I was privileged to spend a few hours with Sofia and her Momma the other night. I arrived just after Sofia had finished her supper, and stayed until just after Sofia was put to bed. I had always wanted to be there through this phase of Sofia's day to observe a number of things which I will try to put into words here.

To Begin...

When I arrived, Sofia waved and said "Hi!" a new word we have been working on. Then it's time for a 'Horsie Ride' with Grampa on his hands and knees, and Momma holding Sofia on my back! I though it was going to kill me the first time I tried it because I suffer somewhat from arthritis, but the exercise seems to help. I buck like a horse, and try my darndest to make whinnying and neighing sounds. Sofia loves it, and at one point I could see the smile on her face as we went by the TV screen which mirrored her expression.

Playtime

Sofia's playtime in the evening is varied. Aside from a little training from Momma, Sofia has lots of toys to play with, most of which are for the purposes of skill development. Following supper, Sofia spends her time playing at various things. One of her favorite things is playing with dishes from a special kitchen cupboard she is allowed to play with. The other cupboards are latched, but even then Sofia seems to know what is where, and is not afraid to point to ask for something, especially Cheerios which are her candy! We also played 'kick the ball' and 'Give me a high 5 (or a high 10)! Sofia also showed how she could change her voice to make 'Big Dog' and 'Little Dog' sounds. She is also learning to say some new words like Dog and Grampa. 'Grampa' comes out like 'Ghhh' but that's good enough for me. I try desperately, but she still won't say 'Momma'! Then, although she had already had supper, she shared and enjoyed some of the Pizza which Momma and I had for supper.

Video Time

Momma restricts Sofia's TV time, having learned that according to current theory it only takes a couple of hours a day in front of the tube to cause later attention deficit problems. Sofia watches carefully selected videos such as the "Baby Einstein" and "Baby Genius" series. She really learns from them, and I love to watch the way she interacts with the programs, attempting to mimic the actions of the players. She has her special chair, and has really learned how to get comfortable. When she sees something particularly interesting, she looks over to make sure I am not missing it! After the DVD is complete and the credits begin to roll, Sofia signs "All Done" and does not fuss when Momma turns the system off. Now it is time for Sofia's bathtime.

Sofia has her own bathtub

First Momma puts Sofia on the potty, and Sofia goes almost right away! She is proud of her production and is rewarded by being permitted to flush the toilet. Then Momma brushes Sofia's teeth, and prepares her bath. Sofia is very good about letting Momma brush her teeth and laughs throughout. Sofia's bathtub is a large Rubbermaid tub which fits easily in the larger bathtub and is just the right size for Sofia. Sofia has lots of toys and really enjoys the bath. She likes to hold her hands under the tap while the tub is filling, and Momma adds some scented oil to the water.

Momma makes sure that Sofia gets washed all over, and although Sofia does not really like to be rinsed off by a pitcher of water, she does not really fuss a lot and seems to be getting used to it. Even when Momma shampoos her hair and then rinses her off, Sofia is very good and was laughing.

After the bath, Sofia is wrapped in towels and her own hooded terry-cloth robe and taken into the bedroom. The lights are dimmed, a CD of soft classical music is played, and Momma administers a professional massage (she took a special course) using scented oils. At this point, both Sofia and I are cautioned to settle down, because the idea is to have Sofia nice and relaxed just before she is popped into bed. You can actually sense the feeling of relaxation. Following the massage, Momma brushes Sofia's hair (which Sofia tolerates, but does not always like because sometimes the hair pulls). Finally, Sofia is diapered, put into her pyjamas, and after a good night kiss for both Momma and I, she is popped into bed and goes to sleep without any fuss! Momma turns out the light, but leaves the music running, and closes the bedroom door!

Momma comes back into the living room, scoops up Sofia's toys and puts them away, and then with a sigh of relief, relaxes on the couch! She has put in a pretty full days work with little if any time away from Sofia.