The Little Monster

The Twinkie Frenzy

Sophie got her first taste of a yummy twinkie today and I can honestly say that it went well...a little too well. Her first bite, she slowly nibbled at the outer cake part of the twinkie and then it happened....she got a tiny taste of the creamy filling. She looked up at me and then back down at the twinkie as if to say..."could this be....heaven mommy?"In a blink of an eye the frenzy began. The next thing we knew she had the white filling surrounding her mouth with it slowly encroaching upon her nose like huge waves coming ashore. Sophie looked like one of the "got milk?" commercials except it would have been called "got twinkie?" I turned my back for a nanosecond and when I turned back to look at her again, the twinkie was gone and there stood my little-one with two humongous cheeks, slowly trying to chew through the entire twinkie which she had stuffed in her mouth.

She could not speak...she could not smile and she could barely chew. With her eyes closed, she courageously and with sheer perseverance, continued her quest to devour the entire twinkie in one big swoop as her father and I watched in horror. With an occasional peek to see if we had noticed her sequester of the entire twinkie from its now shredded package (how could we not), she continued to fight the good fight until she reached her final swallow. Slowly she opened her eyes and quickly surveyed around the mouth with her tongue for any remnants of the twinkie's delight before lifting her big bright smiling brown eyes and exclaiming "hmmmmmmm....more!"

Fun in the Sun

Sophia is having a wonderful summer with LOTS of swimming (we can't keep her out of the pool) and play dates at the park. We'll be leaving for Denver in a few weeks for my family reunion and Tom and I are excited about taking Sophia on her first trip out of state. We decided to make it a road trip instead of flying and we're just praying we made the right decision. Although we plan to make the trip over the course of two days...car trips and 1-year old doesn't always mix well. We'll see and at least it will give more interesting stuff to post on my blog.

Here's some more Stinky McDinky (Tom came up with this name for Sophia when he had to change her first really stinky diaper and unfortunately for her...it stuck).

Drunk off the Sun - 4th of July 2010

Our 4th of July weekend was packed full of family and fun. My sister held her annual 4th of July BBQ Bonanza at the South Shore Cultural Center right off the lake. As usual a ton of great food, live DJ for those who love to "shake the booty" and plenty of space for the kiddies to move around. My sister always makes sure there are plenty of toys and interesting things present to keep the kiddies occupied. Sophia had a ball running around. It was pretty much the perfect day with the warm temperatures and low humidity. Sophie was completely drunk off the sun; she was so excited about being out, Tom and I could hardly keep up with her.



I've seen kids who are pretty shy when meeting new people. They have a tendency to cling to their parents when put in a unfamiliar environment. Sophia is just the opposite, she is pretty outgoing and loves to meet and interact with people and what a flirt! A little worrisome for her dad and I that Sophia loves to bat her big brown eyes and smile at the boys. Little girls will try to talk to her and she will have nothing to do with them but a little boy or a man (like her doctor who she loves) and she turns into little miss cheesy. I tell Tom all the time that his daughter is going to age him quickly with her flirtatious nature....he agrees.

So, Monday is our recover day; luckily I have the day off. We had a great weekend thanks to our family and friends. Thanks also to Lisa and Dennis for the swim and Joanie and Tony for the great eats and fun in the sun.

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary to the love of my life, my husband Tom. We've been married now for 8 years and it has been a whirlwind experience. As with many couples, we've had our ups and downs but we've fought through the obstacles and conflicts to come out, together, on the other side.

A few years ago, I think I had a very idealistic and naive view of what a relationship (both marriage and friendship) was suppose to look like. Life has a way of putting all things in perspective for you if you live long enough. My life experiences have matured me in so many ways and while many of the lessons were difficult to swallow, I am thankful that I endured and lived through them. I am a stronger person today because of what I endured yesterday and I believe the same applies for any relationship. If you can weather the storm together as a couple and harness your emotions so that they work for you instead of against you, I believe that any relationship can come out of conflict stronger than before it went in.

In our 8 years together, Tom and I have experienced many things as a couple; we've been on the brink of destruction just to turn it around and walk hand-in-hand on cloud 9 (the birth of our daughter). I could not see going through it all with anyone else other than him. He has been my strength when I was weak, my common sense in the midst of anger, my comfort in sadness and despair. He is my husband, the father of my child, my lover and best friend. Seeing our relationship change and grow has given me a renewed faith that maybe there really can be an always and forever.

I love you honey; Happy Anniversary!