Sophia MaRay and little brother Miles Christopher

Ice Cream Social!

2011-05-11T23:44:00.000-05:00

Dancing Queen
Miles spectating
Dancing to the music!
Going for a swing after the party.
Brother Miles checking out the field across from the playground.

My school year is wrapping up and tonight Mom, Miles, and I went to a Ice Cream Social. It was fun! We went to my classroom where we showed the parents our songs and dancing and gave them a card that we worked really hard painting. After the ice cream treat, I begged Mom to see if we could go play on the playground. Mom thought that would be okay so Miles and I ran out the door. It was a perfect evening outside. No wind and the temperature was perfect! Mom took some photos so that we could put them on the blog. They’ll be posted on facebook too along with some more additional ones. Goodnight!

No more diapers!

2011-05-04T22:40:00.003-05:00

I forgot to mention one very import milestone that recently happened in our house. My little brother no longer wears diapers. He’s in big boy undies (pullups at night) and has been doing really good. I am so proud of him. My mom and dad did the whole potty chart thing—one sticker for pee and two for poo. And when he did go pee he got to have two jelly beans. I also got two jelly beans for encouraging him and praising him. I would say, “way to go Idaho!” If he went poo, Mom gave him a whole pack of fun-sized M&Ms! Miles is such a nice brother that he’d share a couple with me, “here you go Sissy!” he’d say. Once his chart was filled (which happened today), he got to go and pick out a beta fish. His name is Case IH and is already making himself home/tank in our kitchen.

Okay so it’s been a while, a long while.

2011-05-04T21:48:00.003-05:00

Princess Harper and I making frames.
Princess Harper and I dancing the night away.
Best of friends.
Princess Sophia certificate.
Another shot of the princesses.
Okay, I haven’t blogged lately. My mom has been busy. I need her help when I do blog and she often posts things on this website called facebook and tends to “ignore” my blog. It was a lonnnnnnnnnnnng winter and a miserable spring so far. This winter every time my dad had to travel, it was snow like a foot and my mom would be stuck shoveling. Luckily a couple of times the neighbors helped out my mom.

Preschool has been going really good. I love Mrs. Larson my teacher. My last day is on the 19th, just two weeks away. I will miss my friends, but I do have my best friend Harper right next door. Mom and Dad say it’s going to be a crazy summer with me running back and forth between her house and Lilly who lives across the street and is also my age AND she has a trampoline!

I am going to post a few photos from a Princess Party that I went to last weekend. I took Harper with me and we had so much fun!

Diamonds are a girls best friend - (even fake ones)

2011-01-11T23:35:00.003-06:00

So I went to the mall with Mom to get the oil changed in the buggy at Sears. It was going to be awhile, so Mom and I went and did a couple of exchanges and a little shopping. Mom thought it'd be a great idea to get my ears pierced at a spur of a moment. I wasn't all that crazy about it but then did get excited about it - especially after she said I could get the movie Monsters vs. Aliens. I was all ready until I sat in the chair and all of a sudden fear hit me. It took a long time and a lot of "it's just a little pinch" and "it'll be over so fast" and "you're such a big girl!" etc. Then I asked Mom to sit on the chair and I sit on her lap. She had to hold my arms and head b/c every time the ladies would go in for the "little pinch" I would start to get ticklish. Let me tell you all something...that "little pinch" is not LITTLE. I screamed and the tears flowed! But I did get a sucker outta the deal and the movie I guess. Daddy was very surprised when we finally got home. He loves my earings. I heard Mom tell him that I know how to definitely pick out the jewelry b/c I ended up picking out the most expensive ones! ;)

Family, football, fire, and fun times!

2010-10-11T22:51:00.003-05:00

Mom taking photos...AGAIN.
My cousin Ryan playing football, he's the one who gets to hand the ball to the quarterback.
Miles, Grandpa, and Great-Grandma cheering on Ryan.
Give me an R, a Y, an A, an N...what's that spell? RYAN!! GO RYAN!
Sitting on Grandpa's lap for a campfire. Miles is there too, but you just can't see him.

This is how Mom found Miles sleeping when she got home from her night with friends.

Last weekend Mom, I, and Miles went to Iowa. Mom had her 15 year class reunion so we made the trip down. We had a lot of fun. We got to go and watch Ryan play football. It was sooooo cold that morning. Last time we went to watch him it was sooooo hot that we used our umbrellas for shade. They lost the game but put up a good fight.

Grandpa Mike started a campfire for us. That was so fun to watch the fire, sitting on his lap with Miles. It was a perfect night for a fire - cool but sitting next to the fire kept you warm.

When Mom returned from her class reunion she went in to check on Miles. He was sleeping in the office on a trundle bed. She found him half on the trundle and kneeling over on the bed. She snapped a photo - because she's always taking pictures and catching those photo moments! I do have to say, she caught a good one here. :)

2010-10-11T22:41:00.002-05:00

Grandma and I playing make-up.

Miles needs a little more practice on applying eyeshadow!

Harvest time!

Yep, nothing says October more than seeing all the combines, tractors, wagons, semi trucks, etc....welcome to harvest time! On the way home from Iowa, my mom and I stopped at the farm to see Daddy and Grandma and Papa Tractor to see how they were coming along with harvest. It's a good thing Miles can't unbuckle himself because once he saw the combine and tractor in the field and our buggy was headed onto the field he let out the biggest squeal.

Once we had our combine ride, we went back to the house to see Grandma and Great-Grandma. We got to put makeup on Grandma, which was a lot of fun. Miles doesn't know how, but that's okay because he's a boy.

Diggers, backhoes, cement trucks, OH MY!

2010-10-11T22:29:00.003-05:00

Miles watching from the laundry tub.
Watching from afar.
Me at the park - just me, Mom, and my baby dolly.
I'm getting so good at riding my back now!
Today - Oct. 11th and the high was near 80 degrees!

It's been busy around here with summer ending and school starting. My mom actually told me some good news the other day. I will now be going to school 2x a week instead of just Wednesday evenings. I now get to be in the same class as my best friend Harper! I now will go on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 - 2:00 p.m. I'm so excited!

They started to build a house kiddy-corner from our house in the back/alley. Mom found a perfect spot for Miles to be the foreman...the laundry tub in the laundry room. He will spend hours in there if Mom would let him. He also likes to make sure things are going okay ground level. Mom makes sure he doesn't get too "in the way." He sure gets excited though when a new truck shows up.

My first day of SCHOOL!

2010-09-15T21:43:00.004-05:00

Getting ready for my first day of pre-school!
CHEESE!
O.K. Mom, you can stop taking pictures now!
My new school! I am so excited. I wanna go in now.
This is my locker!

And this is my classroom!

My brother waiting for me for my class to end.

Well, this evening I finally got to go to school! Ever since we went to the open house two weeks ago, I’ve been so excited to go to school. We had a calendar at home where Mom and I would count down the nights every night. Well, tonight was finally the night I got to go to school. I am right now going to Wednesday evening classes...a program that they started this year. I go to school from 5:30-7:30 p.m. My teacher is Mrs. Larson and she is so nice.

Tonight in class we got to put paint all over our hands and make handprints on paper for our parents. I also got to play with the other students and we all had cheese crackers for snack.

When Mom and Miles came to pick me up of course I didn't want to leave, like anyplace I go to. Mom calls me her little social butterfly. I begged and begged for me to spend the night at school. I guess I have to wait seven more nights before I can go back. Good thing Sunday School is this Sunday!

Wiggles and Giggles!

2010-07-26T23:06:00.003-05:00

My brother, the bystander.
Wiggles and Giggles!
Singing along and dancing...
Stretching!
Gotta wear my shades...

So this summer I've been attending a class on Thursday evenings, Wiggles and Giggles. It’s a class that I go to with other girls (and one boy) where we dance and sing along to silly music. It’s so much fun and it is right next to a playground! So after my class, my mom takes me over to the playground for a few minutes. My brother gets to tag-a-long once in awhile (if Daddy is traveling). Last week’s class was fun for him because there was some construction going on not too far so he was watching the loaders and trucks the whole time. He also got his first black eye the weekend before my class. He was swinging one of those strings that have golf balls on each end of the string and whacked himself pretty good. He’s a good sport though, didn’t cry all that much, only when Mom kept trying to put ice on the eye. Boys will be boys is what my mom keeps saying.

Our birthday party!

2010-06-29T10:22:00.005-05:00

My Barbie cake - so delicious!
Miles birthday cake - a tractor getting the field ready for planting.
My very first Barbie doll! So excited!

Miles opening one of his birthday gifts from Gramma Ginny and Papa Mike.

