ABCs

OH DEAR GOD. Just when I think that Addie can't get any cuter, she goes and learns how to sing the ABC's. Don't ask me why, but she insists on holding her nose whenever she sings the "A-D" song. She thinks it's the "Addie Song" and requests it quite often. Note that the only letters in her version are A and D. Too funny.


And Ellie has surprised me with knowing sign language. Ok, ok... so I realize she needs practice but at least she understands the concept. It makes me giggle watching her make up signs for each letter.

Vincent Family Jewels

Last weekend we went to a wedding. Believe it or not, it was Addie's first wedding! It was an exciting day and the girls dressed in their best. Ellie even picked out her own outfit, insisting on putting her hair up into braids like Rapunzel and wearing her finest jewelry and her princess crown. We decided to go ahead and let her wear the Vincent Family Jewels since it was a special occasion.
Being her first wedding, it was also the first time that Addie got to meet a real princess! Though the wedding was far more simple than some of the ones we've been to in the past, it was still very apparent that Addie loved to meet the princess.
Fancy or simple, there is no doubt that Ellie adores seeing the princess dance with her prince. She insisted that we wait to see the first dance, even though she knew we weren't going to wait for the cake (she didn't have a clean plate club).
And Addie? Well, whatever she sees her big sister adoring, she does the same.
After a wonderful wedding, we could not leave without taking a photo with the princess. I asked Ellie which wedding she liked the best, big fancy ones or smaller ones that are more simple. Her response? "Umm... I like them both but I want to get married on a boat!" Apparently she still remembers seeing a bride and a groom get off a boat up at Grand Lake. Hehehehe... I guess only time will tell.

Wordless Wednesday

Top of the food chain

Daddy: Spiders eat flies, and do you know who eats spiders?
Ellie: Who?
Daddy: Birds eat spiders.
Ellie: Who eats a bird?
Daddy: Cats eat birds.
Ellie: But who eats a cat?
Daddy: Wolves eat cats.
Ellie: But who eats the wolves?
Addie: I DO!!!

Repeat with different food chains for about 10 minutes. Without fail, Addie is apparently at the top of the food chain. They left that part out of the biology books I studied.

To serve and protect

Recently, at a restaurant, Ellie was confused about where our waiter was...

Ellie: But Mommy? Who is going to pretect us today?

Hehehe... at least it's better than her misuse of the word "forgive..."

Ellie: Mommy, you are my friend and I forgive you. I love Daddy and I forgive him. That one just stings.

Apparently she thinks that "forgive" is the ultimate compliment and it means that you will be friends forever.

Gotta start them early

Daddy: Ready? One... Two... Three... GO BRONCOS!!!
Ellie: Go Broncos!
Addie: Go Bubbles!

Ellie drew a picture of her, Daddy and Addie in their "Go Broncos!" outfits. I get a kick out of how all of her self portraits include long hair like Rapunzel.

The World According to Ellie (4 years old)

In case you'd like to see how much Ellie has changed in a year, here is The World According to Ellie at 3 years old.

My name is LORI-LELLE VINCENT

I am FOUR YEARS OLD. I'M ALMOST FOUR AND A HALF! WHEN MY BABY TURNS TWO, I WILL TURN FOUR AND A HALF AND DEN I WILL TURN FIVE!!!

This is how I write my name:

This is what I look like:

This is what my family looks like:

I love my mommy because I SNUGGLE WIF HER and SHE'S PRETTY. SHE IS MY MOMMY FOREVER.

I love my daddy because HE PLAYS WIF ME, HE TEASES ME AND HE IS MY FRIEND FOREVER.

I love my Addie because SHE'S MY BABY and SHE MAKES ME LAUGH.

I love Merlin because he is BIG.

My favorite toy is still Bun Bun...

...but Lambie, Squeakers (see above), Baby Dragon, Baby Turtle, Pink Bear & Mommy's bear have all threatened to replace her.

