these are a few of my favorite things

I made some pumpkin custard tonight. We served the kids some warm from the oven with a dollop of vanilla ice cream on top. Ooo it was yummy with the hot and cold mixed together. Both kids gobbled up the ice cream in no time flat but neither one gave the pumpkin much interest. As I was putting Ella to bed tonight, she had this to say:

Mommy, I don't want to eat pumpkin pie anymore. I like chocolate. And jewelry and chocolate and rings.

Chocolate and jewelry. Yeah. She's a girl alright.

cast call & a fly on the wall

The other day, Ella was leading me in one of her make believe games. I forget which characters we were meant to be but it required four parts and we were only playing with three (me, Ella and Simon.) Her only solution to this dilemma was this:

"Mom, I think you need to grow another baby."

I love how little minds work!

In other news, I overheard Ella playing with an educational toy in her room today. It's a toy that asks a question and then you push a button when you're ready to answer and the toy records you and plays back your answer. So the question came, "What would you say if you were a mommy?" I was expecting Ella to answer something like "I looove you!" or maybe "be careful". I was a little bummed out to hear her answer:

"OBEY."

I must sound like such a broken record to this girl. Bah.

best friends

Ella: Mommy, you're my best, best friend. I said that two times because I love you soooooooo much!

Isn't she the best?

the big switcheroo

Bryan's sister Michele is expecting twins so we've been sorting through all sorts of toys, clothes, books, etc. trying to pare things down to pass off to our new cousins. We got a big boy bed handed down to us from our good friend Ewan and we moved it to our place over the weekend. Since we're too lazy to store the bed in the basement and knew we'd be handing Simon's crib off to Michele, we decided to take the plunge and do the switch. Big milestones like this one usually take some planning in our house. I get the idea in my mind and then set a time frame in which I want to accomplish the goal. But this was more of a spontaneous decision. We didn't have Ella in her twin size bed till she was almost three! The only bad thing was, Simon has been really sick and our timing couldn't have been worse. The first three times we laid him down for bed, he snuck out over and over and over! And then, when he'd hear Bryan making his way up the stairs, he'd scurry back and snuggle down in the covers as if he hadn't been found out. But today, Simon is beginning to feel better and I'm so proud! He laid right down for his nap and didn't budge. I'm excited about the big boy bed. Even though it means he's not a baby any longer. *sniff* Gets me thinking...another baby soon? Hmmmmm....

catching up with Si-Mo

So, I haven't really kept up on my blog in the last few months. Life has been a sort of roller coaster as of late. But I just had to write a little something about my boy. Simon is nearing two (his birthday is in less than a month now) and he's been changing in the most wonderful ways. Not only does he look like a little boy now with his strong little physique and confidant swagger, he's really growing intellectually and emotionally. I love the way his blond hair is filling in and has a bit of a swoopy curl at the nape of his neck and I love his giggles! He loves to be tossed around and roughed up and tickled and teased (unless it's his sister of course!) He's quite a snuggler too and is still quick with a kiss. He is a bit of a loner sometimes...loves being with others and is the life of the party, but is content to wander off and play alone in his room. He's becoming good with puzzles and loves to pretend to write his name with a pen. He has favorite movies that he's constantly pulling out of the drawer and requests that they be played immediately although he never seems to sit through more than 15-20 minutes. His favorites right now are Peter Pan, Jungle Book, and Ella's Dora Adventures. He's saying a few more words now...At the park a couple of weeks ago, I had sat the kids by a tree to take their photo. I prompted them with the typical "Say Cheeeese!" And he said it! Clear as a bell! He also says "please", "yes" and "no" very clearly.

This is the moment where he said "CHEEEESE!"
Unfortunately, he didn't get that he was supposed
to be looking at me when he said it!

