Challenger

Ella started preschool today (well, she started one of her preschools. I can't decide what to do with her and her August 29th birthday, so I'm putting her in two different schools and seeing how things go.)

I saw this idea on Pinterest made this cute sign. But before you get impressed by how pulled together I am...look a little closer. Her teachers are Miss Kristen and Miss Kim. Oops. And check out Anna at 12:45 pm. Yes, those are her jammies and she has peanut butter and honey in her hair. And those marks on Ella's face--digs from Anna. Awesome. But Ella rocked her uniform and her preschool. Love you, Ells!

July 4th

Things I will likely forget if I don't write them down somewhere

We enjoy "Ella: The Musical!" 24/7.  I wish I had a recording of it, but I never know when she's going to break out in song. "Can I get some milk...please??!!??" "I don't want to go to bed....now." I think it's thanks to the Wonder Pets who are good little singers.

Ella is the squirmiest little sleeper/ cuddler. She can't hold still to save her life. (In med school my friends diagnosed me with restless leg syndrome...can't imagine where she gets it.)

Anna is a busy thing. So different from Ella. With Ella there wasn't really a need to keep things out of reach. With Anna every drawer in the house would be emptied given the chance.

Anna is trying to learn to whistle. She purses her lips and makes a noise.

Anna gives Ella hugs and kisses. It melts my heart.

Ella's imagination continues to expand. Her "kids" to date: Ah, Dah, Saw, Vah, Nah, Eda-pho-Eda, Grassie, Hensie and now Ella. She told me this morning that "Ella does not listen to me! She will not do what I tell her to! She is just too busy."

Ells will carry on with her kids as well as the Wonder Pets, Dora and Blue. I'll often reply to something she says only to be told, "I'm talking to Linny." Sorry. My mistake.

Ella's memory astounds me. She honestly remembers more than I do.

I stopped nursing Anna when she was 9 months old. I was slowing down, and then when I got the stomach flu over Thanksgiving I was done for. I couldn't eat or drink and lost my milk. Still, I'm happy to have made it that long.

Ella was getting out of bed a few times a night for various things. A cup of water, going to the bathroom, finding her teddy bear. Combined with Anna's midnight prowl it was getting to be too much. So I did a sleep training refresher course with Anna (I was surprised at how easy it was) and made a sticker chart with Ella. (This worked great!) It was magic. Ella has not gotten out of bed once since we started. Today she earned her first prize, a harmonica. Anna follows her around trying to imitate the noise.

Happy New Year!

Love,

Ella & Anna

Preschool "Howdy Day"

motivate

{she's picking out her own clothes these days. very stylish}

During my formative years, my parents employed the carrot more often than the stick. Today I learned that Ella is a carrot girl as well. She wants a princess sippy cup like her friend Emma from preschool. So we made a tried and true sticker chart and viola! She's helpful, obedient and kind. 

Hope it lasts.

Pre-school pics

There are some things in life that you are obligated to buy, even though you know they are a little bit of a racket. The coupon book from the girl next door to support her school. Kitchen gadgets at the Pampered Chef party your friend is hosting. Pre-school pictures of your first child (I think by the time I get to the third or fourth I won't be so sentimental) fall into this category. You know $20 is ridiculous, but how can you say no. And then when her eyes are open, her smile is cute and her clothes are clean you are happy you said yes.

*By the way, none of you have entered my giveaway. You don't have to go to our office to participate. Just comment about our blog or how great Dr. Packer is :)

relativity

Ella has an interesting way of ordering her world. She likes to understand and acknowledge connections. Lately she refers to people and things by how they relate to other people and things. Examples:

• In her mind, she has three friends. Avery, Lily and Uncle Aaron. But she will often reference them according to the time she remembers meeting them. Avery is "My friend before Lily," Lily is "My friend after Avery," or "The one after Uncle Aaron," and Uncle Aaron is "The one after Lily." Sometimes she will refer to them by their names, but usually not.

• She often refers to numbers as the one they are before or after. "I got up because the one after six was on my clock!" "Can we go when the big hand gets to the one before my favorite?"

