Life With Ella

Ella had a great day at school and tonight Stella, Juliet and KJ came over for dinner so they had a special night together.  Sunny made a great dinner and then for dessert, we had a repeat of last night…melted chocolate and strawberries.  All of us enjoyed this decadent dessert.  Tonight was a fun night. After Ella’s bath, she chose this outfit to greet her dinner guests. Taking turns on the piano. Yummy chocolate!  It was a hit.

Today, Ella and I were driving from school to ballet.  Ella said that she had a great day and then told me that she had a boyfriend.  I asked her who her boyfriend is and she said, “Dillon”.  I asked her what gave her the idea that she had a boyfriend and she said, “Emmi”.  Then I said, “weren’t you chasing Dillon the other day on the playground?”  Ella said, “Yes.  I was trying to kiss him”.  I asked her if he wanted to be her boyfriend and she said, “yes, he does”.  I asked if anyone else had a boyfriend or a girlfriend and she said, “I have a girlfriend too”.  I asked her who it was and she said, “Brickelle”.  I’m so happy that Ella is having so much fun at school!  Ella was great in ballet today.  She was also really excited about Valentines Day.  Sunny and I got Ella chocolate, balloons and flowers.  Ella was so happy.  After a delicious dinner at home, Sunny melted chocolate and we all dipped fruit in the chocolate.  Ella was in heaven – I was a close second.Tiny dancer. A lot of chocolate before dinner! Ella loved her balloons. Fruit and marshmallows (don’t worry grandma – we would lose the bananas if you were here. YUM!

I’m going to make this short because I took my ambien.  Sunny and I had a beautiful day at Golden Gate Park with Ella.  We walked around Stowe Lake, fed some birds, ducks, geese, seagulls…we were trying to feed the koi but they never really came up.  We had a sweet day, it was nice to be in nature.  Ella had a great TaeKwondo class.  Tonight Naomi and Phyllis came here for dinner and to hang out with Ella. Sunny and I went out to celebrate Becca’s 40th birthday.  Happy Birthday ET!  We had a fun time being out. Thanks Ella! Beautiful flower blossoms.Throwing bread for the ducks, fish and seagullsNotice Ella’s taekwondo footwear! This morning, Ella took a bike ride along with dogdog around the ballpark.  We ended up on the slides and playing on the small field.  Ella can now go on the guzzler – the big slide at the ballpark.  She is “officially” 42 inches.  Ella loved the slide.weeeeeeeeeee!  There are some great movies of Ella hitting and sliding at the end of this post.This afternoon, the Kim/Arena clan and me and Ella met Sunny and some of her staff at Alcatraz.  Sunny was there earlier giving a presentation to the Rangers.  If there was a vote tonight, Sunny would have been made president of Alcatraz  The rangers love her and they sell her book in the gift shop there!  We were treated to a special tour at night.  The kids did a great job but it wasn’t really a kids tour.  Ella was pretty mesmerized about the whole thing.  She followed the guide and was very curious about what was going on…at least in the beginning of the tour, Ella and Juliet have a hot chocolate on the way over. Mommy waiting us to arrive at Alcatraz!  What a beautiful sight. Ella checking out one of the old cells – more like a torture chamber. OUr ranger guide and Ella ready to go up to the top. KJ did such a great job today.  It was really cold out there. Friends forever. I wouldn’t go in there if I were you. I guess she didn’t take my advice. The kids with their angry faces pretending that they were going to get locked up. Yay!  They were freed. Uh oh – busted again.Listening to the audio tour.

Today was a busy day for all of us.  Sunny and I both volunteered at the Giants Fanfest and Ella spent the whole morning and most of the day with the Kim/Arenas.  Ella had a fabulous day with everyone and then Sunny took her to Taekwondo where Ella did an amazing job.  Tonight, the 3 of us just hung out here, had a great dinner, and had a beautiful night at home. This was my Fanfest face today.  I was in charge of some of the players and I had to keep the fans in check.  Sunny came up and met me at my second post and took some pics. I was in charge of these 3 guys in the morning…Rich Aurillia, Pat Burrell and Cody Ross.  In the afternoon, I just had Pat.  It was a fun day!  Sunny was working for the Community Fund.  They sold out their stuff within the first hour and 1/2! While we were at the ballpark, Ella was at a really fun park with her buddies. And after playing hard, everyone needs Jamba Juice. Our little Taekwondo kid!  Ella learned a really cool side kick today. Ella took this picture of these little things she created the other day.

Ella has been waking up on her own this week.  She has been so happy and is excited to go to school.  She comes home from school in a great mood!  Ella is just a lover of life.  Alicia confirmed that all the stories I wrote were true.  Ella is soaking up everything!  Not much to report on today but I have some pictures to post. Pure happiness at 8:00 in the morning! Another one of Alicia’s amazing hairdos.  Ella loves getting her hair done by Alicia. Dance party in the 4th floor hallway! KJ is a real little charmer. Popsicle sisters!

