My Little Celebrity Look-A-Like

I was flipping through People magazine today while Ella was getting her hair cut and I had a passing thought ~ is it just me or does Ella look a little like Suri Cruise?

When the hairdresser finished up she turned to me and said, "She looks alot like Tom Cruise's little girl."

So, I guess it isn't just me.

Ella got her hair trimmed today and it looks very similar to Suri's pictured above ~ I think that's why there is a resemblence.

Now, I just need for someone to tell me that I look like Katie Holmes and I'll be thrilled!!

Roller Skating!!

Each year in December, Heath's company has a skating party for the employees and their families. Santa comes and brings a generous gift to all of the kids and they have a blast! We are very appreciative and we've gone every year since Marley was born.

The past 6 years I have been able to get out of putting on skates because of the girls ages.....Oh, but I knew the day would come...

Now, the girls were doing so well you would have never seen it coming, but somehow, whilst I was maneuvering Ella around the rink by her shoulders, she managed to fall. (WHAT?? YOU'RE KIDDING!!)

I too fell, my ribs landing full force on the heel of Ella's skate which was sticking up off the floor.

Ouch!

Once I was able to breathe again, I managed to skate my mangled self to a seat and vow never to skate w/ a 4 year old again.

Broken ribs and ruptured lungs have been ruled out and I am slowly beginning to be able to sneeze w/out a follow-up YELP.

This has been a fun 4 months of near breaks for our family.

Can't wait to see what we can do to ourselves in 2009!!

Autumn

Fall, leaves, fall; die, flowers, away;
Lengthen night and shorten day;
Every leaf speaks bliss to me
Fluttering from the autumn tree.

I shall smile when wreaths of snow
Blossom where the rose should grow;
I shall sing when night's decay
Ushers in a drearier day.

~ Emily Jane Bronte ~

Apparently an entire season has come and gone since my last post ~ and yet somehow there isn't much to catch up on. Instead of trying to recall details of the several noteworthy things that did happen, I'm going to summarize for myself. Just because in 10 years I want to read this and smile.

Harvest Party

I wanted to do something special for Fall Break. Ella informed me that she wanted to bob for apples and so I planned a little Harvest Party for some of our friends and their kids! We had a great time playing a balloon pop game on the trampoline, having a potato sack race and playing lots of other games, including Red Rover. everyone seemed to have fun.

I think I'll make it an annual tradition.

Corn Maze

My family came to visit over the Halloween weekend and we went to a corn maze. We had a great time and came back to our house for a campfire and impromptu birthday party for my brother, whose girlfriend, Erica, came with him.

Halloween

(pictures to come later)



Hablo Japanese?

My sister and her family moved to Japan at the beginning of November and will be there for 3 years. My brother-in-law, Damien, is in the Navy and apparently thinks he has to move wherever they tell him! They are settling in to a home quite nicely but until they can get a proper license they have to bike everywhere!

We love you guys ~ say "Konnichiwa!" to the girls for us!

Meanwhile, over in England, in a related biking story, my other brother in law, Tony, was in a cycling accident when his bike slipped on black ice. He broke his elbow and got a concussion as well as a doosey of a head wound, even though he was wearing a helmet.

So, lesson learned: If you're going to ride your bike on slippery ice, make sure you are wearing a helmet!

How to Get Rid of a Stray Cat

We haven't seen him for days??!!??

Dem Dry Bones

"With the toe bone connected to the foot bone

and the foot bone connected to the ankle bone

and the ankle bone connected to the leg bone..."

Two weeks ago Marley jumped from the top of our slide......

...probably for the last time.

Actually, it isn't as bad as we thought it was going to be.

Thankfully, after sweating it out for 2 weeks, the final x rays showed no broken bone and no torn ligament, both of which had been a possibility.

She was so excited when the podiatrist said she could take the partial cast off and return to recess!!

True Friendship

One of the first things Kailey told Marley after she found out that she was on crutches was that she would just sit with her at recess since Marley couldn't play.

No one asked her to do that, she just did.

She wanted to.

