Good Friday and Easter Sunday are perhaps the most significant days of the church calendar, and yet, in a real sense, we live our lives on Saturday, the day in between. Philip Yancey

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Double Digit Sophie

I'm way behind on documenting noteworthy life around here. Oh where to start? How to organize it? 
I suppose I'll start with the oldest kid.
 
Sophie turned 10!

 
She's officially passed Lydia's lifespan, mind blowing.
 
Sophie loves celebrations and the limelight. This girl plans her birthday for many months. One important detail this year was Esther coming for lunch. Most of my pregnancy was narrated with "And on my birthday the new baby can come to my school!"



Even Esther's attire for the event was the focus of many dreams.


This girl has a habit of only wanting one big thing, even if that means family members combine contributions and that's all she gets. Indeed an iPod touch was found underneath layers upon layers of wrapping.


Actually she also wanted a trip to Lego land. We'll save that for another day. Then she asked for a Minecraft party with her guy friends from school. We opted for a small afternoon tea instead.

 
One of the benefits of remaining at public school this year is the abundant rainbow of peers.
Love it.
 
 
Sophie's friends have started to ask about the difference in her skin color and the rest of her family's. I had tears of joy at the report of her confidently claiming my repetitive response as her own.
"My real mom lives across the street, in my house. She's the one who takes care of me everyday. I have a birth mom too who lives in another state."
 
Since experiencing the absence of my own daughter, I have more keenly imagined the pain of Sophie's birth mom on Nov 1 of every year. Joy and loss.
 
So thankful we are the ones blessed to celebrate these milestones. There's nothing like the first late nights of Science projects to make one feel like real parents. Jason aids with research and I've got the corner on presentation.
 
 
Jason's inner 7th grade boy came out in full force while they worked on her Uranus project.
The giggles were incessant. Heaven help.
 
 
What a young lady she has become, one with legs a mile long
(especially in her favorite Go-Go boots...woohoo $2 consignment find)!

 
The dynamics of a ten year old big sister enamored with her baby are amazing. Jason has never jumped at babysitting the nurslings. Sophie isn't intimidated, even when Esther needs to express a little sadness.
 
 
She has become my go-to babysitter, with Dad around but not in charge of entertainment.
 
With such a loud and frenetic love for life, empathy isn't exactly Sophie's strong suit. She's usually too busy looking for the next adventure to notice much around her.
 
Yeah, this picture was staged but still cute.
 
 
 
God is maturing her in that area too, sometimes in spite of me.
 
Sophie and Esther shared a well visit recently. (Sophie grew 7" in the three years since she was last there!) Tough love mom that I am either thought or said
"It was just a finger prick, get over it."
"But mom, the nurse hurt my sister."
It was Esther's shot and heartbroken response that had brought crocodile tears to Sophie's eyes.

I sure hope her husband is a morning person, as she wakes up with the energy and vocals of a head cheerleader. Every morning she empties the dishwasher in no time flat though, be still my heart. Then it's off to raid the fridge of last night's leftovers for breakfast. Spaghetti, gyros or macaroni and cheese with your morning coffee anyone? Last year's labor of love cake went uneaten, so I stuck to a Sophie approved sweet and we went for simply homemade strawberry ice cream.

 
I think I mentioned that she sure loves her baby sister...


...and Legos. 

 
She's a big fan of Legos, especially the people. It's like Barbies on a smaller scale in the girly world.
 
And this my dear Sophie is a snapshot of 10 year old you!

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