Princess Day and Water Play Day

Now that it is summer, Fridays are special at school. Today was the first fun Friday and it is Princess/Superhero day and a water play day. So Ellie went to school with her princess dress on with a bathing suit on and wearing her water shoes/sandals. We took another set of clothes and shoes to change into later.
She didn't want to wear her "new princess dress" because she said the sleeves hurt with sunscreen on. So we wore her old princess dress. We also wore a necklace, because now all princesses wear necklaces. She didn't want to wear a crown or headband. She didn't really want me to take any pictures, so the pictures I got weren't that great.








Getting her buckled into her carseat was hilarious with her dress on. She was concerned about it. But there was so much skirt we barely were able to buckle her in. I didn't get a picture, but it was funny.

I talked to the teachers, the water play consists of a water table and some sprinklers. Ellie is going to be so happy to run in the sprinklers. She did tell me that the water could make her sunscreen go away, so she would be careful. I have no idea where that came from.

Once at school, she wanted to show me the flag she colored in. I don't think she grasps the cocept of the American flag, the 4th of July or even what a country is. She asked me if Fathers Day was all done. I said yes, she then asked what the next party is, I told her the 4th of July, Independence Day. "what do we do for that?" she asked. I told her we would talk to Daddy.





She went straight to the computer again. I sat with her while she played a few of the games like matching letters and images of things that sound like specific letters (ex. you are shown the letter C and have to match it to an image of something that starts with the sound C makes, cape, nose, or mouse). Ellie did really well.




Not sure if you can tell in the photo above, but Ellie clicked on her name and then "OK" all by herself. 




Nighttime update: She stayed in bed overnight last night. But bedtime wasn't as smooth. No tantrums, but she came out of her room like 10 times. She came out once around 9pm and declared that she had taken a little nap and was ready to get up. Sorry honey...back to bed you go.

180 degrees

No not temperature. But the title refers to how different this morning was from other days.

I got home from work late and missed Ellie's bedtime. However, Nick reported that it was tantrum free. Ellie slept through the whole night, didn't come out of her room once, and didn't have any accidents overnight.

This morning, she woke up around 6:50 and was happy. She willingly got dressed and let me put on sunscreen. She didn't fuss at all (what a difference a good night of sleep makes for everyone!).

I decided that because the night had gone so well we could put a sticker on Ellie's Rapunzel doll chart, and she got another sticker to wear to school. She knew she was well behaved and she was rewarded for it.




She also didn't want to wear her regular shoes, opting (without prompting) to wear her new shoes. Previously she decided she wouldn't wear them because they hurt her feet. Today, she was happy to wear them (with socks). I did take her old sneakers to school, just in case she decides she doesn't like these.



On our way to the car she observed I had a lot if things to carry. She asked to take her lunchbox. "I have a lot of things to carry too now, but that's okay".




She was excited to go to school, telling me all about a flag drawing she did and how Ms. Hyde was back and how tomorrow was water play day.




At school she went straight for her regular, typical, favorite magnetic dolls. Then she stopped, put them back on the shelf, and said, "Mommy, I want to show you Clifford". She then proceeded to go over to one of the three iMacs the school has, turn it on, "wait for it to load, mommy", used the mouse to click on the Clifford program, turned down the volume because it was too loud for her, and then showed me how to find her name once the program loaded so it would load her "game", and then play her game.

I was impressed with how she did everything by herself. She explained it all to me as she went along as well. She showed me the "arrow that moves when I move this, see mommy?" and how to click on the things.

When I told her I had to go, she said to me, "have a good day at work mommy. See you later!". Then she turned back to her game.

See, 180 degrees from where we were.

Better...

We had a little bit better night time last night. Her battle wasn't so physical or loud and only lasted about half the standard length of time. She has expressed she's afraid of the dark now (new space?) so we left the light on in the bathroom for her. I check on her around 10:00pm, she's sound asleep and I turn off the bathroom light (gotta conserve electricity).

Well, around 11 when I'm going to bed, I hear her get up...uh oh...I find a half asleep Ellie running into our room. She says to me, "the light is out. I'm scared". I tell her it's okay, I'll turn it back on. Then I ask if she has to use the potty (I'm not goin to miss an opportunity...I'm sick of washing her sheets). She uses the potty and crawls right into bed (with the bathroom light on).

I didn't hear a peep from her again. I woke her up at 6:45am. So better, not ideal, but better.

She knows she did better too because as soon as she was awake, she ran to the fridge and got a squishy yogurt and a leftover chocolate milk (I didn't buy it and I'm not sure how it arrived in our fridge) and declared, "I slept in my bed. I get a special treat!".



We finished the yogurt at school.















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Trouble

Ellie hasn't been going to bed easily. It's a struggle nightly. She also hasn't been staying in bed. She has also been using the potty to manipulate us (saying she has to go and either not going or only going a little bit so next time she says she has to go, she proves herself right by going potty).

We aren't having relaxing evenings. We aren't sleeping. And Nick is beyond exhausted with his weird hours. Last night, he went into work at 11:30pm! But he didn't get decent sleep because Ellie battled us, wouldn't stay in her bed, and had an "accident" which was really a ploy for attention.

