"What happening? Wesley hit Sophie toe. Sophie started to cry. Boo boo. Ice-pack."
Our daughter just told us a story.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Narrative or complaint?
As part of data collection for research, I go into schools and ask young children to tell me stories. And I always tell them, "Remember, a story has a beginning, a middle, and an end." Basically, we want them to be able to create a narrative that has an introduction, an exposition, and a conclusion. Today, in the middle of bath, out of nowhere, Sophie said to us,
"What happening? Wesley hit Sophie toe. Sophie started to cry. Boo boo. Ice-pack."
Our daughter just told us a story.
"What happening? Wesley hit Sophie toe. Sophie started to cry. Boo boo. Ice-pack."
Our daughter just told us a story.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tartine
It's been a little over a year since our summer-long sojourn in the Bay Area, and till today, we talk about our time there fondly and longingly. And one of the reasons for this was just simply some of the most wonderfully interesting and just downright delicious food we've ever had the privilege to try. From ramen to ice-cream, oysters to sausages, nothing we ate in that three months disappointed us. But one of the things that lingers most vividly in our memories is Tartine Bakery. Oh yes, the Tartine of luscious pastries and earthy breads- how I miss you...
So Jude came back from a short trip to the Bay Area on Friday, and boy did he come back bearing sweet gifts for both Sophie and I. For the little one, he bought a fairy garland dress-up set from Paxton Gate in the Mission District (the moment Sophie puts it on, she starts pretending to fly- it's quite delightful...) But while it's really adorable and Sophie does love her gift a whole lot, I think I'm the one who's more spoiled by my gifts- Tartine Bread and four pastries lovingly smuggled in his suitcase across 2000 miles. Like I told Jude as a bit into the Frangipane and Berry Tart, nothing that has traveled that distance should still taste this good... And don't even get me started on the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart.
But it's the book that has gotten my heart all aflutter. It's not a recipe book- it's a bread bible, a Tartine bible if you will. You will not find exact formulae in here- but what you will find is a love story written by a man about how he came about making the perfect loaf of bread. It's about the most elemental and visceral aspects of making bread- the yeast cultures, fermentation, the kneading, etc. There's nothing frou-frou or pretty about breadmaking per se, but the black and white photos-- all taken while flooded in natural light-- make it seem like the most alluring process in the whole world. Reading through the book, I can almost imagine the smells of the bread wafting right through to me (yes, "smells", plural- if you get good bread, the croute, in French-- or crust-- smells different from the inside-- the soft mie or crumb).
I've been slowly savoring the book- reading about the painstaking journey towards that perfect baguette or that country loaf, and am looking forward to the later chapters of the book that features a few recipes for sandwiches and other uses for bread (croutons, bread soups, involtini, etc.). I will probably never make every single thing-- bread or otherwise-- or even a quarter of the things highlighted in this book, but for now, I'm loving the memories it's bringing back and the love it's reviving in me for a simple, soulful loaf of Tartine bread.
So Jude came back from a short trip to the Bay Area on Friday, and boy did he come back bearing sweet gifts for both Sophie and I. For the little one, he bought a fairy garland dress-up set from Paxton Gate in the Mission District (the moment Sophie puts it on, she starts pretending to fly- it's quite delightful...) But while it's really adorable and Sophie does love her gift a whole lot, I think I'm the one who's more spoiled by my gifts- Tartine Bread and four pastries lovingly smuggled in his suitcase across 2000 miles. Like I told Jude as a bit into the Frangipane and Berry Tart, nothing that has traveled that distance should still taste this good... And don't even get me started on the Chocolate Hazelnut Tart.
But it's the book that has gotten my heart all aflutter. It's not a recipe book- it's a bread bible, a Tartine bible if you will. You will not find exact formulae in here- but what you will find is a love story written by a man about how he came about making the perfect loaf of bread. It's about the most elemental and visceral aspects of making bread- the yeast cultures, fermentation, the kneading, etc. There's nothing frou-frou or pretty about breadmaking per se, but the black and white photos-- all taken while flooded in natural light-- make it seem like the most alluring process in the whole world. Reading through the book, I can almost imagine the smells of the bread wafting right through to me (yes, "smells", plural- if you get good bread, the croute, in French-- or crust-- smells different from the inside-- the soft mie or crumb).