Simon has always been pretty coordinated and more physically adept. He loves jumping and will go from one end of the house to the other, hopping like a kangaroo. He goes up and down the stairs unassisted, still not using the handrail as he's been doing for several months now. Up until today, that was working out ok. But he feel head over feet down the stairs this morning! Scared the pudding out of me, but he dusted himself off and went right back to his old ways. That boy is a daredevil. Oh, but he's sweet one. Sweetest smile in town.

the key to her heart

Ella is four now. And she's all about communication. And emotion. Sometimes, the emotion cancels out the communication or skews the communication in such a way that I completely misunderstand my little girl and what motivates her. There have been points in the last several weeks where I've stopped short in the midst of an exchange with her feeling completely at a loss, thinking, "I seriously have no clue where to go from here." So over the last few days, I have been chewing on this thought: What is the key to opening Ella's heart? In the midst of anger or hurt, how do I get through to her? What breaks down the wall? I know what the key ISN'T...that's an easy one. What doesn't work is hugs or kisses. Sometimes she's just not in the mood for that. I know it's not spankings or stern words. That works for a second, but it doesn't really stick and we're back in the same predicament within ten minutes. What I am discovering about my dear Ella is that she is a quality time, connecting kind of person. When I spend lots of time engaged in her sweet games, reading books together, giggling and telling silly stories, she thrives. So with Ella, I'm thinking that its not about getting the key out once the lock is locked, it's about keeping the lock from closing. I'm doing my best dear one. Don't give up on me!

bloodsuckers hate hairy legs

Both of my kids get the most horrendous mosquito bites. Our outdoor adventures never last because we end up running back inside due to multiple expanding welts all over their poor little appendages! (Simon always ends up getting one right on his forehead, the little buggers.) So this afternoon, after having our morning outing to the front sidewalk end prematurely due to blood suckers, Ella requested to go in the back yard where her daddy was grilling.

Ella: I'm going to put my shoes on to go outside with Daddy.
Me: No, Ella. There are bad mosquitoes out there and you already got eaten up once today.
Ella: Oh yeah. (Then reasoning it out sort of to herself...) If I go outside, I get mosquito bites. But Daddy doesn't. Daddy can go outside and he doesn't get mosquito bites because he has hair on him.

Somehow, it kind of makes sense, doesn't it?

lip service

Simon has only a handful of words and a couple of animal sounds (he would make a great snake as previously posted here, and his cat meow is impeccable) but he loves to lip sync! And he does it with flair and attitude. I find this phase incredibly enjoyable. I never get tired of watching him do this...



* Featuring: The Monkees: "I'm Not Your Steppin' Stone" from "The Monkees Greatest Hits".
This album has great significance in that it gets blared whenever Simon throws a fit about being strapped into his car seat. This particular video however was filmed under no duress. No toddlers were harmed during the filming of this production.

little drummer boy

Simon loves drums. He loves banging on things which I know is a definite boy thing, but I do think this boy has some God-given rhythm. And coordination. What he lacks in verbal skills, he makes up in movement and dexterity. Anyway, we just got back from a meeting at the church and, after meetings end, I always have a significant time of chasing the kids around, giving them their freedom while Bryan has conversations with various folks. What I find the most challenging during these times is keeping Simon away from the drum kit. He so wants to play those drums! And I can't allow it because, just being the preacher's kid doesn't mean you can do whatever you want in the church building. When I told him 'no' this time, he tried a couple more times, but then finally settled for a pair of drum sticks he found laying off to the side and began tapping on various things. So, I thought I'd go ahead and mark this down as a possible future talent and see what may come. And, I'll throw in a video just for good measure. This video was taken just after he turned ONE.

ella on marriage

I'm not sure if it's from over-exposure to Disney films, fairy tale stories, or what, but Ella has had an awareness of marriage for quite a while now. When she was just over three years old, she was in our bedroom looking at the flowers on the table by our bed. Her daddy was resting on the bed with her when she asked if the flowers came from my wedding. This sparked a conversation about marriage with her father.

