Labor Day and August Recap

We've had a super fun Labor Day weekend, and Sophia continues to be the funnest person we know.

So here's just a whole bunch of fun coming your way.

Things I love about Sophia now:

1) Call me Alice~ Sophia is obsessed with Disney's classic 'Alice in Wonderland' movie. She will watch it over and over and over if we let her (which we may have on the flights to California). She quotes from it, sings from it, and references all the time. The thing that is the most fun about this is - I was the EXACT same way! I LOVED that movie when I was a preschooler, and dressed up as Alice all the time. I would lay in the grass in our backyard, and pretend to be her, and sing 'In a World of My Own'. The other day, I caught Sophia doing that exact thing- laying in the grass, singing that song. It was just so trippy. Like deja vu, but with your kid.  

2)Spelling~ Sophia is starting to really know her letters. The other day we had her name laid out on the fridge, and she recognized it was her name, and spelled it out. See the video.

3) Little runner~ Rick and I have only picked up running as a hobby in the last few years. We were both swimmers all growing up. But running is all Sophia has seen us do, and now it's all she wants to do. Where ever we go, she wants to RUN! But her run is that wacky toddler run with her legs flailing. It cracks me up every time. If things keep going, she's going to be a runner instead of water polo player!

4)Story time~ Sophia loves stories. She loves to read them, to listen to them, and to tell them. She has to have multiple stories before going to sleep. She especially loves stories about her and her friends or stuffed animals. She also love to make up stories and tell them to you. We can usually only pick up a bit of it (let's just say it isn't strong in logical flow)- but it is so fun to hear her creating. She especially loves the iSpy books (remember those?!)

5) Monkey noises? She has come up with these weird non-word noises as fillers for words. Mostly just when she wants something- she'll like make the noise and point. Like monkey-type noises. It's kind of weird. She does eat a lot of bananas... I need to get it on footage...

Otherwise, she's continues to be our sweet little girl, and mostly just a hoot to be around.

On to our Labor Day weekend adventures:

Sophia and Rick got to go to the petting zoo at Arts, Beats, and Eats 

Then the animal festivities were continued at a good friends amazing birthday party.

Sophia hopped right on the pony and loved it.

Loved being encaged with wild animals...

...okay, it was just some bunnies, chickens, and a duck...

and a LLAMA! 

(bet you didn't see that one coming)

There was also a baby cow there too. 

So fun!

Sophia was in love with this dollar store badminton set- I guess we need to get one.

Here are her and the birthday girl. Maybe they'll be future tennis partners?

Oh, these bunnies were so cute, and for sale.

Must...resist...

Went to a friends for a bbq, and some crazy/dangerous fireworks afterwards.

"Some" people didn't read the directions, and "some" people are lucky to be alive and unscathed.

("some" person is also featured on this blog)

Sophia was terrified the whole time during the fireworks, but then right afterwards she skipped home saying she loves fireworks. 

disconnect.

Then this morning we went with some friends to Stoney Creek Metropark

Checking out the Nature Center

Proud of her wood-stacking skills

On a hike with lots of little people

Trying not to get lost

We were quite the caravan

We found a turtle

And the kids just ran and ran through the hills

We barely saw them the whole time

Except to see their pretty flowers

(poor Tommy- "why do girls always want flowers?!")

Daddy's wildflower boutonniere

running and running

we also caught a frog

Couldn't even wait to get in the lake

then we headed down to the beach.

All the little girls cuddling in the tent.

Turned in to a beautiful day on the lake!

Going to miss summer days here.

What a great group of friends we have

We finished our Labor Day off in welcoming the beginning of Fall in Michigan with some wonderful cold apple cider and hot doughnuts.

Perfect.