Green Beup Beup

A few days before Mother's Day 2009 we gave Sofia Green Beup Beup and they have been nearly inseparable since then. He's traveled with us on every vacation, usually goes with us when we run errands, "watches" Sofia take baths, "shares" meals with her, and is always a great cuddler for naps and bedtime. In fact, she has only gone to bed without Green Beup Beup a handful of times (usually after we've searched high and low for him...). This morning, while we were enjoying the morning in the backyard, I captured Sofia and Green Beup Beup together. Enjoy!

This is how Sofia cuddles with Green Beup Beup - she falls asleep with him right against her nose and says he "smells like carrots" (Really he smells like countless nights of being drooled on, but she likes it...)




Green Beup Beup is great at playing with Sofia and always "talks" to her in a deep voice. She'll have a full conversation going back and forth in her voice and his...


Giving her buddy a hug


Giving him a bear hug. Lately she gives bear hugs, thanks to her Papa. It's really cute how hard she tries to squeeze.


This is one of my favorite pics


Buddies!

Sofia's first 5K

This morning Sofia completed her first 5K with me - hopefully the first of many! I hadn't done a race since last spring's half marathon, and planned on walking the majority if the 5K since I haven't run much lately. However, my friend Carey who met me for the race wanted to run, so we did. I woke Sofia up just before 7am so I could get her to go potty and get woken up enough to be ready for the race. We made it to the race, which was at the Colleyville Community Center about 3 miles away around 730am and met up with Carey and her husband and 2-year old. The race was a good one, although it was hot already by the time we started at 8am! We ran for the first half, then started to walk and Sofia enjoyed watching everyone run, playing with her books and a pine cone Carey picked up for her, and drinking water....what a life!

After we finished, Carey's husband brought us oranges and cold watermelon, which were delicious! The Lion's Club, which put on the race also offered a full pancake breakfast, but we weren't really in the mood for it after the hot run. Plus, Sofia wanted to "go potty at home," so we headed home and relaxed the rest of the day. It was a fun race and I am so proud of Sofia for not having an accident mid-run! I considered putting her in a pull-up for the race, but decided that we might go backward if I did that, and I'm glad she proved me right! We look forward to the next race.

All set for the run - Sofia used my post-race shirt as a blanket since she said she was "cold" when we arrived - it was only 75 out already at 730am!


Waiting for Carey and watching the Lion's Club guys make LOTS of pancakes


Minutes before the start! All set to go.


Enjoying some cold watermelon and oranges after the race


After the race!

Potty Training!

On Tuesday morning, after taking CK and Sofia's Grandpa to the Baron and then Sofia's Grandma to the airport, I decided to hit Target for some potty training supplies. Following some advice from a friend, I went ahead and bought Sofia the "panties" she really wanted - Thomas Train 4T boy briefs. They don't seem to make Thomas Train panties, but instead they make princess, My Little Pony, and Dora panties - which Sofia could care less about or doesn't even know what they are, as in the case of My Little Pony and Dora. So, we picked out a set of Thomas Train briefs then headed over to the snack aisle for "rewards." Sofia picked out dum-dum pops which are little lollipops that we've been using already, gummy bears, and Oreo cookies. Finally, we went to Sofia's very favorite section in Target - the Thomas Train aisle and she picked out her prize to work toward - a motorized Emily train. Then we went home and started and it was easy! In fact, it's been easier than I imagined. I let her carry Emily around (without opening her up) and explained to her the goal. As soon as we opened the Thomas train "underwear" she was sold and she's woken up every morning asking to wear "panties" (I'm still doing diapers for nap and bedtime). She got to open Emily up on Thursday night, after a full day of no accidents! She continues to carry Emily (and Thomas) along everywhere she goes).

She has been such a trooper, and now, four days into it she generally doesn't even ask for a treat. We're still working on "#2" but that will happen. This has been such a huge step and I'm so proud of her. Of course, it now means pre-planning and leaving plenty of time for potty breaks wherever we go, but so far it has gone far smoother than I ever expected. ALL of my friends were right - they will do it when they are ready and it will not be a battle.

We've tried to get Sofia potty trained for several months now and it's always been a battle. She would generally go without complaint for CK but would yell and kick anytime I even so much as mentioned it (or especially when I'd steer her toward the potty). When we went for our tour of Spanish Schoolhouse (where Sofia will start school twice a day in August), she fell in love and it's been a bit of a motivation to get potty trained. I've told her many times that she can't go to school unless she's potty trained. Now, of course, she thinks she gets to go now!

