Newly Found

Feet. I don't think she realized they were down there this entire time
to play with! Now it's nonstop holding them...which makes diaper
changing more fun!

Bling

(Sophia received this bedazzled pacifier at the Classic from her
friend Mrs. Tracy. She loves it) sitting in her bumbo in the
packnplay. Watching every move of everybody!

Taxes

This year to do 2008 tax prep I have hired an assistant! Sophia is
head of destruction of not applicables by slobber. So far, she is
doing an excellent job! We have set up desks next to each other to
increase efficiency & productivity. Her desk doubles as a nap
area...mine may too.

Day 2 Weigh-in

Steve was the first boat into the CenturyTel Center day two. The crowd
was HUGE and fired up screaming. I couldn't hold camera still!! He
weighed 5 fish for 8-8. Finished 35th this Classic! Woohoo Steve!

Classic Show

Steve with Auburn University Bass Club members Jonathan & Jake walking
around the show. War eagle!

Settled In

We are waiting for weigh-in to start...

Blast off!

Fire it up! Steve does his part for mosquito control this morning
starting up the old 88!

First Classic Weigh-in

Bright lights, loud music, cheering, yelling over all the above...Soso
sleeps. I had her ears covered. She was snug as a bug! Classics are so
exhausting...

Day One Classic

29th place!! Looking good in the arena with the boat. :)

Lunch!

Sophia got to meet Derek today! He braved the blast off this
morning,then hung out with us.
Here was a shot from lunch, Ricky's...a Mexican restaurant downtown.

Duck Boat in Tux

Here is the boat...wrapped, fendered, motor painted, stickered...ready
for action!

Stealth Wolf Amongst Sheep

SK has dusted off the aluminium! Not the original bass tracker, but
bigger 18ft triton. Should make it interesting, entertaining atleast!

Signs

Here are the signs of all the competitors leading to the boat ramp.

Elite Night

(photo from blast off for official practice...aka calm before the storm)
Steve and I dressed up for the annual Elite Night Dinner last night.
It was a fabulous Mardi Gras theme deal. Beads, masks, and tiny
Tabasco bottles were decorating the tables. There were speaches &
highlight videos about last season.
Also, it would be the first time we left baby girl...
Grandma Karen & Poppy Van, who drove all the way from Georgia, were
very kindly babysitting for us. Sophia was fine for a minute...then
decided to do her best Mariah Cary impression...the ENTIRE greatest
hits album 1 & 2!
Poor Van & Karen...someone on our floor(or could have been several
floors up or down) called a complaint into the front desk even!
Obviously not a fan of our daughters ability to scream her head off.
I'll just have to save my hand gesture for that person until after
Sophia makes her operatic debut!

Registration

Sophia meeting Ish, Fred, & Sam! She has definitely loved all the
attention. Angie T got the biggest smiles by far!

Early Morning Run

To Wal-mart! Last minute supplies. Today we check the boat into the
service yard. It's the start of all things for Classic week!
Sophia still in her PJs and sleeping through the entire shopping trip!

Dinner!

Found a place to get Steve some crawfish! His favorite...

Today's Parade

Today was the Krewe of Barkus and Meoux Mardi Paw Parade!

Sophia and I walked down a few blocks to the river

front park to catch the action.

I really wish Louie had been here for today.

He would have won best costume!

He only has a few of them...

(Louie is at home in Auburn)

The parade consisted of dressed up dogs,

a few cats, and wagons decorated like floats.

The kinda thing we dig!

The grand marshall was on a golf cart

to lead the parade across the stage, then up the sidewalk.

We had front row viewing, caught two strings of beads.

This very decorated float(stroller) was for that dog
I think tackier the better is the rule here.

Little out of focus...

Very kind lady took our picture in front of the sign.

Sophia was once again...sleeping.

Jack with a cute costume on parade

The theme was Valentines Day-ish:

Be Mine Fur-Ever

Elvis...too cool

I waited too long to get the tu-tu chihuahuas photo!

