Life With Ella

We all had a great time on our family vacation for Ella’s fifth birthday.  I am going to keep this narrative to a minimum because I have about 72 pictures to put on the blog tonight and some more for tomorrow.  We started out in Tucson  – the weather was not as warm as you would imagine Tucson would be.  Of course Ella wanted to go swimming and she was the birthday girl, so I went into one of the pools with Ella and then Sunny went into another pool with Ella.  It was pretty cold.  We had dinner on Wednesday night with Cindy and 2 old college friends of mine.  We had a sweet dinner at the hotel.  On Thursday morning, Danny and Clara arrived.  Ella and Clara had such a blast together.  They got together and just picked up from the last time they saw each other in May.  They love each other and played really well together.  We all went out to lunch and then the girls went swimming.  The adults watched them very carefully.  After swimming, we headed over to Cindy’s house where the kids made a gingerbread house and played with moon dough.  Cindy and Bob cooked a great birthday dinner and then we had chocolate (of course) cake to celebrate Ella’s birthday.  The next morning, we hung out with the family for a little while and then we left for the airport to fly to LA.  Jesse picked us up and we went to Disneyland!  The photos tell the rest of the story… THis is a photo I took on our first night in Tucson.  I loved the way the moon looked between the tree branches.  I think this is my only art shot. Ella looking too adorable in mommy’s hat. This cactus was huge!  We were on a nature walk. This labyrinth was on the nature walk.  The 3 of us walked the labyrinth and made wishes when we got to the middle. Mommy and Ella identifying the different types of cactus. Our big 5 year old on the phone with grandma who is wisher her a happy birthday. Cousin love at lunch. Ella’s first birthday cake. Fun at the pool. Cousin and birthday fun at aunt Cindy’s house.  THe girls did a great job on their gingerbread house.Ella buying a book at the airport all by herself. We’re at Disney!  This was a really cool thing where Crush, the turtle from Nemo talks to the audience.  Tomorrow, I will post a video of Ella’s experience here the next day.  It was super cool. Ella and Jesse checking out dinosaur bones. We took Ella to lunch at Ariel’s Grotto where she got to meet all of the princesses.  We thought she was going to have a heart attack.   The only dud princess was Aurora…the rest of them were really sweet.  Ella was overwhelmed.Ella eating a white chocolate shell for dessert. Photo op with Woody! Action shot!  Skipping to the Bug’s Life rides. These were all taken on the different Bug’s Life rides.  Sunny had the best time on the the bumper cars hands down! On the Toy Story ride.  This was so much fun! Mommy and Ella went on the Dumbo ride together. Ella and Jesse went on the carousel.  Ella rode “Jingles”, Mary Poppins’ horse. Sleeping Beauty’s Castle – beautiful holiday lights.I am actually going to stop here.  This ends day 1 at Disneyland.  The one thing that I didn’t take a picture of on day 1 was a really monumental thing for Ella.  There is a ride called Soarin’ over California which is an amazing experience where you are sitting a seat (which is a part of a row of seats) and the seats are suspended in the air and then you are a part of this incredible IMAX experience.  You are basically flying on a hang glider and literally soaring over California.  It’s an intense experience.  It happens to be my favorite ride and Sunny’s favorite ride.  We wanted to go on it but we didn’t want Ella to get freaked out.  We also didn’t know if she was tall enough to go on the ride.  Well…Ella was tall enough (just over 40″) and she decided that she wanted to go on the ride even though she said that she felt nervous.  She went on the ride and she LOVED it.  We even went on again the next day.Goodnight – expect much much more tomorrow.

Ella told everyone who would listen that she is going to be 5 on Thursday.  We are going away for a few days to Tucson and then Disneyland to celebrate Ella’s birthday.  I’m not sure if I’m going to get to blog so here are Ella’s past 4 birthdays and the actual day of her birth.  We love you so much Ella.  You are an incredible human being. This was taken about 2 hours after Ella was born. Celebrating Ella’s first birthday in Las Vegas. Ella’s second birthday at My Gym. We had so much fun at My Gym for Ella’s second birthday that we decided to do it again for her third.  She looks exhausted. We celebrated Ella’s 4th birthday at Disneyland and we loved it so much that we’re going back!

including Ella.  The class was great today.  Ella loves the class.  Ella is also so excited about turning 5 on Thursday.  We head to Tucson on Wednesday morning and then LA on Friday.  It should be a really fun long weekend.  Here are some shots from the ballet class and a ballet video. I took these on a natural setting on the camera.  They are pretty beautiful.

