So Proud of My Sunbeam

So Ella is officially a Sunbeam. It is exciting to have her in Primary. Her favorite part is learning the new songs during Singing Time. It is too cute to hear her singing songs that I don't even know. I also love hearing her tell me about Sunbeams. This week she came home and said "My teacher teached me a special lesson today about the activity (Nativity) and a new bersion (version) of "Once there was a Snowman"." I love it when she tries to use new words and has no idea how to pronounce them.

One of the things they are doing in Primary is memorizing scriptures. Ella was given a little book that has a scripture each month for her learn. Each night before we read from the Book of Mormon we work on her scripture for the month. And I am so proud because she memorized it!! She learned the scripture for January and is now so excited to learn the scripture for February!!

It's fun to be in Primary :)

My Doctor needs a Nap!

For over a week now, Ella has been very sick. It started with constant vomiting (she didn't understand throwing up in a bowl so we were spending our time trying to catch vomit). After 3 days she stopped throwing up and developed a horrible cough. She spent every second coughing without a break and literally didn't sleep at all at night because of it. It was at this point that I decided to take her to the doctor.

Now let me tell you, I hate trying to decide whether or not to take my kids to the doctor. I go back and forth about if they need to go or if it is going to be a big waste of time. My final decision was to call and talk to a nurse and see if they wanted to see her.

When I called the office I told the receptionist that I wanted to take to a nurse. She asked for Ella's name and pulled up her chart and then asked what was going on. After I told her she had been throwing up the receptionist said "Oh, you don't need to talk to a nurse. They will want to see her for sure so they can test for strep."

So, into the doctor's office we go for what I think is going to be a strep test. That is not what happened. I ended up spending the whole time holding Ella (who was too weak to walk) while the nurses and doctor each took their turn at giving me a lecture about not giving her the flu shot. They even had someone come in who said they were doing a study with the university on kids who didn't get the flu shot and got the flu. They wanted to take Ella's blood and a swab of her mouth. I said "Are you kidding me? Do you see how sick my daughter is? I am not going to submit her to unnecessary tests right now!!!"

And as I am sitting there holding my daughter who can't stop coughing and has lost 8 pounds (she weighs 25 pounds right now and literally looks like she is starving to death) the doctor made his diagnosis. He listened to her lungs, looked in her ears and said "She has the flu. And your whole family didn't get the flu shot so now everyone in the family will get the flu. You will spend the next two weeks with a sick family and when you baby gets the flu he will have to go to the hospital. After he has had a fever for 24 hours you will need to bring him into my office and I will have to have him sent to the hospital where he will be for 5 days. I just saw a baby his age with the flu this week and that is what happened." So, I say "I have kept the kids away from each other and have tried very hard to keep disinfecting everything and I always wash my hands before I pick him up." And then he says, "It doesn't matter. Now that Ella is coughing so much the germs will be flying all over your house and he is going to get it!" At this point he walked out of the room, shut the door and said to the nurses "She decided not to give her kids the flu shot so what am I supposed to do?"

So, I left the doctor's office crying. But here's to you Doctor.....YOU WERE WRONG!!!

I am happy to report that Will did NOT get the flu. He has a nasty cold but no vomiting. I am also happy to report that I did NOT get the flu and Chris did NOT get the flu. So, next time don't tell this mom there is nothing I can do!!!!

God Given Right to Be Loved

I promise to spend a ridiculous amount of money on crayons and goldfish.

I promise not to notice the cracker smeared on my shirt and instead notice your tiny hands.

I promise to know all about princesses and construction trucks.

I promise to read the same book over and over again until I have it memorized.

I promise to let you chew on my coasters and smile at all the teeth marks.

I promise to play dress-up and not be embarrassed when the UPS Guy sees me in a tutu and cowboy hat.

I promise to go to the game even if I don't like sports and cheer louder than anyone else.

I promise to kiss all scrapes and bumps even if they are covered in dirt.

I promise to watch Barney and laugh when I can't fall asleep because the songs are stuck in my head.

I promise to be just as excited about playing peek-a-boo as I am about going shopping.

I promise to listen to Wheels on the Bus in the car and do all the motions.

I promise to use my purse to hold sippy cups and animal crackers and of course diapers.

I promise to forget the bad and remember the good. To spend more time playing and less time disciplining. To hold you at 3am and kiss you goodnight. Mostly, I promise to give these years of my life to you, after all you are only mine for a short time.

Signed: "Just a Mom"

WillYum!

I think that this cute little boy deserves a post all to himself.

I mean look at this face...

This boy is so much fun that I feel sad when a realize how quickly he will grow up. Of course, I wish he slept as well as his sister...he seems to think that he needs to eat twice a night. Actually, he would like to eat all the time. I have started feeding him solids for this very reason and from what I can tell he will eat as much food as I will offer. He usually eats an entire banana and a bowl of rice cereal before he goes to bed. And don't worry, he still has plenty of room to nurse. I am pretty sure his sister has never finished a banana in her life!!! This might have something to do with the fact that he is the size of most 9 month olds...a fact that makes Chris smile thinking maybe his son will be tall :)

I Never Saw It Comin'

So, life really is full of surprises or maybe it's just that Ella is full of them (or it)...however you slice it...I would have never guessed that after the first week of school Ella's teacher would be waiting in the hall to talk to me...

