New Words

Over the past couple of days Sophia has been saying several new words that sounds like the "real" word. Sometimes she will say things that sounds somewhat like the actual word, but this week I have been amazed at her expanding vocabulary. New words to add to the list are:
-book
-milk
-uh-oh
-sit
-Jesus
-please
-thank you
So I know it is a random list, but we work on things as we see or learn about them.

Today was a quiet day for us. We got up late around 8 and had breakfast. Then I headed to the Y to try out my new running shoes. I got a brand new pair of Mizunos yesterday. Wow, what a difference a new pair of shoes can do for a girl's time!

I ran 3 miles in 22 minutes today. I don't know if it was the shoes or the fact that I just wanted to be done. Then I headed back home to hang out with Sophia. We got some jobs done around the house and had lunch. Then we went up to Ultimate Electronics and got a cool new receiver for the house that has an IPOD Dock. Hal is playing with it as I type.

Tonight we're going to grill for dinner and watch Kit Kittredge. Should be a great way to end the day. Tomorrow I'm not sure what our plans are. Hal is going to watch football and Sophia and I might go to open swim at the Y.

I am now counting down the days until Christmas!

Black Friday

This morning we got up and went shopping for Black Friday. We started off the day by getting Auntie Sarah at the early time of 7:30am. Then we headed over to Maplewood Mall. We walked around the mall and went in to several stores. We found the best deals at Kohls where we both made several purchases. We also got drinks from Caribou which was a wonderful way to start the morning.

After checking out all of the stores in the mall, we went over to Woodbury Lakes to shop Children's Place and the Gap. We again found some great deals on jammies and sweaters at the Gap. We also made a stop at Michaels to get our gingerbread house.

Then we dropped Auntie Sarah back off at home and came home for lunch. After Sophia and I ate our fruit, I went to the Community Center and went on a super fast 3 mile run. When I got home, Hal left and went out for the evening with his friends. Sophia and I got our shopping shoes on once more and went to Dicks. I got the best new pair of running shoes and I can't wait to try them out tomorrow. We also stopped at Gymboree, Walgreens, Kowalskis, and my parents house. After all of our errands, we came back home so Sophia could have a big girl nap.

Sophia got up about 5 and we played toys and read books. I finished decorating the tree and made caramel corn. I have already sampled it and it is so yummy! Now that Sophia is in bed, I'm watching the Sex and the City Movie and Hal is watching the hockey game.

Tomorrow will be another busy day as I plan on getting in some quality time at the gym. After that, who knows where the day will take us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Our day started off quite early as Sophia is not quite well. She got up at 5ish and wanted to go sit on the potty. So we went and read some books. Then we went back to bed until 8. Daddy came in to get us when we woke up. He already had breakfast ready to go. Cinnamon rolls were a great second start to the day. After eating breakfast, we watched the Macy's parade and put up the Christmas Tree.

Here's Sophia helping Daddy put up the tree.
After getting out all of the decorations, Sophia carried this Santa around with her for part of the morning. She kept putting it on the couch and telling it to "sit".

We finished putting up all of the decorations and Hal made cheesey bread for lunch. Then Sophia went down for a nap and I went to work out at the Community Center. While working out I got to watch part of the Jon and Kate Plus 8 Marathon. It was fantastic.

When I got back home, Sophia was awake. She was a bit stuffy so she napped off and on downstairs with us while we read the paper and watched football. Then it was time for us to eat dinner. Sophia had her turkey cookie first.

She wasn't too crazy about it, but ate a little bit. Hal made homemade au gratin potatoes for us. They were delicious! After dinner we read some more books and played toys a bit. We talked to Grandma Jayne on the phone and then Sophia took a bath. After the bath, she was pretty tired so we went up to bed.

Now Hal and I are just relaxing and getting ready to watch a movie. Tomorrow I'm getting up bright and early to go shopping with Auntie Sarah. Should be a ton of fun!

Mommy what's a vampire?

Sophia loves going in my books and I had a hard time today explaining to her about my New Moon book and not be too scarry. I'm thrilled because in less then three hours I will be watching Twilight!!!!!! I hope it is as good as I have heard that it is.

Today Sophia spent the day with Hal and then I got home later this afternoon. We went to Sams Club which was apparently the place to be. We got our fruit and some Christmas supplies for the tree. After our busy trip to Sams, we came home and I put Sophia down for a nap.

I made some turkey cookies for tomorrow, so stay tuned to see my masterpieces! While I made the cookies, Hal put up the lights outside. I'm off to teach my class at the Y shortly. Then I'm going to run before I meet my friends at the movie. I ran last night after my class and by the time I got home it was 10pm. It was quite late for me.

We're ready for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Our plan is to watch movies and put up the Christmas tree/decorations. We're going to make a yummy dinner and eat our turkey cookies.

I'm excited to go shop on Black Friday. Sophia and I are venturing to Rosedale Mall and a couple of other places in Woodbury with Auntie Sarah. It should be a great time!

Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Busy Monday

Sophia started off her day early at Corey's as I had a meeting at school. Then she got picked up early by Hal who took her for her 18 month check-up. She weighs 21 pounds and is 31 inches long. My baby is growing up! The doctor was glad that she gained a pound and is growing in length. Sophia also had a flu shot today. Now we are all caught up on the vaccinations for another six months until her two-year check-up.

