That moment in a good sappy movie...

MOMMY:  OH OH!
ADDIE:  Ewww!
ELLIE: I only like it when they kiss just once, not when they eat each other's face other!

Ariel's lost song to Eric

This one didn't make it to the sound track as I believe the recording was tragically lost during the production of the movie...

(Ellie singing with a up-beat sassy tune)
Do you like my undies?
Do you like it?
Do you like it?
Do you want to see my undies?
Oh yeah.
They have polka dots.
Do you like it?
Uh huh. Uh huh.
You like it you like it.
I know you do!
Polka... Dot... Undies!!!

Married to my best friend

ELLIE:  Some people think that just because I'm a girl it means I should marry a boy. 
MOMMY:  What do you think about that?
ELLIE:  I think that it shouldn't matter just as long as you marry someone you really love.
MOMMY:  I agree completely. 
ELLIE:  I want to marry Brynn because she's always been my best friend and will be my best friend forever.  I want to be married to my best friend like you and Daddy.

Fan-Struck

Sage won the first Olympic Gold in Men's Slopestyle. The girls watched and cheered and told me all about how happy they were that he won.

Ellie: He's really good at skiing. I think I want to marry him. Even though he is a lot older than me. I want to marry him because he's so cute.

Addie: Sage has a really nice smile. His smile makes him really nice and that's why I want to marry him.

The fact that both girls spoke at the same time made their statements all the more funny to me. Where did this obsession about marriage come from???

Heartbreaker

Ellie's first love was Michael. The way she figured it, if I married a Michael, so should she. There must be something to that line of thought, because Addie's first love was Michael too. Go figure. Things didn't work out for Ellie and her Michael, though, since he decided he loved another girl. Did this bother Ellie? No. She was certain their time would come.

Then came Braydon. He had glasses. I can't say I blame her for that, but their love was not meant to be as they separated ways for different schools for 1st grade.

Next was Wolf. He was a rebel (based solely on his name, of course). Even though she was only 6 years old, she was proud to have a real boyfriend. She even got his number. And called once or twice. But long distance relationships rarely work out.

So next was Michael again. They were in the same class for first grade, much to Ellie's delight.

But to Mommy's surprise, she was distracted by another boy in the classroom, Tyler. I must say, she has good taste in boys. He was a cutie - tall, dark blond hair and bright blue eyes.

But even blue eyes couldn't keep the two together when she moved to a new school and fell for Adrean, another rebel (based on the fact that he had an earring). Adrean had glasses too, and was one of her first friends in a new school. But as fate would have it, she discovered how immature boys can be when they separated and he didn't seem to understand that you can still be friends even if you don't love each other.

Jameson understood, though. Maybe it was because their relationship didn't last long, but he was mature enough to not take their break-up personally.

And now there is Logan - a friend from her past. They've known each other since preschool and though they go to different schools, they see each other every day before and after school. He has grown into quite the Prince Charming - tall, dark hair and bright blue eyes. It's the eyes, I'm sure. She says that he makes her laugh by saying ridiculous (her words) things like "Will you marry me?" Oh my!

But there is also Shawn and Dominic. I simply can't keep up.

When I asked her who she would like to invite to her party, Michael's name made it to the list, even though it's been nearly 4 months since they've seen each other. I guess you never really get over your first love, do you?

I recently found this stash of love letters in her backpack. The senders include Logan, Shawn and Dominic. "I love you," "You're going to be my girlfriend," "You're cool," "You have a very big fort" and "You're awesome" are all included (with varying degrees of proper spelling and punctuation). Uh... Did I mention this girl is not yet 7 years old??? At this rate... well, let's not go there.

And even since the week that I actually wrote this, it's way out of date. Even her teacher chuckled at the story of the love notes and said "Yeah, Ellie loves the boys." Ellie's new love is Garrett (as of 2/12/14, subject to change). She says "Don't ask me why he's my true love. You'll have to ask him. He just says it's true." Apparently a week ago he even asked her if she had plans for Valentine's Day and if she wanted to go on a date. ARE. YOU. KIDDING. ME???? She told him she would like to but that she has more age-appropriate plans like a sleep over with a friend. Ok, so she might not have used those exact words.

Wedding Do-Over

Before I continue, I just have to say that my wedding day was gorgeous. It was everything we wanted it to be. No regrets. That being said, over the years, I've had various ideas of what I would do if I were to have a wedding do-over.

I don't think there is a more picturesque church than Saint Malo church close to Estes Park, but you have to be Catholic to marry there. It might be worth converting for.

There have been ideas of a small church in Europe (inspired by, but not necessarily limited to, the Cotswolds area).

Of course, a natural spin-off to this idea would be in a castle. There are certainly many lovely small castle venues to choose from.

I've even considered doing a rainbow themed wedding (our wedding was silver and void of as much color as possible - even my bridesmaid dresses were silver).

But now I'm onto a new idea, and I'm posting it just in case one of my gorgeous daughters decide that they, too, are in love with it like I am...

...Inside the Denver Clock Tower!!! Oh my! I think my heart just skipped a beat (or a tick, as the case may be). This is incredible! Sigh. Drool. Awwww...

