Ballet

Ella has loved her ballet class. I'm surprised because her school isn't a little toddler YMCA program, this is a real ballet academy and the teacher is pretty serious about putting the kids through their drills. I didn't quite realize how focused the class was going to be when I signed Ella up! Anyway, it worked out, Ella has really loved it and is sad to leave her school now that we are moving. Today was the final class in the session and it was Parent Observation day so I finally got to take some photos of Ella.

House!

We have grass, landscaping, shutters and a sidewalk! We have countertops and appliances, hardwood floors, light fixtures, electricity, running water, faucets and toilets! The painters were there today to paint the molding, Monday and Tuesday they will stain the baseboard trim and the stair railings to match our hardwood floors. On Wednesday we will have carpet. And then all that will be left is hooking up appliances, adding cabinet knobs, painting the front door and fixing up dings and things to make the house perfect and then it will be finished.

We are really happy with our selections, there were some nerves between the choosing of them all and their placement in our house. It is really hard to tell what a cabinet color will look like from a 1x1 sample in the design center. We purposely chose corian countertops this time because I hated having granite in our last house - what a lot of maintenance and work to keep looking streak free. And the same goes with the black appliances - stainless only looks good in magazines, not in houses with small children who constantly touch it. We are pretty boring style-wise, no funky red countertops or teal carpet for us, so really I suppose it is hard to have it look bad when you are dealing with all neutrals. But when you are paying for it, worry you do. Anyway, December 17th cannot come fast enough!

Ella Says

Funny things that have come out of Ella's mouth today:

"Mom, why don't you have a hole in your tummy anymore?!" (My belly button has popped now due to the pregnancy)

"Mom, when you die do you become a beautiful song for the angels to sing in heaven?"

"Mom, I want to make an orange juice popsicle with no stick and no lid!"

"Mom, why do you always speed and run red lights?" (this was while we were in the car, and I don't do either!)

And here she is forcing Gabriel to play dress up beauty shop with her this morning:

Themeless

I know there is only one shot of Gabriel, but this is the only pic I've gotten of him recently with no snot, crying or blur from being in motion being present!

In other Gabriel news, his language is exploding and he talks a lot now, sometimes in phrases. I love this time when the language is beginning to click and they start attempting to say words and it just sounds like a mush of syllables. Too cute! He is also still interested in the potty, sometimes he sits and stuff happens and other times nothing. I think the Elmo seat, choo-choo underpants (worn over a diaper) and the toilet paper are big draws to be honest, we'll see how long this lasts. He has recently figured out how to climb out of his crib which is creating a very interesting situation here since there is just no where else to put him. I am using sleep sacks zipped on backwards to keep him in his crib and we will limp along with this system until the new baby comes and we are in our new home and then he will be going into a twin bed. It is about the same time we moved Ella, and coincidentally we moved Ella during our move to Kansas - new room, new bed - so hopefully his transition will be as easy as hers was.

Ella is so excited to be moving into our new house. She wants a pink room, pink bedding, pink curtains, pink everything. We are working on a compromise of some sort. I did order a duvet cover and two shams from Pottery Barn (on sale!) that she has picked out of the catalog consistently the last several months - it is Barbie and pink. I know, I know, I'm stunned I bought it too. I just remember being in love with pink at the same age and well, I am feeling a little indulgent. She feels like a big girl and wants her new room to reflect that. She is loving school and is feeling pretty sad that it will end in December when we move. To be honest I've tried to find a place for her in our new area but most everything is full and realizing that she will be going to school in August, for *40 hours a week!* makes me want to spend as much time with her as I can in the next several months. Mix in Gabriel and a new baby and our schedule is going to be a little nuts anyway. We re-enrolled her in swimming for the winter on Saturdays and I will sign her up for ballet again in Gainesville because she has really enjoyed it and I hope that is enough. We've got big plans for starting seeds this winter and a few other projects and I hope once we are in our own home that we can get back to our craft projects and whatnot.

