Ella turns three!

As a parent I like my kids to feel special on their birthday. Holidays are great but they are for some other purpose. A birthday is a celebration for your day. A day when you came into this world, your life here began making a new chain of memories. I don't go all out but I do like to do special things here and there through out the day so my kids feel appreciated and loved.

So last Friday was Ella's day. A time to remember her. How wonderful she is and how lucky we are to have her in our little family. How she keeps us on our toes, makes us laugh, smile and just remember to enjoy the wonders of this world... like how exciting rain, snow and wind can be or how fun it is to pretend to be a pirate, princess, monkey or Pokemon. How fast a toddler can run and get into things... maybe the speed of light? She may be little but her heart is overflowing with love for her big brother, little sister or other family members. Watching her go through being 2 was an adventure and I have no idea what lies ahead for 3.

One thing is for certain, there is never a dull moment with Miss Ella. I continually refer to her as my random ball of energy. You can't control her but only try to guide her in the right direction. The night before her birthday I decorated her room so she would wake up to a wonderful surprise. I do this every year and Jonathan loves it. Well this is the first year my plans have gone array. Ella woke up at 11:30pm, realized there were balloons and proceeded to party it up for a couple of hours. You would think she slept in but no. She woke up her normal time and was able to send Jonathan off on the bus.

We had a nice morning and afternoon together. A few weeks ago we looked at different b-day cakes and she decided on a pink castle. Days before her b-day she kept talking about the cake and when she could eat it. Ella loves sweets and had a blast when the time came to decorate her cake. She did swipe a skittle here and there but its all good. When Ryan came home she excitingly dragged him over to the cake so he could see her fabulous decorating skills.

When Ryan's coworkers found out it was his daughter's b-day they were very generous and made sure he could leave a little early to celebrate it. This was a huge surprise and we are very grateful. Ryan has been working 15 hour work days this past month and we expected him to miss out on almost everything. So it was great he could be there when she opened her presents, dinner, and the whole cake and ice cream festivities.

Ella had a blast almost the whole day. She loved opening her presents and was anxious to play with all the toys. She finally was able to eat her cake and was overjoyed to play with her Emma. What could be better for a three year old.

Proof that Skittle snagging took place.
Excited to open presents... actually the smile was from Daddy trying to get her to smile by saying poop or some other silly but slightly crude word.
She was so happy to have a pair of sunglasses and purse because now she looked like mom.

About to blow out the candle. Did you notice this is her 3rd outfit of the day? She is like that every day! No wonder laundry piles up so quickly.

As a side note: The next morning she woke up asking if it was her birthday. I told her it was over and her countenance dropped. She still has not figured out birthdays and holidays are once a year. Just a few weeks ago we were out driving, it was getting dark and she asked if it was Halloween so we could go trick or treating. Cute.

I finally saw her!

I seriously don't know where to start with this post so I guess I should start from the very, very beginning. Let's go back 2 years ago when we still lived in California, match day was posted and we found out we would definitely be moving back east. All I could think about was what life was going to be like and wondering what sites we would actually be able to see. A few weeks later... I was in my classroom where I had a room full of 1st grade students, I was standing towards the back watching a short movie about the Statue of Liberty. We were about to read a story where a group of kids were going to visit the statue. Then all of a sudden it hit me. Hey I'm moving here. I will get to see this place in person. At that moment I became extremely excited for the move and what ever adventures would happen in the next four years.

Time came and went. Life became busy, especially with the addition of Leia, and no trips or plans were made to see the lady up in person. Then Christmas came around and I found out it was rather easy to see the Statue of Liberty. I could go through New Jersey and not even have to tackle New York City. My desire to go there was rekindled but every time I mentioned it we did not have enough time. Then I saw a friend's blog and she went pregnant totting behind her four little kids. However she didn't go alone, she brought along a friend who also had four kids. Now I really thought to myself if they could do it husband less, I could as well. So I set the date, March 12th. Jonathan had the day off, the place would not be terribly busy since the weather was calling for rain and it was just a normal, non holiday, winter day. I bought tickets online and packed everything the night before so I would be ready to go the next day.

Next day... just when I was about to load the kids into the car I received a phone call from Ryan. "Hey, when are you leaving" he asked. "I was just about to load the kids in the car. Why?" I answered back. He responds with something like this, "I am about to start rounds and will be off in an hour. I was able to sleep 5 hours last night so I can go with you. Is that OK?" Even though I was extremely happy he could come I must admit there was a part of me that was frustrated because I have a hard time being flexible with last minute changes. So I did let out a sigh, got over the frustration, said yes, hung up the phone and quickly began going through the process of ordering him a ticket, putting out clothes for him to change into... yadda, yadda, yadda.

