The following poems, sayings and songs did not make the book but are here for your enjoyment.
Age 1
After quietly nursing on one breast, Sophia looked up into my eyes and demanded, "Two!"
Sophia ran after her friend who yelled, "NO baby Sophie!" Sophia kept coming, grinning at her and saying, "Ye-es!"
Age 2
I am a big boy Mama.
I just turned you into a star. Bye bye star Mama!
Age 3
The blessing of the world is really sweet.
The blessing of the world is in the sky.
But you can't see it, because it's invisible.
Oh my squishy God!
A teenage friend named Jenny died and a memorial at Hanuman Temple was that day. Another friend came to our house and told us that we were to wear blue, as that was the girl's favorite color. I then saw that Sophia had been coloring her face blue with a washable marker, starting minutes before. The mood at the memorial was bittersweet, filled with love and grief, as friends and family spoke of the girl who had died. At some point, Sophia took all of her clothes off, twirled in a circle with her arms outstretched looking up and said, "My name is Jenny today, and I love to die."
Around Christmas time we drove up to a beautiful lit creche and I told Sophia the story of baby Jesus. After taking in what I said and the beautiful scene, Sophia said, "Mama, did Jesus' mama let him eat his boogies?"
During baths with Sophia, she would learn what Mama's body had that Sophia's body did not have. One day she pointed to the moles on my body and said, "Mama, when I'm a big woman, will I have spots too?"
During summer camp, a girl named Sophie was bothering Sophia, tugging on her arm and whining at her. Sophia said to me later that day, "Mama, Sophia means wisdom. Sophia means wis."
When I was in Paradise
and I love you too.
This my wish for you
and many more.
And when I was in Paradise
I still love you new.
Harlan any-das
and many more.
And true was I in lama-yas.
I love it too.
It's beginning to go morning time and night time
every day.
And still I love you true
and many more.
I love you too
when every night is past
and when you take a bath
and many more.
And true was I in paradise
when I was a kid
and many more.
I came downstairs and Sophia was brushing her hair with water.
Mama: Sophia don't do that!
Sophia: Why not?
Mama: (Drawing on what my mother told me but not really convinced of it...) Because it's winter and that might make you sick.
Sophia: (Whirling around with an intense gaze...) Mama, you are not saying what is true!
The mystery of God is something you don't know.
Mama: Sophia, why did you bury your socks in the mud?
Sophia: They needed to be dirty.
We were watching a movie in which a man was being ganged up on by a group of other men. Sophia came in, watched for a few moments and exclaimed, "Where is that man's Mother!?"
Age 4
Papa: Sophia, what are you thankful for?
Sophia: I'm thankful for Mama. (Pause.) I'm thankful for EVERYTHING. Not just one thing. I'm thankful for EVERYTHING.
My heart said I am beautiful. That's what she said.
I see a rose in you, Mama. I think it's your heart. Or your love for me. A pretty pink rose.
Sophia: Mama, I want to be in a movie and dance like Shirley Temple.
Jeannie:They don't really do those kinds of movies around here.
Sophia:Where do they do them?
Jeannie:In California.
Sophia:Well, please drive me to California then, because I want to be in a movie like that.
On the day you had, you can only remember the day you had, because you're doing it.
I think I could eat a whole house of strawberries!
I am making up pictures in my mind of the whole day, I'm making the whole day!
If I had a daughter I would name her "Star of All" because she would love everyone.
The magic road just goes along and it doesn't know how to go.
Sophia had an imaginary friend named Cidory, and another named Dalamona. Once at a friend's house, the friend watched Sophia walk very, very far into the sage brush desert. When she had gotten pretty far, the friend sent her niece out to fetch Sophia. When the niece got to Sophia, she said, "Where are you going Sophia?" And Sophia said, "I'm going to Cidory's house. She lives out here."
I just realized we didn't say blessings and we are in the middle of eating.
That's horrible, isn't it?
I like to speak in a language that no one understands, like from a country that no one can explain, and it's called Golabase. There's where we live.
Sophia: Mama, did we take land from the Indians?
Mama: You and me?
Sophia: Yes.
Mama: No Sophia, we didn't.
Sophia: Did Pop?
Old people have more design hands than me, look!
Age 5
Mama: Sophia, that 3 is backwards.
Sophia: Mama, writing a 3 your way was invented by a person. I'm a person too. So who says that person is right?
Mama, dearest joy of my heart!
Sophia: Mama, are you going to vote for me when I grow up?
Mama: If you run for President, I will.
Sophia: I'm going to. Are there women Presidents?
Mama: Not yet.
Sophia: Can women be Presidents?
Mama: Yes. None has tried to be President yet.
Sophia: Well, I'm going to be. And then there will be no wars. And George Bush, he can't make any more wars. And no cars. Only bikes.
