London 2010

Some photos from our winter break trip to London.

The Cat

Ellie getting her face painted by our neighbor on the first full day of this year's trip to London.

Playgroup Christmas Party

Our playgroup had a fabulous Christmas party this year (thanks to a dedicated organizer). The kids wore their holiday or dress up clothes and made cookies and crafts. Our playgroup is a shoot off of the International Women's group here and each mom brought a traditional holiday dish from her country (pierogi and linzer torte!) and we sang Christmas carols from different countries as well. When Torie opened up the singing by asking if any of the moms had a traditional song they'd like to share, who do you think volunteered first? Ellie! She piped right up and said, "Let's sing Fa La La La La!" And then she just started singing and we all scrambled to catch up and join in! She loved making cookies with her two best friends the Knight and the Ballerina Princess.

I can write my own name!

3 is one of my favorite ages (followed closely by 5, 4, 2, and 1). I wish you could come and spend the day in our house. You'd see Ellie jump out of bed giggling while she runs to find her brother. You'd get "the biggest hug ever" and I'd enlist your help in making the 2 or 3 breakfasts Ellie usually eats. Yogurt or milk followed by a break and then oats or toast then another break and then sometimes eggs or a waffle with peanut butter. You'd see the piles of unders in her room because she likes to change her panties every time she goes to the bathroom. You'd hear her, um, enthusiastic singing. You'd go through piles and piles of books, some that you would read, but many that Ellie would read to you. You'd watch her tirelessly chase birds at the park and try to pet and hold every stray dog and cat she met. You'd hear her dreams of having a pony of her own to ride "all by myself." You'd wash markers off her hands; pull her wet dolls and animals out of bathing in the sink, again; wait patiently while she decides what shoes to wear. You would be so proud of her choosing to be brave at school when she is scared of mommy leaving. You'd hear her tell you that she is not a child of God, she is a daughter of God. She fills me up with happiness...

Two little monkeys swinging from the trees...

All of our windows have these crazy bars perfect for climbing. If death is in mind.

Yes. I let my daughter play outside in her unders. Nac is never very far from my heart.

The original

First Day of PreSchool

Ellie in front of her nursery school's garden.

She is so happy to be a big girl. "I am growing more everyday," she chirps. She is growing and I am so proud to know this creative and passionate soul.

Then Comes Marriage...

Alex: I'm going to grow up and marry a girl.
Me: I think she will be a very special girl.
Ellie: Is it going to be me? Is Alex going to marry me?
Me: Do you want to grow up and marry Alex?
Ellie: Yes. I want him to be my Derek. (the Derek from 12 Dancing Princesses)

Sleeping Beauty

A California Adventure

Alex spent a good hour by himself building this "spiderweb" in the garage. He requests big spools of string for his upcoming birthday.
Who's gonna clean this up?


Mini train in Griffiths Park. After the trains, we headed up to the Observatory for a great (albeit smoggy) view of LA, Beverly Hills, and the Hollywood sign


Cameron can hardly contain his excitement


The LA Zoo is fabulous and the weather was perfect. These giraffes were even closer than they look in this picture.


Ellie sweet talked Grandpa K in to carrying her through the zoo

Declarations of Independence

Alex and Ellie really are independent-minded children. I'm so happy that they are and that their personalities are strong and that they have the courage of their convictions. Of course, sometimes that leads to interesting parenting experiences as regular readers of this blog will know. I just wanted to share a couple of experiences tonight while they are still fresh on my mind.

Ellie - Tonight while we were getting the kids ready for bed Ellie decided that she did not want her diaper changed, even though she really needed it done. Maybe I could have tried more reason and persuasion, but time was short and I ended up just holding her down while I changed her diaper. Carli was standing nearby hanging up the kids clothes and Ellie - furious that I was changing her diaper and looking for an ally - screamed at her, "Mommy, get angry at Jeff!"

