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Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Dress Rehearsal

I suppose they'll have the opportunity to get it perfect when they go live.  lol.

Monday, October 29, 2012

The World According to Ellie (5 years old)

In case you're keeping track of how much this lovely little girl has grown, here is The World According to Ellie at 4 years old.

My name is LORI-ELLE VINCEN(t)

I am FIVE YEARS OLD AND I'M IN KINDERGARTEN ALREADY!!! THE FIRST RULE OF KINDERGARTEN IS TO HAVE FUN! THE SECOND RULE IS TO RESPECT YOUR TEACHER AND DON'T INTERRUPT. I FORGET WHAT THE THREE-D RULE IS.

This is how I write my name:

This is what I look like:

I have DIRTY BLONDE HAIR. THAT MEANS IT'S DARK BLONDE BUT NOT REALLY DIRTY. I have brown eyes and have lost one tooth!

I even have my ears pierced!

The people in my family are  MOMMY, DADDY AND ADD-A-LINE.  SOMETIMES MY FAMILY IS ALSO LOTS OF PEOPLE LIKE AUNT ERIN, AUDREY AND CLIVE.  AND GRAMMA.  AND NANA.  AND GRANPA.  AND GRANPA LOU.  AND GRANDMOMMY JEANNE.... 

This is what my family looks like:



I love my mommy because SHE GIVES ME LOTS OF LOVEY KISSES.

I love my daddy because HE GIVES ME LOTS OF TICKLES AND WHEN I HUG HIM IT MEANS I WANT TO BE TICKLED!

I love my sister because SHE GIVES ME LOTS OF HUGS AND SHE THINKS I'M FUNNY.  I LIKE TO MAKE HER LAUGH.

My favorite toy is BUN BUN. I'M NEVER EVER GOING TO FORGET HER!!! TELL ME A STORY ABOUT BUN BUN WHEN I WAS JUST A BABY...

My favorite friends are BRYNN AND  IZZY. I CAN ONLY PLAY WITH BRYNN FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES IN THE MORNING UNTIL SHE GOES TO HER KINDERGARTEN. THEN I CAN PLAY WITH IZZY UNTIL BRYNN COMES BACK IN THE AFTERNOON.

My favorite thing to do is LEARN AT SCHOOL. I LOVE TO LEARN HOW TO READ!! I CAN READ ALL OF THE WORDS. REALLY! I CAN!

The best things about me are I'M TICKLISH, I LAUGH GOOD AND  I LOVE DADDY AND I LIKE TO HUG HIM.

I'm good at playing "Mary Had a Little Lamb" on my saxophone, doing flips in the water & swinging on monkey bars.

I'm especially good at writing my words all by myself!

My favorite color is PINK THEN PURPLE THEN BLUE

My favorite food is MAC & CHEESE AT RED ROBIN. MY FAVORITE DESSERT IS PUMPKIN APPLE BROWNIE SURPRISE!

My favorite place to go is WHAT'S THE PLACE WHERE WE GET TO COOK OUR OWN FOOD? (Melting Pot)

My favorite game is TAG THE MONKEY!!

My favorite animal is A GIRAFFE AND HER NAME IS SPOTTY!

My favorite magical creature is A UNICORN AND HER NAME IS FLOWER! SOMETIMES HER NAME IS SNOWFLAKE IF SHE'S A WINTER UNICORN. HER NAME IS FLOWER IF SHE'S A SPRING UNICORN.

My favorite song is THE RAINBOW SONG THAT GOES LIKE THIS: WE'RE A RAINBOW MADE OF CHILDREN. WE'RE AN ARMY SINGING OUR SONG. THERE'S NO WEAPON THAT CAN STOP US. RAINBOW LOVE IS MUCH TOO STRONG."

My favorite book is ALL THE BOOKS AT MY SCHOOL LIKE "12 LITTLE PIGGIES ARE HUNGRY." WE GO TO THE LIBRARY EVERY THURSDAY SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE BRING MY BOOSTER SEAT OK? WE GET TO PICK OUT OUR VERY OWN BOOKS EVERY TIME!!! BUT DON'T WORRY, MOMMY. THE BOOKS STAY AT SCHOOL SO WE DON'T LOSE THEM.

My favorite weather is WINTER TIME BECAUSE I LOVE TO PLAY IN THE SNOW. IT'S FALL TIME NOW AND THAT MEANS WINTER IS NEXT! I'M SOOO ESS-CITED!!!  I LIKE WINTER THE BEST BECAUSE WE GET TO SLED DOWN THE HILLS!!!

When I grow up I want to be A BALLERINA TEACHER AND I WANT TO TEACH MY KIDS HOW TO BALLERINA DANCE. I WANT TO BE A MOMMY AND I WANNA HAVE 5 KIDS!

