Monday, December 31, 2018

Sophia's End-of-Year Interview

The following questions and answers are excerpted from our end-of-year daddy-daughter interview session:

What do you like about Thalia?
Uh, that, hmm, (long pause), that she’s very creative and sometimes a little gross
but she experiences new things and mixes food into other foods like she’s doing now:
she just put pizza in her drink. I like that she likes to create other things.


What do you like about Freya?
That she’s cute. Sometimes she doesn’t say words right, but she does say the words
and we understand them. Now she’s learning. Whenever I teach her something, she will
learn it...I like that she’s teachable.

What do you like about Mama?
That she’s nice and caring and kind and helpful and she’s really sweet and I love her
so much.

What do you like about Daddy?
That you’re really nice and you take us out and do Daddy-daughter dates. And also you
make things fun, even when they’re things that we don’t want to do, you make it fun.
And you teach us things, and you keep teaching us it and teaching us it, even though
it’s tiring, but it’s really nice that you’re teaching us it.

What do you think about God?
That he’s really kind, and he never makes mistakes, and he helps us when we need help,
and when we’re going through hard times, he figures out a way to help us, and he loves
us even when we’re doing something bad, and he loves all of us and he takes care of us
and he watches over us and he does all the things he can to keep us safe, and he’s the
ruler over all our life.

What do you like about church?
That you get, in kid’s church, you get to sing songs with other people, and do crafts,
and read the Bible and experience the life of Jesus, but also the treats, too, if there
are treats. Otherwise, I just like to relax and make new friends.

What do you know about love?

That it feels good when someone says something nice. It makes you feel happy inside.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
It would be candy. I could shoot candy from my hands, Wait. No, no, no, no. That I could
make any wish that I want. That I could make a wish for me and other people. And the first
time they wish they have to make a wish for other people.

If you could make the world a better place, what would you do?
Umm, I would, in every street there would be trash cans and a recycling box on every
street so that everyone could recycle in the bin or put trash in there...Or I would make a
machine to put things into the right order into the trash or into the recycling box because
everywhere on the playground I can see trash. One time when I was hiking with Alex, I saw
trash on the ground. People say, “That’s okay. I don’t see a trash can, so I’ll just throw this
bottle on the ground,” and that’s where people left it.


Is there anything else you would like to say about that?
Umm, that there, everywhere, there would be baskets, even in restaurants, hotels, and
other places to collect money for the poor.


What is something that you think is overrated?
Coffee, because you and Mommy love coffee so much, but I don’t like coffee.


Do you have a dream you want to talk about?
Umm, no. What kind of dream? Like a dream that you dream while sleeping or a dream
of what you want to do? A dream about what you want to do. Uh, like a dream that you
wish could happen? I don’t really have one. Oh, yes, that Freya and Thalia would stop
fighting all of the time.


What’s a highlight of 2018? A favorite thing that happened that you’d like to remember.
Having a new experience in life. A new chapter for me: moving from Traverse City to here,
making new friends, and going to new churches.

What’s your 2019 New Year’s resolution?
To know more words than I did, and to actually start speaking without messing up in Spanish.

It was another great year with you, Sophia!
May 2019 be even better!
Love you,
Daddy
Image result for feliz año nuevo 2019

Saturday, December 22, 2018

Afraid

Sophia: I'm afraid of goats. What are you afraid of?
Laura: I'm afraid of heights.
Sophia: I'm also afraid of clowns. What are you afraid of, Daddy?
Me: (under my breath) I'm afraid of the dark abyss that comes after death.
Sophia: I can't hear you.
Laura: Daddy's being inappropriate.
Sophia: What are you afraid of?
Me: I'm afraid of getting Mommy angry, haha...

Sunday, December 16, 2018

Daddy's New Hairbrush

Me: OK, girls. This is Daddy's brand new hairbrush that's just for me to use. Promise me that you will never ever use this hairbrush. It's very important! OK?
Sophia: Not even to sing with!
Me: No.

Sunday, December 2, 2018

A Teruble List

I've discovered the beginning draft of a big sister's teruble manifesto...No automatic alt text available.

Saturday, November 3, 2018

If I Could Turn Back Time

After a good but long day, Laura and I put the little ones to bed, then I chose to relax alone on the sofa to enjoy a chocolate-dipped paleta de plátano:
Sophia: Oh! May I have one!
Me: Ask your mom.
Sophia: She'll just say no because it's bedtime! Ugh! No fair! You get to have one and I don't! I thought you were on a diet? You had a KitKat today already in the car! And you had a cookie! Aren't you on a diet because you need to lose some weight? I think you need to go on a diet. No fair...
(Sigh...Serves me right for not waiting an extra hour for her to get to bed. If I could just turn back time, haha.) 

Happy Daylight Savings!

Sunday, October 28, 2018

Special Chocolates

Sophia: Daddy, this is a new bag of chocolates for my teacher. Just for my teacher. You can't eat them this time.
Me: I'm sorry about that. I really thought they were for me.
Sophia: No, Daddy!
Me: Mommy said she had bought a treat for me. I thought that was my treat.
Sophia: No! They were special chocolates just for my teacher! Don't eat them this time. Okay?!
Me: Yes, I got it. I must be sure to eat the special chocolates.
Sophia: Daddy! No! Don't eat the chocolates!
Me: Right. Don't not eat the special chocolates.
Sophia: DADDY!
Me: Okay, okay. I'll behave....
(She must be a really special teacher. Those were some tasty chocolates. I should know : )
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