These people won for best group costume...

all dressed as bumble bees, even the mini-horse!

Please note the sign "Mardi Paws"...

Loved this basset hound/frog?

The court and their pets

Sunday Morning

I love a downtown area.

We walked two blocks to Holy Trinity from our hotel for Mass.

Sophia was an angel in her little pouch. She probably gave the guy next to us a complex; she stared at the stained glass
windows next to him when she wasn't napping! Definitely up there with ceiling fans...palm trees.

Sophia's Reaction

Shreveport Parade

Sophia napping before it started

Some of the floats

Sophia and Steve Bain by 70's float

Happy Valentines!

Theme dressed Sophia and her loot from the parade! She loves to look
at the shiny beads...girl after my own heart.

Parade

It starts at 4 pm! Sophia, Bains, & I walked from the hotel to watch.
Hope to catch a few beads!

We made it!

Pulled in around two this morning. Checked in. Five bell cart trips
later, we were in our room without a view!
Steve has brought the contents of the belly of the beast with
us...just in case...you never know! (Five bucks on I'm at bass pro by
the end of the day)
Friday 13th excitement already!
As we were leaving the hotel around 9:30am, we walked into Brett
Butler! She said hello to Sophia! I'm guessing she's doing stand up at
one of the casinos. Soso's first celebrity encounter!
Then, at a stop light downtown, a lady rolled her window down &
thanked us(bassmasters) for being here. The whole town appreciates us.
Wow...too cool. Maybe that makes it So's 2nd celebrity
encounter...first being Daddy. :)

27 miles to Selma

And we are off! Driving west to Shreveport. Pre-practice starts
tomorrow morning. Hoping Friday 13th is kind to the boat...few stumps
I hear on the Red River. Think we only have 8 more hours to drive!
No bus, so should go quickly!

First Valentine

Grandma & grandpa brought over a

Valentine's card & bear tonight.
Sophia loved her bear.

Giving it hugs.

:) ignore my messy kitchen.

Flashcard

Bought some flashcards with shapes and colors today. One side has a
drawing, other side the word or number. Sophia goes nuts when you hold
them up for her. She "talks" to and about each one while flapping her
arms with excitement.

Home

(Louie enjoying his window seat again)
We have a few days at home before Classic Pre-practice starts. The
boat order draw was yesterday. SK will be the caboose again this year
on day one: boat 51!
Guess they save the best for last!

Sophia's First Boat Ride

Sunday

February 1, 2009

Three months and 1/2 day old...

Sophia made her first

trip out on the old bass boat!

With her cheapo(returned) red life jacket buckled,

she hit Lake Okeechobee, Florida, to see the sites.

She was looking like a little bobber.

Please note we were in an idle zone for the first part

Steve and Louie as we make the turn into the lock

(I think Louie is panting because he was nervous

about Sophia being in the boat. It was not hot)

First stop...gator in the water!
There are more than a few gators down there.

Common Moorhen

(Gator food)

Very hard to photograph Belted Kingfisher

they tend to fly off before you can get close.

Al accepting the Sophia hand-off

when I went for the Osprey photo.

(It was in the godparent contract fine

print, must accept all hand-offs

land or sea...)

Osprey on the ground

very unusual to see

Anhinga

Hawk staring us down

(photo by Steve)

After our short ride, the girls exited the boat.

Guys went back out fishing for a couple of hours.

This is the only photo they brought back...

not much caught worth taking a picture of!

(photo by Al...I guess that makes it an AL-a-gator)

I think Sophia had a good time...

she was warm in all the layers.

When the boat stopped she was antsy;

while running she was all good to go.
Main thing...she didn't scream hysterically

when the motor cranked!

Bye Clewiston

We left this morning. Said bye to Al who flew in for visit, the
Godseys, & our friends from FLW. Sophia loved the attention & meeting
new folks.
We'll see ya down the trail.
Here is Al getting one more hug for the road. (Carolyn, Thank you for
sharing & he's bringing you a hug too!)