Tractor quilt Gramma Ginny made! Miles LOVES his tractor blanket - he always wants to point to every tractor and tell everybody.
Miles pedal tractor from Grandma and Papa Simonsen! He can't quite reach the pedals on both sides, but loves to push around on it instead. He calls it his Papa Tractor.
This year my parents decided to celebrate Miles' and I birthdays together since we both have already had our “first” birthday party on our own. We both received many cool toys and clothes from our family and friends. It was a lot of fun to spend a day with all my family and friends.

Miles' first movie - Toy Story 3

2010-06-29T10:15:00.002-05:00

Miles and Daddy right before we left for the movies!

June 18th, a big day for Dad because it was his birthday, me because I finally got a big girl bed (see journal entry below) and Miles because it was his very first time to go to the movies. It was Toy Story 3, a great movie. Miles even wore his Woody t-shirt. I got scared a couple of times, but Daddy protected me. Miles did okay for a good portion of the movie, but Mom had to take him out a couple of times to run around in the hallway. If you haven't seen it yet, I recommend you go.

The day has come....

2010-06-29T10:11:00.004-05:00

My new room!
A very happy little - excuse me - big girl!
Mom and Dad surprised me when I came home from daycare on Friday, June 18th (Dad's birthday). I went to my room and I now have A BIG GIRL BED! That day I didn't even fight Mom when she told me I had to lay down for a nap/rest time.

Twins game at the new Target Field!

2010-06-29T10:05:00.003-05:00

Checking out Target Field!
Miles and Daddy - two happy people!
On Thursday, June 17th (day before my daddy's birthday) we as a family went to watch the Minnesota Twins vs. Colorado Rockies. Even though the Twins lost, it was still a good time.

Target Field is awesome. We sat in the family section, way, way, way up high, but they were still good seats AND we were under the canopy - out of the sun. It was really hot and humid that day.

Happy Mother's Day Mommy!

2010-05-12T21:53:00.003-05:00

Mommy's flowers from me, Miles, and Daddy, oh and Stimpy too!
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine...
Annual Mother's Day lunch

My mommy had a very nice Mother's Day. The morning started with going to church. I got to sing You Are My Sunshine to her. Mom and Dad sat up front so I did see how proud she was of me. We then went into St. Cloud to have lunch at Grizzly's. I ate all of my mac-n-cheese and fruit and even ate some of Miles' mac-n-cheese. We did some shopping and then went home where all of us (except for Daddy of course) took a nap. Daddy then made his famous homemade pizza for Mommy. I ate a lot of pizza. Mom thinks I must be growing through a growth spurt. Happy Mother's Day Mommy! I'm so happy you are my mommy!

Wedding bells are ringing

2010-05-12T21:32:00.002-05:00

Cory Mark and Jen Thomas
My Daddy, Miles, Me, and Mommy
Miles and his big boo-boo.
Uncle Cory and his pink socks
puuuuuu! :)

Last Friday morning me and the fam made our way down to Spencer Iowa for my mom's cousin's wedding - Cory Mark. He married Jen, a very nice girl and pretty bride. It was a beautiful wedding. Uncle Cory wore pink cancer socks (and pink suspenders) in support of his fight for pancreatic cancer. He's a tough one and cancer has no chance with him! It was a fun night...except for maybe Miles. Us kids were all running around and he smacked right into a chair. The chair won. He got a pretty big goose egg on his forehead. He was even bleeding! Aunt Rachael looked at it and said to Mommy to keep an eye on him for the next 24 hours. 20 minutes later, Miles was running around (again) with cousins and other kids and ran into a wall and got a bloody nose. Daddy and Mommy were ready to call it a night after all that chaos. It was a night full of fun with family and friends. Thanks Cory Mark and Jen for the invite!

Bounce, bounce!! Everyone bounce, bounce!

2010-04-21T22:38:00.003-05:00

Checking out the bouncy play gym.
Miles doing some bouncing!
Gotta love the static electricity!
Bounce, bounce!
I am Mr. Miles, hear me roooooooarrrrrrrr!

PLAYTIME!

Yesterday after my mom picked me and Mr. Miles up from daycare, we were invited to our neighbor's to play in the bouncing thingy. We had such a blast in there! My mom was pretty happy because she told us, "you kids are going to sleep so good tonight!" And we did. Goodnight for now. Enjoy the photos!

Easter and playtime!

2010-04-21T22:19:00.003-05:00

"I'm supposed to pick up what?"
"Score!"
The hunt is over with - Jacob, me, and Miles after searching the entire yard for colorful eggs the bunny left for us.
Easter morning before church.
Grady, Tessa, Oliver, me, and Miles Easter afternoon in the cities. I had an accident because I was too busy playing. Thankfully Mom had some extra clothes in the diaper bag. Good thing Miles and I are similar in size!

So Easter was here and gone already, but I am finally getting around to posting some photos and adding a little to the blog. The weekend before we went to Gramma Ginny and Papa Mike's house for Easter and my brother and I had so much fun! The Easter bunny visits Iowa a week early, so he decided to hide all of the eggs outside. It was Miles, Jacob, and me on the hunt. I always have so much fun with my cousins!

Slacking, big time!

2010-03-25T22:06:00.003-05:00

Just making some phone calls. :)
I got to wear Daddy’s Buckass hat, the beer Daddy and his friend brew together.
Miles sporting the Buckass hat.
Miles and I horsing around in the kitchen.
Miles and I getting all cleaned up before Iowa.

So, it’s been awhile since I’ve last blogged. I’ve been pretty busy with coloring, playing outdoors when it’s nice outside, and having some fun with my brother Miles. He’s getting big...Mom can’t get over the fact that her “baby” will be two years old in June and that her “first, real baby” will be four in July!

I like playing with my dolls and dollhouse, coloring, playing in my play tent (when it’s up), and reading books with my mom and dad; sometimes singing along with some of the books. But my favorite thing to do is puzzles. I think I need some more “advanced” puzzles because what I have now, the puzzles are pretty easy. I help out my brother sometimes. He’s finally starting to like puzzles somewhat too.

Miles LOVES to watch the construction that is happening next door to us. We are getting new neighbors and there is a huge house being built. Miles loves to watch the skid loader, tractors, trucks, and pretty much anything that moves and makes noise. His favorite books are the the ones about tractors, trucks, airplanes, boats, fire engines, and street sweepers. He also likes his farm animals book. He’s talking a lot right now. A lot of times he repeats a lot of what I say. He can be pretty funny sometimes. A while back he ran up to a ball and said, Eddy, Shit, Go! Not sure why, but mom and dad found that to be hilarious.

Well, I better sign off. I have a big trip coming up here tomorrow. I have to go to my daycare Lisa’s and then after Lisa’s we are driving to Iowa to see my Gamma Ginny, Gampa Mike, and my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I am sooooo excited. I will attach some photos from the past couple months. Mom took one of Miles and I in the bathtub tonight.

My very first plane ride, and Miles' too!

2010-02-04T21:37:00.004-06:00

Mommy and I on the Buzz Lightyear ride!
Miles and I at Disneyland - so fun!
Me and Jakey with Uncle Brian and Aunt Candi.
Double trouble! :)
My mom and I getting our feet wet in the ocean.

This past weekend, me and my family went to California to my Aunt Candi and my very new Uncle Brian's wedding. I was their flower girl and I had so much fun. We were up very early on Thursday morning and off to the airport. My mom and dad had so much stuff to bring along - 1 big luggage, 1 garment bag, 2 strollers, 1 carry-on for Dad, and one carry one for me which all the goodies for the plane ride. It was a good flight and me and my brother did pretty good. I watched Finding Nemo to help pass the time.

The wedding was absolutely beautiful. My Aunt Candi was such a beautiful bride and I was a pretty flower girl. My cousin Jakey was a handsome ring bearer. My mom was also part of the wedding, she along with my Aunt Kerry and Aunt Rachael were bridesmaids. Everybody looked so nice.

On Friday, the day before the wedding, we all got to go to Disneyland! I had so much fun there. Thank goodness Mommy and Daddy were so smart to bring the umbrella strollers! My favorite part was probably Buzz Lightyear's Laser Tag ride- that's is where I saw monsters! We still went on it twice though. We also got to ride in a submarine to find Nemo. I did see him, his dad, and Dori. I also got to take my photo with Mickey and Goofy. I keep asking Mom when do we get to go back to Disneyland? By the time we got back on the highway to head back to the hotel, I was OUT. I was so tired.

On Sunday, my mom, dad, Miles, and I went to the ocean. Mom kept telling me it's like a very, very big pool. It was amazing! My mommy and I decided to take off our shoes and socks and roll up our jeans and get our toes wet. Wow, the waves just came crashing into us and I got a little more wet than I really wanted too.

Monday was our flight back home. We got onto the plane where the weather outside in L.A. was almost 70 degrees. We were in the back of the plane and I yelled, "But I don't wanna go back home!" Everyone around us chuckled. I don't know why they were laughing. Who really wants to go back to weather that was barely reaching above 0?!

I better sign off now. I'll post some photos along with this journal entry. Enjoy!

Merry Christmas - 2009

2010-01-01T16:53:00.002-06:00

Me as a sheep at my Christmas Program.
Daddy and Miles waiting for the program to start.
My Christmas present...a doll house for my room.
Miles' turn...a train table.
Me and my brother, Christmas morning.

So we had a very good Christmas! I had fun in my very first Christmas program at church. I was a sheep and had some lines I had to recite with Mommy and Daddy, which we did for a few weeks before. I did okay. I got a little "ants-in-the-pants" towards the end, but had a lot of fun with my friends from class. In spite of the huge snowstorm, me and my family made it to the farm AND Iowa for Christmas with the families. I was so happy we made it. I guess my daddy was pretty stressed out driving but we made it, and thank God! We said many prayers in the Buggy.

It's the beginning of a new year. Mommy keeps telling me that she can't believe that I am going to be four years old in 2010 and Miles is going to be two! She says that her babies are getting way too big.

Well, I better get going. I've got some playing to do!

Time to catch up!

2009-12-14T22:59:00.003-06:00

Checking out the weather before bedtime.
Mom made Miles wear this, long story, but funny.
My friend Harper over to watch a movie and play.
Miles' big belly after dinner one night.
This is my pretty dress I get to wear for Aunt Candi's wedding in California! I can't wait...my very first plane ride, and I get my very own seat.

So it's been awhile since I've "blogged" and thought I'd share a few photos. Miles loves the camera and Mom had no problem finding a photo of him to use for the Christmas card. Me on the other hand, no so lucky! :) I'm not crazy about the camera like I use to be and Mom keeps telling me to open my eyes when I smile. You try saying cheese and keep your eyes open.

I am loving my Sunday school. We have our Christmas program next weekend already. Last week Mom, Dad, Miles, and me went to the mall to visit Santa. I was very shy and scared at first but then he asked me if I liked Dora. The crocodile tears instantly turned off and I sat on that man's lap and told him what I wanted for Christmas. My brother did very well too. He didn't talk to Santa, just looked at him and then to me for reassurance. I think I've been a good girl this year so far, thankfully it's almost over! hehe.

Miles has been growing so fast. He's only one pound lighter than me. (Don't forget that we are two years apart). He's now wearing 24 months which Mom isn't quite use to. I was always in smaller clothes than my actual age. I am now finally wearing 3Ts for the most part.

Well, I better go. I'll attach some photos at the end here. Have a good day!

Love, Sophie

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T19:15:00.003-06:00

Miles the bear.
Bye! I'm going trick-or-treating!
Run-away unicorn.
My brother and me in our costumes.
This was my brother after his nap. He had a long nap so he was ready to go trick-or-treating.

I had so much fun trick-or-treating this year! At the last minute I decided to go as a rainbow unicorn instead of Tigger. The Tigger costume was just a little bit too big for me and the unicorn fit perfect. Miles went as a brown bear. I wore that exact costume last year and he was Pooh bear. I was so excited to go to all my neighbors and friends houses. I would run up yelling "trick-or-treat!" Mom just had Miles stay in the wagon while I ran up and collected the goods.

I was pretty tired by the time we finally got home. I can't wait until next year already. I wonder what I'll be...

Miles got a boo-boo!

2009-10-26T21:44:00.002-05:00

I’m a BIG boy! Sporting his new booster chair. No more high chair.
Happy Miley.
Messy Miles.
Me at dinner on Friday night.
Stimpy licking his chops.

So this past Friday was a bit of bumps, bruises, rug burns, and many fall downs for Miles. At daycare he tripped and fell near a rug resulting in a rug burn on his chin. Friday afternoon, Mom, Miles, and I were playing hide-and-seek. Mom was hiding and Miles and I were trying to find her. Miles fell and bumped his head on the frame of the bed in the guest bedroom. His forehead had a good sized bump and purple mark. The bump is gone, but his bruise is still there.

And today at daycare, a boy bit me on the nose. We were fighting and he bit my nose. It hurts. I guess I now know how Dad felt when I bit him in church on Sunday.

We are getting ready for Halloween. I think I am going to be Tigger and Miley might be Pooh or a brown bear. Pretty soon and I get to have lots of candy. Speaking of candy, my Aunt Candi is getting married to Brian in January! That means that I get to go on my very first airplane ride at the end of January. I can't wait.

Miles' first haircut

2009-09-17T12:01:00.002-05:00

Miles not crazy about the lady with the scissors.
When is this going to be over with!
All done!
My turn!
Story time.

So last week before my mom and dad left for vacation to Washington, my mom thought it'd be best to get our haircut, especially Miley. His hair was getting pretty long. Mom wasn't quite ready to part with the curls so she told the lady, "just the bangs". Mom thought it turned out pretty nice. Since we were already there, I had my hair trimmed and a few layers to the back to add more bounce to my curls. The last photo is my brother and I getting ready for bedtime. We were picking out our story book for Mom to read to us. I love reading time, Miles on the other hand is not very good at sitting still for very long.

Twins game!

2009-09-03T22:00:00.003-05:00

Heading to the Metrodome!
Mom put red and blue twisties in my hair for the game.

Go Twins!

Miles loves being at the game.
Can't wait until next year-so exciting!
The Simonsen Family went on a special trip yesterday, September 2nd. My mom and dad took the day off to take me and my little brother to the Minnesota Twins game. It was my third time at the dome and Miles' first (and probably last). Last, only because next year the Twins will be at their new outdoor stadium!

They ended up losing in the 9th inning, but we all had fun. I wanted to go home after the second inning but after some cotton candy I was good to go for pretty much the rest of the game. Miles fell asleep in Mom's arms in the bottom of the 8th. He missed the whole excitement of the game! Here are some photos from game.

Hair twisties!

2009-08-23T21:58:00.002-05:00

Go SDSU! My mom put string in my hair for fun.
Here's my brother walking!
He's getting so good at walking.

So my mom found this Conair hair spinner thing that you feed string and your hair through the spinner and it spins the string around your hair. She bought it years ago and thought she'd try it in my hair.

My brother is walking! Mom took some photos of him in action. He's getting really good at it all of a sudden. I am so proud of my buddy!

Catching up...

2009-08-20T23:17:00.003-05:00

Sophia playing outside at my parent's house.
My Aunt Lois from Colorado and Sophia.
Meter giving his Mom a smile!
Meter not so happy with Mom. He wanted to go outside and play.
Ashley with her dog Honey. Such a nice photo!

Well, this is Mom. Just wanted to write a quick entry. My baby Miles is growing so fast! He is now walking! Took his first steps on Sat. Aug. 8th for us. He did about 10-12 steps. Then for a few days did only three or four steps at a time. He preferred just crawling because he got to where he needed to get to faster. But lately he'll get up on his feet take some steps, fall and get right back up again to keep walking. Slow and steady wins the race! About a month ago he actually climbed the stairs for the first time. It was a Monday night and I forced him to go up the stairs. He was mad at me for the first step but once I taught him what to do he climbed the rest of the stairs on his own and man did he go FAST! He is definitely a quick learner. That following Saturday I figured I would try to teach him to go down the stairs. He picked that up in ONE day. One day! I couldn't believe it. And even tonight he was following Sophia to the basement. Sophia was so cute because she said, "You've gotta turn around buddy!" :)

Sophia is doing good. She is definitely strong-willed, and at times very hard headed. You think you would be able to reason with a three year old. Nope. Not her. She is catching on to my tricks (or shall I call them bribes). She is a big help though, when she wants to be!

I will post a few recent photos. We were in Iowa last weekend. We brought Ashley back after she stayed with us and helped out with the kids. She was AWESOME. Helped out so much with the kids and even did some babysitting for us. It was kinda like having a nanny for a week. Thanks again Ashley! Can't wait until next summer.

A Sunday afternoon...

2009-08-04T22:25:00.004-05:00

The boys, deep in thought.
There I go, runnin’ as fast as I can.
Family photo! This was taken by the Mississippi River in St. Cloud.
My mom and her baby goats!
I love to swing and Miles likes to push.
Miles decided to swing too.
My brother loves to splash water!
Me and Daddy.

We all went to the Munsinger Gardens in St. Cloud. It was beautiful. The gardens are amazing and it was a really beautiful day. We all had a lot of fun. We took photos, so we thought we'd throw them on here. Enjoy!

Annual pool party

2009-07-19T22:35:00.003-05:00

I love swimming!
and I LOVE to go high!
This is Oliver. He is my second cousin.
This is my cousin Tessa. She likes the pool too!
And Miles took a nap and was a happy boy after Mom got him after a couple hours of snoozing.

