End of the Week Randoms

Sophia loves spending time outside.  She moves from one activity to another in the blink of an eye (which can be exhausting for me), but we are trying to enjoy as much our our remaining summers days as possible.

She is constantly carrying things around -- it is almost as if she is trying to test her steadiness and challenge herself.  One such item of interest is our beach pails.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

********************

We have had corn on the cob a few times this season.  All of us love it, but we have limited ourselves this summer because it hasn't really been great quality corn.  Regardless, the girls each enjoy helping to husk the ears.  They grab their respective stools and set to work like a real team.

********************

Sophia is fast.  In fact, I almost forgot exactly how fast a newly-independent toddler can be.  She reminded me just last week. 

I let Sam have a juicebox with her lunch; definitely a privilege around here.  While she was surely excited about it, for some reason, she didn't finish all of the juicebox and asked if she could leave it on the table to finish later.  I obliged.

While I was taking care of the dishes in the kitchen, Sophia managed to climb up in one of the chairs and reach the juicebox.  She helped herself to it (like she was an expert).

I decided that it wasn't that big of a deal and allowed Sophia to finish it herself.  What I didn't prepare for was the fact that her excessive squeezing would result in a sticky mess ... all over Samantha's puzzle that she had at the far end of the table.  Lesson learned.


********************

Sophia loves to ride on the lawn mower with her daddy.  Samantha didn't enjoy it too much at first (too noisy and intimidating), but Sophia has absolutely no fears.

(And the bandana?  Well, like Daddy, like Daughter, I guess). 

********************

Samantha is obsessed with doing her puzzles on the dining room table these days.  At any given time, she will walk by and work on her puzzle for a few minutes.  While I enjoy the idea of working on something constructive, Sophia has been getting more and more frustrated with her sister.  Sophia is too little to do those puzzles and she feels left out.

In order to combat this problem, I set the girls up with their own puzzles at the table after lunch one day.  It was a success -- everyone was happy.

********************

Just like her sister, Sophia enjoys a chance to smell some pretty flowers.

********************

Last night, I was outside doing sidewalk chalk with the girls.  I have been working really hard with Samantha on her letters, and the hard work is paying off.  She can write most of her capital letters ... and does so quite often in our driveway.  In fact, I had to go retrieve Sophia from the back yard and while I gone, she made a "Z" all on her own.  She was so proud (and so was I).

In addition to her letters (and a few shapes), she took the time to make her own self portrait.  I was so impressed that I had to take a picture.

I mean, she included all of the details (2 eyes, a nose, mouth, body, arms and legs).  Pretty impressive ...

********************