Ms. My mom stifled my fashion creativity!

Yes, I did. Her outfit today is a very interesting combination. Here is a summary of how it came together:

1. It's cold today and raining so she needed to wear pants (mom)
2. Sick of wearing pants, Ellie was determined to wear a skirt.
3. Last Friday of the month is school shirt day, so she wore her shirt.
4. Ellie freaked because her shirt was too big and didn't feel right, so she requested and picked out the long sleeve shirt.
5. Boots of course... It's raining!

Result:


I dont even know what to call it...BoHo preppy?

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Ms. Practical

This morning Ellie was a little reluctant to get out of bed. When I asked her if she was going to be Ms. Crankypants again, she gave me a sly smile, said no, and slowly started to get out of bed. However, when I mentioned that it was raining outside, she jumped out of bed and ran to her dresser and said the following:

"If its raining Mommy then it'll be a little chilly. i'll have to wear pants and a long sleeve shirt so I don't get too cold. And I need my rain boots and rain jacket. Can I take my umbrella mommy? That way I don't have to worry about my clothes getting wet. We should bring my other shoes to school too because I can't wear my rain boots all day, that would be silly!"

So she got dressed rapidly and was excited to run out the door and jump in every puddle she could find.

Ellie ate her breakfast with her friend at school.

However practical Ellie was this morning, I was very impressed with the work that I found in her cubby. Ellie wrote out all the dates on a calendar for November. I know it took her a long, quite a bit of patience, hard work, and a little erasing. But she wrote her numbers 1-30 on a calendar.

The most impressive thing? Ellie wrote 4 different words. When I asked Ellie what she wrote she said, "This first word is the "m" word. M goes mmmm". She wrote mom. I asked the teacher. She said Ellie is using the Montessori moveable alphabet where they combine sounds to "build" words. She said Ellie is working towards reading as she will begin to recognize letters and the sounds that they make and the words that then get built. So the "big kid work" that Ellie did yesterday was to build 4 words (mom, sam, cat, wet) and then write them.

Ellie was very excited to show me this work and asked if I would put it on the refrigerator. I said I would.

Side note: A few weeks ago Ellie saw that i had put some of her "work" in the recycling bin. She was a little upset and asked me. I told her that this specific work wasn't completely right that it looked like she maybe hadn't focused as well as other work. This specific item was a worksheet where she had practiced writing the numbers 1-10. She had done several of the numbers backwards, so I pointed this out. I told her that when she had "good" work that she had focused on and tried really hard and the numbers weren't backwards, we could put it on the fridge. So yes, the calendar and words will go on the fridge.

Ms. Cranky-pants

She was NOT happy to wake up. I'm not sure what was with this morning as BOTH of us had trouble, like real trouble, sleeping through alarm trouble, this morning.

















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I'm Ellie and I Like Barbies now

Barbie went to school for sharing day.


My kid, loving her Barbies? Yeah, not ready for that.


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Flat Tire

This morning as Ellie and I were loading the car I head to school, I noticed I had a flat tire. I immediately saw the nail an knew it was going to be a LONG morning.





I called AAA and Ellie Waited patiently inside.









AAA arrived in about 15 minutes. I guess there aren't too many calls at 6:50am the Monday after Thanksgiving.

The guy laughed at the corrosion on the tire rim and asked where we had moved from. Yeah, it was all fun and games until, because of corrosion, he couldn't get the wheel off the axle thing and had to call another guy to come and help. Through the whole thing Ellie was very interested and stayed out of the way. She found it hilarious that Nick and I have both had flat tires since moving to California. Maybe we just need to stay away from the airport...seems everything we go there to pick someone up, someone gets a flat!






Ellie thought the spare (which is full size) was ugly. I agree.



So today, Ellie went from being the first kid to school, to being the last to arrive. Yep, she was late to school...

Happy Monday everyone!!


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Feast!!!

Ellie was so excited for the feast she didn't finish her breakfast. I don't think she intentionally skipped breakfast to save room for lunch, I think she was jay super pumped.

When we got to school her classroom was all decorated and ready for the big feast.







We brought juice boxes for the class, and Ellie helped her teacher set the table.














She was so happy when I left! She can't wait for this feast, and then to see Aunt SuSu and then for Thanksgiving!



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Funny Yogurt Faces

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Selfish intentions

So over the weekend we cleaned our pantry and went shopping for canned food to bring to school so "everyone can eat". Ellie was very excited to take the food in today and put it in the collection box.








However, after we deposited the canned food, Ellie ran to her teacher to declare she had brought in canned food. And then she got to pick out a special sticker.




Turns out she didn't want to feed everyone and help those who have less...she just wanted a sticker!

Well, we will have to have some conversations at home!

Side note: I asked where the food donations were going. The church adjacent to school is collecting and will donate to the local food bank and their known less fortunate in their community.

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Morning antics

Ellie was CRANKY this morning. However, she had a nightmare or minor terror last night which may have totally thrown her off.

