And Thus It Begins...

Sophia: Today in my class I learned about Jesus.

Nina: What did you learn about Him?

Sophia: He was in the burning bush.

Nina: Anything else?

Sophia: He got burned by the FIRE.

Nina: Umm...Did you learn anything else?

Sophia: No, that is all I learned today.

Oh the Shame!

A conversation between my two babysitters last night:

Crystal: I've never seen Nina and Trav's room.

Tara: I will show it to you.

(Go to room, Tara opens door.)

Dead Silence.

Crystal: Well, where do they sleep?

Tara: I think, maybe they throw everything on the floor and the bed is underneath?

You know your room is a mess when 18 year olds are shocked. I have been exposed.

Not Far from the Tree..

(This post will be picture-less because we have shady internet and it takes 400 hours to upload pictures to blogspot. Does anyone else have this problem? - the upload time, not the shady internet, I know that's our fault...)

A couple of weeks ago Sophia made the big move to the Big Girl Bed. It was a momentous occasion and in true Simone family style, Rob came over and helped take down the crib, move the bed, and assemble the new book shelves. Where would we be without Rob? Our house would be colorless, our lawn would have overtaken us and our furniture would remain in the same spot for eternity...but I digress(Thank you Rob!). The first week in the Big Girl Bed was heavenly. I thought, "Yes, finally. I have timed a transition well." Sophia was very angelic - stayed in the bed, called me when she woke up. Slept like a baby.

Then something changed. Yes, she realized she could get out. And she does. She dances around, often unclothed. She plays with the blinds. She takes things in and out of electric sockets. She takes all of the clothes out of her closet and stirs them around on the floor. Yet, this is not what is challenging me. This I can handle. What seems to have stumped me is the constant reading.  She woke up the other night at 1am and "read" until 2am. She hasn't napped in days. She reads. I have limited the books. We started with about 18 in the bed and now we're down to five. She "reads" them and then yells for more. I have been completely frustrated with this situation due to my very literate,  very exhausted child. 

Then I was going to bed the other night and I glanced to the left of my side of the bed. I have three baskets of books that I am reading right now. Yes, all at once. Everything from marriage books to parenting books to novels to a business guide by post-jail Martha Stewart. Last weekend I slept about 5 hours a night, not due to my children but to a Jodi Picoult novel that I couldn't put down. And Travis? I find books shoved under furniture in the living room because he doesn't know where to put them. When we moved to Atlanta he had to ship 11 boxes of books back to VA Beach to be stored. 

We have a problem. As a family. Perhaps, we need to watch more BRAVO, buy a Wii, start tweeting?...At this rate spelling bees could be next, and Olivia will never have known differently..

Big Wheels Keep on Turning

My Mom found this car behind a Food Lion next to the dumpster (the Birdneck Rd. Food Lion, to give even more colorful context to those who know...) Here is Sophia in it two years ago. She is about 9 months old.

Here is Olivia on her first test drive at 10 months old.

Next, Olivia went for the bike. She thinks she's big stuff here...

Sophia explaining Braxton Court traffic patterns...

She's a C-O-O-L R-I-D-E-R (Special prize to the Blogstalker recognizes that reference...Erin?)

I don't know whose white bony legs those are!

(I prefer to drive in my tu-tu as well...)

Blog Stalker Shout out of the Day Goes to...

CHRISTIE GEILING.

Christie is a dear friend of mine who texted me last week to inform me that she had been catching up on my blog for the last hour and loving it. That comment kept me going for days. That is sad. 

Regardless, Christie also gets this shout out for being there continually in my times of need. Last week. She received this text from me at 9am, as she lay in her bed enjoying the last days of summer.

"Umm, Can you babysit for me...

IN TWENTY MINUTES??!"

Christie was at my house in 15.  

She is more than committed blog reader. She is a faithful friend.

Christie begins her senior year of high school today. Here's to Christie and all of my favorite members of the Class of 2010. Live it up. Soon you'll find yourself on a Spirit of Norfolk Dinner Cruise wondering where the time has gone...

...Worth a Thousand Words

 Curtain.

(and a bit more text for those interested...): Life with little children is intense in a thousand small ways. And for those of us who do not space our children in any sort of wise, recommended way, we are exhausted for years. Simply put, my most recent fear is that I just won't remember. Every day is filled with so many moments of wonder woven throughout so many practical, boring demands. I worry that the pragmatism overrules the sheer power of the tiny events. Sophia started sleeping in her "Big Girl Bed" on Sunday. An event that I had always imagined would be filled with emotion and ceremony and picture taking was ruled by my desire to finally clear up some space in her room and my worry that she would wake up at 5am and go for a run around the college. When I am out with them in the stroller people stop me constantly, some with tears in their eyes. They always say the same thing: "Enjoy it. It goes so FAST." There are moments that do not go fast enough. Potty training for instance, has truly taken its time. But I don't want to miss the powerful moments. This morning I was rushing around the house trying to get them out the door. And I look over and Sophia, wearing nothing but a shirt and old slippers is crooning into her microphone "How Great Thou Art" while Olivia provided the harmony with her dialect of guinea pig noises. I was sad when I realized that I almost missed it. And for what? We were already late, the house was already a mess, and I was already covered in peanut butter and jelly. What do I have to prove?

How to really enjoy cupcakes...by Sophia and Addie

A true metaphor for the life lived well...

Happy Birthday Addie

Cousin Addie turned one last week and the Birthday Train rode to Charlottesville. She was the Perfect one-year old Birthday Girl - tottering around, hugging her guests and diving into her (cup)CAKE. Check out that cupcake that Lindsey made. It was spectacular!

Daily Life...

And they occasionally do wear clothes...