Year: 2008

Friday Sophie wore her Halloween outfit from Grandma and Grandpa Uhl. I put on her bonnet and we …

… walked down the street to hang out with Pat and Harold (who prefers to be called “Baldy” or “Mayor of Grant Street”).

All four of us watched the Woodfill Elementary students parade around the neighborhood in their costumes.

When Andy came home he introduced her to the music video “Thriller.” I thought it might scare her but she just laughed at the zombies.

Then we put Sophie’s costume on—she was a mama kangaroo. Tucker, however, thought she was a big chew toy. We had to quickly teach him otherwise.

Nini and Grandpa came over …

… and we passed out candy.

Griffin, our next door neighbor, came over to play with Sophie and help pass out candy, too.

After Sophie put on her pjs, she opened a present from Nini and Grandpa.

It was a book about Sophie’s favorite thing—leaves—which Grandpa read to her.

“A grandmother pretends she doesn’t know who you are on Halloween.” —Erma Bombeck

Every night, after pjs, nursing, bedtime story and poem, we put Sophie in her crib, tell her we love her, kiss her goodnight, turn on a CD and turn off the light. She has a couple CDs we use at bedtime but the one she listens to the most—the one she’s listened to probably 100 times or more—is the one shown above. We like it, too. The quiet lullabies are sung by some of our favorites, including Alison Krauss, Barenaked Ladies, Keb’ Mo’ and Lucinda Williams.

But last night, something strange happened. Sophie woke up not just crying, but screaming—three times. Although she’s typically a good nighttime sleeper she will wake up, crying. But not like this. So we changed her. Nursed her. Sang to her. Swayed with her. Changed her pjs. Even took her temperature. Every time she woke up it took a long time to calm her. And then, I realized something. Every time we were in her room, cradling her, calming her, the last song on the CD was playing—”Good Night” by Linda Ronstadt. Meaning, the song before last—”Over the Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy—was playing all three times she woke up screaming. Coincidence or does she no longer like “Over the Rainbow”? Or Eva Cassidy? I hope not.

Upon realizing this we switched CDs. She then slept through the night.

“I really like to create the sound of a choir the most. If you could see what the sound of it looks like when I shut my eyes and listen, you’d see the sound as angels spanning across the universe.” —Eva Cassidy

This past weekend I spent a lot of time with former colleagues. Some are still at F+W, some have moved on. I’m grateful I’m able to stay at home with Sophie and I know how lucky I am to be able to do the work I love from home. But sometimes, like when I read a finished article out loud for Sophie’s opinion or laugh about some humorous word play I incorporated into a subhead, I miss these colleagues, these friends. Yes, working in a cubicle 40+ hours a week can be stifling. But there’s something to be said about surrounding yourself with other creative types and spending so much time with people that they almost, by happy default, become a second family.

Sophie took a tour of Popular Woodworking magazine’s office and shop before I handed her off to Andy for a night out with Linda and Megan. We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then saw “The Duchess.”

Sophie had some quality one-on-one time with Dad Friday night while I went with Tari, Christine and Maria (former colleagues at Writer’s Digest magazine) to see Joe (also pictured and in charge of WOW) in “Guys & Dolls.”

Saturday we went to Robin’s Halloween party. (Robin and I worked together at Writer’s Digest.) Sophie got to wear her mama kangaroo costume, which she is also wearing Halloween night!

“You moon the wrong person at an office party and suddenly you’re not ‘professional’ any more.” —Jeff Foxworthy

Here’s Grandpa taking advantage of Sophie’s cuteness to help with the Great Oaks Renewal Levy. He spent Saturday afternoon trying to teach her how to say, “It won’t raise your taxes!”

“If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” —attributed to both Andy McIntyre and Derek Bok

Wednesday Sophie and I visited Rebecca, Chris and their new son, Evan. He was so chill—he just slept in my arms while Sophie seemed so active, so big, so (if this is possible) old. Evan is beautiful, and Rebecca and Chris seemed so happy—I’m so happy for them.

“A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.” —Carl Sandburg

Last week Sophie and I had lunch and wandered around the mall with my good friend Dara. She handcrafts stationery and invitations from her home so, like me, she has the luxury of occasional long lunches. Check out her beautiful work!

“I think I did pretty well, considering I started out with nothing but a bunch of blank paper.” —Steve Martin

“If I spit, they will take my spit and frame it as great art.” —Pablo Picasso

This weekend I hung out with my Grandma and Grandpa Uhl, who visited from Boston. I played with this Spanish-speaking toy they bought for me in Mexico.

I wore my Boston Red Sox dress and baseball cap (which Dad wasn’t too happy about).

I played with my toys while Mom, Dad, and all my grandmas and grandpas ate chili.

Sunday I got all dressed up for brunch at Greenup Cafe.

I’m getting pretty heavy so Dad and Grandpa carried me to the restaurant.

While there I played with a spoon and Grandma.

And on Sunday night Grandma gave me the best back scratch ever.

“Surely, two of the most satisfying experiences in life must be those of being a grandchild or a grandparent.” —Donald A. Norberg

For months I’ve been looking forward to taking Sophie to a pumpkin patch. I wanted a quiet farm, away from busy roads, without lines, and rich with good-looking, perfect-for-carving pumpkins. Impossible? I thought so. But then I discovered Neltner’s Farm & Greenhouses, just 20 minutes south of our house.

We rode a red wagon pulled by two big, beautiful horses to the pumpkin patch.

After kissing and picture posing with Grandma and Grandpa Uhl, and Kyle and Christina,

we picked our pumpkins,

admired the gourds and

rode the red wagon back.

We were outside, so I know Sophie enjoyed it.

“I’ve learned there are three things you don’t discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.” —Linus in “It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown”