My Growing Girls

It should be no surprise that my mom and I have always kindof enjoyed alliteration with the girls’ names. We all have a tendency to do this with babies. Sophie was not very old before someone called her “Sweet Sophia,” and of course as a funny 1 year old she was often “Silly Sophie.” Mom and I can’t resist “Smart Sophia,” of course, and she has a special talent for being “Stalling Sophia.”

Clare tends to earn “Crazy Clare,” pretty frequently. There is always “Cute Clare” and maybe eventually she’ll qualify for “Classy.” J Her name doesn’t quite lend itself to the game as well as Sophia’s does it seems – at least not in a positive way. Today Clare can be described as “crabby,” “cranky,” or “contrary.”

Like their names, the girls present their own characteristics – so different from one another. Clare continues to be clever and entertaining and usually full of energy. Yesterday at lunch in a large booth at a restaurant she was all over the place and at one point told me “I can’t stop hopping, Mommy!” She also talked loudly about the people sitting nearby including “Why do they look look like that, Mommy? They are old!” Eventually she managed to fall out of the booth while playing with her booster seat (not sitting in it), but was unharmed. She then crawled on my lap and hugged and kissed me and proclaimed “You are the best mommy ever, Mommy!” which I’m sure was not the shared opinion of those sitting nearby.

Sophia reminds us almost daily of her seemingly certain future in communications. Visiting G’ma Hofbauer on Easter, she assembled an audience (of adults) and began presenting a seminar on the various bubble wands she had acquired that morning from the Easter Bunny – there were probably over 20 of them. Her speech was organized and included things like a ‘startling statement’ to grab our attention and ‘motivating your audience.’ “Have you ever seen a bubble wand shaped like a heart?!” she said with enthusiasm and excitement. Or “Have you ever blown a bubble the size of your head?” It was fabulous and somewhat amazing.

I’d better get back to Clare, who just ran in and is naked. I’m struggling with alliteration for that one. I’d better get her dressed before we have to go get Speaker of the House Sophia. I’m sure she has all sorts of things planned for us this evening…