Well, here we are. The final episode. I just have a few more stories to share that I've thought of last minute. Some are directly connected to ponies, some are just about growing up with Sophie on the farm. All should be worth a chuckle or two - especially if you know or knew Sophie.
I can't really place these following stories in a timeline, but I can tell you Sophie was little; probably 3 years old or younger for most of them. Those were some of her "feral" years. Yes, Libby, I know that you would refer to Sophie's entire childhood as "feral", but truly she was a real wild child for only a few short years.
For instance - there was the time I went out to do something quick and I told Libby that all she had to do was watch her sister for 10 -15 minutes. It was January. In Minnesota. Picture it, snow everywhere and temps near zero. I came back towards the house to find Sophie coming out to find me on the sidewalk in nothing but a pull up and flip flops, carrying her tiny little blankie. Was she phased by the cold? I honestly don't think so. That child was fueled by something that to this day I wish we could bottle up and share with the world.
This was also around the same time that she was always out with us "helping" with various tasks. One day I was working on a project on the backside of the barn. I had Sophie with me. Typical of Sophie, I was distracted for a couple seconds and that was all she needed. When I turned around and realized she wasn't standing right there I started looking for her frantically. I found her. At the top of the hay elevator that she had climbed - two stories up in the air. My heart was in my chest as I tried to be calm to keep her from freaking out herself and falling 2 stories down onto the concrete slab below. While cheering for her out loud, "good job honey! Look how high you are. Now come on down to mommy..." I was silently screaming inside as I climbed up to her to help her down. She had zero fear that child.
She was also strong as an ox. From the time she was flinging herself out of her crib at 12 months old, she showed her athleticism. One of my favorite "sister" stories, is about hauling rock. We were working on a landscape project and I needed rocks hauled from the creek across the yard. The rocks were probably about 10 lbs and about a foot across. Libby was supposed to be helping me, her toddler sister was just supposed to be with us outside. As Libby moaned and groaned that the rock I asked her to carry was too heavy, her toddler sister walked by on a mission, grabbed that rock and toted it across the yard to where it needed to be. Libby helped without complaining after that.
We also hauled in a lot of wood... Sophie was slightly older for this "sister" story. The wood hauling wagon had a hitch on the front. One day as she was walking around the front, Libby hit that hitch with her knee. As anyone who has struck a hitch with any part of their body knows, that hurts like the devil. Libby was rolling around on the ground and crying when her younger sister, probably only 4 years old herself walked up to her. Thinking she was going to offer words of sympathy I walked over to hear the sweet interaction between sisters. Instead, Sophie looked down at her big sissy in disgust and said, "are you going to cowgirl up or just lay there and bleed?" I can still see Libby bouncing up. Ah Sophie, she always did have a way with words.
Like the time it snowed. A lot. Their dad was out plowing the driveway while we all suited up to head out to do chores. There was Sophie, a toddler in her little snowsuit, fighting her way across the drifts as we headed to the barn. The three of us arrived at the barn to find that dad had plowed the snow right up against the sliding door in a giant drift. I was sitting there contemplating all of the heavy shoveling ahead of me when Sophie shook her head and angrily remarked, "f*@king daddy." I. About. Died. It was like my innermost thoughts were spilling out of her little mouth. I know I didn't stop myself from laughing when I told her we don't say that. (But we think it.)
Speaking of the things Sophie said.... as I've said, Sophie was always out with us. This story is definitely more horse related. Sophie wanted to ride my horse, Chic, one day as I started practicing. So I stationed Chic in the middle of the arena, set Sophie in the saddle and gave her the reins. As I was putting out the logs for pole work, Chic just slowly eased her way over to the edge of the arena where some grass was going. Sophie hollered for help as she was not able to get Chic to stop. Laughing I led her back to the middle, shortened her reins and told her that this time she should say whoa and mean it. I turned my back to grab another pole only to hear this stern, loud, little voice hollering "WHOA! MEAN IT! WHOA!!! MEAN IT!!!" As I tried not to die laughing, I had to explain that I didn't exactly mean for her to SAY "mean it." Remember folks, your small ones are quite literal.
And one more story that my good friend, Lisa, reminded me of. Sophie was always singing and dancing everywhere she went. Everywhere. As Lisa reminded me, not every song was entirely 5 or 6 year old appropriate that she would sing at the top of your lungs. For example - one of her favorites was on the radio at the time. Good old "Rain Is a Good Thing" by Luke Bryan. You know how it goes, "Rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey. Whiskey makes my baby, feel a little frisky..." In her sweet little mind I'm sure she didn't have a clue what the song was implying, but it was sure cute hearing those words pour out of her little mouth.
How about a few years later? For some reason we thought it would be a good idea for the girls to do tandem bareback together. They qualified for Champ Show riding Libby's pony, Rye. They qualified with Libby riding in the captain's seat but between the two of them decided that for Champ Show it would look better if Sophie sat in front. Yeah, that was super fun - the two of them bickering the entire ride around the rail. Please try to imagine your two children riding the same horse at the same time only the one that owns the pony is having to sit back and let their younger sibling run the controls. It's the stuff nightmares are made of.
I"m sure more Sophie stories will come to me over the next several weeks so maybe this isn't truly the final episode, but for now folks... we will put this little series to rest. I hope those of you that have known Sophie for many of them enjoyed remembering our sassy Sophie. I hope those of you that are just getting to know her now enjoy this little glimpse into the past self that made her who she is. Sophie always has been incredibly strong, independent and yes competitive. I still remember the education professional that once told me, "I don't care what anyone tells you about what a challenge Sophie may be in or out of the classroom. Don't you ever stifle that in that child. She's going to need that spirit some day." I hope that spirit never fades Sophie. You've kept us all in stitches over the years and have brought so much joy to so many people. Love you to the moon and back.
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