I've been slowly savoring the book- reading about the painstaking journey towards that perfect baguette or that country loaf, and am looking forward to the later chapters of the book that features a few recipes for sandwiches and other uses for bread (croutons, bread soups, involtini, etc.). I will probably never make every single thing-- bread or otherwise-- or even a quarter of the things highlighted in this book, but for now, I'm loving the memories it's bringing back and the love it's reviving in me for a simple, soulful loaf of Tartine bread.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Is your tummy noisy?
Sophie only took a 15 minute nap at daycare yesterday. Yes, you read that right, 15 minutes. When she usually takes a solid 2 hours... She's not ill (maybe a bit of a sniffly nose) so no one knows why she just refused to sleep. She was in a great mood when I picked her up though, so I don't think anything's wrong with her. But a minuscule nap meant I had to give her dinner the moment we got home so we could start her bedtime routine early and bundle her into bed before she would lose it and go all Tasmanian Devil on me. We usually do dinner between 6.30 and 7.00 but she scarfed down her porridge at 5.45, was in the bath-tub by 6.15, and in her jammies, on our bed with a sippy cup of milk and Corduroy by 6.30.
As expected, she was really sleepy and was starting to get cranky. And because of that, she actually had a hard time falling asleep (I know, it's counter-intuitive, but many children fall asleep better and faster when they're not overtired)- I had to read How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight twice and sing "You Are My Sunshine" on loop for at least 20 minutes before she fell asleep soundly.
As expected, she was really sleepy and was starting to get cranky. And because of that, she actually had a hard time falling asleep (I know, it's counter-intuitive, but many children fall asleep better and faster when they're not overtired)- I had to read How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight twice and sing "You Are My Sunshine" on loop for at least 20 minutes before she fell asleep soundly.
And Sophie slept right through- 12 hours straight. Not a squeak from her till 7.30 this morning when she woke up howling, "Water! I want water!" When I went in with her sippy cup of milk, she looked up at me, patted her stomach, and said,
Sophie: Tummy noisy, Mama. Tummy, tummy...
Me: Are you hungry, Sophie?
Sophie: Yes. Cheerios? I want the Cheerios. I want the crackers too. Please, Mama?
And that is why, if you had walked into our bedroom at 7.30 this morning, you'd have found Sophie and I sitting on the bed in our pajamas, not having brushed our teeth or washed our faces, listening to the Sesame Street station on Pandora, with Sophie plowing through half a dozen crackers and a pile of Cheerios...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Backseat driver
It's been tricky business driving with Sophie in the car these days. Don't get me wrong, she's the model passenger- she never makes "helpful" comments about my driving skills, she doesn't tell me which route she prefers to take, and she always keeps her hands inside the moving vehicle (being strapped into a car seat helps..). What makes driving difficult with her around is how hard she's been making me laugh with the things she says. It's not that they're particularly funny, but taken in the context of when and how she's saying them, plus the realization that she's picking up so much language just from listening to us, it's just been sheer delight!
[To everyone whizzing by us in their bike, whether or not they're wearing a helmet] Where's your helmet?!!
Firetruck, you hungry? Want some bunny crackers? It's tasty!
It's windy, Mama. Trees waving at Sophie.
Where's sun hiding? There he is! Hiding the clouds.
This our car. Our car is good.
Mama no criss-cross applesauce. Mama is driving.
[To joggers she happens to see along the sidewalk] Have a good jogging!
And my favorite thus far:
[As we turned into our parking lot and I told her we had arrived home] Good job, Mama! Good job!
Of course, in 12 years (or less) when she's burning through her college tuition in phone bills (or whatever form of communication her father and I are going to have to pay for), someone reading this right now will surely remind me that there once was a time when I was proud of and celebrated her chattiness...
[To everyone whizzing by us in their bike, whether or not they're wearing a helmet] Where's your helmet?!!
Firetruck, you hungry? Want some bunny crackers? It's tasty!
It's windy, Mama. Trees waving at Sophie.
Where's sun hiding? There he is! Hiding the clouds.
This our car. Our car is good.
Mama no criss-cross applesauce. Mama is driving.
[To joggers she happens to see along the sidewalk] Have a good jogging!
And my favorite thus far:
[As we turned into our parking lot and I told her we had arrived home] Good job, Mama! Good job!
Of course, in 12 years (or less) when she's burning through her college tuition in phone bills (or whatever form of communication her father and I are going to have to pay for), someone reading this right now will surely remind me that there once was a time when I was proud of and celebrated her chattiness...