Dad: Ella, do you know who Mommy's husband is?
Ella: No.
Dad: I'm your mommy's husband, Ella.
Ella thinks about this for a moment, and then as her thoughts shift, her face falls and her lip begins to quiver.
Ella: Daddy? Who is MY husband?
Dad: Ella, you are too little to have a husband. You're only three years old!
Ella: But what is his name? How will I know who he is?
Dad: When you are old enough, Daddy will tell you. (quite a funny notion...)
Ella: Well, when I meet my husband I will bring him to this house and he'll say 'hi!'
Dad: He'd better say more than that!

Shortly after this conversation, Ella decided that she was going to marry her daddy. This is a very sweet idea that makes Daddy feel very loved so we never tried to explain to her that that really wouldn't work out too well. Other people have tried to correct her on this notion asking things like, "If you marry your Daddy, who will be your mommy's husband?" She doesn't really have an answer to this question.

From that notion of marriage, she moved on to say that when she grew up she'd marry Simon and they would have their own house. I know later, this statement will give her the willies, but it's just so sweet to me to think that her understanding of being married is being with the men you love most in your life. To her, that's her Daddy and brother. I'm so happy that's the case for her.

This last week, her marital plans shifted. We have a young man living with us for nine months while he does an internship (called the Frontier Year Team) at our church. He's a great guy by the name of Elijah and he is so sweet with the kids. He's like an honorary older brother to them. The other day, we were playing music and the kids were dancing and Elijah was twirling Ella around. She loves this sort of thing and it really made an impression on her. That night as I was chatting with her after lights were out, she told me of her new wedding plans:

Ella: Mommy, when I get big, I want to marry Elijah.
Me: Don't you think he might be a little too old for you Ella? Wouldn't you like to marry someone more your own age?
Ella: Hmmmm....I have a good idea. How about when I get big, I'll marry Elliott!
Me: Well, he'll have to ask you first Ella. The boy asks the girl. Girls don't ask boys to get married.
Ella: (thinking) I have a good idea....When I get big, I'll say, 'I'll marry you Elliott.'

I don't think she quite got the concept of being asked...only that she wanted to make sure he knew she'd be willing. Funny girl. I think we might have to put away our princess movies for a while till this fascination dies down a bit...Girls will be girls I suppose. No use fighting it!

gobbling fish

Ok, so this entry is really more of an excuse to post this humorous moment I captured of Ella at the zoo the other day. As noted in the earlier post, we were in the herpetarium with the fish and lizards and such and I caught her "gobbling" at the fish. And so the hilarity ensues...enjoy...

's' is for snake

We took a trip to the zoo last week for our family day on Bryan's day off and we had loads of fun! The highlight of the excursion was visiting the herpetarium near the end of the journey. This is the building where all the snakes, lizards, fish and turtles live. Simon is 20 months now and still only has a handful of words though his understanding is pretty vast. His speech is funny though because he acts like he's really telling us something but everything comes out sounding like a bunch of s'es ("sssssss" or "thsssssss"). This actually ended up working for his favor in the herpetarium as you will see in the following video.

my little nudist

If you've ever stayed at our house, you've noticed that Simon rarely wears clothes. There are a number of reasons for this:

1. He fills his diapers so quickly, we can hardly keep up with the turnover. Keeping the clothing off reduces the number of steps needed to keep the diaper fresh.
2. He moves too quickly to get clothing on his legs. This is why oftentimes you will find him with a shirt on, but rarely pants. If you see him with a shirt on, congratulate us on a productive day!
3. He loves to be naked. It's a man thing.

Here's a little video of Simon playing on the couch. Take note that he is wearing the uniform.

* Disclaimer *
I know it is bad parenting to let a child climb on the coffee table, but we have too much fun playing this game. I promise to keep him off your coffee table if we're ever visiting.

not so hot mama

Ella really dislikes it when I wear my hair in a pony tail. In fact, I can rarely sneak one by her without her requesting that I take it down. Today was one of those days where I didn't get a shower right away and up went the hair in a pony tail. Soon after, here is the conversation that occurred:

Ella: Mommmmeeeey! Please take your hair down! I don't like it when you wear your hair in a pony tail.

