and then there were four…

This morning, Sophia woke up at 5 a.m.

5 a.m.

Normally she sleeps until at least 6:30, so when I heard her cry I ran in to grab her because I wanted to avoid having TWO children awake at 5 a.m.

She snuggled on my chest and slept for a bit longer and then rolled over to the bed around 5:45 and looked up at me with those BIG brown eyes.

“Watch Yo Gabba?” She asked me.

“Not right now baby, we need to get some more rest–too early.” I mumbled and attempted to keep her from sitting up in bed.

She settled down for about five minutes and then looked over at me.

“Peeeaaaasss Yo Gabba Mama? Iss my FAVE-IT!” She grinned at me and snuggled her head into my chest.

Do I even have to tell you that we watched two and a half episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba before she got up for breakfast?

That girl gets me every time.

Olivia is learning to read. She has a pretty good hang of phonics, and does extremely well at sounding the things out she sees.

The other day I was cleaning the kitchen while the girls were eating breakfast and I hear a voice behind me.

“Mama, is that PAM?”

I turn to see Olivia pointing at the shelf where I keep the cooking spray.

“uh, why yes it is, great job baby!”

“Is that what you use when you cook my eggs?”

Man I love that kid.

Last night, we were driving home from visiting Bill’s mom’s family and we passed a huge building for a well-known television station.

“MAMA!” my sleepy kid suddenly becomes much more alert, “There’s an ABBREVIATION!”

I had recently taught her about abbreviations when she tried to pronounce one on someone’s shirt the week earlier.

After Bill and I exchanged looks of surprise and told her how awesome she was, we spent the remainder of the car ride discussing abbreviations, acronyms and mnemonics. I remarked to Bill how we were a power-geek couple.

Did I mention I love that guy like crazy?

Sometimes Sophia just likes to remind me that she is around by walking over to me an saying “Um…mommy?” and when I say “yes baby?” she just likes to lay her head on my shoulder and cuddle.

I love that baby girl.

Sophia is following so quickly in her big sister’s footsteps–she idolizes Olivia and loves to do what big sister is doing. It makes me smile when I see the two of them playing together, Olivia teaching Sophia something, Sophia making Olivia laugh.

Today I heard Olivia giggling and when I walked into her room, Olivia looked at me and said “Mama, Sophia is tickling me, that’s why I am laughing.” When I asked her if she was okay being tickled (as she is sometimes not) she said “Yeah, I like it, it makes me laugh.” Sophia, wearing her sister’s (over-sized) sunhat with her pajamas, looks at me, crinkles her nose, giggles, and says “Tickle!”

Those girls never fail to make me smile–even when they have driven me crazy for the majority of the day.

Whenever we get into the car, and as soon as she is buckled in her car seat, Sophia starts shouting “YO GABBA MUSIC!” and Olivia chimes in, so we listen to this CD. Anytime the Roots’ song, “Lovely, Love My Family” comes on, Olivia will ask “Mama, is this your FAVORITE song?”

I always answer the same way, “Yes baby, it makes me happy.”

“Hello Mama, my name is Computer–Olivia is eating right now so Computer is who I am.”

“Um, Mama? French Fry wants to go outside and play.”

“Mama, Bookdrawer, French Fry and Computer are not wanting to be a part of our circus today so they went home.”

And now you know everything I know about Olivia’s three newest “friends”, French Fry, Bookdrawer and Computer. Often, they trade places with Olivia, while Olivia is doing something else.

At first I was wondering if they were in her head (as in, other personalities she had decided to take on), but when she described how each of them looked, I assumed she just thought she could trade places with them when she wanted to. Who knows? It’s extremely enchanting to hear her describe them looking “Like Olivia, but without curly hair” or “like a boy with red hair” etc. etc.

Luckily she hasn’t blamed them for doing things she has done in order to avoid trouble, but I assume it is only a matter of time.

When I asked her where they were this morning, she informed me that they were playing in their own rooms playing. Then she proceeded to describe what their room looked like, which sounds strikingly similar to Olivia & Sophia’s room.

I just learned that French Fry is a baby that sleeps in the crib, but Computer and Bookdrawer are “big girls that sleep in big girl beds and they have everything in their room.”

Now she wants me to meet some people named “K” and “C” but they are sleeping right now, so when they wake up I can meet them.

What I wouldn’t give to live in that world again.