Sophia and Hal came home and she went down for a mini nap. Then she woke up and had a snack. When I got home, Hal left and went out with his friends for the evening. Sophia and I had dinner together. As you can see from the pictures, Sophia loved her spaghetti tonight!

Here's Sophia figuring out how to get the noodle off of her hand.


Happy Monday!

After dinner we got cleaned up and made some turkey cards for Thanksgiving. Sophia was excited to color the turkey that we made by tracing around her hand.

We finished up our turkey cards for Corey and Papa and Nana. Then we played some toys for a bit and read some books. We also looked at cookbooks which is Sophia's new favorite thing to explore. We found a good recipe for homemade soft pretzels which I'm going to try this week. I know that Sophia will love them!

Then it was time to get ready for bed. I put Sophia in bed and now I have some time to relax. Tomorrow is another busy day. I have to get to work early as I have morning extended day. Then tomorrow evening Papa and Nana are stopping by as they leave on Wednesday for Chicago so we won't see them. Wednesday is an early release day at school and Hal and Sophia are hanging out. When I get home, we're going to make a trip to the grocery to get our supplies for Thanksgiving. I think we're going to have tacos or pizza and for sure cheesy potatoes. What a Thanksgiving dinner huh!

Happy Monday!

Underwater Adventures

This morning Sophia and I went to church. I really enjoyed the message this morning as it was about learning how to change when change in needed. While listening to the message, Sophia was coloring and did something amazing. I drew a letter S on the piece of paper and she shouted out loud in church "S"! It was pretty neat! On the way to get our Sunday paper and banana, Sophia practiced several of her letters.

Once we got home, we hung out with daddy and changed our clothes. Then we had our bananas and got ready for the mall. We walked around the Mall of America a bit and then went to Underwater Adventures.

We all had a great time looking at the fish, sharks, turtles, and sting rays. Sophia's favorite part was when they swam over her head. She heard me say, "cool" and then copied me and kept saying "cool" when they would swim over her head. It was really funny. Hal said his favorite part was the big huge turtles. His other favorite part was seeing Sophia's reaction to everything!

After the mall, we came home and had some lunch. Hal went to the grocery to get the ingredients to make pizza. Then it was time for Sophia to take a nap. I went to the community center and got a great 4.5 mile run in. I'm increasing my distance to 5 miles this week. I'm still sticking with 10 minute miles though.

When I got back, Hal had already made the pizza dough. We're going to have white pizza with homemade alfredo sauce, chicken strips, homemade pizza dough, and green onions. I can't wait! Just typing right now is making me hungry.

As soon as Sophia gets up here in the next couple of minutes, we're headed back to Michaels for the special sale to get the rest of the garland for the house.

Sophia has her 18 month check-up tomorrow. I'm sad that I won't be able to go. She is getting shots and a flu shot so I'm sure she will be an unhappy camper.

I'm excited for Thanksgiving this week, and I can't wait to see Twilight on Wednesday night!

If you give an 18 month old a day

What does a typical 18 month old girl do to celebrate this big milestone? Well let me tell you! (If you've read the book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie you will definitely understand this just fine....if not you might want to give it a try)

You'll start your day off by cuddling in the big bed with your mommy and daddy. Then you'll get up and have a fantastic breakfast of waffles and yogurt. Since you're 18 months old, you will have to eat breakfast while wearing your birthday beads.

Then your mommy gets to go have her hair done. Since your mommy is getting her hair done, you'll get to spend some time with your daddy. Of course your daddy will take you to Home Depot to celebrate being such a big girl. He'll show you all of the cool stuff you need for your new house. Then he'll bring you home to see your mommy.

Since it is a special day, your mommy will take a picture of you to commemorate it!


Next, your mommy and daddy will dress you up in your snow gear to head outside and play in the snow.

Since you're feet are so small, you won't be able to find any snow boots. Since you don't have any snow boots, you'll get to wear your tennis shoes outside.

Oh well.....then the neighbors Megan and Nicolas will come over and play with you since you're such a big girl. They will play with you and show you how to make a snow ball and snow bricks.




Because playing outside is tiring work, you will have to go inside and eat a snack. Since you aren't crazy about your snack of crackers and cheese, you'll get to run errands with your mommy.

Since they're having a good sale at Michaels, your mommy will take you to get all the Christmas supplies you need. Because you need lots of fun decorations for your party, you'll need to go home and try them out.

After you try them out, you'll have to put your jacket back on to go to the event at the Community Center. Since you donated pjs and a book, you'll get your very own star and star sugar cookie. Because you're getting tired, you get cranky when you aren't able to finish your cookie.

Then it is time for your big girl nap. Since you slept so hard, your mommy got to go on a run and your daddy got to watch tv. Then it is time to get up.

Because you're such a big girl today, you will get to have a special dinner. Since your Great Grandma loves you tons, she will take you to Kincaids.

You'll eat a great dinner of chicken fingers, grapes, and fries. Because you're such a cute little girl, you'll get the attention of the guys in the kitchen. Since you have gotten their attention, they'll flirt with you and tell you you're adorable.

If you give an 18 month old a day......the possibilities are endless!!

Red Robin

Tonight we went to Red Robin for dinner with two other friends. We had such a great time. Kari has a daughter Jenna with whom we have hung out with before. Jenna will be one on the 28th of December. Jen has a son Logan who Sophia hasn't seen since they were first born. Logan is about two months older than Sophia is.

