Ellie 365: February 2012

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Hide and Seek, Back and Forth

This morning Ellie and I enjoyed a house-wide game of Hide & Seek -- prior to me unplugging my phone from its charger which is why I have no pictures of it. We played in her room, the office, my room, the bathroom, the living room, the kitchen, and even the basement when Ellie followed me downstairs as I went down to clean Mallie's litter box.

Ellie is getting a little better at hiding.. varying her locations and actually picking spots where she can hide her entire body rather than just most of it.

The game continued at the bus stop, but Ellie had a tougher time finding spots to hide there. She went back and forth between the corner with the door leading up to some apartments and the corner of the garage door.

On the way into school after our bus ride Ellie pointed out a rare February sight -- "Look, Daddy! Baby flowers are growing up. The leaves are popping out." Sure enough, the tulips at Schraffts.. as well a those s in our back yard.. are coming up. On Leap Day.

Once inside her preschool room Ellie started painting a picture she said is for Mommy. We'll see how it turns out.

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Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Snap To It

This morning Ellie spotted her "sparkly dolphin" snap bracelet among her stash of birthday present toys. "Grandma and Grandpa Harrer give me this!" Good memory.

She tried several times to get it on herself, but couldn't quite snap it hard enough. Got a little nervous. But.. she didn't seem to have any trouble hitting my wrist hard enough to get the thing to coil around. So.. we spent a few minutes having a few snaps.

Bracing for impact:

Once at school Ellie found a pretty fun surprise waiting for her in her cubby -- an invitation to her friend Kiernan's 3rd birthday party. It's coming up later on in March.

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Monday, February 27, 2012

"Thank you, friends!"

This morning Ellie had a better memory than me. When I told her it was time to put our shoes on and go to the bus stop she told me, "Don't forget the cards to give my friends to say 'Thank you, friends for my birthday.'"

After reminding me to get the "Thank You" cards ready we headed out to drop half in the mail and half in friends' cubbies at school.

On our way from the bus stop by Schraffts Ellie mentioned to me something she saw at "princesses ice skating."

"Remember when Rapunzel's mommy cut her hair, Daddy? That wasn't very nice."

Me: "No it wasn't. You have to ask people if it's okay before you cut their hair."

Ellie: "Yeah. Maybe it's time for me to get my hair cut. It's very long. We can go after school to a hair cut for me?"

Me: "I think we should talk to Mommy before you get your hair cut. She'll probably want to be here for that."

Ellie: "Ooookaaayyyyyy."

Hurry home, Annie! Hehe...

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Sunday, February 26, 2012

Sneak Peek

This is a pooped Ellie following this morning's highly successful family photo shoot.

You'll all see the results.. in time.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012

Take Ellie to Work Day...

...and Take Ellie to Dinner Night.

This afternoon we ran out to Ann's office to scan a document we need to send in for our taxes.. and Ellie was excited to tag along.

After the scan was done, Ellie enjoyed taking a few cuts with the game-used Red Sox bat Ann keeps in her personal office.

Then it was off to 7 News. Ellie always talks about how I "work on the TV" and has been asking more and more recently to see where I work.. so this was a good chance to take her in -- at a non-busy weekend afternoon. She had a good time exploring the News Plex, as some call it, and sitting on the anchor desk "where I see Daddy's friends on the TV."

Later in the evening Ellie and I headed out for a Daddy-Daughter Dinner.. as Ann isn't feeling the greatest tonight. Ellie very much enjoyed her macaroni and cheese.. and French fries.. and even tried a few bites of my pulled pork sliders. She said she liked it, but preferred her pasta.

Then we stopped and wandered through City Square Park on our way back to the car.

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Silly Cinderella

This morning Ellie imagined she was Cinderella -- I mean she usually thinks that, but today she acted out some sketches and asked me to play along.

First she put on Mommy's brown shoes, calling them her "glass slippers," then handed me her magic wand and told me, "Bibbity-Boppity me a pretty princess dress."

Then we sang the corresponding song together and rushed off to the ball in our pumpkin carriage -- just running today.

