Is Winter Over?

I'm tired of being cold and high electric bills....bring on the Spring weather!

We've had a few "snow dusting" days now...Ella's not a fan...she think it's cool to look out the window and see the snow. However...she is very concerned when she has to walk in it. This morning Josh switched the car seat from the car to the Xterra so I would have 4-wheel drive...and I was carrying all our things out to the car so I told Ella she needed to walk and we could hold hands....she finally took that first step into the snow (mind you she's wearing snow boots)....we get to the Xterra and I put the bags in...and then I pick Ella up and get her in her car seat...and it's 12 degrees out...the wind is blowing...I'm stinking cold...and Ella is fussing that there is snow on her boots and can I please wipe it off....I said, "NOOO" that it was ok for her boots to have snow on them....that is what they are made for. We got to Beth's house...and she wanted to take her boots off as soon as we got inside and make sure that the snow was off of them.

Ella has a mild cold....I tried so hard to avoid her getting one! It's very very mild though....so I think we'll actually escape having to go to the Doctor this time...I upped her vitamin intake, allergy medicine, got the humidifier running, added some probiotics to build her immunity....and I think it's working!

Saturday morning Josh volunteered to go help a co-worker set up for a fundraiser. His family is adopting a little boy from Eastern Europe with some physical setbacks...so they have been raising funds to complete the adoption process....this past Saturday they did a BBQ fundraiser. This man does a lot of "smoking meats"....and they cooked over 300lbs of meat! So, Josh helped out for a few hours on Saturday and Ella and I met him over there....we got lunch there before heading home. Josh got some ribs...and I got a pork sandwich....both were awesome! They sold out by 1pm....only 2 hours into it....it was going to be open until 3. I think they are just a hair away from their final goal...

Ella entertaining herself while I was getting ready...

 

It's a puzzle she got for Christmas and she was doing a great job putting it together...needs a little help with it...but she's getting the concept!

Ella posing with her Mama last week...

 

Josh has been working a little extra lately...a few big court cases coming up that he's a little nervous about....so he's been putting in some extra time to make sure he's got everything done that he needs to have done.

Ella got a package in the mail last week from her Grampy and Nanny up in Vermont that had some glitter tattoos in it....so everyday Ella is asking for a new tattoo....it's pretty funny to hear her say, "Daddy, can I please have a tattoo?" :) They are princess themed...and sparkly...and they last for about 24 hours before coming off....so yes Ella....you can have a tattoo! :)

Ella loves to sing...she has been singing about anything and everything....making up the words as she goes along....it's cute! Tonight's song was about elephants!

She's got things figured out...when she does something that upsets me (like if I tell her Ella don't climb up in that chair....and she does anyway)...she'll say, "Mama you mad?" I answer her...."Mommy doesn't like it when you don't listen to me. Please listen to me...I don't want you to fall off of the chair and get hurt." She'll wait a few minutes and then say, "Mama....I like you. I like you a lot." How can you be upset with that?? :)

That's been our week in a nutshell...We're ready for spring! We're hoping to go to DC for a weekend....take Ella to the zoo....once it warms up of course. I'm tired of being stuck inside!

Almost Monday already....

This may have been the fastest week ever! Josh and I said the same thing. We were all healthy this week! :) Maybe it's the vitamins?? I don't know...but I'm happy we're all healthy! Josh had a busy week...and had Friday off...and has Monday off too...lucky duck! I had a busy week...and it was my Saturday to work....so I had to work Saturday...thankfully only for 4 hours....just 9-1. On Wednesday I got off a little early since I had to work Saturday....so I went shopping! :) I was really looking for some hair bows for Ella...there is really only one kind that stays in her hair....and she loses hair bows left and right...so after 5 stores....the last stop had the ones I was looking for....yay! She was funny...I showed them to her when I got home...and she looked at them....there were 6....and said, "I don't like those. I only like the blue one." I let her wear the blue one that day....and then she decided that she liked the other ones.

Friday night we went out to Olive Garden with some friends...Ella came with us and did great...coloring kept her happy....and she scarfed down her grapes and pizza (that she picked out from the kids menu!)

