So proud of our girls!

Sophie came running into the kitchen while ago and said, "Mommy, you know what 4+4 is?!" I said, "What Sophie?" She tells me 8! I asked her how she learned that, and she said, "I studied and then I counted it." We haven't sat down and formally worked on addition. I've just introduced it in play or situations where it came up. I "tested" her a few more times, and I was amazed that she does not count on her fingers - she looks up with her eyes and visualizes it. She even did 6+7! She got 12 the first time, but when I told her to recount, she came up with 13. She is one of those blessed people, who can look at or hear something and commit it to memory. If you knew, or remember, how sick our Sophie Bear was when she was born, you would understand how wonderful these moments are for me. We were so thankful to God to simply have her, but to have this wonderful brain, too.....we are so incredibly blessed.

Gracie's talent.....well....she can cross her eyes (makes my chest swell with pride). She loves right now to cross her eyes to make you laugh. I have tried to break her of it with the old "motherism," your eyes will stick that way, but tonight she did it for her daddy, who burst out laughing. So, we are back to square one. Sam was also teaching her how to stand on her head last night. She can make it to balancing her knees on her elbows - pretty impressive! HOWEVER, Sophie was also attempting it. The girl may be smart, but coordination is not at the top of her repertoire. I suspect that in the near future you will be reading about our first trip to the Japanese emergency room.

Gracie and Sophie are very into Barbies and Princesses right now - very girly. The other day Gracie had a prince driving Barbie and her cat around the house. I, looking for trouble, asked Gracie why the prince was driving and not Barbie. She never looked up, but said, "Because Daddy always drives (with a tone of voice like, Duh, Mom)."

And Izzy....Izzy, Izzy, Izzy. As we're discussing Gracie's eye-crossing talent, Izzy pushes her nose up with her finger, and says, "I can see my nose!" Again, a very proud moment. Seriously, she was depressed for about a week, but is doing great now. She is such a funny girl. She loves anything related to nature or science, and the Shinkansen train. For Christmas, she asked Santa for a Shinkansen train, a dinosaur playset, a stuffed dinosaur, and a toaster and coffee pot - that's my well-rounded girl! I laugh that she plays Barbies too - she uses the Barbie car to drive her plastic beetles and dinosaurs around in.

Our dear friend, Ms. Sue, kept the girls for me so I could get some shopping done (and have lunch with my hubby). While sitting and snuggling Izzy on the couch, I told her, "We need to put up our stockings." She says, "I told Miss Sue that you sellded them." "Izzy, you told Miss Sue I SOLD them!" "No, I telled her you sellded them." Big Sigh!!! So, Miss Sue if you're reading, I did not sell my girls' stockings in Garage Sell-Palooza 2007! Again, big sigh :)

I have discovered the origins of stone-washed jeans and the source or all those "embarrassing" kid stories floating around the internet - 4 YEAR-OLDS!

We had Japanese lessons last night. I just love what we're learning, but I told Sam today that I know just enough Japanese to get myself into a heap of trouble. The phrases that you use to let them know you DON'T understand Japanese, apparently have the opposite effect. I need to ask our sensei, Keiko-san, how to say, "I'm an idiot, and you should not try to communicate with me." Sam and I are just loving this whole experience. We're looking forward to Christmas!!!

Love and Hugs!
~Michelle