Alex - We have discovered the Magic Treehouse series of books. We finished our first one yesterday and went to the bookstore tonight to buy a new one. We had a limited budget, enough to buy a paperback for Alex, and a picture book for Ellie. Alex and I were at the bookstore without Ellie, but he was excited to take a book home to her. As we got ready to leave the store however, we walked past a big display of hardcover copies of the newest Magic Treehouse book. The cover showed the two kid heroes of the books being dragged under the sea by the tentacles of an enormous octopus - just the kind of image Alex loves. As soon as he saw the book he literally dropped the two paperbacks he was carrying and snatched up the hardcover. "Dad! We have to get this!" Now it was decision time. I told Alex we could get the new book, but that would mean we wouldn't be able to get a book for Ellie - since the new book was a little bit more expensive - or we could buy the paperback book, get a book for Ellie and come back on Friday to buy the new book. Alex didn't hesitate in making his choice, but there was a very Alex-ian twist to it. He immediately decided to get the paperbacks so he could take a book to his sister, but told me, "Dad, we need to hide one of these new books so they don't sell them all." And then he squirreled away a copy in a location I have pledged not to disclose.

Apparently, Alex has discovered the principle of scarcity and has decided that anything he likes must be universally in great demand and therefore likely to sell out quickly. We have also hidden, at various other times and in other un-disclose-able locations, squishy rubber frogs at Target, a soccer ball, gum, and double chocolate Milano cookies. So, think of Alex the next time you go to a store and find some completely random item hidden askew behind a row of other, non-related items. Think of him, but don't your dare buy that hidden item!

2 Cute Bunnies

Those of you who know her, know that Ellie is cautious of people that she doesn't know well. She is very outgoing at home or with friends that she has spent a lot of time with, but... well, let's just say that at 2 1/2 Ellie is still not transitioned into nursery. (another post altogether) Getting her to take a picture with Santa, or to even get within 50 feet of Santa, is a no-go. So when she practically tipped the stroller over to wave at a man in a bunny suit, I asked her if she wanted tell him "Happy Easter" and give him a hug. Change, it is a'coming.
I love the sweet, reserved smile on her face. This is our Ellie!

Tapochki

We have been home from church for 1 hour and 29 minutes. Ellie is still in her dress. I fought with her for 45 minutes this morning about putting the dress on and now I can't get her to take the dress off. It may have something to do with everyone at church telling her how beautiful her dress is and how sweet a little girl she is -- both true! *sigh*

The house slippers Ellie is holding in this picture ARE the shoes she wore to church today with her lovely dress. There are some fights worth fighting (wearing a dress to church) and some worth letting go (slippers to church?!). I find that battle lines change after one has engaged in a 45 skirmish.

A Happy Secret

Lately, this house is full of secrets. Secrets about princesses and monkeys and babies and dinosaurs who eat bones. Secrets about mysteriously disappearing bowls of ice cream and rides on Santa's sleigh and ballerinas who get lost. Ellie is full of them. She wraps her little hands around our necks, presses her lips right up against our ears and loudly whispers bits of dramatic nonsense that we can hardly understand. Then she stands back and waits for an appropriately dramatic reaction. We either give her that reaction or we must hear the secret again (and again) until the desired response is given. Have I mentioned how much fun it is to be a mom? Is there any better way of passing time than sharing secrets with the funniest and most passionate of baby girls?

Today was one of those perfect days. Mid 60's and sunny, we drank it up for 3 hours at the park with 6 of my friends (2 of whom we serendipitously ran in to without planning before hand!) and then BOTH OF MY CHILDREN FELL ASLEEP on the way home AND MY HUSBAND CAME HOME EARLY from work. So, I had him all to myself in the middle of the day for 2 hours! We had left-over roast, of which I am master, for dinner - read: no clean-up - more family playing outside and then another successful fhe. Alex loves to role-play stories from the scriptures and tonight he was Nephi bound by his brothers, filled with strength, faith, and forgiveness. Seriously, I hope I meet Nephi. If all that wasn't enough, tonight all my planning and praying found its answer at midnight and I sat down and put together all the fragments in my head for the program for our Enrichment this month. To celebrate the RS birthday, we are having a dinner and program based on the Church History Museum exhibit Something Extraordinary: A Sampler of Women's Gifts. It's going to be amazing!! (No! My calling is not even in the Relief Society.) I just feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for all my blessings and for all my trials - both are teaching me what it means to trust in the Lord and showing me the great things the Lord has done and is doing in my life.

