Feast Day!!

Today is the multicultural feast at school. Ellie was so excited she woke up early. But instead of coming and bothering me, when I went to wake her up at her usual time she was in her bed, with her light on, reading the playmobil catalog. I asked her what she was doing and she said, figuring out what to ask for Christmas. Fair enough...

Anyway the feast...but before we get to that there was a new addition in the classroom. Tadpoles! She was excited to show me and explain how they will turn into frogs, but she already knew that because she went to natural history museum camp.






Okay, the feast. We took rolls. Last night she helped me make them and remembered how to knead bread and that it had to rise and rest (quick study).









We took the 24 rolls to school in a big bowl covered with a towel. She was excited to show her friends and tell how she had helped make them.







After she put the bowl on the feast table she asked me to take her picture with her best friends.


Happy Thanksgiving Eve. Hopefully those of you not in SoCal are able to stay warm and avoid the wet/snowy weather.

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Is it the feast yet?

Ellie is very much looking forward to her feast at school and for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow the school is going a family multi-cultural potluck feast. Each family is supposed to bring something representing their heritage. What we we signed up to bring? Rolls. White bread rolls. But hey, looking at her isn't she one of the whitest people you know?

It was a decision made by logistics (I couldn't get a warm main dish of gnocchi/shells/etc to school with my work schedule) and this is something Ellie can help make at home. And isn't that more important? Plus I know they will get gobbles up at school.

Also, yesterday we got her school portrait. She totally took an awesome photo! No squinty eyes, hair looks good, great smile...fake but doesn't look fake. And the bright blue background totally makes her eyes pop.


She was a little groggy at school and upset that she would only get to see Aunt Susie for a few days (instead of her desired 100 days to spend with Susie). But I hope her day got better...






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Busy weekend

We had a busy weekend and so when it came time to get up and go to school...Ellie just wanted a few more minutes.

Saturday we spent the morning at the mall, including nick and Ellie going "ice skating". The mall had a free setup where you could borrow skates and skate on a PVC (or PMMA) surface. No ice required. Then Ellie had a birthday party in the evening. Since the kid wouldn't nap, she begged to go to bed at 6:30pm.

Sunday because she had had so much fun "ice skating" I took her back to the mall for more. As I'm pregnant, I did not partake. The rules said if the kid was 4 they could skate. But that didn't stop the people running the thing to question me and give me sideways stares or get judges from other parents for letting her skate without me. That was of course until she got out on the "ice" and made the other older kids and adults look like fools as they kept falling and she went on her way skating and smiling without a sore bum at the end of it. Obviously her dad taught her well the day before.












And then we came home and baked three dozen thanksgiving sugar cookies which Ellie helped me decorate (photo below is one I did on my own. Ellie had some unique creations herself).



Today, although tired, she was happy to go to school. She wanted pig tails for swimming because she said her pony gets in the way during nap...I totally get it!



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Friendship Soup

Today is sharing day, school shirt day and Friendship Soup Day. All kids brought in soup materials (broth, noodles, various veggies) to contribute to a soup the kids will make today. Ellie brought potatoes (see Wednesdays post). She apparently had a chance to clean and cut up the potatoes with teacher assistance. It'll be interesting what she thinks of the soup.

Today is also school shirt day, which makes getting dressed easy.

And it sharing day. No toys are permitted. Ellie usually comes up with good ideas for sharing day. Today she wanted to take a picture of her baby brother to school. During our 20 week ultrasound the doc printed our multiple copies of some of the pictures so Ellie could have her own. So that's what she took. It'll be interesting to see how she describes the picture and how it was taken. She asked a lot of questions this morning, but it's not easy to explain ultrasounds to a 4 year old.






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What is the best way to wake up Ellie?

Sorry, forgot to upload this yesterday...

What is the best way to wake up Ellie and get her to bounce out if bed, without grumpiness or fussiness or normal morning dragging? I have figured it out!

Tell her it is raining!

It is a rainy day out here in LA, the first of the season really. When I told her it was raining she was out if bed and off to get her umbrella and rain jacket faster than I have ever seen her move in the morning. And she was all smiles! And still smiles when I told her her rain boots didn't fit and she couldn't wear her Uggs.

At least there is one person out here who enjoys the rain!








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Mistress of Grumpy!

I don't know what happened today. She got to sleep in. Ate her favorite breakfast first thing. Got to read a new toy catalog during breakfast. Ate at her own speed. No early morning rush today.

But for some reason just before it was time to do her hair she snapped. She lost it. Everything was wrong and it was my fault. She threw preschool insults my way (I'm a poopyhead, I'm not her favorite mom, she doesn't want to ever play with me again, etc). And her hair didn't even have that many tangles! She was pissed.

After some time to cool off in the bathroom (a timeout) she was okay with me putting her hair up. But she wanted nothing else to do with me.

When we made it to school she was not happy. No normal hugs and kisses for me. She walked in and sat at a table alone with her arms crossed. Her teacher asked if she was feeling all right and I explained that she was grumpy this morning and needed some time to calm down and relax.

But we did remember to bring the potatoes for her schools cooking activity this Friday.



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Getting ready for the feast

Next week is know to Ellie as the week of the feast. At school they are gearing up with new decorations, cooking a soup on Friday, and planning for a multicultural feast next Wednesday.



I asked Ellie what she wanted to sign up for as she would be helping me. She had a choice of making gnocchis, turtle bread rolls, or decorating cookies for dessert.

Her choice: "I want to knead the bread and make rolls for my friends!".

And done! Probably the most time efficient project she could have picked. I'm happy and she's happy.

When I left she had settled down into drawing her favorite snack foods.






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Another original

Yesterday I finished another "Nicks shirt turned Ellies dress" dress. It was one that I had been working on for a LONG time but finally finished.

Ellie wanted to wear it today.






And she insisted on pig tails for her hair.



And we had an early morning which she wasn't too happy about. But she was happy that we still had some homemade bread that she could eat in the car.


Happy Monday everyone!

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Dental Dynamo

((( I'm Nick. I'll be your guest blogger today. )))

Following up on Ann's post from yesterday.. Ellie did, indeed go to the dentist yesterday evening.

Happy to report she was given a sparkling bill of health.. the dentist was impressed when she told him she brushes her own teeth. However, for some reason Ellie thinks it's fun to pretend she has a cavity. Trust me, she doesn't. A couple of her friends at school do, though, so I suspect she's just trying to fit in. I have explained to her, however, that having a cavity means that one of your teeth is sick, and you would have to make sure to do a better job of taking care of your teeth. I think she gets it...

Ellie was perfectly behaved during her appointment -- following directions and politely answering questions from the hygienist and the dentist.




Of course, the TV in the ceiling playing "Toy Story" helped.



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Dentist appointment

Today Ellie has a dentist appointment. Which means Nick will get her a little early from school and take her to the appointment. She did well last time and liked the dentist so hopefully all goes well.

For breakfast Ellie wanted toast from the bread we made over the weekend. There was only a little bit left but enough for toast for her. But she was sad that it was all gone. I told her we could make more and she was happy.

She took a book for her teacher to read.

We have a parent-teacher conference tomorrow and she was a little anxious about that. But then decided that she was doing okay and listening to words so there was nothing bad we would get told.

Once there she immediately sat down and started playing with the train set with her friend.






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Not mom of the year

I had to be down in SD for a job that's been scheduled for a while and this was the day. No changing it last minute. Nick has sweeps and so getting time off or calling in sick is a no-go.

Ellie...well yesterday the school called to let us know she complained about a sore throat multiple times and that she had been flushed and had a temp of 99. Not high enough to send home, but wanted to let us know. Nick picked her up a little early and said her temp was normal, maybe high end of normal, but she was a little tired. She ate a great dinner and slept well. We checked her temp twice in the night and it was normal.

So, off to school at 7am she went so I could get down to SD for my meeting and project on time. Yes, she complained of a headache and a little site throat and that she wasn't feeling "all the way better". But besides being groggy, she was acting fine. I told the teacher her temps were normal but to keep an eye on her and keep her hydrated and to call if there were any complaints.

She seemed happy to be there and show me the new November decorations.






And then she got out some clay to play with.



Do I think she's 100%? Nah. Do I think she's sick? No. Do I think in harming her or her classmates by sending her to school? No.

Am I going to win mom of the year? Probably not.

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Not too excited to be back at school

Ellie must of had a lot of fun yesterday at home because she did not want to go to school today. She said she had a headache, her tummy hurt, and her throat hurt...but was acting fine and I saw no evidence of anything in her throat. I think she was tired, hungry, and wanted to stay home again.

When we got to school she didn't want to sit with her besties. She just wanted to cling to me. But then she decided to sit with her teacher and check out their November craft activity.






We shall see how she feels later today. I do think she is fine, just a little groggy this morning.

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Happy Veterans Day

Ellie doesn't have school today so Nick and I are playing the hand-off game today. I have her in the morning, then I run to some work meetings and he has her when he gets home from work. Busy day for both of us, but I think I get the better end of the bargain.

I promised Ellie we could bake pumpkin muffins this morning...and so she woke up early and came to wake me up before 6:30 to make muffins. Ugh.

Of course, we made bread last night for a special breakfast today and we ran out of flour. So first thing we had to do was go to the store. Ellie and I debated the merits of Trader Joes versus Vins versus Ralph's. I was concerned with distance, she wanted a special cart. We settled on TJs.















She got the flour and put it in the cart.

Then at home we had to clean up breakfast before we could make muffins.









Gotta make sure to get the last drops of milk before it goes into the dishwasher! Then it was time to get out all the ingredients. We were set to make pumpkin chocolate chip muffins...but we didn't have any canned pumpkin. So Ellie had a great idea to make banana chocolate chip muffins!









And while they baked, Ellie cleaned the table...



You don't get a day off of school and not get put to work! Well, actually she WANTED to help clean and do it all herself. Fine with me.

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