"Is It Still My Birthday?"

Ellison had two days of birthday celebration! She woke up and wanted to immediately put on her cheerleading outfit, then came downstairs to play with her Baby Center for the first time. The two of us had fun bathing, changing, feeding, putting her babies to sleep, and organizing their clothes.

After going to breakfast at IHOP with our good friends, Isabella and her mommy, Kelly, we took the girls to Balance Day Spa where they each got their first mani & pedi!!! They both loved it and held as still as could be.

Ellison soaking her feet in the foot spa while it's Isabella's turn to get her mani.

Ellison's favorite part seemed to be the bubbling water that changed colors and tickled her feet. She would say, "Ahhh...".

Pretty little tootsies

Isabella gave Ellison some birthday gifts as we said our goodbyes.

[November 6, 2009]

A Full Birthday

Ellison had a great day on her birthday. Our little tradition is to go into her room when she wakes up presenting her with a balloon and singing "Happy Birthday" while the video camera is crammed in her face. Thankfully, it's the one day she actually wakes up with a smile on her face, rather than her cranky little, "I want my Daddy", with a scowl on her face when she realizes it's just Mom. Daddy left the house before she woke up to go get Krispy Kreme doughnuts for her class at preschool. She woke up while he was gone, but was so excited to see that he came back before going to work so he could wish her a happy birthday.

Tinkerbell, a fave right now...

I let her open a little gift from me after she got up.

She'd been wanting this tiara from the grocery store every week we are there.

For our little princess

Love her little body language as she's getting sung to again with her birthday doughnut.

The classic "mid-blow" photo

Fun with bubble wrap before heading to preschool.

Ellison came home from school with a birthday hat from her teachers. After I picked her up, we ran through the drive-thru of Chick-Fil-A (Ell's fave), then met Megan and Baity (and Nevin and Valerie) at the park for lunch and play time.

So excited to spot her Barbie Fairytopia Princess cake - the very one she's been eyeing all summer long and asking for! Can you believe they didn't have the Hispanic Barbie?! Maaaan... She really wanted the regular Barbie cake, but was still just as content with this one - I think as long as it had a giant dress we were golden.

Her little preschool birthday hat. Yes, she has a summer dress on, no it was not that warm out. This was prior to the mass exodus of her summer dresses from her closet and into storage. I didn't have the heart to argue with her about it on her birthday.

Opening up her scrolled artwork sent from her cousin, Lucas.

After Daddy came home from work, Ellison's cousin Tato (aka Peter), Nilda, Bianca, and Natalia all drove up from Concord after the girls got out of school, just to celebrate Elli's birthday with us! It was SO nice! Poor Ellison was so patient, waiting ALL DAY to open her birthday presents, so it was the first thing she wanted to do after we all ate dinner.

Her new shoes that Daddy bought for her in the UK. Still too big, but she's lovin' 'em. Did you expect otherwise???

With Nilda

Hugs for Nilda (whom E calls "Milda")

Playing with Nati

She has that little embarrassed look on her face that she gets, while we were all singing to her again.

The neighbor girl, Alyssa, came over to join us for cake and ice cream, then the 4 girls played for a little while.

Ellison trying out her new dress-up cheerleading outfit from Aunt Andrea, Uncle Josh, and her cousins back in MI.

The rest of the evening was spent playing with new toys and getting in Daddy's way ;-) while Daddy was putting together her new Baby Center (her big gift from Mommy & Daddy). Unfortunately, she had to go to bed that night without it complete yet.

Not a bad day for a 3 year old, eh?

[November 5, 2009]

Quotes and Conversations I Don't Want to Forget

"Don't talk to me!!!" (In a total teenage angst sort of way)

"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?"