Saturday I had to work...so Josh and Ella went over to our friends house for a few hours, they went to the pet store and looked around...Josh was finding activities to keep Ella entertained! I came home...had to make everyone lunch....and then go to the grocery store...Josh gave me a little list of things he needed and asked me to stop by Walmart...so I figured I would just do my grocery shopping there too....ugh...I HATE walmart.....and was reminded how much I dislike that place.

This morning while I was getting ready for church...I could hear Ella just talking away in her room....

She sat like this for about 30 minutes...just "reading" away. She loves to look at books and "read"....she just makes up stories to go along with the pictures!

The little princess looking cute....

Well I am exhausted....and ready to go to bed...I feel like I've been going going going this week....and I like my sleep! :)

Healthy Again??

How did we start out our New Years? Sick! Well a few days after New Years! New Years Eve we were in bed before midnight....I was asleep by 10...and Josh said he went to bed around 11....such party animals we are!

Ella came down with a little cold...but for Ella...a cold is never just a cold! She had only had it for about 3 days...and then on Friday she went to the sitters...she was coughing pretty bad...but that was it. I picked her up Friday afternoon and she just looked pitiful. We got home and she sat with Josh for a few minutes and he said he really didn't like her breathing. She almost was grunting trying to get a deep breath....and literally coughing every 5 seconds. I called the pediatricians office...and they paged the on call doctor. She called me back within 10 minutes and I explained what was going on...and she said since Ella was wheezing and doing the little grunt thing that we should either take her to the ER or to Urgent Care since that was unusual for her to do that. So we packed up and headed to Urgent Care. It's a walk in facility...and I actually called ahead since I have never seen a child there...wanted to make sure that they saw kids! They told me that they did. We signed in at 6:50...and finally got called back around 8. They tested her for the flu...came back negative. They took x-rays to check for pneumonia...but that ended up being fine. She did have bronchitis, a fever of 102, and broke out in a rash....so on an antibiotic she went...and they gave her a steroid to help open up her airways to help with her breathing. We left there at 9:15ish...and went to the pharmacy....it was packed...Josh and Ella stayed in the car. Ella was already asleep...she was exhausted. I waited at the pharmacy until 10 when her RX was finally ready. We got in the car and Josh was like I AM STARVING. Which....it has been a solid 10 hours since we had eaten anything....so yes we went through a drive thru. I had promised Ella a treat while we were at the Doctors office because she did SO GOOD at the Doctors (the best she has ever been)....so I got her a milkshake....and a corndog :) We pulled in the driveway at 10:45ish....and Josh got Ella out of the car....and the first thing she said was, "I'm hungry!" She's just like her Daddy! :) Which was good because her medicine required her to eat food when taking it....she scarfed down her corndog (I put the milkshake in the freezer)....had her medicine and went to bed.

Saturday Josh was actually supposed to work....but he called in and said that Ella was sick and he wanted to stay home with her. So we had a quiet day at home..I did run to the grocery store. Sunday Josh did have to work...so I stayed home with Ella (it was a long day!) By Monday...she was doing better after having 3 days of medication in her...so she went to the sitters.

We did "craft time"....

 

This one is a butterfly....she made a dinosaur and a puppy dog for her Daddy to bring to his work. This is actually a great little craft...the paper is sticky...and you take the tissue paper and crumple it up and stick it on the paper...she loved it! 

It's been a fairly normal week for us....this is a picture of Ella playing in her room while I was getting ready for work this week.

So Ella is on the mend....and I woke up today with a sore throat....and it starts all over...ahhh! I did however start a documentary called, "Food Matters"....and it really encourages vitamins and healthy eating, etc. So on Saturday we were out (I went and got my hair done)...and then we went to Fresh Market (where we walked in and Josh said, "we can look but we're not buying anything here.") but I wanted to look at there Vitamin section and find some local raw honey. We did walk in and walk out without buying anything....and then at Kroger I checked out the vitamin section and they had the same things...so I got Ella a multivitamin that is a fruit gummy....and I got some vitamin C....so I can maybe build up my immune system! And Josh a multivitamin....which he said is a horse pill and he's not taking anymore until I buy him a fruit gummy vitamin too....haha! Saturday night I had a girls night out....nice to do that once in a while! Sunday I had nursery at church...and it was only 6 kids with 4 adults....it was easy! I took a nap Sunday afternoon. Did laundry and cleaned. Cooked a roast in the crockpot....and hard to believe it is Monday tomorrow already! :)