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
What $25 buys
8 cups of Tall iced vanilla latte at Starbucks
2 movie tickets (weekend) and a medium Coke
1 (yes, one, as in half a pair) Toms Red Classics
This skirt
A hunk of fancy cheese and some organic strawberries at Whole Foods
The complete second (and best) season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2 priceless hours of fun at the Ann Arbor Summer Carnival where your daughter-- you may call her Sophie the Fearless-- went on several rides by herself, including one which involved being in an elevated "helicopter" the whole time. Did I mention that she took that ride THREE times? By herself? Alone? You could not find a happier kid at the carnival that day :)
1. Yes, it went up that high..., 2. She was so excited to be riding by herself, 3. Jumping Jumbos, 4. First ride by herself
2 movie tickets (weekend) and a medium Coke
1 (yes, one, as in half a pair) Toms Red Classics
This skirt
A hunk of fancy cheese and some organic strawberries at Whole Foods
The complete second (and best) season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
2 priceless hours of fun at the Ann Arbor Summer Carnival where your daughter-- you may call her Sophie the Fearless-- went on several rides by herself, including one which involved being in an elevated "helicopter" the whole time. Did I mention that she took that ride THREE times? By herself? Alone? You could not find a happier kid at the carnival that day :)
1. Yes, it went up that high..., 2. She was so excited to be riding by herself, 3. Jumping Jumbos, 4. First ride by herself
Friday, July 08, 2011
What happens in 23 months
Sophie turns 2 in a month.
For some perspective, here's the first video we ever took of her, barely a week after she was born:
And here, countless photos and videos later, is Sophie last week, dancing at Top of the Park:
How did that happen??
For some perspective, here's the first video we ever took of her, barely a week after she was born:
And here, countless photos and videos later, is Sophie last week, dancing at Top of the Park:
How did that happen??
Monday, July 04, 2011
Thankfully, not too hair-rowing
After almost 23 months, Sophie has gotten her first haircut. Even though she was born with a full head of hair (see here), by the time she was 3 months old or so, she had barely much to speak of (see here). Even after she turned one, we put hair clips in her hair more as an accessory than for any real functional purpose. So for a long time, we've never had to think about cutting her hair. Until lately that is. In the last month or so, Sophie's hair has really been in a perpetual state of "look-I-just-rolled-out-of-bed" (and you should see her when she really just rolled out of bed...)- sticking out every which way, long at all the wrong places, and wisps getting in her eye even with a hair clip holding her side bangs aside. And with the weather getting increasingly warmer, the long-ish ends at her nape were starting to annoy her.
And so, armed with a glowing recommendation from our dear friend, Amy, we headed off to Larry at A2 O'Hair for Sophie's first hair cut. He was WONDERFUL. He's been cutting kids' hair for years and knows exactly how to deal with squirmy little ones. Even though I was holding Sophie in my lap, she didn't quite always keep her head still. But Larry was like a ninja (or a really light-footed boxer), skipping around and snipping skillfully and effortlessly. At the end of it, even though it wasn't like he took a lot off, he did enough in all the right places. The huge plus: he refused to charge us for the hair cut! Because it was Sophie's first :) Such a sweet, sweet man!
And so, armed with a glowing recommendation from our dear friend, Amy, we headed off to Larry at A2 O'Hair for Sophie's first hair cut. He was WONDERFUL. He's been cutting kids' hair for years and knows exactly how to deal with squirmy little ones. Even though I was holding Sophie in my lap, she didn't quite always keep her head still. But Larry was like a ninja (or a really light-footed boxer), skipping around and snipping skillfully and effortlessly. At the end of it, even though it wasn't like he took a lot off, he did enough in all the right places. The huge plus: he refused to charge us for the hair cut! Because it was Sophie's first :) Such a sweet, sweet man!
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Watch out world...
Sophie wants a bicycle for her birthday. Actually, she's more interested in the helmet and just mentions the bicycle because she figures they come together.
[Trying on bikes and helmets at REI]
She would have rode out onto the street if she could actually move with the bike on her own....
[Trying on bikes and helmets at REI]
She would have rode out onto the street if she could actually move with the bike on her own....
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Sophie = Madeline?
Sophie's new favorite book these days is Madeline, both the original story and Madeline's Rescue, all about the courageous pooch, Genevieve. She loves Madeline not just for her daring escapades on the bridge or for her bad-ass appendix scar; there's another big reason why Sophie loves Madeline- she anticipates the one moment throughout the entire story, barely containing her excitement as the twelve little girls ice-skate all over the preceding page...
