sophiareilly.com

6 August 2009

Updates

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 9:45 am

So it’s been awhile since the last post here. The hope is to soon have a new look and feel on our Sophie’s site, but this will require her daddy to actually take Bryan up on his offer to help said facelift take off. Soon, very soon…

Lately, it’s been the dueling realities of advancements in potty training vs. sleeping in the big girl bed. With so much going on in her little life, Soph has been holding up pretty well. She’s been camping quite a bit, both in the Uintas and Yuba Lake, the former a place where she and Tory played coal miners, tended the fire, and felt for the first time, the glory of peeing outside, the latter where she plus Tory and fam, and Evan and fam, spent a weekend boating, playing in the “surf”, and eating like Utahns on high. Check the latest two albums (summer begins and Yuba) here, and look for more posts, and hopefully a new look soon.

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26 April 2009

Spring’s a-comin’

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 5:44 pm

It’s a funny thing living in the mountains. Growing up in the midwest, we’ve grown accustomed to dreading the coming of winter, cursing its dark, cold, and dreary months, and looking forward to spring like a seven-year-old on Christmas Eve. Here we’ve seen spring come and go, from sixty-degree days in march to blizzards a week after Easter, the weather has certainly been undecided about what what to wear, and how to present itself. But, it does little to dampen the fun. Easter found us on a snow-covered mountain (our local ski hill) meeting the Easter Bunny and then down to the valley for a sun-filled, beautiful spring day and a little egg hunting. A week later we were covered in snow for the second day of a storm that would dump over twenty inches in as many hours. But no matter what the weather brings, there’s pretty much always a way to enjoy it. Whether we’re biking in the parking lot on a bluebird day, watching Tory and Sophie run around the house in matching pajamas (see pics) on a chilly winter-esque spring evening, or riding in mashed potatoes in the middle of April, we all seem to find a way to smile about the crazy beautiful place we’re fortunate to call home. Most of all, it seems our little Sohpie couldn’t be happier, and therefore, neither could we.

Check the new images.

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28 February 2009

Lions, tigers, monkeys, and some finger paint

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 8:26 pm

A big day in the life of the bean unfolded on a crisp, sunny morning on top of a mountain in Utah. Searching for something to do with the day (trails too soggy for hiking, not quite enough snow for sledding) the family decided to take a jaunt to the big city in search of good, wholesome entertainment. This being Utah and all, wholesome is the name of just about any game (that, vigorous procreation, a general distaste for alcohol, gambling and tobaccy) and our charge was not so difficult. We chose to spend the morning looking at caged animals of far away and exotic lands at the Hogel Zoo. Now, of course if you think too long or hard about it (a problem of mine, for sure) paying money to view a majestic Bald Eagle in a tiny cage not ample enough for flight is a pretty sad affair. But, if you stop and just let a kid be a kid, without over-thinking or morals or politics to intervene, the zoo is a pretty amazing place. The most important thing we learned; Soph loves monkeys. I mean, LOVES them. She saw elephants, giraffes, giant ‘meows’ (aka - cats), and some very large and menacing looking guerillas. She ran around with a smile from ear to ear, with one simple request – ‘more animals’. It’s amazing how much more fun everything is with a little one. Needless to say, the zoo was a blast.

Following our time in the valley, cavorting with our primate cousins, it was time to finally bust out those finger paints her auntie Suzanne gave her for the big 2.0. A story may not paint for you the same picture as, well, the pictures can, but again our little one showed a love for getting messy and learning her colors. So far, her favorite activities at home are clearly the creative endeavors with crayon, brush, pen (usually the preferred canvas here is the couch) and now hand. This is one painting that deserves some fridge time.

Check the photos here.

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22 February 2009

The Bean turns two

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 6:42 pm

Sophie’s second found us in Reno, visiting with her cousins and company, taking in all that is the biggest little city in the world. The day come upon us slowly yet all of the sudden and, looking back at the first b-day and her very first day with us, she’s changed so much.

Her day found her rising early (as usual) to greet the day with some shenanigans of chasing her cousin her cousin up the stairs, chasing the cat down the stairs, and generally running amok with the other rascals of the house. She went to the park for some fresh air and to Chuck-E-Cheese for some not-so-fresh air and a little too much stimulation (really, what would a birthday be without too much stimulant?), and back to the house for her pizza party, strawberry chocolate cake (prepared with love, but not so much skill, by mom and dad), and presents. She scored a much needed pair of Chucks, scores of Handy Manny paraphernalia, her first bike, and all the art supplies she’ll need to take over the New York scene by age 20. With all the development we’ve seen in the last two years, the next year will surely be even more astonishing.