That's right y'all, my kid is getting in trouble at school...(as a side note, for some reason having a kid that is getting in trouble at school feels a lot like YOU are getting in trouble at school).

But seriously, look at her. So cute, So happy....

So crazy...

I never saw it comin'.

I will never forget that day her teacher was waiting to tell me that Ella was having a hard time following directions. She said in particular that when it was time to go outside Ella refused saying such things as "No, I won't go!!" "You can't make me!!" and my personal favorite. "Don't tell me!!" Her teacher of course made her and she was very unhappy the rest of the day.

Well, after my little talk with the teacher I assumed things were better. Her teacher kept saying, "Today was a pretty good day" so that is what I thought until we went to the school's open house. At this event all the parents played toys and looked at the pretty pictures their kids had made. All but us that is because we were too busy being talked to by Ella's teacher, the teacher's aid, and the speech pathologist. They each took a little time to come talk to us about Ella. They shared things with us like how Ella never wants to do what they tell her to and how she is too loud during circle time for the other students to hear and often has to be taken away from the group and it went on..Chris and I just kept looking at each other thinking "We had no idea it was this bad." Her teachers kept reassuring us but we realized..we are the parents of a trouble-maker...where did we go wrong?

I can say all this now because things at school really are better. She finally likes going to school and her teachers are now saying "Today was a really good day"(fingers crossed for the next open house).

But man ohh man does this little girl keep me guessing and really, I love it because I would be a bored mommy without her.

Fall Outings

One great part about living in Rochester is the Fall. It is beautiful..and thankfully our good friends, James and Sarah, planned some fun activities that got us out to enjoy it.

James is Chris's business partner or as I like to say "work wife". Sarah is James' girlfriend and also went to school with Chris. Ella is really shy around them (I actually think she is scared of James) but she does love to tell me how pretty Sarah is and gets very excited when he are going to all hang out.

So now that they have been introduced..our first fall outing was to go apple picking. And since a picture can tell a story..I will let the pictures do just that...

Do I look like I am miserable? This kid weighs almost 16 pounds!!!

Some people are such overachievers ;)
PS...notice the red tape...

Carrying the spoils!!

Our second outing was to a corn maze. Ella complained the whole time we were walking through it about how she wanted to get out (3 year olds are always fun). She did however like the duck racing and she loved riding the cow train. Sorry there are no pictures of these things because my camera stopped working. I am praying for it :)
Here are some fun pictures though of James and Chris acting like 3 year olds...

The chase..

I see this kind of thing all the time at Whipple Park.

Corn Husk Gun...poor Will cried after every shot.

New York, New York

We finally made the big trip to NYC. It is sad that we have lived in New York for over a year and just made it to that happening place..but alas..it has been accomplished.

The trip had all the essential stops. We went to Philly...saw some old buildings where important things happened, we saw the Liberty Bell behind a glass window, and even ate a philly cheesesteak. Then onto NYC where we rode a ferry past The Statue of Liberty, saw Battery Park, saw Wall Street and took the subway to Central Park (by the way, subway travel is not great if you have a fear of being touched). We also went to The Met and of course Time Square. Ella's favorite stop was the Giant Toy "R" Us. Mine was getting cheesecake. I think Chris's was the nap we took on the floor of The Met.

We then rushed back to the ferry...missing our stop on the subway and making it on the last ride over to get the cars. We arrived back on Staten Island after the garage where our cars were parked had closed so the soccer player and marathon runner of the group ran to the garage, hoping to make it in time (I know you might all be shocked to find out that neither Chris or I were the runners)..and luckily they were able to get the cars.

So, just like this post..the trip went by in a flash. Fun? Yes. Exhausting? Yes. Wanna go again? Yes (without the kids).


And last but not least...here is my favorite story from the trip:

On the car ride there we decided to stop around noon to eat. We had all packed lunches but it was seriously cold so we decided to see if Subway would be kind enough to let us eat inside.

Chris walked up to the counter and said "Hey, I know it is kind of white trash but we are just passing threw and need a warm place to sit. Would you mind if we ate in here? We promise to clean-up before we leave." They said that would be fine and we sat down to eat. After a few minutes Chris asked me if he could have another sandwich and I told him "No, I only packed one for each day." He then asked for some water and I said "Sorry, I forgot it". Ella started begging for cheese and I told her "Sorry dear but I don't have anymore." I am sure sometime during lunch I said my usual joke about how Chris will never get a real job and we will be living in a shack. And needless to say..before we left, one of the ladies that works there walked up, grabbed my hand and gave me a twenty. I was shocked...but then I looked at Ella in her handmade sweater and thought about all the things I had said and realized that we did sound like we were that poor.

So, Chris and I are thinking we are gonna try this bit everywhere we go and see if we can start making a little cash on the side.....