To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said , “Pooh-pooh.”
Sophie almost always erupts into a giggling fit, breathlessly begging “again, AGAIN!!”
I'd like for Sophie to have Madeline's sass and gumption. Just none of the whole falling off the bridge and into the river thing please...
To the tiger in the zoo, Madeline just said , “Pooh-pooh.”
Sophie almost always erupts into a giggling fit, breathlessly begging “again, AGAIN!!”
[Being goofy at Top of the Park]
I'd like for Sophie to have Madeline's sass and gumption. Just none of the whole falling off the bridge and into the river thing please...
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Random Daily Daycare Report #14
More photos here and here.
Sophie had a really busy and fun day. This morning. she *loved* painting with fly swatters and making the paint splatter everywhere :) Sophie also did a great job with a fire drill this morning. She didn't get upset at the loud noise and marched right out to the preschool fence with her class. She's happy for any excuse to go to the Preschool playground :) Have a good weekend!
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
"Oh elephaaaaant!"
Sophie's been singing a lot lately. A lot. And anywhere and everywhere- in the car, in the shopping cart, in the middle of dinner, brushing her teeth (yes...), as she's falling asleep, etc. Sometimes it's because I start singing and she sings along but lately, it's more her bursting into a spontaneous tune, and into songs I had no idea she knows.
Like this weekend- we had just driven by the fire station near our house (it doesn't matter where we're driving to or coming back from- we *have* to drive by the fire station each time) and were doing this thing where we pretend to look for different vehicles. I didn't want Jude to miss it and took out my phone thinking I'd just be capturing her playing the game. Then out of no where, Sophie's starts singing her version of "Three Elephants Went Out to Play". They probably sing it a lot in school but I had no clue. Which is why I was so tickled! I'm also floored by the fact that it comes with hand gestures and varying pitch :)
[It's a little soft at parts so here's a rough transcript]
Sophie: Car, where are you? Looking for you...
Me: Who's looking for you?
Sophie: Firetruck looking to you.
Me: Is Sophie looking...
Sophie: Oh elephaaaaant... here he comes, here he comes. Shhh... Listen.
Me: Listen. What?
Sophie: Here he comes!!
Me: Here he comes!!
Sophie: Three elephants went out to play. On a sunny day... Oh elephaaaaant... Here he comes.
Me: Here he comes.
Sophie: Shhh.... Excited. Listen.
Me: Excited. Five elephants went out to...
Sophie: Play. Shhh... Here he comes.
Me: Here he comes.
Sophie: [beautiful smile]
I hope this makes your day, because two days later, it's still making mine :)
Like this weekend- we had just driven by the fire station near our house (it doesn't matter where we're driving to or coming back from- we *have* to drive by the fire station each time) and were doing this thing where we pretend to look for different vehicles. I didn't want Jude to miss it and took out my phone thinking I'd just be capturing her playing the game. Then out of no where, Sophie's starts singing her version of "Three Elephants Went Out to Play". They probably sing it a lot in school but I had no clue. Which is why I was so tickled! I'm also floored by the fact that it comes with hand gestures and varying pitch :)
[It's a little soft at parts so here's a rough transcript]
Sophie: Car, where are you? Looking for you...
Me: Who's looking for you?
Sophie: Firetruck looking to you.
Me: Is Sophie looking...
Sophie: Oh elephaaaaant... here he comes, here he comes. Shhh... Listen.
Me: Listen. What?
Sophie: Here he comes!!
Me: Here he comes!!
Sophie: Three elephants went out to play. On a sunny day... Oh elephaaaaant... Here he comes.
Me: Here he comes.
Sophie: Shhh.... Excited. Listen.
Me: Excited. Five elephants went out to...
Sophie: Play. Shhh... Here he comes.
Me: Here he comes.
Sophie: [beautiful smile]
I hope this makes your day, because two days later, it's still making mine :)
Sunday, June 12, 2011
C is for cookie
Sophie has finally had her first cookie :) Giving her any kind of baked goods has always been tricky because of the whole milk/eggs/butter business and she didn't even like the vegan cupcake we got her for her birthday last year. It's not something essential to her diet and she never asks for it, and so we don't feel like we need to push this one. I gave her a slice of zucchini bread a couple of weeks ago and she liked it well enough that I felt inspired to find a good recipe (this one comes highly recommended), but apart from that, she's been perfectly happy with her huge snack trove of crackers, pretzel sticks, rice crackers, fruit, and cereal.
