Family Update

I'm a bit overdue for a family update so I thought I would just post some recent snapshots and write some captions for each one to update you... if you're interested ... or you can just look at the photos!

At Ellie's school, the class will read a book and the teacher designs a week or two's curriculum around the featured piece. This week it was the book Miss Spider's Tea Party. Lessons revolved around a variety of related topics all geared towards ultimately hosting a class tea party at the end of the unit. One day they made invitations and walked to the post office where they mailed them to their homes. Another day they learned how to set the table and learned the names of all of the utensils (see placemat above). On Friday we attended the class tea party and the kids added black licorice and red hots to cupcakes (which they had made the day before) to have spider-themed dessert. Here's Ellie making hers.

When we arrived at the library, the class was sitting on stairs while the teacher read the book to them one more time. Ellie frequently would belt out in the middle of the story, "Hi, Mommy and Daddy!" or, "Look! It's my mommy and daddy!" Sweet, but slightly embarrassing as the other kids managed to sit still and stay silent in spite of their parents also being in the room.

Ellie is wearing a dress to 'dress up' for the tea party. While getting ready for school we were watching Disney's "Cinderella" (a frequent request after the two week unit on princes/princesses). After the Fairy Godmother transforms Cinderella's shredded, homemade dress into a lovely gown, Ellie turned to me, pointing to her yellow dress said, "I want a blue dress like Cinderella."

Wow. She really is becoming so much more aware of what's taking place around her.

After the tea party (which was held in the library), we went back to the classroom to retrieve backpacks and do the final circle time songs. After each song Ellie loudly announced (to the laughter of the assembled parents and grandparents, which I think only served to encourage her), "I want to go home and eat lunch!" That's her cubby below.

This week we decided her hair was long enough to pull up into a pony tail. Don't you think she looks SO grown up? I love the look on her. Enough to postpone cutting her hair for a while longer.

We have the pleasure of hosting missionary guests each weekend for the center's Sunday night Global Cafe`. Here's Ellie with young Caleb Hallahan (almost three). She's really gotten excited recently about having friends over to play, which in turn excites us. Playing generally consists of hide and seek, chasing (or being chased) around the house, or hitting an unlucky little person (in love, of course) with balloons. It's a start!

Last weekend Ellie was totally thrilled to have Gigi, Gjyshe, and Aunt Hannah visit. She was very cranky when they were preparing to leave. As the door closed, she said, "Come back Saturday!" We wish, Els! Now she's asking for Nonna and PaPa to visit. I told her they will come next month, in about four weeks. She said, "No weeks! Monday!" Now if the doorbell rings she says, "Is it Nonna?"


Did you know it was monsoon season here in Kentucky? I shot this out our bedroom window this afternoon. I think we were supposed to get an additional 2-3 inches of rain this weekend.

Finally, (last Ellie story), tonight Nathan and I went out on a date. One of our cabinet members came over to sit with her while we were gone, much to Ellie's excitement. As we left she said, "Bye! See you after nap!" When we returned tonight her sitter told us that in the middle of supper, Ellie stopped to pray and in between many incoherant mumbles said, "Help Mommy and Daddy not to talk in the movie, Amen!"

Isn't that hilarious?

Family Photos

Time is flying and a blog post is due! Forgive me for not posting these earlier. When Jan visited last month, she got these shots of us at Waveland. The session she did for us two years ago hangs all over our home and already the lower image from last month is framed and hanging over our fireplace! We're so grateful for her sharing her talents to capture this slice of family life for us. Visit her blog to see images she shot at a wedding we covered together when she visited Kentucky (made me wish even more she lived closer to Kentucky -- it was so much fun!). Click here to see other samples of her work! She's so talented at her craft!

Growing Independence

Today as the bus drew to a stop at the end of the driveway, Ellie turned to me, pointed to the porch and said, "Go back to the house, Mommy!"

She proceded to walk to the bus ahead of me, refuse the help of the bus attendant and march up the steps of the bus by herself.

She's growing up. Gulp.

Team Spirit

Yesterday Nathan and Els had a father-daughter date. They had lunch at Chick-Fil-A for free chicken sandwiches (provided you wore a shirt sporting your favorite team) and then a dollar movie (IceAge 2? 3?). They looked so cute in their matching red that I had to take a photo. Ellie's wearing a soccer jersey for team Hungary that we picked up a couple of years ago in Budapest. She's finally grown into it! Viktor, are you smiling and giving your 'thumbs up'?

New Backyard Toys

Making lemonade out of lemons... Earlier this summer I flattened not one, but TWO, tires on our van (at the same time). Nathan had the brilliant idea to make a swing for Ellie (and all of our backyard visitors) out of one of those, rather than pay a disposal fee for it. It's been a big hit!

(above) This is my new computer wallpaper

We used to have a great triangle of trees in our backyard, perfect for stringing up hammocks. Then, last summer a storm took out one of them. Over the course of the 08/09 year we started to miss our friends who would come bring their hammocks over and study in our shady backyard. The cabinet suggested we install a hammock post to replace the felled tree and Nathan took it from there. He dug a deep hole, filled it with a very large post and some sack-rete, and finished it off with some hooks, chains, and caribeaners (for easy length adjustment). We figured that we might have even more visitors if we provided a hammock (since not EVERY college student has their own hammock from Central or South America), so went shopping and found hammocks at 50% off and bought two! There's still a place for our friends who want to bring their more cultural/colorful (and may I add, IMO, uncomfortable?) hammocks. In the mean time, we are finding ourselves enjoying our backyard more too!

