The Hokies of VT

"I can fly like a hokie!"
"Hokies taste good!"
"It's about time I got my Hokie, Uncle Danny!"

Sophia and I just arrived back from Kansas where we were on the midyear retreat for the Dominican volunteers. One of the volunteers, Pam is an alum of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, VA. My brother-in-law, Danny, is also an alum, so Pam and I have bonded over this connection. Well, at the retreat, Pam decided that she needed to make up for Sophia's "lacking uncle" with her first Hokie. We brought the Hokie with us to work today to share photos with Uncle Danny.

She only likes my money

The other morning, Sophia and I stopped at the post office before we went to work. I had to send my passport documents to update my married name by certified mail (for our upcoming trip to China in April!!). The line at the post office was quite long due to some computer malfunctioning so we waited for quite some time. There was a waste-high counter top that we were all waiting along and another mother had her son sitting on the counter two people in front of us in line.

Sophia was sitting in her car seat which I set on the counter when we arrived to the long line. The woman with her little boy said, "Oh! Look at the baby!" Her son was bundled in his snow suit, grasping three $1 bills which they would use, presumabely, to buy their stamps with. He must have been around 3 years old. He looked over at Sophia when she said this, at which point Sophia just beamed. Recently she has started LOVING looking at babies. She lights up whenever a baby or little kid is around. His mom said to him, "Oh, she really likes you."

His response: "She only likes my money."

Uproar ensues among the moms in the crowd...what a great way to spend time in line.

A Valentine for Dad

6 Month Photo Shoot

Last weekend we went to Sears to have Sophia's 6 month portraits taken. They turned out ok, but Peter decided that he could do better. When he gets something in his head, he can't do anything but that. So we arrived home, set up our own little studio and took pictures of her ourselves. I have to admit I like them better than Sears. At least we got some great smiles from her. The rest of the photos can be viewed in our online photo gallery, but this one is my personal favorite.

Green Bean Accident

It has been quite some time since I have been reduced to tears through laughter. Last Friday was one of those days. Sophia was with us at lunch in her new booster seat (what a big girl!) and has learned that she is able to reach out for things and actually grasp them. Mainly, she has discovered that it is fun to hold on to her eating containers. Well, Friday's lunch proved eventful. Half way (and half hearted) through her green beans, I put the spoon down to talk with Mary Ellen. Sophia wasn't really interested in eating anyway. Not a half second later do I look back to discover that the rest of the green beans have been thrown to the ground. They managed to miss most everything, except for Sophia's left sock. Completely doused in green beans.

One of the nuns runs to get wet cloths to clean everything while my mind is racing about if I had packed an extra pair of socks. When we returned to the office, I discovered that I did not, in fact, have any other socks for Sophia. It is winter and cold, so I couldn't possibly let her go bare foot. The next best option...wearing my gloves on her feet. Here's where the tears come in. I started with just one glove on her naked foot. It was so funny to see her wave around, I had to put the other glove on too. Soon, Sophia was "clapping" her gloves together and enjoying the raucous laughter of all the nuns who came down to see her. It truly was a funny day.