It was a beautiful day today for a pool party. Perfect weather and I had so much fun in the pool. I threw fits when it was time for the adults to play their volleyball. I had fun playing with Oliver and Tessa. I am guessing next year is going to be even more fun with all of us running around plus with my new cousin (who will be here in November already)!

More photos from my birthday

2009-07-19T22:31:00.002-05:00

Smiling and making a wish!
Blowing out my candles. I hope my wish comes true!
My new “ears” so that I can listen to my dvd player in the buggy.
I think my brother Miles is taking after my daddy.

My 3rd Birthday Party! and some other stuff

2009-07-19T22:24:00.003-05:00

Howdy Mam.
My birthday cake and getting ready to open my presents!
My brother Miles...he's always smiling! That's my cousin Ashley in the back. She's a great help; going to make a good babysitter someday soon!

So on the fourth of July we went down to Iowa to my Aunt Rachael and Uncle Lon's farm to see some really neat fireworks and play with my cousins Ashley, Ryan, and Jacob. We also celebrated my birthday down there as well as my Aunt Kerry's birthday. I had so much fun and the cake was really good.

Bite me!

2009-07-09T21:30:00.003-05:00

Today I bit a boy, Deshaun, at daycare. He made me mad so I bit him. Lisa was making our lunch when it happened and by the time she got to the playroom, Deshaun's teeth were already leaving a mark on my cheek. We both had to sit in a long time out. Mom was not happy with me when she picked me up from daycare. She was saying something about now the photos from the party on Saturday are going have to be taken from the right side of my face.

Another first...

2009-07-01T23:18:00.003-05:00

Good morning!

So last Saturday night was national neighborhood campout! Many of our neighbors got together for a grill out and camp fire. Some of us pitched a tent (and the lucky ones popped up their camper) and took a night under the stars. My daddy set up our tent in our backyard and I had so much fun! Mom and Miley stayed inside. Mom said Miles wasn't ready for tenting but I think she really didn't want to rough it all that much. :) My daddy brought a radio to listen to during the night. It was kinda windy and I woke up once at about 2:00 a.m. because I was cold. So Dad tucked me under my sleeping bag again. I was up and ready for the day at about 6:30 a.m. (a little earlier than normal, but hey we were outside and the sun was already up too). My dad took this photo of me as I was getting out of the tent. I am a lot better about taking photos. I even say "cheeeeese!" I can't wait until next year. Daddy says that we are going to start a little tradition of our own...tenting in our backyard!

A few firsts

2009-06-24T21:04:00.004-05:00

I've had it with you Mom! Stop taking pictures already!
Okay I'm better. You can take my picture again. This is the outfit Miles got from Great Grandma Thomas.
Me and Mommy before the movie.

Miles first time in the swimming pool!

I thought I'd show Miles around...

Daddy, Miles, and me before a Father's Day stroll.

Stopping for a snapshot in front of the pond.

So on Sunday, June 14th my mom and dad got a babysitter for Miles and us three went to the movie theater. It was my very first time to see a movie on a big screen. They took me to Up and we watched it in 3D. I guess they said don't expect the 3D effect every time we go to the movies. I kept my glasses on pretty much the whole time. It was really neat. I was amazed at how big everything was and how things would jump out at you...almost as if you could reach out and touch it. We all shared a soda and some whoppers. The soda made my nose tingle.

I also had my very first swim lesson on Saturday, the 13th. I love the water and I was the most excited student in the swim lessons. I was also the tiniest.

Speaking of swimming, Miles had his first time in a swimming pool that Saturday as well. He wasn't too sure about it. He got cranky but tolerated it after awhile.

We had a good Father's Day. We started the day off going to church. Dad wanted to go to the Minnesota Zoo but the weather told us it wasn't the best idea. So we went to the mall instead. We then went out for lunch to yummy Buffalo Wild Wings. I love their mac-n-cheese!

Miles' stats

2009-06-07T22:17:00.002-05:00

So I posted some photos of Miles' birthday party and all and forgot to give his stats from his doctor's appointment on Friday. It was a family event...Mom, Dad, me, and Miles headed off to the doctor's. Dr. Spaulding says he's a perfect baby. I guess she said that about me too! :) He weighs 23 lbs. 7 oz. (60th percentile), is 29 3/4" tall (50 percentile) and his head measured in the 95th percentile. Mom says she has big headed baby goats. I felt really bad for my baby brother. The nurse came back to the room after the doctor left and gave him four shots. My brother got really upset and cried pretty hard. He gave that nurse a pretty nasty look. I was really concerned...especially when Mom tells me I have to go to the doctor next month! Goodnight everyone!

My brother turns one year old!

2009-06-07T17:06:00.003-05:00

So my brother turned one on Friday, the 5th but we had his birthday party on Saturday. Family and a few friends were able to attend. It was a cool, rainy day so we spent the afternoon indoors with a Minnesota Twins themed party. It was a good party. Dad made ham, pasta salad, and potato salad. My mom made popcorn, cause that was the easiest. The cake was delicious. I devoured that in no time and wanted some more. Miles wasn't too sure about the cake at first but realized pretty quickly how good it actually is. He LOVES balloons. The red, blue, white balloon bouquet with the Minnesota Twins balloon was his favorite. He pretty much had a death grip on that one the whole day. Mom tried to take it away a few times and he squawked at her to let her know he was mad! Thank you everyone for a great party. Mine is coming up...just a little over a month away! Yeah!

Cake, presents, balloons, oh my!
Miles' birthday cake
Me and Mommy
Momma and Miles
The Simonsen Family

2009-06-07T17:02:00.001-05:00

Miles surrounded in balloons, cake, and presents.
Miles got a cell phone from G-ma and G-pa Simonsen.
Miles was getting sleepy after his cake.
Miles sporting his new Robeez from G-ma Ginny and G-pa Mike.
Great-G-ma, me, G-ma Ginny, Miles, and G-pa Mike.

My Potty Party!

2009-05-17T22:01:00.003-05:00

Morning of my Potty Party!
Miles waiting for guests to arrive.
My best friend Harper, her dad, and me
Half of the party, the other half, mostly kids were downstairs
Post Potty Party. I was tired so I took a rest and watched Finding Nemo.

So I had the best day today. I had many friends over with their mom and dads. We had cupcakes and ice cream with all sorts of fun toppings like strawberries, chocolate/peanut butter swirl chips, peanuts, sprinkles, marshmallows, cookies, and more. My mom and dad promised me that when the day came, I would get to have a potty party, once I started to use the potty like a big girl. Yeah! Ironically, the day of my potty party I had an accident. Oops. Moms says, "that better not happen again!" Goodnight everyone!

Swallowed by a hungry hippo

2009-05-07T22:27:00.002-05:00

Hungry, hungry hippo and I was his lunch.
Sliding down
My feet really aren't this big.
Another run for the slide.
Which slide should I take?

So my mom took me to the park this past weekend. Just me and Mommy. Dad stayed home with Miles and did some yard work while my mom and I went and had some fun. It was a big playground and my favorite were the slides. I also had fun playing with another little girl my age who was there with her funny grandpa and grandma.

So enjoy the pictures and I will try to be better about my blogging.

Love, Sophia

2009-04-30T22:04:00.002-05:00

Here's me giving a very rare smile for the camera.
Flowers my mom got from Aunt Jaime, Uncle Aaron, Tessa, and Baby Simi #2 because my Uncle Brad left for Afghanistan.
My "not-so-little-anymore" brother next to his weekly bear photo. 47 weeks.
The entire Bunt family

So my mom got to take a somewhat of an impromptu trip to Philly last weekend. Uncle Brad was deployed overseas to Afghanistan this past week, so the entire Bunt family flew out to the Philly area to visit him before he had to leave. My mom had a good time.

My mom said I get to have that potty party that she and daddy have been promising me. It's now been 2 weeks since I started wearing big girl underwear and have been doing really, really good. They are so proud of me! My favorites are the Dora undies.

Sorry it's been awhile since my last blog...there's so many toys and so little time plus, the weather has been somewhat nice to go for wagon rides, ride my tricycle, and play on the neighbor's swing set.

A few photos and a Potty Party in the horizon

2009-04-14T22:05:00.003-05:00

Daddy and Miles the night of the MN Twins home opener.
Me checking to see if there is any candy in the egg I found.
Me, Mommy, Daddy, and Miles
I gave Miles an egg. He wasn't too sure about it though.
Me and cousin Jacob playing in the box.

So my mom and dad are pretty proud of me lately. Why you ask? I have been using the potty pretty consistently. It's been really easy with peeing in the potty. I have been doing that for months. It has been a couple weeks that I have mastered both. Yeah! Today I was outside playing with my friend Harper and I told my mom that I had to go to the potty. So we ran inside to use the potty and went right back outside. I even got to put big girl panties on tonight. Mom says that this weekend is going to be a big weekend for me because she is going to put me in big girl panties all weekend. I think I am ready. I want that potty party they keep telling me about.