I love how you can see her pretty eyelashes in this photo (above)

Ellie-isms

"Help! Help! Help me, Miss Daddy!" (getting her foot stuck in the door, after apparently a long week at school)

"What a cutie!" (Hugging birthday boy, Timmy Bowen at his 3rd birthday party on Saturday).

"You're in timeout!" (A new game she was devising last night while playing with her best "big" friend, Mark).

"Five minutes!" (how long all of her college friends had to sit in time out, when it was their turn)

"Are you kidding?" (playing right now with three 'talking' balloons)

"Wait a minute! Wait a minute!" (anytime she doesn't want to do something)

"Hello World!" (excitedly waving out the window of our 'new for a year' loaner Taurus, which has windows that go down in the backseat, unlike our Grand Caravan).

"You're kuwaffle, Mommy!" (Today after lunch. Any ideas anyone?)

Ellie visits the dentist

A few weeks ago we got a phone call. The dentist office was calling to see if we could reschedule one of our appointments. I wanted to be helpful but explained that we would have a childcare conundrum with a couple of the rescheduling options they presented. The receptionist offered a solution, "Just bring her along! It's good for kids to come and watch before they have their first teeth cleaning."

We agreed that it sounded like a good idea. What we didn't count on was Ellie's intense fear upon entering the office. The sights and sounds sent her into a tizzy, climbing up my body like a monkey up a tree. Tears flowed and Ellie shared many cries of, "No, no, no!". This went on for some time and I began to doubt the intelligence of our plan. I was concerned that other patients in the office thought we might be inflicting emotional torment on our daughter for our personal convenience. Eventually, after coloring pages and waiting room toys failed to soothe her, the hygenist offered to start some videos on her computer as a distraction. Thankfully, it worked. The videos featured a monkey and some puppies visiting the dentist, using toothbrushes and dental floss, and Ellie loved it. She still asks to "watch the monkey."

By the time it was my turn to sit in the chair, Ellie was so completely warmed up that she sat on my stomach to get a closer view of what was taking place in my mouth. She was excited to get some 'presents' (see photo above) and though she refused to 'ride' up and down in the chair, she allowed Nathan to brush her teeth in the office with her new brush. She gave hugs and kisses to our hygenist and dentist (whom she called a 'grandpa' -- what she calls any older gentleman, ahem) ... and then the receptionist too on her way out the door!

Since our visit, hardly a day goes by when she doesn't ask to go back! She also seemed to catch on that you have to clean your teeth to 'get the sugar bugs out' and she reminds us of that frequently too. All in all, it was a good trip! Let's hope the next one goes even better!

Ellie Changes

photo courtesy of www.janmichele.com

It's officially 'fall.' Yes, I know it's not really fall fall, but you know what I mean. The school buses are rumbling by our house several times a day, the commuter lot across the street is full, college football starts next weekend and the population of Wilmore has doubled with the return of the undergraduate population. It's great.


I've also noticed that in the last week Ellie has started talking. I mean really talking. In the last couple of days, she has uttered phrases like, "Just a minute", "Actually, I want..." and "I figure he's [Reagan] hungry." I knew that kids go from baby talk to talking in complete sentences over time, but I didn't know it would happen this dramatically. We did notice this summer that she would engage in much more dramatic play than ever before (usually talking/babbling salt and pepper shakers, hair spray bottles, or french fries) -- I think she's been practicing when we were not super attentive and BAM! Our girl can speak in sentences! One of her other favorite phrases is to say, "I love _______." Today she said, "I love mac 'n cheese." Last night she said, "I love lots of kisses. Mommy, Daddy -- kiss!! Like rabbits!" Whuuuhh? Don't know where THAT came from!


And with the talking has come a more content spirit. Mind you, she can still get worked up and whine. But thankfully, it seems to be diminishing (we had some rough patches! Just ask my mom and dad about their week with her last month).

She also seems MUCH more affectionate. She wants to give everyone hugs! We were eating at the local Mexican restaurant and every time Jose` or his assistant would come to our table, Ellie would spread her arms and say, "Gimme a hug!" We eventually had to tell her to stop! This is from the girl that would not lay her head on my shoulder or give us a kiss for her entire first year with us!

She also seems to be very thoughtful. This morning, for example, as Jan was leaving, Ellie was concerned that she say 'good bye' to Jan in the parking lot. Then she wanted a hug. Then she wanted a kiss. Then she wanted "lots of kisses." Then, unprompted, she said to Jan, "Thank you for playing with me!" Then everything was fine.


Okay, one last thing. The other night Jan took some family photos for us. We were trying to communicate to Ellie the definition of the word family. It seemed to click. Periodically, she would point to each of us respectively and say, "Mommy, Daddy, Ellie. Falimy!" She knew we belonged together. This would be followed by a huge grin. Oh my goodness! Melt my heart!!!

It might sound surprising to many of you, but the greatest changes we have seen in Ellie in 2009 would be a more evident sign of attachment to us. It wasn't until January of this year that she showed any real excitement over seeing us return from being away for an evening. Then it evolved into a fear of us leaving her -- even if it was to go into the next room (this still occurs -- she can work herself up into heaving, heartbreaking sobs (on the verge of going berserk) if she turns around and you're "gone" -- it's frustrating some days to have a four year old literally clinging to your shirt tale while you're trying to put laundry away or wanting to hold your hand while you're taking the garbage up to the street. But it's also so, so, sad for me to imagine her not having anyone to love or love her in return those first 17 months of life. And that after more than two and a half years with us, she's finally allowed herself to be loved and love others in return. It's the best thing yet.