Mama: Sounds good Sophia.
Sophia: And maybe I'll make it so men can't vote for a little while since women couldn't for a little while. That would be fair. And I'll make it so that kids can be President and kids can vote. Everyone gets to do what they want if I'm going to be President. Kids can be President, kids can vote, and women and kids can do what men can do. That's what! I want to be President!
Mama: Someone needs to move this shit.
Sophia: Mama, nothing is shit and nothing is junk.
The moon is up.
The stars are glittering.
It's Valentime's Day today.
My mom is so wild.
She's up in the sky.
And I am there too.
Shining so bright.
She comes down at lunch
to play with us.
My mom loves you.
And you love
I hope.
After a day of feeling left out by friends:
Two lips that are dying
Two lips that are starting
That's how pretty you are.
That's how pretty you are.
I would say I love you.
I'm crying, I'm crying.
I'm sorry, sorry.
But this is how I am.
If you like me, then like me.
If you don't, then don't.
I just feel like I'm sad.
Sorrow I'm mad!
Sorrow, I'm mad!
Sorrow, I'm hurt!
Sorrow, I'm hurt!
Sorrow, I'm hurt!
And also I'm dead.
And also dead.
And also asleep.
And also wake up in the morning.
Age 6
I is the queen of the letters because it is itself by itself and doesn't need any of the other letters.
When you dream of fairies at night you are in Fairyland. In Fairyland there are lots of fairies. There are no scary things, only good things. Fairies are always in your room when you're sleeping. Monsters are never in Fairyland. Fairies won't be with monsters, only with persons.
Mama, if the house were different, or my name were different, things might be going really differently in my life. How did people begin? I think animals were here first, then some of them turned into us. If we didn't turn into people, I'd be a scorpion, you'd be a fish.
There is lots of happiness in the air. Lots and lots of happiness.
Oh so peacely
Peace on earth is going, flowing through the sky
Peace on earth is going, through catching butterflies
Oh peace, oh peace, oh lovely peace
I love your smile and your lips
It looks so stunning and funning
Oh my little lips!
We have the same loving heart Mama.
We had been reading about manners and Sophia jumped in the car after her day. "Mama, I used a manner today! I opened a door for a woman and she smiled at me!"
To her best friend:
Don't forget you are sweet!
And I am too.
And you don't need to eat any more candy.
'Cause I already told you --
you are sweet!
Love Sophia
Mama, this is the truth about me: I like rabbits and I don't like carrots.
Age 7
I don't think I'll come back as a person. I think I'll come back as my favorite animal. Then I would know what it was like to be a kitty.
I had told Sophia about hormones and sulfites in some kinds of meat. I handed her back some turkey jerky as we drove in the car and she asked, "Does it have hormites in it?"
Why can't there be a President of the world, someone who did good things?
About math and seeing patterns in numbers:
It's like an Easter egg hunt. You go to the Easter egg that you see. Then the next one reveals itself. Each thing reveals itself as you go along.
Walking to the Hanuman Temple Sophia decides her outfit is quite silly. She says, "It's okay. People who pray to God would not laugh at other people."
You can tell when a person has a lot of owwies. LIke that woman who bumped into me and Jake in the store? She didn't have any light in her eyes. The owwies make you not see the light.
I'll kiss you until you die... of love!
I'm having a great life.
Age 8
Mama, people call something stupid when the thing doesn't do what the person wants it to do.
A dog on the back of a truck lunged at us as we passed, baring its teeth and growling. It scared us. I started giving the dog a talking to about that, and Sophia said, "Mom, be kind to it, it's just being a dog."
Playing a game where there is an ogre to whom you have to pay a magic raindrop if you land on his space...
Mama: Oh no, you landed on the ogre!
Sophia: No, Mama, I like giving the poor ogre something.
There should be a President of the World, not someone who says do this war, do that war, but someone who owns the whole world, who helps people out. And there should be one business and one place where all the money went to and everyone would get the exact same amount of money.
Sophia was talking about another mother who she spent some time with, who was somewhat harsh to her own daughter and to Sophia.
Sophia: That was hard for me Mama because I am so tender.
Mama: Yes, I know. You are used to being treated like a person who deserves respect.
Sophia: No! I am used to being treated like a queen.
Mama: What is a queen treated like?
Sophia: Richly. Not like someone's servant or a pile of poop.
I notice that if I think I'm sick, and I act like I'm sick, then I am going to be sick.
I know a lot of kids who aren't in such good shape because since they were born their parents were making them do cute things instead of just being with them.
Sophia: What’s fake mean?
Mama: That’s what people call it when you pretend you are something that you’re not so that people will like you, approve of you or not hurt you.
Sophia: What would you want to do THAT for?
Sophia to her friend Rivala:
Come on, let's be wild! We have to have fun, let's be wild! Be free, be wild, be open!