Ellie and the Gallops

I am so glad we met the Gallops. Not only do I love Randi, but their kids are Ellie's favorite people to play with. She thinks everything they do is cool. At Target she pointed out princess things for Jacquelin and Superman things for Gavin. She draws pictures for them all the time.

Today she said, "I love Sundays." When I asked why, she answered, "Because Jacquelin is in my Sunday School class."

Cold Girl

On Friday, my co-teacher gave Ellie a bike that her daughter had outgrown. Ellie, of course, was thrilled. She points out, "It's good the bike has training wheels." We spent the afternoon riding back and forth on our streets (yes, I will buy her a helmet this week). Ellie still needs a lot of help, as she still hadn't really mastered her trike yet. This seems easier than pedaling the trike, though.

The funny part is that while it was sunny, it was pretty cool outside. I was chilly in my jacket and earband (I know I'm a nerd - my ears get cold easily). But Ellie kept taking off her jacket and bringing it to me, saying she didn't need it. Now if she really didn't need it, that would be fine. But her little hands were freezing! The girl is simply impervious to cold. She always has been.

Visit With the Nephrologist

We had Ellie's appointment with her pediatric nephrologist today. I say "her" because he felt seeing us was important and we'll see him next year too. As a review, they want to monitor Ellie's kidney functions because of three things: a kidney infection in June which is kind of uncommon at this age, size discrepancy in her two kidneys as revealed in the ultrasounds, and blood in her urine (trace amounts, not enough to see without urinalysis).

Today we met this new doctor. He is very nice and wears a big floppy colorful bow tie. When he asked Ellie how she was today, she replied, "Good. How are you?" (We were very proud.) We did another urine test to check the blood in the urine and check a couple of minerals that can indicate kidney functioning. If there is no blood or only a very tiny amount, we'll simply check it again next year when we have the next ultrasound to make sure the two-sized kidneys are growing at the same pace. If there is some blood, we'll go back in for some blood tests and take it from there.

Overall, Isaac and I think this appointment was a good success. Ellie thought it was "enjoyable" because she liked the "queezing" of the blood pressure check! As we left, she said, "Oh, that was fun!"

Volleyball

I went to play volleyball last night and the person who usually unlocks the equipment and checks our membership cards never showed up. We had to track down a janitor to be able to set up the net.

On the positive side, I ran two miles on the track above the courts as I waited for people to show up. I did them in twenty minutes without a break or getting too tired and sweaty. This running business is finally starting to be fun! I wanted to go longer but I didn't want to aggravate my shin splint.

On the negative side, we were missing a bunch of our regulars (Mark, Dustin, Joe, Justin, and Megan) and Maija had to leave early since she brought her kids along. I don't know if it was just the night or missing everyone, but it felt a little slow. Hopefully we'll all be back next week.

More Great Quotes

At school today, a little girl told me, "I want to come to school and live with you because I love you." (Note the assumption that I live at school.)

As I type this, Ellie is playing Legos in her room. I can hear her repeating to herself, "I am shocked and appalled! Shocked and appalled!" That's one of my catch phrases, but I haven't used it today.

An addition to the bobcat/excavator/pirate quote in the last post: I told my mom that story and she asked Ellie what she and Isabelle decided to be. Ellie said, "Well, Isabelle was the pirate of the orange airplane and I was the pirate of the red airplane." I see we're back to airplane pirates again. Poor Isabelle never really got to be the kind of pirate she probably meant.

Now Ellie (still alone with her Legos) is saying, "We're teaching others about Jesus... See how I'm scooping it?... Now eat your salad..." I love stream of consciousness. I could fill a whole page of Ellie talking to herself.

Kid Quotes of the Week

Ellie: "I'll be the Bobcat and you be the excavator."
Isabelle: "No. I'll be the pirate."

Ellie: "This is enjoyable."
Me: "What is enjoyable?"
Ellie: "Enjoyable is having a good time in another language."

As I went out to go for a run and leave Ellie at home with Isaac: "But Mama, who will cheer for you when you run?"

Avoiding responsibility: "Daddy, a picture got lost in the piano. I pushed it in and it got itself stuck by itself." (I think this is the English version of the Spanish "Se fue" or "Se cayo.")

I Found My Pace!

