** how we live on earth and what other things live on earth
** what our cars drive on or don’t–like dirt, grass, the road, sidewalks,etc.
** upon observing cows and asking if one was a girl cow, “Yes”, how do you know? “because it has an udder?”, what’s an udder? So that led to discussion on udders, breasts, breastfeeding and other mammals that nurse their babies with milk
** what is in her head. A brain, eyes, teeth, her tongue, etc. She said her tongue was in her throat. Which technically some of the muscles are located in the back of the mouth and upper throat, however, we simply got into a talk about the difference between the head and neck/throat
** she has to get her blood drawn in 2 days so we discussed where they were going to get he blood from, a vein in her arm. She wanted to know what a vein was and what it does. That was actually not too bad to answer
** having a spirit and a body, and how everyone on Earth has a spirit
** what God made. Brief talk about Adam and Eve and how the buildings and fences (because she specifically wanted to know about who builds fences) and things like that we see are made by men

See what I mean?!?! Not simple stuff for a 3 year old! She definitely is not that kind of kid that asks “why”. It is also interesting that one comment or question almost always leads to another for her. She just builds and builds on her thoughts and questions. I think she is going to be an intelligent, well informed child.

Phoebe coming down the children’s ice slide.

On our way out there was a toy soldier on stilts. Sophia was very impressed and went up to meet him.

We did fudge and milk for Santa this year instead of cookies. Sophia was so excited about leaving them by the fireplace for him. Here she is carrying them over there for him. She was trying so hard to be careful and not spill the milk.

In fact, when Sophia came busting into our room the next morning she yelled “Come look! He ate his fudge and drank his milk! He ate his fudge and drank his milk! Come on! Get up! Come and see!” Sophia was too excited to wait so we had to get Phoebe up. Stockings were first and presents from Santa before we dove into the tree.

Pretty much all Sophia wanted was this mermaid Barbie with a pink tail that flaps that she saw in a catalog. Santa delivered and she was thrilled.

After our own family Christmas and breakfast we headed out to BJ’s parents house for more Christmas fun. Aunt Bekah and Uncle Jonathan were very wise in getting the girls cheerleading outfits. They LOVE them and immediately had to wear them.

And then came the ballerina outfits from Nana and then they were put on.

They received many wonderful, exciting new toys this year that they will enjoy for quite some time. This is them near the end of the day, clearly exhausted and wanting nothing but to chill out. I can’t blame them! It was an insanely busy day!

My sweet friend, Rachel, from way back in the day when I was in nursing school got married!! I was so excited for her and BJ and I enjoyed a nice time to ourselves watching her get sealed in the Dallas Temple. She had a reception where dancing was ON! The girls, who enjoy dancing very much, were more than game to join in. I had such a blast dancing with them. It had been a long time since I have danced in public too!

They both ate tons of strawberries and punch. Could life get any better?!

We had Thanksgiving with BJ’s family at my house, but my sister Jennifer and family had come into town as well. Instead of doing the crazy thing of going shopping the day after Thanksgiving we went to the Dallas Arboretum and it was such a great choice!! The weather was gorgeous, it was not crowded at all, and they still had the pumpkin house up from Halloween. It was perfect, and the cousins enjoyed one another so very much.

Phoebe and I were balancing over a stream of water in that one. Phoebe has discovered the love of balancing on or over things.

Gee, Sophia is so ladylike…..

Sophia with her 2 best friends. She really loves them.

I just adore this sweet, gorgeous little girl!

We also went to an Airplane Museum near Dallas/Love Field Airport, but this is somehow the only picture I could find.

Then came Christmas! We went to the celebration in Frisco Square. They had a skydiving Santa and 2 elves. It was totally cool to see this, but unfortunately we got no pictures. We were also on the side where they landed and stood so the girls were as close to the action as possible. They also had a toy train display, hot air balloons all lit up, horse carriage rides, and more! It was cold but fun.

This is of us just before going to church the Sunday before Christmas. We went to Nana and Popi’s church and then enjoyed the rest of the day visiting and eating over at their house. Aunt Bekah and Uncle Jonathan were in town which made the visit that much more fun!

Sophia has been asking about and praying for snow. She got her wish on Christmas Eve of all days! It snowed for several hours and by that night we had a nice white coat over everything. The girls got to enjoy it before it got too thick (and late).

They came in soaking wet, cold, and muddy but ALL smiles! I still have Christmas and our trip to the Ice Show at the Gaylord Texan to cover so be on the lookout for another post soon!

After laying her down and kissing her forehead she turned to me and stated, “Daddy, you do some crazy stuff… but you also do some giggly stuff, so I love you.” It’s nice to know she can quantify why she loves me.