But after swim class today, as we wandered around Mark's Carts like we always do, we thought it might be nice to get Sophie a cookie from The Lunch Room, a vegan food cart that we've heard really good things about. That everything is completely vegan meant we didn't have to worry about possible traces of egg or butter in things or cross-contamination even when some non-vegan vendors claim things are dairy-free. We chose a classic chocolate chip cookie-- I mean, if it's going to be her first cookie, why settle for anything less?
Her first bites were a little tentative, like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the texture.
But a couple of bites later, it was like she's been eating cookies all her life:
In the words of our friend, Jenn, it was like she's was drunk on cookie!
You can't really tell, but the cookie was literally the size of Sophie's face, if not larger, and our daughter obliterated it entirely by herself in under 10 minutes. If not for the fact that a crumb fell on my lap, I don't think either Jude or I would have managed to snatch a taste. It was really quite yummy- a little chewy like a oatmeal cookie with a nice molasses flavor. It didn't taste vegan at all and I wasn't surprised that Sophie demolished the whole thing in one sitting (and still had room for her usual post-swim soy hot chocolate after. And all this BEFORE lunch...). Since Sophie took to the cookie so well, I asked Phillis, the owner if they made cakes or cupcakes in anticipation of Sophie's birthday in August. They haven't officially sold any other baked goods apart from cookies and gingersnaps but they have been planning on putting cupcakes on the menu for a while so that's something she can definitely help us with! Yay!
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Happy birthday, Dada!
It's hard that we're not celebrating your birthday with you but it helps to know that you'll be back tomorrow! We miss you and love you!
Random Daily Daycare Report #13
1. How much fun do you reckon our little water bug is having?, 2. Just letting the water shoot up her back ;), 3. Sitting "on" the sprinkler, 4. Sprinklers rock!
Sophie had so much fun doing water play today. She walked over and stuck her hand right on top of the sprinkler and got herself soaked! And that she decided it would be even more effective if she just sat on the sprinkler :) Such a clever girl. Then, of course, she went directly to the sand box afterwards.
Sunday, June 05, 2011
How to end a vacation
I saw a dolphin today. Leaping out of the sea.
At sunset.
It was beautiful. And special. And I love that I got to share that moment with Jude and Sophie.
Saturday, June 04, 2011
Thursday, June 02, 2011
"Sophie airplane... excited!"
If you ask Sophie, she'll tell you that we'll be spending the next four days on an airplane. Flapping our wings. And flying. That's what she thinks "going on vacation" means. It's hard to explain a holiday to a 22-month old, what with all the packing, and going to the airport, and air travel and hotel and stuff. So we just told her we're going on an airplane. And so that's what she thinks we're going to be doing. For four whole days.
We'll actually be on Captiva Island in Florida. Jude has a conference there starting Monday and we thought it'll be nice for Sophie and I to tag along for a short family vacation before that. We'll be staying at the South Seas Island Resort which from what I gather is one of those self-contained vacation locations where you pretty much do everything onsite- beach access, multiple pools, biking tracks, boat tours, kayaking, and all manner of kids activities.
I'm actually really looking forward to this break- to just relax and take things slow and easy. No itinerary, no schedule- just us, the sun, sea, and sand. I love visiting cities-- San Francisco, Chicago-- but this time, I'm ready for something less intense. I just want to hang out lazily by the beach or pool all day, play with Sophie to her little heart's content (I think she has grand sandcastle plans a.k.a Olivia...), unwind in a pretty hotel room, take a nap whenever she naps, and maybe squeeze in a couple of umbrella drinks or two ;)
We'll actually be on Captiva Island in Florida. Jude has a conference there starting Monday and we thought it'll be nice for Sophie and I to tag along for a short family vacation before that. We'll be staying at the South Seas Island Resort which from what I gather is one of those self-contained vacation locations where you pretty much do everything onsite- beach access, multiple pools, biking tracks, boat tours, kayaking, and all manner of kids activities.
