Summer days

Well we have had a couple of warm weather days now and it is like living in a different world. I swear no one appreciates sunshine like people in Indiana. And we have had really load thunderstorms and rain the last week. That’s just as awesome in my book.

Eva snacks while sitting on her bike. Notice she wears a ballerina tutu and converse. I like that my kids always are a good mix of girly and tomboy.

My kids seem to be more excited about fruit if they can have one other snack with it, like goldfish. Also they seem to really like these lunch containers with different compartments. Could they have a love of organizing like their mother? Maybe they just like lots of snack options.

I’m back and did you know there is a bee in Ella’s tummy?

I don’t know why I just haven’t wanted to blog lately. Part of me felt a need to just be private for awhile. Unlike me. But whatever, I’ve decided I needed to record this story for posterity though.

Ella revealed one of her “darkest secrets” to me yesterday morning. And that’s what she called it. I have no idea where she has even heard that phrasing before. My guess is Scooby Doo. Usually when she talks about something strange, like Zombies, and I ask her where she learned about that, she says Scooby Doo.

Anyway, she told me that when she was little (she’s  6 now, so I guess she feels like she can say that) she accidentally swallowed a bee and so when her tummy is grumbling or upset, it is most likely due to the bee buzzing around. She thinks she was 3 when this happened. Poor girl has been living with this big secret for 3 years.

So I explained to her that there’s no way it would be alive but she probably didn’t swallow it anyway. Hopefully she can rest easy knowing a bee isn’t buzzing around her tummy. Maybe I should not have read that book The Lady Who Swallowed The Fly so many times to her.

Anyway, if you see her, please don’t ask her about the bee. I don’t want her to keep any more “dark secrets” from me. She says she has one more that involves her cousin Finn. I’ll keep you posted.

Christmas fun

What a busy and fun time we’ve had over Christmas break. It started out rough. Ella missed her last day of school because of the stomach flu. Then Eva got it. All amidst a week with events every single day.

But they got better. And my mom saved the week by keeping the girls a night and letting us get ready for the birthday party. And go out for wings and beer. Made me feel better about everything.

They are growing up. Ella lost her first tooth on Dec. 22, the day Eva turned 3.

The birthday girl loves on her BFF Gabi, and Aunt Sara.

She doesn’t always warm up to Uncle Nate though. The next day they snuggled happily though.

The girls enjoy a new sleeping bag together.

Eva insisted on wearing her new dance tutu to Christmas.

Christmas just gets more and more exciting each year for Ella. Eva couldn’t care less. She didn’t want to open anything else after her stocking chocolate.

We try out Eva’s new Lalaloopsy couch. It’s perfect.

Around here lately

Darn it all the girls got sick again this week. And I thought we were done with that business for a while. Ella actually threw up at school. Luckily she is still young enough not to be totally embarrassed. Or at all embarrassed. Anyway, we’re back now. Healthy again.

I have become Ella’s Girl Scout troop leader. I have got through this by telling myself that this is not a huge undertaking of time and may go on for years (so if you tell me this I will sing la dee dah so I can’t hear you.) I’m taking baby steps. And so far, we’ve had two meetings. The girls are super sweet and super excited. And last week when I realized I hadn’t planned enough we played musical chairs, which they were thrilled about, and sat in a circle to talk about what they wanted for Christmas. They are easy to impress. I like that in people. Also, I have met really, really sweet people involved with the organization. And the best thing was when I ran into the director of Ella’s preschool the other day … she told me she was the leader of her daughter’s troop and she looks back and is glad she did it. She said she sees how her daughter turned out and is very proud.

Anyway, super excited about Eva’s birthday coming up and all the Christmas celebrations we have planned. Please don’t remind me that I still need to wrap a million gifts and prepare all my Christmas cards to send out (la dee dah, la dee dah …)