Dear Sophie,

I've written to you - both here and privately - of how much I love you.  And I do.  I adore you beyond belief.  But I thought maybe you'd like a little insight into the person you are becoming so that when you're grown, you can look back and laugh about the origins of your personality.  You are truly the funniest person I know (you get that from me).  Everyday you do, or say, something that gives me the biggest belly laugh.

Today was no exception.

We had a lovely day planned with two of our favorite ladies - Lauren and "Lauren's Mommy".  Lunch, shopping and sprinkles cupcakes.  But you were the real entertainment today.  Your words, your expressions, your sassy little walk...I love it all.  Sometimes I wish we had a tv crew following us around, documenting your life because there are just some things you have to see to believe.  Our life together is a little bit like that.  But..I digress.

At H&M, you found these little mannequins that looked like kids.  You found one you loved and decided to name him "Sophie".  The only problem was that no one else was allowed to touch or play with Sophie.  This was particularly sad for little Lauren, your self-professed best friend whom you "LOVE"!! Apparently, a boy is already coming between the two of you, because anytime she tried to get near him you practically growled at her, swinging your arms out like a lion trying to protect her baby cub.  The whole time you were begging me to take your picture with "sophie".  I was laughing so hard, I couldn't take the picture or administer any of my truly effective parenting techniques to keep you from ripping Lauren's limbs from her body.  Luckily, "Lauren's Mommy" interveined long enough for me to snap this picture...

If you look closely, you'll see both your look of smug satisfaction and Lauren's sad little face in the background.  Oh Sophie...you are the most stubborn, strong-willed child I have met.  I have NO idea where you get that from. (Kidding..you're daddy, obviously!) But I'm so glad for those character traits of yours.  Like Auntie Tamara always tells me, we're raising independant women.  You'll be that for sure.  Don't ever lose sight of that baby.  Even if others don't like it or the world tells you to be less, you stay strong. Be assertive. Know who you are and be proud of it.  Just trust me on this one thing...pick the friend over the boy every time.  You'll never be disappointed.  The right one will be the one you don't have to fight over, because he's so in love with you, he can't possibly look at anyone else. 

There are so many more higlights from today that make me smile, but the one that makes me laugh out loud when I think of it was when we were in the Disney store.  Lauren's mommy found the cutest Nemo costume for baby James and you just HAD to try it on. So, off it came from the hanger, and on your body it went.  You pranced around the store, fish tail wagging behind you, looking at how fabulous you were in the mirror.  Don't believe me?  See for yourself...

You were so proud of that little costume.  You modeled proudly as everyone admired how cute you were and told you so. But that wasn't the funny part.  That part came a few minutes later when I realized you suffer from the same afflication mommy has called verbal diarrhea.  It's a real disorder, I promise.  Look it up in urban dictionary! I did...and laughed hysterically.  Some of the definitions weren't fit for print here.  But these three pretty much sum it up...

1)An adj. given to someone who expresses their awkwardness through words.
2)Used to describe a person who can not control his random thoughts from exploding, which get them into trouble.

3) A person that speaks their mind without any filter; consequences could be profoundly funny or insulting to the person listening

All three fit the bill for me more often than not.  But today, as you sat in your Nemo costume three sizes too small and took in life around you, you couldn't help but notice the cute little baby that passed by you, pushed by his daddy in a stroller.  And that's when I realized, you suffer from this verbal venom too.  Because you asked, as loudly as you could:

"MOMMY! What's wrong with that baby????"

Horrified, I could do nothing but look down, pretend that you weren't my child and try to keep from laughing.  Oh...and try to sneak a peak at the baby to see what was actually wrong with him.  From my vantage point, the only thing I could see was that he was lacking any hair on his head, and I'm guessing this must have been what perpetuated the question, since you're not usually one to point out unusual features of others.  But, that might all change now, given your recent diagnoses. 

Luckily for us, the dad laughed and relayed the exchange to the other dad pushing a stroller next to them and they seemed to have a nice chuckle over the event.  Or, they might have been plotting to trip you outside of the toy store.  I'm not really sure which...

So honey, be careful with your words.  You really can't get them back, once you say them.  Train yourself to work on that internal edit...especially for your mama's sake.  Or if you must express yourself so dynamically, stick to self descriptions.

Like the one you had tonite when you climbed up on the chair in my bathroom, looked at yourself in your new woody pajamas and exclaimed:

"I'm so beautiful, I can't even STAND it!"

Me either baby.  I can't stand how beautiful you are to me.  And, you're pretty good looking too.

No one loves you more!

love, your mama