Sofia at 7 Years Old!

Today our little girl turned seven! I can't believe it! As a little pre-birthday, I took her with me to Sparkle Nails to get a pedicure for her very first one. She wasn't completely sure what she thought and talked and wiggled her way through it. The ladies giving us the pedicure were completely entertained with her comments on the "ground grass" (the green foot scrub) and the "cheese" (orange foot cream) as well as her thoughts as her toenails were trimmed, filed and her feet scrubbed. She picked out a bright pink polish and the woman giving her the pedicure gave her a white flower on each big toe since it was her first pedicure. It was fun to do together and at the end she said it was fun.

Sofia is such a big girl and so much fun. She's now 50 1/2 inches tall (85%) and weighs 60 lbs (82%). She is tall so wears size 7/8 clothes and often that size skirt is too short. She wears a size 1 shoe. She absolutely loves to read and devours books. Once she starts reading a book, she'll spend hours sitting on the couch reading, will have her nose in a book while we drive somewhere, and then will read the book over several times over the next few weeks. She loves horses and pretends that she takes care of and rides her horse by sitting on my saddle on the saddle stand. She and Olivia will play for hours together and Sofia is very good at including Olivia (and telling her how the game will be played). She's a fun, happy girl who loves an adventure as much as she loves sitting at home reading or playing quietly. She's still very social with people she doesn't know and talks easily to adults, which I hope she always has that ability. Sofia loves Papa John's cheese pizza, grilled salmon, broccoli, grilled cheese sandwiches, pb&j sandwiches, apples, carrots, and BBQ chicken and ribs.

Since we just returned from California on Thursday, I didn't really plan on having a birthday party. We figured a trip to California is a big part of her present and as much as I love to host friends for a pool party, it's a lot of work and we feel like Sofia doesn't really need a ton of gifts every year. She gets plenty of gifts and experiences and plan to do a mid-summer pool party with cupcakes in a few weeks instead of hosting an actual birthday party for her.

So, this morning CK brought home donuts that the girls enjoyed before we headed to Meeting. Sofia picked the chocolate glazed donut with mini marshmallows on it. She also told us that she stayed up reading until midnight because she wanted to "see what it felt like to turn 7". She said it didn't feel any different and she still felt like she did when she was 6. Plus, she was so tired she went to sleep right after midnight. After Meeting we decided to have lunch at The Porch in Dallas and then visit the Perot Museum. The girls enjoyed playing on the frogs and splashing in the little river before heading in. The museum was really crowded and we were thankful to be members so we could walk right in without standing in the crazy long line. We started up on the top floor with the dinosaurs and worked our way down. We actually only made it to the gems and minerals before we decided to head home. It was already 2pm and we wanted to be sure Olivia got a bit of a nap. It's such a fun museum and there is so much to see and explore, I think we could visit a dozen times and still not see it all! The girls, especially Sofia, had a great time.

On our way home, we stopped at Market Street where I picked up the Frozen cake that Sofia picked out on Friday. Since we plan on just having a birthday celebration with the four of us, we asked that the cake be made into a 1/8 sheet so we don't have cake for the next few weeks. The cake is so cute and Sofia was super excited when she saw it (Olivia was asleep in her car seat). We returned home, Olivia woke up, and CK took the girls out for a swim. First, the girls played up in Sofia's room, reading stories and washing their horses. The girls swam and I joined them before we set up the table for dinner. CK asked Sofia what she'd most like for dinner on her birthday and she said "BBQ!!" So, CK picked up smoked chicken, ribs, macaroni and cheese, green beans and coleslaw from Feed Store. The girls dug in and ate more than we thought possible! Then, they swam for a bit longer before getting out for birthday cake and homemade vanilla ice cream CK made last night. It was delicious and Sofia loved it!

After baths it was time to open presents. As usual, Sofia got lots of great gifts and had a ball opening her presents. Since they were all sent in the mail, I wanted to wrap them this afternoon but Sofia wanted to help me. So, I wrapped the boxes and she added the tape. Who else wraps their own presents?? She got a Lego set and Lego Ideas Book from John and Lynn after playing with their kids' set in Santa Barbara. She got a horses stamp set and Herd Your Horses game from her Aunt Cynthia, Uncle Jay and family. Her grandparents sent her an adorable pj set and heart shirt as well as $50 to spend as she wants!! Sofia also got a handmade bracelet from her Mimi's best friend Kris (Olivia got one too). Kris made it and sent it to her because Sofia liked the one Kris made me, but we let her open it on her birthday. Finally, she opened the two gifts from us - a new scooter which she asked for a few months ago and horse lessons! I suggested horse lessons to CK yesterday and haven't really researched it, but figure thats something we can do together. She absolutely loves horses and horse camp so we'll try lessons and see how it goes.

Sofia and Olivia headed out front and rode on their scooters (Olivia on Sofia's old three-wheel one) and had fun before we put them to bed. What a fun birthday!

