Life of Ella

Forgive me for the absence...

2010-01-19T12:03:00.012-05:00

I have no excuse. I wish I knew why I so often fall off the blogging bandwagon. Today I was thinking about our friends and family who are too far away to see as often as we would like and I thought you all might enjoy an update.

A quick summary since Wes' Birthday:

Hell did not freeze over, pigs did not fly, and lightening did not strike because Wes is "so old" as he thinks he is (so not true my dear).

We are all happy and healthy (sure, we had the standard H1N1 run through our house, bronchitis, food poisoning, ... but who hasn't?).

Ella had a great fourth birthday- we had a family brunch in her honor. And although she had to get four shots at her check-up (and an H1N1 mist thrown in for good measure) she survived (jury is still out on me). She is 75th percentile for weight and 90th for height.

Ella at Four:

Loves ballet, gymnastics, and swimming. She wants to go skiing and I'm working on that.

Has made it clear she does not want to be picked up from school until it is after playground time.

Eats well- her favorite meal is Cheese-it Chicken and mentions to me that Oreos are not for dinner (really?)

Does not stay in her bed all night

Has learned to read ( I so wish I could take credit for that, but thank you Joannie and Joanne at Millstone)

Likes to Skype

Loves to dress up

Has had 5+ time-outs in one day.

Her favorite song is "I Gotta Feeling" by The Black Eyed Peas

Doesn't have a hearing problem (I know this because I was thinking she might since it takes multiple requests to get her to put her shoes on in the morning- but no, she is just already learning to tune her mother out.)

Her favorite color is green.

She believes in "Campbell Love".

Her favorite "class" at school is "Chef's Class" in which she learned to never eat cookie batter after the egg was added. I might actually lose some weight from that little lesson since she scolds me if I sneak some batter.

Has stopped napping (I, on the other hand, am holding out hope this will change).

Can reduce me to tears sometimes with her stubborness and my lack of sleep (see note above).

Can fill us with love in a way we never knew before she came into our lives.

We spent Christmas in Michigan with the Cuenys and had a great time. Ella loved sleeping with her cousins. We had told her that the state of Michigan did not allow binks and sure enough, it worked. As we pulled up to Polly's house she threw them out and that was that. We are still laughing at that one. Ella got to go to Camp Ortonville and is still talking about how great it was. I will be catching up with photos from Christmas, but for now, below are a few pictures from this week. The first is Ella standing next to her bed being so proud she "made her bed up" all by herself. The last two I realize are not the ideal snow playing attire. This was all Ella and I was so glad for a break outside I went along letting her make the rules. The rules did not include snow pants.

Happy Birthday Wes!

2009-09-21T10:41:00.001-04:00

And yet again, it is also Ella's Birthday (hence the Dora hats and princess balloon for Ella). Wes came home for lunch on his Birthday to a surprise from Robbie and Barry. We planned to yell "surprise" when he made it in the house, but as soon as he walked in Ella ran over and yelled, "Happy Birthday Daddy- your Mommy is here!" Classic for a three year old.

Those cookies arrived early for Wes from Nancy and I was able to keep them hidden for a couple days and only ate four (I justify that because it was my name I ate and I fessed up and offered Wes his name if I get them on my birthday too).

Where to begin...

2009-09-12T16:20:00.012-04:00

... since I could pick a couple really interesting issues this week to comment on (again, if only I had my own blog I would elaborate on that, but I'll try to keep this related to Ella). Ella began ballet again and loved every minute of it. Last year I had to periodically sit in with her, or take her to the bathroom a couple times (the class is only one hour), or offer a mocha (aka hot chocolate) if she stayed in class the entire time. This year I just might get to be an adult and talk to other parents. I could get used to this. Ella getting ready for class:

She continues to love tennis. Shannon commented after all the golf going on around here that I was probably hoping for tennis to stick and Shannon- you couldn't be more right! This week we went on Thursday for class and Ella was less than thrilled with having a "boy teacher". She didn't want to go if Ashley wasn't teaching. We made it there and within minutes she was enthralled with Brad, her Thursday teacher. After class we got a snack upstairs and she then ran over to watch the next class. She said, "I want to wave to Brad". I couldn't stop her. The windows look down on the courts and Brad saw Ella and lobbed a bunch of balls up to her. If she didn't like tennis already, she was hooked at that moment. And if I didn't like tennis, I do now- that made Ella's week and as every mom knows, it then makes your week.

This past Saturday I woke up to this:

And Ella went to bed in this:

Polly sent this for Ella earlier this summer and at first I was a bit confused on the shorts and long pant thing as an all-in-one. Mostly because I constantly think Ella's cold at night (I make this up- she has never said that) so I wasn't sure about the shorts. Ella was not confused- she wears them all at once. Throw in "Hockey Socks" and this outfit screams Cueny Love!

Pre-school is continuing to be a fun time as well. Ella has her first "field trip" in October and is currently learning a letter every week. She walks around the house sounding out everything she sees: "Schro is a c-c-c-c-c-cat, L-l-l-l-lexy is a d-d-d-d-d-d-d-dog. We play a lot of this and it is fun. On Monday I asked her if she wanted to come home for lunch and she said she wanted to stay for cooking with Ms. Cinda. I go back and forth between being happy for this and being sad.

The Letter A

2009-08-30T20:59:00.002-04:00

Our weekend started on Thursday when Polly arrived from Michigan- we celebrated with dinner at Fleurie. Originally, Polly was arriving mid-afternoon on Thursday but ended up arriving mid-afternoon in Baltimore. I told Ella she had boarded the wrong plane and wouldn't be here until Friday night. Ella then conveyed to her entire class that her Aunt Polly had "gotten on the wrong plane- can you BELIEVE that?". I then had to explain the situation to her teachers. So on Friday I dropped Ella off at school and filled out the appropriate paperwork for Polly to pick her up but added that they should not tell Ella about this in case of another mix up. Ella was very pleasantly surprised when Polly showed up at school. Here they are leaving for the weekend:

Hmmm... what is that blue bag? Well,... it is the class Bear that was coming home with us for the weekend. We were the first to have him spend the weekend with us. This, of course, includes a write-up in his journal of our weekend and a list of "A" words we found with Bear. Need I remind everyone that this school stuff is so new to me that I was lost after apple? Thank you Polly for your amazing abilities with the letter A. I should also thank Ella's teacher for reminding me Polly was coming in on an airplane. Thank God for great teachers and aunts. They make us less-than-great mothers look good.

Polly brought Ella a tea set, a princess dress, and amazing goodies for their party. A dress for Bear materialized out of nowhere (again, thank you Polly!). She even cut an apple in half and showed us how it can be a stamp of a star- and then packaged the apple stamp so it could go back to school with Bear. Polly- you are amazing (see, I can get the hang of this a stuff). Here they are at their party:

That night Wes missed out on going to Mas but he, Grandpa Bill, and Ella had their own party (and another tea party) at home. Polly and I went to the spa and then dinner with Steve and somehow made it home after midnight (when was the last time I did that?). The next morning, Ella fed Bear:

On Saturday we had friends over Steve's house to celebrate the completion of the addition to Terrell Road that my Mom started before she was diagnosed with cancer. She saw the groundbreaking but that was all so it was a bitter sweet day. It was also her birthday. Our friend Mary sent sunflowers to add sunshine for the day. When I told Ella, she said, "how sweet" without even realizing how appropriate that is (not to mention a good use of the letter S, huh?). Here is a picture of the addition (notice the adirondack chair):

The day was beautiful- so nice to see old and new friends. We had a sleepover that night and the next morning Steve and Ella fed Bear...

Bear also had his picture taken at the airport (see, I'm a quick study) and then at the golf course. Both Wes and Ella taught Bear how to play golf. There were no As to be found here, but since it is such a big part of our lives, we had to include Bear too.

And finally, everyone fell asleep...

I have copies of Bear's journal entry if anyone would like to learn more about the letter A.

Tennis anyone?

2009-08-25T22:23:00.005-04:00

That 's right, I finally gave in and signed Ella up for tennis. I was a bit nervous about how this would go- is it competitive at this age? It seemed a bit when I called about lessons, but I was completely wrong. It was all fun and I really enjoyed meeting the other moms and Ella enjoyed actually making contact with the ball (that might have actually happened twice). She also wants to play basketball (is that even possible at this age?), soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and of course, ballet. She is too young to understand "over scheduled", but rest assured, Wes and I definitely are not.

First Week

2009-08-24T21:56:00.000-04:00

Ella's first week was great- for all of us. The week continued with good (read: tear free for both of us) drop offs, fun activities (see picture below of her cookie she made in "cooking class" and I actually handed in her "my favorite things" collage on time. She had fun picking out the pictures and was sad when it stayed at school (understatement, tears were involved). She made a doll of herself and has been singing "Chicka Chicka Boom Boom" every day. I love all these fun books and songs she comes home with. I messed up when she offered me a bite of her cookie though- I apparently had too big a bite and it really made for a difficult afternoon (understatement, again tears were involved).

Ella's First Day of Preschool

2009-08-17T20:35:00.003-04:00

Preschool. Not daycare, not a nanny, not camp, but preschool. Why does this distinction have to be made? I have to admit I didn't even make the distinction until Ella said she was so big that she was going to preschool this year. Well, okay then.

Wes had an early meeting and left while Ella and I were still sleeping. I have to say, once Ella pointed out the preschool thing, I had visions of both of us taking her for her first day, a family breakfast (yea right), matching outfits (just kidding, sort of),... but you get the idea. Or maybe you don't but I am that type of person where everything runs through my mind in June Cleaver perfection before reality sets in. It isn't a bad reality- far from it, but also far from June Cleaver. But I digress. Ella woke up, we had a snack in bed, played a little, Ella picked out her outfit (very different than what I picked out) and we went downstairs to have breakfast. There we found a note from Wes:

So sweet. And yes, since he wasn't here this morning I'm fine with embarrassing him by posting this. So after I read it to Ella she said, "Oh lucky you mom, daddy loves you too”. Isn't that great- I'm the afterthought in her world because daddy loves her first and she is so happy for me to be included.

We arrive at school and I'm a bit worried about how she will be when I leave since this summer there were many days I left her in tears at school, barely making it to my car before I cried as well. But not today. She ran into her class, joined in circle time and proceeded to tell everyone how much she grew last night and how she is now four years old. I quietly left.

And did I mention she also pooped this morning? To the new reader here, this seems inconsequential, but to all you who know the issues we have with that, sing it with me: "Ella is a super duper pooper...."

July!

2009-08-13T09:11:00.018-04:00

July always brings our H2C2 trip (Hawkins, Holland, Campbell, Cueny) and this year we went to Santa Fe. This was a special year because my Dad turned 70 and we celebrated every day! On top of all the great activities, we had this amazing house where we could all hang out outside by the fire and the kids could run around without us having to keep an eye on them all the time. It's hard to say what my favorite thing was, but the balloon ride and the dinner are my top two. With golf, fly fishing, a day at the spa, visiting Taos, Bandelier, downtown Santa Fe, ... it is definitely hard to choose.

I have added a couple pictures below but after checking out Dad & Nancy's blog and Bella's blog, I'm sure you saw what a great trip it was.

The girls with sparklers celebrating the 4th (Thank you Nonna!)

The H2C2 Clan

The littles sleeping together

The littles sleeping with Uncle Mark

Mark fly fishing

Wes' catch

Before take- off

Dad and Bella

Bella "driving" the balloon! Isn't that so fun- Bella lit the burners and guided us above a mountain.

Bath time.

The littles spending time with Poppy.

Ella with Mark and Polly on our last night.

Happy Birthday Aunt Shannon

2009-08-08T07:41:00.001-04:00

Who am I to say no when Ella wanted to sing Happy Birthday to Shannon while jumping on the bed? As Ella pointed out, Aunt Shannon would let her. Ahhhhhh, the age of reasoning. For most of the video she is watching herself in the mirror. Enjoy!

Visit to Creeksedge

2009-08-05T09:20:00.001-04:00

This week, Ella and I headed up to the Eastern Shore to see Dad and Nancy and my Grandma. I went into Baltimore for a couple days while Ella lived it up at Creesedge. Among many (many!) fun activities, this was an especially memorable visit because Ella started her trail at Dad and Nancy's. Isabella has had a trail for a while and I just could barely wait for Ella and Grace to start their trails. This entails them being big enough to actually pick out a path and clear it and (drum roll please...) Ella was big enough! Yea for Ella's Trail:

Ella also had her first kayak ride. When I asked her about "rowing" she corrected me to "paddling" .

Ella was lucky to get a lot of time in with her Great Grandma.

A great visit and if I hadn't left my laptop in Baltimore, it would have been a longer one. But Ella was able to meet all my friends at work which was nice.

Happy Birthday Mary!

2009-08-01T07:56:00.000-04:00

Here is how this came about:

Me: Ella, it's Ms. Mary's Birthday today!

Ella: Can I see her?

Me: (so sad) Not today

Ella: Can we blow out candles for her?

Me: Not today

Ella: Who will sing?

Me: How about you?

Summer Summary

2009-07-28T17:32:00.018-04:00

Thank you for checking in on us even though we disappeared for a bit. At least my last post was a great memory to revisit. Somehow I just haven't been feeling the blogging bug lately. I'd elaborate, but this isn't the "Life of Sara" blog so I'll spare you the details. Moving on....

Since the last post, Ella had her dance recital:

So sweet. What could be better than a bunch of little girls in tutus!

We had a quick trip to Georgia when our Aunt Clifford passed away. She lived an amazing life and we all agreed to be able to live in your own home until age 94 when she passed was a life to be celebrated. Polly and Mark flew in and out in the same day and we were there for only one day- but a life like Clifford's could not be remembered without us all together. Thank you to all who remembered her with us.

Our summer has been filled with lots of family fun. We have had many great dinners with GPS:

And Grandma has been by many times to tuck Ella in at night- even if it means she too is "tucked in" with Ella:

Grandpa Bill visited and how could I not post this:

Aunt Jodi, Selma, and Kemper are visiting from Africa and Ella is loving being "big" with them:

Ella had her Little Gym recital:

Here's a big one: Ella went to the dentist for the first time and she has no cavities! I'm not really sure how that happened because our tooth brushing of late is one big fight but I guess we're fighting the good fight, so to speak. Of course the whole pacifier issue came up but, well, let's just chalk that up to parental survival at this point.

And... (drum roll please)... Ella started Summer Camp. Wow! This was a huge transition for me and it seemed an easy one for Ella and Wes. I worried over every little detail for absolutely no reason at all. Ella had fun swimming, playing, and making art projects that are beyond me. Routine-wise, it was a big change for us because now Ella has breakfast at home, gets sunscreen on, and wears her bathing suit to school. After swimming they change into clothes and continue their day. I was worried this would all throw Ella for a loop but no, apparently I'm the only anxious one in the family (of course all of you know that; however, I'll continue in blissful denial). Wes can do drop off without tears but I just haven't mastered that art yet. Ella cries, I cry, I call Wes, I call Polly... I'm a disaster really. I think at this point they have both stopped answering their phone between 8 and 9 am. Of course when I pick her up she doesn't want to leave. Here is Ella on her first day of camp:

That catches us up through the end of June. Hopefully soon I'll get July posted because it was a great month for Ella! But just in case I don't get to it as soon as I would like, please visit http://lifewiththecuenys.blogspot.com/ and http://musingsfromcreeksedge.blogspot.com/ to read about our vacation to Santa Fe.

Quiet Time... for Mom

2009-05-12T15:03:00.000-04:00

Some days I feel like the only quiet time I get is when Ella is either sleeping or taking a bath/shower. For the most part, things are pretty easy these days (no, I can't believe I actually put that in writing either- but she is just one child. A friend of mine is about to have his third under three so, well, who am I to complain about Ella's thunderbolt threes?). But today Ella was having a difficult time listening and I was having a difficult time remaining calm. She finally said she just wanted a bath which turned into a shower which sort of re-set our day (Thank you God). Then she went right to her room for a nap and that definitely re-set my day. So here I am writing with the perspective of someone who has a quiet house on a rainy day with a sweet, sweet little girl tucked tightly into bed.

Ella's Interpretation of Mom

2009-05-11T15:54:00.003-04:00

How funny is this? Ella drew this for me today and said, "Look, it's you Mommy". It is now up on my office wall in a spot she chose. Before we "hung" this masterpiece, she said she needed to sign it. Oh Ella- you are so darn cute.

Happy Birthday Grandma!

2009-05-03T21:19:00.003-04:00

We spent a great day in Richmond celebrating Robbie's Birthday. We started out with brunch at The Cheesecake Factory and were hoping to make it to see the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens but this never-ending rain got in the way. We still had a great time shopping around Short Pump and many thank yous to Robbie for sharing her birthday with our shopping addiction.

I forgot my camera but when we got home, Ella was very much into singing Happy Birthday to Grandma. So Robbie, this one is for you- Happy Birthday!

Dude: blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda

2009-04-28T12:59:00.011-04:00

And there you have it, what Ella learned while I was away at Bay Harbor for a weekend with Polly celebrating her fortieth birthday. I'm still laughing. But I am getting ahead of myself. Rewind to Thursday...

I felt really weird about leaving for some reason. I had been looking forward to this spa weekend since Polly suggested it. A long weekend at a spa resort, who wouldn't LOVE that! But as the time came closer, I felt badly about leaving Wes and Ella behind. Wes does this every year (substitute golf for spa) so I took that in stride and asked for a martini on the plane, settled for something over ice, and was feeling really good by the time we landed in Michigan. I'm sure everyone who saw us thought Polly and I hadn't seen each other for years the way we screamed with excitement when we met up at the airport.

We arrived at the Cueny's and Dave had dinner cooking and Judy and Mark were playing with Isabella and Grace. Ahhhhhhhh, Dave's famous Chicken with Alfredo Noodles. Pure delight. Aundrea joined us for dinner and a fashion show, and four bottles of wine later, we all went to bed. Pictures from the night:

Isabella showing the latest eye wear

Grace showing her catwalk style

Dave, my fellow blogger (see "Life from Michigan" on the right), and our chef for the night. Thank you Dave!

So our plan was to drive up north to Bay Harbor slowly, very slowly. We got the kids off to school and then had a nice breakfast out. We hit the road and stopped at the outlets. That took longer than we thought and we found ourselves surprisingly faced with no time before our 7pm massages. Yikes! We made it in time but had to postpone dinner. This is the view from our room:

Amazing. I wasn't expecting this from Michigan but I was pleasantly surprised. After our first night, it was raining and cold but it really didn't phase us at all. The views were still beautiful, and who cares really when you are at a spa.

We ventured out Saturday night for dinner at Chandler's. I'll spare everyone the details of our dinner but it was just perfect. I can't remember the last time Polly and I had dinner together and laughed so hard. I was in tears I laughed so hard at one point. Perhaps the four martinis and a bottle of wine had something to do with it but just spending time with Polly to celebrate her birthday made me so happy. Here we are at dinner:

We finally left late on Sunday and woke up Monday to start the week all over again. Girls to school, us to breakfast, and on to my flight home. Here is Isabella and Grace having pancakes before school.

Maymont Park

2009-04-21T13:45:00.013-04:00

This weekend we went to Maymont Park in Richmond (click on post title for their website) to explore the gardens and petting zoo. Ella loved it and when we asked her her favorite part, she said, "Aunt Shannon". So sweet. Here are a couple pictures from the day:

Ella ran from us to Shannon when she saw her

Ella and Wes at the petting zoo

Shannon holding Ella up to see the bears

Ella and Wes at the waterfall

Shannon and Ella having a chat

Wes and Ella in the Japanese Gardens

Ella and Shannon playing hide-and-seek

Ella and I taking a break

Easter

2009-04-16T08:44:00.001-04:00

I'm going to be in trouble if I ever have to host Easter because we have been extremely fortunate (spoiled) to spend Easter at Creeksedge since Ella was one. Dad and Nancy put on quite the event. By the time I get up in the morning (which is later than usual since Ella sleeps with Poppy and Nonna), the Easter Bunny has visited and left baskets and hidden eggs. Thank you Easter Bunny! This year we really missed the Cueny clan but were glad to have my cousins Richard and Heather and their kids Clair (3) and Jasper (4 mo) visiting. This was the first time we met Clair and Jasper but you wouldn't know it. Clair and Ella were fast friends and sweet Jasper could make anyone think babies are easy (!!!). Grandma came over for Easter Dinner making it even more special. Here are some pictures from the weekend:

The girls dying eggs (yes, Ella is naked)

Playing with Jasper

Hunting for Eggs

Making a bunny cake with Nonna

Running off all that sugar

Grandma and Jasper after a wonderful Easter lunch

Dad and Ella walking out to the truck for a ride through the woods. Ella LOVED this. She wants to know why we don't have a "fun truck like Poppy".

Richard and Clair getting ready for the truck ride

Ella sad to say goodbye

Thank you Easter Bunny (aka Poppy and Nonna) for another wonderful Easter!

Crashed Computer

2009-04-12T08:22:00.000-04:00

Well, about a month ago our computer crashed and we haven't been able to get it back up to speed yet. Really, we should invest in a Mac, but until then, I'll be copying photos to a disc to then upload them on the blog. That isn't always so easy with Ella so my posts haven't been as frequent.