The kids had a great time and so did the mommys. The restaurant was completely packed. Logan, Sophia, and Jenna had some pre-dinner snacks. Logan apparently loves ketchup and decided to dip his raisins into the ketchup.
Yum Logan!

After dinner, I pushed Sophia's highchair next to Logan. At first she was sad as she thought that I was leaving her. Once she saw how fun Logan was, they were both giggling together.

Then Sophia and Logan were dusting each other and wiping each other with a wet wipe. It was pretty funny! Here's a cute picture of them together with the wipe.


Before we left we got a cute picture of the three kids together with their balloons. They looks so funny all wrapped up in their winter gear.

Hal is home now and I'm so incredibly glad he is back. Sophia and I missed him tons!

Tomorrow we have another busy day. We are going to run a couple of errands and attend an event at the Community Center. Should be a photo opportunity. Tomorrow evening, we're having dinner at Kincaids. Sophia is thrilled for her first trip to her mommy's favorite restaurant.

Where's my shirt?

I'm so glad that today is Thursday. I can barely wait for Friday! Sophia was a hoot again today. This morning she sat on the step and talked up a storm to me while I put on her shoes. She also kept saying butterfly as she noticed that there was one on her shirt.


School went by quick which was ideal, except for the fact that I was frozen all day long. I resorted to having two cups of hot cocoa plus wearing my coat. It was pretty ridiculous. After school, I got my room set up for the Open House at school this evening. Then I was off to pick up Sophia.

Corey said she once again had a great day. We also got Stephanie to babysit for us again when we go to the Gophers game. Yippee!! Then Sophia and I headed up to Gymboree. Oh how I could buy out that store! We found some Christmas presents for Sophia and then headed to dinner.

I decided tonight since it was a special night with just mommy and Sophia we could eat out. We got the royal treatment at Chilis tonight. We got a super warm table right under the heat vent. Then Sophia got several packs of crackers and some crayons. She colored and had a couple of crackers while we waited for our food to arrive. We shared chicken fingers. She ate two of my chicken fingers, half of her corn, and some fries. She also discovered ranch dip and broccoli tonight. She hasn't had either of these two things before. Needless to say, they were a hit! She kept saying dip and I would dip her chicken or a fry in the ranch. She just loved it. Then she saw me eating broccoli and she wanted some too. I couldn't believe how much she ate!

After dinner, we headed up to Target. We got some more Christmas presents and a couple of things we needed at the house. Then it was off to home to get ready for bed. What a busy night.

Before bed, we tried on her new tights with her shoes. She didn't want me to put her shirt on so she ran around her room looking like this.

She really enjoys wearing nothing but tights and shoes! I think she would rather just play in her diaper if she could.

We called daddy, had some milk, sat on the potty, and went to bed. Now I get some time to watch the Wild game. So far they are tied in the 3rd. I hope the win!

Tomorrow is our Friendship Feast at school. This will mean a very busy day for me and the kids in Student Council. I know that it will be fun and go great, but it's always a bit chaotic.

After school, I have to hurry to get Sophia from Corey's and then head back to Apple Valley to meet some friends and their kids for dinner. We are headed to Red Robin to eat. I'm excited to hang out with them and see how the kids interact. Sophia has not seen Logan in a very long time and we just had brunch with Jenna two weeks ago.

I'm excited for Hal to come home tomorrow and am looking forward to the weekend. Only a couple more hours until Twilight!!!!! I can barely wait until Wednesday night when I am going to see it!

Hide and Go Seek

Today was another busy day for little Miss Sophia. She was in such a happy mood this morning which was the best way to start the day. The day at school was very long today!

The Student Council that I co-lead is getting ready for our Friendship Feast on Friday this week. It's a Thanksgiving celebration where the whole school eats lunch together, sings songs, dances, and then eats a turkey cookie. Well.....the Student Council kids are in charge of making the turkey cookie. It consists of an Oreo as a base, then using a Fudge Stripe to act like the feathers, a Hershey's Kiss for a face, and a candy corn for the beak. Today we made 210 cookies in an hour!! It was a fun time and I love this time of year. I was so proud of the kids.

Tonight after school, I headed right to the gym as the day dragged on and I could barely wait to run. The 4 miles flew by! I really wanted to run another mile, but had to go and teach my Bodyflow class.

While all of this was going on at the Y, Sophia was hanging out with Papa and Nana. Tonight my mom made meatloaf for dinner. They proceeded to tell Sophia it was meatballs and she ate two pieces. She also ate all of the strawberries to Papa didn't get any. It was pretty funny!

After they ate, they played several games of Hide and Go Seek. When I arrived to pick Sophia up, I got a taste of their game. Sophia will run and lay flat in front of the couch with her face in the carpet. Apparently she thinks she is invisible if she does this. I laughed so hard. Then she gets up even before my dad gets close to her and squeals in delight when he "finds" her. We play this game at our house too, but I have never seen her "hide" this way.

We arrived back to our house to find Sophia's Christmas dress on the front step. I am so excited it came!! Then we read books, called Daddy, and got ready for bed. She was out quick.

I'm taking some mommy time to check e-mail and watch a little Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives from earlier in the week. Then I'm off to bed. Hopefully tomorrow won't be as long as today!

Tomorrow night Sophia and I are going out for dinner and then heading to Gymboree to do a little shopping. If we have time, we're going to make a stop at Target too. It's almost Friday!

