Sophie. Eleven. 9.17.10

Sophia.

She's 11.

I love this girl.  She's a remarkable girl, turning into a remarkable teenager, just a couple of years too early.

Her birthday was a little complicated, as she had to share it with her cousin Arianne's wedding, but we did let her choose her own breakfast (Toaster Strudel, if you can believe it) and took her to dinner after the reception (Five Guys again.)

What do I love about Sophia?

1.  I can no longer call her Sophia.  She really dislikes her name.  She tolerates Sophie, but really hates Sophia.  I hope that this changes over time, because I really thought how nice it would be for her to have a long name and a nickname.  I always wished I had been Caroline or something and that Kerri could have been just a nickname.  Sigh.  Just goes to show, sometimes mothers just don't get things right, no matter how hard they try.

2.  How sweet she is with Ben.  She calls him "Hon" and carts him around on her hip and plays with him and lets him have her old stuffed animals.

3.  Her sense of style.  The girl is just cool.

4.  Her tender heart.

5.  Her responsibility.  She's turning into quite a good babysitter, and is starting to have moms in the ward call her.  She especially loves babysitting for her Activity Day leader.

6.  Her individuality.  She knows what she wants and what she does NOT want.  She hates to wear her hair down (which makes this picture all the more special) and will NOT wear something that isn't just right.

7.  Her strong will.  Today was our ward Primary Program (the children present the main meeting of our church congregation once a year.)  I wrote a trio for the kids to play.  She asked me to carry her glasses because she had too many things to carry.  When it was time for them to perform, I set up the music stand, and then, since she was holding her bow and violin, I put her glasses on her face for her.  She looked disgusted at me and said "NO!" and shook them off.  No way was she wearing those glasses.  Never mind that she had ASKED ME TO TAKE THEM UP THERE FOR HER.  It was hysterical (I had almost as many comments about the glasses incident as I did about the kids' performance) and just so Sophie.

8.  Her intelligence.

9.  Her sense of right and wrong.  She won't listen to songs if she hears a bad word.  Today we were studying the scriptures.  It was her turn and she read up to a certain point and said, "I don't want to read that word."  It was "hell."  I said, "Sweetie, if it's in the scriptures, you can read it."  But she wouldn't.  David read it for her instead.  He's good at that word.  (Just kidding.)  (Maybe.)

I could tell Sophie stories all day.  She has made our lives so full and rich and fun.

Happy birthday, my darling.  I only wish I could make the years go by much much MUCH more slowly.