All-in all, methinks she had a pretty good time. Usually, it’s pretty difficult to see her not having a good time. Cheery, open, observant, helpful, and loving – that’s our little lady. As she continues to grow, we’ll continue to try and grow along with her. The only thing she needs now, is a baby brother or sister (calm down grandparents… not yet…).

–thanks to all for the many gifts and cards and calls and general shout-outs of love for the bean, and check the photos here.

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1 February 2009

Slide, slide, slippity slide

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 3:26 pm

In the first of what will surely be many slides down snow covered slopes (or in this case, itty bitty hills), the bean has taken another stride of experience. It seems not only does she love the water, as evidenced by her sheer joy when we frequent the Kamas pool, where she can run, jump and play on an aqua-playground, she is also warming to the pleasures of snow. Securely bundled and Bear in hand (Bear or Emma must accompany all activities), she and her brave parents set out to conquer the smallest hill in the nearest vicinity. It helps that in Utah that temperatures rarely navigate below zero, in fact today with it’s perfectly blue sky and 35 degree temp is a pretty normal day for winter here, it seems. One of the best parts of living out west is, I suppose, not only the accessibility to the outdoors, but the fact that the weather rarely makes it impossible to enjoy the fresh air and rolling hills. In the same day we were able to slide, not more than 100 feet from our house and head out for a wagon ride and family walk.These events elicited myriad responses.

Either way, a good time was had by all, and we were reminded of one of the many joys of the mountains, and of course, of the many joys of the Soph.

Check out more photos here

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18 January 2009

2009, already?

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 10:08 pm

Here we are in the New Year already. The holidays rushed past in a blur of turkey, gift wrap, and Christmas lights, and suddenly we find ourselves in the year in which our Sophie will not only reach two years of age, but by the end of ‘09, nearly (gasp) three. And change, whether we talk of it in our politics, our dietary habits, or our kids, is something that seems more and more prevalent and greater in scale. We will soon see our first African American president sworn into office, Michelle will celebrate her last 20th birthday (something, dad, it seems, has already accomplished), and Sophia will pass squarely into Toddlerhood, leaving infancy behind her forever. This is going to be an interesting year.

It’s hard, of course, not to look back when our calendar flips to January 1. In the last year Sophia went from barely walking and sporting about three teeth to running around the house with her baby stroller in hand, climbing, jumping (and spilling) all over the couch, and talking in short sentences to anyone who will listen. Today her mom styled her hair in pigtails for the first time. A few weeks ago she began picking out her own outfits. And, only recently has she begun to draw and color and express herself in wholly new ways, begetting a conscious, curious and creative mind budding from the foundation of infancy. The world to her is so large and so unexplored, yet she is one to walk straight into the unknown without fear, and discovery seems to be around every corner. There is nothing so wonderful as to watch your child grow and to see her eyes bright with the simple joy of living, of exploration, and of change.

And so it is that I know this will be a great New Year. With everything we’re apt to fear in the large, elaborate lives we’ve built for ourselves, there is a much greater simplicity. There is Sophie, sitting on her bedroom floor with one finger firmly planted in her nose searching for secret treasure, and the other pointing out the letter she just learned, or some new corner of the world that’s just been uncovered.

(New photos of Thanksgiving, Christmas, and beyond live here.)

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6 November 2008

It’s been awhile

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 7:43 pm

So here we sit, high in the mountains, among the Wasatch front, wondering, as usual, where the time has gone. It’s been too long and I wonder how I could have let so much time go by without a word, especially after such a big step in our family’s life. I guess it’s probably not worth lamenting the time lost, but I do plan on being more attentive, speaking more to the void where loving eyes wonder at where the words are.

