SNOW!

Well we got our snow!

It was supposed to start on Monday around 4pm...however it started about 11:30am...I had brought Ella to the sitters that morning...and was at work...well we were all keeping a close eye on the weather....and sure enough...it started to flurry...and then it started coming down fast...I went right to the manager and asked if I could leave...we had already discussed that I had a ways to drive...as I had to pick Ella up and then head home...it took me about 1.5 hours to get home. The snow came down...and came down...and came down....I think we ended up with about 8 inches...Ella couldn't wait to get out in it (yay!)

We didn't have snow toys...so we brought out some beach toys! :) I put her to work...she helped me brush off the cars...while I did the shoveling...we were outside for about 4 hours total on Tuesday. We stayed home on Tuesday...my office closed and of course there was no school. At 7am Ella was already asking to go outside! I made her wait until 8am...and we went out 8-10....and then in the afternoon from 3:15-5:15.

Wednesday the school was closed...but I was able to bring Ella to the sitters so I could go to work. The side roads were horrible but the main roads were good...thank goodness we still have the Xterra! I needed that 4wheel drive!

Today is Saturday...and guess what...2-5 more inches of snow/sleet today....eeewww! And we've got about 3 inches of snow so far...

Ella was up this morning at 5:30am....why?? I got up and went in her room and told her it was NOT time to get up...she said, "Mama I just wanted a hug." My eyes were half open...but I gave her a big hug...and put her back into bed! I went back to bed and did get to sleep a little bit...and she was up at 6:45...and ready for breakfast!

We did some art projects this morning...

We've had a busy few hours this morning...who knows what else this afternoon will bring...!

Winter is Here!

I really thought we might escape winter this year...no such luck...today's high was 23 degrees...and the weatherman is threatening that we are going to get up to 10 inches dumped on us starting tomorrow.....and guess what...Josh is out of town! So that means...if we really do get 10 inches of snow...Ella and I will be shoveling the driveway! Ella is ecstatic that it's going to snow...where as I could cry! :)

Recap:

1) I mentioned last time Ella is learning Spanish in preschool...so the other night I was getting her out of the bathtub and she says..."nariz" and I was like ummm what?? She said it again and pointed to her nose...so I told Josh to look up what nose is in Spanish...sure enough...that's what she was saying...and "boca" which means mouth. So now she loves to say those words...and "ojos" which means eyes.

2) Josh is gone for a few weeks...he actually left this past Wednesday...and he came home Friday around 10:30pm....and then left this morning at 9:30am to go back to Norfolk...which he'll be there most likely the full two weeks...the case that he has been working on for over a year is finally going to trial.

3) Valentines Day...Josh surprised me and sent me flowers at work...so sweet. I told him after leaving me with Ella for two weeks...and 10 inches of snow....he better be scheduling me a massage the minute he's back in town! :)

4) In the past two days I have done 6 loads of laundry...how is that possible...there is only 3 of us! I felt like that's all I did this weekend...wash clothes and fold them! Not all clothes...I did do towels and blankets, etc.

5) Ella asked me this past week if I would be her best friend forever. Made my eyes water...as I said of course I would be!

6) Now that Josh is out of town...Ella reallllly wants me to sleep in her room....I told her no I couldn't do that....but maybe towards the end of his being out of town...I'll maybe bring her bed into my room....I worry about her actually sleeping in my bed as it's high up and I'm afraid she'll fall out of it. She did that when we went to Vermont...she moves a lot in her sleep...and we were at the hotel and they had a room with two double beds...and I put the pillows on the floor in case she fell...didn't matter she still fell right out and hit her head pretty good :( This is why she is still in a small toddler bed!

7) Ella had her first Valentines Day Party at school....we made cards...well they were store bought...we put them together and she signed her name on every single one! They brought boxes in to decorate and on Friday she brought her box home with all her valentines in it...she had a great time showing them all to me! Oh and speaking of cards...Grandma - Ella got your card and immediately started dancing around the kitchen when she opened it! (it plays music - and Ella thinks that is great!)

I painted our nails for Valentines Day....

 We were hanging out on the chair watching a movie and eating popcorn!

