Trying to get back in the groove

Today was the Harvest Party at Ella's school and parents were allowed to come attend. Her little PreK class did crafts, got treats, special snacks, and El felt pretty important having Mom AND Dad there. It was fun to see the little ones so "independent". :-) After dropping her off, Hubband and I ran some errands and ended up back at the Rebecca house with some materials for the contractor who's completing our renovation projects to convert the house to a rental. He had inadvertantly put the cabinet moldings on as crown moldings (attached to wall not cabinets) so Andrew had to show him what needed doing there. All in all though its looking good, with final walk thru looking to be around Thursday next week! I would love it if we could have this thing up for rent by November 7th.

The new house is coming along slowly. The kitchen right now looks like it has come down with some sort of fungus, with patches of different green paints all over the place while I test for the color I want. Sherwin Williams is doing a sale next week, so I'm hoping I can narrow it down and get the paint color on before the holiday. Even if the cabinets and woodwork aren't painted, getting rid of the nasty pukey yellow will be a huge improvement! Hubband has been putting in several hours each evening working on the Studio and the place is starting to come together! He is hoping to begin construction on the custom CD shelving and the recording booth tomorrow.

In other news, we've made the tough decision to give Titania a new home, away from toddlers and puppies. She has been increasingly unhappy with dogs/babies/moves and we finally decided that she will be more happy in a home where she can be the queen again. This decision was NOT made lightly and would not have been made at all had she not had a HUGE fan who has jokingly said she'd take Titai for years, and then became more serious when we mentioned in passing the thoughts we were having. Krissa will take good care of our girl, and I know I can check on her through photos and visits and even skype. I have a hard time imagining our home without her. She has been my kitty kid for 13 years and will leave a huge hole in our hearts. However, our love for her is not enough if she isn't happy....She'll be going home to Boston with Kristy on November 7th.

Ella-isms from 2011 -- Gathered for posterity

"Daddy, what flavor is my lollipop?" "Concord Grape" >shocked silence for a moment< "BUT DADDY! IT doesn't TASTE like the Concord!"

Ella says that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were saved because an Angel came to school (in the song, the Angel "kept them cool", but she insists otherwise)

Upon reaching the restroom of Wendy's, after a prolonged time at the park, Ella hopped up onto the potty, started to pee, and let a huge sigh, saying "That's DELIGHTFUL".

Ella insists that the opening of The Lion King helps her booboos feel better and sings "Hakuna Matata --- its a PWOBLEM FWEE ... FUR LOSSSSS OFEEEEE!" at the top of her lungs at least once a day. Even better is when she tries to howl the opening call of Circle of Life.

"it makes me laugh so hard I almost crack myself out!"

"It was so funny I ALMOST laughed!"

"Oh GOD is bidder than da FOLEYMAN...he's bidder than Dogzilla or the monsters on TV... oh GOD is bidder than da FOLEYMAN and hes watching out for you and meeee". I dont know that her Dad appreciates the conversion of "bogey" to "Foley", considering its a sound effects technique....

Ella: "Look!!!! It's IHOP!! My favorite restaurant in the UNiVErSe!!!"

Ella told me one morning that she had dreamed God and his angels came to talk to her and when the angels were there she was afraid at first, but then God told her he would always be with her and she didn't need to be afraid....

One night at the table, speaking Miss Stacy Magsipoc, Ella said "My mommy is the best Chef ever" ... if only I could use that as an official credential....

Ella (in a conspiratorial whisper): Mama! You know what the bestest part is? SABBATH!

At lunch, Ella..."my going down throat isn't working, Mommy!" (We made sure the "coming up" throat wasn't working either)

Ella just came bouncing into my office and found a ski cap that she loved last winter in a box of miscellaneous (and I do mean that) ... stuff in my office. The box is overflowing with paper, books, fabric (who knows what it is), cords, etc. Upon finding the cap, she plucked it free, pulled it over her head and announced "MY HAT! Mama, is this the LOST AND FOUND?!"

