You had a Florida Christmas Ella!!! The weather was unusual this year - they were suffering an 80+ heatwave during your Tampa holiday while here in sunny CA we had intermittent rain and 50 degree weather! In fact - I'm on the way to the airport to pick you up as you travel back and I'm stopping at your house to get all of you coats! Its going to be a shockingly cold return home!
But you had a lovely Christmas in Florida - here's your Mom's descriptions and some pictures:
Notes on Christmas 2015: Ella refuses to nap in the state of FL. She slept at the dinner table for 2 mins tonight as a result of this the 5th day without a nap. The plus is Bedtime has never been easier. Tampa is having a ridiculous heat wave. Julia does not have pregnant summer clothes. Ella only opens presents while sitting in someone's lap. Making for an adorable Christmas morning. Matt and Doug like Ella's presents as much as she does. You can go to sleep with three baby dolls, if you try hard aenough. Ella went sailing for the first time today. She was awesome and only baby doll went swimming while sitting on the dock.
You've also evidently named your new baby 'Santa' which might be a continuing family genetic trend - from a note to the wider family about your Christmas:
a holiday chuckle - Ella named her new doll 'Santa' which is better then the year Betsy named her new doll 'Jesus' - she was probably a year older then Ella is now because Betsy could be heard throughout the house 'Jesus shut up and go to sleep' etc You baked and loved the wonders of Play Doh! You are a percussionist anytime Jingle Plays - and although you like the 'concept of Santa - you find him best observed from 10+ feet away You say everyone's names and know can name them when you see their pictures - you shout NNNOOOOO Your Mom says you have a vocabulary of over 200 words - and as I thought through it - it might be more You speak one word at a time mostly - but you have so many nouns and just enough verbs to make it clear what you want! And you regularly pack up your dolls and a bag of 'important things' and go to the front door and announce that your are going to usually one of two places: the beach or the store You love to bake - particularly cracking the eggs/licking the beaters and you have developed a someone strained smile when we say 'cheese' - it might be awhile before get good pictures of you
Your Mom and Dad went to Seattle for the weekend and you had a Girl's Weekend Out with Gigi and Friends - attending a concert and a Hanukkah celebration with the Rosens - as Craig reminds us about his kids - light a candle/wear a hat - kids can party anywhere!
You are all about your Baby Tribe - you carry 2+ with you and feed them/wrap them/bath them/read to them - you create your own Ella World with your friends all around you! One day when you are older we will share the stories of the dogs who keep eating your dolls and the heroic shopping trips people made to get you a new doll just like your old one so you won't suffer the shock of puppy brutality -
Its a custom at Transfiguration that the church bring in bags and bags of snow so the California kids can pretend to play in the snow! You were much more interested in throwing it then in riding in it - you spend most of your time hanging out with your dear friends the brothers Liam and Henry - the 3 of you are a wonderous trio of terror at the church - running up the aisles when the Archbishop is there - giggling during the sermon and solemnly giving everyone 'peace' during the greeting -
It was a very very merry and bright month my darling!!!!
The winter celebrations started this month Ella. You were a ghost this year for Halloween and would 'boo' people. You actually had more fun giving out candy at Ann's house then you did treat or treating. The kid costumes fascinated you - but the monster decorations? Not so much. "Nooooo".
"Noooo" was much heard by this month's end. You can switch from tears to smiles in an instant - you feel things so deeply. The tears stay on your thick lashes glistening like small crystals while your the rest of your face changes to smiles. Your mood changes so fast there's no time for them to dry or be wiped away.
Day of the Dead at church was special fun. We took pictures of our gone loves rents and celebrated their memories. You and mommy got your faces painted.
The big activity this month was re-flooring the basement. Your parents had to rip out rugs, subfloors, paneling and drywall. It was quite a mess. You kept saying 'mess' until finally your Daddy explained to you it was a 'project'. You quickly understood that a'mess' is disorder that needs to be 'tided up' (thank you Peppa Pig - the one video you watch on special occasions) and a project is when people work together - making messes.
Oh you love projects and when anyone gets out tools - you want to be part of the project. Here you are with your first sewing project. Your mother is an amazing woman who can sew straight lines while you stand on the back of her chair with your arms around her neck!!!
Ella Radio update - you are singing more and more. You added "Go now in Peace" with help from your church friend Anna and like to hear the classic 'Daisy Daisy'. I personally can't wait until you finally tire of How much is that Doggie in the Window':
Take 1 of Twinkle Twinkle'
Take 2:
Ella TV -
You got new size 4.5 purple tennis shoes and you love to run in them. It's been fun to watch your run and get a little bit faster everyday:
Ella library:
You brought me one of the little cardboard word books the other day. You sat in my lap, turned each page and named every item in the book! I'm going to call that reading your first time aloud to me! You are still looking for those pumpkin Halloween books your mom put away! We've moved onto turkeys. They don't seem to be as beloved as the pumpkins.
You like being with other kids more and more. Oy maybe it's their toys? Either way you love your swim lessons and slash the other kids. You had a happy play date with MabelAnd you enjoy the two hours at Fireflys. Us a loosely structured playgroup. You hangout and play with toys. Then you gather for a brief story/song time and you too it off w snacks and crafts. This week you and your friend Hannah struggled with holding hands so you could walk in the big circle with everyone. We all patiently waited as the two of you kept trying to intertwine your fingers or hold each other by theorists or twist your clasped hands this way or that so you could hold hands but still walk in the circle. I giggled watching the two of you problem solve together. Everything everything has to be learned, doesn't it???
