Niffer All Grown-Up

Ellie tricks me

2012-01-27T06:05:00.000-07:00

Ellie: I can trick you. Wanna see?
Mommy: Ok. Show me.
Ellie: What color is Santa's suit?
Mommy: Umm... red.
Ellie: What does Santa ride in?
Mommy: A sled.
Ellie: See? I tricked you. My real question was "what color is the snow."

Gorilla Girls

2012-01-26T06:50:00.003-07:00

I've learned a lot about my girls this last week, all thanks to gorillas. First, let me say I believe that Ellie is pure of heart and soul. Every now and then she steps up to the plate and takes care of other people when they're scared. Especially Addie.

The other day we were at the airport picking up Daddy. We went into that beautiful store full of large photographic prints. I love that store as it's inspiring to see such beautiful images of nature. I thought that the girls would enjoy seeing the pictures too, especially the ones of the animals or fall colors.

It went well until we came around the corner and found ourselves face-to-face with a gorilla. A gorilla photo, that is, but Addie was terrified. She stopped in her tracks and her eyes got really big. She refused to move, even to move away. She was frozen with fear.

Ellie did not hesitate. As soon as she noticed that Addie was scared, she walked over to her and put her arm around her little sister. "It's ok. I'm here. I will keep you safe." She hugged her and Addie sighed a visible sigh of relief. "It's just a picture, but I understand why you are scared. It's a gorilla. I bet he's a friendly gorilla even if he looks a little scary." Addie did not agree, so Ellie said "How about we leave the gorilla alone now? Come on, I'll walk with you." She slowly turned Addie around (Addie was still frozen with fear), and gently nudged her toward the door.

Amazing.

A similar thing happened a couple days later at a restaurant. They sat us down next to a big poster of King Kong, and as soon as Addie noticed the poster, she was balling with tears of fear. Ellie put her arm around Addie for comfort. We told Addie that we could ask the waitress for a new table, and when the waitress came by Addie was actually able to ask through her tears "I have a new table please." Then when the waitress didn't understand, Ellie stepped up and said "She's scared of that pitcher and wants to know if we can sit at a different table." Ellie had her arms around Addie to comfort her all the way to the new, safer table.

Amazing.

Apparently our little Ellie instinctively knows when her sister needs her, and our little Addie is not a fan of gorillas.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-25T19:33:00.002-07:00

Addie is Psychic

2012-01-24T18:14:00.001-07:00

Addie: Ouch. Ow.
Mommy: What happened?
Addie: I bonked my head.
Mommy: You did? When?
Addie: Now (proceeds to bonk her head).

She gets it

2012-01-23T06:03:00.001-07:00

It puts a smile on my face that the title of this post works for both me and my husband...

The other day while I was helping Addie get ready for school, Ellie excitedly told me "Mommy! Wait here! I have something really special for you! I will go get it!" Then she disappeared into her room and came back holding her hands in the shape of a heart. She had a huge smile on her face as though she knew that I would love her gift even though it wasn't something tangible.

After putting her "heart" into my pocket, she then approached me with a secret. Leaning in to whisper in my ear, she says "Go Broncos!"

My Diamonds

2012-01-20T06:29:00.000-07:00

For quite some time Ellie has collected rocks from her playground for Mommy. She would present each one as a gift to me, as though they were diamonds. Every time I would make a big deal out of the thoughtful gift. Really... given her limited resources, it makes sense to give me rocks. I have kept all the rocks (ok... at least 90% of them) and finally covered them with pretty colored wool. It's a never ending project, really. Just what you see in this photo (there's A LOT there) took me nearly a year to do, and I already have a handful of rocks that still need to be done because Addie has started to take up the tradition.

I love the fact that I have turned something as plain as playground rocks into something beautiful. That's what they've always been to me, beautiful. Now they just match the decor better.

I love that my Ellie "gets it" and that Addie is following in her steps. Perhaps they will always be able to bring small amounts of magic to the world, even if from just a simple reminder that even rocks can bring a smile to your face. Much like these heart rocks.

The power of cookies

2012-01-19T06:48:00.000-07:00

Ellie: I'm sad because my prince won't ask me to marry him and if he doesn't ask me then I don't understand him. I have known him for a long time so he should have asked.
Addie: Hi! I'm 'Punzel! (Rapunzel)
Mommy: How can we get him to ask you to marry him?
Addie: Hi! I'm 'Punzel!
Ellie: Maybe I should bake him some cookies. I think that will work!
Addie: Hi! I'm 'Punzel!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:53:00.000-07:00

Unicorns vs. Broncos

2012-01-17T06:39:00.002-07:00

One recent morning...

Ellie: My favorite movie is the Last Unicorn. Pretend I'm the last unicorn, ok? Neigh!
Mommy: Awww my plan is working.
Daddy: Oh yeah? Watch this.... Go...
Ellie: Go Broncos!
Addie: Go Broncos!

Later at school...

Michael: There's a strange brain washing going on in our house. Jen is trying to brain wash the kids into liking the unicorns and I'm trying to brain wash them into liking the Broncos.

Addie's Teacher: I can help you there. (Leaning over to talk to Addie...) Addie, Broncos are REAL.

... later, when we're picking up Addie from school (she wore her Bronco outfit today)...

Addie: Bye! Go Broncos!
Mommy: Yep, Go Broncos!
Addie: Broncos are real!

Our Little Unicorn

2012-01-16T06:48:00.005-07:00

Perhaps not quite as strong as Addie's love for being a dragon, but Ellie is our little unicorn through and through. I think it started when I was desperately looking to inspire her to let me do her hair. Stick a funny ponytail on top of her head, add some flowers and POOF! Instant unicorn.

The thought stuck, though, because for Halloween I failed at getting Ellie to consider any other costume. The best thing about being a unicorn is that you can fly. You might think I'm speaking of a pegasus, but Ellie insists that unicorns can fly too. They just use their magic from their horns to fly. I gotta give her credit... if a unicorn is magic, then of course it makes sense that she can fly if she wanted to.

For Christmas, Ellie asked Santa for a "super soft unicorn." Meet Morgan. She's been by Ellie's side nearly every moment since she came to live with us.

Ellie has even learned how to draw herds and herds of unicorns! That MUST mean they're special.

Though there is no telling when Ellie might become a unicorn, there are two times you can bet that it will happen - when she's wearing her super soft flower dress or her super soft winter dress. Here her name is Flower and she is a spring unicorn. I think Flower is the more energetic of the two unicorns as she bounces around using her magic to bring me rainbows. No really, that's what she says she's doing.

Snowflake, on the other hand is a bit more tender. She likes to give hugs and uses her magic to keep me warm during the winter time. Again, this was her idea not mine (though I'm not complaining).

Because Ellie prefers being a unicorn over any other animal (unless she's wearing her leopard PJs, then she's a cheetah) and is "neighing" so often, it makes sense that she assumed "The Last Unicorn" for Christmas was for her. It was for me, but I didn't have the heart to tell her. We actually braved watching the movie together (I recall being terrified of the bull at an age much older than Ellie) and she is in love. No surprise there.

Anyway... if only being a unicorn didn't mean our house was full of "Neigh. Neigh. When I say Neigh Neigh, it means I want to sit next to you" or "Neigh. Neigh. When I say Neigh Neigh, it means I want to read a book" or "Neigh Neigh" here or a "Neigh Neigh" there... well then living with a unicorn would be a lot of fun.

Knock Knock

2012-01-13T06:44:00.003-07:00

The girls have started saying Knock Knock jokes:

Ellie: Knock knock.
Mommy: Who's there?
Ellie: Boo.
Mommy: Boo who?
Ellie: Oh I'm sorry I made you cry.

However, I think Addie's version wins the prize:

Addie: Knock knock.
Mommy: Who's there?
Addie: Gicken Bop! (chicken butt)

Hide and Seek

2012-01-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

We've come a long ways, Baby!

Hide and Seek, Take I...

Hide and Seek, Take II...

Finally! A fantastic hiding place, all on her own! Perhaps even her first original idea - under the dog's bed. Honestly, she was barely noticeable!

I think that the skill for finding a good hiding spot is key for a future of success. Way to go, Ellie!

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Glorious Sunrise

2012-01-10T06:43:00.002-07:00

Once we get into the car and are on our way to take the girls to school, it's not often that I want to take the time to turn around and go back. However, last week was an exception as the sunrise was simply too glorious to pass up. We dropped Daddy off at the bustop and then raced back home for the camera. When I pulled into the driveway, Ellie said "You hurry and get the camera and I'll wait here and make sure the sunrise doesn't go anywhere." After rushing back with the camera, she reassured me "I kept the sunrise safe. Let's go!" Addie excitedly exclaimed "Take pitcher!" as she certainly wasn't going to be left out of the conversation.

Ellie's Art

2012-01-09T06:04:00.005-07:00

in recent months, Ellie's artwork has taken a giant step forward. Months ago she would come home from school with drawings of our family, often tucked under a rainbow or enjoying a stroll under the warm sun.

Then out of the blue she drew a turkey - her first real animal (aside from butterflies) drawn on her own. Her drawings also started showing up with "scribbles" (aka words telling a story).

Ok, so it wasn't exactly "out of the blue" since it was Thanksgiving time. Handprint turkeys are a must-have for any parent, but I particularly like how if you look closely, you can see that this turkey has arms.

For a brief period I would find random trucks and airplanes sketched into various drawings.

Even her flowers seemed to be drawn from a different perspective. Note the "words" that tell a story.

This time I asked what the words said. Her response: It says "I love you Mommy. This is a picture of a flower with petals and you are in it."

I suppose there isn't anything spectacular about this one, but it's pretty so I wanted to share. Mommy likes it and that's all that matters, right?