And not just for the first day or two like most of the kids did because they were curious or wanted to try out crutches. She did every day for 2 weeks. And would have done it for 6 - 8 had that been the case.

I was so touched the other day as I picked up Marley and Kailey from school and Kailey was right there beside Marley assuring her she had her crutches and backpack. And Marley, not in a 'take you for granted' kind of way; but more like a 'I can count on you' way knew she would.

Becasue that's what friends do, right?

But I really didn't think that 6 year olds knew that.

I was truely touched.

True friends also pray for you to get better and then rejoice when you do!

Thank you, Kailey. You really are a true friend to Marley!

(Kailey & Marley ~ Preschool 2006)

Happy Birthday, Dear Ella!

As sure as I asked her not to, Ella turned 4! We have had a reacurring conversation for the past year where I ask her to stay the same size forever. Sometimes she would agree, others she would say that she really wanted to be able to go to school.

I felt badly because I kept joking w/ her and telling her that she was going to be 3 again on her b-day.....it took me about 1/2 the day to convince her that she really was 4!

We had a great time celebrating her birthday at Chuck E Cheese. Ella loves Chuck E ~ she couldn't wait until he came out. She invited Marley and two of her friends, Logan and Teryn to go with us for pizza, cake and games. Grandma & Grandpa also came to join in on the fun! (One adult per child is a good ratio at Chuck E Cheese.)

The pizza was served as soon as the kids arrived and it was hard to keep them still long enough to eat . After a few bites they grabbed their tokens and headed off for fun.


After the last token was spent we gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday!" I love that cake, candles and balloons can make someone feel so special! I also love this picture below, something about how sweetly Chuck is looking at Ella is endearing.

.....and then there were the gifts. Ella really enjoys playing w/ stuffed animals. She finds anything she can to put on them and wrap them in for a good night's sleep. In fact, about a week before her birthday she kept telling people the story about how on Marley's birthday when we went to Build a Bear, Marley got clothes for her bear but all she got was a backpack. So she was very pleased to get 6 or 7 new outfits, shoes, a pillow and blanket set and a carrier and bed for her animals.

Besides stuffed animals, puzzles, stickers, crafts and books are her favorites. She received some of each!! Both Ella and Marley usually fall asleep w/ books. They love to read. Heath and I found a storytime projector that projects pictures onto the wall as it tells the story. It has been a big hit.

The entire day was all about Ella and making her feel special. From the moment I woke her up singing "Happy Birthday" to when I tucked her in w/ a few new animals dressed to the nines, it was all about letting Ella know how glad we are that she was born. She got to choose her breakfast (pancakes), she received several out of town phone calls bright and early and she took cookies and punch to preschool where they celebrated her too!!


Ella, you are amazing and you make me smile!

Bundle of Naughties

“I’ve thought a great deal lately about my ‘bundle of naughties....'"

Amy March ~ Little Women

Ella is a menace.

If it weren't for that dimple and winsome grin she would spend 2/3 of her life in time out.

That "bundle of naughties" quote from Little Women has popped into my head so many times in situations with Ella. She has a very large "bundle of naughties" and my fear and expectations are that it is only going to get bigger.

Today she cut off a HUGE chunk of her hair. This is the 2nd time.

I could kick myself for not realizing she was up to something when she walked past me w/ a big "I love you" smile, hands discreetly behind her back in a shy, innocent sort of way. HAH!

She had enough thought/guilt process to come downstairs, sneak scissors past me, go back up and get the trash can out of their bathroom, chop off her hair and throw it away and then replace the scissors.

"Why did you do that, Ella?"

"Because it was in my eyes."

This reminded me of the time I asked her why she colored all over the chair and she said, "because I couldn't find any paper." (Oh, well in that case....)

Or when she had an accident in her bed and told Heath that it must have rained in her room.

Or when she swore to me, mouth brown w/ chocolate and silver foil wrappers strewn about the floor behind her, that she didn't get into the candy jar.

Or when she swallowed a penny at Vacation Bible School and at least that time she admitted she didn't quite know why she did it. (it meant more to Heath than me to look for the "outcome" of that one)

She marks up our leather sofa w/ crayon; she frequently empties her pj draw and dresses her stuffed animals w/ them; and she has been known to rub yogurt and applesauce on her head for no good reason.