I'M GOING TO MARRY MICHAEL WHEN I GET OLDER. HE DOESN'T REALLY WANT TO MARRY ME RIGHT NOW BUT THAT'S OK BECAUSE I'M NOT READY. MAYBE HE'LL BE READY WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL WITH HIM AGAIN IN FIRST GRADE.

My favorite place to visit is GRANPA LOU'S HOUSE AND PAPPY'S HOUSE BECAUSE I LOVE GRANDPA LOU AND PAPPY!!!

The most beautiful place I've ever seen is INSIDE DA CHURCH WITH CHURCH WINDOWS.

I would like to help the world by TELLING THEM "SAFETY FIRST!" AND RESPECT EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. IT MEANS RESPECT THE PERSON AND RESPECT THE TOYS. BE NICE TO OTHER PEOPLE AND BE GENTLE WITH ALL THE TOYS.

My thoughts on God are: I THINK THAT GOD IS IN THE STARS SO WHEN WE FEEL ALONE WE CAN GO TO THE STARS AND SEE HIM. I LEARNED THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT SIMBA'S DADDY TOLD HIM (from The Lion King). SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE IN GOD AND SOME DO NOT AND THAT'S OK. I DECDIDED THAT I DO BELIEVE IN HIM.

My thoughts on Santa & the Tooth Fairy: I THINK THAT SANTA IS REAL BECAUSE HE LEFT ME PRESENTS LAST YEAR. FAIRIES AREN'T REAL. THE ONLY FAIRY THAT IS FOR REAL IS THE TOOTH FAIRY. I BELIEVE IN THE TOOTH FAIRY BECAUSE I WANT TO BELIEVE SHE IS REAL. IF I DON'T BELIEVE SHE IS REAL THEN SHE WON'T BE REAL AND THAT WILL MAKE HER SAD.

How long did it take for Rapunzel to grow her hair out? 50 HUNDRED YEARS!

How many people are in the entire world? 50 HUNDRED!!!

What we will remember most about Ellie at this age is...
In the last year something just clicked in your head.  It's as though there is now no limit to the things you can learn and you are doing so at an exponential rate.  Whether it's writing, reading, biology, or even how the world works around you, you amaze us with your new knowledge every day.  You like to remind people that "I know better than you because I'm in Kindergarten now."  You're so proud of your achievements, as you should be, and you say your favorite thing about school is how much learning you do.  If there was one single thing that you are most proud of yourself for, it's that you are always coming up with good solutions.  When you list the people you love, you remember to include yourself and tell us that it's ok for you to love yourself because you're a very nice person.  When I ask you what you love most about yourself, there is no hesitation.  "I love that I can always come up with new ideas."  Yes, Ellie, we love that too.  I love that you know that if something is difficult, you just have to keep practicing or think of a different solution.  My hope for you is that this will remain a strength in your character and that you will always have the love and belief in yourself that you do right now.  You continue to be a good sister and I'm so blessed to have two girls who love each other so much.  It still amazes me when I see the two of you reach for each other in need of comfort or support.  Your best friend is still Brynn, though Izzie now takes a close second place because Izzy is in your Kindergarten class while Brynn is just with you before and after her Kindergarten.  This will be the last year you're with Brynn and I try not to think too much about how difficult next year might be for you.   I'm sure you'll handle it with grace and view it as yet another challenge that just needs a good solution.  And you're good at coming up with solutions, aren't you?

You know how life works: I LIKE TO PLAY WITH MYSELF AND I LIKE MYSELF BECAUSE I'M WONDERFUL JUST LIKE A PRINCESS. NOT A PRETEND PRINCESS. A PRINCESS FOR REAL LIFE.

Ellie if you keep that kind of confidence, then there is no limit to the places you will go!

Friday, October 12, 2012

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Addie's Birthday Party

Addie's 3rd birthday party was very low-key, almost, but not quite the complete opposite of Ellie's. All Addie wanted to do for her birthday was go to Bounce Town. And though it was simple, she had a blast with her friends.

We had a simple but yummy birthday cake and Addie insisted that the purple frosting tasted the best. Perhaps that's an indication of her favorite color? Who knows.

The part that made me laugh the most, though, was that Addie didn't know how to open presents. In this day and age, there are so many gift bags that she didn't know what to do with wrapping paper. So Ellie volunteered to help. When a box was discovered under the paper, Addie excitedly exclaimed "OH! A box!" and moved onto the next present before looking to see what was in the box. Too silly.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Asking Nicely

Addie: Mommy can you open dis peas? (pause) Mommy, can you peas open dis for me? (pause) Mommy, can you peas put da cherry on top and open dis for me?

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Happy Birthday, Addie

Without fail it seems as though October sneaks up on me every year. Three years ago today I was holding my baby - the one who completed my little family. Three years ago today I learned that it really is true that a parent's heart can double in size when their second child is born. Magic.