A self portrait! Ellie drew all the things that make her happy - butterflies, flowers, rainbows and of course a unicorn! Apparently being able to draw a squiggly border makes her happy too.

LOOK! LOOK! It's a herd of unicorns! Of my very own! I LOVE it! How magical is that?

And finally, the biggest step of all... my Ellie has started to write letters. Actual words written with love! OH MY!!!

Our Baby Dragon

2012-01-06T06:01:00.005-07:00

It's official, Addie likes dragons. It started with Baby Blue dragon, which was a gift that Mommy and Daddy brought back from our trip to Oxford last year. We gave a blue one to Addie and a green one to Ellie and were surprised by how much of a hit they were. Blue Dragon instantly became one of Addie's favorite friends.

Then there was Halloween. When I asked Addie if she wanted to be a dragon for Halloween, there was no turning back. It was perfect for her and Addie knew it. I wish I could add sound to this photo... of course, she's saying "Rarr!"

It's not just dragons, either. Daddy brought some dinosaurs home from a business trip to Maryland and Addie still adores hers. You can find him in her bed, sleeping happily under the cozy blankets. I'm nearly certain that dinosaurs and dragons are the same in Addie's eyes.

But you know what? It doesn't stop there? 95% of the time, this girl refuses to wear her coat,but she's more than happy to wear it on her head. "I be a dragon!" Apparently the sleaves become wings and she's magically transformed into a dragon. She's a dragon on such a regular basis (it is winter after all) that Daddy decided to get her "How to Train Your Dragon" for Christmas.

Such a cutie. I love our baby dragon.

Ellie's Search for Colored Windows

2012-01-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

If there ever was a perfect mother/daughter day, it was my special day with Ellie last week. When asked what she wants to do with our special day together, Ellie responded with "I want to see all the colored windows in the world!" Boy, so do I. So do I. How amazing would that be? Due to the logistics of having limited time, though, we started with our own mini adventure searching for stained glass windows in Denver.

Since originally I wasn't sure how exciting going to a church would be, I added some spice by telling Ellie we were going to take the train AND the bus! I didn't anticipate the amount of walking we would do, but it was an adventure! Lots of fun! Together Ellie, Morgan (her new unicorn friend) and I went hunting for colored windows! I gotta say, we're quite good at sneaking up on them!

First on our list (and honestly, the last on the list since I originally thought we'd do just one church), was The Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception. That's quite a name, but it was quite a church. The windows were very pretty. Ellie quietly walked around the parameter of the entire church, looking at each one. I got the impression that she didn't like them as much as the windows of the other cathedral that she remembered so well. Perhaps it was because the photos were of people (depicting Jesus' life, I'm sure). The windows in the National Cathedral, on the other hand, were just brightly colored random designs, every window different. However, she still loved to look at each one and especially liked the windows with angels and flowers in them.

After looking at all the windows, Ellie wanted to explore the rest of the church. She was quite disappointed that most of the doors were locked, but she did find baby Jesus and wanted her photo taken.

When it seemed that the entire place had been explored to the extent that it was possible, Ellie asked for more. Before answering that demand, I insisted on taking a photo of the two of us. She humored me as she figured it was payment in order to see more colored windows. I was just delaying my response because I honestly had not planned on MORE.

As confidently as I could, I told Ellie we should go search for more windows. Not knowing if there were any other churches around, we took a step outside and looked for church towers. Luckily St Paul's Lutheran Church was a block or two away. When we approached it, the bells rang and rang. Ellie and I decided that they were happy bells, but sadly the church was closed. Ellie asked "Can we knock on the door please?" at which point I learned that churches have doorbells. When a lady came to answer the door, Ellie asked very politely "Can I see your colored windows please?" I think she took the lady by surprise, but she led us up to the church.

The organ player was practicing her music, which really excited Ellie. Surprisingly, she wanted to sit and listen to the music for a very long time, so the lady allowed us to stay (and let ourselves out) as long as we wanted. Ellie once again impressed me with how perfectly happy she was to sit quietly and look at the windows and listen to the music. She read the bible from beginning to end, and pretended to be a princess getting married. Get this - the girl was content to listen to the organist FOR AN ENTIRE HOUR!!! It wasn't until the organist asked Ellie if she wanted to see how the organ worked that Ellie was finally content to leave.

The church was stunning and Ellie's behavior was magical... this was my favorite of the day, but surely Ellie has seen enough? Nope.

Once again, as luck would have it, there was another church within a block. Upon ringing the doorbell at Central Presbyterian Church, we met an old man who was more than happy to show us his beautiful church. He was quite impresse with Ellie's fascination with the colored windows and commented on her maturity a couple times. He let her touch the stained glass windows, which she loved. After that, the man and I talked a little more about how rare it was for someone so young to be so enthralled with seeing pretty windows, while Ellie explored the entire auditorium, up and down the long rows of pews, looking for a place to take a photo.

She chose this location, right in front of the window she was allowed to touch. After three churches, I was certain Ellie had had enough, but once again I would be wrong. She wanted MORE!!! I talked her into getting a bite to eat as Mommy was hungry before moving on to the next church. She only agreed to eating once the church was within our sight, but she ate quickly and fully, all the while laughing and making silly jokes as we ate. After lunch we tried to go to the Trinity United Methodist Church and discovered our first (and only) church with no one present. Signs on the door indicated that had it not been two days after Christmas, we would have had better luck. Perhaps next time?

On the bright side, the disruption to our great luck allows us to explore a different type of pretty place and into the Brown Palace we went. Upon entering the magestic lobby, I said "WOAH! Look at that ceiling!!!" to which Ellie responded with "WOAH! Look at that drinking fountain!" I should have taken a photo of the fountain as she was right. It was the fanciest drinking fountain I had ever seen.

FINALLY I was able to convince Ellie to start the journey back home. I was only able to do so, though, by inticing her with YET MORE churches (saying that there were some closer to our house too). On the way home, she politely asked "Mommy? If we have time, can we ride the train to Paris to see the colored windows there? And if we have time, can we go to the top of the Eiffel Tower too? Maybe if it's dark, we can see the lights twinkle on the Eiffel Tower?" Boy, this girl ALREADY has a special place in her heart for Paris (I can't claim it's a mystery for why). I have to admit, even I was disappointed that I had respond with "Thank you for asking so nicely, but we don't have time." "Maybe when I'm older?" I think that sounds like a plan!

First Boulder church on the list was First Congregational Church, but quite honestly I was highly disappointed. However, Ellie managed to look on the bright side and found a row of pretty windows, so it wasn't a complete flop.

And this time it was SHE who insisted on taking a photo. I was all too happy to oblige.

At this point in time, Ellie had to go potty. Actually this was a common theme for us this day, which is how I learned that hotels ALWAYS have potties, so we walked a block to The Boulderado. Understandably, Ellie was impressed with their Christmas display and loved the stained glass ceiling. But best of all were the staircases! So we spent the next hour going up and up to the top and then back down and down again to the bottom. We explored hallways and found more staircases and even another glass ceiling. At this point, Ellie said she was tired and laid down on the floor to look at the ceiling. I joined her and took a photo. A few other people saw us and thought it was a fantastic idea.

When it became apparent that our adventure together was about to end, Ellie had one more request to make...

I've saved the best for last. You'd think that by the time we ventured all the way to Denver, riding a train and a bus, walking for what must have seemed like miles to Ellie, and driving an hour back to Boulder for more walking, Ellie would have been tired of seeing stained glass windows. But no. There was one more place that she really wanted to go to. It was even her idea. The Evangelical Covenant Church is close to our home that we pass occasionally. It's nothing fancy, but it does have a couple windows lit up at night. Ellie points it out to me every time we pass by, so of course she wanted to see in person. Just look at how proud she is to be standing next to the beautiful window. Of all the colored windows we saw that day, this was the only one she wanted a photo of by herself (bottom right).

I know this was a bit long-winded... but it was such a magical day that I just HAD to document it all. I loved that of all the things she could request to do on our special day, looking at colored windows was top of the list. I loved the fact that she didn't have to be told to be quiet and respectful of such special places. I loved the fact that she was polite to everyone she spoke to and that she never got to a point where she said "I'm done." Perfect. Pure magic.

Wordless Wednesday

2012-01-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

Ellie Reads!!!!

2012-01-03T06:10:00.002-07:00

Michael has memories of being able to read all by himself when he entered Kindergarten. I never really gave it much thought as I don't have those same memories. In fact I have very few memories. But with Ellie approaching that age (I went to Kindergarten Open Houses a couple weeks ago and could barely keep it together), I wondered if she was even close to being able to read.

She knows her letters really well. She can even write a bunch of words, making them look just right. She knows the sounds that all the letters make (though she needs a little help with the vowels because they're always so different)... but actually READ??? I wasn't so sure.

The other night (a week ago, actually), I gave it a shot. I pulled out an "I Can Read" book called "Cat and Dog" and tried to have her read it to me. We spelled out each word, sounded it out and she read the book. SHE FRICKIN' READ THE BOOK. Ok, so not completely by herself, but considering it was the first time I had ever attempted to get her to read, she did amazingly well.

And oh the pride! She wanted to show Daddy every time she finished reading a page. She was kicking her feet in bed with so much excitement at realizing she could do it. And when she messed up? She didn't get frustrated like I expected her to. Instead, she just giggled and said "the letter I doesn't say KA!"

When showing Daddy some of the sentences she could read, like "The dog is old. The cat is fat," she beamed with pride.

Ellie: Does that make you happy?
Daddy: Oh, yes it does! You must have worked so hard at reading that book!
Ellie: Yeah, my heart is so happy right now I can not help it. I have to smile.

Yes, and Mommy has to sniffle.

