Two New Songs by Ellie

The other night, Ellie announced that she wrote some new songs and wanted to sing them for us.
The first one is "Ring on the Bell and Find That Shoe." Isn't that the best song title?! I didn't catch all of it on camera but it mostly goes:

Ring on the bell and find that shoe...I know just what to do...we have to find that shoe!

Too funny!

Ring on the Bell and Find That Shoe



The second song is "Georgetown Market", which is a local health food store near us. In the song she sings about shopping for:

the last puffins (muffins)
corn and vegetables and green beans and carrots
and nooooooodles...nooooooodles....

Georgetown Market



I love the new songs!

Happy Birthday Josie!

Eric tried to get Josie a vegan piece of cake for her birthday, today, but they were all out. Instead she got to enjoy a birthday sweet potato pie! She loved it! I can't believe she is already ONE...

Zoo

Josie for the first 20 minutes...


Josie for the rest of the zoo!


Ellie, Maddie and Katie


trying to get a butterfly to land on her finger


(pretend) asleep in the garden


favorite part of the gardens


first time she's tried to drink it!


we all know how she LOVES the penguins


the cutest, cuddliest baby walrus!


this little guy was seriously trying to give hugs right through the glass!


can you find the koala?


still very, very sleepy


slept the whole way home (with the famous hat of course)! :)

This trip, we just did the gardens and the water areas. It was a really nice and relaxing day!

Garage Makeover

BEFORE


AFTER


This week while Eric was out of town, I cleaned up the garage and set up a workshop in the corner as a surprise for his (upcoming) birthday. I think it's the most I've accomplished since Josie was born so it felt good!

Ellie and Josie during the clean-up. They did great!

Sisters






Cousins




Josie and Daddy




Family Photo




All these pictures were taken at my Grandma's 100th birthday. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Impromptu Picnic

The girls and I were at Target today when we came upon these three little girls having a picnic in the aisle. As soon as Ellie saw them, she ran right over and just plopped herself right down and asked "Can I play???". The girls just looked at her and giggled and spoke in another language. Ellie didn't even seem to notice that they didn't understand her and "I'm Ellie! Can I have a bowl please?". It was so cute! I just stood a little off in the distance and let her play for about five minutes. The little girls accepted her pretty quickly and soon they were all passing around the plates and drinking from their cups and being all cute and giggly like best friends! I would have loved to have taken video but I wasn't even sure if the father (who was lingering between the girls and the dressing room where I imagine the mother was) even understood when I asked if I could take a picture...
I just love the little social butterfly that Ellie is. She will never have a problem adapting to new situations or making friends (like I did when I was little) and that just makes my heart smile. :)

Serenade

After Ellie and I made pancakes this morning, I told her was time to help me clean up. I said "You can help by..." when she quickly interrupted and said

I know how I can help Mommy! I can play sweet songs for you on my guitar while you clean!

...and so she did get out of the cleaning and I got to clean to some (very) "sweet" music!

So Brave

I love how gymnastics has been encouraging Ellie to be more and more brave each time. Last week it was front rolls on a balance beam (that was taller than her!) and this week it was falling backwards. Ellie just trusted that she would be safe and just went for it! I love it!

Dancing Dr. Ellie

I want this kind of energy! (Even having a cold doesn't stop her!)

Ellie's Picnic

I love, love, love when I catch Ellie in the middle of imaginary play and can watch her without me knowing it. I love even more when I can capture it on camera!
This time she is setting up a picnic for all of her friends. It's so cute how she even put on her chef outfit by herself to serve them in. In this picture, she is giving "Cloudy" the monkey a banana. Too cute. :)

Time with Daddy

Ellie got to do her two of her "favorite things to do with Daddy" this weekend.

1) Bake bread.
(No pictures since I wasn't there but here are some of her and Josie enjoying it...it was so good!)




2) Play music.

So sweet...

Birthday Party

Ellie had so much fun at her friend Katie's birthday on Saturday!


Birthday girl!


Maddie and Ellie


Fun bouncy house slide.


Limbo!


Josie just wanted to swing in her favorite swing the whole time...

(Corie, if we ever get our own swing set, that Clifford swing may just have to mysteriously disappear from your back yard one night!)

Where's Ellie???








Here I am!!!

Park Play

The weather has been fantastic so we have been going to the park often too! This is one we haven't been to yet and so we were pleasantly surprised to see a merry-go-round! Ellie was so excited to ride for the first time ever...


(The hat, by the way, has become a favorite of hers. It's worn just as much inside as out!)







Friends from ballet class. Josie and the other baby are just 4 days apart.

Big Pool

Now that both girls will go into the big pool, it has been much more fun for all of us! We try to go almost every afternoon after Josie's nap. Ellie wears a life jacket and/or floatie (sometimes both!) but she really wants to learn to swim. Since I have to stay so close to Josie, it makes it hard for me to work with her. Swim lessons start at the high school soon, though, so I'm sure we will be doing that!





Ellie- unaware that I was watching (and recording) her. She always has a song in her head so of course the water made think of this one this time...


Josie- just floating around and loving it!

Once Again: Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (with singing!)

And more composing...just look at that hand posture! :)

Happy Dog