double digits

this little girl turned 10 on wednesday.  her abundant energy and dramatic flair keeps our home alive and unpredictable.  

for the past week she's been reminding me that i will no longer have children in the single digits.  it's the sad truth.  

with this birthday we leave behind a little innocence,  some childishness, we are made to grow up. but just a little bit.  

she has been mature and grown up since she was 3. but now i see it in her beautiful face. the baby face is almost gone and she is looking like a young girl.  but she will still talk in her baby voice, snuggle with me when she wants some love, and wrap her hand around her daddy's to feel safe. and we'll enjoy that for as long as we can.

she is our risk taker.

her confidence exudes from every pore of her being.

she has a wicked sense of humor.

she is creative and expressive.

she is a thinker and an innovator.

her friendships are meaningful and compassionate.

she has an incredible memory that she is using to her advantage.

she is brave but not fearless.

she is strong willed - always has been.

her love is limitless but her pain is too.

she will carry on a conversation with anyone.
she has amazing insight and instinct.

sofia enjoyed her birthday. there were donuts at school and an appreciation circle where each of her classmates told her why they are thankful for her.  yes, i was in tears.  they really know her and their comments were thoughtful.  dinner with my family was a big party - just like she wanted.  today we are taking her and her girlfriends to a taping of liv and maddie.  the best part is, they have no idea.  this weekend we celebrate with softball friends and more family.

on wednesday when i tucked her into bed she said, "the best present i got today was being with my family and friends and feeling loved. . . and the barbie dream house."

she is truly a loved little girl and i couldn't be more proud of the young woman she is becoming.

happy birthday sweet sofia!
with love,
mom

#sassylovessoftball

on tuesday we had sofia's softball team party to mark the end of the season.  and what a season!

from the moment she started playing with this group we knew it was going to be about learning and working. she was on a team with two coaches who have been with the program for a while.  they had everything under control, perfectly organized and running like a true team.

she was the littlest one on the team but she made her presence known from day 1. she had little experience but was willing to put in the work to get better. the coaches let the team know from the beginning that they were there to work hard; run your hardest, make an effort and have fun.

my favorite story was at one of her first practices the coach told them that if they weren't giving their best effort he would have them do push ups.  he had her run to first base as fast as she could, and she ran but not that fast. so he made her do push ups.  after the practice i asked her about it and she said "i didn't run my hardest. but man, i did some awesome push ups." that's when i knew she was tough enough for this sport.

she worked really hard. there were days she would go from school to volleyball practice, to softball practice or game and then home for homework, dinner and bed. it was a huge sacrifice of her time.  but she did it willingly. it got to her a few times but she didn't want to let her team down and pushed through.

she made friends right away, as is her personality, and figured out how to fit in with a group that seemed to know each other pretty well. she learned the cheers and made herself at home in the dugout. and the girls encouraged her along the way.

she played second base and outfield. and wow, did she improve. at first she didn't want the responsibility of getting the ball, so she would let the other girls get it. yep, she would stand there and watch the ball go by.  there was a lot of yelling, but she figured it out.

during the last playoff game, she made 2 outs in the first inning.

she was a hitter... in the cages and at home.  but when she came up to bat the nerves got to her and she walked a lot. walks from coach's no swing signs, and some from getting hit by the ball and some because her strike zone is pretty small.  either way, she made the most of her time on the bases and would often score. eventually she will get a hit and then there won't be any stopping her.

she wasn't afraid; of the ball, of the coaches or of making mistakes. she has grown to love the sport. when she gets home from school and if it's still light outside she and bobby go outside and play catch, and practice pitching.  she's a fan for sure.

we are so thankful that she was on the daring divas this year. the coaches were so patient with her but also pushed her to do better. we would play with any of the coaches, girls or parents again.

we are so proud of what she was able to do this year and can't wait to see her improve. in spite of everything else she takes on; school play, volleyball, schoolwork, and friends, i think softball is what really matters to her.  at least until the next thing comes along.

the other day she told me she wants to play for the notre dame softball team when she gets to high school... and volleyball, soccer and maybe basketball. dream big sassy!

big bright beautiful world

on sunday the school put on it's middle school drama performance of shrek the musical. the music director invited the 3rd and 4th grade chorus to participate. this gave the students a taste of what the drama elective is like and hopefully gets them excited to participate.

jordan was in the musical when he was in middle school. he played a nerd in grease. andrew played a mini white rabbit in alice in wonderland and an oompa loompa in willy wonka. now it is sofia's turn to  sing and act, and i think she's caught the bug.

the thing with drama is that it takes a lot of time and dedication with rehearsals. the boys were not into that, but sofia didn't seem to mind. she rehearsed with the big kids once a week and then attended a few saturday rehearsals throughout the year.

she was given the part of little ogre and she also played a bird. no lines, no solos, but she took direction and made the most of her role as a sad little ogre being sent out into the big bad world. we've seen her light up on stage before and it's exciting to see her get over the nerves and enjoy herself up there.

she got to experience the whole process from the make up room, wardrobe, hilarity backstage as everyone gets into place, technical rehearsals, and then the big show.

we had a row of guests in the audience to see her 3 minute time on stage and we all applauded with enthusiasm.

the performance was outstanding. the kids all did amazing jobs and the talent was wide spread. lots of great singers, funny actors, and just plain bright personalities. what a show!

it's a group effort getting this show running.  from the costumes, make up, feeding and wrangling all of these kids, the choreography, singing and acting coaches. teachers, volunteers, parents and students worked so hard and it showed.

we are so proud of our little ogre and we look forward to seeing her in next year's production.  bravo sofia!

cha spirit

her first soccer game is today and she is unbelievably excited.  she is nervous, and not sure what to do, but she is proud to be wearing her school uniform today - like she has seen her brothers before her.

she has never really played soccer.  although she remembers the season she played as a 4 year old and she calls that a career.

we talked to the coach today and said the girls are worried that the team we are playing is the best in the league.  his response was, "hmm, ya maybe.  but who cares."  because it's all about having fun, learning to play the game and being a part of a team. but we really know it's all about the snack.

go eagles!

sassy @ 9

sofia has been called sassy all her life.  it's something about her attitude.  i was not a fan of that nickname.  to me it meant rude, disrespectful and having an attitude.  

so when it came time to put her nickname on her softball jersey i wasn't sure this was a good idea.  

but then i did a google search of the word "sassy" and it brought up this definition: lively, bold, and full of spirit; cheeky. that definitely described who she is and how she lives her life.

she has an amazing spirit.  she is gentle and fierce. intense and sensitive. reserved and bold.

she is all in.

she loves 100% with all of her heart.

she is creative and energetic.  she doesn't hold back.

she is beautiful.

she has the biggest sweet tooth of anyone i know.

she is so funny but takes life seriously.

she is most definitely stylish.

she is still so much a little girl who fights growing up.

she does great things with lots of energy.

she is a risk taker who feels secure in the choices she makes.

and goes confidently.

she is a girl who doesn't put limitations on herself (and won't let others put them on her.)

she is sweet, thoughtful and caring but with a strong will.

she is joyous, smart, friendly and dramatic.  we love all that about her.

in my google search i found the urban dictionary definition of "sassy": possessing the attitude of someone endowed with an ungodly amount of cool.  well that sums it up!

happy birthday to my sweet and sassy girl.

love,
mom

much ado about sofia

it really is hard to believe that our little girl is 7.
when did that happen?

she is having the time of her life.
has wonderful friends.
and is so sure of herself that her confidence is inspiring.

for her birthday, she did a lot of celebrating.

it started on friday at the school spirit assembly.

they always celebrate birthdays and sing the happy birthday song.
i love that everyone knows the kids and they cheer, dance and sing for each one.  it makes them feel special.

then on saturday, per her request, we took her to disneyland.

we loved seeing all of the fall decorations and riding on the halloween rides, like space mountain ghost galaxy and the nightmare before christmas haunted mansion.  the bad part was that it was pretty crowded so the wait times were ridiculous.  that also meant that we didn't ride on anything at the new cars land.  but it's on our list for next time for sure.

her favorite part was riding grizzly river run with the boys.  she got soaked.

on sunday we took some of her girl friends from school to see hotel transylvania and then to get frozen yogurt.  she has the best friends.  each one so incredibly special to her (and to me).  they laughed during the movie, and then ran around together outside.

for dinner our families came together for her favorite, mac and cheese and strawberry cupcakes.  it's always wonderful to fill our home with loved ones as we celebrate someone special.  and she loved it too.

finally, on monday at school she was birthday queen for the day.

she wore a crown, got to pop the birthday balloon, was spun 7 times (+1 for good luck) on the chair, heard birthday wishes from her friends and passed out a treat to each one.  her teachers make it really special for the kids.

that's a lot of celebrating for a 7 year old.

as she heads into this new year i know she will make the best of it.  we are so proud of her and look forward to the wonderful things she will accomplish this coming year.

i looked back at this post and it really says so much about who she is.

keep celebrating sofia.  we love you!