Big Sister Quote of the Day

2012-01-02T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ellie: Here At-a-line, you can have dis ring and if you miss me you don't have to worry because when you where dis ring, you are wearing a piece of my heart, so when you are wearing dis ring, I am always with you. OK?
Addie: O-tay. Dan ku.

What a nice way to bring in the New Year!

Tid Bits

2011-12-30T06:12:00.001-07:00

It's strange to think that this is the last post of 2011... I suppose a Tid-Bits post is appropriate, but I have to just say that I am one incredibly blessed mother. Life is good.

I love that when Addie is happy, she says "I haf 'appy feet! See?" and proceeds to stomp around. She does it daily. Love it.

I love that Ellie is starting to understand the concept of Santa having "helpers" who dress up and pretend to be him, but the way she asks about it cracks me up. "Mommy? That Santa isn't human, is he? Right?"

I love how Addie gets incredibly quiet when she's tired. She'll nod to answer "yes" but beyond that, the only response you'll get from her is a blank stare.

I love to see how proud Ellie is to hand over Christmas presents that she bought with her OWN money to those she loves. MAGIC.

I love how when Addie comes home, she goes up to the Christmas tree and rearranges a few bulbs. Our tree has subtle changes every day.

I love watching Addie and Ellie give each other hugs and kisses before parting ways at school. Addie has even begun to say "I love you, Lee-elle." Sigh. Melt my heart.

There are certain dresses that the girls have that are super soft (velvet, perhaps)? They love to wear dresses, but in particular these ones. I'm sure it has something to do with Mommy claiming that she just can't help herself... she just HAS to hug them if they're wearing something so soft. And she just can't stop hugging them and may never let them go. It's not my fault. They're THAT soft.

I am so blessed to have two girls who do not hesitate to say they're sorry if they accidentally hurt someone. Sure they feel bad. They feel guilty, but they are able to apologize, give hugs and know that they're still loved even if they made a mistake.

Ellie used to call Gummie Bears "Yummy Bears," but Addie calls them "Dummy Bears."

I love that Ellie calls Antlers "Ant Ears" and she insists that butterflies have them (instead of antenna).

I've said it before, but I'll say it again (it's just THAT GOOD)... I absolutely love how every time Addie tells me she loves me, she says "I love you, Best Friend!" I think it's impossible to top that one.

I love how the girls have developed the habit of "falling asleep" as soon as we get home. They pretend to be sleeping when Mommy and Daddy get them out of the car. Daddy usually tickles Ellie until she can hardly breathe and Mommy usually carries Addie in like a baby.

Speaking of "pretending to sleep," I think it's funny when Addie approaches me, walking with her eyes closed. She's pretending to be asleep but wants to be closer to me. Too cute.

I have to giggle now that Addie has become the Enforcer of polite manners. If Ellie (or even Mommy or Daddy, for that matter) wants something, she says "Say peas!" before giving it to us. Afterwards she's so proud of herself for being nice.

Your turn Mommy

2011-12-29T09:40:00.001-07:00

Mommy: I have you. You're stuck!
Addie: Oh no!
Mommy: How do you get out?
Addie: I donno.
Mommy: You have to kiss me.
Addie: (kiss)
Mommy: Oh, now you're free!
Addie: Your gurn!
Mommy: My turn?
Addie: (putting her arms as far around me as possible) You duck!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-28T03:33:00.000-07:00

Merry Little Christmas 2011

2011-12-27T03:31:00.000-07:00

Daddy and I strongly considered just getting away for the holidays. We have so much family that we'd love to spend time with that it seemed like it would be impossible to have our own "little Christmas" with just the girls. However, we never actually made any plans.

And it was perfect.

Though we did exchange presents with some family last week, and again on Christmas Eve, we had Christmas day all to ourselves. It was exactly what I wanted to do for Christmas.

We had told Ellie that even though it was Christmas, she still needed to wait until 7:00 to wake up. So at exactly 7:00, we heard her door quietly open. She went into Addie's room and we heard her whisper loudly "At-a-line, do you want to get up? It's Christmas! Let's wake Mommy and Daddy!" Then we heard pitter-pattering feet scurry into our rooms.

Ellie was literally jumping with excitement. "It's Christmas! It's Christmas!" It looked like she was going to explode with excitement. Addie just smiled, but she knew something was special about today and she looked excited to find out what. Ellie didn't want to wait for us to wake up. Instead, she pulled Daddy's hand until he fell out of bed.

In all honesty, that's probably the best part of the day and certainly the thing that lends itself most to a blog post. We went downstairs and started first with the stockings that Daddy stuffed. We learned that Mommy needs to be in charge of Daddy's stocking, which was not something she was told this year. Whoops.

I loved that Daddy put so much thought into the stocking gifts. It showed me that this is a tradition I'm sure to enjoy every year. There were subtle, yet really thoughtful gifts like the "How to Train Your Dragon" movie because Addie is our little dragon (she always insists on putting her coat on her head instead of wearing it "I be a dragon!").

What I loved about that moment, though, was that as excited that Ellie was about Christmas, she didn't seem to act as though it was all about the presents, and certainly not all about Santa's presents. In fact, Santa's gold presents sat there patiently until we were done with the stockings and it was MOMMY who reminded Ellie that there were presents to open.

She got exactly what she wanted... a super soft stuffed unicorn. The rest is just a blur.

We spent the morning making a mess in our house, which has yet to be cleaned even 2 days later. Just sitting around and BEING was such a blessing. I simply could not get enough of my daughters. For those of you who have younger kids, I officially declare 4.5 years as the PERFECT age for Christmas.

In the afternoon, we decided to take advantage of the cheap movie tickets and we watched the Muppet Show with Aunt Erin, Adam and Uncle Jacob. It was nice, though, to not have to hurry and worry about the hustle and bustle of hosting an official dinner. We just "were."

The girls were so much fun. Ellie loves her unicorn as "unicorn" is her pretend animal of choice. Addie loved seeing the dragon movie as "dragon" is one of her pretend animals of choice (along with a cat). She also got a penguin stuffed animal which is perfect as she is always saying "I got happy feet like pen-gins!" whenever she's happy. She must have said that 20 times today, and quite honestly I couldn't agree more.

I have happy feet too.

Santa's Present

2011-12-26T15:24:00.003-07:00

When I picked Ellie up from school on Friday, she proudly handed me a wrapped gift.

Mommy: Another present for me?
Ellie: No. It's for Santa!
Teacher: I tried to ask her if she wanted to give it to a family member, but she insisted on giving a present to Santa because he doesn't get any presents and Ellie says everyone should get at least one present.
Mommy: Is that true?
Ellie: (so proud) Ah huh!

She exited the room jumping up and down with excitement for her present for Santa. I don't think the jumping stopped until long after we opened presents Sunday morning.

Aside from the fact that I now have to proudly display her Santa present in our STORAGE room, completely out of sight... I love the fact that she thought of him. To reward her, Santa left a letter to say Thank You. She beamed when I read it to her.

Santa's Reindeer

2011-12-23T20:04:00.002-07:00

Mommy: What song do you want me to sing?
Ellie: Rudolph the red nose reindeer.
Mommy: Rudolph the red nose reindeer...
Ellie: No, sing it like Daddy does.
Mommy: (crap) Uh... You know Dasher and Comet and Dupid and Blixen, Donner and Monner, Blu-ha and Mmmm-na... but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all?! Rudolph the red nose reindeer...

Ellie's Christmas present to Addie

2011-12-22T19:10:00.002-07:00

Ellie: Guess what, At-a-line?
Addie: What?
Ellie: I got you a present! But I can't tell you what it is. It's a surprise and you can open it on Christmas. I'm not going to tell you what it is, but you're really going to like it. It's really soft and you can wear it on your feet with your PJs. You can't wear them outside, but you can wear them to bed if you want. They will keep your feet warm and are really soft. I think you'll like them. They're kind of like shoes, but not really. I am not going to tell you what it is because it's a surprise. I hope you like it.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-21T05:56:00.000-07:00

Big Sister Quote of the Day

2011-12-20T03:23:00.002-07:00

Mommy: Shhh... let's whisper. Do you think Addie would like this for Christmas?
Ellie: Sure! Hey At-a-line?!
Mommy: No... Shhh! We can't tell her yet. It's a secret.
Ellie: No, I was going to tell her someping else.
Daddy: Uh huh. Sure.
Ellie: At-a-line... uh... I love you more than the world.
Mommy: Aw, that's so sweet.
Ellie: At-a-line, I love you even MORE than that because you are a good sister to me.
Addie: (Big smiles)

Perfect Harmony

2011-12-19T06:54:00.009-07:00

Awww... No words needed. Just please pass the tissue.

Addie's Christmas Performance:

Ellie's Christmas Performance:

Of course I saved the best for last. I love that Ellie has been walking around singing that song over and over again. Love it.

Winter Cabining

2011-12-16T07:13:00.002-07:00

Last week we went "cabining," which is basically camping in a cabin. Since it was in the middle of winter we weren't sure how it would turn out. When you go camping, you spend the majority of the day outside, but what would it be like if you're outside all day with young children who have cold fingers and noses?

It turns out that it went splendidly (my favorite word today). Sadly I don't have many photos because I froze my camera, but I suppose even in this day and age I have to rely on my memories. We went up with Gramma, Aunt Erin, Adam, Ellie, Addie, Daddy and myself and had a blast. We did spend the majority of the day outside, but little snow pants and double layers of mittens seemed to do the trick.

We started with sledding down a small hill behind our cabin. Oh the squeals! The girls so loved it all. Ellie was more than willing to help pull the sled up the hill and helped organize everyone so that we would know whose turn it was next. We ended up breaking two sleds by the end of the day (ours and one belonging to the people in the cabin next door) but it was well worth it.