Once Ellie heard the clock "go bong! It's midnight! Have to hurry home!" she took off, dropping a glass slipper behind her. I chased along, playing the roles of both the prince and the grand duke.

"Where are you going? Please come back."

"Señorita! Mademoiselle!"

At school the Cinderella games ended, but Ellie did decide she wanted me to put her night-night between two bean bags.

Then she picked up the credit card from the play cash register, swiped it in the card reader, and told her friends "it's time to go on the airplane."

I suppose scanning / swiping boarding passes (which look like small, credit card-sized tickets on Virgin America, anyway) *is* what the gate agents do right before you get on your plane.. and Ellie has been on a lot of flights.

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Fired Up for Her Check-Up

This morning, first thing as I walked into her room, Ellie exclaims, "It's Thursday! I go to the doctor today!"

Add that to the fact that it's also Show & Tell Day and Pizza Day at school.. and now you're really talking.

Ellie was once again a model patient at the doctor's office -- receiving compliments on how well she was doing listening to instructions and being very patient. She quietly read a book before the doctor came in. Ironically, it was a book about the history of Illinois. Weird, huh?

She even liked putting on the hospital gown.

Ellie was given a new book for being such a good girl.. as well as her choice of stickers. Much to my surprise she asked for "Dora (the Explorer) stickers" in lieu of princess stickers. The doctor gave her two as a 'thank you' for being so cooperative.

Clean bill of health -- no crying while blood was drawn. Way to go, Ellie!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Inflated Expectations

This morning Ellie was very excited about showing me what came in her birthday present from Aunt Cindy, Uncle Mike, and "my baby Cousin Tristan." I got home from the gym after Ellie was in bed.. and after she and Mommy shared in the unwrapping excitement.

"I got new ponies, Daddy!" She means pony tail bands, but she likes them nonetheless. But.. she seemed to be most excited about the neon glow stick bracelets -- I found one in her bed with her this morning, actually. She probably had a fun time dozing off to the glow -- as well as her "big green balloon" (a punching balloon).

I had to explain that it won't float in the air because we don't have the "special gas" (Helium) that was put in her birthday balloons, but this one is still fun because you can bounce it on your hand. Unfortunately.. I couldn't get the rubber band tied onto the base.. which disappointed her a little.. until I blew it up, let it go, and we watched it fly wildly around the room. She thought that was pretty funny.. and chased it all over as I kept blowing it up and watching it go.

Before heading to school Ellie was convinced she could fit in my gym shoes "because they're white like my gym shoes, see Daddy?" Nevermind them being about 12 sizes too big.

Once at school Ellie and Kiernan were being silly by putting some pegs from the peg boards on their fingers and wiggling them around.

I also noticed a chart the class made describing their favorite colors. Surprise, surprise.. Ellie's is pink. That's a pretty consistent answer. She also remembers, though, that my favorite colors are orange and blue.

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Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Princess-Inspired Playtime

But, really, that's nearly all the time for Ellie.

This morning Ellie asked that I put on Cinderella -- but not *all* of Cinderella. "Can I watch Cinderella going to the ball and losing her glass slipper and getting married?" That really only amounts to about 19 minutes of the movie, but I guess those are the good parts.

While watching the scene where the Prince greeted the ladies at the ball Ellie practiced her curtsies.

Ellie also likes to "get married" -- to just about anybody or anything. What she calls "getting married" is simply holding somebody's (or some doll or stuffed animal's) hand and running, then "sitting down in your pumpkin carriage" and "waving to all the people" -- like Cinderella does at the end of her movie.

After that we played in the basement for a while and spent a bit reminiscing about Ellie's birthday party. She sang "Happy Birthday" to herself, too.

(Upon arrival at school Ellie even thanked Meara, Kiernan, and Chadwick for coming to her party -- unprompted. She would have thanked her other school friends who came, but it was only those three attendees at school before I left.)

Before we even left for school, though, Ellie did some more movie reenactment. This time lifting "pretty lanterns (balloons) high up into the sky like Rapunzel."