Humor in the mind of a 2 1/2 year old

2009-03-26T22:09:00.002-05:00

Journal entry from Mom.

So my mom and my grandma are up visiting and taking care of the baby goats for a couple of days. Spending some good quality time playing, eating, spoiling, and laughing.

Tonight we were all hanging out in the basement. I was asking the typical questions to Sophie..."how was your day? What did you have for lunch? What did you, Great-Grandma, and Grandma do today?"

And here is how one particular conversation went.

Me, "Sophie, what time did you get up this morning?"

Sophie, looking right at me with those big brown eyes, "Great-Grandma woke me."

Me, "Great-Grandma woke you up?"

"Yeah. Great-Grandma woke me."

Great-Grandma butts in, "No I didn't." And she just broke into a tearful laugh, as did my mom. I too had a pretty good giggle going. Which Sophie totally ate up.

Here's the kicker. I had already known that my grandma went to check on her this morning and she had said that Sophie was already awake (with a loaded diaper). She was just standing on the edge of her bed waiting for someone to come and get her.

As I re-read this, I can't seem to put into words how funny the moment really was. Precious times like that I just wish I could record in my memory bank forever. Too bad we didn't at least have the video camera going. I guess there will be many more moments to soak in and treasure.

Just another day...

2009-03-15T16:08:00.003-05:00

Miles sporting a mohawk.
Me crawling around, trying to teach Miles how to do it right.

So today (and yesterday) was finally a nice day for a wagon ride. My mom and dad took Miles and I for a walk around the neighborhood. Man were there a lot of people out enjoying the weather, just like we were. I ran into my friend Joanna and her mom wants us to get together sometime soon. We got home and Mom took off Miles' hat and his hair was so funny!

Yesterday my mom's friend Katie came over for a visit and to go for a walk. I kept asking where Brent was. Brent and Katie are married. I like Brent, he's so tall and he flies me up in the air.

My brother is doing good. He flops around like a fish to get to his toys. Still not quite crawling, but his fish flopping gets him to where he needs to go. Mom keeps telling Daddy, I can't believe that Miles is going to be one year old pretty soon. Ohhh I love birthday parties!

Tough day on the job...

2009-03-05T20:47:00.003-06:00

Sohie and Derek watching The Count
Gotta love the two heads peaking just above the couch.
Do these shoes make my feet look big?
Trying to get my filthy coat off.
And my really filthy snowpants.

So I had so much fun at daycare today. Mom came to pick me up and my snowpants were no longer pink...they were covered in MUD, so were my mittens and coat.

Last weekend I got to play with my friend Derek. His mom and dad are good friends with my mom and dad. We stayed at this nice house on Gull Lake in Brainerd. Derek and I watched Sesame Street, read books, made towers, and ran around the house.

My little brother is much better after dealing with his RSV and then an ear infection. He's back to smiling, giggling, and trying to crawl.

Well, I better go now.

2009-02-20T18:02:00.001-06:00

Me and Great-Grandma playing
Tessa at her first birthday
Me!
Miles
Papa Simonsen. I took this when we were in the van and he was driving.

2009-02-20T17:52:00.002-06:00

Me with pig tails. Very fitting with the pig nose.
My cousin Ryan also sporting a pig nose.
My cousin Jacob
My Uncle Brad!
My cousin Ashley with the funny glasses and nose.

My camera

2009-02-20T17:40:00.005-06:00

Dad and Miles
My and my mom
Gamma Ginny
Papa Mike
Josie

So I got a camera from Uncle Aaron, Aunt Jaime, and Tessa for Christmas and my mom finally is helping me out with getting the pictures off the camera and onto my blog. I will post some more photos after this one. It is a lot of fun to take pictures, but I am still learning...Mom has to delete a lot of carpet or ceiling shots.

My sick little brother...

2009-02-19T22:21:00.003-06:00

Miles being nebbed.
Miles falling asleep during his nebulization.
Woof! Woof!
Me actually half-way smiling for Mom and the camera.

So last week on Friday my mom got called from work to come and pick up Miles from daycare. He had a high temperature and a bad cough. Mom decided to take him to the doctor. He has RSV. He has to have these nebulization treatments every five to six hours until he gets better. So today Mom got another phone call from daycare. This time it was me. I was the one with the fever and not eating well or playing all that much at daycare. Back at the doctor's office. I got to stand on this scale and I now weigh 26 pounds and I am 33 1/3" tall. Doctor looked in my ears and my throat. We then went to this lab room and this nurse asked if she could see my pretty teeth. The mean woman then stuck a swab down my throat and made me gag. Tested negative for strep. I still got some medicine because of my fevers and cough and with my brother being sick too. We all hope to get healthy soon. Mom is sooooo tired of this passing back and forth of colds, flu, and whatever else seems to appear. Hope all of you are healthy!

January is almost over!

2009-01-30T18:46:00.003-06:00

Wild Miles!
Happy Miles.
Please, I am trying to eat my dinner.

So it is January 30th here in Minnesota and not one day did it get above freezing. I guess there is one more day left in order for that to happen. I have been trying to use my potty a bit more. I am really good about it for the most part, but there is just one thing I WILL NOT do in the potty. I guess someday it will happen and my mom said that I get to have a "potty party" once I use the potty consistently. I get to have cake, ice cream, and some neighborhood friends over. Yeah! I love ice cream (just like my mom)!

My brother's room, finally!

2009-01-17T11:47:00.004-06:00

Valance that Gramma Ginny made.

Shadow batter and radio from Gma and Gpa Simonsen

My little brother in his room.

So my mom and dad FINALLY worked on Miles' room last night. The baseball valance is what Gramma Ginny made. I have to say it looks awesome in his room. Gramma Ginny did a really nice job. We have a lot of "custom" curtains/valances in our home, we're pretty lucky! The shadow baseball player on the wall and music player is from Grandma and Pappa Simonsen. There are a few more things that Mom wanted to hang on the one wall yet over by his crib...I guess some baby outfits that he had when he was a newborn, all baseball related (go figure). Well, I guess my lunch is almost ready so I better go eat.

My new car seat!

2009-01-15T22:21:00.003-06:00

My new pink car seat!

So Daddy came home last night from shopping and came home with a new car seat for me! It's pink and I love it. Miles was getting a bit big for his infant car seat so Daddy bought me a new one and Miles now has my old brown one. (Let the hand-me downs begin). :) I wanted to snap a photo and I invited Miles to sit next to me. He's getting so big! I think he might start crawling soon.

Christmas on the farm.

2008-12-29T23:15:00.003-06:00

Miles finally got a red tractor!
Opening all those presents was too exhausting for Miles.

More Christmas

2008-12-29T23:10:00.003-06:00

Uncle Brad and me
Even Stimpy got a gift for Christmas
Miles and his preppy sweater
My Christmas dress that Dad bought for me
Daddy and his kids

More photos from Christmas.

2008-12-29T23:04:00.002-06:00

Aunt Candi and Miles
Aunt Rachael and Miles
Great Grandma Shirley and Miles
Me and cousin Jacob eating spaghetti
My Buckass sweatshirt

So here are a few photos from Christmas in Iowa. I had a lot of fun with everyone and I received a lot of presents and so did Miles. It's good that he likes to share. :) There are some more photos I need to add yet.

Mom's trip to California!

2008-12-29T22:57:00.002-06:00

Poinsettia tree in San Diego
Big Bear Lake
Mom and Aunt Candi's friend Mark
Mom and Aunt Candi at Wilson Creek Winery

So Mom got to spend a few days in California to visit Aunt Candi out in California. She got to visit some wineries, fly Mark's airplane and visit Big Bear Mountain, and do some shopping. She also got to check out Candi and Mark's shop and do a little work there too. They own an embroidery/screen printing/trophy/misc. shop. Mom said is was neat to see what they all do. She had really nice weather there 70s and even 80s and she came home to snow, wind, freezing rain, and two days after being back from California, the temp dropped down to -22 degrees!

Baking Christmas cookies with Daddy

2008-12-29T22:49:00.003-06:00

Me and my daddy!
Add some of this and a little of that...

Baking cookies is tiring!

So back in the beginning of December, Daddy and I baked cookies all day. Man is that a job! I had a lot of fun and so did Daddy. I think he wants to make make sure we do this together every Christmas. This year I got to take a nap while he and Mom did the clean up. Well, I have some more photos and entries I want to add, so I am going to end this one here.

Making my list...

2008-12-06T15:09:00.002-06:00

Oh, what do I want...