Me: But Ella, it feels good to have my hair up off of my neck.

Ella: But I don't like it that way! Please take it down!

Me: Maybe in a little while, Ella. Right now, I need it up.

Ella: Maybe you could put on a little lipstick to make it better?

HA! I remember having these same thoughts and observations about my own mother as a kid! I thought, "How could someone look so completely different with make up on vs. make up off?" I thought my mom looked so beautiful with her makeup and so different without it. Fortunately, when I asked Ella if she thought I wasn't pretty without my makeup, she wouldn't take the bait and didn't answer. And if I felt insecure at all about this, she evened herself out by telling my I was beautiful in my new night gown last night. Gotta love the honesty, right?

the family bed

Ella has been sneaking into our bed at night a lot lately. She has figured out that if she climbs in and snuggles up next to Daddy, he's too incoherent to do anything about it whereas Mommy will escort her back to her own room. A good part of the week, we wake up with a third party snuggled up in our covers! Last week I talked to Ella about this:

Me: Ella, you're going to have to stop sleeping with Mommy and Daddy.
Ella: Mmmm...maybe someday.

While eating our lunch today, we talked about it again since she had pulled her sneakery again last night. Bryan was telling me he is confused on how she is able to make room since he somehow woke up in the middle of the bed as though she had made him move over. She was eavesdropping on this conversation and piped in: "I found room right next to you Daddy, and then when you got up, I found LOTS of room!" What a silly goose she is. She's a nice cuddler too, even though she should stay in her own cozy bed!

first order of business upon growing up

To begin, I must tell you of a game that Bryan and I enjoy playing. It's called Carcassonne and it's a German game, sort of a strategy game where you build cities and roads and get points by acquiring the most farms. A little hard to explain, but fun. The "farmers" in the game are made of wood and are brightly colored and small and Ella always wants to play with them. Usually when we've got a game going, Ella wants to be right up where we're at and sometimes she messes the pieces up, but that's ok. She just wants to be involved in the fun.

Anyway, all that explanation is required so that tonight's bedtime conversation has meaning. After stories were read, back was scratched and all that, I was asking Ella some fun questions, like, "Am I your best friend?" I'm delighted that she says yes! And then I inquired about what she thought life would be like when she grows up. Here's the rundown:

Me: Ella, what would you like to do when you're a grown up?
Ella: Play Carcassonne!
Me: Really??!
Ella: Yeah. When I'm big...you're already a grown up...and we can play Carcassonne and I'll be red and you can be yellow.
Me: Ok.

That sounds fun! This struck me so funny that this would be the first perk of being grown up. She also agrees that she will take on the grocery shopping, vaccumming, laundry, cooking, cleaning and other necessities. We can do it together. In the mean time, I am so loving watching her grow up!
""

modest tootenheimer (an oxymoron of sorts?)

We've been on vacation in Atlanta spending time with the Douglass clan. This evening we went to Riverside Park to play and let Simon run free and get some energy out. There were several different playgrounds and as we climbed everything, there were a couple of little kids who seemed to shadow our every move. As we moved on to the swings, the little girl followed us. As I lifted Ella into the swing I could tell this other little girl was dying to swing with us. I asked her if she'd like me to push her and she eagerly agreed. So here were the two girls, swinging in unison, side-by-side and you'd think they'd been friends since birth. The little girl told us her name was Daniella and Ella introduced herself. Then they began to sing a little song they created when I asked if they wanted me to keep pushing them...it went "Not me. Not me. Not meeeee!" And then they giggled. Then Ella said, "Hey Daniella, guess what I am?" Daniella said, "What?" " I'm a Tootenheimer! That's 'cause I toot a lot!" And then they laughed hysterically! And so did I! Man that was funny!

Later, we decided baths were in order since we all reeked of bug repellant. Ella and Keely were going to take a bath together with lots of bubbles. As they disrobed, Keely was hanging out in her birthday suit in the bathroom and Ella had to comment. Here's the conversation as it was relayed to me by Cimi:

E: I'm being modest.
K: What's 'modest'?
E: 'Modest' means covered up.
At this point, Keely is on the potty, unashamed in her
birthday suit. Ella is staring at her.
K: Why are you lookin' at me?
E: 'Cause you're not modest!