The first picture here is of Ella in a headband her cousin Selma sent from Africa. Steve visited them at the beginning of March in Senegal and they are all doing well, adjusting to their new hometown. The second is of Wes, Robbie and Ella after dance class on Saturday. Ella was very excited Robbie came up to sit in on class and watch her dance.

"I'm feeling Alone"

2009-03-15T21:11:00.003-04:00

Doesn't that just break you heart? Ella is having a difficult time tonight going to sleep and that is what she just said. Isn't it so sad? I'm trying to distract myself with this post while Wes has one eye on the TV and the other on me so he can get to me before I get to her. Here are the other things she has come up with to make me feel like such a bad mom:

Mommmmma, come get me.
Mommmmma, where are you?
Mommmmma, I'm being patient.
Mommmmma, I'm scared.

I think I'm feeling alone at this point too.

Golf Anyone?

2009-03-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

Not me. And not Ella... yet. When Wes left for his golf trip this morning Ella wanted to go. Lucky for us we were going to Richmond to have lunch with Robbie and Barry. That was more exciting than golf for Ella (and me too) so she quickly forgot about golfing. And what a treat. Thank you Robbie and Barry for having lunch with us. We also walked around Short Pump and enjoyed the good weather before rain threatened. And thank you Robbie for continually reminding me that Ella is only three and pretending time-outs in the middle of Nordstroms are completely normal.

Lexy in the Middle

2009-03-10T21:22:00.000-04:00

In my defense, Lexy had just had a bath so she was drying off on that huge blue blanket. And Ella, well, she was just so darn funny about wanting to jump over Lexy that we got caught up in the moment and forgot to be parents. Oh well, it happens.

Art Work from School

2009-03-03T10:53:00.000-05:00

Ella comes home with pictures from school just about every day. Sometimes it's random scribbles, sometimes it's a project they worked on with their teachers, and sometimes it is an answer to a question. For Valentine's Day Ella's teachers asked why Ella loved her parents and Ella said, "Because they take me to the beach to play in the sand". I love them all, but the ones where she draws a picture are so funny sometimes- like this one! I asked her if she had fallen off the horse and she said no, she was just leaning over to get her hat.

So funny...

2009-03-02T20:48:00.004-05:00

Click on http://judydave884.blogspot.com/ and check out the cute pictures of Isabella and Grace. I just love this blog so much. There was an especially funny video of Grace on February 22. WATCH IT! Seriously- I am still laughing and trying to figure out how to post it here on my blog. Maybe it isn't funny for people who don't know Dave and Judy and Isabella and Grace but oh my gosh- the post is so funny on so many levels but the video takes the cake. Poor thing, she really thinks she came from EBay!

I'm still laughing.....

Regression

2009-02-27T15:51:00.003-05:00

aka: two steps forward, one step back. It happens all the time around here. I don't get it, but as I have been complaining about it lately I at least know it happens to the best of us. Thank you Robbie for giving me the "low down" on baby Wes and his path to the potty. It helps me laugh as I am cleaning up various accidents lately. That's right Wes, I now have some good dirt on you.

So here is how it went this morning:

Me: Ella, let's go to the potty!
Ella: No thanks Mom, I've already peed in my pants.

If nothing else she is polite. What happened to running to me with, "Mommy, I had an accident"? So lackadaisical are we now that Ella had had an accident sometime in the night, long enough ago that her clothes were dry by the morning. I really just have to laugh. You too?

You Could Sleep Here...

2009-02-24T12:13:00.005-05:00

... because no one else in our house is, especially Ella. I'm sure everyone is well aware of our potty training issues (if not, consider yourself lucky) so I'll skip to the most recent update. Last week Wes said to Ella (he says I was the one but I don't think so), "If you poop in the potty you can sleep in our room". And I distinctly remember looking at him with a few obscenities running though my mind (sorry Wes) but also thinking that was a pretty good idea. And I'll be damned if she didn't walk her little self into the bathroom and poop on the potty. Now, again, I can't even believe this is what I have to write about, but it is what it is- and I think what it is is desperation. So Ella has been sleeping in our room on a blow-up mattress. Yes ladies and gentleman, pass over the Mom of the Year Award because I clearly deserve it. Or maybe you could pass it my way because we have somehow gotten ourselves into a hostage situation with those little Cadbery eggs. As in Ella holds me hostage with not getting dressed, not listening, not eating, not (fill in the blank with any activity of daily life that most kids do on their own) without one of those little eggs. Ugh! I wish I could say everyone said this parenting thing would be easy but no one told me that so I'll stop the whining and share some pictures from Ella's ballet class:

República Dominicana

2009-02-08T13:07:00.027-05:00

What a trip! I think these pictures can tell the story pretty well, so here it goes:

The night before our flight, we had dinner with Barry, Robbie, and Karen. Thank you all for Ella's sweet treats! Ella was immediately smitten with Karen and went for many walks, or should I say shopping excursions, with her while we ate.

We then headed to our hotel to get some rest before our six am flight.

This is Ella at 3:30 am waiting for us to get ourselves in gear and head to the airport. We had an easy flight (as easy as it gets with a three year old) and finally, .....

Uncle Matt!!!!!

We went to Ocean World our first day and had fun with the dolphins, sea lions, birds, lions, ....

The next few days we went to our beach, Playa Cofresi:

If we weren't at the beach, we were napping, reading in the hammock, catching the world at the local coffee house/network cafe, playing Polly Pockets, or marveling at the cuisine Paulina prepared for us. What a luxury to have all your meals planned and prepared for you.

It was so nice to see Matt and while I don't think he got much of a vacation with Ella always wanting to be with him, we had a great time. Thank you Matt for arranging this entire trip!

Because Aunt Shannon Says So...

2009-01-30T11:39:00.004-05:00

This is a picture of Ella and Sami at Little Gym Last night. They each have their "Dance Bag" that holds their shoes for class because they enter without shoes (gymnastics part) and then put on their tap shoes first and then ballet shoes. At the end they put their shoes back in their bag. Ella chose her bag from Aunt Shannon as her dance bag- which is fitting since Ella now thinks Aunt Shannon rules the shoe world.

Background: We were reading Ella's blog together, and looking at the comments, when I read Aunt Shannon's suggestion about no shoes ("Barefoot dolls rock"). I said to Ella, "See, Aunt Shannon says it's okay for your dolls not to have shoes." When given the chance to choose a bag, she said, "Aunt Shannon's. She said I don't have to wear shoes". Okay, a bit of a stretch, but it was sweet. I thought it was so sweet until this morning when I was trying to get Ella to pick out shoes for school and she said (you could see this coming, I'm sure) "Aunt Shannon says I don't have to". I felt a bit of, I don't know, empathy (?) for Robbie because I have a feeling she had her own version of this a while back.

Snow Day

2009-01-27T22:54:00.004-05:00

In all honesty, it was more of a "Rain Day" but the threat of icy roads was enough to close Wes' office so he picked up Ella early and came home. I'm amazed Ella doesn't get cold- but every day, at some point, she is either in a bathing suit or her ballet leotard. So here she is yet again in her bathing suit with a twist of dancing on the counters in her bathroom. I do know better than to encourage this sort of behavior- I don't know what I was (or clearly wasn't) thinking.

Skiing in Virginia

2009-01-24T18:52:00.001-05:00

Yes, I am well aware of the fact that a good majority of you are laughing at the thought of skiing in Virginia. I can hear it now, "You call that skiing Sara?" Trust me, I had my reservations too. It was 60 degrees in Crozet, and I was beginning to wonder if we were going to see any snow this year at all. So we decided to go to Wintergreen to check out our "local" mountain. Although we didn't have a chance to really ski, I saw the slopes and they looked great! Ella played at the kids park and mostly made snowballs, went sledding without a sled, and periodically visited me in the tepee enjoying the fire (thank you Wes for taking on the cold!). The indoor section was a big draw for her also:

Aunt Polly

2009-01-22T19:46:00.005-05:00

Well, I have a couple things to discuss here. This weekend we were talking with Steve about Isabella and Grace and especially about how wild Grace is and how much Ella is like Isabella. We were telling stories, laughing, and out of nowhere Wes says, "Well, Aunt Polly is on my s^&$ list." WHAT? How dare you Wes! Of course he was joking but I was a bit ready to reach across the table and shake him for saying such a thing! It turns out Wes has a bit of an issue with Polly Pockets.

A little background: Polly wanted to get Ella her first Polly Pockets (only fitting, right?) and Ella LOVES them. She has a cruise ship for them, a Mini ("Just like Stevie's") and some even sleep with her. She and Caroline play with them a lot. Wes' issue is with the shoes. They are hard to get on but come off easily and get lost even easier. Ella gets a little (understatement) frustrated and Wes gets a little (even bigger understatement) frustrated. So Wes is not feeling the love for Polly Pockets like the rest of the family. Me, on the other hand, I am ecstatic for something Ella plays with on her own.

Issue #2: When Gracie was little Polly would go to the Starbucks drive-through and get a mocha. As soon as Gracie could, she said, "I want a mocha!" (This means chocolate milk in a coffee cup to her). She taught Ella this fine trick. So tonight after dance class Ella was pretty upset at leaving Sami and in the car after calming down, she said, "I just want to get a mocha with Sami!". Then we passed Starbucks (no drive through here in C-Ville though) and she screams (screams!), "There, there's my mocha! I want a mocha with Sami NOW!". I completely caved and we got mochas for the ride home. And just to top off her sassy quotient for the day (and test my breaking point for the day) Ella refused to drink it until she was in the car. Wow- an entire new level of being spoiled. It just wasn't the fight I was up for for today. Probably because I knew I had the "time for bed" fight ahead of me I'd have to save myself for.

So Polly, I have to say, you come into play a lot, more than you know. For being so far away you are a huge part of our day-to-day world. Thank you (and Mark, Isabella, and Grace) for all your calls and skyping to keep in contact with Ella. She doesn't even realize you are far away.

A Princess

2009-01-21T08:49:00.005-05:00

This morning Ella and I were looking at pictures from the Inauguration and when she saw the above picture she said, "ooooooooohhhhhhhh, a princess with Barack Obama". Then she saw a picture of soldiers marching and asked, "Where's Uncle Matt in that?" I was touched she remembered when Matt came home from Iraq and marched in formation.

01.20.09

2009-01-20T08:30:00.003-05:00

I hope you remember today Ella. When I picked you up at school our conversation went like this:

Me: Ella, we have a new President, do you know who?

Ella: Yes.

Me: Who?

Ella: I don't know.

Me: Yes you do, who?

Ella: Barack Obama?

Me: Yes!

And then I did to her what I hated when I was young and made her watch the speech. I don't know, she's three, maybe won't remember, or maybe will but it was such an important day that I wanted to see it with her.

