Glockies

Ella's word for glasses. She loves taking off our prescription glasses and trying them on. Of course we discourage this because I'm convinced it's going to ruin her vision or at the least make her cross eyed. So, as a trade-off we've started collecting baby sunglasses for her. It's very Elton John-esque as you can see in this picture where she's waking up Daddy while sporting some funky glasses Grams brought back from Panama City, FL.

Family of the Month

God help me, I don't know how or why, but Ella's Primrose School just named us family of the month. There's a little write-up in the monthly flyer and they put up a big spread about us on the bulletin board at school.

Boobies?

At nearly 21 months Ella is starting to pick up on little things about the human anatomy. For instance, she's quite interested in my boobies. I try not to be awkward about her touching them, pointing at them, hitting them. And when I point out she also has boobies -- one thing is quite clear about what her little brain is processing, Ella's boobies don't yet look like my boobies. Twice we've found her trying to rememdy this. Once, Matt caught her trying to put tennis balls in her shirt, sticking out her tummy in an attempt to keep them in place. Another time, I rounded the corner while doing laundry and found her wadding up fabric sheets and putting them in the top of her shirt. She seemed quite proud of her little lop-sided humps.

Yes...we are in trouble.

War Eagle!

She has no idea what she's saying it for, and it usually comes out more like "woa eee guh" but Daddy's making great strides in teaching Ella to say "War Eagle!" Despite the fact they're probably going to suck this year, it's cute to see her making Daddy proud.

Teachers at school say she talks all the time, one even says she's a "beautiful talker". Ooops, there goes that swelling with pride thing again.

Fee Hug

It's a lot harder than I thought....this working part-time and keeping up with the blog. I think it was easier in L.A. because she was still crawling and taking two naps a day. Now she's into everything and running hard and fast until she scrapes a knee.

Anyway -- there are those priceless payoffs with parenting and I do enjoy sharing them with all of you, so what if they come in spurts of blogging amidst long dry spells.

One of the latest and greatest things Miss Ella is doing -- fee hug.
What's that you say? Well it's actually our love bug trying to say "family hug". Whenever Matt and I are hugging one another and Ella gets that interested, curious and left-out look on her face we pull her up to us and create a type of cirlce of arms which we started calling "family hug". Ella's little face lights up. Lately, she's been walking up to us and requesting a "fee hug" all on her own. It's the sweetest thing for a few moments, and then she inevitably pushes one of us away, wanting only Mommy or only Daddy.

Strike A Pose

Well if you're going to stand nude in the driveway, you may as well stand next to a luxury vehicle and "work it" for the cameras.

This is being blown up for her 16th, nay 18th birthday party.

Night, Night, Digger

Late last week our sweet old dog, Digger stopped eating and took a turn for the worse. By Sunday he was lethargic and barely responsive. With the help of my good friend and family Veterinarian, Dr. Avant, he has now gone to heaven to play with the Big Man, the name we perceived the family dogs would have given my father, Ella's Grandpa.

Ella loved him so much and still keeps asking for him. She does not yet know heart brake, and for that I am glad. A wise person once said, the only bad thing about pets is their short life span. Amen to that.

Birthdays Are Messy

Recently we celebrated Babci and Aunt Stephanie's birthdays. They actually share the same special day but we celebrated with Babci early because she went to the beach for her birthday, lucky girl.

Nonetheless, we celebrated in style, a week early. Matt ordered a half bushel of blue crabs from Maryland. He cooked them according to Grandmom's garlic crab recipe, and they were AWESOME!! We cooked too many though, which meant, much like Thanksgiving turkey, we were eating crab for days. I've had my fill for a while...maybe.

But the real treat for me came when Aunt Durene gave the kids icing covered sugar cookies. We allow the indulgences on special occasions. Ella went face first into the cookie. Meanwhile, a more stately and demure Emma, while delicately eating her own cookie, watched her crazy cousin with dismay. They crack me up.

We all spent the night at Uncle Wayne and Aunt Durene's and the kids had a special breakfast complete with Uncle Wayne's special fluffy pancakes!! As Ella says....YUMMMM-EEEEE!!!

