Sophie's Word List

Apple
Banana
Milk (can sign too)
Bottle (baba)
Duck
Roof roof
Fish (sounds like sheesh)
More (can sign)
Up
No (sounds like Mork saying NanuNanu)
Hot
Bubbles
Socks and shoes
Uh-oh
Mama
Dada
Papa
Tata (her version of Tutu)
Lala (her best friend Alaina)
Bye bye
Hellooooo (and hi)
Yellow
Bug (buh)
Sings:
Twinkle twinkle (up above...)
Eieio (one of her first words)

Pleased to meet you

Sophie is learning some very nice social skills. Her latest thing is shaking hands. She saw me shake Tom's hand when Grandma and Grandpa H came to visit last weekend and then stuck her own hand out to Grandpa to shake.

This week we met our new neighbors on the block, Jeff, Kelly, and 13 month old Brinn. After Jeff and I shook hands, Sophie stuck her hand right out there again. What a polite little girl!

Fourth of July in Fox Point

Sophie is pretty pooped after a big 4th of July. Grandpa and Grandma H brought Great Aunt Maud to visit! Sophie was very happy to get to share cinnamon toast with Aunt Maud.

Two parades in two hours! We started off at the Fox Point parade which was a quick circle from Village Hall to Stormonth School. Sophie was memorized by all the people, kids, and woof-woofs. After a rest we headed down to Klode Park to stake out a place in the shade. The floats were interesting but Sophie drummed up the courage to pet a nice Golden Retriever named Macy. Sweet potato chips and lemon shake-ups were very tasty treats. Tom and I ended up walking the longest block in southeast Wisconsin to finally get back to the car.

After a nap and a bratwurst lunch, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Maud had to leave which made Sophie cry. It was a little hot so we splashed in the kiddie pool. The three of us headed back down to Klode to have dinner. It was a perfect July evening and not crowded or mosquito-y. We got cod sticks at one of the booths and Sophie thought it was great to hold one in each hand and gouge them into the tartar sauce. She also loved her first bites out of a big watermelon slice, all washed down with delicious lemonade. After cruising around checking out all the people getting ready for the WFB fireworks we headed home. Fireworks are too late when your bedtime is 7:30! We're all glad that the Shaheens don't live on Links Way!

The long drive home

We sadly left Douglas Lake on Monday and decided to drive through the UP rather than take the ferry due to a rough Lake Michigan. Stops in Manistique to chase seagulls, Escanaba to eat biscuits and gravy, random McD's on the way to Green Bay to try ice cream, and a final stop at a PetsMart in Sheboygan helped Sophie. However, there was some melting down between Port Washington and our driveway.

Sophie loved the swing at the cottage and would shake it vigorously and laugh. Her first dip in the lake was pretty fun as was riding home nude on the pontoon boat. We probably put a couple hundred miles on the car driving her around the north woods for naps. New words learned: fish and yellow. It is also much easier to say "Tata" than "Tutu" so that will do for now. It was nice to have Father's Day with the new World Food Prize laureate. The DL phone started ringing with press interviews and congrats from Purdue Pres. Jischke and others. However, it is easy to keep Dad humble by making help with diaper changes!

The first entry -- Douglas Lake

Well, after 2 days of refusing to nap, Sophie is sleeping upstairs here at Douglas Lake. She wouldn't nap for me, Tutu, or Papa, but she went down for her Mom. Aaaaargh! We went on 90 minute drives so she would snooze in her carseat. It will certainly make for a better day today.

I brought Sophie over on the Lake Express ferry from Milwaukee and Mom and Dad met me south of Cadillac. The ferry ride was fun and pretty easy. We all had a great time while Allie was at her conference in Madison, but could not wait for her to fly in. I picked Allie up in Traverse City and raced back to the cottage. Sophie was awfully excited to see her Momma!

More later...