Sick of being sick

2009-01-20T08:18:00.006-05:00

Lately I have been sick a lot. I was flat out in bed sick at New Year's and since then it has been this low-key sick. A hot shower/steam room helps get me going in the morning and I'm able to get through the day. Yesterday our offices were closed and I had a bunch of things I wanted to do but ended up in bed all day thankful for a break. I thought I was feeling better last night but this morning it was the same old all over again. Ella keeps saying she can make me feel better. So sweet- she even got out her doctor's kit last night. Needless to say I haven't been good about writing. Maybe it is the winter or maybe it's just being sick, but I haven't had much to say.

Last night Ella also put on a fashion show. There is usually some version of this every evening and it always includes a bathing suit, a ballerina outfit, and a version of Uncle Matt. Last night Wes had to play the role of Uncle Matt swimming with Ella. The day before it was one of her Polly Pockets. And lucky you Matt, she put you in a hammock on her Polly Pockets cruise ship!

Vacation!

2009-01-14T08:40:00.000-05:00

We are all looking forward to our vacation coming up. I forget it is a vacation because we are all so focused on seeing Matt- especially Ella. Once we had our passports, I scheduled a visit to the Travel Clinic. I took Ella with me just in case there were different shots for her. She was getting a bit antsy waiting for the doctor and a bit scared about what that doctor was going to do so I started talking about Grandpa Bill and Rhonda being doctors and Uncle Matt being a doctor. Well, she would have none of that, she straightened herself up and said in no uncertain terms that Uncle Matt was a dolphin swimmer. Hmmmm- okay. So when the doctor came in and asked Ella where she was going, she said, "I'm going to see my Uncle Matt, he is a dolphin swimmer". And so we continued our visit and went over all the shots and medicines needed and as we were leaving Ella shook hands with the doctor and said, "Can you bring out my Uncle Matt now?". And so I was ready to explain, yet again, that Matt will meet us at the beach.

Happy 40th Birthday Uncle Matt!

2009-01-11T21:20:00.003-05:00

Happy Third Birthday Gracie!

2009-01-10T22:07:00.001-05:00

Our little Gracie is Three! Sure, it was amazing when Ella turned three, but when Gracie, the baby (even if only by a month) of the family turns three, it just, I don't know, it just feels so grown up. I'd post a video of us singing Happy Birthday, but thanks to Skype we were able to do it real-time. Below are pictures of us Skyping with the Cuenys to say Happy Birthday to Gracie.

Ella- this will be so archaic to you when you are older and reading this, but for us, this is how we get to see all your cousins these days!

Perfect Saturday

2009-01-10T20:20:00.001-05:00

Hmmmm... just what might make a perfect Saturday? For me, it is waking up leisurely (thank you Wes), and having a low-key day. Today was one of those days. Ella started Ballet today too which was an extra treat. That was on schedule, but there was no stress involved so it still fit into my low-key day. Ella is taking classes at Albemarle Ballet Theatre. I volunteered there last semester so I know her teacher and that made it all the better. I was curious how Ella would do, and a little bit of me wondered if she would even go to the class. This is a classic dance studio so there are rules to be followed: pink leotard, pink tights, ballet shoes only and hair up. A big contrast to The Little Gym where anything goes. You also cannot wear your dance clothes to and from class, but must at least have a cover-up on. So we get there and Wes gets Ella dressed and when the other little girls arrive and go into the studio I asked Ella if she was ready; without a second thought she was off. This is Ella's first class experience outside of her school and I was really happy to see how much she enjoyed it.

My perfect day continued with a visit from Robbie, Barry and Alex. I have to say, I am lucky to have in-laws that are okay with ordering pizza and hanging out on the sofa for a bit. Robbie even put Ella down for her nap. Thank you! Thank you also for the presents for Ella- she brought the hat to bed tonight. Here are a couple pictures from our day:

Wes, Alex and Ella playing Guitar Hero.

Ella Opening Barry's Birthday presents for him.

Slacker, Slacker, Slacker...

2009-01-04T11:00:00.001-05:00

Okay, perhaps that is a bit harsh, but as I was logging in today I realized I hadn't posted since, well, about three weeks ago. So, a bit of a catch-up:

Sleeping: Ella is back to sleeping through the night. Many thanks to everyone who called and offered support and suggestions. And Judy- thank you so much for your post. I have directed a couple friends to your wise wise words. You should consider a new career here in consulting sleep deprived, tired, frustrated mothers.

Christmas: We had a great Christmas with Bill and Rhonda here. Lots of playing, eating, drinking and just a really good time. We also visited my Dad and Nancy's in Rock Hall. We made it in time to see my Aunt Margo and Uncle Jeff (visiting from California) along with their daughter Heather. Heather is a professional dancer (currently finishing up college in London!) so Ella dressed for her appropriately and Heather was kind enough to teach her a few moves.

New Year's: Wes and I went out for dinner while Ella and Grandma had fun. Thank you Grandma! If you look closely in the second picture, that is Robbie sleeping with Ella. It was also our sixth anniversary so it was a great night. Unfortunately it was followed by me being sick in bed for three days so that brought a quick end to our holiday.

And finally, a picture of Ella as she was leaving for school today. I had her clothes from this summer out to get her bathing suits for our trip in February and Ella grabbed this dress and has a fit if she can't wear it. I forgot to hide it when she was sleeping last night so here it is again... My only saving grace is, 1.) I wrangled a shirt underneath the dress and, 2.) she absolutely had to wear her new favorite boots. So off she went with a note to her teacher to please add leg warmers if they went outside. And of course her duck hat and scarf. So really, this is a Karen/Robbie outfit if I ever saw one!

Sleep Update

2008-12-17T09:22:00.002-05:00

Last night Ella came to our room only once. Yea! She was so upset when she had to go back to her room and tried to run away but she was crying so much she just fell to the ground. Quite dramatic. So let's all hope tonight is at least the same.

Calling Grandma Judy

2008-12-16T10:57:00.002-05:00

Judy, we need your help. I am failing miserably at this sleep thing. I would like it noted, for the record, that we had a good sleep situation going for a while. It is just all out broken. Now that Ella can get out of her bed, she takes full advantage of it. We had been letting her sleep on a cot in our room for a while when she woke up in the middle of the night. With the arrival of her new bed yesterday, we committed ourselves to walking her back to her room all night if it was needed. Well, it was needed and now I'm exhausted and barely thinking straight. At one point I woke up to Ella standing by our bed but when I started to get up she darted back to her bed, and just stood there, as if mocking me. I fell asleep on her floor, in the hall, and on the sofa. She fell asleep with that crazy kid radar that knows when you are slinking out of their room.

In all the spare time I had last night, I began composing a letter to apply to be on The Super Nanny but then I realized one child and two parents would hardly bring in the ratings for them. So I did what I really do well, I complained to Polly who pointed out you always know what to do. So here I am begging you, pleading really with red eyes and bed head that I can't get rid of because I'm too tired to stand in the shower. Really- this is worse than a newborn. Sure you are up all night with them also, but at (usually) dependable increments. Or maybe time has blurred reality, or maybe I'm just so tired and close to tears that I don't know what I am talking about but I desperately need your help. Any suggestions?

New Class

2008-12-15T10:08:00.000-05:00

Ella moved up to the Three/Four class today and as you can see picked her own outfit for the occasion. I was nervous but she was excited. As is usually the case, it didn't phase her at all. There was no crying at drop-off and when I picked her up she was full of stories of her day and artwork to share. My favorite was her Christmas wish. Her teachers asked her what she wanted and she answered a baby and a new doctor's kit. Funny she realizes she has many doctor's kits, hence needing a "new" one but the seven plus babies we have didn't register with her.

Happy Third Birthday Sweetheart

2008-12-14T09:56:00.000-05:00

Ella, weren't you just crawling? Weren't you just snuggling in the crook of you Daddy's neck? I thought just yesterday I was watching you sleep in your bassinet. Not so. You are a big girl now, big enough to have your own bed, big enough to dress yourself, big enough to write your name (your version of your name of course). I still watch you sleep for a bit every night and kiss your sweet face before saying goodnight. And although today you told me, in no uncertain terms, that you are a big girl now, you will always be my baby.

Of all the memories of the year leading up to your third birthday, I want you to remember our song the most, "For Baby" sung by Peter, Paul, and Mary:

I'll walk in the rain by your side
I'll cling to the warmth of your tiny hand
I'll do anything to help you understand
I'll love you more than anybody can

And the wind will whisper your name to me
Little birds will sing along in time
The leaves will bow down as you walk by
And morning bells will chime

I'll be there when you're feeling down
To kiss away the tears if you cry
And I'll share with you all the happiness I've found
A reflection of the love in your eyes

And I'll sing you the songs of the rainbow
Whisper of the joy that is mine
The leaves will bow down when you walk by
And morning bells will chime

Happy Birthday Ella

2008-12-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

Hmmmm, does it feel like I'm duplicating posts? Definitely not the case- we had two parties for Ella this year! Lucky lucky Ella. On Saturday we had Grandma Robbie, Grandpa Barry, Alex, Aunt Shannon and Uncle Mitch, Mary and GPS over to celebrate Ella's birthday! Yea Ella! And again, I open with a picture of Ella's cake because not only is it amazing, it was made by Grandma Robbie! Ella- you are one lucky girl to have such talented Grandmothers!

Here is Grandma and Mary watching Ella dance:

Ella opening presents and blowing out three candles:

The rest of the afternoon was spent swatting at an Elmo pinata and watching Elmo (Barry- I think you you got the most Elmo in today). Thank you everyone for sharing Ella's special day.

Happy Birthday Ella!

2008-12-12T08:29:00.001-05:00

Poppy and Nonna visited for Ella's Birthday this week and what a visit it was! Nonna made Ella's princess cake and thank goodness because this type of marvel is not something I could create. Not only does it look good- it tastes great too!

Nonna and Ella also made gingerbread cookies. Nonna did all the work and Ella ate a lot. When Nancy asked her what the gingerbread man needed I loved it when Ella said, "A Belly". Here they are making the cookies:

We also spent some time relaxing:

On Friday we went downtown and I mentioned a picture I have been "visiting" at a local gallery. My Dad, Ella and Nancy went in to see it and came out with it. Thank you so much Dad and Nancy. I have loved this picture for so long and I am so happy to have it in my home now. Here is a copy from the artist's (Raymond Chow) website (http://www.raymondchow.com/).

And here is a picture of where it is in our house. We call it "Ella in Avon" and last night Ella said, "Goodnight Ella in Avon" when we passed it on our way to bed. This picture doesn't do it justice, so check out the website.

Here are some more pictures from Ella's Birthday celebration:

Where's Uncle Matt?

2008-12-10T08:59:00.000-05:00

Today I took Ella to get her passport picture taken. She was great, stellar actually because it took a couple shots to get it right. I should have thought this through better, because I said we needed her picture so she could see Uncle Matt. Therefore, I was stumped for an answer when after the picture was taken she asked the picture lady, "Can you take me to Uncle Matt now?". I tried to explain the process to Ella but there is no way to explain that to a two year old. We moved on to our next errand to which Ella asked, "Do I get to see Uncle Matt?". Crap! Why did I not think this through? So after yet again an unsuccessful explanation, I took Ella to school for Tumblebus. It didn't end there.

Wes picked Ella up and said Ella asked if she could see Uncle Matt. Usually this means we get out pictures of Uncle Matt with baby Ella, little Ella, and beach Ella. She wasn't having it. So Uncle Matt, perhaps your ears have been ringing because Ella is very much looking forward to seeing you.

And Polly- I remember when Isabella was little and I would be coming out to see you and you wouldn't tell her. It would kill me, I just wanted to be excited with her. You always said you waited until the very end because time is difficult for kids to understand. You are such a good Mom.

Happy Birthday Poppy

2008-12-08T21:00:00.019-05:00

For Ella, Poppy turning 70 means a cake and balloons. I'd like to say those items would be for him, but Ella would assume they were for her. What can I say, she is three and I'm going to let her continue for a while believing it is all about her.

However, Ella, take note. When you are my age and your Dad is turning 70, you should know how much fun it would be to celebrate by surprising him. That is just what your Aunt Polly and I did this weekend. Coordinate with me sweetie, and we'll figure out a great weekend just like your Nonna did with us.

For example, surprise him at a restaurant where everyone is in on the surprise but him:

Go to breakfast the next morning, followed by a great museum. We went to The Baltimore Museum of Art. The Cone Collection was being displayed which included 500 works of art by Matisse. Even more impressive is they were collected by two Baltimore sisters. Wow! We also enjoyed the works of Franz West. Here we are enjoying two of his sculptures:

Hmmm... what does The Thinker think of Poppy turning seventy?

We followed that with watching TubaChristmas at the Inner Harbor. Wow! here is a picture of Poppy marching with the tubas:

Dinner that evening was at Woodberry Kitchen. Wonderful! And finally, we had yet another great breakfast Sunday morning and then all headed home to recuperate. I think it is a safe bet to assume that two days later we are all still recuperating! Thank you for sharing your Birthday Dad!

Where is Aaron?

2008-12-04T20:47:00.000-05:00

Randi and Aaron came over for dinner last night and Ella was smitten. We all know how much she (and us) love Randi. And really, who doesn't! But Aaron layered on a whole new factor to Randi Cool. Here is how our conversation went this morning:

Ella: Where's Aaron?

Me: Probably at class (he is pursuing a PhD in economics at UVa).

Ella: Why?

Me: Because he is smart

Ella: I'm smart

Me: Yes you are

Ella: I'm going to class with Aaron

Me: Excellent, why not start with wearing your your UVa shirt?

Ella: No, I want a shaky skirt. Where's Randi?

Me: Probably working too

Ella: Is she working with Aaron?

Me: I don't know

Ella: Where's Aaron?

Me: probably at class...

We had a great time at dinner and Aaron and Randi were so kind to watch Ella perform her favorite dance moves and songs. When did we become the parents who had their kids perform after dinner? Apparently last night.

Thanksgiving in Georgia

2008-11-30T21:23:00.007-05:00

This Thanksgiving we traveled to North Georgia and stayed in the mountains. It was beautiful and we were lucky to be surrounded by family for this visit to Rabun Gap. Ella, this is home for the Ritchie side of your family and you will always have family here.

A few highlights of our trip for you to remember my dear:

We caravaned with Uncle Scott, Aunt Jodi, GPS, Selma and Kemper. Thank you Selma and Kemper for keeping Ella occupied for ten (!!) hours... twice. GPS, Scott and Jodi had one car and we were in the other (more fun) car. Selma DJ'd and Kemper found the patience to answer you every single time you asked him to look at your funny face.

We had many electronics going- Ella watched movies on her IPod Touch while S&K played on their DS.

Eventually, we stopped at the peachoid in Gaffney to run around. Wes and I had both passed this thing many many times when we were little and this is the first time he ever stopped to explore.

We stayed at Glen Ella Springs Inn and it couldn't have fit us better. Francis & Myron and Jinny & Bill also stayed in the same chalet as us. On Thanksgiving morning we went for a hike at Tallulah Falls:

And it is only fair to document that Gracie also took advantage of what we now call the Port-a-Volvo. Even with our third-row-seats up there was room for some classic reading:

Moving on to Thanksgiving... We had Thanksgiving Dinner at Glen-Ella Inn and it was fabulous! The weather was nice enough to explore the inn and play football. We also relaxed and played games. The last picture is of Steve and Ella rocking on the porch. Ella was having a particularly difficult time and as soon as she crawled into Steve's lap she was calm. Thank you GPS!

At our Chalet, there were six suites with two common areas where we all congregated at night. Ella was very lucky to get to sleep with either Wes, me, or Aunt Jodi:

And finally, a couple pictures from The Dillard House. The Dillards are also your relatives Ella, but a bit back in the line.

I think this picture of Ella and Gracie is so funny not only because Grace's dress is a size smaller, but I'm guessing, if her personality holds true, she would prefer it that way.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, we are thankful for our friends and family and especially to everyone who made this trip special for us all.

Wearing Pajamas to the Library

2008-11-24T20:32:00.002-05:00

Tonight we went to story time at the library. The fun part for Ella is she can wear her pajamas. Our neighbors have gone before but we haven't and so tonight we all bundled up and headed out in the rain for a nice evening at the library. I thought Ella would not want to separate from Wes and I (yes, I made Wes go too) but as soon as we arrived and the quilt was spread out for the kids she ran right over and claimed her spot. I'm sure many of you know that moment when you are glad your child is being independent but a little sad for the very same reason. So Caroline and Ella enjoyed songs and books and Amy, Benton, Wes and I sat back and, well... enjoyed songs and books also.

Robbbyrda's Dog Godfrey

2008-11-23T20:15:00.008-05:00

This is my friend Robbbyrda being not only a fabulous mom to Godfrey, but such a great friend to Ella (and me). She was letting Ella "walk" Godfrey. Keep in mind Godfrey weighs more than Ella and Robbbyrda together so that is some trust going on there- between them all! This picture is from a dog park here in Charlottesville. It was like a playground with pets. All the parents know each other by their kids (for example, Robbbyrda is "Godfrey's Mom", not Robbbyrda, not Gary's wife, not a Director at UVa, but known for Godfrey. Nice! These pictures don't do him justice, but Godfrey is so sweet, so lovable, and huge! When we left Ella said Godfrey could come over and sleep with her in her bed. With that suggestion I was wondering what it would take to make that happen since this is the first time I've heard Ella talk about sleeping AT ALL in her bed. So I said, "Maybe for your Birthday" to which she replied, "Well, I need a new bed first". And again- if that is what it takes...

After visiting we did our usual grocery shopping and then headed home for a nap. Wes made it home from golf early so it was a nice Sunday afternoon with everyone home. I even had some time to clean out Ella's closet. I can't believe I am packing away all her size two clothes and cute little sandals. I know you all told me it would go by so fast but seriously, this just doesn't seem fair. Ella's favorite activity lately is "reading" to her animals. Here's a quick video of her "reading":

And here are picture of her reading to Private Humpback (sent from Iraq). Oddly enough, while Ella was reading to him, the phone rang and it was Matt calling. Ella is too little to understand the importance of that but as soon as I heard his voice I was so happy. Thank you for calling Matt!

And no, it is not unusually warm for November here. As I have been putting away Ella's clothes, she finds them and puts her favorites back on.

Happy Birthday Uncle Mitch!

2008-11-15T15:05:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Mitch's parents and Shannon for including us in dinner out to celebrate Mitch's Birthday. On the way home I said to Ella, isn't it so fun to see your family? And Ella replied, "Family makes me happy, I love Uncle Mitch." You can see it in this picture! Of course Ella thought it was her Birthday too and I also want to thank everyone for all her gifts. You really know how to make a girl feel special (and her Mom be able to have a nice meal!). So here are some pictures of the gang:

Mitch's parents, Fran and Jim. In the summer, the menu would be their FAMOUS barbecue and homemade ice cream. For tonight, they picked Bonefish Grill.

It is hard to make out everyone here, but on the end is Jeff, Mitch's brother, and Brooke, his girlfriend. I know Jim and Fran are proud of their wonderful boys but I am touched also by how much they admire and care for Shannon and Brooke.

Grandma!

Grandpa Barry and Alex made it too. This is football season for Alex so we were lucky to see him on a night off.

Ella and Shannon (Ella's latest 'Shannonism' is she wants a canopy bed just like Shannon did).

Being put in my place by a two year old

2008-11-13T21:21:00.004-05:00

Ella: Why are we going to the store?
Me: Because I forgot to get sugar
Ella: Why do we need sugar?
Me: Because I need coffee
Ella: Why do you need coffee?
Me: Because I like it
Ella: Why do you like it?
Me: Because I have an addiction
Ella: What's an addiction?
Me: A bad habit
Ella: You need a time out
Me: Why?
Ella: Stop talking while you're driving

Okay then- let's just call a spade a spade. In a matter of minutes I feel like a drug dealer because I realize I'm addicted to coffee. There are worse things. It's just that these questions are coming at record speed these days and I probably am just entertaining myself with such ridiculous answers. Seriously- why can't I just be a grown up and say something along the lines of, "for the same reasons you want juice, I like it"? But I don't and Ella is getting quick enough to put me in my place which is funny. Whether she realizes it or not- she is pretty funny these days.

Mandy Carroll Photography

2008-11-12T22:56:00.007-05:00

Every year at this time we have pictures taken by Mandy Carroll. Mandy is a local photographer with an amazing eye and artistic flair. I find myself each year looking forward to the fall not only because it is a beautiful time, but also because we get to spend a couple hours with Mandy chasing Ella around and capturing all that spirit. After every session I think to myself there is no way we got a good picture. And every time I am delighted by the faces and feelings she has captured. Amazing! She posts a sneak peek on her blog so visit her page (http://www.mandycarroll.com/) and click on "blog" to see a couple pictures of Ella just in time for her Third (!!!) Birthday.

Back to Africa

2008-11-10T08:27:00.001-05:00

This weekend we went up to DC for Scott, Jodi, Selma, and Kemper's going away party. And not just any party- a party filled with 168 friends! Scott and Jodi are packing up and expect to be in Africa in the next couple of weeks.