Pretty Ballerina

We dressed up and headed downtown to see the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker just before Christmas and Ellie's slight interest in ballet turned into a burning love, much to our delight. She even asks to listen to "the ballerina music" while we're driving, meaning classical music and how awesome is that! (Of course, Alex complains the whole time and chants "Laurie Berkner! Laurie Berkner!") She dances often and everywhere, but her favorite place is the kitchen table so she can see herself in the mirror and so I can stand at the edge and do the lifts! I am so in love.
Notice Ellie's shoes? She picks out two different shoes most days!

Sick Days

This household has been sick (first Ellie, then Alex) for 2 weeks now and we are going a bit CRAZY -- especially me! The kids spent a good part of today playing in mom and dad's bed. They took turns sitting on each others tummies, falling face first into the pillows, and making crazy faces. If you can't tell from the pictures, they are crazy about each other. Later today Alex put an apple sack on his head and ran from room to room saying, "robot. out of control. robot. out of control." Maybe he's feeling better :)

Jeff and I were to speak in Sacrament meeting yesterday and we had been praying that Alex would be well enough to attend. He was given a blessing just before church and, blessedly, he fell asleep on our pew and stayed that way through the meeting. What a gift!

Private Parts

I came into the family room to Ellie screaming at Alex with full volume, "WE DON'T TALK ABOUT BUMMIES!!!" Okay then.

The word according to Ellie

Ellie has a truly unique way of expressing herself...

skunk = apple peel

pacuter = computer

alligator = elevator

ballerina = Ellie

noise = burp

choke = throat

leckas = necklace

perspectible = acceptable

Ellie rides a pony. And again. And again.

Ellie's favorite thing to do is ride a pony. Her favorite things to talk about are how she has ridden a pony or how she wants to ride a pony. When we went to sea world she brought home a stuffed pony. She calls herself a cowboy girl. She likes cowboy hats. She wears pink cowboy boots. Boots that she chose all on her own. She takes horsemanship pretty seriously: she holds on tight and keeps her expression appropriately serious. But afterward, whoa doggie, can that girl holler!

I'm 2

Ellie's birthday this year was so much fun, in part, because she knew just how she wanted to celebrate. She asked for a princess party and a birthday cake with candles to "flow out" and she also told us she wanted a princess pinata. Birthday parties are a Big Deal in Mexico and we had been to enough of them for Ellie to know that pinatas are a rite of passage. There was a great pinata shop across the street from our grocery store in Monterrey and she and Alex helped us choose the most beautiful Cinderella pinata. (Believe it or not we bought the smallest one they make!) We were moving from Monterrey the week of Ellie's birthday, so we loaded up the pinata and drove it all the way to California for the party. I've back posted this on her birthday.
Ellie is busy all the time. She is hardly ever satisfied with the way I've organized things in our home and so she spends much of her time making sure the kleenex boxes are under the end tables, the spoons are in my shoes, and the little bits in either the basket of the paper shredder or the garbage cans. (I mean, that IS where that stuff goes, mom) Although it takes her awhile to warm up, once she's made friends, Ellie LOVES her friends. She knows their names and wants to have them come over and play, but under no circumstance are they to play with her things. They can play with Alex's stuff. Ellie has brought so much joy and fun and laughter to our family. She is a bright, shiny star. Her reserved nature is teaching me about loyalty and friendship. I love you, Ellie. I can't wait to see the woman you're becoming. So far, the journey has been beautiful.