We had a bit if an issue picking out something for breakfast. We both compromised to a combination breakfast of applesauce and some animal crackers. However, because of her mood and breakfast debate, there wasn't time to eat at home.

But she did multi task while debating the merits of candy for breakfast...



At least shoes hasn't been the big fight lately. She isn't wearing socks, just shoes. But she has learned that only she knows how to do it the right tightness. So now, Nick and I dont have to battle her on that or put her shoes on. And when the shoes dont feel right, she understands whose fault it is.



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She's a listener!

First thing Ellie said to me when she woke up was, "Mommy, don't forget we have to bring in canned food to school so everyone can eat." tis the season. She said she wanted to help pick out good food with me at the store.

Of course this conversation turned into talking about te holidays and going to Chicago. Which she was super excited about. Here is my best memory of the running speech the whole trip to school:

"mommy, I'm going to Chicago with Daddy, we have to take a plane like when we came from Boston. My cousins live there. Remember my cousins mommy? Devon and Kyle are my big cousins. I want to play with them and their lizard again. That was fun. But they are my big cousins. I have a baby cousin too. Tristan is my baby cousin. I'm going to help him walk, because he can walk holding on to something, like my hand. Okay mommy? Mu Aunt Cindy is Tristans mom. I like Aunt Cindy too mommy. And my other little cousins William and Caroline. I liked watching Gruffalo with them mommy, that was fun. Do you think Caroline's mommy will let us watch it again...maybe we won't tell her, it's a secret. Mommy will Devon and Kyle play with me? How old are they? Are they old enough to drink soda?"

Now, the remarkable thing isn't she remembered all her cousins and their respective ages, because Ellie is good at that.

No, the remarkable thing is that she remembered the bearded lizard, "Beardy" who is Devon and Kyles pet AND that we watched Gruffalo the movie with William and Caroline last time she was in Chicago.

Her memory never ceases to amaze me.



Here she is showing me the box for canned goods at school.

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I like Aunt SuSu!

I think Ellie is excited about Thanksgiving. This morning se asked when it was Thanksgiving day. I told her next week. She then launched into a 5 minute long speech about what Thanksgiving was about, which included this technical description.

"we got to grandma and grandpas house an the family sits at a table and eats the big chicken."

When she paused for a breathe, I reminded her Aunt Susie was coming for a visit.

She pretty much yelled, "I LIKE AUNT SUSU!"

So yeah, maybe a little excited.






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Strike a Pose!

Ugh! What a morning...Ellie climbed into bed with me around 2:00am. I then had a restless few hours of being kicked in the stomach as Elle slept sideways in bed.

Then at 5:37, only 8 minutes before my first alarm goes off, I am awakened by a panicked Ellie shaking me and crying and saying, "mommy, I'm sorry I accidentally peed in your bed!".

Obviously I threw her out of bed, well nicely picked her up and carried her to the bathroom. Fortunately she only got herself very mildly wet, woke up, stopped herself, and woke me up. We both searched for wet spots on the bed and couldn't fun anything. But we were up.

And grumpy.

Her waffle had too much syrup. she didn't like any of her clothes. Her hair did not cooperate and her pony tail may be a low point for me.
I then remembered my car Was almost out of gas. Since we got up early anyway, we left and stopped to get gas.

We still got to school 10 min early. So I asked her to pose for me.



She said that was her Superman pose. Yes, that is the purple hoodie Grandma Pam made as Ellie wore almost everyday like 2 years ago. Still fits. And it's the only outer ware, besides the princess sparkly partial sweater thing, she will wear. Because its purple it's okay. She doesn't do other colors this month apparently.

Then I asked for a nice pose.


A cross between a first day of school with the lunchbox and a superman pose. Almost passable.

I asked her for a really nice pose.



I guess this is a thumbs up from me too.

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Ellie's Hollywood Adventure (cont.)

After leaving the TV station yesterday Ellie and I had some fun at Universal Studios. Folks as small as Ellie can't go on many of the rides, but because of the kids under 4 are free.

We went on the Studio Tour (though she liked parts of it.. "the bus ride" was a bit too long and informational for her). We did have fun playing at Curious George's play area, watching the Shrek 4D movie and the Blues Brothers perform, as well as meeting some famous folks...












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Happy Veterans Day (aka Ellie goes to Hollywood)

No school today. But nick and I still have to work. Where is Aunt Susie when you need her?

This morning Ellie was pumped singing and dancing to princess music, but spent the majority of her time coloring an playing with her letter thingie game.



However, the funniest thing she did was create a Tea Cup ride in her room for her little Playmobil people. Definitely an E ticket ride when Ellie is in charge.






Then we were off to Hollywood! Ellie was excited. I made more pumpkin muffins last night.



We met up with Nick at his station and got quite a tour.



We met his coworkers and friends and saw where all the news-magic happened. The traffic reporter, Ginger, was really nice to Ellie and let her sit on her chair and see herself on TV.










I hope the day goes smoothly for Nick with Ellie! Hopefully she will take a LONG nap!

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