Oh dear! It's the morality police at three years old!!!

boots are made for walkin'

Ella's favorite song right now is "These Boots are Made for Walkin'". We dance to it daily. Simon is loving it too. Boy we can have a lot of fun dancing the day away! Just had to post this and make an attempt at adding the video!

do chickens get gas?

One of Ella's finest moments was at the dinner table last night. We heard a little squeak and she said, "I tooted. Like a chicken!!" followed by giggles. We did our best not to laugh but when she started calling her toots "chicken toots", we couldn't help it. And then I began to cluck like a chicken...but I should probably leave that part out...

celebrate good times, c'mon!

So this entry might not translate all that well since most of the amusement came from the inflection and delivery from dear Ella, but it's worth noting just the same. Tonight Ella, Simon and I were in our pjs, reading books in the recliner and getting settled down for the night. Since we were in Simon's room, most of the reading material was pretty basic. As we read a counting book, we came to the page where there were two cupcakes to count. I pointed and said "cupcakes" for Simon and then I asked Ella, "Would you like cupcakes at your birthday?" Of course she answered yes. Then I asked, "What would you like to do for your birthday?" And her answer, with gusto was, "I would like to have a cel-e-BRA-tion!!!!" What the....where did she pick up that word?? We were practically rolling with laughter. We will indeed celebrate when she turns four...and we'll eat cupcakes too!

tenderhearted

Simon is nearly 18 months old now so we are getting a glimpse into his personality more and more. Today in particular we saw his nurturing and affectionate side. He's an early riser, generally up at least an hour before his sister, so when Ella rolled out of bed this morning, Simon was already perky and ready to meet the day full on. She however, went straight to the couch to lie back down to wake up gradually. Seeing that she was still tired and grumpy, he pulled out one of the throws and covered her up for a nap! A bit later, Bryan came in to kiss me goodbye as he headed for work. As he opened the door to head out, I saw Simon heading his way with his lips puckered! As Bryan let the door close behind him I called out, "WAAAIITTT! Simon needs a kiss goodbye!!" It was a moment I hated for Daddy to miss. Sure enough, as Bryan came back through the door, Simon crooked his head up and planted a sweet kiss on Daddy's lips. Then he raised his little pudgy hand and began to wave, "bye-bye". Soooo cute!!! And then he went back to his play! Love that boy.

attitude adjustment

Ella has definitely figured out that she has a will of her own. We've been pretty busy as of late and I've noticed that she has been voicing quite a lot of unwillingness when I ask her to do things like eat her breakfast or get ready for bed. Typical stuff. So I've been telling myself that when we slow down for a second, I really need to talk her through this so she understands why it's important to be obedient and respectful. A couple of days ago, I finally got my chance when she started to give me some push back on getting ready for a nap. Here's our conversation in a nutshell...

Me: Ella, I've noticed that in the last several days you've been complaining a lot when I ask you to do things and that's a bad attitude. Did you know that you have a choice to use a good attitude or a bad attitude?

Ella: Yeah.

Me: Bad attitudes are when you complain and throw a fit and they make other people feel bad and they make you feel bad. But good attitudes make people happy and make YOU happy too!

Ella: Yes, and did you know that if I have a bad attitude to other people, they will have a bad attitude to ME?

Me: Wow Ella! That is very true!!