My favorite friend is... I DON'T HAVE A FAVORITE FRIEND RIGHT NOW. MOMMY YOU CAN BE MY BEST FRIEND AND WHEN I AM FIVE, I WILL GO TO A KINDERGARTEN AND FIND A NEW BEST FRIEND. BUT DON'T WORRY, EVEN DOUGH I WILL HAVE A NEW BEST FRIEND, YOU WILL STILL BE MY FRIEND TOO.

My favorite thing to do is WHAT EVER YOU DO, NO WAIT... SWIMMING!

The best things about me are I AM NICE TO MY SISTER BECAUSE IT MAKES YOU HAPPY and I CAN RUN REALLY REALLY FAST!

I am good at jumping on one foot...

... spinning around really fast...

... standing on my head and getting dressed by myself...

... swimming...

... holding my breath under water...

... and knowing the words to lots and lots of songs!

My favorite color is WHAT DID I SAY WHEN I WAS EATING? IT STARTS WITH AN OH OH OH... ORANGE!

My favorite food is PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY POCKETS.

My favorite animal is A DRAGON! CAN I BE A BABY DRAGON FOR HALLOWEEN?

My favorite song is THE CHICKEN SONG!!! ("If the Stars Were Mine" by Melody Gardot) I LIKE IT BECAUSE SHE SOUNDS FUNNY WHEN SHE IS TRYING TO BE A CHICKEN. I KNOW HOW SHE DOES IT! DO YOU WANT TO HEAR?

My favorite book is THE RAINBOW FAIRY BOOKS.

My favorite weather is WHEN IT RAINS BUT IT IS SUMMER TIME. I CALL IT SUMMER RAIN.

If I were a superhero, I would be RAPUNZEL AND DEN I CAN SWING IN A TREE WIF MY HAIR! BUT MOMMY? I'M NOT A SUPER HERO. SUPER HEROES ARE BOYS. I'M A SUPER **STAR** HERO INSTEAD.

When I grow up I want to be A MOMMY AND I WILL HAVE A BABY IN MY TUMMY! AND WHEN YOU PUT YOUR HAND ON MY TUMMY, YOU WILL SAY "OH, I FEEL THE BABY MOVING!"

My favorite place to visit is THE PLAYGROUND.

The most beautiful place I have ever visited is DA MOUNTAINS. REMEMBER WHEN WE WENT CAMPING UP DERE AND DERE WAS A DEER???

I would like to help the world by PRETECTING PEOPLE FROM BAD GUYS! I WILL PUT DA BAD GUYS INTO JAIL AND TELL THEM, "TIME OUT UNTIL YOU SAY YOU ARE SORRY!!!"

How many people are in a hot air balloon? THREE, BUT MOMMY? WHEN CAN I GO IN A BALLOON? MAYBE WHEN I'M FIVE?

How many people are in the entire world? (SIGH) I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE I CAN COUNT THAT HIGH WHEN I'M 10. I ONLY KNOW HOW TO COUNT TO A HUNDRED.

What we will remember most about Ellie at this age is...
You are still a wonderful big sister and always want to teach Addie how to do new things. When she learns how to do something, you are usually the one cheering her on the most. Sometimes you use this to your advantage and trick Addie into doing things she wouldn't otherwise do, but for the most part you use this power for good and not evil. You love to wake her up in the morning and still give her lots of hugs, especially if she us upset. You are starting to learn that sometimes friends grow apart. Though Brynn is still your favorite friend, you struggle with her not being as nice to you as you wish she were. You have decided that you do not need a best friend right now because you are sure to find a new one in Kindergarten. You still love books but have started to enjoy the longer chapter books, which is quite exciting for Mommy and Daddy. You can spell a few words and are very proud of yourself for it, but the thing that brings the most pride to your face is your ability to swim. If you can call it that. Imagine a bobbing butt, with legs and head sprawled out under the water. That's ok, though, because after only a few weeks of swim lessons, we are blown away by your confidence. You even try to convince us to let you go down the big water slides by yourself. You adore your grandparents and even have a photo of Gramma and you by your bedside. You are a tender, kind girl who seems to consider her friends and doing nice things for them more than I would expect a girl your age to do. Your confidence allows you to ask grown-ups questions and you act more grown up every day. You have a beautiful soul and you make Mommy and Daddy smile every day with your growing wisdom.