Somehow week 30 of my pregnancy arrived without me noticing. I suspect this baby will arrive slightly early like Ella and Gabriel did, though I could be wrong and still be pregnant in February. We'll see! My belly is the highest and out in front more than it was with either of my other pregnancies and I am starting to get into the uncomfortable back pain, hip pain stage. For the most part, though, I just don't have the time to think about it all that much which is probably why the time is flying by. We've got nothing really ready, I've got some nursery plans but E & G's rooms will come first in the new house since they obviously notice and need a good set up more than a newborn who will be in my room for 6 months anyway.

Christmas is coming and we are plotting away for the kids. Ella is getting a marble run for sure, she has been asking for one since last Christmas. She is also getting a newborn baby girl doll that will look similar to our new baby. She is at that special stage in which playing mommy is fun so I hope she really loves the doll. Gabriel will be getting a wagon. We'll see about the rest. For Gabriel we are thinking to just unpack some of his toys that he doesn't remember and put a bow on them and stick them under the tree. It isn't like he is going to notice or care. We are also tossing around the idea of a play kitchen but our things from storage will be delivered December 21st, so the train table, doll house, art easel, rocking elephant and a bunch of other things are going to seem like a lot of new stuff anyway. I am thinking a new kitchen is going to be overkill (and it is pricey!).

Woohoo!

Gabriel asked to go to the potty two times today and actually went once he was sitting there. Not holding out any hope that he will train soon but showing initiative is a good thing, right?!

I Thought I Had Won

Gabriel is determined to live up to the reputation of the typical two year old. I hear "NOOOOOO" a lot now and he definitely is determined to do what he wants, when he wants gleefully ignoring my directions, warnings, pleas, etc. And his temper is fierce. I know lots of kids have tempers but he really gets both mentally and physically furious in 1.2 seconds. It is incredible to watch his little brain whirling around trying to figure out how to get/do/see what he wants and to circumvent me.

Tonight we battled a lot. After surviving dinner and bath time we moved on to the bedtime routine. He got furious that I would not let him squeeze the tube of Little Bear Toddler Tooth Paste directly into his mouth. Then he didn't want his pajamas on. I fought and won that battle, did story time, Goodnight Moon and then sang our goodnight song, You Are My Sunshine. I laid him in his crib, he smiled sweetly at me, said, "Nigh Nigh!" and I shut his door. Didn't hear a peep out of him after that.

I went in to check on him a bit ago and there he was, lying happily in his crib sound asleep SANS pajamas. He must have plotted and waited me out and then unzipped and got out of them as soon as he was able. Now I have no idea what to do - wake him up to put them back on? Hope he manages to stay under the blanket? Let him just get cold and realize his mistake and deal with him mad, freezing and crying at 2 a.m. Ugh. I've got to give him credit for beating me, though!

I Am...

Listening to this.

Reading this.

Following this.

Planning to study this.

Dreaming of this, this, and this.

Learning about this.

Excited about this.

Wishing for this.

Halloween 2009

The Halloween festivities were over a week long for our family. Last weekend Rachael, Brien and Lily came up and we did the pumpkin patch together (with that awful corn maze!). A few days earlier Ella has a field trip with her class to a different pumpkin patch and Gabriel and I attended with her. They had a blast at both places. Ella then had a Halloween party in her class on Tuesday and her Ama attended with her and watched her play games, eat junk food and walk in a Halloween costume parade. Then on Friday I took the children to the local community center for a morning of Halloween crafts and storytelling. We wrapped up Halloween on the actual day by pumpkin carving, going to a party at my in law's club for the kids (the dancing and limbo pics below are from there) followed by trick or treating. Whew!

Pumpkin Patch

Rachael, Brien and Lily headed up here on Sunday to visit and go to the pumpkin patch with us. The best shots I got are above. The kids had so much fun that for the most part all the pics are blurry as they are running by in motion.