Ella and Emma

Ella can't get enough of her cousin Emma lately. And from what I understand the feeling is mutual. So when we found out Babci and Granddad were babysitting Emma Saturday night, we invited ourselves over for a playdate. They are so much fun to watch together. We spent the night and the girls slept in the same room. We were all awakened to the sounds of giggling. See, we put them down at separate times so they didn't know they were in the same room until they woke up and looked around. It was really sweet.

Sunday morning we had waffles and fruit and milk and then went outiside to play. It was overcast so it felt a bit cooler than usual, but popsicles were still a must. The girls had two or three each, ending up with dark purple mouths!! What fun!!

Weekend Project #1

Okay it's actually weekend project #2 of the long list of things I'd like to get done before Auburn football season. The first? Oh, we painted Ella's bathroom and it's not quite what we had in mind. We were trying to match a green in her shower curtain but instead of a nice sage green it's neon green. As in 1984 neon green. Remember that?

So project #1 is now a two-parter.

But project #2 turned out nicely. When we were cleaning out the attic in my mom's garage before her move we found an old rocking chair fit for a child. The seat had been removed but it was structurally sound. I like to think my Dad came across and it stowed it away for future grandchildren. It was a fire engine red but we decided to change the color. After breakfast at Cracker Barrel we went to Michael's. We picked out some yellow fabric with cute multi-colored butterflies (a new fave of Ella's). We got some primer and some lavender paint. For all those who know me and know I love purple, Matt picked out the color, just for the record I'm not forcing my favorite color on the child.

After Ella went down for a nap I started sanding and painting. Matt cut out a seat from a piece of wood and cut out a piece of foam for the cushion. After her nap we had to put the seat together but it was more or less ready to go. She loved it. She kept getting in and out of it saying, "rocky chair, rocky chair!!" This morning as I cleaned her breakfast dishes I heard her sitting in it singing a little rocking chair song she made up all on her own. Thanks, Dad.

Learning to Accessorise

Hey, these stacking rings make great bracelets!!

Slippin' Slidin'

It's been unbelievably hot in most of the nation lately, and we've broken some serious records here in the Atlanta area. So when the smog alert was high and the heat was horrible we headed to the country, and cousin Trey. Aunt Leshia had purchased a slip-n-slide with a playdate with Ella in mind. We waited until late in the afternoon and went outside with Grams and Grandma. Trey enjoyed playing with Ella's watering can but Ella just kind of stood in the spray and let her little legs get wet. I'm pretty sure she's cutting her two year molars because she's chewing a lot, whining a lot, wanting ice a lot and having the squirts a lot. So she was content sitting on the swing with Grandma or in Grams's lap.

The kids had a good time playing inside. Everything was going well until Ella tripped in the living room, went airborn and landed by smacking her forehead on the coffee table. Immediately she started swelling and turning purple. Try keeping an ice pack on a 19 month old's forehead. Impossible. But it's funny now when she get's hold of something cold, she tries to put it on her forehead, days after the fact. At any rate, that's the giant goose egg you'll see in the next several entries.

Funny, soapy, bathtub hair!

C'mon Diggy

I think I've made reference before in the blog to the dog we've taken in. Digger is a 15 year old Pomeranian. He was one of three family dogs, the only one still standing. When my mom moved this summer she asked if we would take him in and of course we said yes. He's on the downhill of life, I think arthritis has destroyed his joints and he has a terrible time walking, but he seems happy so I just haven't gotten the guts to take him to the vet for the inevitable. Plus, Ella has grown to adore him. She know the routine, after her meals it's time to take Digger for a walk around the yard so he can do his business. After the last bite, the last sip of milk she starts proclaiming, "un-go see Diggy!" Once out of the high chair she walks to the basement door and says, "un-go down, un-go see Diggy!" Digger spends most of his time in the unfinished basement because he pees without warning. We go downstairs and she wakes him sweetly from his deep, old dog slumber and we go outside. All the while she's saying things like, "hey buddy!", "c'mon Diggy", "I lub ooooh"! She hugs him and tries to roll around on him, not quite understanding that he's a living being, not a stuffed animal. One thing we know without a doubt, once Digger goes to the happy hunting ground, we have to have a dog.

Shoe Fettish

Miss Ella hates wearing shoes, but she like wearing our shoes. And if I leave my shoes laying around she insists I put them on, even attempting to get them on my feet herself, upside down and backwards.

