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!