Monday, February 20, 2012

SKIING!

Dear Sonia,

Your daddy just sent along this photo of you in Colorado, beginning your THIRD year on skis!



So cool!

Love,

Auntie K

The Boss of Me

Dear Sonia,

Your mommy told me a hilarious story about you this week. For about three weeks, you've been responding with "You aren't the boss of me!" whenever Mom tells you to do something you don't want to do. She gives you the hairy eyeball every time. Finally, everything came to a head the other night.

You weren't eating your broccoli, and Mom was getting increasingly annoyed. You told her she wasn't the boss of you, and she again gave you that hairy eyeball and finally you ate it. A little while later, after you and your sister had a bit of a screaming match, she told you to go in your room while she took Sage to her room. You stood on the threshold of your room and said "You aren't the boss of me!" Mom told you to get in your room, NOW! So you went.

After your mom had dealt with Sage, she went back to your room. You were doing whatever you were doing, and your mom said something along these lines: "Excuse me, but I am your mommy. That means I AM the boss of you!"

You stopped dead in your tracks, looked at Mom, and said, "You ARE the boss of me?" like you'd never even considered what the phrase meant, let alone that it might be wrong.

Mom looked at you and said, "Yes. I AM the boss of you."

You looked right at her and said, "Oh. Okay."

HILARIOUS.

First of all, we have no idea where you learned this phrase. Your mom thinks maybe it was in a book and I think maybe some kid at school used it. Either way, it's clear you understood in what context to use it, but didn't really understand what it meant. I love that. Smart enough to get usage down, but still too little to analyze meaning completely. This could get you in bigger trouble later, but we'll worry about that bridge when we get to the river.

Here's a song for you, by one of my favorite bands, They Might Be Giants, totally relevant to this story. Enjoy! CLICK HERE.

Love,

Auntie K

Thursday, September 1, 2011

First Day of Bumblebee Class

Dear Sonia,

Yesterday was your first day of school this year. You are in the Bumblebee Class this year. Look!



You have a very cute bag to take to school with you. It looks like you could ride in it, it's so big!



You did great this year. No tears, no worries. Just dropped off, a hug from Mom and Dad, and off you went.



I'm sure you'll have a fantastic year in the Bumblebee Class!

Love,

Auntie K

Sunday, August 21, 2011

The Best Roommates

Dear Sonia,

You and I were roommates for 5 nights this past week while you and your family were visiting Nana and Papa's house in Massachusetts. It was decided that we were the best roommate pair in the house. We are both just normal sleeper-people while Mommy and Daddy got Sage, who has been having trouble sleeping well, and Nana gets Papa, who snores and yells in his sleep sometimes. Other than you having an occasional bad dream and whimpering or asking for Mommy in your sleep (which was quickly silenced with a "Shhhh. Go back to sleep." from me), we were happy, quiet roommates.

Until about 7:20 a.m. each day. Which is when your little voice said "Auntie Karen, I'm ready to get up now," to wake me up. I would reach over and check my phone and sure enough, it was between 7:20 and 7:30 - my little Sonia alarm clock.

This morning, I knew you were awake when I woke up having to pee - I could tell from how you were moving and breathing. I checked the phone and it was only about 6:30. I got up and you looked up at me in the dim morning light. I told you I was going to the bathroom and I'd be back. You nodded. When I got back, I asked you if you were ready to get up and you said No. I asked if you were going to snuggle for a while and you said Yes. So I got back in bed. A few minutes later, I invited you to join me in my bed, but you turned me down. So I asked if I could get in bed with you, and you said Yes and moved over to make room for me.

You and I spent close to an hour in bed together. We talked and snuggled and faced each other on the pillow with our noses touching and our eyes too close together to see each other properly. I tickled you a little, and at one point, you turned over and put your head on my shoulder and burrowed into my armpit to get a closer snuggle. You held my hand and squeezed my index finger with both your hands, telling me I would never get free.

We talked about names and families and how some ladies change their names when they get married. We talked about how your Bear (who is named Elvin and the other Bear named Lily was left in Houston. Lily is 4 and Elvin is 10, but they are twins because they look the same.) is too young to get married. I asked you if I had a husband and you said no. You asked if I was too young. I told you nope, I was plenty old enough, but I just hadn't found the right person. You noted that Elvin hadn't found a husband either. And we talked about what might happen to your name IF you got married.

Two days ago, you woke with your regular precision, and was swept off by your mother to get ready for the day. I stayed in bed reading for a while. About 40 minutes after you'd gotten up, at 8am, you started down the stairs with Nana. As you looked into our room and saw me still in bed you said "I don't know what her problem is. Is she going to stay in bed all day?" This, of course, was hilarious. I said back without missing a beat, "Dude, it's not even 8 o'clock yet!" We told everyone this story for the rest of the week, since nobody has any idea where you learned that phrase.

So this morning, during our snuggle, we talked about staying in bed all day. I told you I'd done that before and you got the most amazed look on your face. Your mouth was a round O and your eyes got as big as saucers. "Why?" you asked. I explained that sometimes when you are sick you stay in bed and sometimes you do it just because you feel like it. You said you were going to do it and I told you you couldn't, lest your Mommy have an inane fight on her hands someday soon. I explained that your Mommy wouldn't let you and that you'd get bored. You seemed to buy that. (Call me when you are in college and spending all day in bed for the first time - it's glorious!) Anyway, finally, I tried to sing Lazy Song by Bruno Mars and couldn't, since I can't carry a tune, so we got out of bed to listen to it on YouTube, which led to the discovery that it is the weirdest video ever. (See it here)

I truly loved being your roommate, Sonia-ita. I told you we'd be roommates again at Christmas. And Santa came up. The assumption in the family is that you are not going to be thrilled about Santa coming into the house while you are sleeping given your reaction to the Easter Bunny. (See this) You asked if I'd be in "that bed" the night Santa came and I told you yes. And you clarified that we would not see Santa. I told you nope. Nobody gets to see him. He's magic that he can bring all the kids their presents in only one night. You seemed fine with that. Glad I can be your roommate and your sentinel all rolled into one.

It's quite an honor.

Love you so much,

Auntie K

Monday, August 1, 2011

Counting Your Swings

Dear Sonia,

Hey girlfriend. Here's a cute video of you counting while you swing next to your sister.

video

Love,

Auntie K

Friday, July 1, 2011

Red Marker Madness

Dear 'ita,

It's your slacker Auntie K, who has been remiss and hasn't posted in a while. I started a new job four weeks ago, so I've been busy.

During this time, you finished your first year of pre-school and you began your first stint at summer camps. You went to brain camp! You actually have some more of it to go. Apparently, you do activities to make you even more cognitively smarter than you already are. Very cool. Also, somehow this involves a lot of legos, we aren't sure why.

You are also going to piano lessons. After the first day, when you cried a lot, you've been liking it. I asked you why you cried, and you said, with complete conviction "Because the other kids were!" I hope you aren't around a bunch of kids jumping off a bridge anytime soon. (Sorry, that was snarky!)

Then there was the red marker incident. Mommy went upstairs for only 10 minutes to put your sister to bed. She left you downstairs hanging out with yourself. (Silly Mommy, right?) When she came back, you had colored all over your face with a red marker. All over it. Now, this really isn't that bad, because of course you only have access to water-based markers that come right off with some soap and a scrub, but you didn't know that. So Mommy asked you what you had done, and you simply said "Wrote on my face with marker." (You are so honest and so matter-of-fact, girly.) So Mommy said it might not come off, and you looked worried for about a second and a half and then you said "No, Mommy, we can use alcohol and it will come right off." When I asked your mom about this, she said that she uses rubbing alcohol to take off the marker labels on the baby food jars, and you know that. Clever. Really, though, soap and water later, you were all set.

You are helpful with making sure your newly-mobile sister doesn't fall off something. "Careful, Sage! You'll fall off the bed!" you said, as you held her back. Such a nice girl.

I hope you have a great 4th of July and enjoy the parade. You are coming to Boston next month and I can't wait to see you.

Love you,

Auntie K

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Sister are the best!

Dear Sonia,

Sisters are the best. Check these two out!



Love,

Auntie K