Ella-isms of the night: On going over railroad tracks at a decent speed "Mama! That tickled my noggins!"

On being gently told that the lightning (which was intense) couldn't "get" us in Jeeves as long as we "obeyed the rules" .. "MAMA! I won't be afraid of lightning now because you TAUGHT ME"

Her prayer over dinner "Dear Jesus, Thank for this food and for this day but NOT FOR THIS STORM!"

Ella: once upon a time there were three bugs, Huey, Dooey, and Woody. And they saw a plant that looked like a circle. They were really dood men. But for a minute, the butterfly saw a square. The end.

"but Mama! It's not a show, it's a BIDEO!"

While playing ball with Ella ... "Ella, do you want to be a professional basketball player when you grow up?" Ella: "No, I want to be a REAL basketball player!"

Ella: >coughing< Daddy: Ella! Did you swallow your tongue?! Ella: (in a southern drawl) No daddy! Ah didn' swalla mah tunge!

Was a little sad the morning that Ella stopped saying "PlayPround" and is now saying "Playground".

From Kristy Hodson: When talking with Christina Plantier Boyd about O'Malley her 3 year old piped up "But she won't be sick anymore when God comes. Then she can play." Leave it to Ella to make me bawl.

Ella: But, MAMA! I WANT to take some of my toys to Heaven to play with when Jesus comes back!

Ella has just expressed a desire to go to Chocolate World in PA for dinner. Because Hershey is her favorite kind of food....

Daddy, after wrapping a banana to keep it good: "Ella! (aiming banana) BANG BANG!" Ella (shrieking): DONT BANG ME WITH THAT BANANA, DADA!

Ella: Mama, I wish we had a longer family, so we could all fill up the car. Right now there is only FREE of us.
>pause<
Oh, BRUVVER. >sigh<
Mama: (choking back giggles)

Before our move: Ella just promised me she won't throw up in our new house. I told her it was a nice thought....

Ella: Mama, I want to go to Connetitick again so I can go on a SEE SAW. Me: Well, we might be able to find one here. Ella: No, because I WANT to go on the seesaw in CONNETITICK.

Ella: Mama, my ear hurts. Me: Did you bump it? Ella: No. I just didn't have much much much much MUCH food to eat. That's why it hurts.

The alphabet according to Ella: A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,ELLA,IMO,P,TWUE,R,S,T,U,V,W,ECKS,Y,Z

Ella asked me last night about a sibling. I told her I didn't have a baby in my tummy yet--she asked if it was in my legs, I told her no, they only grow in mama's tummies. Then she asked... "How do they get out, Mama? Through your toes?" >giggle< I told her they come out of a mama's privates and she patted her own and said "Here? Wow". Out of the mouths of babes...

As Ella was dropping into sleep on March 2nd, 2011 -- "Mama?" "Yes Ella" "Can I pretend to be only 2 tomorrow?" .....

Overheard: "Daddy, I love you! I'm so glad you're not a dinosaur!"

Is amused by her daughter, who is currently wearing a green plastic picnic basket on her head, with the handles under her chin, and running around in circles with a football under her arm saying "LETS PLAY FOOTSBALL!"

Overheard: Daddy: Ella, are you growing again?! You're very hungry this morning! Ella: Yep! I need lots of injury to grow up!

Learning to Play

I am sitting here at nearly midnight trying to find my creativity under the piles of responsibility. I have found it in cakes, or on a nature walk with my BabyBoyd, but in these last weeks I feel its drowning. Along with my ability to relax and PLAY. I never thought of myself as someone who couldn't play, but it is one of the hardest things I've ever done to put down the boxes that need unpacking, the work that needs doing, the laundry that needs folding, or the food that needs making for the most important job I have -- being with my daughter. Tonight, I'm working, and writing, in the hopes that tomorrow I can look back and say "I did enough. Its time to play" and mean it. And then to pull my creativity out of its black hole and put it to work on something more than just the same old games....something like a breakfast picnic upstairs in the playroom. Just me and my girl, pretending to be on a far off world that is reached simply by going up the stairs.