After a while, Addie got tired of going back up the hill (I was carrying her, so I had no problems at all agreeing with her decision), so we stayed at the bottom and played in the snow. It has been decades since I've played that much in the snow. We'd grab handfuls of powder and throw it over our heads saying "It's snowing!" Addie, in turn would do her patented "Ready? Set! Go!" before each toss. After who knows how long, we made snow angels, though Addie called them Snowflakes. "Make more snowflakes Mommy! Ready? Set! Go!"

Later Daddy and Ellie dug out a tunnel from a snow bank. First they dug the tunnel (not an easy feat I'm sure) and then Ellie said "Ok, NOW we need a cave." After connecting the cave to the tunnel, it ended up having THREE entrances! Ellie was so proud. Quite honestly I was impressed too.

Hot cocoa, marshmallows, board games and lots of giggles from the girls entertaining themselves on the bunk beds were all perfect endings to a surprisingly enjoyable weekend in the cold.

It almost made us forget that we had to bundle up and walk across the campground to go potty.

Keep it Together, Niffer

2011-12-15T00:31:00.002-07:00

A couple years ago I wrote a post titled Mary Did You Know? I heard the song again today (of course, it's that time of the year again) and nearly broke down thinking of all the ways that my Ellie and Addie will change the world, and of all the ways they have already changed mine.

Recently I have been going to various open houses for Kindergarten at the different local elementary schools. Ok, granted, it's no miracle going to Kindergarten but I was still surprised at how difficult it was for me to attend the open houses. MY Ellie will be in Kindergarten NEXT YEAR!!! My Ellie is old enough for me to have to go to the open houses for open enrollment. That's just crazy.

No matter what greatness is in store for Ellie's future... Kindergarten is the next big step. I don't think you fully understand the significance of that last sentence. I doubt that as you read this you have the same knot of pride and anxiety in your stomach as I do.

I am already awed my my daughters, but to see where they're going to go next is exciting. Wondering what activities and interests she wants to pursue is keeping me at the edge of my seat in anticipation. Regardless of the miracles Ellie may or may not perform in her life time, Kindergarten is the next step... and that means Mommy has to keep it together long enough to listen to the principal tell me why his school is a good match for my little girl.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-14T04:19:00.000-07:00

Speechless

2011-12-13T06:34:00.002-07:00

One of Ellie's more random comments...

Ellie: Mommy did you know that when I wear these panties, the one with the stars and hearts, it makes me think of you and Daddy getting married.

Add to the list of Niffer Favorites...

2011-12-12T06:42:00.000-07:00

Laying under the Christmas tree, singing Christmas carols with my girls.

The loss of a tree

2011-12-09T06:23:00.003-07:00

Ellie: Oh no! Mommy look!
Mommy: What was it? I didn't see it.
Ellie: It was a baby tree covered in snow.
Mommy: Oh?
Ellie: And it wasn't pretty like the big trees because the snow made it fall down. It broke the tree.
Mommy: Oh that's kind of sad.
Ellie: It is really sad because it was my favorite tree and now it will die. Every day we are going to drive past it and every day I will see it die more and more and that will make me sad... Hey! I know! If I get too sad, I can go home and dream about my favorite tree and how beautiful it used to be. I can have good dreams about how I remember it being pretty!
Mommy: Oh, that's a wonderful idea - to think of all the happy memories you have.
Ellie: Yeah but then I'm going to wake up and realize that my favorite tree is still going to die.

... Sigh... She's too young for such deep thoughts, isn't she?

Then, to put a happy, more age appropriate twist to the conversation, here is where it ended:

Ellie: Hey, Mommy? Do you want to know what happened to my favorite baby tree?
Mommy: I thought you said the wind knocked it down.
Ellie: No, a big fire came by and the tree caught on fire! And den the cows jumped the fence and blowed the fire out! But the fire made the trees all black so the cows jumped back home and ate their grass.
Mommy: Whoa!
Ellie: I know!

Meeting Destiny

2011-12-08T06:16:00.003-07:00

My gnomes are starting to take over the world, but I'm sure it's in a good way. Seriously, the magic that they seem to be bringing to the small group of people who know about them (I'm nearing 1,000 Facebook Fans!!!) is just amazing. The comments of support and love I receive from otherwise strangers just warms my heart. Magic. Pure magic.

But there I go, avoiding the topic at hand. To be honest, I'm a bit scared to write this post because I just don't think I can do it justice. I recently posted on my facebook page a comment saying I was considering trying to raise a little money for a local family in need. When all was said and done, I was able to raise about $325, three deluxe fairy doors from Enchanted Doorways, one sock monkey and one sock dinosaur from Socky Toys to help Destiny. Wow!

So last night (as I write this) we went over to meet Destiny herself. She needed to pick the winner of the raffle! I'll be honest I was a bit nervous meeting Tammy and her family in person. Why? I suppose now is a good time for a bit of background.

I "met" Tammy years ago and have always been impressed by her. She has a disability (I think it's cerebral palsy though I've never confirmed this) that has left her in a wheel chair and a level of difficulty talking. Yet somehow she is able to be a fantastic mother, completely engaged in her children's lives. Combine that with her recently becoming a single mother and learning about her daughter's diagnosis... how does she do it all? She's amazing.

That being said, I was nervous about last night. How would Ellie and Addie react to her disability? How would I react? Would I be able to understand her when she spoke? What about Destiny? What if she had a seizure while we were visiting? How would that affect Ellie? So many unknowns and only one way to find out the answers.

In a nutshell (yeah right), it went really well. Destiny and Ellie got along so well it was incredible. Destiny was so generous and gave Ellie a necklace, telling her that the moon light shines on it to give it magical powers. Ellie, in return, assured Destiny that she would wear the necklace every time she came to visit and would take very good care of it.

It was nice to see Benny too, who obviously did a great job of taking care of his Mommy and his sister. He was such a smart boy and loved to play with Addie.

And then there was Tammy. What an incredible woman! For the most part I was able to understand everything she said, though I'm sure she was talking deliberately for my sake. The thing that sticks with me today, which is the aspect I'm almost afraid to write about, is how thankful she was. Here is a woman whose life is so far from anything I can imagine, and yet she went on and on about how blessed she is. She does not know what will happen to Destiny, but she feels blessed to be able to spend TODAY with her daughter.

We talked a lot about our kids. Destiny used to be like Addie, so easy going, calm and "go with the flow." With her medications, she has developed ADHD so it's hard for Tammy to see her little girl becoming someone else. Then again, only a month ago she wasn't able to function, let alone play with friends. I had a hard time keeping it together while I imagined what it would be like to slowly lose my daughter like that.

To say the night was powerful just isn't saying enough. As we were leaving I remembered that we still needed a video of Destiny choosing a raffle winner. The magic came after the winner was chosen, when the kids decided that they wanted to go through ALL the names because it was so much fun. So 40 minutes later we had wonderful videos of the children thanking each of the many raffle participants. See the videos here.

When we left (for REAL this time), both Ellie and Addie gave Tammy a hug. It melted my heart to see that they had no problems with her. Ellie claims she does not want to come back for another play date, but she only wants to come back if they can do a sleepover. Heheheh... her and her sleepovers.

Though it was a later night than I anticipated, it was well worth it. When we got home Ellie wanted to stand in the moon light long enough to allow her beautiful necklace to soak in as much magic as possible. I wonder if she and Destiny know just how much magic they really do bring to the world - with or without the aid of moonbeams.

If you would like to read more about Destiny, please see her Wings for Destiny blog.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-12-07T04:25:00.000-07:00

Niffer's Winter Wonderland

2011-12-06T06:30:00.002-07:00

In many ways this is the first year that I feel like we're going to have our own "family" Chriatmas. It's the first year that I've been able to decorate to the point where I have myself my very own winter wonderland...
... complete with tree...

... snow globe, Santa and snowman...

... table centerpiece (ooohhh... ahhhh!!!)...

... stocking hung with care (no we don't have a fireplace - sigh)...

... and even fantastic hand-me-down wall decor!!!

Oh did I forget to mention that Ellie helped with decorating "the North Pole."

Niffer is one jolly soul this year.

Not all babies are cute

2011-12-05T01:32:00.000-07:00

Ellie: And pretend that I was having a baby and you said "Excuse me lady, but are you going to have a baby pig?" and I say "No, she's just my sweet baby" but den I had the baby and I was surprised that it was a pig and you say "I told you so."

Tid-Bits

2011-12-02T06:26:00.001-07:00

Wihtout any prompting, Addie will often say "I you Mommy." Awww... I love you too Addie!

Ellie wishing upon a star: "I wish dat Mommy, Daddy, Addie and me will be friends for all time because dey mean da whole world to me forever."

I love how when she expects something to be loud, Addie puts her hands over her cheeks, not her ears.

I love how much Ellie tries to get Daddy to tickle Mommy. It's as though she knows the more Daddy does it, the happier we all are. Shh... don't tell Daddy she may be on to something.

I love how Addie always whispers "Cock" to let me know it's "dark" outside.

I'm impressed by how well Ellie did with Addie's big girl room. She was so supportive of her little sister and so proud. She didn't take any time to complain about not getting her own new room.

On the way to Nana's house, you can often hear Addie quietly saying "Nana's house? No... Nana's house? No..." as we drive through the neighborhood.

I love how Ellie is when we hang out with our friends and their younger kids. She likes to be the leader but she goes out of her way to make sure that even the shyest of the friends are included in the fun.

An email from the Mommy of one of Addie's friends:
I know it’s been ages since we chatted. It’s fun to see Addie again at Sunset. This morning when I dropped off Michael Ms. Kim said, “give Mom a kiss and hug goodbye” I was kneeled down and Addie ran over and gave me a hug. She is so cute!