You know how life works: IF SOMEONE DOES SOMEPING MEAN DEN DEY THINK DEY ARE FILLING YOUR BUCKET BUT THEY AREN'T. THEY'RE CALLED BUCKET DIPPERS. BUT IF YOU ARE NICE, DEN YOU ARE A BUCKET FILLER. AND IF YOUR BUCKET IS FULL DEN YOU ARE HAPPY. I DON'T LIKE BUCKET DIPPERS. IF YOU ARE A BUCKET DIPPER DEN PEOPLE WILL NOT WANT TO BE YOUR FRIEND.

Wordless Wednesday

The "I DO" learning curve

Stage 1:
Mommy: Who wants to go to the store?
Ellie: I do!
Addie: (smiling and going along)

Stage 2:
Mommy: Who wants to play a game?
Ellie: I do!
Addie: I do!

Stage 3:
Mommy: Do you want to help pick up this mess?
Addie: No!
Ellie: Who wants to help pick up this mess?
Addie: I do!

Stage 4:
Mommy: Let's go to school now.
Addie: No.
Ellie: Who wants to go to...
Addie: (looking very stern) NO!!!

Ellie at School

Ellie has been drawing more and more lately. I love it when we find treasures like these, where they actually LOOK like something real. When I asked her what this was a photo of, she told me it was Mommy and Daddy (to the left) and her friends standing under a rainbow. Ok, so it would have meant more if it was just her and Addie instead of the friends, but I'm just relieved to know she's not predicting another sibling.

Apparently rainbows are the place to be with friends. Note the new updated version of how to draw bodies. My guess is that a teacher drew the first and Ellie followed suit.

This one makes me chuckle. Can you tell who it is? I knew right off the bat. It's Rapunzel. I love that Ellie obviously drew the yellow legs first, then the head and long hair, and finally drew a purple princess dress to cover up Rapunzel's indecency.

And now I bet you can guess who this is. Yep, Rapunzel again. This time she drew the entire body first and then the hair. Believe it or not, the hair started out looking normal. Then it just kept getting longer and longer until it filled the entire page, and even some on the back side. Ok, so this one wasn't actually done at school, but I enjoyed watching the progress.

So Grown Up

We were gone for 9 days, which is the most we've ever been away from either girl. It was over twice as long as any previous trip away from Addie. So needless to say, everyone was filled with big smiles when we returned.

Addie is now grown up. She decided to do so while we were gone. She is a big girl with big words and even sentences. She can get dressed by herself, as well as wanting to do just about everything else via "I do it" mode. Her hair is about an inch longer and I think she might even be twice as tall as she wsa when we left.

We're told she had a rough time towards the end of our trip so I'm sure it'll be a relief for her to go back to our normal routine. What a sweet little girl she is.

Ellie was so excited to see us, but this time it was a little different. She is now old enough to know that we will return. Being able to talk to us on the phone and send us letters (via email) seemed to make a world of difference for her. Since she was able to understand that Mommy and Daddy did not just mysteriously disappear. I'm not sure when she got to be so grown up but she's there. She seems to be such a mature girl.

The girls even made us a gift. Sniff. It's always so nice to come home.

Letters to Mommy and Daddy

I love you mommy because you're my friend.

I know you love me too and it's really nice to say you are my friend.

Yesterday I played on the playground and never stopped playing on the slide.

Today i hunted for pirate treasure by following the treasure map and i found the treasure before nanna and gwampa.

