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! :)

Christmas!

Josh and I both had Christmas Eve off....which was nice...we really just had a lazy day around the house relaxing...it was very nice! We got ready for church as our church does a candlelight service....we went to that...and then stopped on the way home at our friends house as they had a little gift for Ella...we came home and Ella got to open her Christmas PJs...there was a matching nightgown for her baby doll too. This was her first nightgown....so I put it on her and she said, "Mama I need pants. Where are my pants??" I was excited to tuck her in so I could bring up all the presents and put them out under the tree! I think I was more excited than Ella for sure. I woke up at 4, 5, 5:30, 6:15, and then finally 7....which is when Ella woke up. Here we are ready to go....

 

Ella enjoyed opening up the first few presents...then she was more interested in playing with them and kinda didn't care about opening up anymore! 

I think the hair dryer might be her favorite thing....she wants to blow dry everyone and everything! :)

After Ella got to play for a little bit...we packed up and headed over to Grandpa and Gigi's!

I was really hoping she would sleep on the way over....but no luck :(

We did get Ella to take a nap....in the big bed...she desperately needed one!

All in all it was a great day....we were all tired out at the end of the day....and it was sad to have to be at work the next day at 8am! 

Josh and I both worked Thursday and Friday. Friday night we went out with some friends for dinner for my birthday. Saturday we took Ella to Grandpa and Gigi's house...then Josh and I went to Roanoke for the evening....we picked Ella up on Sunday afternoon....came home for a few hours then went back out to our friends house for dinner....it's been a whirlwind...I'm tired! :) 

I made homemade chex mix in the crock pot today! Pretty good I must say....not quite as good as my Nana used to make it...I need to do a little tweaking. 

Ella's favorite toy has been....play-doh!

Every chance she gets she's asking to play with her play-doh! LOVES it!

Almost Christmas!

Josh was gone all last week to DC for work....so it was just Ella and I...needless to say....I was sooo happy to have him home Friday evening! Ella is a good girl....but she has a hard time obeying Mom...and my patience was just about out! Last time Josh was out of town I told Ella that Mommy needed to step away for a few minutes because I was so upset that she wasn't being a good girl....so this past time when I was getting upset...she said, "Mommy...you need to step away few minutes." At least she knew she had pushed my buttons!

We had a pretty quiet weekend...

Ella was sick again! Imagine that....it's actually a nasty little bug going around....it only lasts for about 18 hours...a yucky little bug that made for a big mess for Mommy to clean ;) That hit Ella on Sunday morning as we were all getting ready for church....but after that..there was no church for Ella....I was almost ready...so Josh said why don't you go to church and I'll stay home with Ella....he knew that I had been cooped up all last week with her...so I did. They watched a movie...and then Ella fell asleep on the couch...and slept for a few hours. Woke up and had a little applesauce....and then went back to bed for another hour. She  woke up from that nap...and said that she was hungry! So I made her a little Mac and Cheese (her request)...and that was all she ate for the rest of the day...and she climbed into her bed at 7...and asked to go to bed.

She woke up this morning and said....my tummy all better....she said she slept and when she woke up her tummy was all better! So she ate breakfast....and then I headed to work. Josh was off today...so he hung out with her. They actually went to the mall...Josh had a few last minutes things to get...and he wanted to take Ella on the train ride at the mall.....and show her Santa. He said that Ella didn't want to sit on Santas lap....but she was very interested in him....Josh said that Santa waved at her and said, "Merry Christmas"....and Ella waved back and said, "MERRY CHRISTMAS!" She was very excited to tell me about it when I got home. She also told me exactly what her and Daddy went shopping for :) I had asked for a new water bottle since I broke my last one a few weeks ago...I always carry a water bottle with me...so apparently that is what they shopped for today ;) It's a purple one. Ella pointed out which present it was under the tree....hahaha....can't tell Ella any secrets!

Ella's new thing is bringing her table and chair into the living room to eat....

I didn't have my act together this year...I didn't get Christmas cards going...I need to be a touch more organized for next year....

And on that note...I'm going to go wrap for a few minutes :)

Overdue!

It's been a few weeks...