(Sorry for the post as a facebook note when I’ve already updated my status to share this little moment but facebook is tied to this blog, so any updates get mirrored there.)

Phoebe did in fact discover the love of her thumb before she was 12 months. I think even as early as before/around 6 months of age.

Phoebe also developed early on a passion for fruit snacks and candy. I have tape or pictures of her before 12 months eating a sucker and a Red Vine. On another she is very excited about the next bite of fruit snacks she will get.

I was sick A LOT when I was pregnant with Phoebe and when she was a baby. I remember being sick with sinus infections most of my pregnancy with her, but it is another thing to hear myself video after video with a stuffy nose.

My house has changed immensely since we first moved in about 6 years ago. Whether it is paint, furniture being brought in, taken out, moved, new light fixtures, etc. It is amazing to see all the changes over the time of the videos.

Phoebe also developed before 9 months of age this certain quirk she has to this day–she likes to take tiny board books, plastic toy coins, or anything else small that she can stack in her hands and hold, carry around. I have one tape of her holding 2 plastic coins trying to crawl. She would do it more easily if she let them go, but she clearly was NOT going to.

Sophia really did play well (especially considering her age at the time) with Phoebe when Phoebe was very little. She would mimic Phoebe in crawling or climb in her bouncy seat with her and snuggle. It reminds me that it wasn’t all fighting with them, even back then.

They were seriously some of the cutest babies-infants I have ever seen!

These videos make me want to have another baby–girl. All in due time…..

I AM THANKFUL FOR….

rocking chairs. Months ago Phoebe started asking to be rocked before bed. Although she is not a baby anymore and doesn’t really need it I know she enjoys it. I love that after a busy day of running around and being active she and I can sit in the dark, her head resting on me, and have our sweet, quiet moment together. Mmmmmm snuggles!

potty trained children. It is a whole lot cheaper than buying diapers and wipes, I don’t get poop on my hands anymore, and it is less time consuming for me. Some people say I got them potty trained *early* (Phoebe was trained a month after her second birthday) because I think around 3 or just after is average. All I know is that it was perfect for our family.

kisses. A simple kiss or 2 can make pretty much any boo-boo better and can stop the tears. The girls give each other kisses which reassures me that they really do love one another. They also readily give mommy and daddy ones too. Just this morning Sophia climbed into our bed and promptly gave me kisses all over my face telling me “I am kissing you momma!”

candy. I love candy very much, always have and probably always will. My girls love candy too, and we have spent time snuggling on the couch over a good Dr. Suess book and a bag of gummy bears. We also enjoy sharing Twizzler Pull-n-Peel and pretend they are worms, snakes, bracelets or necklaces. It is fun candy!

one on one time with my children. BJ and I have both had ‘dates’ with Sophia and will probably start them with Phoebe next year. The girls are so different when by themselves and can be so sweet. This special time lets them know they are unique to us and know that we have time for them and their interests.

cooperative play. When the girls play together with no fighting or hitting it once again reassures me that they love each other. It also proves to me that it was in fact a good thing to have them close in age so they can develop this blossoming friendship. Plus, Sophia is good at being an example to Phoebe about imaginative play.

healthy appetites. This mostly applies to Sophia, but the older Phoebe gets the less picky she is becoming–Yay! I *almost* don’t have to worry about what Sophia is going to eat. She is beginning to enjoy spicey things more or strange things. She actually licked a bite of octopus the other day. She tells me she “loves meat” and will ask me for broccoli or carrot sticks for a snack. She pretty much eats what we eat which makes some meal times a lot easier.

their lovely faces. I love looking at them and admiring their eyes or faces. They truly are beautiful girls. I know this might make me sound like a proud or vain mom, but it is hard to forget how cute they are when everywhere we go I get compliments about their eyes or cuteness. I also enjoy the fact that my children resemble me. There are some families you can look at and think “Those kids belong to them?!” –they look nothing alike. When the 3 of us are together I often get comments about how they look like me or that there is “no doubt who they belong to!” I love looking at them and seeing in their faces that they are mine.

communication. Both girls learned to speak and use more words (for their age at the time) than what is considered ‘average’. I loved being able to communicate with them and now have conversations with them. They let me know what it is they need and I pretty much don’t have any guesswork. Their clear communication has also made my life easier in some ways when dealing with them. And anything that can be made easier for a mom is a good thing!

unique voices. Phoebe is quite the entertainment for BJ and I and she doesn’t even know it. She has this “accent” (for lack of a better description) that makes all sorts of words interesting. A sample: berks (books), goldfirsh, and beahrs is really all I can think of for now.

rough play, and children that enjoy it. I like running around the house pretending to be a monster, dinosaur or dragon while roaring and chasing the girls on foot or hands and knees. They run all over the place smiling and screaming. We also play hide and seek often, but it usually turns into just me hiding out really well and then popping out and scaring them. Once again, they are all smiles in the end.

