Ella says . . .

There are always amusing conversations in our home but here are a few that really stick in my mind!

Ella during a conversation about the tooth fairy: "I think she pays me for my teeth because she wants them for a big tooth necklace that she wears around her neck!"

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Ella loves reading her bible! We're still talking about creation a LOT and this was one night at dinner:

Ella: "I've been thinking about Adam and Eve and how they ate from the tree."
Me: "Yes."
Ella: "Well my question is, if God didn't want them to eat from the tree in the first place than why did He put it there?"
Me: (always taken a back w/ her little mind!) "That's a great question! God made humans so we could learn to love him and always obey him . . "
Ella: (she interupted me) "So you think God was testing them?"

I think she's a smart one :)

videos!

this was a funny one from when we went snow tubing. i was going down the hill w/ layla - sorry i'm pretty loud, but i wasn't it expecting to be as fast as it was!

maren walking - about a month ago

cruisin outside in her new shoes!

 

Date night!

Last night Danny's company had an office party at the Seattle Aquarium downtown and we were actually able to go! We had a very kind friend agree to hang out with the girls and Danny and I got gussied up for the occasion :) I literally cannot tell you the last real date night we've had so it was such a blessing to go out and be just a couple without kids for a night!

 

miss maren

pretty please, mom! just one sip! you know grandma would let me :)

 she got her first pair of shoes this week and now she is completely unstoppable! here she is taking them for her first test drive outside. she walks EVERYWHERE now!!

Maren is definitely a toddler, now! She loves to roll off all the toilet paper, take out all the wipes out of the container, empty out any drawers she can find -- it's safe to say if you don't know where she is, just follow the mess! she loves giving open mouthed kisses now :)

valentine's day

Ella was very excited for her first Valentine's Day party in class today! As you can see, she dressed for it :)

     Sooooo happy with all the goodies!

It was super sweet to watch! Ella thanked everyone, personally, for everything she received and kids were hugging her when they got her valentine :)

     Getting to lead the class during some counting and math excersises!

LOVE this! Ella's class (without me knowing) made myself and the other room mom a heart with their names and handprints! It says "thank you for helping us learn, we love you!" :)

hanging out in the classroom!

soooo happy that daddy took the morning off to be at her party! we went to Mc's after school for some lunch :)

daddy will always be their first valentine :)

me and my ladies!

 funny girl!

 sneaky girl - getting into ella's goody bag!

 she knows!!

 but she doesn't care!
                                                  

 it wouldn't be a day without a meltdown! nothing makes a 2 year old more mad than if you take her picture while she's yelling at you :)

 but this ended my day on a good note - ella's homemade valentine for me :) she wrote it all on her own and that's a pic of her and me hugging!

pull up a chair

We've got so much to catch up on! So many things are going on in the lives of the brindisi babes!

Miss Ella: She is perfecting the art of being 6 and sassy :) She is still loving school and has made many friends this year! She lost her first tooth 2 weeks ago and the tooth fairy brought her $2 - wow! She brought home her first report card last week and she is doing GREAT! She is reading at level "C" - they have to be able to read at level D by the end of the year and her teacher thinks she has the possibility to be reading at a level H - she takes after her mommy ;) She knows 19 of her sight words (there are 45 they must know by end of year) and she knows all her letter sounds and loves writing in her journal! My favorite comment on her report card was "Ella is very good with invented spelling." Ha! She is doing great at sounding out words she doesn't know and I continue to be so impressed and proud of her! She is awesome in math and got wonderful remarks for music as well. Ella is very proud that she can "match pitch." She continues to sing in our church choir - usually performing once a month in church.

We had friends over for dinner the other night and Ella was my little hostess! She set the table, with place cards, and put on her best dress :)

Miss Layla: She is getting ready to follow in her big sister's footsteps! She is registered for kindergaten - aahhh!! 2 in school next year! We are working diligently on preparing her in all aspects and she is super excited! She's writing her name, knows all her numbers, and thanks to Ella, even knows some of her sight words already. She is hoping to have Ella's teacher :) She continues to be our class clown at home and one of the lights of my life! My mom always says we need to find a way to bottle her laugh and it's so true! She is so sweet to her baby sisters - a very good sharer - and always wants to lend me a helping hand when I need one! She is by far our most sensitive babe but also our most laid back!

Miss Norah: She is 2 1/2 - what else can I say?!?! :) She is a typical "mine mine mine" toddler complete with tantrums, stubborness, and independance! She is also the cutest darn 2 year old I know! So many times during the day I find myself just smiling at her. It's hard staying frusterated with such a sweet face :) She has only one volume at this point - LOUD! - and is proving to be another very strong-willed little girl! I've introduced the potty but it's look like it's going to be a slow moving process.

Miss Maren: the first year always brings so many changes! She has been walking for about a month! She's sleeping through the night in her own bed - most nights! We celebrated her first birthday with a cake ans quiet day at home. She is 21lbs 13 oz (65%) and 30 1/2 inches (90%) and has "shrunk" back down to 18 mos clothes. She's not a big eater at this point but loves cheese and pasta! She can say "mama", "dada", and waves hello/good-bye. Layla swears she can say "book" and few other misc words :) She has discovered baby dolls and is a true girl! I brought home some new clothes for her and she ran up to me smiling and took them out of my hands and began hugging them!

  

                                             

                                     

                                    

                                            

As always, we stay busy, but I'd have it no other way! The girls and I volunteer in Ella's classroom twice a week, we have church on Weds, and I love our MOPS group! I'm a lucky girl :)