Fun-Filled Wednesday!

Well it was our last day at Romp N' Roll :( At least for going during the week...they do have a Saturday class that I think I might put her in...she enjoys going and if it's on a Saturday Josh and I can both go. This was Ella's art project today:

Well it turned into more my project then Ella's...she did help some :)

After Romp N' Roll we met my mom and dad at Target...where we walked around and scoped it all out...I think Target is going to miss my weekly shopping trip! I picked Ella up an outfit for Valentines day...because she needs to be festive for the holiday! I also got her a pair of pajamas and a shirt....but those are to be put away until the fall/winter...as they are the next size up...but they were a good sale!

They got lunch and brought it over to our house...and we had lunch and then played with Ella...Ella was loving having Grandpa laying on the floor playing with her! They read lots of great stories, played with baby dolls, played with Mr. Potato Head....he tired her right out....after they left...Ella went down for a nap and slept for 2 hours! While I did laundry, read a magazine, and made chocolate chip cookies! When Ella got up from her nap she got to have a chocolate chip cookie...I should have taken a picture of her face after she was done devouring that cookie...she clearly enjoyed it!

I made my Chicken Dish tonight....I wasn't that impressed with it....it was just chicken, potatoes, and green beans all baked together with a mix of seasonings and a little butter...it was too bland we both thought (although Josh said it was ok because at least it was edible)....we both really liked the green beans at least....so that recipe won't be on my list again! I did make a fish dish last night (baked sole)...Josh said he didn't care for it...he ate it but didn't really like it....he's a red meat kind of guy...we definitely have different taste buds! I might have to start making two different meals! Although the guys at his office made a big venison steak meal for lunch...so he still got to eat something good!

That's been the highlights of our week so far!

Where does the time go?

It's been a week since I last wrote...I feel like it was just a few days! There really wasn't too much different to our week...

Here is Ella one morning (with some bed-head going on!):

I tried to brush her hair to make her presentable before going to the sitter's...it kind of worked...I stuck a bow in it and it was just fine! :)

We went to Romp 'N Roll this past week...and this coming week is her last time going (at least during the week)....maybe we'll join a weekend class...I'm starting back at work full-time in February. I've enjoyed being home part time...but I will also enjoy being able to pay off Josh's student loan for his Master's! Maybe we'll win the lottery one day! :)

It's been cold here (even though I know I don't really have room to complain)...we had our snow last week...which lasted about a day...and we got snow again on Friday...only about an inch....just enough to cover the roads and make them slick. Ella and I actually didn't leave the house Friday...but Josh did and said he was sliding around a bit coming home (and he got to come home early)...and it melted on Saturday! Annnnd it's supposed to be 67 on Wednesday! Yay! I'm ready for spring!

Ella had a "Breakfast Party" on Friday morning....

 

She had to line up her baby dolls to sit next to her while she ate her breakfast! I had to help her a little bit with the chairs as she couldn't quite drag them to where she wanted them...but she put her baby dolls in each chair and gave them blankets. She loves her babies! 

It's been a fairly low-key weekend...no movie premier's this weekend! I just went grocery shopping....and Josh is at the shooting range now. I have been a little "Suzie Homemaker" in the cooking department...Josh informed me he was soooo sick of CHICKEN...so I have been trying to be creative in making new things....I made a "Baked Garlic Penne" dish last night which was pretty good...I got two thumbs up for that one! I just took out of the oven some "Pumpkin Cream Cheese" muffins...and I am getting ready to bake some sweet potatoes. I am trying to cook more "clean or fresh" instead of using processed items, etc....that are filled with additives and chemicals! And sorry Josh...there is 1 chicken dish on the menu this week!

Ella is just adding to her vocabulary...she can say, "Bella" and "Brinly"...it's more like, "baLLAA" and "brrLLEE" lots of emphasis on the ending of the word! She's getting close! She can't say Grandma or Grandpa yet...too much of a mouthful....we've taught her "Nana and Papa" (for Josh's grandparents in Texas)....she can say those really well! She can say "Nanny" (Josh's mom) well...and she's still struggling with "Grampy" (Josh's dad). Today we learned "Matt" and "Zach" (two of her cousins)....the other three....Aaron, David, and Silas....she just looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to get her to say those...those 3 are a little harder! 

She is starting to put a few words together....like, "Bye Daddy" when we leave in the morning....or "Na-night Puppies" when we put them in the bathroom before we leave. 

