Sophie has gone to most of the gopher women's basketball games this season and it has been fun watching her get into it and somewhat understand what's going on. She loves to watch the scoreboard, so it's been a fun way to work on higher numbers with her too :) From the beginning of the season she has loved one of the players, Leah Cotton. Originally, I think it was because Leah is from Kansas City, but now Sophie talks about how fast she is, how many baskets she makes, etc. A few weeks ago she even wrote Leah a letter that was hand delivered by Oma and Opa when they went to an away game with the team and they came back with a t-shirt Oma had bought that is now autographed to Sophie. Almost everyday she spends part of the day being Leah Cotton and playing basketball in the basement and showing us how she can run fast just like Leah. Yesterday afternoon I found out that she was going to be the guest player on the live coach's radio show so Mike and I went down there with the kids. We were waiting in the lobby when Leah walked in and Sophie recognized her right away (even though she was in street clothes!). When the coach came by our table to chat Sophie showed her the sign she had colored that she takes to games and the coach brought Leah over to our table. Sophie clammed up and hid in Mike's lap. We have never seen her so shy before! She never once talked to Leah but watched everything she did. Leah was great with her and even told us she has Sophie's letter on her desk in her room. She's been talking about last night all day today, so I know she had a great time...maybe just a little starstruck :) She was a hit with the other people there as well. They loved her sign and loved that Sophie was a little Leah Cotton fan. From what we've seen and heard about Leah, we're happy that she's the one Sophie has clung to!
Sophie wouldn't take any pictures with Leah but here are the only 2 pictures I got of the night!
she wouldn't even look at the camera...she was too busy watching what Leah was doing
trying to get a picture of Jackson with the chocolate all over his face...this as good as it gets (we were nearing bedtime right about now!)
Fabulous story; I love it. Probably better at this point to have her aspiring to be a cool women's BB player than hanging posters of Danny Valencia on her walls and insisting that she will be Mrs. Valencia someday. (I say this because I knew a guy growing up whose younger sister had a RIDICULOUS obsession with Fred Hoiberg when he played at Iowa State--it was so bad that she was in the newspaper about it.) Scary...
ReplyDeleteSo, good for Sophie; I totally understand how she was starstruck; for all of the times that I went to Royals games in KC, I never once could muster the courage to talk with Buck O'Neil. After all, he was Buck O'Neil! A legend! I wanted to, but I couldn't do it.
Hopefully Sophie will figure out how to talk with Leah sometime after a game. It's too bad her birthday isn't sooner; can you imagine if Leah came to her birthday party?!? That would be alpha-super-mega-crazy exciting. Heheheh.
So cute! We love the Gophers... so fun to hear your Gophers stories. MK told me that you're just a few days away from baby day - so excited and happy for you guys! We will be praying for comfort, a smooth delivery, and health and happiness for everyone. Blessings from the Johnsons - can't wait to hear the happy news!
ReplyDelete