Tonight I found my running pace. I ran for 28 minutes straight without a break, covering 2.5 miles. (This is a huge improvement over my previous best.) The amazing thing was that I enjoyed it, I didn't feel tired, and I wanted to keep going!

I don't know why it worked so well tonight. Maybe it was the perfect blend of working off pent-up energy, the weather, sleep and eating, or just that I finally figured out how to run slowly. Whatever it was, it was fun. I hope it lasts until next run!

Naughtiness

There are some aspects of being a parent that are absolutely idyllic: you feel like you're going to explode with love for your child, you look at them with eyes full of pride, and you think you can never get enough time with them. Then there are mornings like this one.

Ellie was so naughty this morning. We finally had to hold her down and forcibly get her dressed for church. It was really ugly. Then once we got her dressed (in socks, we didn't think we could get tights on her) and strapped her into the car, she went out of her way to laugh the whole way there and show us how cheerful she was. What?

Sometimes it's hard to be the bigger person and move on right away after a morning like this. I know it's not okay to withhold love and affection from your child, but I also want her to learn that her misbehavior affects others around her and their feeling toward her. Forgiving without condoning is a tricky line.

Scrapbooking

I got to scrapbook twice this week: my regular time on Thursday night with my friends and an extra time on Friday night too! I think scrapbooking is the modern equivalent of a quilting bee: women use it as an excuse to visit and connect. I don't think I'd be a scrapbooker if I didn't have this circle of friends. It's nice.

My Smart Daughter

Okay, this is pure bragging but I'm a really proud mother and this is my blog. So there. Anyway, tonight Ellie asked if she could write her alphabet. She did A-G all by herself, and then I told her what letter came next. But she did really well for a three-year-old! Most of the letters are recognizable. I'll post a picture so you can all admire.

Afterwards, I let her call her uncle Nathaniel to tell him about it. She draped herself over the couch and chitchatted away. After she told him about the alphabet and our morning, she asked, "How was school today, Nathaniel? What did you learn?"

My Friend Lynn

My friend Lynn (some of you may know her as the Kristen that I grew up with) was in town briefly and we got to spend a couple of hours with her at the Mall of America. I hadn't ever met her husband or little girl before, so it was a huge treat for me. Derek seems really nice and he's a very good conversationalist. Asha had been cooped up in an airplane all day but was still a pleasure to meet. She's ridiculously adorable with those bright blue eyes and becoming blilingual too.

Thumbsucking

Ellie sleeps with DeeDee every night and sucks her thumb. She has every night since she was tiny. It's time to break the habit. We tried taping a sock onto her hand. That didn't work, since she somehow managed to get it off every night.

Tonight we're trying "Thum," which is nasty-tasting stuff that you put on nails to discourage thumb-sucking and nail-biting. There are also bribes in place after two nights and five nights without thumb-sucking. Ellie got to choose the bribes: honeydew that she can eat whenever she wants and an entire box of TicTacs. (I know, candy isn't the wisest bribe, but it's certainly cheap and hopefully effective.)

Sweet Time Together

After a very enjoyable playgroup this morning at an apple orchard, I dropped Ellie off at my parents' and got a free afternoon with Isaac. Since it was a perfect fall day, we drove to the Mississippi River and went for a run along the paths there. Isaac is recovering from a sprained ankle two weeks ago, so we ran at the same pace! Then we squished in a couple episodes of "24" before Ellie came back at dinnertime.

Isaac and I put Ellie to bed together (she called it "we-gether with three of us"). After her Bible study and a prayer, she grabbed Isaac's head in one arm and mine in the other and gave us a big hug. It was very sweet. Then, Mama's girl that she is, she said, "Let's take a picture!" So we did.

The Horror

Okay, Peter and Brittany asked for it. If you're squeamish, stop reading this post now.

Last year, we had 37 mice in our house from November to January. We set up a huge crackdown and caught 14 in a 48-hour period. It was awful. There was no place in our house that was safe. One night before the big crackdown, I sat at the dining room table facing the living room and could see multiple mice at the same time. Isaac was away at work for hours more and Ellie was sleeping. I called my dad sobbing and he came over to sit with me until Isaac got home.