Breaking up is hard to do

Ellie: Mommy I don't know if you heard.
Mommy: Heard what?
Ellie: Adrienne and I separated.
Mommy: Oh?
Ellie: Do you know what "separated" means? It means we broke up.
Mommy: Whose decision was that?
Ellie: We both decided but he isn't being nice about it.  Not like Jameson.
Mommy: Who is Jameson?
Ellie: Oh we were together after Adrienne and I separated, but then we separated too.
Mommy:  Oh really?
Ellie:  Yeah but he is doing it right.  Adrienne is doing it wrong.
Mommy:  What do you mean?
Ellie: Well he is still being nice. We are still friends. We decided that just because we don't live each other doesn't mean we can't be friends.  We can still be friends.
Mommy: Wow. That's pretty mature.
Ellie: I just wish Adrienne would do it right too.
Mommy:  Me too. Me too.

Safe and Sound*

I could lift you up

I could show you what you wanna see

And take you where you wanna be

You could be my luck

Even if the sky is falling down

I know that we'll be safe and sound

We're safe and sound

I could fill your cup

You know my river won't evaporate

This world we still appreciate

You could be my luck

Even in a hurricane of frowns

I know that we'll be safe and sound

Safe and sound

We're safe and sound

Safe and sound

We're safe and sound

Hold your ground

We're safe and sound

Safe and sound

I could show you love

In a tidal wave of mystery

You'll still be standing next to me

You could be my luck

Even if we're six feet underground

I know that we'll be safe and sound

We're safe and sound

Safe and sound

Safe and sound

Hold your ground

Safe and sound

*Safe & Sound lyrics by Capital Cities

 

You know how it goes.  Sometimes you hear a song and from the moment you first hear it, you know it reminds you of someone in your life.  This song was that for me.  There is just something about it that makes me think of the relationship that my two girls have.  It's beautiful - both the song and the relationship.  When I watch my girls interact with, support and encourage each other, I have no doubt that these two will always be just that... safe and sound.

 



There once lived a princess...

... who grew into one of the fairest the land had ever seen.  She had a heart of gold and loved with every bone in her body.

The princess was a thoughtful soul.  It seemed she was always thinking of something.  Sometimes she thought about what nice thing to do next for a loved one.  Sometimes she thought of good solutions to a problem.  And sometimes she thought about what she wanted to do in the seasons to come.

Her options were endless and she knew it.  She knew that if she worked really hard and practice, then she could accomplish any goal she set her mind to.  She was a princess of great achievement because she knew this secret.

Still, it was not her achievements for which those around her knew her best. It was her smile - for if there was any princess that would surely live happily ever after, it was she.

Ellie's First Boyfriend

I returned from our trip to an unexpected surprise. "Mommy, guess what! Even though I'm only 6 years old, I have a REAL boyfriend!"

Oh my... I can honestly say I'm not ready for this. Not only does Ellie have a boyfriend but he doesn't even have a cutesy name like Jake. No, her boyfriend's name is... WOLF. You might as well call him Spike for all I'm concerned.

My mom says that when she went to pick Ellie up from camp last week, Wolf approached her and asked very nicely, "Can you please wait a couple of minutes until my Mommy picks me up? I want to give Ellie my phone number. I know my number and I know how to spell my first name but I don't know how to spell my last name. Can you please wait until my mommy gets here so that she can help me spell my last name?"

Sigh. I'll be honest. I kind of wish I was there.

According to Gramma, Ellie wanted to call Wolf right away but she was patient and waited until they got home. When she did call him she got the voicemail and left a very grown-up message. "Hi, this is Ellie. I was just wondering if you could ask Wolf if he would like to be my boyfriend. Um, I guess I will try to call him again tomorrow. Thank you. Bye."

The next day Wolf and Ellie talked on the phone for 5 minutes or so and decided that they are indeed an item.

I asked Ellie to tell me about Wolf. He has blond curly hair and blue eyes. Cute. He is an older boy at age 7. She says that she really likes how he is super nice and says nice things to her. He invites her to play with him and doesn't tease her like some of the boys. It brought to mind the common mistake that parents (myself included) make with their daughters when it comes to little boys who tease them. "Oh, they're just being mean to you because they like you." How horrible is that advice? No wonder so many little girls grow up to be in abusive relationships. But alas, that's not the point here. I told Ellie that I was proud of her for picking a boy who is really nice to her because that is really important. Her response was "Yeah, Wolf is a good boy. I'm glad he is in my life."

We've yet to hear from Wolf since Saturday's conversation but Ellie is looking more and more grown-up every day. Sigh.

Wordless Wednesday

Planning Their Weddings

I'm not sure how we got onto the topic but the girls have decided they're going to have a rainbow wedding.

Complete with rainbow wedding dress. Ellie likes the one on the right, Addie likes the one in the middle.

Their "best friends" would be on their sides and each would be a different color. The maid of honor would be in pink, of course.

Don't forget the bouquet.

And the cake!

