nurturing

Ella is very nurturing to her friends--real and stuffed alike. She loves to practice taking care of Pinkie, especially, since HE is her "little baby SISTER" (her friend, Matthew, from playgroup has a baby sister, so I think that is where she gets that from).

She carries Pinkie like a baby, makes him cry and then comforts him by patting his back and telling him "it's alright, Baby Pinkie." One of her favorite ways to take care of him is to change his diapers (while I patiently smile as the box of a million wipes gets spread across the living room floor in the process).

Gould family time

In February we had some visits from the Goulds, including a celebration dinner here at our house for Rob's dad's birthday. Here are some pictures from our time together:

birthday cake I made--lemon cake with cool whip and strawberries

(thanks to my friend, Jennie, for this easy, but yummy recipe!)


Larry and Lesley
(Rob's dad and sister)


Ella and Lesley playing together

Coloring, reading, and grocery shopping

Ella has been getting much better at playing on her own lately and acting like a "big girl." It has been so nice to be able to prepare meals or work on the ironing while she plays in the room and entertains herself (whew...a couple of Decembers ago I thought this day would never come!).

She enjoys:

• coloring (on anything---including coloring books, papers, and Rob's special drawing papers from work)
• putting Pinkie and her other friends in boxes or other containers and taking them places
• filling up her shopping cart with my spices and lining them up on the table
• using her cash register beeper to "check out books" in the house
• lots of make-believe play---e.g., makes cakes out of blocks and sings "Happy Birthday" to her stuffed friends, goes to the apple orchard to pick apples
  
• reads books to herself
• makes 'nests' and 'eggs' and 'beds' out of pillows
  

coloring on friend, Char's, easel

wearing Rob's shoes and pushing "Chocolate Monkey from Ohio" in the shopping cart


filing up the shopping cart with spices


coloring with Rob on his special papers


coloring


never tired of coloring and writing letters


playing in the leaves outside


climbing (anywhere she can!)


running (everywhere she can!)


resting in the grass (but only for a second---her downtime is never long)

"PBS Kids Dot Org"

Ella, like most kids her age, loves using the computer already. She wants to "send emails" and her favorite thing is to play "PBS Kids Dot Org" (pbskids.org). She saw it advertised after her PBS shows on tv and we showed it to her once. Now she is hooked---she loves playing the games--her favorites are "Elmo Goes to the Doctor," "Elmo Goes to School," and "George Builds Sandcastles." Ella knows more about which buttons do what things than Rob and I do--she tells us, "Click on that, right there."

playing on the computer with Daddy
(one of their evening activities if I'm out)


sitting with "Big Elmo"
(with a mouthful of Baba's special chokits for Halloween)

Halloween Post in December?

Yes, a Halloween post in December. As I am sitting to write this, it's actually snowing outside and we're cuddled up inside enjoying chili and cornbread. I am finally getting around to posting a picture or two from Halloween which feels like it was just yesterday.

Knowing that Ella would probably not be interested in trick or treating door to door, we decided to let Ella help give out candy instead to all of the kids coming to our house. Ella wore a cute outfit from Granddad and Nana Gould---complete with black and orange striped tights and skirt and glow in the dark top. In the morning, Pappy and Baba came with us to the Farmers' Market and then we went to the playground. In the evening, Ella gave out candy to all of the kids--she would make them say 'trick-or-treat' before giving them each "one piece only" of candy and putting it into their bags. She loved being in charge and seeing all of the costumes. The only ones she didn't like were the ones with masks.

getting ready to open a Halloween package from Baba and Pappy

looking at the card


pointing to the letters and saying, "See---it says, Dear E-L-L-A, that spells 'Ella!' "


playing with Mr. Potato Head--she said, "He looks like Pappy...he has a mustache and glasses!"


handing out candy to the trick or treaters


riding her bike inside


riding on Baba's back and being so silly


enjoying Pappy


reading the potty book with Baba

Penn State get together

A few weekends ago, April (my old roomie) and Matt invited us to their house to watch the Penn State game with some of our other friends from Penn State (three of the couples married other Penn Staters, too).

We had a good time---lots of food, friends, and fun. It was neat to see all of the kids playing together and getting to know each other.

the little boys
Top: Logan (Matt/April)
Bottom: Tommy and JJ (Matt/Erin) and Jack (Brian/Trish)


the big boys
Matt, Rob, Matt, Brian, Jeff


the girls
Monica (and soon-to-be baby), Erin, Trish, me/Ella, and April

From the mouth of...Ella

Ella has been talking up a storm around here, having full conversations with us and telling us exactly what she thinks. We also found that she has a memory for details as good as Rob's.

Here are some interesting and/or funny things she has been saying lately:

She likes to compliment us when we do something well:
As I was pushing the stroller to avoid a stick, Ella asked, "What were you doing, Mommy? What was that?" I said, "I was going around a stick so it wouldn't be too bumpy for you." Ella said, "Oh, good job, Mommy! You are good at driving the stroller."


She points out litter when she sees it:
"Uh, oh, someone littered. That makes the Earth dirty."


She has a good imagination and likes to use pretend play:
She sat on the bed with Rob and me and lined up all of her 'friends' (Dog, Scrappy, Elmo Doll, and Pinkie). She said, "Hold on, everybody. We're getting on the tractor." Where were they going? "We're going on a tractor to pick apples." Then she pretended to turn on the tractor and drive to the apple trees. When all of her friends got off the tractor, she reached up in the air and pretended to pick "juicy, red apples" and "crunch into them."

Ella gives everyone "baccinations" (vaccinations) like she got. She uses a pencil or something pointy to pretend to give shots. She says, "Sit still and it will just be a little pinch. You'll not get sick....Then I give you a lollipop."


She uses her manners without being reminded more times than not:
"Thank you for buying me pizza, Daddy. I love pizza...and soda!"
"Thank you for making my clothes clean, Mommy. They smell good."
"Whoa, excuse me!...I burped very loud!!"