Little Miss Sunshine is potty trained!!!

Sophia– the one who marches to her own beat, at her own pace…

This week, we started to potty train Sophia. It was my Mom's idea and it made sense since Sophia is now 27 months old (Sydney was potty trained around this age).

Early this week, Sophia and Sydney were spending the day at GrandMom's. My Mom decided to start potty training Sophia. She sat Sophia on the "throne" and she ended up in a screaming/crying fit. The conversation then went like this [Grandmom] "don't you want to be a big girl?".... [Sophia] "I don't want to be a big girl". After this experience and knowing Sophia's stubborn attitude, my Mom (who potty trained 8 of her own children including me) told me that the they best way to train Sophia would be to "Wing It"... which meant do away with the diapers completely and let her go. Within one day (after a couple early-on accidents on the floor), Sophia was using the potty!! By day 3 she was totally potty trained - #1 and #2! As of today, she does not need any assistance (or should I say... she does not want our help... that's our little miss independent).

Sophia likes to keep us on our toes and prove that she is still the one in control... AFTER she anxiously tells us that she has to "GO", she sloooowly slides on her belly, like a snake, across the floor to the bathroom ... taking her good old time (sometimes, she even starts to move backwards or turns around), while Bob & I are panicking and thinking she may not make it in time.... but she always does.

Here's a few cute pictures taken during lunch today...

miss "bashful", don't take my picture...

miss "i will not let you get a good pic"...

miss "maybe I do like getting my picture taken, but I like to play hard to get"...

BTW, I know that this is my first post in months.... work has been crazy, busy for me since the beginning of the year. It has kept me from blogging and when I do have some free time to blog... I'm too stressed about work to relax (and I need to be relaxed to blog). I was lucky to have some time over the Holiday's to blog, but it was back to the daily grind right after the new year. Not happy about this at all... more to come.... hopefully soon?

Older Cousins Rock!

During winter break, my three nieces, who live in Maryland, came over for a few days to hang out with their little cousins (and favorite Aunt & Uncle >>grin<< ). It was great to have guest in our house who JUMP at the chance to change Sophia's diapers. I didn't change a diaper for a full 2+ days!

Velia came over for one night to babysit the girls so Bob and I could go out to dinner & the movies! [We saw Slumdog Millionaire which was an awesome movie... best one that I've seen in a long time]. Velia came up another night from Maryland with her boyfriend to visit Grandmom and then came by for dinner. After dinner at Our Place Restaurant & Bar, we came back to the house and listened to them sing karaoke. Craig played his guitar and sang which was cool.

[I plan to post a video of the karaoke when I'm back from Florida next week. I haven't had time to download and edit video.]

Morgan (my sister Mary Beth's daughter) and Rose (my sister Esther's daughter) singing Karaoke. Rose is singing while holding Sydney! (I can barely hold Sydney anymore!)

Sophia the constructor...

school-time in PJ's

teachers - Rose & Morgan, students - Sydney & Sophia

Rose and Sydney

Out to dinner with my niece Velia (my sister Linda's daughter) and her boyfriend, Craig

N2O Candidate

NO, I'm not talking about Sydney. She is a dream dental patient....

ready to go and SMILING

she evens likes to floss or to be flossed....

and she treasured her new toothbrush all day

...then there's Sophia.... a trial run GONE BAD.

One day she will be begging for N2O just like her Mom, who is a big wuss. Here's to Dr. Sansone's best & worst patient of the day :-)

Home for Christmas

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there

--------
Daddy and his girls on Christmas morning

Sophia

Santa brought Sydney a Doll House

Santa brought Sophia a princess doll castle Daddy gave Mommy a new lens and flash for her camera
Aunt Becky gave Sydney a Belle, Cinderella, and Snow White princess outfit and shoes Aunt Becky stayed for Christmas dinner

Winner of a gift that they use every day... Art Easel from Aunt Becky

A Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night!

Grandma and Grandpop's House we go: Dec.18-21

Going to Grandparent's at Christmas time
is something we love to do.
We enjoy the visit at Christmas
and look forward to it all year though!
Pop Pop and Nana love us so much.
They kiss our cheeks and our faces they touch.
We love to open gifts and their beautiful tree
is a delightful and wonderful sight to see.
But this by far, the most wondreful part,
they love us from the depth of their hearts!

Pop Pop playing Santa

Nana and Sydney--
Bedtime stories by Pop Pop
Family Photo--

Very Cool Yule

We were looking forward to spending an early Christmas Holiday with Pop Pop and Nana in Sunny Punta Gorda Florida. We arrived on Thursday, December 18th, after the cruise and visiting Great GrandPop in Vero Beach. It still felt like Christmas even without the brittle cold and bare trees. I definitely prefer Palm trees over Fraser Firs.

The houses and the boats were decorated with lights in hopes that Saint Nick would soon be there...

...

Nana had her Christmas tree in the house. Aunt Bonnie had hers on the lanai, both were beautiful and made us feel at home for the Holidays.

Nana cooked us an awesome Chicken Marsala meal our first night. Aunt Bonnie had us over for dinner the second night. Pop Pop make sure our bellies were full at breakfast. Like usual, it was five star dinning our entire stay.

Breatfast at Pop Pop and Nana's--

Lunch by the pool at Pop Pop and Nana's --
Aunt Bonnie and Sydney--
Here are some pics from dinner at Aunt Bonnie and Uncle Phil's----

Each morning Nana served us fresh orange juice that came from Aunt Bonnie's tree-
Cousin Andy--
from her expression, you'd think Polly was real--

Save the best and sweetest picture for last....

Sydney loves her Pop Pop!! and can't wait to see him again...