'Allo Old Chap!

I think Ellie has been taking an added interest lately in grooming and personal care / hygiene -- which is good, I suppose. Part of it comes through watching Ann and I on our daily routines (like watching Mommy put on her makeup), but the rest is definitely getting ingrained.

The other morning Ellie asked me if she could use some "armpit lotion" (deodorant).. and I wasn't putting any on at the time. She's very good about insisting on washing her hands whenever she goes to the bathroom. And this morning she got onto one of her favorite subjects -- chap stick.








She very much enjoys applying the chap stick.. then showing it off. And.. she's only ruined a couple sticks by smashing the cap back onto a rolled out chap stick stack. (Sorry, Aunt SuSu.) But at home she now has her own chap stick.. and she's been pretty careful with that one.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

"Ellie's coming...

...Ellie's coming, my friends. Don't worry!"

That's what Ellie said as we reached the sidewalk outside the Schrafft's Center this morning. She also told me, "I'm excited to play with Kiernan in preschool! And Meara comes soon, too!" She seems quite happy some of her old, good friends are finally joining her in the "big girl room."

We decided we'd like to take a walk to school today since it's quite nice outside again -- and Ellie wanted Mommy to know that the stroller has a bubble on it in case it's raining this evening. (Annie.. if you feel like leaving the stroller at school if it's easier for you to manage just with Ellie and an umbrella, that's fine. We can get the stroller another time.)








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Back to School

It was back to school this morning for Ellie -- on another unseasonably warm day in November.



It doesn't feel much like Christmas, but Ellie enjoyed seeing the holiday decorations the Grasshopper has put up.



Once at school Ellie got right to painting with water colors -- something she seems to enjoy doing much more than she enjoys drawing. She is also excited to welcome her old friend Kiernan to preschool.. as she's beginning her transition from Toddler 2 this week. She wasn't there when I left, but Ellie said she's going to teach her all about "being a little big girl, not a way big girl."






- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weekend Getaways

It's been a while since I've done a post because of the long weekend. It was a pretty fun one, though.

On Friday Ann, Susie, Ellie and I headed down to "America's Hometown" -- Plymouth -- to mark Thanksgiving at the site of the very first one. We had fun climbing around the Mayflower II, eating fried seafood, and seeing the rock. Ellie also made sure to give a big statue of Chief Massasoit a big hug.






At the playground on Saturday Ellie drove me to the airport -- where she told me we had to run to get our plane on time, and fly to California and Chicago -- all without leaving the playground.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

No, thanks!

That's what we all say to the weather today. It's pretty chilly and rainy out. Typical November, really. We've just been spoiled with sunny and 65 degree-plus days.

Anyway.. Not too many pictures today, as rain typically puts a damper on our photographic fun. I do have a couple funny stories to impart, though. While helping Ellie get ready to head out into the rain I asked to take her picture "with all her rain gear on."

Ellie was quick to point out, "I'm not wearing a reindeer."





Mommy was kind enough to give me and Ellie a ride down to school this morning since it was raining. I didn't want to get my umbrella out of my backpack since it's just a short distance up the front door.. and Ellie didn't want to put her rain hat back on.. so I told her we were going to have to run.

Reluctantly, Ellie said, "Okay."

On our dash to the front door Ellie became quite concerned, "My hair! My pretty hair! My pretty hair is getting wet!"

Didn't know she was this vain.

Once inside school Ellie headed over to the art table in preschool to draw her own monster. She did a very good job tracing around all the curves of a stencil that helps you draw the shape of the monster's head. After that.. you can draw whatever kind of funny facial features you want. We'll see what Ellie comes up with.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hop to It?

This morning began with Ellie taking off on her own for a cross-country voyage. "I hop to California and Chicago, Daddy. You stay here. Hop, hop, hop!"


Hope she makes it in time for the Christmas parties.

After the hopping was done and our coats were on began the Great Hat Fight of November '11. Ellie was dead set against wearing a hat on this 35-degree morning, continuing to take it off.. until we got outside, that is. She told me her head was cold and didn't want to get sick and wanted to wear her hat. Wise choice.








My next quest is making mittens or gloves a regular winter accessory. She wears them at times, but they're off-and-on -- quite literally.

Once at school Ellie had a good time doing some stamps at the art table while musing to me about how big a mess Chadwick was making at the sensory table. He was throwing those little plastic screws and bolts and nuts for kids to practice with every which way. As you can see, Ellie turned a disapproving eye his way a couple times.


"Chadwick makes a big mess. I don't make a mess. I do stamps."

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hangin' with Ellie

This morning I came into Ellie's room carrying a big basket of clothes saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho, Merry Clothes-mas! My name is Santa Clothes!"

Ellie, even after just waking up, was quick to correct me. "Santa doesn't bring clothes! He brings toys! You're Daddy, not Santa! Silly Daddy."



I let her know she was right, but also that Santa *does* bring clothes sometimes.. and clothes can be a very nice gift.

Before getting dressed Ellie wanted to help me put her clothes away. She knows where her shirts and pants and socks go.. and she's getting very good at putting dresses on hangers.. and did a good job fitting them on sleeve by sleeve. She just can't reach high enough to hang them yet.











Ellie also taught me a new song this morning. While getting dressed up on her changing pad, she picked up her brush and started "brushing" the princesses' hair on her picture there, singing, "Brush, brush, brush your hair.. I will sing along. Brush, brush, brush your hair.. I will sing along." (to the tune of "Row, Row, Row Your Boat.")



I asked if she learned that in school and she said, "Yeah. And we sing it for brushing teeth, too." A little encouragement from friends is always a good thing, I guess.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weeeeeee!