I love that Addie enjoys trying to get me to yawn. She seems to think that if she just opens her mouth, I will yawn. She's often right.

I wish that I had been able to transcribe the lyrics to a 20 minute long song titled "I'm Ellie" that was so rudely interrupted by our arrival at our destination (even after taking the scenic route). Darn. I don't think I could even do justice to how many random thoughts it included, though I do recall her singing "And I am loved, so very loved" and "I am precious" a few times, so I guess that's all that matters.

I love that while Ellie was proudly showing off her artwork to Addie's teacher, Addie just stood there next to her big sister, rubbing her back as though to say "It's so good to see you, sister."

I love how in Addie's world, roosters say "Cock a do do!"

I love that when asked what she's thankful for, Ellie said "I'm thankful because I'm special." Then Addie said "Special too!"

What a shame...

2011-12-01T06:14:00.003-07:00

Just a small portion of the lyrics from the "Ellie Song" that she sang for the entire 20 minute ride home one day...

"Bad guys are bad. Sometimes they break your heart and crush your soul. But sometimes they are good and you like them. And then you have a sleepover and you play and tickle each odder. And everyone is happy. Sometimes they make your heart sing but den they have to go home and I say 'I will miss you' and you say 'I will miss you too.' And then I think of them a lot. And then the next day I go to school with my new clothes on and they see me and they don't know who I am because I have new clothes on. I have to tell them my name. I am Ellie. Please remember my name."

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-30T04:19:00.000-07:00

The story gets better everytime you tell it

2011-11-29T06:44:00.002-07:00

Ellie: This is the Eiffel Tower where Daddy asked you "Will marry me."
Mommy: Yep.
Ellie: He was up at the top in this corner and you were down on the ground way down here. And he leaned over the side and he yelled to you, "Hey! Will you marry me?" and you yelled back "Sure I will." And then you climbed to the top of the tower to be with him and you both yelled down to the people below, "Will you marry us?" And everyone who heard you said "Of course!" And den you lived happily ever after, but first you kissed Daddy.

Bedtime Sisters

2011-11-28T09:16:00.001-07:00

Mommy: Addie, do you want me to tuck you in?
Addie: No. La-La do it.
Ellie: You want me to tuck you in?
Addie: Yeah.
Ellie: Ok. Climb into bed and I will put lots of blankets on you.
Mommy: Do you want me to turn on your music?
Addie: No. La-La do it.
Ellie: Ok. And then do you want a kiss good night?
Addie: Yeah.
Mommy: From me too?
Addie: Yeah. La-La gurn first.
Ellie: Ok. My turn first. Then Mommy.
Mommy: Do you want me to sing you a song?
Addie: No. La-La do it.
Ellie: Ok, which song?
Addie: Missa Moon.
Ellie: Mister Moon song? Ok.... Mister Moon, Mister Moon, you're out too soon...
Mommy: Good night Addie.
Addie: More song?
Ellie: Ok, ONE more song and den I have to go, ok?
Addie: Ok. Moon song!
Ellie: I see the moon and the moon sees me... Ok. Now I have to go to bed now. Remember da rules? Stay in your bed until I come to wake you up. Ok?
Addie: Ok. I you, La-La.
Ellie: I love you too. Sweet dreams Addie.

Ummm... Am I really needed for bed time anymore?

The family totem pole

2011-11-25T09:14:00.001-07:00

Ellie: Mommy, I like Addie. Addie likes you. You like Daddy and Daddy likes football.

Thankful

2011-11-24T20:08:00.000-07:00

Today I am thankful for hand-drawn turkeys, little hand prints and everything that is needed to make them.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-23T22:10:00.000-07:00

Modern Parenting

2011-11-22T06:40:00.000-07:00

So last spring played a little game to get rid of some of Ellie's stuffed animals. We put them all in a pile and then took turns picking one to keep and one to give away. Surprisingly it went really well. Mommy and Daddy managed to make sure that the toys that mattered to US were in the keep pile, and in the end we gave away half of her stuffed friends.

One that I was surprised she chose to give away was Timmy the Turtle. We asked her a few times "Are you sure?" and she said yes. We didn't have an issue with the missing animals until just a couple days ago when we were flipping through photos of my gnomes.

Ellie: Where is my turtle? I haven't seen him in a long time.
Mommy: Oh, do you remember? We gave him away to a child who couldn't afford to buy her own toys.
Ellie: But I miss him.
Mommy: You do?
Ellie: Can we get him back?
Mommy: No, he lives with another girl now who is so happy that you gave him to her.
Ellie: Can I see?
Mommy: Can you see what?
Ellie: Can I see da girl who has him now?
Mommy: Uh...

... (thank goodness for Google*)

Mommy: See? Look how happy she is.
Ellie: Can we ask her if I can have the turtle back?
Mommy: No, that wouldn't be very nice, but look how happy you made her feel!

Ok, so I'm not sure REALLY got it. It was hard for Ellie to see another girl happy with her beloved turtle, but I get the feeling she understood. The next couple days at school she told her teachers about the photo she saw and how she missed her turtle and she was sad, but she was glad that the girl was happy.

* The above photos were found on Random Shannon's blog. In case they get word of me using their photo, I thought I'd take a moment to say Thank You for helping me prove a point with my daughter. lol.

Blogging Relationships

2011-11-21T07:56:00.002-07:00

A bit long-winded, but it's bound to happen occasionally...

One of the main reasons I first started blogging was to try to help keep my family close. At the time I lived in MD and we had immediate family members in VA, CO and OK. I figured that it would be easier for me to write a funny story once for all to see than for me to try to call every individual and repeat the story 4-5 times.

Warning... here comes an honest moment... at first I was disappointed in the fact that not everyone in my family jumped at the opportunity to hear the stories I wanted to share about the girls. I do not want to give any details, but let's just say it's not what I expected.

On the other hand, my blog has helped me maintain relationships I never thought I would. I know I have a few loyal readers, which I love, but even I am surprised by some of you. I once met a friend of an old friend and I'll be honest that it was a little akward having her know so much about me, considering we just met (she was so friendly, though - Che I'm sending you hugs). There is a girl who I once worked with who reads my blog. When she was in town, we met for breakfast and she joked about how she hopes we didn't think she was a stalker for knowing so much about my girls (Christina - here are hugs for you). And of course there is MJH. I wonder if he still reads, but I think of him at times hoping he's doing well.

Then there is my cousin, Andy. I just talked to him last night for the first time in years. I think the last time I saw him was at his brother's wedding nearly ten years ago. Ugh. How is that possible? I loved Andy and his family dearly growing up. I had a lot of cousins (26 w/o marriages on my mom's side and 10 on my dad's side) but his family was always special. I always assumed we'd stay in touch, but then life happens. We all grew up and started our own families and it always seems like there are too many people to keep in touch with and not enough time.

But I talked to him on the phone and it was so nice. So very very nice. It made me miss him and his brothers dearly and I found myself instantly trying to think of ways to bring them back into our lives again. He said sweet things like "you can consider my daughters to be your girls' cousins." It's so easy to "forget" about how wonderful the people in your lives are when they aren't around very often. And Andy and his family? They've always been wonderful.

What does this have to do with anything? Yes, I'm rambling. Deal with it. I guess the point is that as we were hanging up, Andy said something along the lines of "Before you go, I just want to let you know that we read your blog every day. Even though you may not feel like we're a part of your family, we feel like you're a part of ours. Seeing what is going on in your girls' lives makes us feel close to you. It makes us want to start a blog just so that you know what's going on with us. You're such an inspiration and you're a good mother."

I'm not sure Andy knows how rare it was to be able to hear any kind of response from me. I tend to not be able to talk and cry at the same time. It was so sweet. I had no idea that they kept up with my stories as much as they do and it puts a smile on my face. And tears in my eyes, but that's all good.

So though I may not be able to get around to keeping up with everyone that I'd like to, and though my blog hasn't turned out quite like I originally envisioned, I love knowing that it keeps me close to people even if I'm not aware of it.

As for Andy and his beautiful family, I think I'll take you up on that offer to consider your girls our cousins... I hope that we can actually build a relationship between our families. I would love to be able to keep in touch. I am so glad to know that you are there. Give your girls (all three of them) a hug for me.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-21T04:26:00.000-07:00

Tiny Moments

2011-11-18T01:24:00.002-07:00

I am thankful that my husband and I can still have moments of play. The other night at dinner, without saying a word, we found ourselves in a silly mini competition.

Mommy: (put a napkin on the tray)
Daddy: (put a napkin on the tray)
Mommy: (looks around... puts a straw wrapper on the tray)
Daddy: (looks around, put another piece of trash on the tray... smug look - he started it).
Mommy: (trash on tray, smug look)
Daddy: (trash on tray, smugger look)
Mommy: (spoon on tray, smugger look)
Daddy: (spoon on tray, smuggest look)
Addie: (So sad) My spoon. My spoon!

Doh, I guess we went a bit far in the clean up effort. I also guess you needed to be there.

Utensils 101

2011-11-17T06:59:00.004-07:00

Ellie: But Mommy, I need a fork. I don't like using my spoon because my food rolls off. See?
Mommy: Maybe you should try to keep your elbow up so that your spoon stays flat.
Addie: (raising her RIGHT elbow as high as she can - nearly touching her ear, picks up her spoon with her LEFT hand and takes a bite) Like dis, La La. Like dis.

Go ahead... if you must, try to act out the scene so that you get the visual that may be necessary to get the laugh. Got it? Good. I'm laughing too.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-16T19:55:00.001-07:00

A Tender Moment

2011-11-15T20:13:00.002-07:00

Mommy: I love you, Addie.
Addie: I you Mommy. Best fwiend!