During the crackdown, there were dead mice all over the house. Pretty bad were the ones caught in glue traps and still alive. Isaac was working a lot of hours at the time, so I was home alone with a two-year-old all day every day and into the night. I remember telling Ellie to go wait in another room while I faced down a live mouse making its way across the middle of the living room floor with a glue trap stuck to its leg. I grabbed the heavy grill spatula, closed my eyes, and whapped it until it stopped making noise. Then I took the grill tongs, wore potholders, and gingerly dropped it outside the back door for Isaac to deal with when he got home. Sadly, I had to do this more than once.

The worst story happened at night. Isaac and I were in bed falling asleep when I felt him jerk. Then he sat up and didn't say anything. I demanded to know what had happened. A mouse had run across his ear (on our bed!) and almost onto my pillow. Petrified for his life should a mouse contact me, Isaac reached out reflexively and actually grabbed the mouse and threw it against the wall. I AM NOT MAKING THIS UP. The mouse just lay there stunned on our bedroom floor.

Another bad story: We spent so much money and effort on mousetraps that Isaac decided to see if the glue traps were reusable. So he took one with a live mouse outside and tried to pull the mouse off. They're not reusable. He tore the legs off the poor mouse. He's still a little traumatized by that.

THAT is why I am so frightened for this year. We plugged up as many holes as we could, but I am pretty sure we're still missing a major mouse highway into our house.

No Mice Please

'Tis the season of mice. After our horrendous last year, I'm a little nervous. We've caught one so far this year. Pray we have no more!

The mousetraps are so pervasive in our house that Ellie thinks it's normal. We were building a Lego house yesterday and she wanted me to put in a bedroom, a living room, a dining room, and a mousetrap.

Cute Kid Stories of the Week

1. Ellie doesn't want to be an "airplane pirate" any more. Now when she grows up, she wants to be "a team of football. Or a soccer ball."

2. Ellie was re-telling a story she had hear about Isaac and I hitting a turkey with the car three days before she was born, and she said it happened when she was a little baby. I corrected her and told her that she was in my tummy at that time. She laughed and said, "I must have been a really little baby to fit in your tummy!" (I think she said that because I'm so skinny!)

Anyway, I explained that she grew in my tummy. Her eyes got big, and she asked, "Did you eat me?"

Maija told me that Sydney asked her the same thing this week. How strange is that?

3. In the car today, Ellie said, "There are only three of us. I would like there to be a fourth person in our family." (Again: Thanks, Grandma.) Isaac asked her why she wanted a fourth person. She answered, "So there would be someone else to help me!" Egocentrism, anyone?

Playdate

Ellie had her friend Isabelle over today. We have got to do that more often! She was here for over five hours, but it felt like half an hour. It was so much easier to have two little girls than one little girl - all I had to do was say "Go play" and they did! There is very little sweeter than listening in on two little friends as they play.

Isabelle and Ellie are so well-matched. I've been saying that since they were one, but it's true. Their personalities complement each other beautifully. They're both so generous and caring in their play that we didn't have one fight, tear, or sharing issue all day. They even eat exactly the same foods and have the same naptime/resttime schedule. Whenever Isabelle comes over, I think we should do this every day.

In addition to all the benefits the girls get out of their friendship, I get equally much out my friendship with Isabelle's mom, Heather. I'm so glad we met them in ECFE when the girls were two months old. And yes, Isabelle actually had almost that much hair when she was two months old, too!

Ellie and the Excavator

For those of you who don't know, Ellie has been obsessed with excavators since she was one. "Excavator" was one of her first words, although she'll tell you that she also likes bulldozers, front loaders, and bobcats. Because of this, she's been thrilled with the road construction right outside our house this summer.

A few weeks ago, they finally got around to digging up the street right in front of our house. Ellie and I sat out front on lawn chairs to watch. A really nice worker, Mr. Blaine, offered Ellie a ride in his excavator! (I'm still not sure if that was legal, but it was awfully nice.) It took Ellie an hour and a half to work up the courage to sit on a stranger's lap.

I expected Mr. Blaine to just let me take a picture and then keep working, but he kept Ellie on his lap while he filled an entire dump truck! Note her intense, concentrating expression. What an experience. I can't wait to do this scrapbook page!

Family Time

Last night we spent a very pleasant evening as a family. Ellie and I made dinner while Isaac scraped more glue off the kitchen floor. Then we all ate together (full disclosure: Isaac and I played chess at the dining room table while we waited for a slow eater to finish). I went for a run while Isaac put Ellie to bed. We didn't do anything special, but it was nice to be together.