A warning – I have taken my Ambien so it may look a little like last night’s which I did edit a little today when I wasn’t sleep typing.  On Friday night, we went to an event put on by the CDS Middle School.  They did a series of short plays.  Ella loved being there hanging with the older girls.  She didn’t seem like she was getting too much in the way.  She loved watching them on stage.  I’m sure most of it  went right over her head, but she still loved it.  On Saturday, I went to a workshop at SFSU and Ella and mommy hung out.  At 3:00, Ella went to TaeKwonDo and SUnny and I worked out  A little later, Juliet and KJ came over for dinner and a movie.  Stella was at a sleepover.  Ron and Helen were out earlier in the evening and then came home at about 8:30 and then we swapped kids.  ELla and Juliet had a sleepover and then they got to have some good buddy time together.  They spent a good part of the day with each other today and then when Stella come home, they all played.  There was a lot of love this weekend. Fun at Taeknowdo. So much fun with bubbles and movies.Here is a video of Ella’s latest piano lesson.           She played Old MacDonald and Control Freak (one of AJ’s songs).

Today I spent some time in Ella’s classroom filming the kids as they were talking about what they knew about bees.  Ella said, “ I know about bees that they could only make honey if they collect nectar from the flowers.”  I was wondering if she meant pollen but we looked it up at home and bees do collect nectar and use it for food.  Ella is great in the classroom.  She’s interested in just about everything and she works really well alone as well as with her friends.  After school today we hung around with Brickelle and her family, having fun on the street in front of the school.  Ella saw lots of friends leaving the school and she was talking away with all of them.  What a difference 2 1/2 years makes.  When we came home, mommy was home so we all took a walk outside – Ella was on her bike and we were walking Towby.  We made a few stops – went to the little park and then came home.  Sunny had to go to a celebration for Leadership SF, so Ella and I had a date at Nama.  On the way out, we bumped into the Kim/Arena clan in the hallway and they all did a few laps and Ella had an amazing appetite for dinner.  Ella and I had a really sweet dinner.  She fell asleep at about 8:15 which is super early for her.  Tomorrow morning is the Leaping Lizard hosted assembly.  Be prepared for a lot of video. Ella cruising down the cove.  Yes – it was another beautiful day today. Playing with some kids on the merry go round. Listening to Stella singing “How do you solve a problem like Maria?” Ella is mastering the chop sticks with one hand. Ella took this one of us.  Check out how well her nose is finally healing!

Ella has been having a great week.  The Leaping Lizards are practicing hard for their assembly that they are hosting on Friday.  I’m sure I will catch it all on video.  The kids are doing a song about bees.  It should be really cute.  Ella is excited about her part in the assembly.  Can’t wait to see it!  I am posting a video from the other night where Ella and I were improvising on the piano.  I think some parts sound beautiful.  Ella is not afraid to explore.  That is even more beautiful.  My beautiful east coast family – I hope you guys are all safe and staying warm.

Sorry to my East coast friends and family who are freezing over there.  It has been beautiful here.  We started the day taking a nice walk along the water and ended up at the Java House.  Ella was running and playing and having lots of fun.  Becca joined us for lunch and we just hung out in the sun.  In the afternoon, Ella had a birthday party to do to at a place called Terra Mia.  The kids got to paint different pieces of pottery.  Ella painted a bud vase and this round little disc.  She had a great time with some of her friends from school.  Tonight, we had Saturday night movie night with Ron, KJ, Stella and Juliet.  Helen went out to the movies.  The kids loved their weekend movie nights together.  We watched the Incredibles. I snuck up on these guys and took this shot from the little field in front of the restaurant. Ella has been really into running and seeing how far she can jump. Talking with her buddy Harry at the party. Ella and Luke – the birthday boy.Ella with Luke and his big brother Leo.  Ella has a lot of fun with these guys – especially around baseball. Ella practicing the piano without being bothered by us. The whole gang.  Ella decided that it was a fancy night for her. The three musketeers.

What a full beautiful day today was.  It started in the morning at CDS where the school had an all school MLK Day assembly.  Ella’s class presented something with their 8th grade buddies.  They were talking about Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream” speech.  Each kid drew a picture and told the teacher what their dream was and the teacher wrote it down.  At the assembly, the kids were supposed to tell their dreams into the microphone.  Most of the kids in Ella’s class were really shy and did not want to talk into the microphone.  5 out of around 22 kids spoke into the mic.  Ella was one of them.  She couldn’t wait!  I only put the end of the assembly in a little clip at the end.  After school, I gave Ella a piano lesson.  She was fantastic.  I think Ella can actually be good if she works.  There is a piano lesson video at the end too.  After her lesson, we took Towby for a walk along the water and we saw a whole bunch of seals.  It was so sweet.  I captured a tiny bit on video.  I mixed that video in with the MLK one.  Tonight, the Kim/ Area clan came over for Friday night movie night.  We watched Ratatouille.  The kids were wonderful.  Today was really a great day.  Ella’s nose is getting better.  We think her impetigo came back a little bit but it’s on it’s way off her face.  She must be very sensitive. Ella and Cassi this morning after the assembly.Ella playing the piano. Ella walking Towby around the ballpark. Looking for sea lions.Getting a little cooler out at sunset. Making the brownies. Friday night movie night gang.