, so it's not as doom and gloom as it was.

Steve has a few lines in the water and we're finally getting the unemployment checks.

What else? What else?

I have Disneyland in April to look forward to and it's already payed for, so don't have to stress on it. Plus I have almost $200 in gift cards to bring with, so I think we're going to be set.

I have Austin in May to look forward to and quite frankly, I cannot wait to see my BFF again. I really, really miss her.

And keeping with my positive theme for today, I'm attending a talk on "Positive Discipline" tonight at the library, then drinks afterwards with a group of women. I'm very much looking forward to it.

Jack Sprat's Wife

If there was any doubt that weight loss needs to be one of my top priorities at this point in my life, this lovely piece of artwork by Sofia sealed the deal.

I honestly had no idea what this was, but suspected it was people. I innocently laughed at the figure on the left, asking if it was Daddy. Then, Sofia pointed out who was on the right. Mommy. On the right. The balloon-like-disproportionally larger than Daddy figure. Mommy.

I laughed fairly hard, but inside, I was crying. Just a little. But no sense wallowing in it too much. This is how she sees me, it is what it is and it's up to me to change that.

Manny Alive

So yesterday, my Manny husband took it upon himself to take all 3 kids to the store, to the park and to the beach.



This was sans strollers, just him and him alone. OH FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.



I tend to get a little overly cautious when it comes to the ocean, based primarily because I grew up and live near some of the most gorgeous but treacherous surf in the country (a wind surfer died a few weeks ago at our beach, no lie.) I was not happy about this development.



Thank god I didn't know or I would have had a panic attack. Seriously, the boys are at the age where they don't understand they need to stay on the sidewalk and don't always listen or stay with you. All I kept picturing was one of them breaking off and him being in a terrible predicament. I appreciate his overconfidence, but taking 3 little kids to the beach by yourself is just not safe and I told him so. I made him swear he would not ever, ever, ever take them to the beach alone again.



In any case, looks like they had fun.



ETA: A few people have pointed out that it appears my little William is enjoying a hooka pipe. Rest assured, he's just doing his nebulizer treatment, like a PRO!

Dr. Doom & Dr. Fine

So, we have two doctors. The reason for this? Our primary pediatrician is in San Francisco, 45 minutes away from us. During the first year of the twins' life, we went through some incredibly scary medical issues with William and he was there for all of it, supporting us, helping us navigate some often troublesome waters. For that reason, he remains our primary pediatrician for all well checks and serious illnesses. He is an older gentleman, father of 3 children under 3 himself and overall, a wonderful physician. That said, he's old school, pro-vax and no nonsense. He doesn't get worked up by much and has sort a great outlook. I know when he seems concerned about something (as was the case with William) that there probably is something to be worried about.

Sometimes he is a little too nonchalant, but for the most part, I respect his opinion greatly. I call him "Dr. Fine" as in everything is going to be fine.

For the ever so frequent minor illnesses, we visit a local pediatrican's office. He is a pleasant enough man in his 40's who is very nerdy and logical. I like to call him "Dr. Doom" as he tends to be a little too quick to jump to worrisome diagnoses. He carries a laptop with him at all times in which he types copious notes as I speak (or at least that is what I think he's doing, he could be writing emails for all I know.)

Yesterday, Dr. Doom pronounced Sofia to have "walking pneumonia." I'm not exactly sure I agree with his diagnosis, but he is the doctor, so she's on an antibiotic, an oral steroid and obviously, continuing with the nebulizer treatments. Having had asthma my entire life, plus pneumonina, bronchitis, etc. and a card carrying graduate of Dr. Google, I tend to think it's more likely she has bronchitis, but again - I'm not the one with the stethoscope and he is the doctor.

He also said she was the "happiest" sick kid he's ever seen. On that, he was spot on.

Missed it By a Hair

So, I didn't make it to the next level. Passing point to be invited on was 82%, I got 80%. It sucks to get that close, but in all reality, it was probably more than I could take on and whatever is meant to be is meant to be.

This doesn't mean I'm not disappointed - I am - I had a good cry and am trying not to let it eat at me - but just have to keep moving forward and be happy I'm still currently employed. (knock on wood)

And today is 80's day at Sofia's pre-school. This meant she got to wear a dress, leggings, leg warmers and jellies to school. Needless to say, Sofia was a happy camper this morning.