He came home and we took off on our adventure. I must say the drive is not bad but Jersey drivers are scarier than LA drivers. I did not think that was possible. Anyway, I am getting off subject. It was just breath taking when Miss Liberty came into view. I was giddy like a school girl exclaiming, "There she is... wow!" Then of course trying to point her out to Jonathan so he could see.

We had a couple of firsts on the trip. First time all the kids went on a ferry/ boat. First time for all of us, except Ryan, seeing the Statue of Liberty and the New York City skyline. Someday we will actually go there. We opted out of going to Ellis Island due to time constraints but that will be another story, another day.

Of course we had to walk inside the Statue of Liberty. Elevator is currently not working so we walked up 158 steps to the pedestal. I would have liked to go to the crown but you could only order those tickets online and there is a height requirement that Ella and definitely Leia did not meet. If I would have known Ryan could make it things would have been a little different but hey I was there!

Before starting the climb we had to go through tight security. I was currently holding Leia in a sling and she was sleeping away. One of the security guards double checked to make sure I did not have to remove her to go through the check. Luckily she was able to stay put. The whole security experience scared Ella. You had to stand in what looked like a doorway and then was surprised by puffs of air hitting your body. Finally you stood there until the OK was given. She just cried and cried after that. Poor Ryan had to carry her up the steps. She was also scared by the seagulls, aka eagles in Ella language, would bite her. I have no idea where that came from... maybe lack of sleep from staying up late the previous night? Then Ryan teased her earlier about alligators being in the water so she was a wreck but was a trooper and made it through the day.

On the ferry back Ella and I sat together looking out the window. She was super cute and kept asking about where her "trophy" went. Yes, to her, the Statue of Liberty looks like a trophy and the whole day she spoke of her trophy and how she wanted to go inside of it and then see it as the ferry drove away and headed back to New Jersey. It was adorable and during one part of the ride she just gave me a huge hug and kiss and said thank you for letting me see my trophy.

As I looked out the raindrop covered window it was unreal to be sitting there being able to soak in the sites of the Statue of Liberty as the ferry circled around her. I stared, completely in awe of how beautiful she was with the different shades of green covering her and was grateful we were all together sharing this moment. A moment I have anticipated for two years and it finally came true. This was one of the few things that was a must for me to do and now it was done.

Lately I keep going back to a quote that was given to me many years ago in a Relief Society meeting. It says, "Great experiences aren't had, they're made." In other words you need to put forth effort into something if you really want it to happen. Today I did just that and we had an awesome day.

I had to get a picture of me as proof I was there. We were on the pedastal looking out at New York City. Leia is hiding beneath the sling.

View of Lady Liberty from the pedistal. For some reason I really like this shot. A little abstract but it has all the elements familiar to the statue... book, torch and crown.

Jonathan's pic on the pedistal. There was not much space to move around.

Waiting for the ferry so we could go home.

Cute baby girl.

I love this picture. How could you not snuggle this little munchkin.

Looking up inside the statue at the beginning of the climb.

Jonathan requested this picture to be taken.

Inside the museum portion before the climb up to the pedistal took place.

On the ferry going to the island.

First picture taken next to Miss Liberty. The kids did a good job considering it was raining.

Sorry the pictures are out of order and there are so many of them. On a sad note, our computer had major problems yesterday and we ended up loosing everything... yes, everything. All my pictures... gone. Luckily a few were saved in Kodak gallery but most of them are gone forever. I am so glad I kept up with my blog or else I would be completely devistated right now. So I might be adding more pictures to posts just to have some sort of back up.

Miss Leia keeps the firsts coming

I have a confession to make which I am not sure if I should tell it across the Internet. Oh well, I might as well. So here it goes. I am really bad at the beginning stages of brushing my kids' teeth. This time around I bought the tooth brush early thinking I would be more on the ball, but no. Yet again it did not happen. So poor Leia waited awhile, I don't want to admit how long, before I brushed her teeth. At first she wondered what I was doing but after awhile got use to it. Do I dare say liked it. It took me many tries to get a picture. It was tricky to pretend to brush her teeth while trying to take a picture. I finally got a decent one though.

The other first scared me. It happened while I was folding laundry. I looked over and there was Leia seriously trying to figure out how to climb up the step. This girl is a determined one, just like her sister. Just so you know, no Leias were hurt while making this film.

SIDE NOTE: the lack of sleep is getting to me. I finally noticed on the video I should have said won not one. Some days I feel like my intelligence has been sucked out of me.