Dan Seals - a stroll down memory lane

2011-11-14T19:27:00.004-07:00

I was never much for New Kids on the Block. No, if there was one singer/band that I was gaga over growing up, it was Dan Seals. I didn't think there could be a prettier or romantic song than "One Friend" and I thought "Bop" was by far the coolest thing to dance to. Just watching the videos again made me chuckle and feel young again.

I was so obsessed with Dan Seals that I even named one of my favorite stuffed animals after him...

Meet Dan Seals. He was by far one of my favorite stuffed animals when I was in elementary school. I have so many memories of laying on him like a pillow and putting on performances with him to his favorite songs (Bop, of course - we liked the same stuff). Well, the other day I pulled him out of the old box he was stored in.

I told Ellie that I was a little nervous because I didn't know if she would like him but that he was very very special to me. I played like I was really hesitant to show her my old friend, and I think she understood how special Dan Seals really was. I didn't have to worry, though, because she LOVED him from the very moment she laid eyes on him.

She has taken very good care of him since, as though they're going to be good friends for quite some time.

I've never seen Dan Seals quite so domesticated, but I've never seen him more happy either. Welcome back my old friend.

The power of a good hug

2011-11-11T08:15:00.002-07:00

If you ever question the fact that negativity is contageous, spend a morning with a grumpy child and you will watch how the negativity spreads like a disease. Poor Addie is a little sick and hasn't been sleeping well. As such she's a little on the gumpy side. I suppose I should say she simply can't handle even the smallest thing not going her way. By the time we got the girls into the car, we were all exhausted and at our witts' end.

Addie: (crying)
Ellie: (crying) Addie crying has taken away all my energy. She just keeps emtpying my bucket until there is nothing left. She has taken away my ENTIRE ball of energy and I can't get it back.
Mommy: I'm going to put on some princess music to see if that gives me some more energy.
Ellie: But it doesn't work for me. I think my ball of energy is all gone and will never come back because Addie took it all from me.
Addie: NO DAN-DU, LA LA!!!
...
...
Mommy: I have an idea! Do you know what I really really need this morning?
Ellie: What?
Mommy: Like you and Addie, my energy is all gone. I need to do something that will fill my bucket and I think I know just the thing.
Ellie: What?
Mommy: As soon as we get into school we should all give each other a great big hug all at the same time. I bet that will fill my bucket. Do you think it will fill yours?
Ellie: No, I don't want to do that. I stink we need to do it as soon as we get out of the car.
Mommy: Outside in the cold?
Ellie: Yeah because I need it as soon possible!
Mommy: OK.
...
...
As soon as we got out of the car we did a little dance because it was so cold and then gathered for the biggest hug in history. It made us all chuckle because we almost fell over and we were so cold. Then we went inside.

Ellie: Did you know dat hugs spill out lots of energy? Dat's where energy comes from. If I ever run out of energy, I know dat a good hug is how I get it back.

Sigh. I hope that's something she will always remember.

At the costume store...

2011-11-10T06:10:00.001-07:00

Fully bearded man dressed in a pretty Alice in Wonderland dress comes up to us to see if we need any help...

Bearded man: Can I help you find anything?
Ellie: (quite confused) Is that man wearing a dress?
Bearded man: Yes I am. Don't you think I'm pretty?
Ellie: (relieved that she wasn't just being crazy) Yes. You look VERY pretty.
Bearded man: Why thank you.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-09T08:59:00.000-07:00

Kaiser Commercial

2011-11-08T06:11:00.002-07:00

I am loving the recent campaign that Kaiser Permenente has in their commercials. In particular, I like this one as it is perfect and makes me think I'm living life pretty well. I know my reason - my children. I have found my partner - my Niffer-boy husband. Granted I need to find my "healthy thing I actually love doing" but 2 of 3 isn't too shabby... I have potential.

"Where did you leave it? Where could it have possibly gone? did it get kicked under the bed next to your running shoes? Was it stolen at work? It's frustrating because you used to have your motivation with you all the time, and now? Ugh. That's ok. We'll help you find it. First, let's find your reason. You know, your reason? What's that thing that makes you want to live to an age where you can say whatever you want to whomever you want and somehow it becomes charming? Next, find your thing. What's that healthy thing you actually love doing? There has to be one, right? Finally, go find your partner. Who is the ping to your pong? The downward to your dog? Who will keep your butt moving and visa-versa? Find all those things and we're pretty sure your motivation will magically appear, but if you're still having trouble finding it, try looking really really hard in the mirror."

Hear the commercial here.

Sister

2011-11-07T06:46:00.001-07:00

Mommy: Addie, can you say "Night Night" to your sister?
Addie: Night night sucker.

Two random moments of pride

2011-11-04T02:06:00.000-06:00

The moments are countless. If you're a parent, you know what I mean. You find yourself staring in awe at your child and you're filled with pride for being able to take part in their lives.

Two recent moments I'd like to share with you...

Ellie: Mommy? What are you doing here?
Mommy: I came to pick Addie up to take her to the doctor.
Ellie: Can I come too?
Mommy: Do you want to come with us or do you want to stay here and play with your friends?
Ellie: Ummm... I really want to stay with my friends. Is that ok?
Mommy: Yep, and when we're done at the doctors, I'll come back and get you.
Ellie: Actually, Mommy. I was just thinking. Addie is going to need me. If she starts to cry because she is scared, she is going to need me to tell her it's ok. She needs me to show her how to be brave and how to like the doctor. Even dough I want to stay and play wif my friends, I think Addie needs me more. Is that ok?

....

We don't yell at Addie very often. It's not usually needed. Whenever we show disapprovment, she is quick to give an apologetic hug. The other day, though, I snapped at her for not listening to me in regards to being careful around the top of the stairs. I snapped at her and she took one look at me, stopped, turned around and headed away.

Without giving it much thought, I continued with what I was doing. After a few minutes I began to wonder where Addie had gone. I found her in her bed. In the dark. Just lying there looking sad.

Mommy: What are you doing? Why are you in your bed?
Addie: Aye-yine sad.
Mommy: Oh, are you sad because Mommy yelled at you?
Addie: Yes. Aye-yine stink.
Mommy: You're thinking?
Addie: Yeah.
Mommy: Do you need a moment to be sad by yourself?
Addie: Yeah.
Mommy: And then you can come out and be happy again?
Addie: Yeah. Mommy? Aye-yine stink.
Mommy: Ok, I'll leave you alone.
Addie: 'Tay.

Crazy for a four year old to pass up an opportunity to play and have fun with her friends to take care of her sister. Crazy. Crazy for a two-year old to quietly go into her room to think about her actions. Crazy.

Just Like Big Sister

2011-11-03T08:50:00.005-06:00

Whether it be hopping...

... or spelling...

... little Miss Addie just loves to be just like her big sister.
Personally I think she chose wisely.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-11-02T06:48:00.000-06:00

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Happy 'Ween 2011

2011-11-01T06:56:00.007-06:00

We spent Halloween with Ellie's best friend Brynn and her sister Lilah. Of course, everyone was quite excited so to burn off some of the pre-sugar energy, we spent quite a bit of time running around the yard. No worries, there was plenty of energy to go around even before the candy appeared in their bags.

Getting all four girls to stand still AND smile at the camera is no easy feat!

Especially when the younger ones only want to watch what their amazing silly sisters are doing.

But alas, we finally left to do some serious Trick-or-Treating. This was the third year that Ellie and Brynn have done this together and it's been really neat to watch them mature each year. This year they were both pros and had very little issues. If they were a little scared, they were able to make their way through it without any troubles. Lilah was usually bringing up the rear of the crowd but still loved to collect her candy.

And Addie? This was her first time out on Halloween and she's a natural! Even if something was a little scary, she didn't break down. She just repeated "Scary me! Scary me!" until I acknowledged that something was a little spooky. Then she was fine. Amazing and so very different than her older sister.

It took her no time at all to learn that the proper thing to say was "Trick or Treat" or "Happy Halloween!" OMG!!! The girl just couldn't be any cuter:

"Trick or Treat!"

"Happy 'Ween!"

I think these girls are all going to remain good friends for quite some time...

... Brynn and Ellie because they've always been together...

... and Lilah and Addie by default.

I hope your Halloween adventures today brought you as many smiles as mine.

Happy 'Ween to you!

Halloween Victories

2011-10-31T06:25:00.001-06:00

In parenting, you have to soak in the moments of small achievements. This Halloween was filled with them.

1. I convinced both of my girls to be something OTHER THAN a princess. Granted one had to be a MAGICAL unicorn (don't you dare forget "magical") and the other had to be a BABY dragon (my girls are into their adjectives), but it's an achievement all the same.

2. I turned a horrible sickly floppy-horned unicorn costume into a masterpiece complete with swirling upright horn AND lush sparkly hair. No unicorn of mine is going to have a floppy horn! Please, no applause. It's really not necessary. No really, it was nothing.

3. I got a perfect picture of the two, which every parent knows is easier said than done, especially at this age.

4. And I actually managed to get them wagging their tails! Score!

In all honesty, the girls loved their costumes and I loved watching them. If someone at their school Halloween Party said "Awww, look! It's a dragon," Addie would turn around and say "Baby dragon. Hi!" Then she'd give them a hug. And since 90% of her friends were princesses, Ellie got a kick out of being the only pet unicorn around.

At home, the girls were pretty silly chasing each other.

Or just frolicking around like magical unicorns and baby dragons do.

And of course, Mommy gets a kick out of how great these two are together. They make me smile, in case you can't tell.

Tonight is Addie's first time Trick-or-Treating... stay tuned for more...

The most stupid argument in history

2011-10-28T06:39:00.000-06:00

In the history of parenting, I think this tops for the stupidest argument of all time...