There are so many toys out there! I kept telling Mom and Dad, "I want this" and "I want that" and they kept saying something like, "well, you better let Santa know." I think he's the guy who made me cry last year when Mom threw me on his lap!

Yeah, yeah, I know...my hair is in my eyes, and Mom has about given up on this whole "growing out the bangs." She gets pretty irritated with me when I keep taking out my barrettes or hair clips, headbands, or pony tails out.

Des Moines and my friend Addison

2008-12-06T14:52:00.004-06:00

Cousin Ashley and me swimming in Des Moines, Iowa
A rare sight on camera, but Mom got me to smile for the camera.
My friend Addison and me playing in my tent.
The race is on!
My brother at least likes to smile for the camera.

So it's been awhile since this blog has had any attention. We went down to Des Moines Iowa for a Bunt family gathering. My Aunt Candi, Uncle Brad, and Papa Bunt ran the Fun Run at Living History Farms. Every finished the 7 mile race. Brad lost to Candi by one minute.

My friend Addison and her parents came to visit us last weekend on Sunday. I had a lot of fun with her. We played in my tent, sang songs, and had races with the horse and popper - I told her not to drink and drive at the same time!

Wild night at the Simonsen's - journal entry from Mom.

2008-11-20T22:32:00.004-06:00

Like father, like son.
Wild Miles

A wild night at the Simonsen's - well not exactly. The Minnesota Wild played Vancouver tonight and lost. Bummer. Miles is growing so fast and he is just a genuine happy baby. He loves to have his diaper changed or have a change of clothes. He just belts out this big belly laugh every time.

Sophia is doing great. She manages to escape all photo opts possible. She really loves her daycare. There have been times we are on our way home and she'll recognize the corner for Lisa's and she'll ask to go there. Last weekend we went to church, Chris dropped her off in the church daycare and she screamed bloody murder. Well, she calmed down the moment he left. We left church and she screamed, "I want to go back there!" That following Tuesday, I was on my way home from the gym with her and she wanted to go to church. :) Yeah, she likes the gym as well. Dr. Laura would be horrified if she knew I had my daughter in three different daycares.

My Halloween card from Gamma Ginny and Papa Mike

2008-11-04T06:38:00.003-06:00

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-30T23:39:00.002-05:00

Uncle Brad is home!

Miles is a bumble bee for Halloween.
I am going to be a unicorn. This is what my cousin Ashley wore when she was my age.
This one is your Miles.
Miles wants to start carving the pumpkins!

So it's been an exciting week. My mom, Miles, and I went to Iowa for the weekend last weekend. And to everyone's surprise, my Uncle Brad showed up at the barn decorating celebration at Uncle Cory and Aunt Sandy's house. It was fun to see him again. This was also the first time he got to meet my little brother.

So Mom dressed us up in our costumes tonight, make sure they fit and all. I am going to be a unicorn and Miles is a bumble bee. The last photos are from last night when we carved pumpkins. I didn't do much. Mom and Dad wanted me to help scoop out the guts but I took one look in my pumpkin and decided it was too icky.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween everyone!

Eating does make you tired.

2008-10-23T22:23:00.003-05:00

All done!

So my brother really likes his cereal. Dad fed him this night and before I know it, Dad went to get the camera. I yelled, "No camera!" I guess he didn't want to take a photo of me, he wanted to take a picture of Miles because he fell asleep right there in his high chair.

Miles, Miles, Miles

2008-10-16T23:31:00.003-05:00

Not ready for this yet Dad.
Where's my cereal?
Wild Miles

So Miles doesn't care for pizza quite yet. Actually Daddy just put the pizza close to his mouth while Mom took the photo. He now gets to sit in my old highchair. In the photo, he's waiting for his rice cereal, which he likes a lot. Mom says he's adding on the pounds way quicker than I ever did. Before Mom knows it, Miles will surpass me in weight in no time the way he's eating! The last photo is Miles in his jammies he got from Aunt Kerry, Uncle Mark, and cousins Ashley, Ryan, and Jacob. It's suits him pretty well...I’m wild.

My friend Harper

2008-10-16T23:24:00.003-05:00

Me and Harper
This past summer we got new neighbors and I got a new friend. Her name is Harper and she is a lot of fun. I even got to go to her house a while back for cake and ice cream since she just turned two at the beginning of October. She moved here from Maryland. She has three older brothers who run around and rough house a lot.

Harvest is here...journal entry from Mom.

2008-10-04T23:37:00.002-05:00

Just thought I'd share a quick story that happened tonight. I will begin by saying last weekend we were all home on the farm and Sophia wanted to look at the tractor book. It's a coffee table/hard cover photo book of tractors of all ages, colors, etc. Well, every time she and Grandma would come to a John Deere tractor, we would all say "icky" or "icky tractor" so that she will learn that we Simonsen's are all about red. I never grew up on a farm, but pretty much you are either red or green when it comes to farming.

Tonight, Sophia, Miles, and I went to church. After church we went to the grocery store. In front of the store there was this display of pumpkins, hay, and various other things for fall. From the backseat I hear a beautiful, perky, and excited voice, "Icky Mamma! Icky tractor!" You guessed it, parked among the pumpkins and hay was a big John Deere tractor. I had to laugh. "That's right, Sweetheart, icky tractor!"

I go fast.

2008-10-03T23:31:00.003-05:00

I love to push my brother in his swing!

Say cheese!

2008-10-03T23:24:00.003-05:00

A smile!

So, my mom is always chasing me with the camera and I always managed to dodge most shots. Except tonight she got me! It didn't turn out the best as for lighting and all, but she got me smiling so she kept it. There's also another video. I was pushing Miles in his swing. Hopefully my mom can get it uploaded to this blog.

E.I.E.I.O

2008-09-29T21:04:00.006-05:00

I kiss Christian.
Ryan with a toad he found.
Daddy and Baby Miles with Uncle Aaron and cousin Tessa.
Charlie and Seleena.
I kiss Daddy.
So it was a trip down to the farm for an annual Jensen/Wallace/Andersen get-together. I got to play with Christian quite a bit and my cousin Tessa. It was a lot of fun to see everyone again and to see Papa's tractors and be outside ALL day on Saturday, I didn't even have time to take a nap. I pretty much fell asleep by 8:00 that night and didn't wake up until after 9:00 the next morning. Here are some pics from the get-together. Hope everyone is good. Cheer for the Twins!

Barnyard Celebration!

2008-09-21T21:47:00.003-05:00

Here piggy, piggy.
My hair is supposed to look like that?
Yeah, you could use a little trimming here.
I want you for the US Army!
Deep thoughts, by Miles Christopher.

So today the family and I went to our annual neighborhood block party. This year's theme was a barnyard celebration. There was a petting zoo there with animals like a pony, donkey, chickens, ducks, sheep, and pigs. It was a lot of fun because I even got to go inside the pen and pet these animals. I kept my distance on most of them but was intrigued with the sheep. My mom took some photos (of course) so here they are. The one of Miles in the pumpkin costume is because my mom wanted to see if it fit him. I wore it my first halloween. I guess it fits him just perfect right now, but Mom has to remember that Halloween is still over a month away!

I kiss.

2008-09-18T21:59:00.003-05:00

I kiss Baby Miles.
Seriously, does she have to do that?
Here kitty.

I love to give hugs and kisses. Sometimes my brother gets annoyed, but I find it way too much fun. One of my favorite new things to do at dinner time is hold up my cup of milk and do cheers with Mom and Dad. Tonight I was able to talk to Daddy on the phone and I tried to kiss him and give him a hug but wasn't for sure how; so I hugged and kissed the phone. He comes home tomorrow from Colorado. I can't wait to see him. I have been a pretty good girl this week for Mom though. I even helped her with the laundry on Tuesday night.

Miles' baptism

2008-09-15T21:44:00.003-05:00

The sponsors-Uncle Lon and Aunt Rachael and Katie and Brent Frikken.
Pastor Tom, Dad, Mom, and Miles
Dad, Me (pulling my mom's hair), Mom, and Miles
Great-grandma M. and me - "Come on Grandma, let's go."
Dad, Gramma Ginny, Great-grandma Shirley, Grandpa Mike, Mom, Miles, Aunt Kerry, Jacob, and Ashley.

So my little brother was baptized on Saturday, September 13th. I really didn't want to participate in the photos, as you can see in the one where I am pulling my mom's hair. So I went off and played while pictures were taken. The service went really well, so my mom says. I was in the nursery with my cousins Ashley and Jacob. We had family up from both sides of the family and it was a lot of fun. I got to have some good quality time with everybody. My cousin Ashley even got to sleep in my room with me!

C is for cookie video.

2008-09-11T21:26:00.002-05:00

Journal entry from Mom.