Ready for her first pedicure

THE color!

Getting started

Sofia gets some very fancy toes

Love the flowers!

A fun day at the Perot Museum

Happy Birthday Sofia!

Playing with her new Lego set from John and Lynn

Lego animal friends

Our beautiful 7 year old!

Such a sweet smile

Happy 7th to our sweet girl!

California, Day 15: Returning to Texas

We got up and out of our hotel by 830am and I had to stop for coffee at Starbucks down the street before getting onto the very slow-moving freeway toward LAX. As we inched along, I started getting nervous that we might not get to our flight in time to check on bags (one hour before take-off). We somehow made it to the rental car return and literally ran to the bus that took us to the terminal. Sofia actually got onto the bus just before the doors closed and I had to knock on the door so the bus would stop and let Olivia and I on too! We were so lucky though, because by the time we got to the terminal we had 10 minutes to check bags! We checked our bags on the super cheap Spirit Airlines and made our way to the security line, still nervous that we wouldn't make it on time. Unfortunately, LAX has ONE security line which means you stand in line for 45 minutes behind everyone else and it's awful. Thankfully, the security woman must have taken pity on me and two little girls and directed us up the escalator into the "pre-checked" line which meant we were through security in less than 10 minutes! I couldn't believe it and wished I'd known what she'd done so I could thank her! It saved us and I was so happy to be on the other side of the security line and walking toward our gate that would take us home! It has been a very fun and adventurous trip, but it's also time to be home with Papa and Buddy, sleep in our own beds and play with all our toys!

The flight went well and both girls read or napped and before we knew it we were landing in DFW and CK was giving us hugs of homecoming! What a fun two weeks it's been!

Have snacks, will fly!

Little one ready to go!

California, Day 14: Saying Goodbye

We packed up our car and gave John and Lynn big hugs goodbye. It was great to see them one last time and we couldn't thank them enough for all the fantastic meals and time spent with us and especially our girls. We got on the road and stopped for lunch at Waypoint Cafe in Camarillo, about an hour from Santa Barbara. The Cafe was really cute and very busy and we got a great table outside. CK showed the girls the miniature runway that included a control tower that announced the real communications between the actual tower and pilots. The girls loved running up and down it and pretended like they were planes (or horses). We ate breakfast which was delicious and got on the road to take CK to Burbank Airport for his early afternoon flight. We got a little nervous that we would miss getting him there on time when we hit traffic, but we were fine. While I drove, CK looked for a hotel room for the girls and I for our very last night in California. My original plan was to just pick a hotel near LAX for the night and then catch our flight in the morning. Unfortunately, President Obama and several events made for a very limited hotel situation in the entire LA area! Finally, CK found a nice hotel with two queen beds in Van Nuys!

We dropped CK off just in time and gave him hugs and kisses looking forward to seeing him the next afternoon in Texas. From there, we drove into Los Angeles (slowly, since there is apparently always traffic in the LA area) and made our way to the California Science Center which has an exhibit about Pompeii. Sofia was really interested in Pompeii when she read the Magic Tree House book about Jack and Annie's visit on the day of the volcano eruption. I visited Pompeii with my Mom in 1996 and found it fascinating. The Science Center was really busy so it was a little overwhelming, but we made it in and went straight to the exhibit. It was really interesting and there were a lot of artifacts that had been recovered as well as mosaic floors and frescos. Sofia enjoyed it and Olivia loved taking pictures with my iPhone, although she took a lot of pictures of museum visitors. At the very end of the exhibit, there were several replicas of people who had been buried by the ash and it was a little unnerving to think of how they died.

After Pompeii, we walked to the Space Shuttle Endeavor hall. Before seeing the actual space shuttle, we were able to learn about the control center, how the Endeavor was built and could touch the real tires that were on the space shuttle! We made our way into the see the Endeavor and it was incredible! As we entered, a video played with the Endeavor's launches and it was very emotional to know what we accomplished as a nation and that our space program basically doesn't exist now. The Endeavor was impressive but also looked like it had been well used. It was very cool to see and Sofia kept saying "I know Papa wishes he were here right now." We bought him a little space shuttle replica as a souvenir.

Just as we were leaving the California Science Center, my friend Janet called and we made a plan to meet up. She and I worked together in DC and were really close friends. She now lives in Chicago and has a little girl a little younger than Olivia. We met for coffee and drove to the beach and talked while Sofia played on a nearby playground and Olivia slept in her carseat. It was so great to see her and it made me realize how much I miss her! She was in LA for a work trip and had a dinner meeting, so we drove her back to her hotel before heading to our hotel in Van Nuys. Of course, by then it was in the middle of rush hour and we went 10 MPH to our hotel! It took forever. Once we checked in, we ordered room service and the girls ate while sitting in bed and watching Mr Peabody and Sherman. The girls were SO excited to order room service and eat while watching a movie! It was the highlight of their day, I'm pretty sure! The girls got a bath while I packed up and we all crawled into bed together. I originally planned to move to my own bed once the girls were asleep but the next thing I knew my alarm was going off and it was time to go home to Texas!

