Tuesday, December 31, 2013

New Places; Old Friends

We three Creaches decided that staying home for too much of Sophia's break would be too uninteresting for us, so we decided to visit a new city and see some old friends.

We have some very good friends who moved to Indianapolis in 2012, and we had yet to visit them in their new home. We did not expect to enjoy Indianapolis itself quite as much as we did.

We stayed in the downtown Omni hotel, which is in a very cool area. Lots of interesting architecture and walkable restaurants. Exactly what I love. The Omni and several other hotels are all connected by a skywalk, similar to the one in Kansas City, with a great mall in the middle.

In said mall, there are the usual stores, cineplex, food court and such. There is also a huuuuge arcade. This arcade is the nemesis of parents of small children. Why? Because most of the walls are covered in prize-hoarding crane machines like this one.

Sophia had been looking through the whole mall for a stuffed animal that was wearing an Indianapolis-themed shirt. I really am not making that up. Imagine the mixed feelings Erick and I entertained when we spotted, at last, this machine full of bears wearing an "I" on their shirts...

Before we let her spend any of her (and our) money on this effort, I showed her the chair that she would sit in when she tried it three times without success. It would be her chair of sadness and disappointment. She understands, having tried unsuccessfully at these machines many times before, that her odds are very slim.

But she's an optimist.


She tried it once. With no success. She asked Erick to take over. Palms sweaty, the pressure building, he dropped a bear on the first try.

Last try they had. Sophia got behind me so she couldn't see. Erick and I were silent as the crane swung gently and carried the blue bear (Sophia's favorite color) ever nearer the drop point.

Then we hooted. And so did she...


That may have been a highlight of the trip, but we were also very impressed with the memorials that Indianapolis has downtown to their veterans. Sophia could not understand why we'd fight with Mexico, but she did like the memorial. And we were cold.



Somehow we were too busy with our friends to capture any pictures of them or us with them. Their kids are adorable. Their house is wonderful and spacious. We had lots of fun. But you'll have to take my word for it.

Here's proof, however, of the fun we had just the three of us.

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Holiday Heydays - by LJ

The night of Christmas is always bizarre. Is it just for me? It's just like the any other time that something you've waited and watched for comes to pass. It's a strange adjustment back to normal life. Not waiting. Just living. 

Christmas Eve, on the other hand, is my favorite night of the year. All that built up energy and excitement. Just ready to boil over. Santa to think of. Presents to wrap and present. 

Sophia put out Santa's snack in her cute little Christmas jammies. So excited to see what the morning might bring.



None of us were disappointed. I'm just posting this picture because he's so cute. The only thing Christmas brought him in this picture is the sweater. I love it. So cozy. It's going to be tempting to to commandeer it, but I won't.


We got Sophia this pogo stick. She said it was her favorite present, besides the doll bed that Santa brought her. I was happy that we had a reason to get outside on Christmas. After our nap, of course.


Another of her presents was a gift card to the American Girl store here in St. Louis. She has one American Girl doll and one Target version, but she has never been to the store. Her doll got a new hairdo. They have a salon. For the dolls.


That's just a smattering of what we have done so far this break. The majority of the rest of the time has been divided between seeing family and lying around in pjs. Happy holidays for us!!

Friday, December 20, 2013

The Snowboarding Adventure

It was fun to snowboard all day long.This
is me going down the hill. 

When you go down a hill  in order to go down a hill you have to keep a strong center of gravity.


It is hard to be cruising down a hill. But anybody can do it.


This is the ready position and sometime you get scared.



BY Sophia monroe creach

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Changes around here

As you can see below, Sophia is going to start adding some posts to this blog.

She wanted her own, but this is our compromise. This is a safe place for her to share some of her thoughts and stories. I won't let her post more than once a day. I am not going to edit her posts even a tiny bit, although of course I'll help her with posting pictures and such. As a precaution, I am going to disable comments on her posts.

We'll see how this experiment pans out. I have no doubt that it will be entertaining. At the very least, it will be writing and typing practice for the three days that she sticks with it...

the story of lulu

hi I am Lulu.Iam so   very glad I have a friend as sweet as sophia. She takes care of me and  best of  all  she loves me.Plus she feeds me.We have been best friends for as long as I can remember.And I have been with sophia for 7 yaers.And I celebrate all of the holidays with sophia's family.Sincerly Lulu. 

Jolly Old St. Nicholas

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

First Grade Basketball

There is something that I've been getting more and more okay with as the school year goes by. First graders just don't have the "Awww" factor that Kindergartners (and younger kids) do. Of course they're awesome. No debating that. They're learning and stretching their minds and their wills and doing incredible things! They're awe inspiring more than aww inspiring.

But here's the thing. Last night, Sophia went to her first basketball practice with her team of first grade girls. I have not seen this much cuteness in one room all year.

These girls are so excited! So serious. Determined. Happy. Attentive. They have such a desire to please, improve, excel and dribble that damn ball.

It was ADORABLE.

I just don't know how to describe these girls. Or explain why it was so cute. They're not even unskilled. They're just cute. Really, really cute.

Saturday, they're naming their team. That will be entertaining. Sophia's preference is the Dragons. Why? I don't know.

Plus, she seems pretty pumped about having a "coach." Of course she loves having a new adult in her life. When we got home, "Should I call him 'Coach,' or should I call him by his name?"