And what do you....2/3's of us are sick again! Josh - always manages to stay healthy. Ella just came down with a cold on Thursday...it's actually not a bad one....except for her cough...poor little thing....and I have never felt sick at all....just a cough that kept getting worse...and finally enough people said to me....you should probably go to the Doctor for it...I did....asthmatic bronchitis I was told I have...so basically bronchitis...and some fancy named tubes are reacting like I have asthma (which I don't)...so I have to use an inhaler for a few weeks and be on an antibiotic...Someday we'll be healthy again....maybe not til Summer!

We've been busy with Christmas parties, cookie exchanges, and getting ready for Christmas! We had a mini ice storm last week...so we stayed home and Ella and I made gingerbread houses...

 

She had fun making them....and eating them!

We decorated our tree...

 And Daddy brought this wonderful toy up from the closet downstairs....it has lots of Christmas songs...and a train goes around the globe...and she plays it non-stop! Thanks Daddy!

Nanny and Grampy came for a few days for a visit. Ella had lots of fun baking with her Nanny!

And of course she's not smiling....but Ella had a blast on the train ride! She kept wanting to go on it again and again!

Ohhh....Ella got to meet her new friend....Baby Sadie....

 

That's Baby Sadie at 2 weeks old. We got a picture of Sadie and put it in a frame. It is in Ella's room....and she carries around "Baby Sadie" quite often. It's cute!

She's still very much stuck on Ann and Andy and they go everywhere with us! Andy came to Josh's Christmas party this past weekend. Ella and Andy got matching "Deputy" stickers. She thought that was soooo cool!

Poor little Ella coughed so much last night...no one got very much sleep...I put her to bed tonight a few minutes before 7...she was just so tired...she's still coughing quite a bit...but I hope she'll sleep a little better...she needs it! And mommy need it....I need more than 4 hours! :)

Thanksgiving Week.

Ella I think might almost be all the way healthy!

Sunday - we didn't go to church as she was still coughing a lot. And I didn't want to bring her around a bunch of other kids. It was a quiet day but productive in cleaning/rearranging. We are in the process of moving the guest bed out of Ella's room into the office. Well the office has about 2 years worth of clutter in it - so it took some time going through everything, rearranging, and getting everything all cleaned up! Today we made the big switch.

It was rather a normal week for us. Josh had his first eye exam. He's been getting some bad headaches so I advised him to have an eye exam. :) He does work on a computer 8 hours a day....since that is his job! I thought maybe he's getting a headache from staring at that all day. He has better than perfect vision for distance...but was prescribed a very mild prescription for the computer. He at first said there was no way he was getting glasses.....but then he warmed up to the idea....or caved...and is getting some glasses to wear just while at work. He didn't like what I picked out for him....so after going back and forth - we settled on some Oakley frames that are black plastic...I approve :)

I started doing some wrapping tonight for Christmas....but soon ran out of tape (I only got 3 presents wrapped)...that love of tape must run in the family! ;)

Thanksgiving was fun. We went to the lake for lunch. Ella was super excited to go over and play with Grandpa and Gigi - and was thrilled the puppies were along for the ride. (They came with us for a week visit at the lake since Josh's parents are coming this week - it's better when the puppies aren't at our house). However when we left...Ella said, "where are my puppies?!?" in a rather accusatory tone! Ella and Grandpa had the best time (well Ella did - Grandpa was a good entertainer!)

Grandpa and Ella played with Chapstick...Ella LOVES chapstick...I have to hide it! Then Grandpa took Ella for a walk around the house...and Ella kept wanting to walk more....but it was cold out...so Grandpa had to bribe Ella with the pie inside!

And this is Ella's new smile...when she has chapstick on...she doesn't want to mess up her "lips" so she does this funny scrunched up nose smile. Silly girl! (and notice that Felix the cat is in her arms....as Felix goes everywhere with us!)

It was a nice day filled with steak, shrimp, salad, and peanut butter pie! :)

We got home and we skyped with Ella's Nanny and Grampy in Vermont and all her cousins. She just stood and stared at the TV watching everyone! We have skype connected to our TV...so it's like watching the family on TV (reality TV!)

I was given the option to take Friday off - and I jumped on that opportunity. I was thankful to have it off and spend time with Josh and Ella. I made a bunch of muffins. And I am going to make a German Chocolate Poke Cake to bring with us tomorrow - we are going to a friends house to have a Thanksgiving meal.

I got lots of laundry, dishes, cleaning done today. And tomorrow morning...I get a massage! :) I'm looking forward to it!