Ok, admittedly, I'm sure that a rainbow wedding could easily get out of hand and a bit tacky but I have to admit... I think they're on to something. My wedding (LOVED it) was just about the complete opposite of a rainbow. My bridesmaids wore silver. I love the dresses above (can't decide which one I like best, honestly) and the idea of the bridesmaids being rainbow colors. Hmmm.... Renew our vows, perhaps?

One for Ellie's Husband

Ellie singing the "You Fill Me Up" song (aka Annie's Song by John Denver)

Uncle David & Aunt Brandy's Wedding

Last Friday Uncle David got married. The sun came out for the wedding and went back behind the clouds afterwards. It was perfect.


I thought it was such a pretty venue for a wedding. It made me want to redo my wedding and have an outdoor one!


I'd also redo the guest book. LOVE IT.


The girls loved the joyous occasion and they dressed in their best, complete with heart braids in their hair. I do believe just about everyone at the wedding commented on their hair.


Such a simple wedding, yet it was so stunning all the same.


And along with Brandy, her daughter Haydn is now a part of the family. Isn't she purty?


Afterwards the party began. I got a kick out of watching these girls dance with each other. They had so much fun, and it didn't surprise me one bit that it was Ellie who led the way.


What did surprise me, though, was this dancing princess. She danced her little booty off and was dancing far more than anyone else at the party. I believe she danced just about every song and enjoyed shaking her booty with the grown-ups even if she didn't know any of them. It is so strange to me to be related to such a free spirit. Are we certain she came from my tummy????


And of course the obligatory photo of a girl dancing with her Daddy...


... these always make my heart feel like it is about to burst.

How deeply do you love?

Mommy: Ellie, you have a big heart.
Ellie: No, Mommy. My heart is only this big (holding her fist up in the air).
Mommy: Are you sure?
Ellie: It just seems bigger because I love with all the bones in my body.

Uncle David's Wedding Day

Today is Uncle David's wedding. Ellie drew him a picture. It shows him getting married to Brandy, and people sitting in their chairs watching. It brought tears to his eyes.

It's the easiest way, really

Ellie: When I get bigger, I'm going to marry Michael and we are going to have 9 babies. If they're all boys then I will name them all Michael. That way if something needs to get done I can just say "Michael, come do this" and they will all run to do it. Like if I need to have the dishes cleaned, I can say "Michael please do the dishes and my married Michael will come and all the baby Michaels will too. It would just be easier that way.

Ellie's Sleeping Beauty Story

It went something like this...

Once upon a time there lived a beautiful princess named Sleeping Beauty. She wanted to wear a pretty dress for her wedding. She wanted her dress to be blue but the fairies kept saying "how about a pink dress instead?"

"No," she said. She wanted it to be blue. So the fairies made her a blue dress to try on, but just before she put it on, they used their magic to turn it to pink. When she looked down and saw it was a pink dress, she decided not to put it on.

Then the fairies tried to convince her that a pink dress would be better than a blue dress. Sleeping Beauty kept saying no.

Then her daddy came out. Her daddy was the king and he said he would like her dress to be pink too. Sleeping Beauty told her that she wanted it to be blue. "Can it please be blue?" she asked.

Then her mommy came out. "I have a pretty dress upstairs that you can use. You can wear it only one day but it is white."

"No," said Cinderella. She wanted her dress to be blue but she didn't know how to tell them this, but then her prince (his name was Prince Philippe) came to her rescue and took her away. She didn't have to choose a dress after all.

The End


Hmm... A princess eloping? Here is Ellie's Mommy, making a mental note to hold my tongue and my opinions when it comes to Ellie's wedding dress.

Good plan

Mommy: Are you excited to go to a new school next year?
Ellie: Yeah. I miss Michael and I will get to see him again.
Mommy: Wow. You still miss him?
Ellie: Yeah, and I'm still going to marry him.
Mommy: Do you think he is excited about that?
Ellie: Well I gave he is a year older now so maybe he doesn't think love is yucky anymore.
Mommy: Maybe.
Ellie: But I also like David. Sometimes I think I want to marry him instead.
Mommy: Oh man! How are you going to decide?
Ellie: Well I don't know if David thinks that love is yucky. I think he does because he's just a boy. Maybe when he gets bigger? But I think when I decide, I will pick the boy who is the nicest to me.
Mommy: That is a good plan!

Going on a Boy Hunt... Gonna Catch a Good One!

One day Ellie told a story during the car ride home. It went something like this...

Once upon a time there were two girls named Addie and Ellie. They loved to go on walks. They always went on walks together. So one day they asked their mommy if they could go on a walk.

"No, it's dinner time," she said.

"How about now?"

"No, it's time to clean your rooms."

"How about now?"

"It's time for a movie."

"How about now? Please?!"

"Ok," Mommy said.

So the two girls went on a walk together to have lots of fun walking together because they love to do that.

Then Addie said, "Is this really just a boy hunt?"

And Ellie said, "Yes, so let's go look for some boys. Oh there is a boy! And look! He has friends."

Addie asked, "Do you think we can marry them?"

Ellie said, "Only after they grow up."

Addie smiled and said "OK."

And they lived happily ever after.