Painting with Watercolors

The View from the Big Kid Room

The other morning while looking at the bird feeders outside the window of my Big Kid Room, I decided it was necessary to make an emergency call.

Looking at the birds...

"Dialing" my phone...

And making the call to Grandma RJ.

"Hello, Grandma RJ?  Do you see my Mama Cardinal?  Do you know how we can get her some red feathers like the Daddy Cardinal?  Mama Cardinal only has brown feathers, and she wants some red feathers, too.  Okay, thank you, bye-bye."

Surely Grandma RJ will know what to do!  I'm still waiting for her to return my message. 

Aside from the pair of cardinals, we've also seen chickadees, sparrows, blue jays, and finches!

Panera

On the way to a brunch at Panera with Mama and Daddy:

Elsie:  I see Panera!  Can we please go to Panera to eat?
Mama:  It's either that, or the Hemingway Cigar Lounge next door....
Elsie:  Hmm...Mama, how about we go to BOTH?!?

We decided to skip the Cigar Lounge, but based on the number of kisses and cuddles invoked, I think Elsie was pretty happy with our special Sunday morning anyway.

Inside fun on a cold day!

Elsie and her friend had a blast playing at a coffee shop on a cold January morning.  I'm not sure what game they were playing, but it lasted for a good twenty minutes and it certainly seemed like they were having fun!

After the dance party was over, things calmed down a bit.  They carried the blocks to a very warm, sun-filled window sill and entertained themselves by building towers while watching for dogs and red cars to drive by the coffee shop.  And one last pic them all bundled up and ready to tackle the arctic chill!

 

Early spring meditations...on babies, weather, and potty chairs.

As Daddy is leaving for work in the morning:
"Be careful, Daddy!  It's icy outside!  Be careful out there!"

***

While being tucked in for nap time:

"Mama, please don't go to the hospital to have the baby while I am sleeping, okay?  Okay, good night!"

Two minutes later, after "nap," leaning in to rest her head on my belly:

"Mama!  All done with nap time!   Elsie got up from nap early!  Baby?  Are you still in there?  You did not come out during nap time?  Okay, good.  Later Mama and Daddy and Elsie and Baby can all go to the hop-itals (hospital) together." 

*** 

At bedtime, talking with Mama about plans for the morning:
 "....and after yoga, we'll go to the Co-op and I will need you to be my big helper."

"No, Mama!  That's Elsie and Daddy's store (Trader Joe's)!  You can't go there!"

"Well, this is a different store.  You've never been there with Daddy."

"Hm.  Okay.  Then I will be a big helper, and I will not need a cart.  Elsie can be a walker!  But first I will have to use the potty chair."

"You need to use it right now?"

"No, Mama.  In the morning, when we wake up I will have to use the potty.  Then we will go to yoga, then the store, and we will probably need to buy a treat at the store because Elsie will know right where they are."

***

While running errands in a wintry precipitation mix:

Mama:  "Look at this crazy weather we are having!  It is snowing and raining at the same time!  Who would have thought that we would need an umbrella in January?"

Elsie:  "Grandma RJ."

***

During bath time, while washing the wall with soap bubbles:
"Mama, how will we ever get this wall clean?  This (foam) whale needs to go on the wall, but not until it is all clean.  Mama, maybe the baby should be born right now.  It is Elsie's bath time, so it is a good time to be born.  Maybe we should get Daddy so he knows.  Da-ddy!  Baby is going to be born!  Da-ddy!  Come here right now, please!"

***

"Ma-ma!  Elsie has to make a pooper in the potty chair!  These big kid pants have Mickey Mouse on them, so I can't poop in my pants or Mickey would be sad.  Mama, look- is Mickey sad or happy?  He must be happy, because I did NOT make poopers on him.  Hello, Mickey Mouse!  I am glad you are happy!  Hooray!"

***

"Mama, Elsie wants to cuddle up with you!  Mama, you stay here in your room, and don't go.  I will be back in two minutes.  Don't come in Elsie's room, because I am going to be very, very sti-nky on my potty!"

Winter Miscellany

A series of colds and the flu hit our house over the start of the winter season, leading to lots of movies, hot beverages, and time cuddled up in bed. We did manage to get out a few times, though!

Mama and I went to D and Baby R's house to play one day.

We had great treats, lots of fun games, and D even let me share his easel for some painting time!

***

Mama (after a difficult tantrum day): "Elsie, what are we ever going to do when the baby comes?"
Elsie: "Well, well, well, we'll just have to take care of her, Mama!"

***

 Elsie (at nap time):  "Mama?  Are you going to take a nap, too?  Because maybe you can lay in bed with Elsie, and we can nap together.  And then we two can both wake up from nap time early together!  You can lay here with me, and we can get up together in two minutes!"

***

On another day, playing outside during the unseasonably warm December.

***

While driving downtown, referencing her Daddy's ability to build tall towers out of blocks: "Mama! Look at the buildings! So, so tall! I think maybe Daddy must have built those tall, tall buildings..."

