crush

We were driving up to Lauren's preschool "graduation" (she'll go one more year, but everyone is invited), when we spotted Lauren's best friend, Annie Poulsen. Lauren said, "Look Ella, it's Annie."
"Why is Annie here?"
"Because her brother, Nathan, is in preschool," I explained. And then I heard Lauren add, mostly to herself,
"He's so cute."

edited for tv

Ella knows she isn't allowed to watch any of Disney's "tween sensations" because, as I have explained to her, she isn't a tween. Unfortunately, I can still catch her gazing admiringly at some obnoxious young actress or another, as I did (yet again) recently. I turned off the tv and asked her what her consequence should be. She thought for a minute, then exclaimed, "I know! Take away my very, very, very, very, very . . ." She pressed her lips together, shot me a worried look, and said quietly, "Never mind."

turning the page

Ella started reading her first chapter book today! A neighbor, Betsy Burke, who has grown boys, gifted us with an old cardboard box filled with dozens of wonderful easy readers. Among all the fascinating titles and covers, Ella selected "Dolphins at Daybreak," by Mary Pope Osborne which, she proudly announced, has ten chapters. She sat down to read and had just turned the first page when it dawned on her.
"Mom."
"Yes?"
"I need a bookmark! Can I make one?"
"Sure," I said. "Great idea. In fact, why don't you make one for your scriptures so that you can mark your place during scripture study, and one for whatever book you're reading?"
Ella ran upstairs to gather her craft supplies and settled down at the kitchen table while I bathed Audrey. When I came downstairs a few minutes later, she was finished, but only had one bookmark.
"I thought you were going to make two."
"I only need this one," she said, proudly. "It's reversible."
Sure enough, she had decorated one side with several bits of paper for a patterned effect -- for her readers -- and the other side with a crayon drawing and the word, "Gob" -- for her scriptures, obviously.

jolt

I walked into the kitchen to find two little girls with wide smiles.
"Daddy let us drink some of his brown soda," Lauren said.
"With caffeine," Ella explained.
"Mmmm," Lauren said, "Yummy caffeine."

my grandma is stonger than your grandma

I asked Lauren if she would like to make a card for Grandma Humble for her birthday. 

"Yes! I want to make her a picture."

"What are you going to make a picture of?" Her reply was instantaneous.

"A gym."

"A gym. Wow. That sounds great. Why a gym?"

"Grandma LOVES the gym." True enough. 

And so, Lauren created a lovely watercolor of a fully equipped gym, which maybe is completely filled with pink and grey fog. Grandma will love it. 

infamous

Ella was worried about becoming a famous T-ball player (as described in an earlier post). She maybe should have been more concerned about infamy.

She spent most of tonight's game close to the mound, where she literally chewed a hole in her glove, put her glove on her head and then wandered up and down the third base line asking all of the parents, "Have you seen my glove?" and dancing. And when I say dancing, I don't mean stepping side to side waiting for a ball to come her way. I mean closing her eyes, twisting her hips, and pointing her hands to the sky while singing her own background music.

cooking lesson

Kim made dinner for Mother's Day, which involved boiling some pasta. Lauren watched as he filled a pot and put it on the stove. I heard her little voice from my seat in the living room.

"You have to cook the water? HA! You have to COOK the WATER!"

wild ambition

Lauren and I were snuggling in our big chair when she announced her plan.

"I'm going to make you a card for Mother's Day."

"You are? What is it going to have on it?"

"You. And me. And our house."

"Oooo, that sounds nice."

"And a zoo."

"A zoo?"

"Yes."

"That's going to take a long time to draw. What do you think will take the longest?"

"Mm. Probably the jungle."

stream of consciousness

In our dining room I have a chalkboard that I write different things on, depending on the holiday, the dinner menu, or my mood. Right now it says, "Carpe A.M." And below that is says, in very charming scrawl, "Love ceps coming." I said to Ella, 

"I like what you wrote on the chalkboard."

"Thanks."

"What made you think of it?"

"I don't know. That's just what was in my mind."

I'm so glad. 

mischief

Audrey crawled her way to the DVDs and made her first big mess. Is it coincidence that today is also the day she clapped her little hands for the first time?

the truth comes out

We were on speaker phone with Dad when Ella and I had this conversation about T-ball:

"So, are you liking T-ball, Ella?" 

"Yeah."

"What's your favorite part?"

"Batting."

"That makes sense. Batting is fun."

"It's my only chance to rest."

matinee

I was actually updating this blog and waiting for Lauren to finish her lunch when I watched it: Lauren, sitting at her requested plate of cheese, crackers and grapes, resting her arm on the table top and holding one little piece of cheese in her hand. She was, apparently, talking for the cheese, because she bounced it on the table with each word. What did the cheese say? It said, in a high-pitched voice common among string cheeses, "I want my grandma. I want my grandpa. Maybe they're in that mouth? Let's go see!" Gulp.

pants on fire

I was making mini pizzas for the girls, using some shredded mozzarella I'd had in the freezer. Unable to resist, Ella stole a few shreds. "That tastes rotten!" 

"It's not rotten," I explained. "It's still frozen." 

Before I knew it, she was sneaking a fistful. "Hey!" I scolded. "I thought you said it was rotten?"

"I meant . . . rotten in a good way."

I'd promised Ella and Lauren an ice cream sandwich for dessert. But before I could even get the dishes cleared I caught Lauren peeling open an apple sauce cup. "Is that your dessert?" I asked. 

She paused for a second, then cheerfully explained, "I was just getting this for Ella." She thrust her arm toward her sister, who looked very confused. "Here, Ella!"