Woah Baby!

So I realized tonight, while I was driving home in the car with Sophia and Padon, that what I had been hearing Sophia say was "Woah, baby! Woah!" She had been doing this for about a week but my brain just wasn't registering it. This time we went over some rail road tracks fast, cause that's how I roll, and Sophia said "Woah, baby!" It was so cute and so her thing! And then I realized that she was doing her best two year old rendition of ABCs only she would interrupt herself to say "Ouch! You stabbed me!" She did this probably four more times before I stopped her to say "What did you say?" She was so funny. Her personality is so uniquely her own. Including her copy-cat finger pointing (supposedly I point when I'm making a point), her pushed out bottom jaw and cocked back head; like what are you going to do about it!, and her "no mommy, no!" when she things that I have crossed the line. She definitely marches by the tune of her own horn and enjoys it immensely. I hope I can always respect her creativity and personal expression; when positive of course.

Best Valentine's In Forever

It has been a very long time since we have celebrated Valentine's Day. For a while it was because of cost and it is a holiday very close to Walter and my wedding anniversary and so it passed by as any other day. This Valentine's Day I came home to the house smelling delicious of butter, shallots, and white wine. A table laid out beautifully with our red table cloth, votive candles lit, our wine carafe with a nice bottle of red wine already poured into it, wooden roses and a complimentary red vase, beautifully sentimental card from Walter that made me cry, and a wonderful Willow Tree Sculpture titled "Together" and had a man holding, what one would assume to be his wife, in his arms. At the end of the table were Valentine's Padon and Sophia had made in school and two Valentine's Day cards from my Mom to Padon and Sophia. Sophia ran from the living room to the back door to greet me and hugged and hugged me, so excited to have me home. It was so indicative of a day smothered in hearts and love.

We sat down to a herb Havarti cheese fondue dinner: broccoli florets, grapes, dried tomato stuffed olives, baguette, and sauteed chicken cubes cooked in white wine, shallots, and butter for dunking. The kids were open to the new foods but mostly stuffed themselves on the dunkables without the Havarti cheese which was great for Walter and I because it just meant more for us.

By the end of the dinner we were all stuffed and Padon reminisced about how it was like Thanksgiving, it was so special. He then got down, very excited to open his giant paper Valentine heart and to proudly take out the candy so he could then pass out this valentine candy to us as his Valentine's Day present to us. It was so very sweet and I told him how special it was that he was sharing these wonderful gifts with us. I had come home late because I had stopped to give a friend a Valentine's Day present on the way home and by the time dinner was over it was already 9pm. The kids had some much loved 'nekid time', put on PJs, and went to bed. Walter and I stayed up a little later watching Portlandia, drinking the last of the red wine, and very full and sleepy went to bed ourselves.

It was a really special and wonderful Valentine's Day that just made me love my family so very, very much. What a great bunch we are!