The treasure was in a treasure chest in the ground and the chest had gold doubloons, pennies and very shiny stones and a baby ant.

I put the treasure in my toy story box.

Then I watched Captain Hook and Peter Pan.

I love daddy too and he is my friend forever.

I love you.

-Ellie

Letters to Mommy and Daddy

Dear Mommy and Daddy:

Mommy and Daddy love me forever and I like them and love them.
Yesterday I helped Grandma Judy cook pancakes.
Jacob drove us to Nana and Grampa's house.
Then I cooked macaroni and cheese with hotdogs with Grandpa.
Last night Addie and I went biking in the burley and it was fun because Grandpa kept turning.
I thought about you this morning and I'll see you in 3 days.

Look how well I type!
-Ellie

(at which point I'm assuming she typed her name by herself)

Letters to Mommy and Daddy

I got such a kick out of the little hints of Ellie-isms found in the emails that we got from Nana and Grandpa...

Dear mommy and daddy:

Today at school I made a map of colors.

Gwampa picked us up from school and took us to The Flower Bin where we searched for plants with colors that matched my color map.

My map had some rainbow colors.

Then Addie and I got to pick out a plant to buy.

Daddy loves me forever and I do too.

Mommy likes me forever and and she wants me to be her daughter forever.

Mommy wanted to play with me when it was morning and I didn't go to school.

- Ellie

Big Sister Quote of the Day

In an email from Nana and Grandpa while we were gone:

At 6:28 tonight Addie announced she had to poop potty and patted her behind. She went into the bathroom, sat on the little chair and pooped in the toilet to the cheers of Ellie, Grandpa and Nana. After, Ellie said Addie is the best of everything.

I love my girls

Ever had one of those moments where you wonder if your children have any idea just how much Mommy and Daddy loves them? Well just so that you know, I love you forever.

Handmade Cards

The best part of having the girls go over and play with neighbors is when they come home with wonderful handmade cards.

Daily Routine

Sometimes it's hard to not let the annoying things get you down, and today I choose to give you a look into the good things about our daily routine.

1. Ellie loves to come snuggle with me for a few minutes in the morning. It seems as though many of the days where I allow 15 minutes of snuggle time, she is much more willing to be helpful. As for me, I have to admit that I love it too. Who doesn't like a good snuggle?

2. Ellie still adores being the one to wake up her baby sister. As for Addie, she's all smiles as long as Ellie is the one who wakes her up. If I go in to do it, Addie insists that it's still time to sleep.

3. I love that Ellie likes to wear her long knee high socks. Whether it be shorts or a skirt, she'll wear her socks. It does not matter that they completely clash with the rest of the motif.

4. I think it's funny when Ellie huffs and puffs to hurry fast, though she doesn't move any faster. I love that Addie swings her arm back and forth as she moves fast, but also does not actually move any faster.

5. Once in the car, I love that when I wave bye with my fingers in the "I Love You" sign, Addie waives back with the number four. Ellie also waives back with four fingers only because she sees Addie doing it. Occasionally she'll put in the extra effort to figure out how to keep the proper fingers down.

6. On the days that I'm dropping them off at daycare, I love how they know their routine. Addie goes into her room, sits in a chair and waits to be served her breakfast. Ellie gives her a big hug every morning.

7. On the days that I pick the girls up, I love how Ellie is almost always engaged in an activity that she doesn't want to stop. She'll ask me to go get her sister first so that she can have a couple extra minutes.

8. Addie is so proud walking through the halls to get her big sister to go home. You can tell by the way she swings her arms.

9. On the way home I love when they each pick the songs they want to hear and wait patiently for their turn.

10. Addie gets such a big kick out of the times when it's her turn to pick which way we drive. I think she's thrilled when we listen to her suggestions as though they're very important.

11. At dinner we can almost guarantee that they will entertain each other. Perhaps not eat, but entertain yes.

12. At bed time I love how much my girls enjoy reading books. And the hugs can't be beat.