I love CHEESE!

Sophia is in love with cheese. I swear the only thing she will eat is string cheese. Here's how much she loves it!

Cousin Abby

Here's a quick clip of my little talker showing off her skills!

Family Dinner

It was Monday today and as Mondays go, it was a busy day. We slept in a bit this morning due to us shutting off the alarm on accident. Then I got to sit in the lovely traffic on 494. The day went by quite quick and I was eager to pick up Sophia.

When I arrived at Corey's she was dancing around to the music with a maraca. It was pretty cute. We quickly hurried home to put dinner in the oven. Tonight we had a family dinner with Hal's family. His sister Sarah came over with our niece Abby. Unfortunately, Uncle Nate wasn't able to make it as he had to stay late at work. Grandpa Hal came for dinner too. We had a great time playing toys with the girls and then sitting down to yummy chicken lasagna for dinner.

The girls were so adorable sitting together. Here are a couple of cute shots of them hanging out before dinner.




After Auntie Sarah and Cousin Abby left, Sophia got to take a bath for the first time in the big tub all by herself. She was a bit tentative at first. Grandpa Hal and Daddy came up to say hi to her while she was playing in the bath. Then it was time to get ready for bed.

We decided to try out the new pjs tonight. What a cute little jammie girl!


Tomorrow Hal leaves for the rest of the week for North Carolina so I will be a single mommy. Sophia and I have a couple of treats planned for just the girls. Until tomorrow.

8th Floor Macys

Today we took a family adventure to the 8th floor display at Macy's in Minneapolis. We started off the day quite early. I got up at 7 to go running. When I got home, Sophia and I got ready and headed out to church. After church, we came home and had some lunch. Then we headed down to Macys. There were tons of people there. Sophia just loved seeing all of the displays. Here are a couple pictures from our trip today:

Mommy and Sophia

Family photo

Tonight I have a meeting at the Y. Hopefully it will be quick! I will be glad to come home when it gets done. Tomorrow will be another busy day. Hal is leaving this week to go on a business trip so I will be a single mommy. We are having a family dinner tomorrow night before he heads out.

My dad has style!

Today Sophia discovered that her daddy has his own sense of style. Daddy had a bandanna on his head and of course Sophia had to have one of her own. He was kind enough to find one that matched her outfit exactly. Mommy seems to like the bow that matches better though. Which one do you like?


Bandanna?


Or Bow?

Sophia happens to think she looks cute in both! We agree!

Today has already been a fun day as you can see. I got up early and went on a run. Then I came home and got ready and so did Sophia. We went out to Rosedale to pick up Sophia's pictures and do a little shopping at Macys and Gymboree. Of course we found some good deals.

We came home and had some lunch with daddy. Then we went over to Papa and Nana's house to celebrate her birthday. She loved her birthday cake and Sophia even got a bite of it. Nana opened her present and her cards and then we headed back home. Sophia really needed a nap.

Not sure what we will be up to this evening. Maybe I will have another story to share later.

Happy Birthday Nana!

Today was Sophia's Nana's Birthday! I called my mom this morning to see how she was feeling and she was doing well. I'm hoping this time the surgery was a success. She was happy that I called.

The day went by quick. Before I knew it the day was over. I was glad that today was Friday. After school I went to pick Sophia and Stephanie up. Stephanie is such a great girl. I brought them home and fed them both dinner. Then we made a mad dash for dinner. Sophia was pretty unhappy that we left.

Dinner was lots of fun. All of us enjoyed our food and drinks at Bostons. It was so nice to have an adult dinner. After dinner, we came back home. I brought Stephanie home. When I got back, I heard a little voice calling Mama. Hal said Sophia was up when he went to peek on her and he got her up so I could see her. We played on the couch for a bit and then I put her back to bed. She went right down.

Tomorrow will be a busy day. Sophia and I are going shopping. Then we are going to stop by my parents at some point to give my mom her birthday present and the cake I made for her.

Happy Birthday Nana!

I love Elmo!

Sophia is madly in love with Elmo. We started off the day by playing with her Elmo socks. She says Elmo and is able to identify him anywhere. We have several Elmo things already and I'm sure that there will be more to come. She has socks, clothes, a stuffed Elmo, several Elmo books, and even Elmo kiddie toothpaste. Her latest addition to her Elmo collection is a pair of Elmo slippers.


She thinks these slippers are the greatest thing in the world. She is a bit clumsy in them. Tonight after eating dinner she tripped over her own Elmo slipper and bumped into the table. She cried for a bit and then quickly recovered.

We took a trip to Sam's Club tonight and Sophia wore her Elmo slippers. She didn't want to take them off before we left and we figured what could it hurt since she was just going to be in the cart anyways. We went to pick up this plate that I had made for our niece for Christmas. We got a picture of her and put it on a plastic plate that has a Disney Princess design on it. I just love it!!! I'm sure she is going to die when she sees her face on the plate with the princesses. We looked around and got some cheese and some grapes.

We also started looking at party supplies for our upcoming Christmas party. I can hardly wait to have it at our new house. I love having parties and entertaining. Sophia and I also stopped at Old Navy tonight and I found the perfect hot pink party top. I will have to keep it in mind.