But there are several reasons I love this picture of her. She's wearing my big flip flops, and that's pretty funny in and of itself, but she's got her hands on her hips, a McGaha trait (that's my side and the child takes so little after me I'm happy to see it) and she's got a glistening snotty nose. Since she started daycare she's been non-stop snot. If only someone could find a use for snot, we could bottle it and make a freakin fortune.

Getting ready for some football

Daddy keeps reminding me football starts soon and that basically means weekends will be dedicated to the orange and blue and all the fun that goes with being an Auburn fan. And just in case I forgot about the impending season, Ella reminded me by grabbing a tiger by the tail, literally. The same day Mr. Kyle called to say the Tigers were at training camp, Ella pranced around the playroom with Carnell, her special tiger. Yes, named for the Cadillac.

What this translates to for the mommies in the audience, I have to get him to help with all those little household projects done in the next 2-3 weeks or I'm screwed.

War Eagle! Now, paint that room!!

Watching the clouds go by

I don't have a picture of this but using your imagination will make this entry that much sweeter. Ella was playing with Digger today (15 year old family Pomeranian we inherited when my mom moved) and they were having a fun time. They were sitting on an incline in the back yard, I was lounging in a chair just a few feet away. Ella moved to hug Digger and instead basically sat on him. Annoyed and old, he struggled to his arthritic feet and walked away. This sent Ella tumbling a couple of times on the slope, landing on her back. She rolled over and started to get up when something caught her attention, like a whisper from heaven. I watched her slowly lie back down, peacefully she lay there watching the sunlight peeking through the leaves of the trees. A few puffy clouds drifted by and still she lay there, just watching. I've never seen her so still ~ except of course when she's sleeping. The real beauty of this moment --I remember laying in the grass, looking up at the summertime sky for hours as a child. What an innocent, beautiful discovery. I could almost feel her saying to herself, "there's all this down here, and still so much up there."

This in addition to her saying "I lub oooo" at bedtime has made my heart melt.

Ella's World: One Year Anniversary

We've been blogging about Ella's World for a year as of July 20th. Look how much she's changed!

Many regular watchers and readers of her little life might enjoy a look back at some of the archived blogs over the year. It's gone by so fast.

Bogged Down

No the blog's not down, I'm just bogged down!

I just started a new job at CNN and they're thoroughly kicking my tail. It's challenging, but everyone's super nice.

But with this new opportunity came daycare for Miss Ella. She's into her second week now and still having separation issues at drop-off and she's already suffered through her first daycare cold, it was a nasty one! We're all in transition now but we'll hopefully get the hang of things. I'll be mostly part-time once training is over so that will help all of us, hopefully.

You can take the girl out of California....

But you can't take the California out of the girl!

Mommy's Birthday

What a wonderful birthday. I didn't do much of anything all day except play with Ella. Then around 2 I went to the spa for a facial, massage and pedicure. Family and friends all seemed to remember this year, which was truly special. I always forgive them if they forget, July 3rd often gets sucked into family vacations and that other big birthday that falls on the following day.

Babci and Granddad came over and Matt and I enjoyed an amazing dinner at Bonefish Grill. Try the spicy shrimp appetizer! Yum!! I wasn't impressed with the bananas foster, but the candle on top was a nice touch. My sis-in-law says they make a mean creme brulee. It's a bit noisy for some people's taste, but we loved it.

As usual, it rained on the big day, but this was the best birthday I've had in a long time.

Fun with Zach and Ryan

After realizing we had seen our friends, Mark and Kelly more often when we lived out of state than we have now that we live in Georgia, we finally found time to pay them a visit. They live 15-20 minutes from us on a Sunday morning. So we headed over to their house for a nice brunch. It was our first time meeting little Ryan, who is an absolute angel.

But big brother, soon-to-be three, Zach was a real treat. He and Ella got along beautifully. They jumped on the couch, shared pancakes, played in the sand table and lots of other fun things. We're starting to see how this whole thing will eventually work, the kids will play nicely in the other room while the adults enjoy some good conversation. And we did well, we talked about many subjects, most of them not relating to our kids. I like this part.

Early July 4th Party

Uncle Wayne and Aunt Durene had a 4th of July party at their house on the 30th. It's like the 5th or 6th annual party and it's a neighborhood-wide event. This was the first year we were able to attend. Everyone brought a dish and their own beverages, water and juice were provided for the kiddies.