Roadshow

A few weeks ago I was approached to help out for the roadshow. As weary as I was about how much I could actually help out I volunteered anyway and brought to the table what ever time and talents I was able to contribute. I knew I would be bringing along my three kids since Ryan's rotation is trauma but hey, I would support our stake's roadshow. So last week I made fliers, went grocery shopping so I could make the crew breakfast and lunch, stayed up late to make cupcakes and awaited "the" day.

Well today was "the" day and I am surprised how well it went. (my prayers were answered!) I woke up early to pack the diaper bag and load my car up. Jonathan was super excited and wondered if he would get a part in the play. The girlie girls were locked and loaded and we left for the day because west coast LDS people, the road show out here is a one day only affair. You get the script, make props and rehearse all in one short day and perform that night. Different, I know, but surprisingly fun.

Anyway, Jonathan did get a part and was tickled to have a costume and was able to hang out with older kids and became one of the big boys. The play even had a sword fight which Jonathan was so ecstatic to be a part of. Ultimate coolness for a seven year old boy.



With all the action Ella wanted to dress up... even though she was not in the play, she thought she was. So a kind woman found the most twirly skirt I have ever seen. Ella was in heaven. She wore a crown which had written on it Princess for the Day, a wand and sparkly necklace. (not seen in picture).. such a princess. She also spent part of the day in Nursery, a place she loves. With all the fun, Ella did not want to leave church and it was a traumatic experience when the fun was over and she had to go home.

As for Leia she was a good baby. She managed to fit a nap in during part of the rehearsal. As for me, I was able to fulfill my promises. Breakfast was a little late but lunch was served on time. I was even able to make three posters while the kids played with some toys.

Unfortunately I was unable to see the actual performance. Luckily Ryan came home earlier than expected and took Jonathan while I dealt with some over exhausted girlie girls. Ryan said it was a great road show and Jonathan came back home on an adrenaline rush.

So thank you everyone who participated, especially Donnalee. If I had a hat on I would take it off to you and give you a round of applause. You deserve all the awards won. My kids had an awesome day because of you!

7 month mark

This month has flown by. Leia has made leaps and bounds in her development. First of all, right after hitting her 6 month mark, she started eating baby food. I was extremely curious how she would react to it since she has been eyeing and trying to grab any food within reach. I started her out on pears and just slowly introduced another new fruit or veggie after 2 or three days. It took her a couple days to figure out how to eat food but now she's a pro. At first her tongue always got in the way which I finally figured out she was doing that because that's what her mouth does when nursing. Why I never figured this out before I have no idea. Any who she figured out she needs to change her mouth/ tongue position when eating versus nursing and now chows down on both. Her favorites, meaning she seems to gobble these foods down quicker and makes noises if I'm not fast enough at feeding her, are ... (drum roll please)....bananas, bananas and berries, sweet potatoes, and carrots. She currently is eating three meals a day and is loving it! You go baby!

As far as movement goes, she is on the loose. The past month I have watched her move from a laying down position to sitting independently. She does this all by herself. No help from Momma. She will also go from her back and roll up into a crawling position. A few days later she added on rocking back and forth. Then a few days after that she started moving a leg forward but currently is only able to crawl one or two steps forward before she does a crash landing. We actually got one of her first attempts on film just for your viewing pleasure.






She is still full of smiles and tries really hard to interact with everyone. She is fascinated by hair so all of us have to watch how carefully our heads get to her hands. She also loves to play in Ella's room which someday will be her room as well once she starts sleeping through the night. When she gets really exciting her hands and arms will shake as she attempts to grab what ever it is she wants.

Ryan and I are trying to get her to talk. I am working on her saying Mommacita or Momma while Ryan is working on Dadda. We'll see what happens. She does get a huge smile on her her face when I say Momma but that's it but I'll take that smile any day. It is so cute! Of course last night it sounded like she said Ella. Each day is exciting to just watch her and see how quickly she is developing. I love the fact I can stay at home and watch these things happen. Leia is simply amazing.

Winter Olympics

I love the Olympics. I am not addicted to watching every single minute. To be honest I was not able to watch much of it this year but I still love the games. It is just awesome to see so many people working hard to accomplish their dreams and goals in life. Seeing the medalists reach their goals and watching the pure joy and excitement of their moment is fantastic. Then you hear the stories behind some of the athletes. The struggles, tears, heart aches, promises made to loves ones, and sacrifices made by loved ones. It is a lot of work to get to that point but what a reward. I get teary eyed just thinking about it. It's wonderful to see so many people succeed.

I realize not every one's goals are met and there is much disappointment for many of the athletes but if you think about it, all the athletes there are considered the best in their country and that says a lot. Just being picked to go is an honor.

Watching the games makes me want to be a better person. To work harder at the things that are important to me. It feels good to not be a fence sitter anymore.