A final goodbye hug from John and Lynn

Little airplane on the runway!

At the Pompeii exhibit

A gladiator's helmet and leg protection

A replica of one of the Pompeii victims

Girls!

Touching history!

The Endeavor! Incredible!

Sofia and the Endeavor

Janet and me on the playground (Sofia was the photographer)

The highlight of their day!

California, Day 13: Last Full Day of Relaxing in Santa Barbara

Our last full day in Santa Barbara before we head to the airport tomorrow to drop CK off and then the three of us leave the following morning. We decided to spend the day enjoying the beach and John offered to pick up CK and the girls so that Lynn and I could go for a walk before joining them. Little did I know that we would get talking and continue walking for miles! We walked from our hotel down the boardwalk and ended up in Montecito where we decided to grab a little bite since it was now nearly 11am. Lynn directed us to the Four Seasons which had an amazing view of the ocean and we enjoyed a delicious cup of coffee (honestly think it was the best I've ever had) and ate a Greek yogurt parfait that included strawberries, blueberries and some granola. It was perfect! I had so much fun connecting with Lynn and spending a few hours just talking to another grown up! It was great! After enjoying our breakfast (and more coffee), we continued walking and ended up back at our hotel around 3pm! We really walked a long time and I forgot to put on sunscreen on my shoulders!

While we were out for our walk, CK hung out on the beach with Olivia playing in the sand and John took Sofia out into the ocean and taught her to body surf. She became pretty good at it and really loved it. We met up with CK, John and the girls and decided to get cleaned up and met for dinner at the Shoreline Cafe. We sat right on the edge of the sand and enjoyed a casual dinner together. Sofia played with the little Lego men Lynn gave her and Olivia and both girls also played in the sand after we were done eating. We said good night knowing we'd have to say our final goodbyes the next morning. Sofia also didn't get sunscreen applied to her back so she was very red while I was just a little sunburned on my shoulders. We went back to our hotel to pack, take baths and go to bed.

Off the go!

A really cool fountain along our walk

Lynn and I enjoy breakfast and delicious coffee (and kid-free conversation)

Sofia and the Lego men

California, Day 12: Reagan Library

John and Lynn had so much fun with the girls that they offered to take them today to the Children's Museum while CK and I headed to the Reagan Library, about 90 minutes away. We drove over to John and Lynn's house and helped Lynn collect eggs for the girls' scrambled egg and toast breakfast. What a life! We headed out after saying goodbye and drove to Simi Valley and to the very impressive museum.

The view from the museum is amazing and it was very well organized and never felt terribly busy, although the parking lot was full by the time we got there so we had to park on the main road some distance away. The museum started with a short video on what our country faced when Reagan was first elected as President in 1981. Having grown up in the 1980s, it was interesting to watch and remember how scary that time was and what a terrible situation we were in as a country. I don't really remember it from experience since I was only 8 in 1981, but looking back as an adult and remember how my parents talked about current affairs, it really was a scary time. After the video, the museum started with Reagan's early life and proceeded through all of his roles and positions as he moved up to become President. It was very well done and very interesting. The large atrium housed Air Force One as well as the Helicopter Reagan used and several armored vehicles he rode in while he was President. The airplane is huge and it was interesting to walk through, although we were not allowed to take pictures inside.

We had a light lunch before we headed back to Santa Barbara and met up at John and Lynn's house by mid-afternoon. They had enjoyed the Children's Museum and spent a lot of time playing in the outdoor stream that is set up for kids to splash in and walk through. Apparently they basically had it to themselves and made up elaborate stories and games (not a big surprise). After the museum, they returned to the house and ate grilled cheese sandwiches and watched the Lego Movie (Olivia played instead).

John promised to show CK how to use the pizza oven and they got cooking. They started off making a delicious appetizer of figs and smoked goats cheese in fig leaves and then moved on to pizzas which they made one at a time while we grazed on them and a salad. It was divine! We hung out and the beautiful Santa Barbara evening and fell in love with John and Lynn's pizza oven!

Our two horses running in the pasture before heading to John and Lynn's house

Collecting eggs for breakfast

Sofia and her breakfast!

Lynn and the girls

The Reagan Library

CK near the front entrance

Statue of the Reagans

One of Ronald Reagan's best quotes

The Oval Office

President Lee speaks!

The amazing atrium

Air Force One

The helicopter and Air Force One

A section of the Berlin Wall

Such a beautiful view!

The two chefs prepare dinner

Sofia playing with Legos

The pizza master and student

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Roasted fig and smoked goat cheese - delicious!

Checking the pizza

CK and the pizza oven