 ***

As Mama is leaving to take Ping to the Vet:
Elsie:  "That's Elsie's kitty, Mama!  Don't take her!"
Mama:  "Her tummy hurts, Elsie, so I am going to take her to the doctor so she will feel better."
Elsie:  "No, Mama, she doesn't need to go to the doctor.  I will give her kisses, and my kisses will make her all better."

***

***

When A, Baby J, and I all had the same cold, our Mamas decided to let us have a sck-day play date together.  What fun!  I helped take care of the baby, and A let me use her potty chair.  We practiced our ABC's and our dance moves and our sharing skills.  What a busy day!

***

Elsie, talking to herself in the mirror while wearing a headlamp:
"My name is Elsie Rose.  What do I have on my head?  This special hat that helps me see things!" 

***

Elsie (handing Daddy soaking wet socks):  "Here, Daddy.  These socks got a little wet."

Daddy:  "How did they get wet, Elsie?"

Elsie:  "They went in Elsie's tinkle!"

Daddy (noticing overturned sock bin next to a full potty chair):  "Did any other socks get wet?"

Elsie:  "Hmm...Elsie don't think so..."

***

Elsie, running into the kitchen at full speed:

"Mama, quick!  Mama, come here!  Look, there is a polar bear chasing Elsie!  Right over there!  Next to the pirates!  They dance and sing "This is the best day ever!  This is the best day ever!".  The pirates came on a boat, and now they are friends with the polar bear.  He isn't scary, he just likes to chase Elsie.  Mama, save me from polar bear?" 

Annie's Birthday Party

My friend, Annie, had a birthday party, and Mama and I got to attend!  The best part was the Music Together class before we ate cupcakes.  This is a picture of me and my Henry friend doing a parachute game during the class.

The teacher played the guitar, and we sang songs that had finger plays, and songs where I played musical instruments, and even some songs that had special dances.

What a fun, fun way to celebrate a birthday!

Belated Christmas festivities

I am a very lucky girl, because I get to celebrate Christmas THREE times, once with each set of Grandparents.

Papa Todd and Grandma Julie came to celebrate Christmas early with me, and Mama is just now getting around to posting the pictures.  Silly Mama! 

The first thing I did with Grandma and Papa was open presents, and boy did I get some great ones!

The best one was this work bench, which (it turns out) takes a true carpenter to put together.  I learned lots of new carpentry tricks during the construction proceedings.

High Five to Daddy for a successful Work Bench Completion (and good thing Papa was around to help Daddy figure it out)!

And I got this cool book where I press buttons in the pictures to make things happen.  It's my new favorite!

I was pretty happy to have my grandparents stay and play with me!

Papa and Grandma had another surprise for me, too, though... 

Grandma baked me a gingerbread house, and they brought it with for me to assemble and decorate!

I was very careful to line all my candy up in straight rows.

The adults tried to help, too, but whenever they helped, candy seemed to disappear.  Hmmm.

I may have eaten a few pieces, too.

My finished project!

And some lovely cuddle time with Grandma.  What a great early Christmas!

Another visit to Daddy's work

On the way home from running errands last week, I decided that I needed to tell Daddy some important news so Mama and I stopped by his work to visit him.

I had a snack with Daddy, but I didn't want to sit long.

I found the dinosaur Mama and babies!

Daddy showed me the fancy fireplace.

We looked out the window at all the snow.

"No, Daddy, let's go THIS way!"

"Tired?  Why do you think I might be tired?"

Telling stories to the animals

Last week, I noticed a disturbing silence in the house, and found Elsie in the living room whispering stories to her animals as she acted out an elaborate tale. You can't quite make out the words she is saying in the video, but it was pretty cute!

Elsie and Campbell

A belated Thanksgiving video that I just found on Andy's phone of Elsie and her Campbell cousin. In case you can't understand her, she ends the video with a question (after pondering the profound revelation that the puppies go outside to go to the bathroom), "Where IS that pooper OUTSIDE?!?"

Visiting Daddy at Work

Last week, Mama and I stopped in to see Daddy at work. What fun! Did you know he can get UNLIMITED QUANTITIES OF JUICE? Whenever he wants some! Wow! There were other fun things to see and do at Daddy's work, too- here are a couple of pictures:

This funny man has a bell that you can ring!

There were two baby dinosaurs, too!  I thought they were so funny!

First Snow!

We had our first snow of the season yesterday! It snowed all day long! We went to Uncle G and Auntie Kristin's engagement party in the afternoon, and when we got home it had finally stopped snowing. It was dark out already, but Mama and Daddy still gave me my own big kid shovel and let me help clear the sidewalk and driveway. I love winter!

Playing with Campbell

The best part of Thanksgiving was getting to stay at my Campbell Cousin's house. Boy, did we have fun together!

I liked to give him hugs

and I taught him how to play "animals" with me.

Grandma RJ, Campbell, and I spent lots of time playing Ring Around the Rosies.

Campbell had a fun camping tent in his playroom

and lots of other fun toys, too!

My favorite toy of his was his big train table!

On Friday night, we got to watch Frosty the Snowman together before bed.

Mostly, though, we just liked to be together, no matter what we were doing.

I wish I could play with him every day!