She can say...soup, applesauce, book, bug, bow, brush, seat, hello, milk...that's the majority of her everyday vocabulary....and she can moo, quack, meow, ruff, and baaaa with the best of them! We learned about pigs yesterday and that they say "oink"...which she is trying to say! 

I was trying to get her to say "Ella"...and every time I would say it...she would tickle herself and just laugh and laugh...she did say it once...but she was having more fun tickling herself!

Well time to go pop the sweet potatoes in and do a little cleaning while Ella is napping!

Hollywood! :)

We made it to the weekend!

My cold is almost gone...yay! Just that little tickle in my throat that pops up now and then.

Thursday - it was pouring down rain for the entire day...the weather report kept calling for snow...said it was going to start at 12 (no snow), then 3 (no snow)....I was beginning to doubt we were going to end up with any...until they started talking about how fast the snow was coming down about 45 minutes-1 hour from us....so ok...maybe it was going to come to us....I asked if it was ok if I left 10 minutes early as it takes me about an hour to get home. I was on the road for about 10 minutes before the rain switched over to snow - and it started coming down FAST. I was not happy! It took me almost 30 minutes to get to the sitters house (When it usually takes about 10)...the traffic was horrible. Josh called me and told me he wanted me to go home a different way...a way that is all high-way instead of going through the town. He said the less cars I was around the better (as some people down here are awful at "winter driving") - so Ella and I said a little prayer and off we went! It was nerve-racking. My windshield wipers kept freezing up and they were smearing the windshield...and Ella cried at the top of her lungs the WHOLE way home (really was not helping me!) But lo and behold we made it. And about 30 minutes later it completely stopped...crazy! Ella looked out the door and we told her it was snow...and she kept saying, "sNO"....the "s" was there but very quiet...it sounded very much as "NO". :)

Onto Friday - since we had a movie premier that we were going to (findingfaithfilm.com) I needed a dress to impress....haha or more like I just needed a dress! I don't really wear dresses all that often - for work I am more of a "suit" kind of girl...or dress pants and a sweater...not really into dresses! So shopping we went (Josh was off...so he came along!). Friday night - since he was a good sport and went with me shopping...he went over to a friends house Friday night to help set up some reloading equipment.

Saturday - Josh had a bunch of friends meet him at our house at 10am - and they were going shooting at the range (it ended up being about 50 outside - so fairly nice) - and Ella and I went shopping! Well we really just went to Target for fun! I did have a few things that I needed to get.

Around 3:30 my parents arrived at our house to watch Ella...while Josh and I went off to the movie premier!

 Erik Estrada was the "big name" in this movie :)

 Josh being introduced.

The Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (on the left) West Virginia Task Force (on the right).

It was a fun evening! We got to see all kinds of dresses...it was more like going to the prom (I was clearly not dressed up enough!)

Passing "sickness"

Ella and I are just sharing left and right....since December 24th...she has been sick or I have been sick...this time around it is just a cold...however...still not fun!

Ella and I did our weekly trip to Target!! :) It was time to get out of the house...so off we went. I picked up a few grocery items...and a little shirt for Ella for the summer...it's easier to pick up things here and there throughout the year...when I find them on sale...I'm a bargain shopper!

Here is a picture of my Lemon Bread I made the other day...

It wasn't too bad for my first attempt at it...it was a little dry...I followed the directions...but I think I shouldn't have baked it so long.


I took a few fun pictures of Ella today...she was being a little ham!

 

Josh was out of the house early early this morning...they had a search warrant out of town...so his alarm went off at 3:30am this morning...which meant I woke up as well...and since I have this wonderful cold...I dozed off an on for another hour...and then was wide awake just laying in bed...so finally around 5:15 I got up and came upstairs and made a cup of coffee and enjoyed some peace and quiet before Ella was up...which she slept in until 7:45am...and then yelled, "MAMA!!"

She had two time-outs today for hitting. She gets so upset when I tell her "no" that she can't do something...and her way to take out her frustration is to throw something or hit me....which is NOT OK! So...she has to go into time-out. The first time - I asked her if she was sorry...to which she said, "yes" and nodded. The second time-out I asked if she was sorry - this was about an hour later....and she said, "nooo." I asked her again, she said, "nooo." So I told her that she had to stay in time out for just a little longer...I walked away and she wailed...so I tried about 2 minutes later...and again asked her if she was sorry....she hesitated and then said, "yes" and nodded.