This is their second post (first to Nairobi) and they will be in Dakar, Senegal. Of all the times to forget my camera, this was the one so I don't have any pictures, but there were many friends, great food, and some sad goodbyes.

Ba-ROCK the vote!

2008-11-04T23:00:00.001-05:00

We have been singing our own version of "Rock the Boat" today, "BaROCK the vote baby..." Ella is very good at it. Here she is sharing her voting choices today:

Ella's Voting Ballot

2008-11-04T08:45:00.000-05:00

We had our own version of voting at our house. It took a couple times for Ella to get the idea, but it was funny if nothing else. This is her ballot. Most often she circled Elmo and Abby Cadabby.

Life from Michigan

2008-11-03T20:40:00.000-05:00

I am constantly bugging my sister about sending me pictures. I try not to because I know she is extremely busy, but I can't help it- I want to see everything everyone is doing. I want the daily blow-by-blow that I bore everyone with here. And while it is a good portion because of Isabella and Grace, I also want to know about Polly and Mark and Mark's family.

There was a time when Polly had graduated and was working in NJ while Mark and I were finishing up school (of course Mark was finishing his Masters and I was, well, trying to make it to class periodically) at Michigan State. Mark took me to all his family get-togethers and I really felt a part of the family- I still do. What am I then, their sister-in-law twice removed? I hope so.

Where am I going with this? Well, thanks to Mark's Mom and Dave, I feel a little bit closer to them already with their new blog. I get to feel a part of their life, as if I'm sitting down to dinner with them and they are telling me about their day. Thank you so much! Dave- I remember when you took me on a tour of the Chrysler headquarters and took me to all the secret places to see the cool cars being built and smashed and prototyped. It was amazing! And Judy- you'll never know how much of a hand you have had in Ella- your advice sent to me through Polly. So even without the blog you are a part of my life but I am so grateful to read about Life From Michigan!

ps- click on this post title or here: http://www.judydave884.blogspot.com/

Soccer

2008-11-03T20:39:00.006-05:00

Hmmmmmm.... there are no golf clubs in this picture. Amazing. Seriously though- Sunday afternoon Wes and Ella went out for a walk and after a while I heard Ella laughing. I looked outside and saw the two of them playing soccer. Ella was ecstatic! We played again today and she loves it.

Grampa's Visit

2008-11-02T20:20:00.000-05:00

On Saturday Grandpa Bill came and he and Wes were able to get a round of golf in- the weather was beautiful. Ella and I picked out a cake and balloons for a "party". We've had a lot of birthdays lately and somewhere along the line family visiting has become a reason to get balloons and cake. Not a bad idea really so I went along with it.

Before dinner Ella put Grandpa to bed and then turned it around so he put her to bed and when she woke up, she instructed everyone to bring her coffee. I am the lucky recipient of coffee in bed every day (thank you Wes!) so it was easy to see where she got this idea from. I promise I don't instruct Wes to bring it to me, it's a matter of survival on his part since I'm so nasty in the morning. Anyway, this is just another reminder to watch what I say and do around her.

And lucky Ella had her bedtime stories read by Grandpa:

The next day we had breakfast out (Thank you Grandpa!) before Bill had to head back to DC. This picture is from Sunday and as gorgeous as the subjects are, aren't those trees amazing too!

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T19:35:00.003-04:00

Wow- Halloween is a whole other ballgame when you have a child. I have a feeling it only gets bigger each year. Until now we got by with a cute cuddly outfit and a couple visits with friends and family. No longer the case. I now have a "Halloween" box for all the paraphernalia we got into. Ella was Princess Presto this year and enjoyed the whole night:

Steve came over as a crocodile and Ella put a spell on him:

We practiced how actual trick-or-treating goes:

Then we hit the neighborhood with our neighbors:

We then took Ella over to her teacher's house and came home for our neighborhood party. Ella was very insistent on the party and ran up to everyone and yelled, "HEY GUYS!" The funniest part of the entire night.

Best Laid Plans...

2008-10-29T21:21:00.011-04:00

Being a parent can really make you realize you can not plan everything. And we all know I love a plan. It wasn't until late in life I learned what the saying "The best-laid plans..." actually means. Having Ella brings it home weekly, if not daily.

Tonight was one of those nights. As you all know, Wes is the lucky current pneumonia recipient in our house. We were hoping to carve pumpkins Saturday night but we felt too tired/rotten. Sunday was worse, Monday not even an option, Tuesday we were feeling better but Wes was still rotten. I was beginning to reason that Ella won't remember this anyway (love that one, huh?). Finally tonight we felt like we could (maybe) pull it off- with the help of Steve.

Okay then, here we go... I had the pumpkins, chili in the crock-pot, and of course wine. Picture perfect if you ask me. I walk into the family room and Ella is asleep on the sofa. Are you kidding me? She has never, (let me repeat that), NEVER fallen asleep on the sofa. I am caught between the bliss of a bit of quiet in the house and the disappointment of, well, the best laid plans....

So we carved pumpkins...

And Ella slept...

Steve and I finished the little ones:

The heart is for B, a friend of ours from MCC (Medical Center Computing- which is now HSCS but to most who read this blog it will always be MCC). The other is clearly for Ella. This is her pumpkin she picked in Rock Hall. Thanks Poppy and Nonna!

And Ella slept...

We had dinner, Wes finished his pumpkin (can you believe he carved that cat?!), and then Ella woke up. We still had one pumpkin left. Could it be my plan is actually going to work out? Of course not- she wanted nothing to do with a pumpkin. Oh well, at least she had the option. Thank you Wes for cleaning out the pumpkin and Stevie for carving the picture I wanted- a happy, smiling, pumpkin. Yea! And so here we all are smiling with our masterpieces:

After cleaning up Ella joined me in sorting through the seeds to clean them for baking. I'm beginning to think the "often go awry" portion of that quote may just be the best part (or to be official: “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men / Gang aft a-gley.”) Amazing what you can learn from a two-year old.

And finally, a video of Ella wishing everyone a Happy Halloween:

Go Ella Go!

2008-10-29T11:07:00.003-04:00

When we were little, my Mom would pay us $0.25 to run our dog around the house. I think she was making herself laugh with this because I remember her laughing when she said it. Or maybe the dog barking and the kids complaining were worth the money ( a bargain at $0.25!). I think about this often when Ella gets wound up. Right now, running a circuit inside is fun to Ella- no bribery required.... hall, kitchen, family room, dining room, back hall, kitchen.... So here she is running around. And yes- I would also give her $0.25 to take it outside.

Weekend

2008-10-27T17:12:00.018-04:00

We are still laughing from Friday night and thank you Grandma for coming up to take care of Ella while we went out. Little did you know that one night would turn into a weekend of taking care of all of us while we are still (yes,... still) sick. Wes is the most pitiful with pneumonia. I think we made the best of it though. It rained Saturday so we played inside and then went to the mall to run Ella ragged in hopes of a nap (for us all!). Here she is with Grandma and her duck hat and scarf that have made a huge comeback this season- thank you Karen!

I love these next two pictures of Ella hugging Robbie:

We then headed to Chiles Peach Orchard where apples are in season. The weather was beautiful and at this time of year, the scenery is amazing!

There was a pumpkin patch at the orchard so Ella was able to see where pumpkins really grow. I'm sure by next year she won't want to hear about it but she was curious about the vines this year:

And then we napped (again). Thank you so much Robbie for a great weekend! As I type Ella is looking for her tiara ("Because I'm a princess") and her earrings. Hopefully she'll stop for a minute so I can get a picture for you!

Capitol Steps

2008-10-25T16:06:00.001-04:00

Thank you Steve for a great evening! We had, what felt to me, a real night out! We started with dinner:

And then on to The Paramount:

And finally, The Capitol Steps!

They didn't allow any pictures, so this is all I had, but what great seats! My face still hurt the next morning from laughing so hard.

Sleeping (Take Two)

2008-10-23T08:10:00.005-04:00

For the last month, at least one of us has been sick at any given time. I had that virus that makes you feel like you have pneumonia but you don't so there is no remedy (except, thank God, cough medicine with codeine), Ella had pneumonia, and now Wes has I do not know what but he is miserable and I'm scared for us to get near him. On top of that Ella has started coming into our room at night and climbing into bed with us. Lately I haven't even noticed when she crawled into our bed.

So... with Wes sick we decided to put the blow-up mattress in our room so Ella and I wouldn't be near him last night should she wake up and come sleep with us (again- I do know I should bring her back to her room, but I'm so desperate for some sleep so I'm ignoring good discipline right now- check back in a couple weeks). This picture is what I found when I came out of the bathroom to go to sleep. I did put her back in her bed but sometime in the middle of the night she was back.

Carter's Mountain

2008-10-19T08:53:00.000-04:00

Fall in Virginia

2008-10-18T08:19:00.000-04:00

Yes, it is that time of year again ... pumpkins and hayrides! We went to Greenfield Farms and saw farm animals, hayrides, hay mazes and corn mazes. Not so many pumpkins though. Ella liked running on the hay maze the best but also ran around in the corn maze. She liked getting off the path and Wes and Steve liked (?) chasing her down. I was too busy trying to find my way out.

Night Out

2008-10-17T21:43:00.001-04:00

Wes and I went out tonight to a Casino Night at Wes' work. I had never been to one of these so it was all new to me. Wes gambled and I hung out with my friends. Not so much a "date night" but at least we got out, right? The event was held on The Lawn at UVa so we got to see college life in full swing on a Friday night. I forgot what that was like and I have to say all those kids look much younger than I did (or maybe I'm just that much older now). Steve came over to stay with Ella (thank you GPS!) and was dancing when we left. Steve has Bear Bear and Ella has Baby Baby. That's right- we are oh so creative in naming around here.

Everyday Life

2008-10-17T08:45:00.006-04:00

Here are some pictures from this week. The one above is this morning. Wes and I are so amazed at how big Ella looks to us sometimes. This morning was one of those times. On top of her looking big, she acts big with her "I can do it" attitude and her desire to go to Preschool. This morning I was tickling and kissing her and she straightened herself up and said, "Stop Mamma, I am going to school now." She then walked outside and tried to open the car door. I just watched her and wanted to say, "No, don't go!" and thought maybe if I pleaded hard enough with time, I could stop it. Who doesn't want that, right?

Earlier we were outside to see a home-made bottle scooter (something to do with a science experiment that probably involved baking soda) scoot down the road. It was a success. The girls squealed and Benton ran after the scooter. I don't know how Amy and Benton put that thing together, but it was really cool.