And yet she is still so easy to love.

She needs to thank the Lord for that sweet dimple.

Marley the 1st Grader

Marley started 1st grade and loves it!! Her teacher, Ms. Crawford, is new to the school this year so Marley was a little curious about what she would look like. The night before school started we sat down and had a little fun trying to draw pictures of her. She turned out to be a very lovely young lady (unlike one of the potential drawings I did) and Marley told me that if she could have chosen any teacher, she would have picked Ms. Crawford!

So far we are off to a good school year!

We live about 1/2 a mile from the school and Marley drove me crazy last year asking to be a "walker." No less than once a week she would make the request. So this year I decided I would park at my friend Beth's house (which is right across the street from the school) and she and several friends would be "walkers". Basically this means she will walk the length of the soccer fields across from the school and then I wait there w/ my car to pick her up. With that plan in action, Heath was waiting for her on her 2nd day.....she told him she didn't want to be a "walker" anymore because it was too far.

Sometimes that child exasperates me.

This is Marley and her best friend Kailey.

Kailey and Marley were in the same preschool and Kindergarten class and spend alot of time together so it took some preparation to break the news to them that they weren't in the same 1st grade class. Surprisingly, they took it well.

Yesterday, Marley told me that when they get to school in the morning she says "See you at recess, Kailey!" and then after recess she says, "see you at lunch, Kailey!" and then after lunch she says, "see you after school, Kailey!"

How sweet that not even being separated by a hallway could sever their friendship!!

I guess absence really does make the heart grow fonder!

We love Kailey and look forward to their friendship growing even stronger over the years.

Ella Goes to Preschool

Today was Ella's big day and she was so excited!

She will be going to Twin City Baptist Preschool for PreK on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12:30 - 3:00.

I am even more excited than she is because I have that time all to myself!!

We are so thankful that she will share her preschool experience w/ her friends Logan & Gabe.

Marley also went to Twin City 2 years ago and I asked her if she had any advice for Ella on her first day. After asking me what advice was and getting a pretty good explanation, she went on to tell Ella to "always say please & thank you" & "obey your teacher."

Can't go wrong there.

At the end of the day when I picked Ella up I asked her what she thinks of preschool and she said, "I love it! I love it! I love it!"

Good enough for me!

Sweet Childish Days

"Sweet childish days, that were as long

as twenty days are now."

William Wordsworth

I had grandiose plans for this summer.

I was going to take the girls swimming several times a week and picnic in the park once or twice.

We were going to get away several weekends and go to Aquariums and Zoos.

I was going to hostess tons of cook-outs and everyone would be laughing and chatting by the tiki light while the kids played joyfully somewhere off in the background.

I even kicked around the idea of planning some sort of "day camp" w/ friends (which by the way, I totally want to do next year!!).

Yes, this summer was going to be an incredible, event filled 11 weeks......

And now here I sit 4 nights before school starts and even though we didn't do any of the above (we did swim a few times) the girls still seemed to have had a wonderful summer! Children can take an ordinary day and turn it into something spectacular. It took me 10 weeks to realize that I don't have to entertain them ~ they love entertaining themselves.

My memory was jogged on Monday night as the yard was full of children well past dark. I was tempted to call them in several times because we needed to get the "schooltime routine" established, but I got caught up listening to their voices and laughter. It instantly took me back to my sisters & brother and I playing ghost in the graveyard and swinging statues with our neighbors Pat, Elva & Blooper Sipple (I'm not making those names up) and Natasha. We played way past dark, until eventually parents would start yelling out their windows that it was time to come in.

And lightening bugs ~ remember chasing lightening bugs?

So, in honor of my childhood days, I think next year my list for the summer will look something more like the following:

• play hide & seek and red rover several times a week
• eat a bologna sandwich and drink lemonade on the back step while still dirty from playing
• run in the sprinkler
• form a secret club with neighbors
• go for a family car ride w/ all of the windows down, music playing and eveyone singing along
• catch lightening bugs

She Sells Seashells

Our memories of the ocean will linger on,

Long after our footprints in the sand are gone

Virginia Beach 2008

We had been back from vacation for a couple of days when I had to get the sunblock out of the beach bag. As I was rifling through it, a ton of sand came pouring out all over the floor and it didn't annoy me one bit!