After putting Sophia to bed, I went to the Community Center and ran 4.5 miles. It went really well. There was another girl in there that I have chatted with several nights and we watched Grey's together. I haven't been watching it yet this season so she caught me up on what was going on during the commercials. It made the run go by really quick as I was able to watch the whole episode.

Tomorrow is Friday and it is another big day for everyone that I know. My mom's birthday is tomorrow. Thank you for keeping her in your prayers today as her surgery went well. She will find out if the surgery was successful tomorrow. What a birthday present huh.

My best friend Becca has a big day tomorrow too. Good luck Becca, I love you!!

The last of the biggies is that we will have our first official babysitter tomorrow with Sophia. It is Corey's daughter Stephanie so we know Sophia is in really good hands. It will just be a big step for us.

Until the big day......Happy Friday!

What a big day!

Today Sophia had a huge day. She went potty three times today and woke up this morning and from her afternoon nap completely dry!!!!!!! What a big success!!! Corey was thrilled with her day and so were we.

Not only did Sophia have a big day, but 3 years ago today Hal and I had one of the biggest days of our lives. We got married! Here's a walk down memory lane.

Here we are at the church rehearsing the ceremony


The big day


The end of the night with our friends

Hal made me dinner tonight which was a wonderful treat. Then we opened our cards and played with Sophia. After she went to bed, we got to have some time to ourselves. We are going to play some Yahtzee pretty soon here.

Tomorrow we have another busy day. My mom is having her surgery on her eye tomorrow so please keep her in your prayers. We would like this to be a success! Hal and I both have a full day of work. Then we're getting our drapes/blinds installed tomorrow night.

Friday is my mom's birthday! We are also going out for our anniversary with our friends Matt and Renee for dinner. Sophia gets to hang with Stephanie (Corey's daughter).

I can't believe that is has already been three years. I am looking forward to 2009 and many years to come.

My new favorite word

Check out the video of me saying my new favorite word.

My new bathroom

Today Sophia got up and was as cheery as a lark. It was the funniest ride over to Corey's this morning. Daddy got up and wasn't feeling well at all. No fun! On the way to Corey's house, we talked about what Sophia and Stephanie would eat for dinner on Friday. It was quite funny to hear Sophia's reponses.

Once we got to Corey's our day was off and running. I had a field trip this morning to the State Capitol. It was a wonderful short field trip. We were only gone this morning so when we got back, we only had 30 minutes until recess/lunch. After school got done, I was off to pick up Sophia.

Corey shared that Sophia was the funniest dancer ever today. She said that all Sophia wanted to do was shake her bum and her hips to the Hokey Pokey. Corey said that every time the tape stopped, Sophia would run over and push play again. Corey and I had a great laugh while Sophia demonstrated her dancing skills for me. Once we got in the car, Sophia was talking up a storm. We have been practicing several words lately. Her newest thing is to touch people on the leg and say very cheerfully, "Hi" :)! Yesterday when we went to lunch she had to touch every person on the way out the door.

We headed home to see how daddy was feeling and had some dinner. Then we went to Perkins to get Uncle Nate a birthday French Silk Pie. It's his birthday today so we thought we would get him his favorite treat! After dropping off the pie, Sophia and I headed to Target.

We checked out all of the cute girl clothes and then all of the Christmas stuff. After doing some looking, we went and picked out all of the new towels/shower curtain/bathroom accessories for her bathroom. She picked out the sea creatures with the octopus and sea horse. It is pretty cute!

When we got home, she had to take it all out of the bag to examine it.

Taking a look at the bath towels


Claiming her spot on the toothbrush holder (she doesn't have to share with anyone though, she has it all to herself)

After setting up her new bathroom, we got ready for bed. It was somewhat past her bedtime so I tried to speed the process along. She went to bed quickly and then I was off to the Community Center to work out.

Now I'm home and I'm ready for bed. Tomorrow will be another busy day! I have a conference/workshop to attend downtown St. Paul. Then I have to teach tomorrow night at the Y. Wednesday, Hal and I celebrate our 3 year anniversary. Thursday night, we are getting our drapes installed. Thursday is also my director's b-day. Friday is my mommy's b-day and we are headed out for dinner with our friends Matt and Renee. Sophia is excited as Stephanie is coming over to babysit.

Looks like another packed week!

Date day with Mommy

Sophia came in to bed with us this morning about 4am. The best part is that she went back to bed and we all slept in this morning until 8. It was heavenly. Then Sophia began her date day with mommy. We had breakfast with Hal and got ready for the day. Then we headed off to try a new church by our house.

Here we are posing for a picture before church in front of our new sectional!

Sophia did fantastic at church. We met some new friends while we were there. We also met a former Cobber who graduated a year after me. I didn't remember her, but she remembered me. So we chatted for a bit about our families, kids, and church. She was eager to have another Cobber possibly joining the church. Apparently there are several alum there. Even the pastor is an alum himself. Pretty cool!

After church, we headed off to Khourey's in Inver Grove Heights for brunch. We met up with my friend Kari and her daughter Jenna. All of the girls had a wonderful brunch! The food was really yummy and I can't wait to go back some time.
Here's Sophia enjoying a sausage all on her own!

Here are Sophia and Jenna sitting together like "big girls" after brunch.

The bakery was I think what looked like the best part. The cakes looked just spectacular. I found one that I wanted to try next time and it was a Bailey's Irish Creme Torte. Sophia thought that the Carrot Cake looked good.