• She really likes family relations. As in, "Ella, do you want to go visit Ma Sue?" "Your mommy?" or "Pa, do you want to go to dinner with me and my mommy and your wife?" or "Brett is coming over tonight." "You mean Ty's Daddy?"

funny, funny little girl

hot tip

If you buy Pampers diapers, Amazon is the way to go. Through their Subscribe and Save program you get 30% off. You sign up for a recurring order (I do monthly) and a week before it ships they send you an email reminding you of your order so you can change or cancel as you like. You can also have the order come early, but it takes a few days to get here after you order it.

I wasn't sure it was a great deal until last week when I ran out of diapers a few days early (one of the downsides) and went to Walmart to buy some more. I paid $26.50 for 92 diapers. When I came home I found the diapers on my front porch (drat! should have waited) and realized that for $28.10 I got 156. I also checked Sam's club and the 156 count there is $38.98. If you join the Amazon Mom club you get 2-day free shipping, too.

{yes, this girl is still in diapers. she tells us that when her baby comes she is going to start going in the toilet...}

at the park

{watching another child get scolded}

ella at 26 months

• Funny things she says....What that silly daddy is doing?.....What that silly daddy was thinking?....That mom's on a mission!
• She is incredibly interested in understanding and being understood. If we are talking to each other, or to another adult, and she doesn't understand what is being said she will interrupt and say, "What he/she/you talking 'bout?" By the same token, if we can't understand what she is saying she will come up with another way to express herself. The other day she kept saying she wanted to see the _____. I had no clue what she was saying. She repeated herself a few times, then said, "That foldy (cold) stuff in the freezer. [Unintelligible word]!" She wanted to see the 'snow' in the freezer (which had been left open and got a bit frosty). It amazes me.
• She has no interest in potty training. We ask her if she wants to go in the potty and she calmly responds, "No. In my per."
• She associates each letter with someones name. When you ask her the letters she tells you "C for Chris," "T for Taylor" "M for Mommy," etc. She just learned her letters and was very disappointed that we didn't know anyone for "V."
• She thinks we know everything. "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. "Tell me!" she says.
• She loves to hear stories. "Tell me a story about Ma Janet/Mommy/Pa/Ella/Zeus/Daddy..." is a frequent request.
• A few weeks ago she saw this with Ma Sue. "That's my drink!" she said. Needless to say, she came home with it.

• She's gotten much better about playing independently. She will carry on conversations with her stuffed animals. My favorite is when she says "I sooorrrryy. You tan't have that. It's otay."
• She wants to know "Who is on your phone?" whenever you are talking. She doesn't stop until she knows "Who it is you talking to?"

Family Photo Shoot

A few weeks ago my mom hosted a baby shower for one of our friends, Amanda. Amanda and her three sisters were our dear friends growing up. They lived across the street our three girls and their three girls did all kinds of things together. We were drove down to Salt Lake every day during the summer to "swim to win" at Steiner...we started a knitting club (the Little Knitters)...and we shuttled back and forth between the two houses all summer long. Now the girls are scattered across the country but happened to all be in town for Amanda's shower.

Not only was it great to see them all, but I somehow managed to get family pictures taken. Sierra, the oldest, is an amazing photographer. I've been lusting after her skills for some time now, but she lives in California and we don't have any trips to Disneyland planned in the near future. And I'm only looking more pregnant. So when I found out she was going to literally be in my backyard, I couldn't help myself. I asked her to work on her vacation. And she graciously obliged.

Here are a few of the pictures she shot. Ella was unusually cranky, it was raining, and I really thought there wouldn't be any pictures worth saving. But, they turned out great. Like I said, Sierra's got skills. If you're ever in California, look her up. You'll be glad you did.

ella

yo yo

Last week Kimmy & I went to a Girls' Night Out sponsored by my church. They were making fabric flowers, and it seemed like it would be fun. It was crazy! There were more people than supplies, so Kim and I bagged it and had a "Sisters' Night In." We made fabric yo-yos. They were as easy as pie, and turned out darling--better than my lame photo skills can show.

You can find the tutorial on how to make them here {a fun blog to check out, too}


A quick pic of Ella. We've been working on not walking in the street, not walking "in the black" without holding Mom's hand. She knows to stay on "the white." So whenever she walks in the gutter and I chastise her she says, "White! White!"