Ella had a fun time playing on the swing with cousin Emma but she had absolutely no interest in the bounce house. She loved it at her first birthday party but the second I tried to squeeze her through the little netting opening she screamed bloody murder. So we played on the swings and ate lots of really good food!!

Natural Fireworks

Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th of July. Ours was very low key because nature had her own plans for fireworks in our house; green apple splatters. Yes, Ella woke up on our Nation's birthday and had hosed down her crib with watery brown poop. She had a bath before breakfast and I stripped the sheets faster than you could say, "God that stinks!"

So Matt piddled in the yard and I attempted to trim the bushes out front during her nap. One sliced extension cord later, I think they look pretty nice.

By 4 o'clock Ella had experienced two or three more blowouts and was running a low grade fever. So we decided against the 4th of July fireworks event we were supposed to attend with Matt's family. The next morning, she woke up with only pee in her diaper. The fever was gone and she ate very well. We waited all morning to see if the squirts would return. By eleven she seemed fine so we headed to our friends, Gerin and Rick's lake house, trying to salvage what was left of the mid-week holiday. We had a fantastic time and Ella seemed to thoroughly enjoy her first boat rides, first on the speed boat, then on the pontoon.

We caught some cute pictures of Ella taking in her fun-filled day with her new friends Max and Abby. But the most memorable moments were supplied by Gerin and Rick's soon-to-be six year old, Abby.

When we were out on the speed boat and came into open water, she yelled, "Dad, drop the hammer!" We got the boat up to 68 mph and she was loving every minute of it. Ella was wearing her Coast Guard approved life vest and we were holding her tightly.

Then, after Rick went knee boarding, for the first time in many, many moons, she patted him on the back when he pulled himself up on the dock and said, "Hey Dad, you really turned up the heat!"

Hand to God! Who writes her material??

Fun at the Town Green

Ella, Abby and Max

Yesterday we spent some play time with my friend, Gerin, her two kids, Abby and Max and her mom, Nancy. We met at the Duluth Town Green (our hometown) where they have a play-friendly water fountain and on Thursdays they have live music for the kids. It's a very beautiful place. You may have seen it, it's also where all the fancy news agencies sat up their live vans during coverage of that stupid runaway bride incident. The funny thing is, I remember when it was nothing but a city dump and runaway kudzu.

Ella and Max were not as interested in the water as Abby but they did manage to get a little wet. They both loved the music and did their best to dance. Ella stood in one place and stomped her left foot, girl's got some mountain blood in her.

The picture of the day: Max giving Ella a kiss. I believe that's her first from a boy who's not family. I mean, she did accost some little boy at church and lay one on him, but this time she was receiving the love.

We then sat in a shady spot on the lawn and had lunch. When Gerin and her crew had to pack up and head for the lake ahead of the 4th of July traffic crunch we stayed and played a little while longer. Then we went to the soda shop and enjoyed some vanilla ice cream. Ella loved it because there's a toy train that circles the store up high below the rafters. She watched it, giggling and saying, "choo, choo!!" It was a fun summer afternoon.

Ella and Emma want bubbles

Emma and her parents (AKA Aunt Steph and Uncle Rob) came over the other night for dinner. The girls, as usual, had a great time playing together. They both really wanted bubbles -- too bad I bought the cheap dollar store package, you may as well be blowing water. But they had fun anyway.

Nana and Papa visit

Nana and Papa drove up from McDonough last night for a visit. Aunt Durene, Alex and Zach joined us briefly before they whisked off to swim lessons.

Daddy grilled up dinner and we all enjoyed some summer favorites. Then we all tore into Nana's amaretto cake. Yum!! As Matt always says, twice the fat, twice as good. And it was.

They also brought Ella the coolest thing, an aquadoodle. It's the greatest thing since sidewalk chalk in my opinion. It helps her learn how to hold a pen and start "doodling" without the worry of stains on furniture, carpet or walls.

And a soft, sweetest puppy was a big hit and a wonderful addition to her stuffed animal collection.

Summer Corn

We'll make a Georgia Peach out of this California Baby yet. She had her first taste of big, juicy summer corn this week and seemed to really enjoy it.

