A Spanish Carol

Laura's Post:

Me: I think we need to do more Spanish with Thalia.
Sophia: (to the tune of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas") 

          Tor-ti-lla, tor-or-ti-lla, 

          Tor-ti-lla, tor-or-ti-lla, 

          Tor-ti-lla, to-or-ti-lla...
Me: Umm. Not really what I had in mind.

Daddy Love

At breakfast with a twinkle in her eye, Sophia asks me an important question:
S: Daddy, why do you love me so much?
Me: Well, I love you because you are my wonderful and beautiful daughter!
S: Why else?
Me: Because you make me laugh!
S: Why else?
Me: Because you love to play hard and to work hard!
S: Why else?
Me: Oh, there are so many reasons why I love you so much!...
(Satisfied, she continues eating her breakfast quietly with the biggest smile in the world...which, of course, is another reason to love her so much : )

Eat, Drink, & Be...Mortified!

At the end of a fabulous dinner at the home of a dear old friend:

Friend: You have to visit me more often so I can see your beautiful family!
Me: Next year we'll come to see you more! Haha.

Sophia quietly gets down from her chair and walks around the dinner table to me to whisper a question: 

"What if she dies?"

Me: (horrified to think she may have just been heard by our generous host, I whisper back intensely) Oh, no, don't say that! Shhh!

She nods solemnly and climbs back into her chair to finish eating. Meanwhile, I sit mortified at the thought of her asking the question again but aloud at any awkward moment...

p.s. We all had a merry laugh about it later : )

Grand Rapids is Beautiful!

After two days of stressful preparations, we load up the car and begin our journey downstate to celebrate Christmas with our large family who are gathering at Bita and Grandpa's house; however, it seems the anticipation of getting to play with 17 of her 21 cousins is more wonderful than Sophia can possibly handle:
S: Are we in Grand Rapids yet!
Laura: We haven't left Traverse City.
Me: It's two and a half hours before we get there, honey.
S: I'm so excited!...
Two minutes later.
S: Are we in Grand Rapids!
Me: Not yet, honey. It's a long trip. Please, don't ask anymore...
Two and a half  hours later, Sophia wakes up from a two hour nap. It's dark, rainy, and bleak, and we're sitting in a Walmart parking lot to make a last minute purchase, but Sophia's pollyannaish Christmas spirit is undeterred...
S: Grand Rapids is beautiful!
Laura: Uhh, what's beautiful about it?
S: The red lights!...
Yes, she's referring to the brake lights of all the cars that are pulling in and out of the Walmart lot...

May we, too, find the strength and will to turn off the cynical voices that plague our times so that we can truly appreciate the best of what is all around us as we gather together this Christmas and New Year to celebrate peace, hope, & love. Amen!

Dad, Interrupted

I explain to Sophia that it is rude to loudly interrupt me when I'm in the middle of a conversation with someone, like tonight at church after the Christmas Eve service when she disrupted my chat with the pastor by bouncing against me while begging to have a treat from the dessert table. It's very frustrating. We need to come up with a solution because she can't be doing that anymore:

Me: ...Next time just tap Daddy on the arm. If I'm available, I'll talk to you, honey, but if I'm busy talking to an adult about something, I'll put a hand on your shoulder to let you know I heard you, but you have to talk to me later. OK?

S: OK, Daddy. And when I'm in the middle of talking to a friend at church and you want to say something to me, just tap me on the arm, and, if I can't talk right now, I'll put my hand on your shoulder so you can come back later. OK?...

(I break into intense laughter imagining myself getting the brush off for who knows what kind of serious conversation four year olds have. Sophia laughs, too, but she clearly doesn't catch the hilarity...) 

Me: OK. I'll do that! We'll see how it goes, haha...

The Toilet

Sophia joins me for breakfast this morning with a troubling report:
S: Daddy, I licked the toilet!
Me: What?
S: I licked the toilet. 
Me: Why! On purpose or on accident?
S: I didn't want to lick it. I was trying really hard not to.
Me: How did you lick the toilet?
S: I don't know.
Me: (sigh) Uhh, just eat your breakfast, please, and don't lick the toilet anymore.
S: OK...

Welcome Love

Me: I love you.
S: Thank you.
Me: Uhh...
S: I mean I love you, too.
Me: That's OK. You're always welcome : )

A Christmas Clarification

Sophia recorded a Christmas song to the tune of "The Wheels on the Bus" for her Auntie Kitt and Uncle Thomas, then she explained that the baby's name was Jesus: 
"I told them that in case they celebrate Harmonica!"

Open for Business

Today at a stop light, Sophia looked out the car window and for the first time read a storefront sign aloud:

S: O-P-E-N. O-PEN. That sign says open, Daddy!

Me: Wow! Great job! You're reading signs now! High five!...

(She says she is going to write a book and give it to Linda the librarian to put on the library bookshelves : )

Dropping Judgement

S: OOOH, GROSS! THAT'S DISGUSTING! WHAT IS THAT ON THE FLOOR!
Me: Oops. That's just a little gingerbread cookie dough I dropped. Do you want to lick the beater?
S: Yes, please.
Me: Do you like it?
S: It's deeelicious!...
(Moral: Don't knock it 'til you've licked it! ; )

Born is the King of Israel

Laura's Post:

Sophia: (singing) Born is the king of Israel!
Me: Do you know what Israel is?
Sophia: Yes.
Me: What is it?
Sophia: It's a city where everyone walks around without any clothes on...
(What? Oh. She must be thinking of the Israelites in Egypt.)

Crayola Crisis

Running late for school this morning:
S: (from under the dining table) I found it!
Me: (whispering so as not to wake up Mommy) Sophia! What are you doing? You're supposed to be getting dressed!
S: I found a marker top!
Me: We're going to be late! Get dressed. That's more important right now.
S: (with deep conviction) Finding a marker top is even more important!...

(Indeed, to our little artist, life is meaningless if one's markers dry out ; )