"Ay, Dios mio!" (I think she hears this a lot).
Spontaneously in the bathtub one evening:
Ellison: "I love Robn."
Me: (Confused and wondering who on earth she could be talking about) "Do you mean Miss Robn???" (someone we know from church, who happened to often be one of the Sunday nursery volunteers in Ellison's room from the time she was 18-months-oldish until this past August when Ellison moved up into the next age group).
"Yeah. She loved me even when I would cry for my mommy and daddy. She held me when I cried."
I about cried when I heard this, and this conversation took place almost 3 months after Ellison last saw Miss Robn. The whole reason we started going to Westover Church was because Ellison needed to be exposed to other people and other children without me and Jonathan since we have no family here - we had some hefty socialization to work on. For a few months poor Ellison would sob when we would leave her in the nursery during church service, and it would just rip our hearts out. Robn and her husband would always tell us that it would get better over time, to just keep it consistent. Ellison never really talked about them, or any of the other volunteers though before. I just thought it was so profound that a little toddler would equate something along the lines of being accepted and comforted despite feeling so unpleasant. We've always been grateful for the volunteers, but this took it to a whole new level for me. I later told Robn the little conversation and tears fell down her face. She really did make a difference in a little tiny kid's life, when who would've thought it would mean that much for a quick 1.5 hrs of childcare? Isn't that the sweetest thing?
"Mom, let's have a talk."
"That was so awesome, Mom!"
"I know it hurts, I know it hurts..." (Playing hairdresser on me. I've had to tell her that many times while trying to do her hair).
" (Gasp) I need my list!" (when looking at one of those pull-out coupon displays); "Oh no! Where are my coupons?!"
"I'll read what it says, Mom: 'We are going home' . It says, 'Please get us home, God' ".
(Hands placed dramatically on hips with a sigh) "I'm frustrated!"
Going potty: "Will you go out? You guys talk. Talk to each other. Shut the door." This is said several times every single day.
"Let's take a look. (Puts hands on hips) Stand back." (as if surveying decor on a wall).
Ellison to Daddy: "I surely miss my dad."
Daddy to Ellison: "I surely miss my Ellison."
Ellison to Daddy: "Dad, I was just kidding."
"Ohhhh, I see..."
Ellison has carried on pretend conversations "with Daddy" in the car when he was out of town. She's also started hugging herself while making grunting noises, and told me she was giving God a hug.
When I was trying to pick her brain about how school went one day, she said, "I'm too tired." "You don't wanna talk about it, Ellison?" "No, I'm too tired right now."
"You almost forgot to [insert just about anything here]!". If I had a penny for every time we heard this...
"Why?" Yes, the endless repetitive question that gets asked in situations that you couldn't possibly have the answer for.
When I was cooking and stirring something one day, Ellison came up to me and put both of her hands on my butt cheeks. When I asked her what she was doing, she said, "I'll help you stir, Mom." I guess we know that my entire body must jiggle when I stir things. Nice.
"Aw, snap!" (Jonathan gets credit for this one).
After endless arguing over the it's-too-cold-for-summer-dresses-now when Ellison was devastated she couldn't wear her two fave sleeveless summer dresses Abuela made for her anymore, she got on the phone with Abuela and asked her, "Could you make me some warm dresses with sleeves?".
She tells Grandma almost every time she talks to her, "Grandma, you live way too far away."
Talking to Tinkerbell (Grandma using a high-pitched voice) on the phone: "I want to talk to Peter Pan." When Papa got on the phone as Peter Pan: "Papa, what are you doing?"
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