I was too tired to post last night…not much to report.  Ella had a soccer game yesterday and the team did a great job.  They played the Little Giants again – they were the first team that the Black Widows played and this time it was different.  Our team was playing like a real team and they were having fun!  It was great to watch.  After soccer Ella went to Taekwondo.  I think she was a little tired – she was spaced out but she had fun.  Today was a rainy day in San Francisco.  Ella watched some TV in the morning and then did some arts and crafts projects.  Stella and Juliet came over in the early afternoon and stayed for a few hours.  The girls had a blast together.  Here are a lot of photos from yesterday and 2 very special ones at the end from today. This photo is of must of the team.  We were missing 3 kids. These are mostly action shots from the end of the class when Ella was fooling around with the other kids and those giant balls. I don’t know what to say except that this is amazing.

The week started with the Giants winning the World Series on Monday and tonight, we all said goodbye to Javier Lopez – the amazing Giants pitcher who lived in our building for the season. Javier signed some balls for us and some of Ella’s classmates and took a picture with Ella.  Tonight Stella and Juliet came over and the girls watched Toy Story 3.  I think they were much more brave and daring at the movie theatre because they had me fast forward over certain parts.  They all had a great night tonight.  Tomorrow Ella has a soccer game and Taekwondo. Ella heading down the hall on her way to school this morning.  Notice how clean Ann the hippo is…yesterday, Alicia took Ann out of Ella’s cubby and put her in the washing machine and dryer and had her back all clean before Ella’s nap!  Now I feel great about throwing Ann in the washing machine.  I thought her head was going to fall off or something.  Thanks for taking the risk Alicia! Ella and Brickelle’s morning hug. There’s Bug – front and center on the Dio de los Muertos alter in the Leaping Lizard classroom.  I really miss her. Ella at the assembly with Casi. Casi was singing a song at the assembly.  Ella really seemed to enjoy it! Ella chatting away with Casi. Ella and Javier.  Check out the size difference.  He is kneeling!  Look at the ball in Ella’s hand and imagine him pitching it.  Incredible. The three Musketeers having Friday night movie night. Juliet and Ella getting cozy at the end of the movie. Here is a shot that someone sent to me of me and Ella in the parade.

Today was Ella’s last soccer practice for the season.  This Saturday is supposed to be the last game of the season but it has been extended 2 weeks because of rain.  Anyway, Ella had a lot of fun at practice today.  She played hard both in soccer and with her friends.  Towards the end of the practice one of Ella’s friends decided that she was hot so she took off her shirt.  Ella thought this was a great idea so she did it too and then put her red soccer vest back on.  Ella has a fun sense of adventure.  Tonight when we were having dinner, we bumped into Javier Lopez, one of the pitchers for the Giants.  He lives in our building and we got to know him a little bit during the season.  Tonight Ella told him all about Toy Story 3 and that we are going to watch it tomorrow night for Friday night movie night.  She was really cracking him up.  Here are some pictures from the soccer practice.

Today was the parade to celebrate the Giants World Series victory!  Sunny was part of the parade.  She was on this Bay Quacker car/boat with the Giants Community Fund.  The fund only allowed board members on the float.  Sunny really wanted to be with me and Ella but I told her that she should go with the Community Fund.  This was a once in a lifetime thing!  Ella and I were supposed to hook up with a bunch of her buddies from school right where the parade started.  We ended up waiting for a train for 1/2 hour and then I carried her through crowds of people to get to where her friends were.  I could not find anyone but then got a text from Sunny about where their location was.  The parade hadn’t started yet so they were in a holding pattern.  We found Sunny and the board.  All of a sudden the board members were telling us to climb over the barricade and get onto the Quacker thing.  Being the rule follower that I am, I was pretty nervous about jumping the barricade but I did and we had the best time being a part of the parade watching the crowds as we headed down Montgomery Street.  It was estimated that there were 1,000,000 people on the streets today watching the parade.  It was incredible.  After we got to City Hall, we made our way to pretty great seats to see the ceremony.  It was a beautiful, awesome and exhausting day.  Ella was amazing.  She really cooperated and had a great time. Ella and Sunny on the QUacker. Sunny and Ella checking out the crowds. Here we are on the Quacker. Look at all the people! So happy the 3 of us ended up together! Chewing a big wad of bubble gum and having so much fun at the ceremony. Best seat in the house. Exhausted and chillin’ – waiting for a table at Max’s. Here are some pretty cool crowd shots.  I have never seen so many people gathered to celebrate and appreciate! City Hall add decked out for the Giants. Our manager and the trophy. Our team of “outcasts and misfits”. Wilson, Lincecum and Cain. Aubrey Huff and the Rally Thong. Final celebration. We ended the very long day and night at Blush.