After we left brunch, we made a quick trip to Baby Gap in Woodbury Lakes to see if we could find any more good deals. Of course Sophia got a cute shirt for $4. It's too hard to pass up a great deal. Then it was time for us to go home for Sophia to have her big girl nap.

It didn't work out like we planned. She never took a nap, so we got up and played toys. Hal is at Roddy's watching the football game and won't be home for a while. Tonight we are going to have some pizza for dinner and then I'm off to the Community Center to work out after Sophia goes to bed.

This week will be another busy week for us. I think we have something going on every single night. Hal and I are looking forward to another date night on Friday night and Sophia is going to hang out with Stephanie (Corey's daughter). She will be thrilled to have her at our house I'm sure.

It's Uncle Nate's birthday tomorrow so we hope to stop by and say Happy Birthday to him. I'm having dinner with some girlfriends tomorrow night. Tuesday night I have to work at the Y and then Wednesday is our anniversary. The rest of the week looks just as busy. Oh well......laundry calls.

The day in the life of a busy 17 month old

Last night Sophia spent the night with Papa and Nana while we got to go on a date and eat dinner at Kincaids. It was a wonderful evening!!

Sophia started off the day this morning by getting up at 5:50am. I'm not sure why she keeps getting up early. She played and had breakfast and then by 9 she was pooped. So, Nana put Sophia down for a nap. While Sophia was taking a nap, I was working out at the Community Center and getting ready for the day. Then I went over to my parents and picked my mom and Sophia up. We headed out for our busy day. We got to Rosedale Mall and began our shopping trip. We had to head to Herbergers first so that I could take back a pair of jeans and I found another pair too that were on sale. After leaving the store, we ran into these basset hound dogs. Sophia was just in love with them.

Sophia petting the dog

Catching the dog's tail
The lady offered that Sophia could sit on the dog like a horse, but Sophia didn't want to. I was shocked as normally Sophia can't get enough of dogs, but she wasn't really interested in them. Instead she had spotted Santa.

Then it was time for Sophia's picture appointment. It was not a good situation. We were told to arrive 15 minutes early and they informed us that they were running 15-20 minute behind. Well........that 15-20 minutes turned into almost an hour. It sucked! My mom was a great helper. When it was finally our turn, Sophia didn't warm up to the camera right away. By the time we were done, we got several shots of her smiling up a storm.

Then we decided to go to the GAP because they were having a sale. I got a sweater and found several things for Sophia. I love their sales!! I got one of the pairs of pants for her for $2 that were regularly $30. What a steal! The girls at the GAP even gave Sophia a sticker. She loved it and decided it would be a good idea to put it on her nose.
After the GAP, we went back to view the pictures. We got them ordered and then left the mall. It was completely packed still at 3pm.

We dropped my mom off and then headed to Cold Stone Creamery. They were having free cake tasting today. Sophia and I tried the dark chocolate red velvet cake. It was so good. Then it was time for us to get home.

Hal had been working in the house all day and it looks phenomenal. He hung up pictures and moved things around. We got our sectional delivered today. It looks just beautiful!!!!!! I am sitting on it right now and I just love it. We chatted and played toys and showed Hal all of our purchases.

Then Sophia had some dinner and we went upstairs and got ready. Hal was going to go play poker at Nic's house so we decided to go to open swim at the Y.

Here's Sophia playing with her toys in her swim suit before we left.

We had a great time swimming. There was barely anyone there. We met a cute little girl who was nine months old that was almost as big as Sophia. The mom said to me,"Oh your daughter is just a tiny thing." It was pretty funny! Sophia loved swimming. She even put her whole face under. I have never seen her do that before. She apparently has no fear. She even did it a couple more times. She would dunk her face under and come up and look at me and giggle. I'm so glad that she likes the water and isn't scared to put her face under. I taught her how to blow bubbles and she took a sip or two in between blowing bubbles.

After swimming, we went and picked up a movie for me. I can't wait to watch it. Made of Honor. I love Patrick Dempsey. We got home and Sophia had a bath and milk. Then it was time for bed. I can't wait to watch my movie.

Tomorrow is going to be another busy day. Sophia and I are headed to church. Then we're meeting my friend Kari and her 9 month old daughter Jenna for lunch. It should be lots of fun.

A party dress in the morning????

This morning Sophia was up bright and early at 5am. Not sure why, but she never went back to sleep. So she played toys and read books while Hal and I got ready for work. After we got ready, I decided to make sure that her dress fit for her pictures that we are having taken tomorrow. She looked just adorable in it!

As you can see she barely stood still long enough for me to tie the bow in the back, but she loved the dress.

I have conferences today at school and then I'm headed home. I will be super excited to be done with them. Tonight Hal and I are going on a date and having dinner at Kincaids. We checked out the menu last night and I'm already getting hungry just thinking about it!

Tomorrow is another busy day. Sophia is spending the night with my parents. I'm going to get up early and work out. Then I'm off to get her pictures taken with my mom at Rosedale. After pictures, we're going to do some shopping. Then we're going to stop at Cold Stone Creamery on the way home as they're having cake taste testing tomorrow. Who can pass free cake up??!! Tomorrow night Hal might go play poker and Sophia and I will probably hang at home.

Happy Friday!

Christmas Came Early

Today was a VERY LONG DAY! We got up and got ready for Corey's house/work. Sophia wasnn't her cheery self this morning. I'm pretty sure she is going through a growing spurt right now as she is taking long naps at Corey's house and eating way more than she normally does.