This is a still life of your favorite dolls - and Santa has yet to arrive
But here's you helping to prepare the feast and wishing all of us a 'Happy Thanksgiving'
Its been a traveling month Ella – not for you but for
everyone around you. You did so
well this month having an ever changing group of people staying with you
and people coming and going even
more then usual! Yaya and I went
to Italy for close to 2 weeks – your Mommy and you waved us off and you were so
confused that you weren’t in the car too – nothing makes you happier then when
everyone is all together.
And while we were gone your Mother kept telling you that we were in
Italy. One afternoon you packed a
bag – walked to the front door and when your mother asked where you were going
– you said ‘Italy’. Everyday you
surprise us with a new word or comment that lets us know you understand
everything we are saying!
While we were gone your Nana and Grandpop came from Florida
to watch you – they bought you books and took you to the library and Coyote
Point and all sorts of wonderful day trips! It was good for you to see them in person after all those
video conference calls!
A couple of weeks later your Mommy left for 4 days to take
her students on a trip to Catalina Island. It was the first time you’d been separated and you both were
so brave and strong. I’m pretty
sure rainbows and fireworks exploded over SFO when you reunited Friday evening!
Your Daddy did a great job holding down
the fort and being your best dad ever – working at home somedays so you could
drop in for a visit. Laughing with
you at dinner and giving you long fun baths and reading/singing to you for
hours (you do not like to go to sleep) until you finally nod off to dreamland. You and I did an adventure a day – to
the beach and to the library and to swimming to keep you busy and occupied. You were a fabulous cooking buddy –
washing vegetables at the sink and mixing things in bowls – you love doing ‘real’
things.
Ella TV started this month – we’ve got one big bump to work
through – we have to figure out how to explain to you when the cellphone is
taking the video vs when it is showing it to you. You get a bit frustrated and mad wanting to 'see' Ella TV versus 'recording' Ella TV. Other generations haven’t had this problem – the video
camera would take your picture and the TV would show it – it was easy to know
when you were being recorded or when you were watching. You are not so lucky –so hopefully soon
the concept of ‘recording’ vs ‘watching’ will be clearer. Here are your first three film clips:
Ella Radio goes on in the car. In addition to the classic favorites ‘Wheels on the Bus’
‘ABC’ ‘Row Row your Boat’ ‘Twinkle Twinkle’ and ‘Itsy Bitsy
Spider’ you now keep asking for ‘How Much is that Doggy in the Window’ ‘Down in
the Jungle’ “10 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed’ and your new disco dancing
‘Shake Shake Shake Senora’. You
sit in your car seat and sing – and you sit on the piano stool hitting the keys
and singing. We can’t figure out
the words yet but the tune is very sweet.
Ella Library continues to grow. The Highlight Magazine that comes every month from your PopPop
is still a favorite. You love the
books your Nana bought you and because its almost Halloween – you are very
focused on Pumpkins! The monster
stuff is NO FUN – but the pumpkins are cool. You like Library story hour – but honestly? The kids are more fascinating then the books. And the interactive media station –
well that’s all I have to say about that.
Split/dual headphones are the best! And Yaya bought a new dollhouse - complete with a rabbit family and a real light switch to light up the room. Oh you do LOVE that dollhouse!
Other new ‘firsts’ –
You want every dinner to include everyone holding hands and
saying grace together – your part is to do the ‘AMEN’. One night – unfortunately after you
were eating spaghetti with your hands – you reminded us we hadn’t said grace by
repeating over and over again ‘AMEN'.
Your Daddy finally figured out what you wanted and we all had to hold hands – your
sticky icky spaghetti hands -and say grace. Amen indeed Ella - Amen.
You like the Joyful Noise Children's service at church. This month you extend your hand to
share the peace with anyone near.
You hold your stone over your head and on your heart to share the things
you want to change and you can pass the collection basket on your
side of the church. You dance to the songs - when you are not distracted by the bows on the shoes of the girl next to you.Your parents say you
are not quite ready to give out the stones or take up the wine and bread yet –
too many opportunities for disaster I think.
You introduce yourself by putting your hand on your chest
and saying ‘Ella’. And you love to
name everyone in the room – Mommy/Julia; Daddy/Matt; Gigi/Patt (although you
physically patted Gigi and are a bit vague on the verb vs the noun) and YaYa . You love hearing and repeating people’s
names.
And THE DOGS – you are crazy wondrously buddies with Beaker
and Roxie and Ollie – you love to watch them puppy wrestle and sometimes join in the
‘pull toy’ game. Nothing makes you
giggle more then watching them play chase and tear through the house trying to
catch them. You ‘Rock Rock Going Downtown’ and when you
are upside down call them over to kiss your face – giggling and giggling.
New things are coming - your teeshirt "I'm the Best Big Sister" makes everyone laugh when this conversation is repeated:
What's in Mommy's tummy? Ella answers 'Baby'!
What's in Daddy's tummy? Ella answers 'Beer'!
You are a happy happy soul Ella exploring the world and naming
it this month.You teach me new
joys everyday.
We took Ella to her first fair today. We spent almost 3 hours there and most of the time played in the 4H section. It is not that big at this fair but it was just right for Miss Ella. We spent a lot of the time in the petting zoo.
Liam and Henry met us there and the little ones are the brave ones.
Love this face. I can't get enough of these smiles. Today she had her 15 month check up. A little late but she is over 30 inches tall and 26 lbs. She also had a giant head. But she is keep a good set of brains up there. Chatting up a storm today.
We are such silly girls who like to have a good time. Ella and I spend time everyday reading books on the sofa, at some point it because a silly play time. We photo documented it today.
You've also evidently named your new baby 'Santa' which might be a continuing family genetic trend - from a note to the wider family about your Christmas:
