What Ella's Been Up To....

Here are some pictures of what Ella has been doing around the house lately:

She threw all of the toys out of her "little house"

(It reminded me of when I used to do this in my little house so that I could clean it out).


Then Ella lined all of the items up in a row......


right before she had fun kicking everything around, again!


Ella loves helping Rob put out the cones on the field for his softball games. We got her a set of cones to play with and gave them to her when she woke up from her nap one day. She was too excited to wait to take them outside, so she just lined them up in her room to jump over them.


flying squirrel or leaping frog??


running the bases with Rob


loves getting horsie rides


keep going


playing with the hose on a really hot day


taking a drink break with her froggie boots on
(She would wear these all day long, every day, if she could)


running back up the street after touching the stop sign...She and Rob have races.


taking Pinkie and Chocolate Monkey for a ride in the baby stroller
(our free yard sale find from last summer...she was too short to push it, then, but she's the perfect size this year)


eating a carrot at Rob's softball game


"painting" the house
She uses water and a pastry bush to paint the house, fence, sidewalk...


dancing at our neighbor's graduation party with her special ribbon belt on

"The George Museum"

A few weeks ago, we took a day trip to Baltimore to visit the Port Discovery Museum. We heard from friends that there was a traveling Curious George exhibit going on, which we thought Ella would love.

The museum is a hands-on children's museum. Ella's favorite parts were: climbing the 3-story high "jungle gym" made of ropes, slides, and tunnels; making food for Rob and me in the pretend diner; playing with water in the Water Room; and, her favorite part, hugging George. (Ella asks about every other day now if she can go to the "George Museum").

After the museum, we walked to the ESPN Zone for lunch, and then around the Inner Harbor since the weather was so nice. Ella enjoyed watching a break-dancing show along the waterfront. (She kept clapping and cheering for the guys)!

We had a great day and within 15 minutes of getting in the car, both of my passengers were exhausted and sound asleep!

packing up to go---she needed her sunglasses, backpack, and Pinkie

(cute little $1 polo-shirt dress consignment sale find!)


getting her shades on


"Can I milk this cow?"


stacking dominoes with Rob


making a craft with me


Ella's first attempt at using scissors
(and Rob trying not to get cut)


me and my recycled project
(I glued tissue paper onto a foam egg to make a "Faberege Egg"....Rob had to drag me out of the craft room---I wanted to spend all day in here!)


Ella climbing the rope tunnel
(It's in the center of the museum's 3 floors, so she entered it at one level and then Rob had to run up the stairs to meet her at the top--on the next level of the building!)


another view of the rope tunnel


Rob is so happy---Ella made him the ultimate sandwich in the diner---a lasagna sandwich on a hamburger roll with a slice of cheese!


playing in the ball pit
(her dress wet from the water room)



"Hey, it's George!"

hugging the George statue


another George hug


getting to meet the "real" George
(Ella, surprisingly, ran right up to him when she saw him)


Ella and I enclosing ourselves in a giant bubble!



playing soccer with another girl


Rob reading to Ella in the book room


eating her "stick yogurt" outside by the flowers


cutie watching the people and cars


view of the Baltimore Aquarium from the Inner Harbor


Power Plant (and where we ate lunch)

Finally.......

flowers outside of the Port Discovery Museum, Baltimore

I am finally going to get around to posting what we've been up to the past few weeks---I have been taking pictures (600, to be exact), but I was having trouble with my card reader and transferring them onto the computer.

Thankfully, Rob was a sweet and thoughtful hubby and, when he found out that the card reader was broken, bought me a new one during his lunch break. Now I just have to go through all of the pictures and get started posting them!.......

When you grow up....

Ella: Mommy, what does Daddy want to be when he grows up?

Me: Daddy is already grown up. He's an engineer.

Ella: What do you want to be when you grow up, Mommy?

Me: I'm grown up, too. I'm a teacher and a mommy. What do you want to be when you grow up?

Ella: I want to be a roll of toilet paper!

Lover of Dogs

So far, Ella has not been really interested in dolls, Barbies, and dress-up. She does love dogs, though.....

I started going to the YMCA in Abington and while I am working out, Ella stays in the babysitting room (to prepare her for preschool, we are calling the babysitting room "gym school"). Tonight when she was taking her bath, I was asking her what things she played with in gym school. Ella told me her favorite thing beside the balls was the dog house. I said, "I didn't see a dog house there." She explained that it was a house that you can put furniture in and close it up. I said, "Oh, you mean a doll house." She asked, "It's called a doll house?....Oh, I thought that was a place that little dogs go in when they are tired."

