m: hey el, just a reminder, don't use the potty downstairs because it's clogged.
e: I know because I clogged it.....I went poopie and wanted to try wiping my own butt and I had to use lots and lots of toilet paper.

m: ella, what do you think you want for your birthday?
e: I dunno, I think I pretty much have everything I need...

Happy Birthday Baby!

Huge Milestone!!!!!!!

4/20/09: Ella has her first loose tooth.

On re-runs:

m: we just saw this handy-manny the other day
e: yeah, maybe the guys pretending it wanted to do it again, maybe they thought it was fun. Like they wanted to say "calm-down" again or something....

On Easter:

m: ...and then Mary went to the tomb and Jesus wasn't there
e: was the easter bunny there?

e: "mom, I'm afraid I can't go to school today..."

On wishes:

Grant, what do you want for your Happy Birthday?
"A snow-plow!"

Ella, what do you want for your Birthday?
"I dunno.....maybe a princess dress like Chloe's"

Ella and Ms. Elling, Twins!

The Famous Girl:

The 2009 Orono Community Education catalog,
distributed via mail to all district households.

Pinkie Toes? Who needs 'em?

3 Lacerations on left pinkie toe? CHECK!
Pools of blood? CHECK!
Parent's freaking out? CHECK!
Urgent Care? CHECK!
Glue? CHECK!
Steri-strips? CHECK!
Antibiotic? CHECK!

Spring [boring] Break:

Dear Ella,

I am aware that you are the only [or nearly the only] child from your Kindergarten class that is in Minnesota this week. The others are visiting exotic places, building sand castles or skiing on mountains. I realize this. I also realize how incredibly challenging it is to write in your "Spring Break Journal" each day, when the highlight of your day is a trip to Costco or going through the carwash with the cool rainbow soap.

I'm hoping that someday you'll look humbly back on these experiences and realize that a trip through the carwash playing I-spy with your Mom in the minivan IS actually a priceless moment, sure, it's not hand-picking bananas in Costa Rica.....but I did let you pick out gum at Target on Sunday.

Someday, I promise, we'll go on a vacation as a family....it might not be until your senior year of highschool, but it will come. In the mean time, I pray that you don't notice the kids with the sun-kissed faces on monday morning....

Love, Mama (who thinks the rainbow soap IS quite awesome)

"The Wish"

"We wish peace, food and happiness to all the children in the world.
Thank you! Gracias, gracias, gracias, gracias, Danke!"

Panda Daily Record: 3/17

".....I am working on using my hands to take off my snowpants to avoid meltdowns."

Correction:

g: SHUT-OUT!!! SHUT-OUT!!!!
e: Grant! It's SHUT-UP!, not SHUT-OUT!!
m: Ella!! No! Do NOT correct him. We don't say that anyway.
e: Why? he was saying it wrong!

(ugh.)

advanced public school vocab 101

e: blah, blah......I swear, mom.
m: you what?
e: I swear
m: please don't say that
e: why?
m: because it's like saying you are going to say a swear word
e: what's a swear word?
m: it's a bad word, like damn, for example
(which, thanks to boppy dan, ella is quite familiar with the term damn)
e: yeah, and damn-it
m: yes, that too
e: and the S-H-word
m: the what??
e: the S-H-word
m: What S-H-word exactly??
e: (whispering) shut-up
m: oh, yes, that one too.

Whooooooops!

What happens when it's supposed to be winter, but just one day it's 45 degrees causing the snow to melt.....followed by an evening of below 30 causing the melted snow to freeze?? Well, this morning we woke to this surprise:The truck was at the TOP of the driveway when we went to bed....

BFF's

chloe & ella
wild game february 2009

4:18am

g: GET ME MY SNACK AND MILK!!!!!!!!
MOM, GET UP!!!! GET ME MY SNACK AND MILK!!!!!
m: Grant, it is NOT morning yet, you need to go back to sleep.
g: Cock Say?
m: 4:18, that means ni-night time, NOT morning.
g: ME POTTY'S COMING OUT!!!!!!!
m: ok, let's go potty, but then we're going back to sleep.
g: ok, sure.

(Hmmm, can you say bipolar disorder?)

Via phone:

e: hello?
m: hi honey!
e: mom! buddy is getting into mischief and he spilled bockie's salt all over and it's a total disaster
m: oh no!
e: yeah, and I wrote on your facebook, mom! yeah, I wrote, "I love you to the stars."

Be sure to check out the "translating grant" portion of the blog (down and to the right)...the "Cock-Say" and "Snake-poopie" entries are sure to bring a chuckle....

"you are the best person ever! from olivia"

m: ella, who's this from?
e: oh, olivia from my bus
m: is she your new friend?
e: she wants to be my friend, but I don't want to be her friend
m: why? she seems so sweet to have made you this nice note
e: because she smells.

Seriously, so blunt. I remember smelly Neil from elementary school, and it is true~it's hard to hang with the smelly kid. Olivia dear, I don't know you, but my guess is, you don't really smell.

At dinner (at a restaurant):

e: mom, what does HELL mean?
m: What does what mean?
e: HELL! What does HELL mean?
m & d: um.....................well.................it's just not a really great word. Where did you hear it?
e: on Home Alone, the guy says "get your hell out of here!"
m: oh..........yeah...........about that.............
let's just not say that word. Just because it's in a movie, doesn't mean we repeat it.
m: and we really should never say it at school.
e: yeah, like I should just say it at home-right?
m: no, not really. you really shouldn't say it ever. k?
e: just in private?
m: well, not really there either........it's really not a good word to say ever. ok?
e: ok.

e: Mom, my new favorite color is clear.

e: Bockie (gramma annie), do you know that Bok-Obama is our first President with Brown Skin?

Sibling Rivalry?!

Overheard this morning:

e: Daddy, you have a much bigger peepee than Grant!

Oh NO, not yet~This is only Kindergarten!

e: Mom, I have a GAP shirt too!

Major Milestone:

Ella read, really read a book to me last night! Not a memorized book, a new book that she actually sounded out and read the words... no turnin' back now.....here she comes!