the ELLA echo

it's winter in nashville...

...and that means only one thing:  long sleeves on the playground. 

sure, we love the snow--the one day a year we get it--but we love the dragon park too.

"mama, come and see!  i showz you, i think.  wike dis!.......now, do again!"

oops! say "cheeeeeeeeese!"

ella found this tripod and started taking pictures, she appears to have all the mechanics of picture-taking figured out, except for the part about needing a camera.  thank goodness for imaginary media, otherwise she'd have about 2 dozen rolls of film to develop from this sitting alone.

SNOW! SNOW! SNOW!

we don't get much snow here in nashville.  the last snow we had that actually left flakes on the ground was when ella was less than 3 months old.  but she learned what snow is, and has been making snow angels on the kitchen floor for months now.

we finally, FINALLY, got some real snow, and even though it was 9:00 at night, none of us could wait to get in our snow gear and get outside to play!  she was all about making snow angels until she actually sat in the snow--then it was too cold--but she loved catching snowflakes and throwing snowballs, and she's been catching and throwing ever since, lack of snow notwithstanding.

"mama, dada, wet's GOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"i did it!  i catch de snowfwate!"

crying because we had to say good-bye to the snow and go to work:

"fro more snowballs, dada!  fro more!  fro more!  fro more!"

"oooooooooh, daaaaaaa-daaaaaaaaa!  i got you!"

 

whispering sweet nothings

5 things ella has said in her sleep:

1. my turn, mama?  my turn?
2. hen's in twouble!  wha we gonna do???
3. time a wunch!  eat, mama!
4. hmmmmm, met's see......oh, i know!  moke-side!
5. and my all time favorite:  I.  WIKE.  TO.  PWAAAAAAAAAAY!

there's no accounting for taste

kids go thru phases when they only like certain things--they will only eat one food, or they want the same story over and over and over and over--ella is in a phase where she is fixated on a pair of shoes.  if we are at home, they are the only shoes that will do.  if she sees me make so much as a move toward a different pair of shoes, she will firmly shake her head and pronounce, quite patiently, "no, no, no, no, no, no, no, mama.  other shoes." 

HOWEVER--the shoes in question are mine, not hers, and the feet in question are mine too.  and under no circumstances should i even consider wearing any other shoes inside the house:

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dreams remembered

i used to dream i was turning, around and around and around, counting each turn out loud....9, 10, 11, 12....willing myself to keep turning by making myself keep counting.  but i have a feeling that from now on, all my turning dreams will be about spaghetti, and the voice doing all the counting will be 2 years old.

there's always room for one more at ella's table

the table is getting more crowded at every meal but ella never turns anybody away.  guests are having to double up on seats, and some have to bring their own.  but you'll notice that panda gets a chair all to himself.

the parable of the birdies

this is for all you adoptive mothers and fathers, and all you case workers who help find good homes for kids who need them.

as ella says, "once on a time...."

...a little girl found a birdie that had fallen from the christmas tree.

the little girl said, "oh birdie, where's your mother?"  the little girl looked high and low on the tree, and when she found the bird's mother, she made them a nest out of her daddy's hat and put them in the tree together.

the little girl said, "oh birdies, are you hungry?".  they must have said yes, because the little girl was feeding them at her table, when suddenly the little girl's mama heard a crunch, and then the little girl started crying. "oh no....i bwoke it, mama, i bwoke it".  the little girl's mama rushed over to see what had happened, and she found one of the birds in pieces on the floor.  the little girl said over and over, "i sowwy, mama.  i sowwy, mama."

the little girl's mama said, "it's ok, angel, it was an accident, i'll help you pick it up."   and when the mama had picked up all the pieces, the little girl held the unbroken bird up to kiss the broken one, and said, "bye-bye, mama.  bye-bye, baby.  see you later."  and then the little girl's mama started crying too, and wondered how she would ever find the strength to throw out the pieces of the broken bird.

later that morning, the little girl said to her mama, "you hop me, mama?"  and the mama said, "sure, angel, what do you want me to help you with?".  "i showz you!", said the little girl, and she lead her mama over to the christmas tree.  the little girl had the baby birdie in her hand.  "up, up, mama!" she said, and her mama lifted her up so she could see the top of the christmas tree.  "oh, there she is!" cried the little girl, and she pointed to another birdie.  the little girl's mama took the birdie from the tree, handed it to the little girl, and the girl said, "here you go, birdie, here's your mama!".

the little girl found the baby a daddy birdie too.   she put them all in the nest together, snuggled them up to her bear-bear, and whispered, "there--all better!".

and they lived happily ever after.  the end.

the only difference between...

....a bib and an apron is how high you wear it on your body.

 

guest of honor

our neighbors elise and blake gave ella a little panda for christmas.  little did they know, panda would instantly become one of ella's best friends.  panda always gets seated first, he gets served first, he gets spoon fed by the hostess.  thank you, neighbors, he is a beloved member of our family.