I made a sweet potato casserole tonight in hopes of Ella eating some veggies...she only ate about 5 or 6 bites of it....but that was better than none! At lunch time - Ella got down from her high-chair...and I let her finish her sandwich standing up...well she tripped on something and fell...and before I could do anything...Brinly snatched that sandwich off the floor and went running...is this bad?...I actually went after Brinly (who was just a few feet away) to grab that sandwich from her...I didn't want her to eat a whole peanut butter sandwich!! I grabbed what I could and threw it away...and then attended to Ella....who was actually more upset that the dog ate her sandwich and the other part was thrown away...she kept going to the trash can and crying again...so I asked her if she wanted me to make her another sandwich...and she nodded and said yes through her tears....which I made her another one and she ate almost all of it!

Well it is 8:48...and my alarm is set for 5:15am tomorrow morning for work....and this cold is kicking my tail...I'm exhausted. Time for bed!

71 in January

It's 71 degrees outside right now...and it's January 13th....yes I do love the South! :) Now it is unusual for it to be this warm in January...but it has been a very mild winter so far....and we are loving it! As a matter of fact Josh just left to go to the shooting range with some friends...Ella just went down for a nap...and I just put a loaf of lemon bread into the oven...we'll see how it turns out....I did buy Baking Soda...so I know it won't be flat bread! :)

I wish I could say that we have done a lot of things to keep us busy...but really we've just been going to work, etc. Ella has been having teeth come in...and has another cold that started Wednesday.

I tried to get a few pictures of Josh brushing Ella's hair...he always does the "night-time routine"....which includes bathtime, brushing teeth, putting pj's on, brushing her hair, and story time.

 

She is playing with a "lady-bug" that she got for Christmas from her Grandma and Grandpa...you push the "moon" button and it lights up...and you can choose from red, green, or blue for colors of the lights...and it projects stars and the moon onto the ceiling...Josh turns it on every night at bedtime...and it is set on a timer...so it goes off after a little while. She loves it!

I had nursery in church today...and apparently wore Ella right out....(I was in her class)...

She sacked right out on the car-ride home!

Video as Promised

I think I have watched this video at least 20 times in the past 24 hours! :)

And Ella loves watching it...it plays and when it's over she points to it and makes noise until I play it again...and she just laughs and laughs.

Here we are before church yesterday..I really was trying to get a picture of her in her dress...but she did not want to pose...she kept running around to the other side of the camera as she wanted to see what I was doing...

It was a pretty quiet day...Josh and I both worked and Ella went to the sitters. I went to go pick her up and she didn't want to come with me...she was sitting in a glider and she was just rocking away...she wanted nothing to do with me coming over and picking her up :)

19 months going on 13 years old...

And so it begins...(not always...just this morning someone was a little diva!) Ella was up around 7am...the usual...I go in and get her. I get her changed and am getting ready to get her dressed. I pulled out an outfit and she looked at it and said, "no! noooo!" I took her leg to put it into the pants...and she pulled her leg away and said, "nooo!" So I thought...for real?? So I said to her, "Ella do you want to wear a different pair of pants?" To which she replied, "yah." I then pulled out a pink pair...to which she was absolutely fine with.

And a creature of habit...I made banana bread yesterday...which is another story...I didn't realize we were out of baking soda until I was in the middle of making the banana bread...so I thought..ehh it's fine...so we have really flat banana bread...but it still tastes ok! I had intentions of making the banana bread for something different for Ella to eat for breakfast. Right now she eats a nutra-grain bar and has a cup of milk every morning. So this morning, I cut up some banana bread to give to her...and she wouldn't eat it...she kept pointing to the cabinet where the nutra-grain bars were. I gave in and let her have her nutra-grain bar...and she ate it all.

Yesterday we ventured out to Target. After 3 days of just the two of us...and being in the house the entire time I was ready to get out of the house! So we took a trip to Target where Ella got a few pair of pants. She got lots of shirts and dresses for Christmas...but a lack of pants...so it was time to get some new pants.

Ella is into making animal noises...she just learned yesterday what a monkey says (she had a monkey shirt on)....and today she is wearing a dress that has monkey's on it...so basically it sounds like we live in a jungle! Or in a pond...as she is on a "duck-kick"...and is "quacking" up a storm....I'll try to get it on video today.

Her favorite book right now is, "Goodnight Moon" - I think I read it on Thursday at least 20 times. I kept saying, "Ella why don't you pick out a different book to read." And she would always say, "No!" And wouldn't let me get a different book. So now I have that book memorized! :)

Oh and since I was home for 3 days straight...I may have gotten carried away on eBay again ;) So Ella has some new outfits for summer coming her way!