Ellie: But I want a special friend to snuggle with too.
Mommy: I'm sorry. There isn't another animal for you to snuggle with. All we have left in Daddy's car is diapers.
Ellie: Ok. I want to snuggle with a diaper please.
Mommy: A diaper? Uh, ok. Here you go.

That night ...

Daddy: Ok, time for bed.
Ellie: Can I sleep with my baby diaper?
Daddy: No, it's a diaper.
Ellie: But it's my baby and we are snuggling.
Daddy: No, it's a diaper. Pick a friend to sleep with.
Ellie: But I want my diaper. I love my diaper. See? It's my baby?
Daddy: No, it's a diaper.
Ellie: But Daddy this is very important to me. Can I please sleep with the diaper?
Daddy: Ugh. Whatever.
Ellie: Thank you. This is my most special friend forever. Can I sleep with my diaper for every night?

The next day...

Ellie: Daddy?
Daddy: Yeah?
Ellie: I don't want to sleep with my diaper any more. It's old and yucky. Is that ok?
Daddy: Of course.

Tid-Bits

2011-10-27T02:04:00.000-06:00

I love hearing Addie say "I love you, Mama" on the phone. It's more like "I lu lu Mama." I recall Ellie's version was more like "I lubui."

I got a kick out of how much Ellie's mannerisms affected us even when we were far from her in Europe. We'd see something neat and say something like "Cool is dat? Mommy, cool is dat?"

I loved to hear Addie say "Lo Mama" on the phone. She's getting so big. "Hello, Addie! Mommy loves you!"

I had to giggle at some of the signs of being parents even while on vacation. For example, when a bird was begging for food from a person we just met while traveling, Michael said something along the lines of "Look at you, you're catching some princess vibes," referring to how animals talk to princesses. Only a father to young girls would have a thought like that.

Ellie: We can't eat dose berries because THEY. ARE. VISIBLE! They are poisonous, right?

On seeing headless mannequins at the store, Addie points and giggles and says "Owie head." I suppose she has a point.

I chuckle every time Addie asks to watch her favorite YouTube video: "Elmo cock?"

I get a kick out of Addie hiding behind my back.
Mommy: Where is Addie?
Addie: Don't know.
Mommy: Is she over here?
Addie: Noooo.

According to Ellie, the correct word for "bra" is "boo boo straps."

When Ellie was younger she insisted that the Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" was a "funny giraffe." Addie insists it's Mommy.

Addie speaks in whispers. We thought she wasn't talking much at all, but when Ellie was gone for a couple days we suddenly could hear Addie talking. Whispers, but she says a lot. Go figure.

I love how much the "Moon song" has meant to both girls. Ellie used to sing it when she missed Daddy when he was gone for work. Addie simply insists on singing it every night. "I see the moon and the moon sees me and the moon sees the one that I want to see..."

I love that even at the age of two, Addie still kisses all the animals in our "I Love You as Much" book. I need to get it on video.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-26T08:55:00.001-06:00

A day on the farm

2011-10-25T07:32:00.002-06:00

There is nothing better than a nice day at the farm. Well, take away my allergies to the horses and that statement could actually be very true.

It's especially nice to get moments of pride for my children, who are confident enough to try new things... like riding a horse. All. By. Themselves. They loved it. $10 less rich, at least we got pictures.

I was actually quite surprised by how much Ellie enjoyed the challenge of lassoing the pretend cows. She liked the challenge of catching the cow.

And I enjoyed watching her try over and over again until she did. Sometimes I feel like she's so big.

Addie, on the other hand, just enjoyed running.

And running.

You'd be proud of me for FINALLY getting a photo of Addie with little Lilah. These two might become best friend by default since their older sisters spend so much time together, but I am appalled at the fact that they are both over 2 years old before I finally could get a photo of them together. C'est la vie, je suppose.

Of course, we got a classic Ellie and Brynn hug photo. To this day, Ellie hugs her friends with such muster I'm surprised they don't fall over. It's so nice to see that these two girls still mean so much to each other after all these years.

Shopping with Daddy

2011-10-24T01:25:00.000-06:00

While shopping with Daddy, Addie went up and down the aisles with him, pointing at every item and asking, "Orange juice? Noooo...." Apparently she got quite a kick out of it because she continued through the entire store. Daddy decided that she was so cute that he finally broke down and bought her orange juice. When she saw it, she said "Orange juice? Yeah! Cart!" and promptly pointed for him to place the juice into the cart.

He's whipped.

A belated birthday party

2011-10-21T07:14:00.007-06:00

Last weekend we have a small get-together with some of our beloved family members to sing Addie the official "Happy Birthday" song. Addie, of course, got some balloons...
... and couldn't be any happier.
Nor could she be any prettier. Just sayin'.
All week Addie has been practicing her response to when people ask how old she is. "How old are you, Addie?" and she proudly raises her fingers and as quiet as a mouse, responds with "Two!"
We had the cake, which Addie insists that everyone knows it's HER cake.
And Ellie helped Addie open her presents.
Actually, in all fairness, Ellie was a wonderful big sister who was completely supportive of her little sister having her special day. She told Addie a few times just how proud she was that she was a big girl now.
A big girl who adores butterfly wings and princess crowns and giving hugs. Yep, she's a keeper.

Every now and then...

2011-10-20T06:05:00.000-06:00

... a parent is entitled to a moment of brilliance.
Ellie got Addie a Tinkerbell doll for her birthday and so far it has been a big hit. Yesterday when I woke Addie up...

Mommy: Ok, Addie, come lay down here and we'll get you dressed.
Addie: Ginker Ginker gurn?
Mommy: Oh, is it Tinkerbell's turn first?
Addie: Yeah.
Mommy: Ok, come lay down with her too. Let's change your diaper.
Addie: Ginker Ginker diaper.
Mommy: You want Tinkerbell to have a diaper too?
Addie: Yeah!
Mommy: Tinkerbell doesn't need a diaper. Tinkerbell is a big girl and goes pee pee on the potty.
Addie: Aye-yines gurn go pee pee potty?
Mommy: You want to go pee pee on the potty with Tinkerbell?
Addie: Yeah!

And so we did, we sat Tinkerbell on the baby potty and Addie sat on the toilet and did her stuff. It was awesome. Some day soon. Some day soon.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-19T07:13:00.000-06:00

Ellie's Art

2011-10-18T06:39:00.000-06:00

Ellie keeps advancing her drawing skills and I really question whether or not I will ever get tired of seeing her creations.

Ellie made some cards at Nana's house. I recently showed her how to make butterflies and she just took off, a butterfly making machine.
This one she made all by herself. I love the rain. It's such a perfectly innocent drawing.
Flowers for Nana, under a rainbow. This girl is an expert rainbow maker. I've noticed that recently all her rainbows have the correct order and colors.
She does have an annoying little habit of folding her masterpieces into cards, but I liked how she insisted on writing a message. She already knew how to spell the word "love" but I had to tell her the other letters.
Three spiders in a web. One is happy, one is sad and one is scared.
And then there is the giraffe for Daddy, Mommy, Ellie and Addie. I think I like pet giraffes.
A tree surrounded by flowers and "the colorful sky." This was the first picture Ellie came home with that had labels (though they're upside down, silly teacher).
Sketching a still life. Ellie helped me write labels on each of the items she drew a few weeks ago. I don't know what a skinny stick, pokey stick or a photo strap is, but that's what she said she drew. Note she added the butterflies... I like how they've evolved into having smiley faces.
And another one of my favorites. It's Mommy, Addie, Ellie and Daddy standing under a rainbow sharing flowers. We're all wearing clothes, but you can see we're very happy.
Ellie insisted that I write "Make you think of me" on the back of the picture so that I think of her when I see the drawing hanging up at work. Then she wrote "Love Ellie, To Mommy" by herself. My heart melts at the fact that she can write "I (heart) U" even though she thinks that's how you spell "love."
Ellie so proud of her most recent sidewalk art.
Notice the new style of legs! I think it looks like we're all walking! I love that she drew us holding hands, walking down the sidewalk together.
Hmmm.... Come to think of it, now that we all have wonderful bodies and legs, we seem to have lost our arms and hands. Oh well, at least we're always a happy family. I'm going to have to get me a rainbow dress, though! That looks like fun.

Hop Scotch

2011-10-17T07:48:00.001-06:00

You gotta love drawing funky (but completely practical) squares on the sidewalk on a nice sunny day.

I like that Ellie finds enjoyment in the more traditional and simple games.

Apparently this game is called exercising and Addie was sure to confirm it was exercising for her too.

So entire

2011-10-14T09:43:00.003-06:00

It's no secret that kids say the cutest things. My most recent favorite is Ellie's "so entire." Here are a few examples:

This is my baby. She's so entire cute!
It's not time to wake up because I'm so entire sleepy!
Look at that sunset! It's so entire pretty!

And my personal favorite, she was our little supportive cheerleeder while playing Wii with some friends last weekend, saying "Oh!!! So entire close!" every time a player didn't quite get the shot perfect. It was such a hit that the adults continued to say "Oh! So entire close!" long after Ellie fell asleep.

Me too too

2011-10-13T09:39:00.002-06:00

Mommy: I had a lot of fun seeing the balloons and visiting Mrs Jen and seeing G. and O!
Addie: Me too!
Mommy: You had fun too?
Addie: Yeah! Bun Bun too too!
Mommy: Bun Bun Bear had fun as well?
Addie: Yeah!

P.S. Jen, not quite, but similar to the classic Toot.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-12T06:00:00.000-06:00

Our simple family vacation

2011-10-11T22:08:00.006-06:00

Many times it's easy for me to judge the quality of a vacation on how many photos we end up bringing home with us, but that was not the case for our trip to Albuquerque this last weekend to see the Balloon Fiesta. Instead, we came home with shockingly few photos, yet it might have been the most enjoyable and relaxing trip we have ever taken with the girls. We were able to see some good friends (though we did not have time to see everyone we knew in Albuquerque - I'm sure you understand) and had only one activity on our agenda - seeing the balloons.

