Sassy Pants

Ella, Ella, Ella.  What can I say that you haven't already heard?  I love this girl.  Her big beautiful blue eyes, her funny faces, her sweet little voice.  What's not to love?
Ella had one extremely rough day this past month but has since mellowed out and returned to her sweet self.  Life with little girls is proving to be an emotional roller coaster for all of us.  Andrew is terrified for when we all sync up.
I'll admit, I've been a slacker mom the past year.  Lots of television and computer/tablet games for Ella. She loves both but lets face it, that's kinda lame parenting.  I'm not saying I'm a crap mom.  I can be a little too hard on myself so I'm trying to give myself some slack and trying to remember that this past year kinda sucked.  Now that life is as normal as it will ever be, I'm getting back to myself and cutting down on technology use.  Ella's not loving the constant "no's" when she asks to watch a movie or play games but she is loving what we do instead.  Playing outside is the biggest change.  Hoorah for our second...or is it third...round of spring.
Ella's imagination is getting more complex.  I love it.  Today she ate lunch with her boyfriend.  I don't remember his name since it was gibberish she made up but she shook his hand and had him sit in daddy's spot.  Before lunch we played outside, making dandelion crowns, being chased my tickle monster mommy, casting spells with our dandelion wands (we turned a monster into a bunny and a bear into a pumpkin)  we made pretend pumpkin pie out of the bear, we turned Ella into a monster, freed her from her prison, rode the mommy horse, and saved Olivia from the dandelion monsters.  In case you didn't figure it out already, our yard is getting overrun by dandelions.  And Liv didn't really need help defeating the dandelion monsters.  She just ate them.  Ella's imagination is so much fun.  One of my favorite parts of being a mom is getting to play pretend again.
Ella is still silly as ever.  While outside today she found a raccoon toy, brought him over and says, "Mom, he's a fine creature, he is."
Some of the stuff she says doesn't really make sense at all.  But it's still funny.  Yesterday at dinner she was being a bit of a stinker.  Andrew had gone to use the restroom and she kept asking "Where's daddy?"  I answered "he's in the bathroom?"  "Where is he in the bathroom?"  "On the toilet."  "Where is he on the toilet?"  I finally laughed and said she was a silly tease with a sassy attitude.  Her response was "This attitude under my owie?"
Ella has been getting things mixed up lately.  Not like she is having trouble learning.  Just the kind of trouble any of us has from time to time.  For instance, I am frequently called dad.  She quickly corrects herself and we go about our lives.  She also still refuses to call the car wash that.  It's the wash car.  And mowing the lawn is mow lawning.  At this point, I think she thinks it's just funny.  She knows the real way but she is her mothers daughter.  I still call the carpet shampooer a carpoo shampeter.  One mistake=lifetime of giggles.
Ella had a new first the other day.  I thought we were pretty much done with those for her.  But, she proved me wrong and gave herself her first black eye.  She was playing with my rolling pin and accidentally bonked herself.  Truth be told, I'm a little jealous.  I've never had a black eye.  She loves it because it looks like she's wearing pretty purple makeup.

 She did this on her own. 

 Painting is one of her favorite things.

 She just felt pretty and wanted her picture taken.

 The black eye.  It's even better now.

 My little dandelion princess.