Friendship Woes

It must be the age.

I recall when Ellie was in the Brown Bear classroom (age 3-4) she had significant troubles with her best friend, Brynn. They had known each other for as long as they could remember and they were so close. It wasn't really a surprise that it was with each other that they learned many of their social skills, and during that time they struggled a lot. I remember Ellie coming home in tears on a fairly regular basis because she felt like Brynn wasn't being nice to her even though she was trying to be nice to Brynn. I even recall once suggesting to Ellie that she didn't need to be Brynn's best friend. Maybe she could have a different best friend, one who would be nice to her. She nearly bit my head off for suggesting such a horrible idea. For months Ellie's friendship with Brynn was a delicate balance between the unwavering title "Best Friend" and "I don't like you anymore," but in the end there was never a doubt that they would remain Best Friends Forever.

Now that Addie is in the Brown Bear classroom (though she's age 4), I see similar issues arise with one of her closest friends, Gabby. The difference, though, is how Addie handles it. Where Ellie was emotionally distraught, Addie is more matter-of-fact. She came home one day and announced in a sad voice (not in tears, mind you) "Gabby and I separated," as though it was a divorce. I asked her what happened and she stated (again, calmly) "I don't know. We just got mad at each other and decided we needed a break."

If you've read much of my blog, you know that Addie has always been mature when it comes to her emotions, but this is crazy to me. Not only is she able to hold back her emotions over an obviously sad situation, one that I know makes her sad, but she's ALSO able to refrain from BLAMING Gabby.

Did you notice the subtle difference? Ellie never understood why Brynn could be mean even though Ellie tried to be nice to Brynn. It was obviously all Brynn's fault, right? Addie, on the other hand, automatically took a part of the responsibility as her own. "We got mad at EACH OTHER." Follow that up with the very wise conclusion that they decided they needed a break, and you've found yourself with a Mommy that is wondering if she should take notes.

And just to give you an update on the Gabby situation, I found them reading books to each other when I picked Addie up yesterday. She even requested (more like demanded) that we needed to buy Gabby a soft blanket from the store just like hers. I asked her if she and Gabby were friends again and she thought about it for a moment and said, "We're giving it a try but taking things slow."

How is it that both my children can be so insightful and wise beyond their years, yet in subtly different ways, continues to baffle me.

A glimpse at Addie in school

Addie is a silent leader, according to her teachers.  She's not quite as vocal as Ellie has always been, but her friends still follow her with great love.

One day on the playground she was caught sharing her bike with a friend.  The teachers gave her a sticker (which she later proudly told us about her example of how to be nice to friends).  Apparently since then she's been going out of her way trying to find toys to share with her friends.  And her friends have followed suit.  She even uses it to her advantage and encourages them to share so that they, too, can get a sticker!

Marriage Plans

Addie: Bye Michael! That's my Michael, Mommy!
Mommy: Oh is it? Is he nice?
Addie: Yeah. I love my Michael.
Mommy: I love mine too.
Ellie: Addie, are you going to marry Michael when you grow up?
Addie: Umm...
Ellie: I thought I was going to marry my Michael, but I changed my mind.
Mommy: Why?
Ellie: Because he didn't think it was a good idea. He just wants to stay friends.
Mommy: Did that make you sad?
Ellie: No. I'm just going to marry David instead.
Mommy: David? Is he nice?
Ellie: I like Michael better, but I like David too.
Mommy: Why not wait until you meet someone who you like even more than Michael? Why are you going to marry David if you don't like him as much?
Ellie: I'm going to marry David because he asked. I don't want to make him sad by saying no.
Mommy: Oh.
Addie: And we don't want to make our friends sad, right Mommy?
Mommy: I suppose not.
Addie: It's not very nice.
Ellie: But don't worry, Mommy. If I decide I don't like David, I can find another boy to marry.
Addie: Or a girl.
Ellie: No, we can only marry boys.
Mommy: What if you decide you really love a girl instead of a boy?
Ellie: Hmmm... If that happens then the three of us can live together. We can get a really really big bed like Gramma's!
Mommy: I suppose that's a solution too.
Addie: Yeah, and I love my red fox too!

Wordless Wednesday

Opposites

Just a few off the top of my head...

Ellie is a natural leader.
Addie loves to follow her sister.

Ellie has never been phased by the dark.
Addie is terrified of the dark.

Ellie always insisted that her favorite color (not yours) was green.
Addie always lists every color she can think of. When in doubt "sparkles" is her favorite.

Ellie has stayed by our side - no need to worry about her wandering.
Addie will explore on her own - don't blink, she'll be gone.

Ellie has (for the most part) done what we've told her to do.
Addie looks at us difiantly in her adorable way.