So far our time in the west has proved fruitful. Michelle finds herself deep in the process of starting her own business, no easy task to be sure. I have found a gullible company to pay me to write all day long, which may have something to do with the resistance to coming home, plopping down before the computer and filling white space with black characters, forming sentences, paragraphs, stories. So, for now, I’ll be brief, and eventually get back into the swing of the process. Sophie is, of course, herself. A fiery young spirit determined to do what she wants, when she wants. And that is usually just fine by us. With her second birthday just around the corner she sees it necessary to throw the occasional fit over fairly little things, but then so does her dear old dad. Like father like daughter I suppose. She walks, runs, jumps, climbs all over the furniture, helps clean the messes her dad makes, constantly, reads to her mom at night, and talks like language might one day escape her. One of her favorite activities these days is going into the mountains for a hike, riding on dad’s back he when asks nicely enough, otherwise loving to run up and down the narrow trails. In short, she’s a happy, healthy kid with a vast new playground to explore.

And so we go along, poking and prodding around our mountain town, finding the surroundings to be exciting, but not as much as each new day before our little girl. The goal now, for the booper at least, is to continue learning, exploring, and growing. For us, well, we’re just happy tagging along.

(New photos here)

and… more posts soon, I swear.

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20 July 2008

Moving on…

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 11:30 am

As I begin to realize the giant lapse in my communication to the virtual world I wonder more at the reasons why. Maybe we’ve just been far too busy, packing up and preparing to move all of our earthly possessions 1,500 miles away. It could be the simple pleasure of basking in the summer sun of Minnesota, taking in the lake and watching my little person wonder at the cool water and pour sand down her pants. Or, perhaps it has something to do with watching the bug-a-boo stand and take her first steps and realizing that any moment might be something spectacular, something truly special and that perhaps I should stop running my fingers across mute keys and take in the show. Either way, it’s been too long and guilt, having wrestled its way into my belly, has climbed the bronchial tubes and found its way into the cerebral cortex where it has, at last, persuaded the fingers to do their dance.

As I write this a little bear pushes her tiny red plastic chair across the floor, tongue jutted from the side of her mouth in a mimic of intense concentration exhibited by grandma Shirley and, at times, her good old dad. Finding the red chair to have been sufficiently entertaining she takes to another of her favorite tasks in trying on dad’s flip-flops and experimenting with walking in shoes 100 times too big. Then it’s on to sweeping the floor, a process of dragging a broom twice her height from room to room in an attempt to help daddy keep up the home. Finally it’s time to tend to that pesky empty box, yearning to be packed. This box is full of possibility and it is short work to decorate her temporary home. She packs only the essentials, dad’s flip-flops, purple raincoat (on a sunny, 90 degree day), mom’s giant sunhat. With everything she could possibly need she settles in for a spell and then, following the example of her parents, its on to something new, something strange and exciting. Perhaps it will be a ride on the couch, perhaps a two-hour nap, she’ll let the world take her where it may.

And so it goes. As we prepare to take a giant leap she continues to take her tiny steps from room to room, keeping up the promise of maintaining stability and calm in a time of restless excitement with a dash of cold, hard fear. But, that’s her way. She doesn’t need to consider the risks and rewards of moving on, the possible financial crunches. Hers is the life we covet in our adulthoods, one consisting of taking in the world one moment at a time and living with pure joy and I realize that, as usual, she might be on to something…even if it means pouring sand down your pants.

P.S. check out the new photos, the few that there are at gallery.mac.com/sophiareilly

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11 April 2008

Changes

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 6:58 pm

There are many to write about and I plan on getting to those, the recent developments and trips soon…but for now I have posted new photos. There is a change in the way I’m doing this for now and possibly for good. I will be posting new photos to here which will allow you to see the photos in a more efficient way. First of all you don’t have to go through all of the old photos to get to the new ones and there are different modes of seeing the images (look at the bottom of the page and try them out, they are pretty cool). It is a separate site from this one and if I can figure this new computer of ours out I will resume posting here as well, but for now see if you don’t like the new method better anyway. As always drop in to our little site for updates, etc. Sorry for any inconvenience…but enjoy the new pics!

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22 February 2008

BIRTHDAY!!

Filed under: have baby will travel — sam @ 5:18 pm

Do you remember when birthdays looked like this…

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or this…

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it’s a pretty amazing thing. Thanks to all who helped make it a special day, whether you were here or far away (not intentional).

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Updates

Spring’s a-comin’

Lions, tigers, monkeys, and some finger paint

The Bean turns two

Slide, slide, slippity slide

2009, already?

It’s been awhile

Moving on…

Changes

BIRTHDAY!!