A good try

Ella has been helpful with putting her dishes in the dishwasher after meals. I am practicing being patient as they don't always make it into great spots....other times "dishes" that are better suited for the trash can make their way into the dishwasher, as well.......

Ella's paper plate in the dishwasher (thankfully I noticed it before running it through).....It was a good try! :)

Sweet Girl

May 9, 2010

Ella turned 32 months old (or 2 1/2 years and 2 months) last week. It is amazing to think that in only 4 months she will be turning 3 years old! It really does seem like only yesterday that she was a newborn--time has flown by.

She is such a fun little girl, full of personality. It is interesting for Rob and I to see some of our traits in her---both in her physical looks and temperment. Here are a few of her interests now:

• anything physical, especially outside: running, climbing, "playing" soccer, doing gymnastics, blowing bubbles, helping with the garden (digging and scooping dirt), using the water hose, playing at the playground
  

• favorite foods: macaroni and cheese, pizza, grilled cheese (do you sense a cheese theme??), waffles, fruit (bananas, apples, grapes), carrots and celery (raw), peas and corn, anything sweet (brownies, cookies), applesauce, yogurt, "snacks" (pretzels, veggie crunchies)

• favorite tv shows/movies: Clifford, Curious George, Elmo's World, Super Y

• favorite books: Curious George books, My Spring Robin, Little Critter books

• favorite indoor activities: coloring, drawing pictures, sorting anything (blocks, toys, pieces), using stickers, play-dough, walking her dog (Snoopy), making food in her kitchen, playing school
  

• other interests: going to the library story time, playing with her playgroup friends, going on "dates" with Daddy (for ice cream or to the "tool store"), helping around the house (collecting the garbage, emptying the utensils from the dishwasher, filling the dryer, dusting, etc)
  

Lately, Ella has been saying so many funny things that I haven't even been able to keep track of them all (some of those things are phrases that Rob and I have used with her that she repeats to us in other contexts):

• "Calm down, Daddy, about the car. Calm down, okay?" (with hand motions)

• "Mommy, be really gentle with that bowl. It's glass and you could break it."

• "Hey, don't go, Mommy! It's a red light, you have to stop!" (I was turning right on red--try explaining that one to a toddler---she later told Rob that, "Mommy didn't stop at the red light today when we were driving to playgroup").
  

Other updates:

• She's been doing really well (knock on wood) in her big girl bed (over a month since the switch-over from her baby crib).
  

• We're working on sharing with friends---that's a tough one for toddlers!
  

• She is nearly fully potty-trained (wears underwear all day)---just needs to make the switch to using the regular toilet instead of her "little potty" so that she can go when we are out and about (we have until September when she starts preschool 2 mornings a week).

We are so proud of her! Every day she has funny things to say, so many hugs, kisses and smiles to share, and the cutest laugh. She is polite and friendly. Rob and I are blessed to be her parents!

Celebrating Mothers' Day!

I had the best Mothers' Day yesterday. It started with Rob and Ella bringing me breakfast in bed and my presents. Ella made a card and picture and the two of them bought me a pretty watch--perfect gifts!

Then after Mass, Ella and Rob gave me another gift---they gave me time to work out at the gym while they took my car to get it washed and vac'd out (it really needed it--it's one of those things I can never keep clean...I don't even try)!

The day before Ella picked out an indoor tropical plant for me when she went to "the tool store" with Rob. I had a great spot picked out for it in the living room, although Ella had a different place in mind (she quickly moved it to where she wanted it---she's a girl who knows what she wants)!

We all spent the rest of the day at Uncle Bill's where he had a delicious meal for us (the highlight for Ella was the cake and ice cream). Rob's parents joined us, too.

Thanks to Madge and Dad who sent me a really nice card and bought me a beautiful hanging flower basket for my front porch! Last week, in Harrisburg, my mom took me out for dinner, too. Unfortunately, I had a computer/camera glitch and the pictures of our time together and gift exchange got erased, so I don't have any to share.

veggie "pizza"
(one of our appetizers)

looking at the picture that Ella drew for me


getting help opening my card


Ella pointing to the gift she and Rob got me--a new watch


thank you kisses for my sweetheart


Larry (his dad) and Rob


the guys on Mothers' Day---Larry, Rob, and Uncle Bill


opening the card for Nana


helping Nana with her present
(a framed picture of the two of them)


walking her bunny, Button, with Brittany's leash


cake from Uncle Bill--thank you!


kisses for Nana


more kisses!


mommy and daughter

Thank you to everyone who made the day so special for me!