Addie, we have watched you grow so much in the last year. In some ways you've changed a lot. You've learned so much, yet in many ways you haven't changed at all. You are still one of the most easy going, carefree souls I know. I think in many ways it's because of this trait that it feels like you've been 3 for so long. You've been so easy that I think we skipped right past any terrible twos stage. Perhaps you just didn't think it was necessary to force the world to act on your every demand. You're wiser than that. You seem to know that the world won't always do as it's told, yet you also seem to understand that's ok. It doesn't have to do what you want it to do. You can still be happy on your own.

How do you do that? Seriously, girl. You're only three years old yet if Ellie doesn't listen to you, you simply move on and continue to be happy anyway. This might drive Ellie a bit bonkers but that's because she doesn't quite know yet what you have known all along. Happiness comes from within. If you want to be happy, you decide to be happy. If you need a few minutes to be sad, then that's ok too. Just come back to play when you've decide to be happy again. Like I said. You're a wise soul.

Sometimes we wonder if you're simply following Ellie and want to do everything she does. Though in many ways this might be true, I also find myself thinking that perhaps it's yet another example of how you simply don't NEED things to go your way. As a result, eveyone loves you dearly. If you go into your old classroom at school, the kids don't hesitate to all jump up to run to give you a hug. You have lots of best friends in your class, and never name just one to be your favorite. I'm told that you give everyone hugs, including the teachers or other kids' parents, whenever they leave.

When you sleep with me, I often notice that you take care of me more than you require I do to you. You don't need me to scratch your back in order to fall asleep, however you do know that it's nice. As a result, you often scratch MY back, or pull the covers up to my shoulders, or even run your fingers gently down my cheak. All the while, you think I'm sleeping. You simply do it out of love. You take care of others around you because you love them. You do not feel like it's necessary to demand the same in return. Rather, you seem to have the inherent understanding that it will come. When you unconditionally love others, then the love will be returned to you. It's not forced. It's just natural.

You're starting to get your own sense of humor, which I love. You have this way of stating a fact or asking a question, then cocking your head to the side and looking up at the ceiling in a funny way, waiting for a response. I wish I could take a photo of it, but as often as it happens, it can't be timed. It puts a smile on my face everytime, though, and Mommy and Daddy often catch ourselves doing the same thing just because it makes us smile to think about you.

Like your sister, you have a kind soul. You are a wonderful sister and always seem to want to do whatever keeps Ellie happy. If the two of you are fighting over a particular toy, it's almost always you who gives it up. It's as though your sister's happiness is more important to you than being right.

You absolutely hate to disappoint people. If you get even an inkling of someone being disappointed in you, you get very upset. You try to hold it in, but usually it ends up bursting out in a big apology. If you've accidentally hurt someone, you do not hesitate in saying you're sorry. And it's genuine. You don't just say it because you know you should. You say it because you FEEL it.

There's still a lot that I don't know about you. Whenever I ask you what your favorite color is, you respond with "Bella's favorite color is purple." Well that's good, sweetie, but Mommy doesn't really care what Bella's favorite color is. Mommy wants to know more about YOU. As such, you still remain my rainbow daughter. Simply because you seem to think all colors are equal. Makes perfect sense to me.

Three years ago you entered my life and it has been complete ever since. You do not need to be told how amazing you are. I think you just know inside. You have a sense of confidence that words can not compare with. To say that you're a joy to have in our lives is such an understatement. When I watch the way you handle difficult situations, or how you respond when you know someone is upset, there are lessons in there for me to learn. You teach me more than you know. For someone who is only 3 years old, you sure are a wise soul.

Monday, October 08, 2012

Tomorrow

Tomorrow is Addie's birthday and she assures me that she will not miss being two years old... "Maybe when I'm bigger I will want to be two years old again but not now. Now I'm almost free and now I'm almost five like Lori-elle. I'm catching up to her now! She's going really fast but I'm going faster and faster because I'm free. I don't want to be two anymore. Maybe when I'm older."

Friday, October 05, 2012

Stolen Gold

Mommy: Wow! Look at the sunset!
Addie: It looks like gold!
Ellie: It looks like golden that was stolen and now I think it's calling for help.

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Deep Potty Thoughts

I suppose just about everyone does some of their best thinking while sitting on the can, and Addie is no exception...

"I was thinking about poo poo and pee pee.  I think the poo poo is the pince and the pee pee is the pincess and when I flush the potty they are married and they can live happily ever after!"

Wednesday, October 03, 2012

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Gullible

Ellie:  I love you.
Daddy:  Rarr.
Ellie:  I love you!
Daddy:  Rarr!
Ellie:  I said "I love you."
Daddy:  Rarr.
Ellie:  Please tell me you love me too.
Daddy:  I did.  "Rarr" is "I love you" in dinosaur.
Ellie:  REALLY?!?!

Monday, October 01, 2012

The best day EVER

Ellie:  Today was the greatest day ever!  Do you know what the specialest thing is that I don't usually get to do?  I was SO lucky!  I got to be in charge of the clipboard!!!