I had conferences today after school and I was quite thrilled when I got done. The day couldn't have gone by fast enough. When talking with my friends Kari and Jen this morning we all agreed it was a bad day to be tired. Kari was up at 5 with her daughter Jenna and Jen was up at 4 with her dog. Jen got up and made dinner for tonight. I couldn't believe her! Her parents are in town from ND so I know that it was a great treat for them tonight. I'm quite excited as we made a date for a kids/mommy dinner at Red Robin in a couple of weeks. It will be great to get the kids all together.

After I got done with conferences, I hit the road. I had to stop and get gas and couldn't believe that only getting $10 worth filled up half a tank in my SUV. I was thrilled!!

When I got home, Sophia was waiting for me at the door. She pulled me right in and I could barely take my boots off fast enough. We were going to go to Target tonight to get Sophia's bathroom stuff, but it got too late. So we played toys and read books and then it was time for her to get ready for bed. Before she went down, I got her new word on video. Christmas is here early!! Santa is the word of the week.

Then it was bed time for Sophia. Hal and I watched the Wild game and had dinner. I can barely wait for our date tomorrow night. We are going to Kincaids for dinner. I will really need some unwinding after conferences again tomorrow. Happy Almost Friday! *Hi Marie, hope your conferences are going well!*

My Famous Daddy

Yesterday Hal got a letter in the mail from the United States Patent Office saying they approved his application and granted his patent for Micreoencapsulated heat delivery vehicles. In non-engineer speak this means Hal came up with an idea, and got an official patent on it. Way to go to my famous husband!!!!!!!

Today was another busy day in our household. Sophia started off with her regular morning routine. I had to get to school a bit early and get things ready for my conferences tomorrow. I also had my wind shield replaced today. Last week when I was driving home from school, a truck kicked up a huge rock and it flew at my windshield. It sounded like it was going to go right through. Luckily it didn't, but left a pretty huge dent.

The day at school went quick just like Wednesdays always do. I got my flu shot today which of course was the non-highlight of my day. I HATE NEEDLES!!!!! My director stayed with me and we giggled together about my fear. What a great guy. Then it was off to pick up Sophia. When I got to Corey's she said Sophia had a great day, but slept for three hours. She even slept right through lunch! She must be growing as she has been sleeping and eating tons. Sophia was following Tucker Corey's dog around. She just loves that huge dog. You would think she would be scared of a German Sheperd, but not a chance. Tucker is the sweetest dog ever!

Sophia and I hurried home to meet Hal who was working on getting a quote from a gutter install guy. Then I was off to the Y to teach Bodyflow. Auntie Sarah came and it was great to have her in class. Tonight I taught the new release again. I felt so much more confident after having done it twice now. Also, I didn't have my boss there evaluating me either so that made me feel better.

Sarah and I worked out for a bit upstairs after class and then she left. I did some more on the elliptical and ran a mile. My knees have been quite tired lately so I'm trying to switch off my workouts.

I got home and Sophia greeted me at the door. She took my hand and led me to her toys. She was chatting with me up a storm. Lately she has been saying more and more words. Some I understand and some I really don't. Her new word is Santa. It's so cute! Whenever we go to a store and she sees Santa she says it. I can't wait to take her to the real thing.

Sophia was off to bed and then Hal and I made some dinner. We watched How I Met Your Mother which was a good one. We're going to head off to bed soon as tomorrow is going to be another long day. I have conferences after school. On Friday, I have conferences again but no kids. Then Hal and I have date night. Sophia is heading to my parents and we are going to Kincaids for dinner. I can't wait! I am really looking forward to all of the fun things we are going to do this weekend.

Happy almost birthday to Uncle Nate!

We Voted

Sophia had a great day at Corey's. She even went potty again. This whole potty training thing is getting easier for her by the day. After I picked her up, we went to vote. Lucky for us, there was barely a line at all. The guy even gave Sophia a sticker when we got done.


We got home and got dinner ready. Nothing too exciting as we had leftovers from last night. It was still good the second time around. After dinner, we cleaned up and Sophia colored some pictures. We played toys and then I got ready for work.

I am eager to get this first round done. I just hope I know it well. Keep me in your thoughts! I teach again tomorrow night and hopefully will feel a bit more comfortable. After I get done, I'm going to run and then come home and read my book. It's getting really good now. If you haven't read Twilight I still highly recommend it and the New Moon.

Until tomorrow.......

Family Dinner

Tonight we had Papa and Nana over for a family dinner. They picked up Sophia from Corey's house. I got home and went on a run. It was super windy out. The sun started to set and I headed back home.

Hal got home and started the grill. It is so great to be able to grill at any time with any type of weather. We had a delicious dinner of chicken, brats, green beans, cucumbers, and carrots. Sophia loved all of the choices she had! Of course we know her favorites are the green beans and cucumber with dill dip. For a treat, we all had a trick-or-treat out of the treat bowl and Papa had a Halloween cupcake. Nana was curious about our Mint Crisp M&Ms that we got a couple of weeks ago when we went to Maplewood Mall. We ended up finding them at the dollar store. Hal and I were a bit cautious of them, but they were awesome! Sophia really enjoyed them! She had green food coloring all over her face from sucking on them. She wanted to eat them all, but of course we didn't let her.

