Words and Looking for Response

Here's the scene this morning:

Erick had been getting ready for work, and Sophia was very grumpy about the whole idea. When it was time for him to leave, Sophia threw herself on the couch with her face in the pillow. Erick said his goodbyes, gave her a kiss and left for the day.

When he was gone and Sophia was still grumping around, I asked if she was sad. "Yes, I'm sad because Daddy went to work." I told her that it made Daddy sad to go to work too. She said, "No he wasn't." I asked why she thought he wasn't sad. "He didn't look sad."

Now, I know Erick was sad because I saw the tears forming in his eyes this morning. Sophia didn't see because her face was buried in the pillow. At first, I thought this would be a blog about how children still use their entire countenance and body to express emotions, but then I realized that she COULD have seen Erick's sadness if she had been looking. Because he didn't throw himself on the couch and bury his face, she was sure he wasn't sad.

This is a lesson that has always been difficult for me to learn. Just because other people don't express their emotions in the exact same way I do, does not mean they are not experiencing them at the same level.

Revisiting the Topic

One of the things that is more challenging to talk about in the discussion of grief is the way in which our lives change for the better in some way, shape or form. Sometimes this isn't true, but other times it is true. It's painful, but then again I don't want to miss the good things in life just because they were brought about by sadness.

Anyway, a few weeks ago when I started to realize how things are different than we planned, I couldn't help but detest the new conveniences of our lives that wouldn't be true if things had gone differently.

So here are a few things that I hated (and am working on being grateful for).

-In July, we're going to Orlando for vacation in a year that was supposed to be travel-free to save up for the coming baby.

-I don't feel the need to rush Sophia into potty training.

-Or getting into a big girl bed.

-We'll be much more financially prepared to have a second when the time comes.

-I can enjoy adult beverages and hot tubs this summer.

-I won't be swollen (literally) to twice my normal size by September.

-I can exercise all I want and get a better swimsuit body (I'm not really taking advantage of this one, though)

There are more, but you get the point. These are all things that I am grateful for, but the alternative would have been exponentially more to my liking.

Two for the Show

Sophia had a lot of stories and creative quotes today, but these are the two that stand out.

To our neighbor Aaron (the doctor not the nephew) completely out of the blue: My daddy is bigger than you.

Tonight while I was tickling her with cheek kisses: These kisses are awesome!

My Lovely Days

Sophia and I are having some lovely days. We are really spending a lot of time at home now that we can go outside so often. She would rather be outside at our house than waste time in the van going somewhere.

Here is a record of one of our afternoons together.

She likes to tell stories


A guy came out of the guy next door. Here she is trying to grab his attention.



Then a little relaxation in the grass caps off our afternoon just before Erick gets home.

Cracking me up

Here are some crazy and funny things that Sophia has had to say - - this week. I've decided I really need to be better about writing this stuff down because honestly, Sophia is hilarious! She is getting close to passing me as the funniest member of this family. That's saying a lot.

After taking Tylenol: "That drink was my dessert."

While jumping alone on the couch: "Note to self: Bad idea." (Still not sure what the bad idea was)

In Wal-Mart after seeing the same man in two consecutive aisles: "Yikes! He's following us!"

After shopping in the toy department: "See, that wasn't so bad." (This is what I tell her after grocery shopping.)

When Sophia insisted that Daddy was her husband too, I asked her what she thought a husband was. "A lot like a boy, I think."

While I change a poopy diaper: "I don't usually eat poop." (But sometimes?)


I'll let you know if I can think of any more.

Love this Day

Mother's Day might just be the best day of the year. Most of all, I get to celebrate being a mom to this kid:

It's a day set aside to celebrate women who have had babies. I happen to love my baby, and I just love my job. I hang out with and help the coolest kid I know develop her already incredible personality.

Also, on Mother's Day, I get to relax and let Erick change the poopy diapers. He does that a lot on weekends anyway, but on Mommy's Day, he doesn't even look to see if I'll get it first! What is not to love about this day?!

Happy Mother's Day!

National Day of Prayer

I have noticed today that many conservative Christians are upset by President Obama's decision not to hold a public National Day of Prayer event.

I am just interested if anyone here has thoughts about that particular situation. Is your opinion affected by Jesus' instructions in Matthew: 5 "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

I find it refreshing to see a leader who views his faith as something personal and chooses not to exploit it for political purposes. He could have scored some points today, but he chose integrity. That's my opinion.

Happy May Fifth!

Packed Visit

Sophia does not sleep well at other people's houses. This is a fact that we fight, but we have come to accept it. For that reason, we have to stick to a one night rule pretty much everywhere. We have a 3-night vacation scheduled in July, and we're already dreading the lack of sleep.

Anyway, after work Friday, we drove down to Springfield to spend the night with my parents. Sophia reminded us that we're doing the right thing because during the night she slept very little but needed much interaction.

Our visit to Silver Dollar City in the morning remained a good one in spite of the odds. We had low temps and rain, but we were prepared. Here is Sophia in her rain jacket, with her kitty umbrella . . . and sunglasses. I can only assume it was a hopeful spirit that called for the shades.



Sophia actually prefers the rain. She is obsessed with splashing in puddles.



During our visit to SDC, we enjoyed a couple of rides and took in the Irish dancing show, as this was the last weekend of the International Festival. Sophia was very impressed with the dancers and would love to show you her version. Maybe I'll get it on video some time soon. Here she is with two of the dancers after the show.



After Branson, we went to Springfield Brewing Company. We ate a great meal and enjoyed a few rounds of pool. Here she is getting tips at the beginning.



Then we realized she was playing us. Sophia is a shark.