We headed straight for the beach the morning after we arrived. I could spend all day watching my girls playing in the sand and giggling and shrieking as the waves splash them! Ella kept bringing me "seashells" ....apparently someone eating pistachios had been there prior to us because the shells were everywhere...much to Ella's delight she thought she was finding a ton of seashells...we, of course, never told her different!

My sister had a class the next morning so we loaded up the kids and took them to the Jumpin Monkey. If I were to open a franchise this would be the one!! It's a big place full of bouncy slides and other huge blow up items to climb around on and there are several play areas, too! When I say "we" took the kids to Jumpin Monkey I mean Heath, my Dad and Damien did. My mom and I headed across the parking lot to the mall!

Several evenings we grilled out and the girls played in the backyard!

This is about as much boogie boarding the girls did! As much as they enjoyed being at the beach, once they spotted jellyfish they opted to stay on shore. (Actually there were alot of jellyfish.)

My dad spent alot of time burying kids in the sand! He says he was made for the beach life and would love to move to the ocean and be a street musician! (Of course when we went to the Smoky Mountains he said he was made for mountain life and when we have been camping he swears he was meant to live the peaceful quiet life in the woods.....I suppose when they went to England he was made for the European life (whatever that would be!) When in Rome....

When Wendi had class again on Wednesday we headed to the park with the kids and let them enjoy the day! Later that day we headed out for more shopping. I splurged on a new pair of Croc sandals and my mom and sister both bought the exact same pair. They are the most comfortable shoes ever. When winter comes, I will need a strong reminder from my good friends that you can't wear socks with sandals!

A highlight of the trip was Colonial Williamsburg! I hope to go back there when the girls are older so than get a sense of the history. Regarding the picture above, Ella asked Heath if she could get her picture taken with someone since Marley got hers made with "those pirates."

This picture just cracks me up! Ella asked me if I would take her picture and she walks over to the edge of the road and strikes a pose. Two college girls were walking by and I overheard them saying "America's Next Top Model." This isn't like Ella at all because she doesn't like to be center of attention.

Towards the end of the week Damien took Heath and my dad to Norfolk naval base ship yard. We did this when we were there two years ago and it was really interesting. Me who doesn't know the first thing about ships was even interested in being right next to a battleship, air-craft carrier and submarine.

This 4th of July was by far my favorite in all my 20+ years!! (Shut up) We had to park a good bit out but it was worth every step. We set up camp and just enjoyed the atmosphere, weather and each others company while waiting for the fireworks show. After the show we were all just standing there at the beach not wanting to leave. We new this was our last day and we were going home to pack up and head out early in the morning! Ella was the 1st one to actually say what we were all thinking...she didn't want to leave. We all looked at each other and since neither Heath or my dad had to be to work until Tuesday we said, "Let's stay!!" And so we did.

After the firworks Heath stayed up watching the documentary channel. Out of 80 some channels....go figure. Anyhow, the point is he came across an "interesting" documentary on ice-cream. The segment was on the ice-cream cone (I'm not making this up!) it was talking about the World's 1st ice-cream cone machine and how it was still used today by the same little old man (they didn't actually call him that on t.v.) that has worked there since 1934. They mentioned the name of the diner and said it was in Norfolk, VA. Yeah!! We actually got to eat an ice-cream on a cone that was made in the World's 1st cone machine! Honestly, it didn't taste any different from any other cone I have had but at least I can go to my grave knowing I tasted a bit of history. And truly, Al was really a cute little old man....he wore suspenders!!

So anyhow, to sum up our vacation: we spent alot of time at (in my opinion) the best beach in the known universe; had a great visit with family and played alot of Phase 10; had the most memorible 4th of July ever and even went to Colonial Williamsburg; and ate an ice-cream cone from a really old machine! It was fabulous and I wouldn't change a thing!