We're very excited for her and I'm looking forward to moving her changing table into the attic.....our little girl is growing up!

Thomas


Admittedly, she likes to play with the unworn "panties." Hey, whatever works!


Treats!

Finger Painting

Yesterday afternoon, I offered two ideas for Sofia to pass some time in the afternoon since it's so hot outside - to play with Play Doh or to finger paint. She's been playing with her Play Doh set every day for the past few, so she decided on finger painting. I hadn't brought out the finger paints in awhile, so I was interested to see what she did with all that fun.

For the first few minutes, Sofia used her paint brushes and carefully dipped them into the colors and painted them onto her paper. However, after that the fingers got involved. Before I knew it she was spreading paint onto her arms (she liked watching how it went on) and "painting" with her hands on the paper. I had her do a few hand print pages as well as her mixed color masterpieces. She had a great time and after she was done, we just went in the pool for a little swim/rinse off.

Starting off with paint brushes


Soon the fingers were involved....


Our little artist


The artist at work




Rubbing the paint onto her hands




Creating more art work


Showing off those hands!


Finishing up. Green Beup Buep, wearing panties on his arms, watches.....

Our little photographer...

On Wednesday morning Sofia and I were outside enjoying coffee (me), the beautiful morning and the sound of the birds at our bird feeder. I had my camera with me, as I usually do and she grabbed it and started taking pictures. She's used to reviewing the pictures on our camera and often wants to see her image after I've taken a picture of her, but this was the first time she started taking pictures and understood what she was doing.

At first she took random pictures around her - the patio, part of me, etc, but then she started taking pictures of her trains Emily and Thomas. Soon, she was creating a composition of Emily, Thomas, Green Beup Beup and my coffee mug. It was great to watch her and the best part was that with every picture she'd say "Ready guys, 1, 2, 3, smile!" and then push the button! Wonder where she's heard that before?! :-) She enjoyed playing with our camera all morning and even took some pictures in the afternoon that I didn't know she took (mainly of our dining room table and some of her toys). We ordered a pizza and when the young man showed up, Sofia came out with the camera and said "OK, 1,2,3 Smile!" and took his picture! He wasn't sure what to do, but she actually got a pretty decent shot! Anyway, here are a few of her "better" pictures

Her first pictures - of the patio


Another of her firsts - of me (sort of) reading the paper


Getting better - a decent picture of me (I mean the photo, not really that I look decent!)


Emily! Emily is still in her box as a reward for a full day of potty use. We opened her that night!


Thomas and Emily


Even more complex composition - Thomas, Emily and my coffee mug


Sofia taking the picture...


...then reviewing it! I love it!


Green Beup Beup, my coffee, Thomas and Emily (there were several similar to this). This is one of my favorites.


A half eaten Oreo on a rock next to the pool (her potty treat). This is actually one of my favorites too!


Yesterday afternoon - one of the pictures I found (I do remember her taking this).


The Domino's pizza guy - I love that he's actually smiling for her!

Swimming!

Our girl has become quite the swimmer - thanks to weekly Emler Swim classes and CK's efforts to work with her in the pool. Sofia just had her last Emler swim class this past Thursday and we've been impressed with all she's learned. Since it's summer and we usually use our pool daily, we don't plan on enrolling her again for now.

Anyway, here are two videos - the first of Sofia's swimming skills, which still amaze me. She loves to swim and wants to practice all the time we're in the water, going back and forth between CK and I (or anyone else).

The second video is of her favorite new adventure - jumping off the rocks into the pool. She is fearless! Enjoy!

Finger Painting

Sofia was bored with her toys and couldn't think of something to do, so I grabbed the paints and paper and let her go to town. I gave her a couple different sizes of paint brushes to us, which she tried once or twice before going for the paint with her fingers. Guess the girl who doesn't like things are her fingers has gotten over it completely! She had a great time and loved drawing as well as making hand prints with the paint.

Getting started..using her paint brushes.


Moving on to fingers!


Look at those hands!


Really getting into it now


Checking out her hands









Look at those hands!


A view of the entire table!

Our little photographer....

Recently Sofia has discovered the fun of taking pictures! She looks using my camera (or iPhone) to take pictures and I actually think she's pretty good at it (most of the time). It's sort of nice having someone who can now take a photo of me, if necessary.

Our backyard


Her first attempt at taking a photo of me


That's better


Her train


Another train...


Changing the subject matter


My coffee mug solo (sort of)


An oreo on a rock - quite good I think!