Turkey!

Dear Sonia,

I am on my way home from Turkey right now. I'm in the airport in London for a long time!

I have two presents for you from Turkey. You will get them when you come to Boston for Thanksgiving!

I thought about you a lot on this trip - and talked about you too - my yegen (niece in Turkish). I can't wait to take you on a trip!

Hope your last two weeks have been great. I'll Skype you this week sometime.

Love you,

Auntie K

How Was Your Day?

Dear Sonia,

It's quite a milestone, my little niece. You can tell Mommy and Daddy all about what you did during the day. It's so good and accurate that they even wonder if it could possibly be right - and then they check the Nanny-Log to see if you are correct, and you are!

Yesterday, you reported that you'd been to story-time.

Mom: "What did you do today?"
You: "Miss Missy."
Mom: "You went to story time at the library?"
You: Nod with "Mmmm" (you refuse to say yes for some reason)

Then you reported what the book was about.

Mom: "What was the story about?"
You: "Pumpkins."
Mom: "The story was about pumpkins? Cool!"
You: Nod with "Mmmmm"

A check of the Nanny-Log shows the book was titled something about scarecrows, so we are assuming there were pumpkins involved in the field.

Then you said you went to the park. This is where the doubt crept in, since it poured rain all day where Mommy works.

Mom: "Then what did you do?"
You: "Park."
Mom: "You went to the park? What did you do there?"
You: "Swing."
Dad: "She told me the same thing. I have no idea why. It rained all day."
Mom: "Maybe it didn't rain here. Sonia, you really went to the park?"
You: "Park. Swing." Thinking: What is wrong with these people?

Another check of the Nanny-Log shows that you did indeed go to the park and go on the swings. So there you go. You know what you're talking about.

You are 18 months old next Monday. Quite the little reporter. Very smart. I love it! Mommy says you are hilarious every day. She's interested to see how much you've grown when you go for your 18-month doctor visit. She thinks you're taller, but we aren't so sure about fatter. She keeps trying to sneak fat into your diet. But you just like the skinny-making foods.

Each day, Mommy asks you what you want for breakfast. Sometimes you say "Oatmeal" which Mommy only thinks you want because you get to get the packets out of the cupboard yourself. Sometimes you say "Waffle". Sometimes you say "Pancake." One day this week, you said "Turkey. Mustard." You had had that for dinner the night before and loved dipping the turkey pieces in the mustard, apparently. Mommy told you no way, Jose, no turkey and mustard for breakfast. Personally, I would've given it to you - who cares what you eat when? But, you quickly had Plan B all set in your head, because when Mommy said "No, you are not have turkey and mustard for breakfast," you said "Oatmeal." Nice try though. Try that with apple pie in high school. Nana let me do it!

Okay, chickie. Gotta go. I have to work. I'm headed for Turkey myself (although without the mustard) on Friday. Yay for travelling vacations for Auntie K!

Love you,

Auntie K

BOOKS!

Dear Sonia,

I'm really glad you love books so much. Me too. I think this will be something we can keep sharing for a long long time.

Love you,

Auntie K

Mama

Dear Sonia,

You love your mama. You make it very known. You hate it when she leaves a room. You hate it when she doesn't come back. You cry "mamamammamama" the whole time she's gone. There's very little that will distract you.

Luckily, you are only tiny, so you forget to be mad and laugh if something's funny, which is great. But then you remember, and cry "mamamamammamaam" with renewed insistence. You do not care who has you while this is going on: me, Papa, Nana, even, sometimes, your Dad. Jeez. :)

This is entirely normal behavior for a 16-month-old and it is even more normal for one who flies for-seemingly-ever on a plane, lands in a strange place, sleeps in a strange crib, then drives to Boston, sleeps the next night in a strange port-a-crib-pack-and-play thing and then drives back and sleeps again in the first crib and then the next night, Daddy materializes from nowhere. All this while during the day, you are subjected to saying hello and goodbye to a never-ending stream of rather large and rather loud strangers who keep telling you they love you and screaming your name over and over. I'd cry "mammamammamama" too if I was you.

The visit was lovely. I am awaiting photos from your mom of you and I swinging together on the big kid swing. You are laying on me, relaxed as can be, really enjoying your swing. It was the sweetest moment of my life to date. And here that is in writing.

You are smart as a whip, talking up a storm, running all over the place, and smacking your face on tables and bleeding! A lot for a little girl. And I get to see you again in only one more week in Buffalo. What a treat.

Love you, chickie, Chomp! Bluuuuuue-berrriess!

Auntie K

Blue-berrrrrrrrries!

Sones,

There's lots more to tell you about your visit to Massachusetts, but I'll get to that later. For now, let me just say, blue-berrrrrries! :)

Love you,

Auntie K

Making a list, checking it twice....

Dear Sonia,

I have had a very busy week at work. Your mom and I have barely talked. But she called this morning to tell me that you had had a big long talk about going to the zoo and what you would see there. You know LOTS of animal noises and signs.

Then, she strapped you into the car and away you went, on your merry way to the zoo.

And she hears you in the back seat. So she looks. And you are doing the sign for an animal, making the noise, then moving on to the next one. You're going through all the animals in your head and listing them and then doing the sign and making the noise for yourself without prompting!

This is either super super cute or a little scary. There are lots of list makers in our family. Your Auntie K, the very author of this blog, makes lists and truly relishes in the happiness of crossing things off one by one. Your mommy is also a list maker. Sometimes, we make lists and then worry about what's on them. So I hope you've inherited some of the organization of that, but not the worrying part!

In any case, I'm sure you didn't miss any important animals at the zoo, since you made a list and checked it twice. Once with Mommy and once on your own! Smart girl!

Love you (and see you next Wednesday!),

Auntie K

These Boots are Made for Walking....Backwards

Dear Sonia,

You have been able to walk backwards for a while now, but recently, you became aware of it. Now, you walk backwards on purpose and then you have a little private laugh about it. It cracks up your mom.

I absolutely LOVE to hear these little stories from your mommy. And then I write them down here. :) So now you know, that in August of 2009, when you were about 16 months old, you did circus tricks for your own self, not even caring if anyone else noticed. Sweetie head!

Love you,

Auntie K