I love it when she figures it out without me having to explain it to death!

name that tune

I often turn the radio on in Ella's room to the oldies station just for some fun background music and every so often, Ella will recognize the song...especially if it's one by the Monkees. Just a moment ago, Ella came rushing in my room and began swaying her hips as she said, "Mommy MOMMY! The 'a-wiggle-butt-wiggle-butt' song is on in my room!!" I paused to decipher what song she could possibly be hearing. "Ohhhh. Ella, do you mean the 'a-wheeem-a-way' song 'In the Jungle'?" Yup. Har har!!

vocabulary lesson & don't sleep with your mouth full

Ella's favorite thing for me to do with her has always been reading books. She just loves the time spent together and if I'm not reading, she's pretending to read the stories to herself. It's been this way since she was nine months old. So in the last several weeks, we've moved on to reading chapter books since I thought she might be intrigued by some stories that are ongoing. It's been really fun! The first one we finished was "Ramona Forever" by Beverly Cleary. She liked that one so much we checked out "Ramona Quimby, Age 8" from the library. Tonight, as we were finishing up the last two chapters, we came across a few words that were new to her vocabulary.

Ella: What does 'responsibility' mean?

Me: Well, 'responsibility' means something that you're in charge of. Like since I'm your mommy,

it's my responsibility to take care of you and I'm in charge of you.

Ella: Like sometimes when I'm not obedient you tell me I'm not in charge?

Me: Yes, just like that!

I'm so amazed and entertained by the way this little girl's brain works. She's just so verbally sharp and is always putting words together and filing away information. Such a cutie pie!

Another entertaining moment of the day was at lunchtime. Sundays are always a challenge because the kids get pretty tuckered out by the time we make it home from church. Today as we were eating our lunch, Simon was having a difficult time staying awake while he was eating his sandwich. His eyelids were heavy and he kept shaking himself awake but continued to stuff the sandwich in his mouth. Ella kept giggling at him and saying "he's soo tired!" Bryan was scrambling to get the batteries in the camera so we could film him but poor Simon...we just had to get him out of his high chair so he could lie down. He's done this multiple times...I'll post an older video of him doing this once I get it downloaded. Poor little guy...

a new game

Ella is going through this thing right now where she's constantly wanting to play a "game". Yesterday Simon was napping and Ella and I were playing in her room when she asked, "Mommy! Let's play a game!!" "What game would you like to play, Ella?" to which she replied, "Let's play Jesus!" Hmmm...not sure how I feel about this one but I inquired, "How do you play that game?" She said, lying on the floor, "I'll be in the water and I'll call you and you grab my hand and get me out of the water!" So, there she is, pretending to struggle in the water (which is just her wriggling on the floor) all the while calling out, "Jesus, help!" So I grab her hand and she tells me to put her in the boat (which is her bed). As we sit there on the bed, she looks at me with loving and gratitude in her eyes and says, "Thank you, Jesus, for saving me." That was pretty incredible! I hope she'll say that someday and it won't just be pretend.

girls' night in

Tonight was a special treat for Ella and me. I feel all warm and fuzzy and loved by my little girl. After Simon went to bed (he still has a pretty early bedtime for his own sanity) we stayed up for a "girls night." We popped popcorn with lots of butter, plopped ourselves down on the couch in our pjs, snuggled up with blankets and pillows and watched "Mary Poppins". We were having a good ol' cozy time each with our own big bowl of popcorn in our laps when Ella snuggled up extra close and said, "Mommy, I'm so glad you're here." UGGHHHhh! My heart just about exploded! I don't know if life gets much better than that moment right then.

And so as not to leave out my charming little Simon, I must make note of the phase he's in right now (not sure it's one he will grow out of, but I digress...) Simon sometimes feels very confined in his clothing even though they fit him quite perfectly. He'll tug and make a grunt and pull until I finally peel off his shirt and then he grins the widest grin of satisfaction and stomps around here with his arms outstretched like he finally knows freedom. And then sometimes, he beats his chest. Yes, beats his chest proudly like a man, not a toddling boy. He is alllllll boy, that is for sure. Oh, and by the way, HE POOPED IN THE BATHTUB TONIGHT! What a boy!!

if mac & cheese grew on trees...

