Alphabet Soup & Christmas Time Magic

Our home has become the spelling zone...which is sometimes comical, and sometimes tiring. Having a toddler around who listens to just about EVERY word that comes out of our mouths and then repeats just about EVERY word she hears can be dangerous! :) So we've resorted to spelling. Mostly, it's words that will create a tantrum or a "I want that" that we find ourselves spelling these days. And sentences that sound like, "It's getting close to B-E-D-T-I-M-E" take forever to get out...so we've resorted to a new form of communicating, and making up our own words. Like last night for example, it was just one of those nights where I needed some chocolate. Now if I were to voice this out loud, I would undoubtedly hear Sophia repeat, "I want some chocolate please. Chocolate please, Mommy." over and over. Yes, she uses manners, and yes she knows what chocolate is, but just because I needed to have it does not mean that she should. So...it goes something like this.. "Man, I could really go for some C-H-O-C..Oh, forget it, you know what I'm saying." And then the sneaking happens. Sneaking from a toddler? yes. Sad, but true. And we know that we've gotten into the habit of the spelling sentences when we have others spelling around us. Auntie Carly was over the other day and she was talking about going shopping recently, "So, I even checked R-O-S-S. Wait, I don't know why I just spelled that?"

And on top of the spelling of words that has letters floating around the Taylor home, we are constantly singing and playing with Sophia and trying to teach her new things. And like any toddler, we've got the ABC's...which she's not too fond of most days, (Or maybe it's my singing she's not so fond of...) and the games and books and songs that have letters in them...exposure. Everywhere! In fact, she'll sit in her crib in the morning, or bathtub at night and sing, "pqrst wxy" "pqrst wxy" "pqrst wxy sing with me" so we know she's taking some of it in.

And she amazes us every day. Every day it seems that she has something new to say, or she tries to imitate something she's seen, or she notices something new and tries her best to create a word for it. Peanut Butter right now is affectionately known as "Butterfly" in our home...So we don't think it's odd when she asks us for "butterfly and spoon please" at snack time. The only correlation we can make from that is the word "butter"..! But it's so stinking cute when she sees the PB out and asks "More butterfly please. Butterfly and jelly." :) How can she not melt your heart?

And with all of the Christmas decorations making their annual debut, Sophia's vocabulary is growing even more. It's adorable. She can tell us "Santa Claus", "Daddy did the lights on the house", "Grandpa did the lights on the house", "Snowman", Christmas Tree sounds a little funny: "Crickmac Tree" we read the story of the Christmas Angels every night and she's able to tell us who the characters are in the story; She knows Mary, Joseph, Angels and Baby Jesus, which sounds a little more like "Baby Cheezus". It's adorable. And I love that she's so into it all this year. SO different from last year.

We've started sharing so many of the Christmas traditions with her, and she's enjoying every one. As we introduce new things, we have low expectations for how it will be received by a toddler and every time, she exceeds our hopes. We think she's pretty amazing. With the never ending Christmas carols playing at home, she's picking up on songs and tells us, "Better watch out." "Santa Claus is coming town" She loves reindeer, snowmen, saying "H0-Ho-Ho" when she sees red hats and white beards, she loves the song "Jingle Bells"

And while the traditions keep happening, she keeps taking it all in. Last week we introduced her to our favorite Christmas movie, Polar Express, and she sat through the whole thing. For the first time ever, she sat on the couch and watched the whole movie. And if the ending didn't already make a certain one of us tear up a little last year...it did this year. :) I can't wait to experience all of these things with her in the many coming years. Christmas with a toddler is SO MUCH MORE magical.

We'll be sure to post pictures of the rest of Christmas and the fun events leading up to it later this week. We have a busy week ahead of us! Making cookies for Santa, finding carrots for Rudolph, going on our Christmas Lights Tour around town ( and making a special stop in Colusa to see Uncle Bill Sterk's winning house!!!), watching Polar Express one more time, and then the two big days, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day! Many, Many pictures to come!

Coming Soon

Updates on the Taylor's and our Christmas traditions coming soon!

As well as some updates on a sweet little someone we all love.
(Can you believe that next month she'll be TWO???!!!!)