Ella and Caroline got some scooter time in too:

Dr. Mayo

2008-10-13T17:19:00.000-04:00

We love Dr. Mayo. Actually, the entire practice, but Dr. Mayo is who we see most often and we saw her today. Ella is usually not so great in the doctor's office but today she was stellar, even asking for a repeat performance of her exam. So this is Dr. Mayo right before we got the news that Ella has pneumonia. It's the watered-down "Walking Pneumonia" type but her first antibiotic none-the-less.

Vacation

2008-10-13T16:00:00.000-04:00

I would usually be writing about what a great trip we had, thanking Poppy and Nonna on behalf of Ella for playing school, pumpkin picking, reading, hugs, bird feeding, dancing, singing, cooking (and letting Ella cook too!), and especially for letting me sleep.

I'd be posting pictures of the beautiful view from their home and trying to put into words the beauty of a visit to Creeksedge. Well, you will have to check out the 06/04/08 post for that. I only have a couple pictures from this past week.

But instead I am writing an apology. I brought a coughing child to your home, left her with you, and then came back in not such great shape myself. Then I called you today to let you know Ella has pneumonia. I am so so sorry! Thank you for sleeping with Ella. That's right everyone reading this, Ella slept BETWEEN Poppy and Nonna. She started out in her bed but her coughing was so difficult they put her safely between them. One night I came upstairs to find her all tucked in and my Dad and Nancy had barely enough room to sit let alone sleep. They sent me back to my room to sleep and they took care of Ella. Thank you for taking care of both of us- I promise a better trip in November.

And just so we are all clear on how badly I behaved, this is the only picture I have:

Old Habits...

2008-10-06T23:41:00.003-04:00

This is the same exact position Ella slept in for the first three months of her life when she was in her brace. I'll spare everyone my diatribe of getting Ella to bed tonight, except to say it took an hour.

Sleeping like Uncle Matt

2008-10-05T23:14:00.010-04:00

Interesting picture, no? It doesn't seem too exciting (it's not) and there is no Ella (say it isn't so). But look closer and you'll see her feet peeking out beside the chair. Here's a closer look:

And another:

Yes- that is Ella sleeping behind her chair using Fancy Nancy as a pillow.

Here's how this happened... I decided today's nap was a good time to re-introduce Ella to sleeping on her own. This, I knew, would entail walking her back to her room.. repeatedly. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea to start this at this particular time- especially since Wes was golfing, but I did and I regretted it as soon as I realized what I had done. I started out getting up, giving Ella a hug, reassuring her, and then carrying her back to her bed. After six tries of that I walked her back to her bed, seven times later I just pointed to her room as I walked toward her and somewhere around the 20th time I just pointed.

Then I had to go downstairs to get something and when I came back upstairs Ella was hiding behind her chair insisting she wasn't coming out and she wanted her blanket and binks. This seemed like a good alternative to me since the other option was wearing a rut in our carpet. And sure enough- she fell asleep behind her chair.

I say this is like Uncle Matt because I have heard about all sorts of places he can sleep (non of which I could) so I can only think she gets this from him. Hi Uncle Matt!

Grandpa Barry's House

2008-10-05T11:14:00.001-04:00

Every time we go to Richmond, I feel like we take over Barry's home. And Barry, you are so generous about it- thank you! This weekend was no different. We went shopping, including a train ride:

We then headed over to Barry's for a nap. That sounds simple enough but Ella loves "Grandpa's Puppy" and goes right for him:

She then moves on to find any type of ball no matter where it is in the house. You know, normal active two-year-old stuff that wrecks a house in seconds flat. We wrapped up the day with dinner and were lucky to hit a night Shannon wasn't "Noosing" (I quote Ella on that one) so she could join us.

Of course before we hit the road to go home Ella needed to use the potty. Yes- I travel with a potty chair in my car. Yet another reason I love the Volvo. Thank you Polly for the tip.

And as a footnote- Ella woke up the next day wanting to see Max. I had no idea who that was, but apparently it is "Grandpa's puppy".

All Night Long!

2008-10-03T09:08:00.006-04:00

I can not even express the joy in our house when we woke up this morning. A little background: since moving to the "big girl bed" Ella has not slept through the night. That's right- HAS NOT SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT. I am emphasizing this because it means we have not either. If we were better parents, we would spend the night helping her sleep in her own room. Instead, we spend the night with her sleeping on a blow-up mattress in our room. Uh-huh, yet another parent-of-the year award moment for me. So this morning I wake up, look at the clock and see it is 7:20. WHAT? Wes asked me if Ella was still in her room. I think so - and I hope she is still breathing (yes, I still have that fear of SIDS in me). Sure enough- we hear her calling for us. And this is another great moment because I realize she doesn't necessarily think it's the best idea to get out of bed without us in the morning. Don't worry- I know this may not be the case tonight, tomorrow, etc... but I now know it's obtainable.

This brings up another issue- the reality of Ella's blog. I write so often of all the great things going on with Ella and while that is our life, there is, of course, so much more. There are tantrums, power struggles, feelings of failure, sadness, ... oh the list is long. If I read this blog, I wouldn't like myself- I'd think (dripping with sarcasm), "Oh it must be sooooooo easy to have such a perfect kid, huh?" and I'd call my sister to complain about me and how I must think I'm so perfect. It's just not the case of course, but I do see how it looks that way. While we have fun, there have also been many times when I have been in tears at my inability to cope with a faulty sippy cup, taken two showers in one day since that is the only place I could get some peace and quiet, not taken a shower for days because I couldn't fit it in, been given a bink by Ella to "make me feel better". Just today I bribed Ella with a Pop-tart. A POP-TART! We don't eat greens every night, we had pizza for dinner twice this week. I missed Ella's two-year old check up. Not so bad you think? Ella missed it with me. When Ella was little, I'd put on all the shiny necklaces I could find so she would snuggle with me (she wasn't a huge snuggler). This trick I learned from my sister- so Polly, don't think you are going to beat me out for the parent of the year award (although in reality she would- they always have greens). Ella won't fall asleep by herself this week (soon to be month). She won't brush her teeth and I haven't been able to teach her how to not swallow the toothpaste. If she doesn't like a song on in the car, she has a meltdown. Potty training? She loves the potty. She hasn't had an accident in weeks. I'm sure that has something to do with the fact that she refuses to poop- AT ALL. I could go on and on, but I think I've made my point.

Our Very Own Poncho and Lefty

2008-10-02T08:36:00.000-04:00

Ella has been very into Poncho and Lefty lately (see July 29th post). She came up today with her own version of them- two of her stuffed animals. Pretty clever, huh? Tonight the activity was dancing, and yes- that is the Go-Go's we are listening to, she does dance like her Daddy, and she feels her audience is Sid the Science Kid who was on the TV.

Random, random, random...

2008-10-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

Here's a quote from Wes, "Oh my God this is such a chick flick"- said as he left the room. Really, this has absolutely nothing to do with Ella except that I laughed so hard I might have woken her up. Truth be told, Wes was watching some news show (overload) when I came in and changed the channel (shallow) so really I can't say anything except that we all need a little mindless, veg-out, down-time. Right? Right.

Thank You Uncle Mark

2008-10-01T05:00:00.000-04:00

Mark is responsible for "Hockey Socks"- ya know- pulling your socks up high OVER your pants. "Hockey Socks" was one of Ella's first words. So this morning when Ella was getting dressed I pulled out her cute socks with the ruffles. Adorable and even better these days... clean.

At this point I'm pretty impressed with myself. There were no struggles over clothes, what she picked out matched, and the socks would be so cute! Can you see where this is going? Ella put on her socks and I folded them over which was met with a "NO, HOCKEY SOCKS!" and her pulling them up as far as possible. Of course this was cute too and I love her independence. I especially love that it reminds me to chill out and have fun (Thank you Uncle Mark!)

Welcome to Ella's Store

2008-09-30T08:22:00.000-04:00

Tonight we shopped at Ella's store for quite a while. Sometimes it was a Bakery that accepted credit cards:

Sometimes it was a shoe store (Ella's waiting for you Grandma!):

And finally it became a sunglasses shop:

Big Girl Bed

2008-09-27T13:34:00.000-04:00

For some reason this crib represents all things baby to me (I carried this picture around with me the whole time I was pregnant). Before Ella came I loved this crib, while she slept in her bassinet I loved this crib. I secretly put her in her crib for some naps even though she was happy in the bassinet. And when I did that, she'd immediately wake up as if to say "No dice Mom, too much space for me right now". There is just something so sweet about this crib. So you can imagine my delight when I picked up the conversion kit that allowed me to keep the crib around for a little longer in the form of a toddler bed. De-light!

Ella could hardly wait to get her animals in her new "Big Girl" bed (Those who made the cut: Cat, Puppy, Rangy-Tangy, Bear, Feet, Pink and Baby Stella). And... she even threw her binks down and said, "I'm a big girl, I don't need binks". What? No binks? Could it be true? And sure enough, no binks made the transition into the big girl bed... until it came time for real sleeping in the bed. Seriously- I have enough guilt about this bink thing to last me through Christmas. Anyway... we're all happy for the new bed and I'm happy to live in denial that since it's still the same crib (stars and all) Ella isn't really growing up so fast.

Happy Birthday Daddy (by Ella)

2008-09-21T13:13:00.000-04:00

Yup- it's my Daddy's Birthday today. What everyone is failing to realize is it is my Birthday too. Ugh- adults. I'm sure everyone reading this knows what a Birthday means to by Dad... GOLF and lots of it. So after playing golf, this is Daddy watching golf. GPS made Daddy whatever he wanted for dinner which was Chicken Kiev. Yummy! And of course, candles on a cake. Again- I had to remind them it was MY Birthday too and therefore they had to sing Happy Birthday to ME. Ugh- adults.

Below is a picture of me being funny. Who do you think I get this humor from? Before I sign off, just remember, if it's your Birthday, it's my Birthday too!

It all started with Ms. Mary

2008-09-16T09:25:00.000-04:00

If it weren't for Mary, my Mom and Dad would never have met. She is responsible for my Mom's first job at UVA and without that job, my Mom wouldn't have been working there when my Dad was. Can you believe it? She is also responsible for advising my Mom to make a career move into Compliance. I think Mary is one of those people who touches and influences lives without even knowing it. She is an amazing woman and one of our closest friends. How do I know all of this you ask? My Mom talked about it after our dinner with Mary and GPS.

Sleeping

2008-09-11T14:19:00.000-04:00

So... I was going through all the pictures my Mom has downloaded and there are a surprising amount of me sleeping. Hmmm.... I thought I'd post this one since I'm holding Cat. I'm such an angel.

Golf Lessons by Ella Campbell

2008-09-09T09:33:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Golf by Ella. That's right ladies and gentleman, you too can own the golf course just like me. Here are a few tips...

First and foremost, have someone escort you in style to the golf course. My ride of choice is the stroller. Room just for me, two cup holders, and three golf clubs. Mine is a convertible. Uh-huh, ride in style is my motto.