After we finished dinner, Papa and Hal brought in the rest of our things that were over at my parents house. One of the items was Sophia's unicorn Sherry. She was thrilled to see her again. Sophia got right up and started rocking on her.
Here's a cute picture of her rocking.


Then it was time for Sophia to have a bath and Papa and Nana to head home. After she had a bath, we had books/milk/potty and went to bed. Hal and I read the newspaper and now I am off to practice my Bodyflow. I launch the new track #42 tomorrow night. I hope that it goes well.

Tomorrow will be another busy day. I have early morning extended day. Then I am going to leave right after school to go and vote with Sophia. Tomorrow night we are having leftovers for dinner and then I head to work.

I am looking forward to the weekend already. Friday night Hal and I have a date for dinner at Kincaids. Saturday we are getting Sophia's 18 month pictures taken and our new couch will arrive. What a busy week/weekend ahead!

Frog Jumping

Today when Hal got home from the game, Sophia was still taking her afternoon nap. I was practicing my new Bodyflow for Tuesday night. He got the rest of our things from over at his parents house so we unpacked several bins together. It was quite fun getting our stuff out and putting in the kitchen and the house.

Then we got Sophia up and went on a walk outside. What a great day! On our walk, we ran into one of the Wild hockey players who lives by us. That was fun. We continued our walk and then headed up to the park. Sophia is such a big girl now going down the slide all by herself sitting up. It's so fun to hear her giggle all the way down. Then sun started setting and we were all getting hungry so we headed back home.

Hal went to pick up a newspaper and Sophia and I started dinner. We made homemade pizza for dinner tonight and it was tasty! Sophia didn't really want the pizza and just preferred the crust. We cleaned up dinner and played toys for a bit. We also did some frog jumping. Hal will jump around like a frog and Sophia tries to copy him. It is hilarious! Here's a video of her trying her best to get off the ground and jump.


After several attempted jumps, it was time for milk and books. Then Sophia was off to bed. I have to get back to practicing my Bodyflow. I am thrilled that tomorrow is going to be 70 degrees outside. Happy Monday to you!

Weekend Recap

We have had a very busy weekend. On Friday, Sophia went trick-or-treating with all of her friends at Corey's house. Corey did a great job of getting all of the kids dressed and putting together their treat bags. Then Nana went to pick Sophia up from Corey's house and brought her back to their house. I met them and Sophia went trick-or-treating there.

After trick-or-treating at Papa and Nana's house we went home to our house to have some dinner. I brought home two little pumpkins for Sophia from school which she enjoyed very much!
Sophia had some dinner and then opened her Halloween cards. She loved that she coul do it all by herself.

Then we got ready to head outside. Hal took Sophia to two houses on our street and then I took her around to the rest. She had such a great time going to all of the houses and seeing all the kids. Our new neighborhood has TONS of kids!! Here are some pictures from trick-or-treating.

Sophia dressed up as a monkey before trick-or-treating on our front steps.

Photo Op with Mommy

Finding a pumpkin along the trick-or-treat journey

After we got home Sophia dumped her treat bag out on the carpet to check out what she got. I was amazed at all the great candy she got. I told her she could pick one treat. She chose a sucker.

Then it was off to bed for her. She was quite tired as I don't think she had a nap at all on Friday.

Saturday we got up bright and early for Gopher Homecoming. We had a wonderful time. First we went to the IT Alumni Breakfast.

After we had breakfst, we headed outside for the homecoming parade. Sophia had a great time watching everything go by.

Along the parade route we ran into a huge Gopher and the clan from the Winter Carnival.

Hal and Sophia in front of one of the parade floats

Sophia's second time meeting a Vulcan

We walked around campus for a bit and went to the bookstore. Then we headed out. We stopped at Macy's on the way home to look for a sectional and found one that we loved. So we got it. It is going to be delievered on Saturday. We're quite thrilled.

After that, we got home, had a quick lunch, and then headed to the Mall of America. I had to go and pick up Sophia's Christmas dress. She found a cute hat at Nordstroms that she just loved. It had a puppy face on it. We bypassed the hat as she already has one and moved on. In the mall, they were giving out free bags of chips. Sophia decided she wanted to try them. They are Ketchup flavored chips by Old Dutch. Last weekend Hal and I were daring each other to eat one as they also gave them away at the Monster Dash. Well needless to say, we didn't eat them, but Sophia loved them!

Sophia and the ketchup chips

We finished up at the mall and then headed home so Sophia could have a nap. She ended up sleeping in the car and didn't want to go down when we got home. So we played toys for a bit together. Then we went downtown St. Paul for our second Gopher encounter. The hockey team was playing at the Excel Center. We went to Great Waters Brewing Company for dinner. Sophia had mini corn dogs which she loved. Hal had a spicy cajun burger which he said was super spicy. It must have been because he can really tolerate the spice. I had a portabella sandwich that was amazing. We both agreed that we really love having dinner there. The food is just wonderful!

Then we went home and got ready for bed. We were all tired from a long day. This morning Sophia got up bright and early. Apparently nobody told her that we got an extra hour of sleep. So we were all up quite early. We played toys and colored pictures. Then I got to go to the Community Center to run. When I got back, Sophia and I read books. We all got ready for the day and headed our sepearte ways. Sophia and I ran some errands and Hal went to watch the football game. What a busy weekend! More later if time allows.....