This morning we had a LONG talk on the way to school. Ellie knows that her actions have made mommy and daddy angry and sad. When I got her out of the car...this was how she looked.














Can you make out the single tear on her cheek?

This morning she didn't fuss when I said I had to go. She just said, "okay mommy. I won't throw a tantrum I don't want to make you sad".

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Monday

After a fun weekend it was time to get back to the daily routine and school. Ellie asked if Susie would pick her up and I reminded her we dropped Susie off at the airport. Ellie said, "she take her plane back to Boston and a taxi car to her house in Cambridge?" I said yes and was impressed she was able to separate the two cities...



We did take our wand to school though.

And there was a surprise at school. Mrs. Hyde was back! Ellies primary teacher had surgery about a month ago and is now back at school! We are so excited she is back and all is well.

Of course, Ellie just wanted to play with the dress-up dolls.



Ellie did sleep all night in her own bed, but we had a rough time going to bed. I'm sure the 2.5 hr nap I'm the car starting at 4:30pm didn't help...

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Coffee Restaurant

Look who got conned into letting Ellie sleep with her after mommy said no...



Susie, Ellie and I woke up early and headed to the "coffee restaurant" also know as Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf for a special breakfast.

Ellie rode her scooter.



She did a good job stopping at the corners, waiting for us, and walking across the stree holding hands. In the photo above, she's riding down Colorado Blvd in Old Town Pasadena.








At the coffee restaurant Ellie got chocolate milk and a donut.




Oh yeah!!

Happy Birthday to Me!




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Aunt Susie approved...

...Of Ellie's outfit.



It was another early morning for us. Susie helped Ellie get dressed.



Typically, I don't care about Ellies school outfits. As long as she is comfortable, can play, and if it gets stained...I don't care. Susie doesn't have to get a 3 year old dressed daily and wanted more thought in Ellies outfit. Ellie wanted the princess shirt an colorful skirt combo, and despite Susie's brief attempt to put her in a solid color top, she decided she approved of the outfit.



Like I said, it was an early morning. We got to school before they opened (they open at 7:00am) and had to wait for the teacher to unlock the door. Ellie finished her breakfast and waited patiently for school.







Did I mention Aunt Susie is in town? Yeah, we are excited!



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No sticker for Ellie...

She didn't stay in bed. She battled us for an hour going to bed. Not a good night. She actually got up once, wandered around the apartment and then went back to her room and back to sleep. However, at 3:00am she had an accident in her bed and had to sleep with me. (Nick: sheets are in washer).

She was pretty excited that Susie will be here today. "aunt Susu take a taxi car? Is she gonna take a plane like us mommy? The same plane mommy?" she can't wait for Susie to arrive.

At school we spotted something new.



Some sort of spiky, spiny seed pod or "pine cone mommy?". Ellie was intrigued, but not enough to take it in to school to show her friends and teachers.






Before she could play today, Ellie had to finish her breakfast. She was talking too much about Susie coming to finish it in the car.

Today we had a peaceful, no crying, "see you later mommy" goodbyes. Yesterday we had one too, but I figured it was a fluke because she was still groggy from getting up so early. Today was pleasant and peaceful.

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Guess what?!?

Ellie slept in her OWN bed all night!



I didn't wake up at 1:45am to a little girl standing by my bed saying, "mommy, I have to pee."




Nor did I wake up at 3:00am crawling into be with me. In fact I woke up at 5:00am and was a little cold as there wasn't a warm body next to me.



I actually had to wake Ellie up a little earlier than normal as I had to drop her off at school right at 7:00am. She was a little cranky.



I told her how happy I was and how proud her daddy and i were that she was a big girl and slept in her own be all night.

We also put a special sticker on her sleep chart (the first sticker). After five stickers she gets a special Rapunzel doll!!



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Doctor

This morning I took Ellie to her new doctor. She was actually really excited to go. She brought along "baby sister" because she thought she needed a check-up too.

The visit went well. I like the new doctor. Ellie did too. She said the tube in her right ear had fallen out an appeared healed, but the one in the left was still there.

Ellie paid attention, was shy, courteous, took directions well, and was only upset when her visit was done (she wanted to see more doctors) and when I asked if I could take a picture.



No love! She kept turning away from me when I tried to take her picture. At least you can see how long her hair is.

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Home Day

Sorry for the lack of photos yesterday...not a good morning and to prevent a full on melt down I left school as soon as Ellie made contact with her teacher.

Ellie doesn't have school today. Yesterday was the last day of the official school year, summer school starts on Monday.

Until Nick gets home from work...I'm trying to work from home.

Ellie wanted to wear her Sleeping Beauty dress this morning. She is doing a good job keeping herself occupie by dancing, coloring, and...playing Disneyland!

Playing Disneyland includes riding rides (park the stroller, wait in line, sit and hold on) and pretending to be a princess meeting with friends and posing for photos. She always thanks her "friends" who came to visit her as Sleeping Beauty.

Here are some photos of her coloring. I'm sitting on the other side of the table working.










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Again?

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