Day Off

Tuesday 11-8-11

Fall Decorations in Dining Room

We had a sort of day off today.  The kids we watch stayed home with their family (public schools had a teacher work day, so they were all home.)  I had grand plans (as I always do) to get a laundry list of items done… the laundry is mostly done, I was able to shampoo the upstairs carpets (minus the office), I imagined that I cleaned all three bathrooms and the kitchen and I successfully played Bakery Story (a game on the iPad that I started a couple of days ago… very addictive, add me as a neighbor, pattacake7)  Anyway, Jeff is still not feeling up to par, so Ellie and I attended morning mass and an hour of Eucharistic Adoration.  We sat in the front row, like we always do on Sunday, and Ellie made it almost through the mass.  We brought her bag of books, stuffed dinosaur and Little (the smaller of her two blankets.)  She was doing great…. Until our neighbors (and really good friends) walked by for Communion, she started talking and carrying on, I had to take her to the back of the church.  She lasted 15 minutes into Eucharistic Adoration before we retired to the crying room.

This afternoon, Daddy was working in the office and I was not yet committed to shampooing carpets, Ellie and I walked around looking at our family pictures.  You know the drill, “Who is this?, Who is that?”  Out of nowhere, Ellie answers my question incorrectly and bursts out laughing (like a muppet, throwing its head back and emitting a happy, screech).  It was hilarious, Jeff and I had to laugh… so now, she has a new joke… if you point at a picture of me, she says, “Dada” and for pictures of Jeff, she giggles, “Mama.”  Cute… How do we stop this?!?! 

It's Monday



A View of the Valley

Monday 11-7-11

Jeff not feeling well.  And… because Misery loves company and Walmart is open 24/7, I was up most of the night, too.  Fortunately, Jeff was able to sleep most of the day.  Me?!  I had a Monday.  No sleep, kids show up, we play.  We have lunch, then head off to naps, where Ellie and the 1 year old play tag team, crying to be rocked back to sleep.  Mom late to pick kids up because she had lost her keys,  as we rush to swim class, I witness a highway mangling of a deer that as the scene played out, I originally pictured  it successfully going across the road; I was wrong, not sure if it is dead – seemed to move some after the second bounce.  The water was FREEZING at swim class.  Then, we get home to find a huge, stinky dog pile in the downstairs bathroom.  But, if we look at the bright side; Ellie and I didn’t get sick, I will get all the sleep I need when I die, my keys are (almost) always in their correct spot & Ellie is too young to move them, we didn’t hit the deer (and it wasn’t one that I knew), swimming was still swimming – we love swimming, and the dog pile could have been in many other worse spots – the tile floor and vent helped!

One Last Look at Our Jack-O-Lanterns Before they Fly Over the Pasture Fence.

So, another Monday down, tomorrow always comes.

Snow!

Saturday 10-29-11

There was supposed to be a Halloween celebration in town today.  It was canceled due to inclement weather.  Yes, it snowed today! 

Yesterday, we took pictures in the colorful, Fall background.  Today, those orange leaves are covered in white!  Ellie loved the snow.  She giggled when I tossed snowballs in her direction.  She enjoyed more running.   Ellie is a noisy runner.  Every step is another sound, “Ooh, EE, Yeah, ung…”  it is like a soundtrack to her movements. 

Daddy, Mommy and Ellie.  (Mommy is wearing Daddy's boots.)

Petco

Friday 10-28-11

The little girl we watch during the day announced this morning that we had to go somewhere, where were we going today?!  Well, we have been to the library two days in a row, so that was out, it was too cold to go to the town’s playground or the neighbor’s swing set, so… we went to Petco.  In the next two weeks, I would have had to go, anyway to get more dog food.  First stop at Petco was the cats for adoption.  Ellie LOVEs cats, so that went well.  Then, the fish, assorted reptiles, guinea pigs, rats, hamsters, gerbils, mice and finally the ferrets, two of which were taken out by a very nice employee for us to play with.  After all that, we headed back to the dog food so I could load 200 pounds (you get a discount) plus one free bag.  With 8 bags on the cart, baby boy in the sling, Ellie throwing mini fits because the little girl who was only trying to help her up off the floor, kept bumping her back onto the floor; we slowly managed to make it to the front of the store.  As I struggled to push the heavy cart through the obstacle-course  que to the registers, several people cut through the obstacles thwarting my attempt to check out quickly and load up the car.  I am glad we do not have a picture of all of us struggling outside to the car!  All-in-all, the adventure was a blast, we got home in time for a late lunch which meant straight to naps, do not pass GO, do not collect free play time. 

After the kids left for the day, Ellie, Daddy and I went out to play in the driveway with her new Super-Bounce ball – one of those 25 cent coin machine balls.  She drops it and it bounces down the slope of the driveway and Ellie runs for the FIRST time!  Yeah!

Library Dress-Up Day

10/27/11

Ellie is now 17 months old!  I know it is cliché, but… where does the time go?  How did our little baby get so big??  Ellie puts her shoes on (and off) by herself.  If I see that they are on the wrong feet, I say, “Remember, the big flower goes over the big toe.”  She will look down, sit down and switch the shoes!  She does not like me to read to her, but she will sit at the bookshelf and read to herself, “Ladder, laddle, lotta, laddle.” 

Today was dress-up day at the library, so all the kids dressed up for story time.  This evening, we went back to the library for a character show and trick-or-treating.  This was a practice run for Ellie.  We picked up a plastic pumpkin a few days ago, she has been carrying it around, but this was the first time someone took it from her, loaded it with a handful of candy and gave it back.  She took the pumpkin, looked inside, looked back up at the man and then looked inside again with this enlightened look, so THIS is what this pumpkin is for!!!!  I am a little concerned that she will start carrying it around, expecting everyone to put candy in!  If you plan to visit, bring CANDY!!!!

The Transition

Wednesday 10-26-11

Ellie slept in her toddler bed for both naps!!!  OK, the first nap was spent on the floor after screeching and banging on the door that we had to brace shut, but the second nap was very calm and Ellie understood exactly where to rest.  So, after the second nap, the kids and I took down the crib and I packed it away into the attic.  A little sad to see it go – me, not Ellie… now, her room has a whole lot more space and she LOVES the toddler bed.  I (and sometimes Daddy) rest on the floor next to the bed at night until she falls asleep.  This transition took less than a week!  Wow! (And sleeping through the night to boot!)  Can this little girl really be only 17 months old?!

Playing

Tuesday 10-25-11

Went to morning mass and then played in the playground while Jeff attended Eucharistic Adoration for an hour.  Ellie climbs the rubber-hose ladder and transverses most of the play set by herself.  She enjoys the big-kids’ swing and going down the slide (always feet-first on her belly.)  The ladies at the Outreach Center work on Tuesday mornings getting the Center ready for business, so they were coming and going and chatting with us.  This week, one of the ladies brought out 4 stuffed animals for us.  After that, we spent the rest of the hour sliding the animals down the slide!

This afternoon was beautiful, and since it is supposed to rain tomorrow, we broke out the sidewalk chalk and covered the driveway in pictures and then narratives of what the children were doing, dictated by the little girl we watch.