I'm actually really looking forward to this break- to just relax and take things slow and easy. No itinerary, no schedule- just us, the sun, sea, and sand. I love visiting cities-- San Francisco, Chicago-- but this time, I'm ready for something less intense. I just want to hang out lazily by the beach or pool all day, play with Sophie to her little heart's content (I think she has grand sandcastle plans a.k.a Olivia...), unwind in a pretty hotel room, take a nap whenever she naps, and maybe squeeze in a couple of umbrella drinks or two ;)
I also think it might be the first vacation that will make any kind of impression on Sophie. I don't think she remembers much of our summer in the Bay Area or Christmas in Chicago with my family, but I suspect this trip might stick with her for a little while just because in the last few months, she's been really thriving on and blossoming from all the things she's been seeing, hearing, and experiencing. It's like she's going through some kind of exquisite cognitive explosion and we can't wait to see what she'll pick up over the next four days :)
Wednesday, June 01, 2011
I don't always have to smell nice
As I was singing to Sophie before she fell asleep tonight, she half-sleepily looked up at me and said, “Mama smell nice… Mama pretty.” And I viscerally felt my heart clench a little. Like I literally felt the muscle tighten. It had nothing to do with the fact that our daughter had just paid me a compliment- I don’t even think she knows what it means to be pretty (she learned it from Jude who taught her to say the word whenever he points to a photo of me in our living room); it was more about how adoring she is now of me, and of Jude. At this moment in her life, we are perfect in her eyes- we smell nice, we look good ('nice' and ‘good’ as defined by a 21-month old whose daily wardrobe invariably includes some kind of food stain, spilled juice, and sand), and we do things she wishes she can do- drive, climb down the bed without holding someone’s hand, eat cheese. As far as Sophie is concerned, her parents can do no wrong. To her, we rock.
And it scares me.
It scares me that I’m the model to which another person is looking for how to be a good and decent human being. My every word and action has the power to influence the kind of person into whom she will grow. I must embody all the virtues and characteristics I want her to inherit- compassion, grace, fortitude, wit, gumption, tenacity, love. I want to be perfect. For her.
But at the same time, I don’t want her to think of her parents as infallible. I want to show her that it’s okay not to be awesome all the time, to learn how to fail gracefully and fabulously and to learn from that failure. Sophie should know that her parents aren’t perfect- they get impatient with people who annoy them, they’re not always gracious about losing, and they procrastinate. But then sometimes, it’s our imperfections that make us us. Our quirks are what make us special. And beautiful. She must also realize that to be a good kind soul doesn’t mean smelling and looking good all the time.
I'm not sure what the point of this post is- I guess I want to give these thoughts some form or another for the year 2022. That’s the year Sophie will turn thirteen and undoubtedly go through a sullen, belligerent phase (it *will* just be a phase!). She will, at that stage in her life, invariably think her parents are about as awesome as gnats. Then, I’ll look at this and remember that yes, we really were once the center of her world and that no, I didn’t make it all up.
I'm stealing this from Jude’s Facebook, which brilliantly captures the essence of this all:
And it scares me.
It scares me that I’m the model to which another person is looking for how to be a good and decent human being. My every word and action has the power to influence the kind of person into whom she will grow. I must embody all the virtues and characteristics I want her to inherit- compassion, grace, fortitude, wit, gumption, tenacity, love. I want to be perfect. For her.
But at the same time, I don’t want her to think of her parents as infallible. I want to show her that it’s okay not to be awesome all the time, to learn how to fail gracefully and fabulously and to learn from that failure. Sophie should know that her parents aren’t perfect- they get impatient with people who annoy them, they’re not always gracious about losing, and they procrastinate. But then sometimes, it’s our imperfections that make us us. Our quirks are what make us special. And beautiful. She must also realize that to be a good kind soul doesn’t mean smelling and looking good all the time.
I'm not sure what the point of this post is- I guess I want to give these thoughts some form or another for the year 2022. That’s the year Sophie will turn thirteen and undoubtedly go through a sullen, belligerent phase (it *will* just be a phase!). She will, at that stage in her life, invariably think her parents are about as awesome as gnats. Then, I’ll look at this and remember that yes, we really were once the center of her world and that no, I didn’t make it all up.
I'm stealing this from Jude’s Facebook, which brilliantly captures the essence of this all:
And, although I’m confident that I will always think my daughter is The Greatest Thing in the Universe, I’m also all too aware that this feeling will not always be reciprocated in quite that same way or with quite that same enthusiasm that we both enjoy right now.
She won’t always run to my bed in footie jammies.
I’ll only get that particularly noisy and personalized wake-up call for a little while. And, I only get a shot at it once a day. At almost exactly 6:00 AM Pacific Time.
Then one day? I won’t get it any more. It will be gone.
- Merlin Mann
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