Ellie likes her shoes tight. They can never be tight enough.
Addie likes her shoes loose. They are always too tight.

Ellie always gave us troubles during bed time, until recently.
Addie has never questioned bed time, until recently.

Ellie screams bloody murder if she is feeling sick in the middle of the night.
Addie wimpers quietly and apologizes for not being asleep if she is sick in the middle of the night.

High Tea

As a special treat for Mother's Day we went to Celestial Seasonings for afternoon tea. Actually we went at 10:30 in the morning, but it was yummy just the same. I LOVE the little sandwiches and desserts that come with High Tea.

I'm thinking I'm going to put having tea on my list of favorite things to do with my girls. I don't know why, but there is something about it that is just fun and just about as frilly as this Niffer ever gets. I loved watching Ellie enjoy mixing her own teas and trying different flavors.

And Addie had fun too, though she I think she enjoyed the food more than the tea. Still, both girls had lots of smiles and that's all I need to have a wonderful day.

Of course it didn't hurt to have a bit of silliness with our proper High Tea. These guys make me laugh.

I wonder if Afternoon Tea will become a "tradition" of sorts between my daughters and I. I sure hope so! Is it too early to make reservations for next Mother's Day too?

You can't have a proper Mother's Day without the proper collection of treasures from both little and big loved ones alike.

This year I got a butterfly windsock! I can't say I've always wanted one, but that didn't stop me from finding the perfect place to hang it!

Sigh. My "poem" from Ellie. Need I say anything more?

Yes, Ellie, yes I did. I had TWO fantastic tea parties. Thank you sweet girl.

And thank you sweet Addie for all your smiles and hugs. And thank you, sweet Love for all your continued affection. I love you all!

Mommy and Me Tea

My daughter's class hosted a Mommy and Me tea party that turned out to be so much fun. The only thing that would have made it better is if it were outside (who knew we could cram that many people into that room?) but the weather was too cold to allow for that. I was the first mother to arrive (no need to cheer, I thought it started at 3:00 instead of 3:30) so it gave me a glimpse into the life of my daughter at school. Sort of. Oh my goodness was she proud to have me there. She would stand in line when told (not saying she doesn't do this when I'm not around) and beam with pride every time our eyes met. It was as though she was saying "Look at me, Mom! This is what ***I*** do!" I think that this half hour before the other mommies arrived was what made the afternoon tea party so special to me. I loved the look of pride on Ellie's face any time someone asked commented on me being her mommy.

The kids gave the mommies their presents (I'll be sure to post all my treasures later this weekend). And every time Ellie would build it up as "You are going to REALLY like this one. I KNOW you will, Mommy, because I KNOW what you like most of all. And it's this!"

She'd say the same for the next present too.

Each mommy got a balloon with a secret message on it. The card read "You are a great mommy because..." and then you blew up the balloon to read why. Ellie surprised me with being able to blow the balloon up herself, but her answer surprised me even more.

"... because you have me for a daughter!"

Sisters

Ellie and Addie often hold hands and tell each other "I love you, you're the best." when we're in the car. Enough said. And yes, after seeing this photo I lectured Ellie on her seat belt ettiquette. Her booster is a new thing and she's learning the rules of her new-found freedom. Back to the photo... Awww.

Sleep Over

For as long as Ellie can remember Brynn has been her best friend. We've had many sleepovers with her, but this was the first time that her little sister Lilah joined in for the fun. Lilah is Addie's friend by default. How could they NOT be friends if Brynn and Ellie are so close?

As soon as she walked into the room, Brynn knew right away which movie she wanted to watch - The Last Unicorn. Apparently Ellie has spoken a lot about the movie because Brynn was quite excited to see it.

You can't get a group of young girls together without them dressing up like princesses. I love this photo. It makes me laugh that my girls know to look toward the camera, but their friends are always paying attention to where the silliness is happening.

Surprisingly the girls spent A LOT of time in the car. It shouldn't be anything special, but since I recently got my car back (Gramma had been borrowing it), Ellie and Addie feel like it's something quite cool. I can't help but flash into the future when these girls will be teenagers driving and having fun. Hopefully with their seatbelts on. Gah. I'm not ready.

Again, can't you just imagine the future version of this scene? A car full of cute boys pulls up and the girls can't help but say hi and then teasingly drive away. Drive away, girls. Drive away!

Sister Protection

Ellie is such a good big sister that moments like these are not rare. Addie's confidence leaps 10-fold when she knows that she has her big sister there to protect her. No scary movie can harm her if Ellie is by her side. LOVE it.

