Girl Date

After dropping Bubba off at preschool, Sophie and I headed to a locally owned bookstore. I was saddened to see that its doors were locked tight. Another victim of the economy after 20 years. Undeterred, we headed to a large chain bookstore to have our girl date.

In the past few years I have begun to appreciate the sweet bitterness of dark chocolate, so I opted for a hot dark chocolate with the works. Whipped cream and white chocolate chips sprinkled on top, a dark chocolate straw that slowly melted to the bottom for one last tasty treat. I even splurged on a piece of peach raspberry cobbler. The barista's attitude was rough around the edges, contributing quite nicely to the coffee house atmosphere.

We took a table by the window and began enjoying our breakfast together. As I fed Sophie her yogurt, she said as clear as a bell, "Thank you." Said...as in spoken words. Not just words, but two words strung together which form a sentence. She recognized that she was given something and that she should show her appreciation and manners. We have NOT been working on this with her, yet she's been saying this soul bursting sentence more and more over the past week. That means that she's listening to us as we communicate with each other at home. Listening and learning. She said it in front of both her OT and DT this Wednesday and is saying it clearly and in appropriate settings. She's also taken to saying 'up' and 'down,' again, clearly and correctly. When will my heart stop swelling? I don't really want it to.

None of the other patrons had a clue to the miracle I had just witnessed. We took our time, enjoying our treats. Each time Soph ran out of Cheerios she would say baabaa and sign 'more' telling me exactly what she needed. I gave it to her in small amounts so that I could see her talk over and over. Though she has signed 'more' in the past, just recently she seems to have understood its meaning and enjoys her ability to communicate her needs.

Taking our time, we wandered through the books picking up Bird by Bird (Anne Lamott) and a beautifully intricate pop up on magical garden fairies. It was gently raining and Soph easily drifted to sleep on our ride home. Just two girls out on a date where soon there will be three. I can already see my first born daughter in her role as big sister, teaching Helena everything she has come to know.