2008-09-11T21:15:00.002-05:00

I am just amazed everyday at the things Sophia is learning. She really knows her colors, is counting up to ten, and is starting to say her ABCs. We came home from daycare tonight and she walked into the mudroom and heard music playing. She looked at me and said, "Daddy in office. Daddy rocking." Yes, Daddy was in his office and listening to hard rock music. :)

She has a new friend who just moved in right next door. Her new friend's name is Harper. She's from Maryland and is also two years old. They are going to have a lot of fun together, especially next summer. I am thinking that we will be setting a lot of playdates this winter.

Well, I better get to bed. I am going to try and upload a video that most of you may have already seen, but for those of you who haven't, enjoy. I thought it was too cute to pass up to share with all of you.

Mom, put that camera away!

2008-09-03T23:04:00.003-05:00

I want some more money!
Go Twins!
More smiles from Miles. (Or “excellent” from The Simpson’s)
Cousin Tessa and me. I think I might be more of the “wild one.”

So my mom just finds in necessary to take photos all the time. I guess that is why I am wailing in the first photo. She asks for me to “please smile for Momma” but I like to push her buttons instead. :) Maybe after my whole terrible twos phase. Miles doesn't seem to mind his photo taken though. I am sure he’ll go through the same thing though when he’s about my age.

So last year my mom and Aunt Jaime were shopping together and found the same shirt in different sizes at Gymboree. So here is the photo session from that, which I managed to smile a quick one because Mom bribed me with a cookie or something.

I am starting to know a lot of my colors now, and the counting is improving daily. I know bits and pieces of the alphabet. I really enjoy my daycare, Lisa is the best! I know even say goodbye to Daddy without throwing a huge fit in the morning. and sometimes, I don’t even want to leave when Mom comes to pick me up.

On the farm...

2008-08-22T21:55:00.003-05:00

Outfit from Great-Grandma Thomas.
Tessa, Great-Grandma Mathiowetz, Miles, and me.
My brother and I getting our baths.
Artist in the future making.

Last weekend was a trip down to the farm. Dad had his class reunion so we made the trip down. Things are going pretty good. Mom and Dad say I am behaving a lot better these days. Bedtime for me is going way better than it was about a month ago. My brother Miles is growing so big. We had our photo taken with Great-Grandma Mathiowetz and cousin Tessa. Tessa is so much fun. I can't wait for her to run around with me! My Mom's good friend from college, LeeAnn and her family got me an easel for my birthday. I love to play with it and like to draw pictures for my Mom and Dad.

Dinner with the Thayers!

2008-08-14T23:06:00.004-05:00

Sophia, Brooke, Addison and Miles
Blondes having some fun!
Who says you can’t use an ice cream cone for a microphone? Would that be an ice creamaphone?

Tonight I got to play with my friend Brooke and her little sister Addison. I had a lot of fun and Brooke wore a really pretty princess dress. My mom and dad are really good friends with Brooke and Addison’s mom and dad. They brought a big sister present for me...dress up shoes! I can’t wait to wear them. Thanks again Mary, Greg, Brooke and Addison! Tomorrow my brother and I don’t have daycare, so we get to stay home with Mom. She says I have to leave Daddy alone though so that he can work. I guess I get to go shopping with her in the morning. I wonder what I can con her into buying me this time?

2008-08-13T21:42:00.003-05:00

I really love my brother Miles!

Mr. Miles after a nice bath...he smells so good!

Well, it’s been almost two weeks now since my baby brother Miles has joined me at daycare. He sleeps a lot and eats quite a bit too. Lisa and I make sure nobody hurts him. I help out some, but rather would play with the other kids.

Tonight, my mom tried to take a “cute” photo of Miles and I for this blogsite. She figured since the blogsite is for the both of us, he too should be on the homepage photo. You can plainly see, it didn’t go so well. I wouldn’t smile and Miles kept crying, so I joined in the crying. Mom thought it would be just so funny to use that one for the homepage. She, by the way, joined some facebook website. I guess a lot of her friends are on there and she is having fun finding old ones. Feel free to find her facebook page!

The stats are in...journal entry from Mom.

2008-08-08T17:03:00.005-05:00

Mom and Miles

Well, Miles and I had his two-month appointment this morning. He now weighs in at 11 lbs. and 5 oz. (50%) and is 23 1/4" tall (75%). His head also measured at 75%tile. He was all smiles for Dr. Spaulding and did some good cooing for her. She was very impressed with his ability of already rolling over because he did it right there for her on the exam table. I had told her earlier that he had rolled over a few times at home and at daycare. He was such a trooper when he had to get his four shots! He only wailed for about 30 seconds and then he was back to smiling. He has been a pretty good sleeper today.

Dad and Sophia in Corvette

Sophia had her very first Corvette ride this morning. She went to Spicer with her dad and Grandma Simonsen picked her up for a weekend on the farm. So, for those of you wondering...the Corvette does not a have front passenger air bag. Still probably not the brightest idea on our part, but then again we are not your typical first time parents either.

Hope everyone is good and I will try my best to keep updating this blogsite, excuse me...Sophia will do her best at keeping up with this blogsite! ;)

Meeting Miles

2008-07-30T14:50:00.006-05:00

Smiles from Miles!
Great-Grandma Shirley with Miles.
Cousin Ashley helping out with Miles.
Sis, this is MY toy, you’re too big.
Sophia and friend Derek Nelson.

Entry from Mom:

So Miles had the pleasure of meeting Great-Grandma Shirley and the Hurd family as mentioned in the previous blog entry. The first photo is Miles from today, smiling. He sure is a happy baby today and is cooing/talking so much lately...of course because Mom goes back to work on Monday already! I am looking forward to going back, getting back to the routine of working and all, but I sure am going to miss my baby, being with him all day, every day since his birth!

Sophia is now in her toddler bed. She does okay with that as far as sleeping in there, but getting her down for bedtime is another story. We are dealing with the typical terrible twos but she still brings joy and love to our hearts...even the moments when she hits, smacks, scratches, screams, yells, cries, etc. The times that she gives you those hugs and kisses and the “sorry Momma” make up for the moments that you are angry at her for her behavior. I just keep reminding myself at least we only have ONE two year old and not like three or four of them at once! She's been at her new daycare now since May 5th. She really enjoys it there and has many friends. She comes home with the most unique art projects and is so proud of them. Her language skills have just exploded in the last month. It is so fun to hear her put sentences together. My new favorite is when we ask what her brother’s name is and her response is Miles with a bit of a southern drawl and an O added to the end “MileOs.”

Iowa Birthday Party!

2008-07-30T14:37:00.003-05:00

Another birthday cake!
Mmmm, that was yummy!
Thanks Aunt Kerry for my new book.
Love you Grandpa Mike!
Here's my monster tent that Gramma Ginny made me.

Mom, Miles, and I made a trip down to Iowa last week. It was such a long trip in The Buggy (that's what my parents call the new car), but well worth it. We got to celebrate my birthday down there and Miles got to meet Great-Grandma Shirley, Aunt Kerry, Uncle Mark and cousins Ashley, Ryan, and Jacob. The ride back home went much better because Ashley came home with us and she kept me entertained the whole way home. She is so funny...made me giggle practically the whole trip. :) Thanks Ashley for playing with me and helping my mom out when you were here. I hope you and Ryan are having fun with the Xbox!

Annual Pool Party

2008-07-17T07:55:00.002-05:00

Little girl in big pool.
Big girl in little pool.

Every summer we head down to the cities for the Gilbertson/Simonsen annual pool party. I loved the pool. I got to to in for awhile with my dad, but soon I had to get out so that the men could play their volleyball tournament. I was pretty mad and tried to climb back into the pool while they were playing. Thankfully Daddy was right there to catch me. I was then moved to the froggy pool that Aunt Jaime brought for Tessa. I am thinking that next year and the years to follow are going to be less v-ball games and more kid-time in the pool with my brother, cousin Tessa and second cousin Oliver, and who knows...maybe some other kiddos by then.

My 2nd Birthday!

2008-07-16T16:07:00.003-05:00

The birthday girl waking up!
A birthday girl always needs a bouquet of balloons.
Princesses cake from Cold Stone Creamery.
A lot more better at the eating the cake than last year!
Oh, all the presents to open!

This past Saturday was my 2nd birthday party. My Grandma and Papa Simonsen came, so did Great-grandma Mathiowetz, Uncle Aaron and Aunt Jaime and cousin Tessa along with a few good friends. The weather was nice and I got many neat presents—an Aquadoodle mat, a singing mic, clothes, a mirror for my dresser, an Elmo phone, a tote full of art stuff, and a portable dvd player (for those long trips to the grandparents’ houses). And to think I get to have another birthday down in Iowa with my Gamma and Papa Bunt and my Aunt Kerry, Uncle Mark and cousins Ashley, Ryan, and Jacob.

4th of July vacation to Duluth, MN

2008-07-06T14:22:00.004-05:00

This Forth of July weekend, we headed up north to Duluth, MN where you will find Lake Superior. It was beautiful the entire time we were there (Wednesday thru Saturday). I was a bit of a challenge at times. Everytime we would head back to the hotel room I would throw a fit. The room was so tiny and boring for me. What was a 2-year old girl supposed to do? So here are some photos that Mom and Dad took with their new camera. Honestly, I am so tired of "smile for the camera" and "say cheese." I actually stayed up for the fireworks which started at 10:10 p.m. I was impressed at first, but after a few of them, decided that my Baby Einstein video on the portable DVD player was much more interesting.

The last photo is of my brother Miles his first time in the Bumbo chair. Not sure if he likes it or not because if Miles is not being held, swayed, swung, rocked, nursed, burped, or carried in the baby bjorn, he's being fussy anyway. He sure is a light sleeper!

Hope you all had a great and safe Forth of July as well. We are closing the weekend off with the Frikkens at their house. Katie and Brent are good friends of my parents. I think there's talk of some sort of ping pong tournament and a game (or two) of bocce ball. Take care everyone!

Just another day...

2008-06-26T11:46:00.003-05:00

My Mommy and Daddy took me to the neighborhood pool last weekend. I was a bit hesitant, unlike last year. You couldn’t get me out of the water. But, I did get better when I went there again this past week.

Here is my cat Stimpy. I like to chase him and pull his tail. The ‘rents are always trying to tell me to stop, but I just find it too funny.

Then there's bro and me. The photo says it all.

Bath time!

2008-06-19T20:59:00.004-05:00

My mom has been getting a lot of guff lately as to why the blog site hasn't been updated. So here's a quick one since she's typing one-handed. Here is a few photos from the other night. My brother had a bath and then I was next. Things are pretty good. He's a pretty cool brother. I can't wait until he gets a little bit bigger so that I don't have to be so careful. I am always being told "be gentle" and "watch out for baby brother." I will try and keep my mom on track of this whole blogging thing. My brother does keep her pretty busy. Okay, I keep her busy too.

More photos

2008-06-10T21:50:00.005-05:00

Well, as promised, here are some more photos. The first one is Great-grandma Mathoweitz, Grandpa and Grandma Simonsen with my brother Miles. The second one is one of our very first family photos taken at the hospital. Mom wanted to wait until she was in normal clothing, but we convinced her otherwise. The next one is Miles in his crib for the very first time. He loves his crib. He just kept staring at the bumper Gramma Ginny made for him. It's red with white stars. The quilt is what Aunt Kerry made and Gramma Ginny helped with the backing and of course the name wasn't put on there until later b/c Miles wasn't Miles until he was a couple hours old. The last is me with my baby brother. I love him so much. He's very squirmy so I don't get to hold him for very long. I had a ton of fun with all of my grandparents the time that Mom and Dad were at the hospital. I am so thankful that they were there to play with me and keep me entertained. I miss all of them already.

My little brother is here!

2008-06-10T11:27:00.004-05:00

Well, he finally is here! My new baby brother, Miles Christopher Simonsen. He weighed 7 lb. 6 oz. and was 20" long. He has a long torso and “monkey arms” as my dad likes say since he himself has “monkey arms”. He is very cute, I must say. I love him very much and always watch out for him. I liked to point out where his eyes, nose, and mouth are for Mom and Dad. I will post this one for now, but I guess Mom has more photos (go figure) but this post would only allow this many. So bye for now, but I’ll be sure to have her put the other photos up shortly.

The photos here are Mom and Miles shortly after he was born, Daddy, me and Miles in the second photo. The third one is me with my Elmo that Mom and Dad gave me as a gift at the hospital. Then Grandpa Mike and Gamma Ginny are in the last photos. Long story short, Gamma Ginny ended up spraining her ankle the night that she left to go home on Sat. night. Hope you are feeling better Gamma Ginny. I miss you and thanks for playing with me and for my book!

Mother's Day Weekend.

2008-05-14T21:21:00.005-05:00

This entry will be written by Mom herself this time. What amazement I feel each and everyday. Celebrating this past Sunday Mother's Day was so much fun and such a delight. We all went to church and out to lunch. Sophia and I took a nap. We all then went to the park in our neighborhood and had a nice home cooked meal. It was a very nice, blessed day. To think that in just over 3 weeks now, I will be a mother of two! We are very excited and anticipating what he will look like, how big he will be, if he will have hair (curly or peach fuzz), etc.

Well, a big part of the weekend was Saturday afternoon. The Simonsen family FINALLY purchased a new vehicle. It was over due, needless to say. Our car reached over 170,000 miles and our truck is just 200 miles shy of turing over to 200,000 miles. With gas prices on the rise and the new addition coming soon, we decided that a Chevy Equinox Sport would be a perfect fit for our family. We had dropped Sophia off at Aunt Jaime and Uncle Aaron's house so that we could do this car shopping. We then had dinner at their house. I was wondering why Sophia didn't have much of an appetite. I guess she did have quite a few crackers, but until I got home and checked my email, the photo says it all...(the one with Uncle Aaron here on this blog entry). I was told they had to coax Sophia back into the house (from being outside) with ice cream. She had a lot of fun and even helped take care of baby cousin Tessa.

Well, that's all for now. Hope everyone is doing good.

Becca

My little brother's arrival date! Oh, yeah the weekend too.

2008-05-06T21:41:00.006-05:00

Jacob and a big smile. "Bottoms up, Couz"

Holy cow Dad! Hello, kitty!

There's been a lot going on lately. I started my new daycare on Monday. It has taken some adjusting, but I think I am going to be okay at Lisa's. She's really nice and fun to play with. I love it when we get to go outside.

Monday was also a big day for Mom and Dad. Mom had a doctor appointment to find out when my baby brother will be born. The date is set...he will be born on Thursday, June 5th, sometime in the morning. I can't wait to meet him. I give him kisses and say "hi baby brother!"

This past weekend, I got to go and see Gramma Ginny and Grammpa Mike and my cousins in Iowa. I had a lot of fun and even got to play with Gamma's dog Chewy. Then on Sunday afternoon Mom and I picked up Dad at the farm and saw Gramma and Papa Simonsen. There I went and saw the cows (they kinda smell) and then Dad took me to see the baby kittens who were about 5 weeks old. They were really cute but man do they ever have tiny sharp claws!

That's all for now. I hope you are enjoying my "blogging" and seeing the photos. Mom said that sometime she'll try and venture the video part of this blog site. Have a nice rest of the week!

Bath Time

2008-04-27T21:12:00.003-05:00

Just a couple more photos to add before bedtime. Bath time is one of my favorites. Tonight I asked to sit on the potty and Mom got me off a little too early, 'cause as soon as she stuck me in that tub, I added a little pee to the bath water. So Mom had to drain and clean the tub and start all over again. I tried to tell her "no" but I have been saying "no" to a lot of things lately, so she probably just figured I wasn't serious. Boy, did she learn her lesson! The second photo is me sitting next to the bear that Mom use to take my photo every week with. I am now taller than that bear, and almost 94 weeks old. Mom went and did some counting, just for that last sentence.

My little brother's nursery

2008-04-27T11:26:00.005-05:00

Hello again. It's Sunday, April 27th and there is SNOW on the ground here in Minnesota. It started snowing Friday night and didn't really stop until yesterday afternoon. Dad says we got a few inches. Thank goodness it is melting quickly. I thought the snow we got 2 weeks ago was the last of it...boy do I have a lot to learn! Last weekend, Mom and Dad decided to finally get started on painting my little brother's nursery. Attached are a couple of pictures. They have some retouching to do, but thought we would share what it looks like so far. The theme is Minnesota Twins. Once we get a little further we will update the photos. I helped Mom a little bit yesterday, tearing off blue tape from the walls.

Daddy left this afternoon for a trip to Colorado for work. I was sad when he left. I grabbed my shoes and tried to put them on, but Mom and Dad said I had to stay here. I tried the whole "crocodile tears" but they didn't work. He will be home on Friday, so I guess it is just Mom and I for this week, and a trip (or two) to the ice cream shop! :)

Sophie's blog

2008-04-11T16:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings! My mom is totally new at this so hang in there. I got to skip daycare today because Mom couldn't get to work with the all of snow we got today (mind you it is April 11th). I think there is about 12" out there, but it is melting away quickly. It sure leaves an icky mess though! So during my nap she worked on my scrapbook and decided to give this whole blogging thing a try. I guess my Aunt Kerry really wanted to see photos and videos occasionally of me (and soon-to-be baby brother) and thought this was a good idea. Enjoy what she has posted so far (which is just this message and a picture of me). Miss you all!