I love this picture, Daddy's girl learning to eat corn on the cob. Okay so she doesn't quite have it yet but she's getting it.

18 Months Old

Ella turned 18 months on the 20th. I am saddened I didn't get to blog on her special day, but as usual we were out and about running like chickens with their heads cut off. But Grams is moved in to her new place, although not completely un-boxed.

At any rate, she went to the doctor on her half year birthday and passed the autism screening with nearly flying colors. I answered yes for one of the indicators, staring off at nothing. The doctor said it was not one of the big markers and she's probably just a day dreamer. Maybe she'll have a great imagination as a result. She also had blood drawn, which didn't fase her in the least. But the three shots sent her into outer orbit. She still got a special "birthday" cupcake after lunch.

So here's a little mommy assessment of how and what Ella's doing at 18 months:

At 18 months Ella....

says I love you

identifies her cousins; Emma, Ax, Ack, Tay

Emma, Alex, Zach and Trey

still loves Elmo but she's also grown attached to Cookie Monster and Barney

likes to hide and when she's found she closes her eyes, probably thinking since she can't see me, I can't see her

can climb the stairs and get back down them pretty well, but we still supervise

is clumbsy -- she's forever falling and bumping something and she bruises easily, like me

LOVES choo choos, saying "shoo shoo" whenever she sees one. Naturally she adores Thomas and Friends.

Says Babci and Granddad, although it comes out bah-shee and ga-duh.

still refuses to call my mom Grams

loves ice, i.e. ice cubes, icicles, ice cream, etc.

is still a picky little eater

has to have a squirt of chocolate in her milk, otherwise she won't drink it

loves the swimming pool and the bathtub

seems to be sharing pretty well so far

is kind

loves exploring

says "I know!" a lot. So for instance you might say, "Ella, you're sweet." To which she'll respond, "I know!!"

wants to be outside on even the hottest day

is non-stop -- a lot of work -- and a great joy

Daddy's Girl

All is right with Ella's World, once more

We didn't get to spend much time together, just us three, this Father's Day weekend. Matt got home late Friday after having been in D.C. since Saturday morning. He phoned ahead and pleaded with me to keep Ella up past her bedtime to greet him. Easier said than done. After her bath, lotion rub-down, Desitine, saline spray, diaper, jammies, tooth-brushing and hair drying we usually have a book and then bedtime. Friday after hair drying I put her down and she ran to the big rocker yelling, "book, book!" I had to say no, not now, and she immediately began whaling.

I distracted her by taking her downstairs to play.

Finally as 8:3o rolled around, an hour past bedtime, I heard the 1966 Bronco pull into the garage. All week long when I heard something like an airplane, a dog bark, a train, I'd ask Ella, "what's that?" To which she would answer, "Daddy!" So when I heard the truck I asked this same questions and she responded "Airplane!"

She was so happy to see him. And, as if it had been planned, he scooped her up kissed her and then she said, "Un-go ah-side?" (wanna go outside?) That's where Daddy found his new grill!! It played out beautifully. More beautiful than the giant blue/purple bruise on my ankle from getting the darned thing out of the Escape and onto the deck, alone.

Anyway, that was it for our together time this weekend. So we managed to squeeze as much time together as possible on Monday. Ella and Matt took a morning stroll together. And then after work, we played in her little kiddy pool on the back deck. Mostly because our neighborhood pool was closed due to a maintenance issue. I think someone must have pulled the old Baby Ruth trick!

I snapped some sweet moments. Enjoy the slide show!!

Father's Day

We celebrated Father's Day a day early with Matt's family. Uncle Rob and Aunt Stephanie had the whole gang over for a cookout Saturday night. The kids played in the little inflatable pool. Ella and Emma looked so cute in their matching swimsuits (purchased separately -- a complete coincidence). Everything was great until cousin Zach took El and Em on a wagon ride through the backyard -- straight through an ant pile. The girls were okay in the wagon but he had lots of bites on his little feet and I got a couple of mean ones trying to rescue everyone. All the other adults were sampling appetizers and sipping down cold ones. Lucky me.

After everyone had a bath and the two littlest ones went to bed we had dinner. All was well. We decided to spend the night because Ella was sleeping so soundly and because they live closer to the interstate we'd be taking Sunday morning to get to my dad's grave. But about 2:30 Ella woke up screaming. Desperate not to wake up everyone else, we put her in bed with us. This is generally a no, no in our book. She thought it was play time. Between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. we might have gotten an hour's sleep. At one point she had her crotch on my head and her foot in my ear. Again, we're going to blame this one on those darned teeth she's cutting.

We were basically zombies on Sunday. Ella was in pretty good spirits for having pulled an all nighter.

The Father's Day moment for me was when she nearly broke my heart in two. Without any prompting, she picked some flowers and walked over to her Grandpa's grave, knelt down and gently patted the stone. She just sat there for a moment. I became a puddle.

Later that day, after everyone had met at the family cemetery we met back at our house for a cookout (too much red meat this weekend) and some family time. It was as nice as it could be with a nearly 18 month old and a 2 1/2 year old running around.

Happy Father's Day!!

A quick blog as I am short on time. We're off to celebrate Father's Day with Daddy's family tonight and we'll be headed to Grandpa's grave tomorrow and then back home for a cookout (on Daddy's new grill) at our house with Mommy's family.

Will post lots of pictures early next week.

Have a fantastic Father's Day everyone!!

Oh yeah -- just in time for Father's Day, during a meltdown after a serious scolding, Ella sobbed the words I've been dreading....

"I want my Daddy!"

Joy

Finally -- Playtime

As you may recall from a previous blog entry, Ella and I have been quite busy helping her Grams with a yard sale and impending move. But today we only left the house to go buy some necessities at the grocery store and a few father's day cards. Most importantly we rested and played.

We finally had a chance to play in her brand new sand box. Well, Nana and Papa gave it to her for her birthday but it's new to us. Daddy got sand for it last weekend but we haven't had time to really play in it. Today we took the bucket and shovel and a few other toys along with some Elmo bubbles out to our little play area outside the basement door. She played in the sand until she realized that dumping sand on her head was not such a good idea. Then we swang for a while and chatted about airplanes and birds passing overhead. After playtime we went to the store where Ella sat in one of those race car buggies. I bought her some rod pretzels and she went to town on them (cutting canines or eye teeth) while I shopped.

Once we were home and the groceries were put away we went out on the deck so Ella could eat some "ice", that's what she calls homemade ice pops (cranberry juice and water). She enjoyed sharing her "ice" with me and the geraniums.

During bathtime I gave her some crayons made of soap so she could write on the walls of the tub. She enjoyed this at Babci and Granddad's Sunday night. It was a bowl of fun until the soap started to disintegrate in her hands, making a pink and green mushy mess. She squished her hands together, made an awful face, looked up at me and said, "Yuck!"

After bathtime she had a meltdown like I haven't seen in months. I'm going to attribute it to teething and being over tired.

A Strange New Game

After a serious scolding for throwing something off the second floor banister into the foyer down below, Ella and I were talking (okay I was talking) about why throwing is not acceptable. She sat in my lap as I explained why she had gotten in trouble. Then she began bringing me throw pillows from my bedroom. She placed them in my lap and then sat down. I thought maybe she just wanted to be more comfortable. Then once all the pillows had been stacked on top of me she moved on to stuffed animals. By the time it was all over Elmo's hand was up my nose and part of the train track was stabbing my throat. She then seemed pleased and walked away to play elsewhere. I slowly pushed the pile away and removed myself from beneath the rubble of toys and broken tracks. Sometimes you wonder what inspires them. I think perhaps she reasoned with herself that if mommy's unable to move, she can throw things until the cows come home.

Busy, busy bee

Just wanted to leave a quick post letting all blog readers know I haven't abondoned ship. I have however, been extremely busy. My mother is moving out of her house (built in 1910) which she has lived in for 33 years. Yep, that's 33 years without any garage sales and rare trips to Salvation Army to drop off old crap. I of course, drew the short straw and have been helping her prepare for a yard sale and impending move. Needless to say, it's a daunting task.

Granddad with sparkler candles on brownies and traditional candles on key lime pie

But here's a few quick pictures of Ella enjoying Granddad's 65th birthday, which came complete with fireworks. Ella didn't even flinch at all the pops and sparks. I'm not sure that's a good thing.

Ella watching fireworks with Aunt Durene as cousin Alex looks on