She also asks me all sorts of questions about being able to do things or places to go. Some of my replies simply have to be “When you are older.” or “When you are bigger.” So she has started to say to me, “When I be 20 years old I can ride a motorcycle.” “When I be 20 years old I will go to school.” On and on and on with “When I be 20 years old”! Apparently she can do anything as long as she is 20 when it is happening.

More fun quotes from my lovely 3 year old….
I am loading up with gas.
You look gorgeous! (while looking at me trying on a new skirt)
Does my dada have a bum-bum?
My bones are moving.
I don’t want anymore, because it’s too yummy.
I was just freaking out.

The older she gets the more beautiful her face gets. Her eyes even seem bigger and more beautiful even though I know they haven’t changed really. Her face is beginning to look a little more grown up to me. Because she is tall for her age and well spoken/articulate she often gets mistaken for a 4 year old most places we go. I tend to agree.

She recently had her first dental visit. I took her a few weeks prior to my 6 month cleaning so she could see what it was all about. She was well behaved, curious, and asked a lot of questions. I was so proud of her then, and became even more proud of her after her visit. Once again she was so well behaved, wasn’t afraid, and cooperative. They took a 360 digital x-ray of her teeth which was quite an interesting experience as well. You have to be positioned very specifically with your front teeth biting down on this plastic stick (also in a specific location). With a little maneuvering we finally got her into position and she was so still. Seriously, I just could not believe how good she did for all of this and my heart was swelling with pride for her! Also, an x-ray of a child’s mouth is SO COOL. Her adult teeth are already forming so you could see them resting above her baby teeth. You could see the shape and size of them. And her last molars were just sitting tucked up in her gums in what looked like a perfect white bubble. I almost couldn’t stop staring at the image it was so amazing. I suggest this for every parent. It is neat to see your child’s mouth in that way.

She is an affectionate child and can often be found telling us she loves us. It is so random and very sweet. She enjoys hugs very much and tries to out-hug her daddy when giving a big bear hug.

If we don’t address her as the current identity she will remind us very quickly “NO, I’m _________.” When she is a Care Bear then daddy is Dark Heart. I told BJ I think simply because he is the only boy in the house he is doomed to pretty much be all the bad guys. At first BJ and were game for it and would play along, but it has become so frequent and inconsistent. We never know who she will be at any given time. It has become kind of frustrating trying to keep up with her various identities, especially if we are trying to reprimand her and she is more distracted with telling us to get her name right then actually listening to us. I suppose we just have to hang in there as she continues to reveal to us who she is next…again and again…..

“Did a tractor build my house?”

“Do I have a brain?” After much discussion with her on people and brains and what they do for us….”Do cats have brains?” and so on and so on about several other animals. So then we had a discussion about animals and their brains.

“Are we people?” and “Are we humans?”

“When I grow big am I gonna be a mommy?”

“Are we on earth?” Which led to more questions like “Is our house on earth?” “Are we driving on earth?” We had a lengthy discussion about Earth too….

I can’t wait to see what more questions she has in store for me, as long as it isn’t “why”!

We can’t break the bank with these little outings but we can do something fun and unique. There’s a Chik-Fil-A in The Colony that has themed nights during the week. For example, Tuesdays are princess nights. On Princess night anyone dressed as a princess gets a free kids meal. I’m not 100% sure if this is limited to little girls only, but I haven’t had the courage to test the boundaries of this particular requirement.

Sophia had a wonderful time at princess night. She and I chatted about princess dresses, favorite types of juice, the value of love, the merits of winnie the pooh vs normal bears, remote control cars, sorcerors vs wizards, and the best kind of hugs. Just for your information the best kinds of hugs are hugs with love, with bear hugs and holding hugs coming in second and third respectively.

Sophia sure loved dressing up as a princess.

I had to go to Urgent Care for a foot problem and when I got back Sophia had THIS on her forehead. POST-injury….

BJ said she slipped and smacked her head on the corner of the toy bin. Thankfully it wasn’t her eye and was just in between her eyes. And I am also thankful she didn’t need stitches. It was small, but deep. She is still swollen but it has scabbed over and is already looking better. We kept her dosed up on children’s ibuprofen and she acts like it almost never happened. What a trooper!

I’d like to note that she primarily photographed things that were important to her and her family. The office door, the mess in my office, phoebe’s blanket, her blanket, her dad, her mom, and at least one photo of every room in the house. Given the weight of the camera we also had about 50 pictures of her toes. I have deleted most of them.