Candy? You haves candy? My likes candy!!

So we went trick or treating for the first time this evening.

This consisted of Sophie clinging fervently to us and attempting to burrow her head into our armpits while we knocked on about five doors.

Her mother tried valiantly to break her of her habit of appending "smell my feet" to the end of "trick or treat". We think she picked it up from a book. She's pretty sure it's indispensable.

Our next door neighbors gave her some M&Ms. The French family upstairs gave her some Sweet Tarts and wished her a good evening. The woman in the other apartment upstairs didn't answer her door (but we could see her through the window). The Middle Eastern woman on the third floor looked embarrassed. "Oh!" she said. "I guess it is a trick!" The Korean family gave her a lollipop and encouraged her to take more.

"What do you say?" we asked her when the door opened.

"drik-dreat" said a muffled little voice.

"What do you say?" we asked her when she'd gotten her loot.

"smell-feet"

"Maybe this is the last door" we told the back of Sophie's head (her face being firmly planted in my shoulder).

As we walked further from the scary doors, Sophie became increasingly vocal.

"My have lollipop, Daddy! My like lollipop!"

Her also like M&M's. Her have a bit of a sugar rush.

(She greeted me with great enthusiasm after my candy run to the store: "My Daddy bring more candy?!!!!!!")

Dream Girl

When do people start to dream? And what do infant dreams look like?

I don't know, but when I went in to wake Sophie from her nap, she blinked, looked at me and then sat straight up.

"You have gloves, an' eggs and dis slippery!" she said excitedly.

"Did you have a dream?" I asked her.

"Nyesssss!!!" she said.

Little Miss Modesty

Today at the store I took Sophie to go to the bathroom.

Sitting on the pot, with me holding her up so that she wouldn't fall in, she all of a sudden told me:

"Don't see, Daddy! Don't see!"

Fast days, slow days

Following the advice of Super Nanny, we created a calendar for Sophie so that she knows if it is a fast day--one where we get up quickly and get going to school/work--or a slow day--one where we can sleep in languorously and take our time. This morning was a fast day. When I woke Sophie up, I told her we had to get going, telling her it was a fast day. She told me, noooo, it was Thursday (meaning a slow day) and smiled. Unbeknownst to me, she's sort of figured out the days of the week and has a sense of humor too.

halloween

eating mango

Where's my two year old going?

Sophie's leaving infancy quickly. She's got the potty down, she's talking, making jokes, and understands (and pushes back at) limits we impose on on her. Her play is more creative and purposeful. As she enters this new stage, she's becoming a much more fascinating individual. I must say, this has been the most fun so far.

Eating my dinner

Tonight, Sophie´s grandpa came to visit. At dinner, I ordered the salmon and a grilled cheese sandwich for Sophie. She didn't care much for her sandwich, but she loved my salmon. She ate about three-fourths of it. Since she doesn't ever eat much, I was happy to see her eat; however, I kinda wanted that salmon.

This isn't the first time these kind of preferences have emerged presenting something of a conundrum when eating out. Do you pay for the inexpensive kid's cheese sandwich that she doesn't eat or do you pay for the overpriced salmon that she'll gobble down?

Somewhat worried

or udderly disgusted.

This was several days ago now.

Sophie was looking at a picture of a cow. I pointed at its udder and said: "That's where the milk comes out."

Sophie looked at me. Worriedly.

"Dat cow's bum," she said.

"No, no, that's her bum, and that's her udder."

That exchange was repeated a few times. Sophie seemed unconvinced.

"Dis no bum?"

She wandered off, vaguely distracted. Pensive.

Baby Monkey

At the zoo there was a gorilla enclosure.

In the gorilla enclosure there were gorillas.

On one gorilla's back (and on her lap and at her side) was a baby gorilla.

Sophie was enthralled.

She ran back and forth along with the other kids, tracking the movements of the baby. And when a keeper appeared to talk to the zoo visitors about gorillas, Sophie didn't hesitate but stepped right to the fore with her question.

"Why dis poop on floor?"

Daddy burped

and Sophie turned around: "I burp and I excuse me!"

Road Trip to DC

We took a trip up to DC for a few days. We hit the zoo and the Mall. At the zoo she liked the bronze statue of the pandas way more than the real deal. Perhaps her second favorite event was lunch at the zoo because she got a tiger bag which she proceeded to put on her head and declare, Cat in the hat.

The trip must have been a bit too much for Sophie. On the last day she fell asleep after the Natural Science Museum and most of the way back to the hotel and the five-hour car ride back home.

painting

The other weekend we took a road trip to Richmond to hang out with some friend. On the last day, we checked out the new children's museum branch. Sophie loved the painting. We'll be back again.

foot race

Here's is a video of the foot race where Sophie blew the competition off the line. She was so fast, the other girl was in shock by Sophie's puissance.

last day at the lake for the season