That's it. One activity for the entire long 4-day weekend. However, amongst the relaxing with friends (while the kids entertained themselves - OMG!!!!) we managed to work in that one official activity.

So here are some of the highlights to our trip...

Arriving at Miss Jen's house to see that each of the girls had a princess crown with earrings!!! waiting for them...

Miss Jen putting make-up on the princesses...

Ellie playing Wii for the first time with Mr. Jason. I particularly like her bowling style...

And last, but not least, hanging out on the couch realizing that our kids are old enough to entertain themselves and play with each other. The fake smiles are a hoot...

Happy Birthday Addie!!!

2011-10-10T20:12:00.012-06:00

Yesterday was your birthday. My baby is 2 years old. MY. BABY. IS. TWO. YEARS. OLD.

We actually spent a long weekend in New Mexico visiting a couple dear friends (more on that later) and we spent most of Sunday on the return ride home. Miss Jen painted your (and your sister's) toenails and fingernails your favorite color - blue and then we were off for the 8 hour drive back home. No, it doesn't sound terribly exciting but seeing the balloons at the balloon fiesta and having a small party next weekend will make up for it. That's ok, though, because that's how you roll. You're very much a "go with the flow" type of girl. You're cool like that.

Though the drive was long, it was actually quite fun. You still adore your big sister. It seems that all Ellie has to do is say a word followed by some silly facial expression and it gets you every time. This time we spent quite some time laughing at Ellie asking you "Do you want more juice?" and would respond "No!" and then she would look up at the ceiling with a sly look on her face while you burst out in full laughter. When that finally settled down a little, you turned the tables and asked Ellie "Mo juice?" and would do the same thing. I'm telling you, this there is nothing better than the adoration you and your sister have for each other.

You are probably one of the most easy going, carefree souls I know. You are still incredibly easy to put to sleep. Just read you a book, tuck you in and sing you a song and you're good to go. Even the transition to your big girl bed was a piece of cake. If the answer to one of your questions is "No" then as long as you know we understood your intentions, your response is typically a very polite "Pease!" followed by a simple "Tay."

You are so passionate and live so big for such a small person. If you get upset, though, we can watch you try to hold it in and try to calm yourself down. Many times you do. If you can't calm down on your own, you'll turn to us for support before finally breaking down. But even your worst break downs, with tears so big it seems that you could drown in them, don't last long. You are almost always your smiley self soon afterwards. Seriously, girl, you do such a good job of keeping your cool that sometimes I'm convinced you're an old soul.

Because you're so mild mannered it has taken a while for us to see what some of your favorites are. Your favorite stuffed friend is Bun Bun Bear (which I love since it's a gift from your big sister the day you were born), though your baby blue dragon (a gift from Mommy and Daddy from our trip to Oxford, England) comes in a close second. You love being surrounded by all your stuffed bears (all 10 or so of them) when you go to sleep, and you insist on always sleeping on your big puppy instead of your pillow. Your favorite color is blue, though we didn't know that until AFTER we gave you a rainbow big girl room. Your favorite book is by far "Blue Hat, Green Hat" and you can practically read it by yourself.

Your favorite activities are doing whatever your big sister is doing, swinging on the swings at the park (especially with your eyes closed), giving people hugs, jumping at Bounce Town, swimming, splashing, taking a bath, walking around silly swinging your arms like a monkey, but no matter what you're doing it seems as though you have no fears. You are bold and so willing to explore on your own or just tackle a challenge that many big kids have trouble with.

You are very caring. It's not uncommon for you to come up to Mommy and start running your fingers through my hair just because you know it feels good. Perhaps you know that since it calms you down, it must calm me down too? You like to show me how soft your blanket is by rubbing it across my cheek and saying "Nice." You also need no coaxing to give people hugs when you notice they are sad. You give them freely without thinking twice about it.

You're a bit shy with your words. Perhaps it's because your sister talks for you, but you're starting to catch up. In the last month you have exploded with words and many 2-4 worded sentences.

From the moment you entered our lives, our lives have been so blessed. Never had we imagined a baby as sweet and easy as you. Nor have we imagined a little girl as loving and snuggly as you. Words can not describe the love that comes from how simple life seems with you in it. Perhaps your big sister says it best when she says "Addie, I love you and you are my friend forever." She also occasionally points out that you will always be our baby. Just sayin.'

Ellie's Sun

2011-10-07T06:05:00.001-06:00

Ellie: Hello Mr Sun.
Squeaky Ellie: Hello Lori-elle.
Ellie: Sun, will you be my fwiend?
Squeaky Ellie: Sure, why not?
Ellie: Sun, you are my friend and I love you.
Squeaky Ellie: Danks. You are my friend too.
Ellie: Sun, will you be my sun forever?
Squeaky Ellie: Sure!
Ellie: Sun, I like you a lot. You are the prettiest star of all time! You are the closest star so you look bigger den all the odders, but I know you are still very pretty.
Squeaky Ellie: Danks! You are a pretty princess too.
Ellie: Sun, I have a dea! You can be my sun and make me warm for all time and I can be your princess for all time. Does that sound like a good dea?
Squeaky Ellie: Yeah!
Ellie: Hey Mommy! I just talked to the sun and we decided dat he would be my star forever and I will be his princess forever. It's ok dat he's a star because he's just a really close star. "Sun" is Spanish for "star" so it's ok. But I told him that I loved him and he loves me too!

Addie's Big Girl Room

2011-10-06T06:38:00.001-06:00

I have to confess that I have been obsessed about this room for much much longer than I should have been. I admit that I was stressed about it because I had used up all my cute ideas on Ellie's big girl room (updated photos here), so I needed more time to figure out a game plan for Addie. More time. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think I started making decisions in the first few months of Addie's life. If not that soon, then certainly by the time I decided that she did not have a favorite color like Ellie did (at a ripe age of 9 months). When a baby doesn't have a favorite color, the only logical (or insane) conclusion to come to is "do a rainbow room for her big girl room... when she turns 2.... in 1.5 years from now."

And so my obsession began. I was determind to do a BOLD rainbow room, but take a moment to do a Google search for such a thing. NO ONE DOES BOLD RAINBOW ROOMS. All bedding and decor for rainbows are pastel colors and that was not what I wanted, so I started piecing together my own ideas. The entire time I was fearing that there was a reason people didn't make bold rainbow room decor and that I would discover that reason once I put the room together and "GAH! Now THAT'S too bold!"

But the end justifies the means, right? I love the way her room turned out. SUPER SUPER happy Niffer here. We bought a fun bed from IKEA (when she's older, it can flip over so that she has a little play area underneath thta we will enclose). I think it's a perfectly fun bed for a young child.

The most important thing in the room is the beautiful quilt that Gramma made for Addie. Since I couldn't find bold bedding, we made one for ourselves. It wasn't easy for us since neither of us are used to going bold, but I do love the result. Because of the stunning quilt, Addie's room has a subtle rain-theme to it.

I fell in love with the rain concept. I thought it suited Addie perfectly, especially since her middle name is Rayne. And of course, you didn't expect me to decorate her room without the help of Etsy, did you? These wonderful prints were a custom order from the adorable Loxly Hollow, who took my ideas and brought them to life more perfectly than I had imagined.

The other corner of the room. Have I mentioned yet that I love the way it turned out?

I was most excited about the rainbow boxes with coordinating items inside. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Love.

And of course, no big girl room is complete without handprint art to remind Mommy of how little she still is, complete with a sister rainbow and a mommy fish.

We still need to put a cloud valence across the top of the curtains (not to mention disassemble the crib) and frame one more rainbow print, but other than that the room is complete.

So... what do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T06:33:00.000-06:00

Just a little smile for Daddy

2011-10-04T06:24:00.003-06:00

I know that Daddy could use a little cheering up right now, and so without further ado, I present to you a few random videos:

Ellie and Addie as official members of the Broncos cheerleeding team (F squad, in case A-E squads are unavailable).

Addie saying "cheese" whenever we take a photo of her. Excellent.

The girls and their scary voices. It all started with "Hello fly" on a long car ride to school. Now whenever you say something in a scary voice, Addie will repeat or she responds with "Lo Mommy!" or "Lo Daddy!"

Addie's Big Girl Bed

2011-10-03T07:31:00.006-06:00

It is so hard for me to believe that my baby will be turning 2 years old next week. I've become THAT parent who still refers to her baby as "my baby" even though she obviously is no longer. However, Ellie is kind enough to inform me that no matter what, Addie will always be OUR baby.

In celebration for the special day, we've been slowly working on Addie's big girl room (photos to come soon, I hope). Addie and Ellie both loved helping Daddy make Addie's new bed.

And though we thought it would be smart to wait to let her sleep in her big girl bed until AFTER our trip this week (where she will have to sleep in a small crib), that's just not as much fun! So, Saturday night the girls had a special treat...
Addie got to sleep in her big girl bed...
... and Ellie got to sleep in the baby bed!

ABCs

2011-09-30T22:15:00.006-06:00

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

2011-09-29T16:20:00.003-06:00

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

2011-09-28T16:18:00.002-06:00

Top of the food chain

2011-09-27T07:55:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-26T06:21:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-23T06:07:00.003-06:00

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)

2011-09-22T03:53:00.015-06:00

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

2011-09-21T07:46:00.000-06:00

The "I DO" learning curve

2011-09-20T06:08:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-19T02:17:00.003-06:00

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 Adeline 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

2011-09-16T06:24:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-15T13:54:00.000-06:00

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

2011-09-14T13:56:00.003-06:00

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

2011-09-13T13:51:00.000-06:00

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