An Early Mother's Day Present

Have a look at what Sofia made her mama for Mother's Day. This card accompanied a geranium in a pink flower pot. And yes, she wrote it HERSELF (though I suppose she copied the words -- as if that matters, she still wrote it).


Here's the inside:


She was so proud!

Michelle, of course, melted, teary-eyed. As did I.

Just another sign that our little girl is not so little any more (she recently proclaimed herself a "medium-sized girl") and rapidly growing up.

Wow.

sofia's b-day party

While we're catching up -- and there's a lot of catching up to do .. here's a quick look at Sofia's birthday party, held last month at J. Foster Ice Cream in Avon.



First, a word about our hosts and partners in high-calorie crime. J. Foster makes ice cream too good for words, so I'll make one up: yummilicious. And they're an independent, locally-owned small business -- now that's a difference you can sink your spoon into.

Now, do four-year-olds appreciate the difference? The off-the-charts butterfat content? The perfectly-churned goodness? Not sure. But they appreciate chocolate.

So Sofia and 10 of her closest pals descended on their lovely showroom and a good time was had by all. What a great place for a party it turned out to be.

Here's a game of Simon Says that turned into a happy birthday singalong. Not sure why Sofia keeps tugging at her dress, other than perhaps she was nerved by all the attention (and you'll hear mom pleading for propriety if you watch this clip) but it's fun.

Warning: On a 1-to-10 cuteness factor, this is about a 37.


And then there was the ice cream....


Did I say ice cream?


Poor cousin Amanda. She made the trip from greater Boston and was fresh off a nap when she arrived ... and wanting to deal with the world on her terms. So she did. And ate her ice cream with her eyes closed. Kids, don't try this at home:


And of course, there were prezzies. That's Jake's older sister on the left (she served as secretary .. many thanks!) and Marah on the right.


Later that afternoon we had family and friends who traveled from out of town over for a light lunch. It was a great afternoon -- maybe her best birthday party yet aside from her very first. But then again, anything featuring premium ice cream is by definition a success.