Today was a glorious day and we spent a lot of time playing outdoors. Daddy got home and joined us in the back yard and Ella was playing with her gardening tools and had taken me by the hand to lead me over to the part of the yard she wanted to "water". That gave Bryan an idea. He said, "Ella, what if we gave you your own special place in the yard where you could plant some flowers or vegetables and you could take care of them and water them all by yourself?" She loved this idea so he asked, "What would you like to plant?" Ella replied, "I'd like to plant some vegetables!" "What kind of vegetables?" he inquired. "Ummm....I'd like some lettuce, some pickles, peppers, carrots annnnnddd....mac n cheese!" Wow! What a great idea! We'd be the talk of the town!!

today was a double doozie

Ella was an ornery yet funny girl today. So I have two stories to recount. First off, we went to Trader Joe's for groceries which is always a treat for her because #1: free helium balloons and #2: if you spot the hidden elephant somewhere in the store, they let you pick a treat out of the treasure box. So the treat Ella picked was a butterfly temporary tattoo. Now, I am somewhat alarmed or at least cautious because Ella has a fascination with tattoos already. She is very careful to keep them unwashed for as long as possible. So after we applied the tattoo in the kitchen, she decided her new name is going to be "Jada". Now doesn't that sound like a name for an exotic lady with tattoos? WHaaa? Fortunately, she informed me that it was only her pretend name. (pheew! I was just imagining Ella getting herself emancipated from us at age 16 so she could change her name and cover herself in tattoos and piercings!)

Ok...story #2. We were discussing vacation plans today and Daddy asks, "Ella, do you want to go on vacation?" to which she replies excitedly, "YEAAAH!" Daddy teases, "Do you want to go on vacation by yourself?" She says, "No." He continues, "Why not?" And her very obvious answer is, "Because I don't know how to drive." Of course!!

you're having triplets?

Tonight we ate a heaping helping of red beans and rice with cornbread. After we were all nice and full we lounged on the couch together commenting on how round our bellies looked (a real American moment, right?) I made some silly comment about having a baby in my tummy at which point Ella chimed in that she too had a baby in HER tummy. This is not the first time I've heard this game...So I ask, "Is it a boy or girl?" Ella says, "Girl. Her name is Aina." (Pronounced EYE-nah) She continues, "And after I have Aina, I'll have a baby called Joseph and then Unu." (Pronounced OOO-noo.) Ella's imagination is something to behold, lemme tell ya...I just don't know where these names come from and I'm wondering why she threw the plain ol' "Joseph" in there. Silly girl.

mountains were meant to climb!

We visited my mom this week and when we were packing up preparing to leave this morning, I had propped up the queen size air mattress against the couch so I could look all over to make sure I hadn't left any toys or belongings on the living room floor. Then I moved on to the kitchen to pack up (in my multi-tasking sort of way) and a few moments later, I came back into the living room because I hadn't heard anything out of Simon. I GASPED!! He had climbed up the mattress which was leaning at about a 35 degree angle and was at the very top about to teeter over and fall behind the couch. Instead of being afraid or intimidated by my response, he turned his head to look at me and gave me the biggest grin as if to say, "Look at me Ma! Aren't you amazed at me?!" He was very proud of his accomplishment.

talkin' crazy

Inspired by Jodi's blog accounting all the wonderful intricacies of Elliott's childhood, http://jodi-e.blogspot.com, I attempt my own journal of child-rearing minutia. Sometimes I'm afraid I will forget all these wonderful little things Simon and Ella do each day. So, though it may pale in comparison to Jodi's detailed and beautiful descriptions, at least there will be a collection of recollections on file in cyberspace to chronicle some of the wonderful things you kids say and do that light up my life so wonderfully!!

This last week we've had a wonderful couple from the Ukraine visiting us (Illya and Alyona). We didn't know much about them before they came late last Monday night but we soon found out that Illya spoke fluent English, while Alyona was very reserved in trying out her English on us. Very often she would speak to him in Russian and he would translate for us. At one point, Ella was in the hallway with them, looking up as they carried on a conversation in fast paced Russian, her head following along back and forth like she was watching a tennis match. When the conversation ended, she asked, "Why are you talkin' crazy?"

Oh the hilarity!