Oh we did get rid of our couch....took it to the dump...it was quite the scene...it was starting to crack and peel...the inexpensive pleather :) So it was Josh and I who moved it...we took it out the double doors onto the deck...threw it over the side of the deck...went out and picked it up onto the top of the xterra....strapped it down and off Josh went to the dump to get rid of it! Maybe a little redneck huh? :)

3 months later...

It's been months! The last pictures I see are from when we went to the pool in September...wow! Well needless to say...no pool visits lately! Let's see....to summarize the last 3 months...

1) We did a trip to DC in October...that was a lot of fun! Ella and I drove up on a Thursday night...Josh was already for work...and he was off on Friday. So we went to the indoor pool, went to the National Zoo, went to the Natural History Museum, went to a huge mall and some outlet stores. A fun weekend all around. I think Ella's favorite was the zoo...although she did like the History museum...a lot of cool things to see and interactive things for kids.

2) Josh went to Portugal and Spain with his Dad. Ella and I missed him terribly...but he had a great time. Bella was extremely sick that week....as in I didn't think she was going to make it....but she pulled through!

3) I got burnt out. My work was kind enough to let me go part-time. I was getting up at 5:15. Getting myself ready, Ella ready, all of us lunches. Driving an hour to get Ella to the sitter and myself to work for 8am. Working all day til 5. Driving an hour home. Then having to make dinner at 6pm. Dishes, laundry, giving Ella a bath. She was getting in bed at about 8-8:15. And I would last about 45 minutes...and then go to bed. After almost 2 years of this....Josh was like you are burnt out...and I was like yes I am! I know people do it everyday...and they survive....I'm not one of them! So I now work 8-3 everyday. I love having part of the afternoon with Ella...sometimes we read books, color, do puzzles...today we baked brownies! I can still do dishes, clean, and laundry all before Josh gets home....and still have time to make dinner.

4) Ella started preschool! So when preschool enrollment rolled around...Josh and I went and looked at a school...I got cold feet...I said I really don't think she's ready...she still had issues with me leaving her, wasn't potty-trained, etc. So we decided to wait. Right about September she really started coming out of her shell. We finally got her potty-trained. With me starting part-time we started exploring in October the possibility of her going to preschool. I called a different preschool to see if they had an opening...they had a Monday, Wednesday, Friday opening from 8-3:15....so they let us come tour and sit in on a class. We were really impressed with it and I felt peace about her going to preschool. So she started December 1st. She's been there almost 7 weeks now...and fits right in! She really enjoys it..she has a best friend named Lily. She talks about her all the time! It's not so much sit down and do worksheets...it's all very hands on. For instance...this month the theme is Winter. So they have been doing things with ice, "making snow", made "snow angels" on paper, they are going to go "snow tubing" next week. They also dedicate each week a certain letter. So they learn different things about that particular letter. They have music class and Spanish. I didn't know Ella had learned any words in Spanish until she said...."Adios Grandpa and Gigi."

5) We did a breakfast with Santa with a visit from a special snow queen...Queen Elsa and Olaf...Ella enjoyed that...she kept wanting to go see Elsa over and over again. It was at Amazement square. A lot of fun! She got to decorate a Christmas cookie, make ornaments, eat pancakes, see Santa...life was good!

6) We went to Vermont for Christmas. Ella got to go sledding and build a snowman. She LOVED it! We also went to the Teddy Bear Factory, Echo Aquarium, The Christmas Loft. Ella got to play with her cousins a lot. We got to visit with Scott, Cheri and Chace. It was a great week...and the weather was in the 50's part of the time we were there...it was perfect!

7) Ella has only been sick 2 times so far! It's a pretty good improvement over last year! Once at the beginning of December she battled a cold that eventually turned into bronchitis. She got an antibiotic....got cleared up and well for the week of Christmas. We got home from Vermont on the 27th...that night...Ella was complaining of being really cold...very unlike her....she had a fever for 3 days...that turned into the runny nose crud....which eventually turned into an ear infection and an upper respiratory infection. Another antibiotic....hopefully that will be the extent of our winter sickness!

8) Ella got her first "hair cut"....which was really just me trimming it up...I did take a few inches off though! I keep threatening to cut it shorter...but I am not really going to...it'll just make her look older and I'm not ready for that!

Now for a few pictures...