We're lucky to live within walking distance of this club. I'd recommend it. If I really get wound up late afternoon, I can put money on the fact that when my Dad gets home my Mom will want to get out. That's when I pull out my clubs and look cute and before I know it we're headed over here. This shot shows how beautiful it is here. Wish you were here!

Speaking of mind games,... you always need to remember to play the mind games on the course. It's not just a physical sport people. In this shot, my dad is going for a birdie but do you see how he is watching me walk away out of the side of his eye? I intimidated him and it's all he'll be able to think about while he is trying to get that ball in the hole. Double-click on this picture and you'll see the look on my face better.

Now, I'm not very proud of this shot because, well, yes- I am moving my ball. Here's the thing though- I'm only two so I get some allowances.

And when all else fails, I talk to the ball. Here I am yelling, "GO IN, GO IN!"

And finally, my form. Don't even try to copy it folks, you won't be able to. I learned this all on my own. But do get your own form. If you really need some help with that, give me a call. You can make the check out to Virginia 529 Plan.

Peach Picking

2008-08-30T22:20:00.000-04:00

We went Peach Picking today. My Dad said he remembered when he was little picking peaches with his family. So I come by my great picking abilities honestly. We ate them right off the trees and then had a peach sundae.

Career Day?

2008-08-26T22:10:00.000-04:00

We don't have career day at my school (borrrrrrring!) but my Grandpa did come in and teach us about the planets today. How cool am I? Everyone knew he was MY Grandpa, and they loved him. The three-year-olds even gave him hugs. So I'm sitting pretty at school right now since by association, I'm cool.

This is Stevie lining up the planets. Ms. Susanne has the sun and then Colin is bringing over the Earth (see, I did learn something).

These are my classmates hanging with Stevie and my teacher Ms. Brenda.

Well, in this picture, I'm not paying attention, but I am holding my planet. Thank you Grandpa Stevie!

Friends of Uncle Matt

2008-08-23T22:04:00.000-04:00

Uncle Matt came up with his friends this weekend (picture). We had to say goodbye for a couple months to Uncle Matt but it is much better than saying goodbye for longer.

Vacation: Take Two

2008-08-18T21:19:00.000-04:00

Whew, this blogging is hard work for a two year old. So back to my trip to Savannah... we drove to Savannah and as we were en route, we got word Matt's ceremony was delayed two days to Saturday at 5:30 am. Now we all know I can handle an early morning (if any of you haven't participated in my early morning scream fests, please sign up with my mom) so it was no big deal. With a day to spare, we went to the beach, the pool, Grandpa and mom went jet-skiing, we rented bikes (can you see me?), and of course we hit The Crab Shack. I made friends with a bunch of kitties at The Crab Shack...

And then the big day was here. It was so amazing. There were a lot of people out on this field and most in the bleachers. These buses went by and we heard the troops were in them. We all cheered! Then the buses went to the back of the field and within minutes, troops were marching towards us. So if you can imagine- it was still dark out- and here were these troops, in full gear, marching onto the field from behind a row of trees and we knew Uncle Matt was in there somewhere. There wasn't a dry eye in my family. And then there he was- my Uncle Matt. Finally.

The rest of our trip we played played played...

Welcome Home Uncle Matt

2008-08-18T12:42:00.000-04:00

I went to Savannah, Georgia this past weekend to welcome my Uncle Matt home from Iraq. I have music class today so I can't stay home to post, but here are some pictures of me with Uncle Matt. More about our vacation to follow!

"How to get a Sandbox" by Ella Campbell

2008-08-10T13:24:00.000-04:00

Step 1: Ask Grandpa Steve

Step 2: Ask Uncle Scott

Step 3: Look cute

Seriously, that is all I had to do. What better way to help grandpa recuperate than sit outside and watch my parents help Uncle Scott build me a sandbox! I have to admit I didn't realize it would be such a large job, but thank you so much Uncle Scott and Grandpa! We took a break and had dinner out Saturday night. Back to work on Sunday though and as you can see- I am one lucky girl! Oh- check out my May post and you'll see the original Scott Sand Box!

Before:

During:

See- I'm making sure Grandpa rests!

Look at me help!

After:

Wow- can you believe it? Uncle Scott said the next project would be something called a zip line. My parents seemed excited about that one. Thank you so much Uncle Scott for working so hard while you were here. You need another vacation now. And Stevie- thanks for playing with me all day and for the multiple Lowe's trips (3300 lbs of sand!!!!). You guys are the best!

Paging Dr. Ella

2008-08-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

I figured I'd give mom a break tonight and tell all of you about my day at the hospital. I'm dictating this to my Dad. It really was a long and busy day but thank goodness scrubs and crocs are so comfortable! They really help me stay relaxed in pressure situations.

Of course, that's more than I can say for the residents. I don't know if it's just me, but the residents today can't even show up on time for rounds. How irritating. This is me waiting for them. Ugh! Kids these days.

And then of course when you're trying to do something else you get paged! Thank goodness for cell phones, though. This turned out to be no big deal and I handled it completely over the phone. Can you say rock star?

Sometimes it's hard to find a nurse and so I have to take vitals. I don't mind so much, though. I have 2 aunts, 1 uncle, and my Nonna who are nurses so I know they can't be everywhere at once.

I find I really like to take some time and do a thorough examination. There really isn't any substitute for a good exam. You can catch a lot of things and don't necessarily need all those expensive tests - if you're good, that is! It looks like Grandpa Steve is going to be just fine.

It does get a little bit tiring explaining the same thing over and over again to family members who don't always understand. This is my patients son and son-in-law. Geez- the one works here so he thinks he knows everything. I had to demonstrate how I did the procedure (yes, that is my case cart I am showing them), so they would quit asking so many questions! It is part of the job, though, so I try to put myself in their shoes.

Sometimes I do like to switch it up and look at the patient from the other side of the bed!

... and sometimes, I'll even sit on the patients bed. That is only for the really special ones- like Grandpa Steve.

I know it looks like I am using my stethoscope on my phone here, but really I'm banging the two together. Seriously, is it too much to ask for decent reception on the floor?

Just one more patient to see and then I can go home for the night.

FREEDOM! I reflect on my day as I head to the parking garage. I plan on putting the windows down and using the softness of my rich leather seats to melt away the stress of my day. It is a lot of hard work but every now and again you get one of those patients that makes you think, "yeah, that's why I do this." Grandpa Steve was just that patient for me tonight. He'll spend the night though so I can keep an eye on him.

Oh- two more pictures before I go. This is Dr. DiMarco and me hamming it up for one of our patients. Always good to make them laugh. I let Dr. DiMarco scrub in for Grandpa Steve's procedure today. I know- sooooo crazy since I'm such a veteran, but he didn't have anything going on today.

Summer Garden

2008-08-05T20:27:00.000-04:00

Remember my post earlier this summer about our container garden? How great it was, making it was so fun, can't wait for fresh tomatoes, etc., etc...? This is not a picture of that. If it were, it would be a small struggling tomato plant with one tomato on it.

This is Steve's neighbor's house, the Parlett's. They were kind enough to have Ella over to experience the real deal. We brought a bag to put everything in (there were zucchini and beans too) but Ella ended up eating most of everything right off the vine.

The County Fair

2008-08-02T20:06:00.000-04:00

What would August be without The Albemarle County Fair! Ella and I met Dory and Sami at the fair and had a lot of fun. Our day did not start out with so much promise (I quote myself here, "You can either leave that sass at home or stay home with it- you choose.") but it really ended up great. There was a lot to do at this fair- animals to pet, tractors to climb on, games to play, painting, rides, and my absolute fair favorite- funnel cakes! I love that picture of Ella where she can't even take her eyes off the funnel cake for the picture. Seriously, Dory was doing all kinds of things to get her attention with no such luck.

That evening we were completely unmotivated but did end up putting three golf clubs in the stroller with Ella and headed out for a walk over to Old Trail (the gold course near us). Ella plays golf a lot like croquet. So the two golfers in the family putted around and I had a drink. Hmmmm... this golf thing might not be so bad after all!

Guest Teacher

2008-07-31T14:36:00.000-04:00

Wes and I were guest teachers at Ella's school today. Wes played his guitar and the teachers and I sang. We had such a great time! The kids ranged in ages from 2-4 (three different classes) and all sang and danced with lots of enthusiasm.

Thank You Lefty

2008-07-31T09:07:00.000-04:00

After Ella played with Caroline's scooter, she asked Lefty (see the puppies below) for one. And sure enough- that Lefty is one clever puppy and got one for Ella! Here is a video of Ella explaining how to ride her scooter:

Poncho and Lefty

2008-07-29T14:11:00.000-04:00

This week, Ella and I went up to DC to visit Bill and Rhonda and to see their new puppies. Adorable doesn't begin to describe them. I'll let the pictures tell the story of our visit.

Ella has been telling everyone about the puppies- that they are babies, tiny, and to be careful.

"Cutters"

2008-07-24T14:05:00.000-04:00

Today Ella wanted to use "cutters". Those would be scissors to you and me. She came home from pre-school with cut-outs that she had done and so we continued the theme this evening. Here she is with her "cutters":

Not Such a Great Mom Award

2008-07-24T13:30:00.000-04:00

I have to admit I could easily win the not-such-a-great-mom award today. No big deal though- I already have a stack of these certificates (one for too much TV, another for hot dog breakfast/lunch/dinners, letting her sleep in our bed, not letting her sleep in our bed... oh the list is long).

Today's award is for not challenging our child. Let me explain. Ella and I were walking by some stores, in a bit of a rush, and she was (or I thought she was) falling behind playing around singing the alphabet song at this one store. I kept calling back to her to no avail and when I went back to get her, it turns out she was calling off the letters E, L, A, and S. Since the store was on our right, she saw the sign "SALE" in reverse and called out the letters as she saw them. She quickly mixed it up pointing to and calling out the different letters. Now, why did I not know she knew her letters you ask? Good question. We play a lot. She is two so it hasn't really occurred to me to start drilling her on things like letters. She is happy, sings the alphabet, can dress herself,... we figure she has 16+ years of school ahead of her so why not play while you can. Right or wrong, it's where we are (you can tell I have some guilt hence the feeling of not being a great mom today). Anyway... she asks to do letters now and we write them out or use a book and she knows a lot of them as I'm sure the majority of kids her age do. Many of them can probably write them also. I write this post for your baby book Ella. I often wonder when I mastered these activities myself.

Scooters

2008-07-23T13:25:00.000-04:00

The newest toys on our street are scooters. Caroline has one and Ella LOVES it. Sharing is a tough game to learn at this age but Caroline was so great to share her scooter with Ella while she rode her bicycle.