Wordless Wednesday

Ellie takes over Daddy's notepad

Ellie recently got a hold of Daddy's notepad and would not give it back. After a couple of weeks of her having access to the pad any time we drove somewhere, I was shocked at the number of drawings she did. They all make me smile. Apparently Ellie LOVES to draw her own pictures (more so than coloring pictures in). This was a unintentional success so we got her her very own notepad to draw in from now on. I LOVED having this peek into Ellie's thoughts and what she considers to be important enough to sketch.

Teddy bears eating cake with balloons.

A Christmas tree made out of shapes. This one actually quite amazes me. Perhaps she's got engineer in her blood?

Daddy and his girls.

Christmas tree for Santa Claus.

"My family that I love" complete with fireworks.

Sunshine rain and her pony (complete with a white diamond on his forehead).

Hehehe... Does this mean we go here too often?

Another sketch of her pony. I'm not sure why he has stripes.

Another pony - perhaps she wasn't happy with how angry he looks?

Pegasus, unicorn and dragon looking awfully happy.

Dragon, unicorn and pegasus watching fireworks.

Bunny eating a couple carrots with balloons and a birthday cake.

Ellie's monster.

Ellie's robot.

Flowers and sunshine rain.

Butterflies.

I'm told these are angels looking down onto the mountains. Interesting. I wonder what made her draw these?

Pegasus (not sure why the wings are on his head), dragon and unicorn.

Mommy and Ellie in the wind.

I can only assume that this is Mommy, Daddy, Ellie and Addie but it's the first time I've seen her draw curly hair. It might be Gramma?

Mommy and Ellie dancing in sunshine rain. This girl knows what makes her mommy smile.

Ellie's Garden

What started out as a spur of the moment and very last minute idea for a small gift for Ellie's birthday, turned out to be her biggest gift and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the way it turned out.

It starts with the bed. Ever since Addie's big girl room, we've known that we were going to get Ellie a similar bed, only we would set it up as a loft so that she has a cozy little cave to play in. Gramma helped us make a curtain, and the fence that used to be Ellie's headboard made for a wonderful piece to close off the end of her cave. Add a big leaf for her to sleep under and already Ellie has herself a wonderful new bed.

But it's what's hiding under the bed that makes it so magical. Nana bought her this wonderful garden playmat and I decided to make a bunch of gnomes with little homes so that Ellie has an entire garden village to play with. The mat is wonderful! It fills up the majority of the space under her bed.

We've folded her "grass" blanket to cover the remaining floor space, so that we had more room to add a fairy castle in the corner.

Add a pretty lamp and her little garden turns into a nice little cozy nook to sit and read books.

Awww, the makings of a gnome village. Wanna see more details? Here's where the cute-factor really comes in to play...

Gnomes in their homes:

Here's a gnome in her matching tulip home sitting in the field of tulips (OK, it's really a field of poppies, but Ellie doesn't know this).

And this one lives in a mushroom house among the field of mushrooms.

This lady has found shelter on a cozy leaf somewhere in the forest.

And this little fella loves the smell of daffodils so he has decided to make his home among those happy flowers.

And with this one in yet another flower home, I'm beginning to think that inside every flower there is a gnome!

Gnomeo and Juliet have decided to live in the daisy fields.

This little lady has found a perfect home in the apple tree.

And it even opens up and has a cozy rug inside!

And here is the garden castle. I'd like to live there.

But alas, this winged soul has taken up resisdence at the castle instead.

These two pocket gnomes have decided that the watering can is perfect for them. I can't help but agree.

Oh my gnomes! Look how amazing this house is! It even has a swing! How fun!

The treehouse even has a door and window sill complete with flowers and toadstools. Have you ever seen a prettier house? I think not.

And a view looking down on the house, there is even a comfy chair for the gnomes to rest their tiny tired feet. Perfect.

Gnome Pets and Friends:

A mommy and baby turtle hanging out in the marsh.

A strawberry fairy hiding in the strawberry patch. I'm thinking she could use a couple strawberry gnomes to keep her company!

Two super tiny super heros camping out in the bottom floor of the garden castle.

A ladybug wondering through the gardens.

A bunny hanging out with his friends in the pumpkin patch.

Here's a couple hedgehogs hiding out in the bushes.

Aww, how sweet. There's even a bird and her little egg. She decided to build her little nest on top of the tree house.

Other Items in the Garden:

Here's a strawberry fairy door, because we don't want to exclude our fairy friends from joining the garden fun!

And last, but not least, is the magical heart that has found its place in the center of the toadstool circle. It sparkles with lots of magic.

So that's Ellie's Garden. I love how it turned out. I'm actually quite amazed it turned out so nice! There is still room to add more and I have ideas for other houses. The mat has soooo many things on it, it's stunning. It makes me do a little happy dance to know that I've given Ellie her own little corner of the garden, filled with magic.