Ellie took advantage of the unseasonably warm November weather this morning -- 70 degrees in the week of Thanksgiving -- by spending a good amount of time at the playground this morning.

As you can see, she especially liked going down the twisty slide head-first.








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Lazy Bones?

You know the old adage, "Let sleeping Ellies lie?" (Modified only slightly from the original, "Let sleeping Annies lie.") Usually excellent advice.. but today I had to break it -- or at least I thought I did.

Seven thirty rolls around and not so much as a peep came from Ellie's room.. so I head in to investigate. What did I find, but a little girl laying wide awake in her bed not making a sound.

"Hi, Ellie," I said, "I thought you were still sleeping."

"No. I'm awake. I'm just thinking," she says. She then explains to me how she was thinking about her friends at school, pizza, Christmas, and baby Tristan.


Then Ellie told me she was going to hide and that I should "watch this!":


She thought it was funny I found her so quickly.


Then.. still not wanting to get out of her big girl bed, Ellie told me she was pretending to be Little Red Riding Hood. She says she read the story with her friends. Must have been at school. "But this not a hood. It's my ladybug blanket, but that's okay!"


Before heading outside we made sure to get all bundled up. Temperatures are only in the low-30s today. And this is after a couple weeks of 60-70 degree weather here in November. Brrrrrr!

Ellie demonstrated how cold it is while wearing her favorite strawberry hat -- which she picked out on her own.


She's pretending to shiver in that picture. "It's coooooooooold!" she says. Indeed it is, but at least we're not talking the single digits that will roll around in January.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Parent-Teacher Conference

Mommy and Daddy had a night out last night as we went to a concert (Social Distortion and Foo Fighters for those who are interested). Mommy and Daddy didn't get home till after midnight. Mommy and Daddy had to still get up early to get Ellie to school early for our parent-teacher conference.

That's our excuse for why Mommy and Daddy didn't take any pictures today. Sorry.

Yes, we had a real parent-teacher conference today. We met with her toddler teacher as she hadn't been in preschool long enough for the teachers there to give an assessment of her development and social skills.

We weren't told anything we didn't know. Ellie is advanced in pretty much everything (except fine motor skills where she is average, but I contend she just doesn't like to color and therefore it wasn't a true assessment). She is social and emotional. She is stubborn and is testing her boundaries at every opportunity. She loves to sing and dance (her gross motor skills are advanced). She has a great imagination. Her vocabulary and communication skills are awesome. The teacher told us she was really smart multiple times during the conversation.

Wish List?

For the past couple days, since it arrived in the mail, Ellie has really enjoyed going through that Little Tikes catalog you see there. She flips through the pages noting which toys she's played with before -- "I have this at home. This one's at school. Shayna have this (a bouncy house) at her home."


She also likes finding toys (play houses, little kids beds, baby paraphernalia, etc.) that looks fun -- "Ooooh. I like this one. I have it for Christmas?"

Ellie also has taken the time to ask which toy on each page we like best -- "What is your favorite here Mommy and Daddy?"



After perusing the catalog.. Ellie decided she wanted to take a previously and strictly "home only" object to school for Show & Tell -- her trusty red blanky. She seemed pretty okay with taking it, but made a point to tell us, "I only show my friends. They no touch." We'll see how that goes over, though she did take great care tucking it safely away in her cubby at school when we arrived. "I save this for Show and Tell. No friends take."





Before we arrived at school we had a fun game of Hide & Seek. Ellie thought the light pole was a good enough spot in which to hide from me. It wasn't.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Weather with Ellie

This morning Ellie was convinced it was going to rain. Some showers actually are in the forecast, though none have fallen yet, but I didn't tell her about that.

I come downstairs after getting dressed to find Ellie having a bowl of Raisin Bran when she takes my hand and leads me to the window. "It's gonna rain, Daddy. See? Clouds are up there (pointing to the gray sky outside the window)."

Well.. it was cloudy.. and could rain.. so we got her rain boots and rain jacket on. Once outside Ellie felt the need to reiterate to me that there were "clouds up there.. AND it's windy."



At the bus stop (well, the chairs outside the Grasshopper) she actually requested her picture be taken. "Take my picture please. I show grandma and grandpa my rain boots I'm wearing."


Then.. on the bus.. Ellie showed me the "fun way" to ride. "I go on my knees on the boat, too!" (She means on her class trip to the aquarium from a couple weeks back.)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Shadow Games

It's another unusually nice November morning, so Ellie and I took advantage and went on a short walk around our block before heading to the bus stop. We were looking especially for the kitty cat who lives in the house behind ours, but we didn't see him. Oh well.. it was still fun.

Along the way Ellie decided she wanted to try holding opposite hands -- reaching across her body to hold my hand.. while keeping her other one in her pocket. She called this "funny way holding hands walk".. in case any of you are ever requested to play.



Once at the bus stop Ellie said she wanted to show me something. "I show you my serious face. No laughing now."





I laughed, though.. and got lectured: "Laughing is not very serious, Daddy."

After that Ellie played some hide-and-seek with her shadow.. using the utility box and the house on the corner as cover.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Dance Party

This afternoon Ellie and I went to a concert for kids. The band was a local kids entertainment group and the set list included a lot of songs which got the kids jumping. We saw lots of friends there and had a great time!




Ellie was so excited for the concert (aka dance party), that she wanted to wear her fancy party skirt.

She was a little shy at first, but eventually warmed up to the concept of jumping...I mean dancing, in a big group of kids.
Here are a few photos from the concert.













I'm pretty sure we will have an early bedtime tonight.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone