Life With Ella

We started the day by meeting a bunch of people from CDS – Ella’s school to march in the Pride Parade.  It was a really great day and a great parade and there was wonderful energy and support from some great families at CDS.  Brickelle and her family were marching and Ella was so happy to hang out with Brickelle.  They hadn’t seen each other in about a month and they just picked up from where they left off.  After the parade, Sunny Ella and I went to the Java Hut for lunch.  It was a beautiful day out – pretty hot for SF so we decided to go swimming with the Kim/Arena clan and then went to Los Jarritos for dinner.  It was  a beautiful day and night.  I still haven’t edited Ella’s recital video, but I will sometime this week. Ella and her beautiful rainbow butterfly wings. We rode the train with our beautiful friends who were marching with Stella and Juliet’s school.Love makes a family.Ella had a great view from mommy’s shoulders. Some of the wonderful families from CDS. Here are mommy and our friend Bill jumping rope at the parade.  Ella was super impressed! Brooklyn, Ella and Brickelle were riding in their red wagon down Marked Street.  Brooke pulled them the whole way. At the end of a long hot fun day. Ella in her swimming gear ready to go to the pool. Juliet, Ron and Stella under water. Me and all the girls under water.  I couldn’t open my eyes because I was afraid to loose a contact lens. One more with Juliet and Ella. Helen and KJ above the water.  Check out the cool splash. Stella and Ella having a tender moment. Beautiful shot of Stella, KJ and Ron.

After a week of tutu camp, Ella’s class put on a little recital this afternoon.  They had been working on 4 pieces all week danced to the Sleeping Beauty Ballet.  The girls were all really adorable and it was a sweet recital.  I will publish a bunch of  photos tonight and edit the movie tomorrow.  Ella was so much fun to watch.  She was excited and enthusiastic and spaced out a few times of course.  She did such a great job – her first time learning any kind of choreography.  Tonight, Sunny and I went to Karen’s retirement party and Ella had her perfect Friday night…Stella, Juliet, Helen, Ron, KJ…shells with butter and parmesan, popcorn, mommy’s brownies, princess dresses and Ponyo.  Perfect.  We came in at the end and got to spend some time with our friends.  Here are the ballet pictures.

Ella has had a great week at Tutu Camp.  This morning she told me that it wasn’t long enough – that she wanted it to go on for another week.  Then I took her to camp and she wouldn’t let go of me and was about to cry.  I hugged her tight and told her to have a lot of fun.  I had to signal one of the teachers over to take her and make her busy…they finally got it – nobody is quite as intuitive as Alicia.  The teacher came over and said, “Ella, do you want to be my helper?  I need help putting things in envelopes.”  Ella said, “Yes I want to do that”.  I kissed her and left.  The teacher told me that she was totally fine about 2 minutes after I left.  I knew that would be the case and that’s why I left without wondering.  Ella has a little recital tomorrow to end the week at Tutu camp.  I will certainly film it.  Tonight we had dinner with our friends/neighbors, Max, Hannah and Ilene.  Max is 2 1/2 years older than Ella and Hannah is 4 years older than Ella but they all have a lot of fun together.  They also “grew up” in our building and although they don’t spend a lot of time together, they really know how to have a good time. Ella going to Tutu camp on Monday.Ella going to Tutu Camp on Tuesday. Dinner Tuesday night at the Burger Joint. Ella was doing some silly walking and fell.  Here is her red elbow. Going to Tutu School on Wednesday. GEtting ready to go to dinner tonight. Ella and Max on the corner telling “funny” jokes to each other. Max messing around wtih Ella during dinner.Being very silly during dinner.Hannah was having fun picking up ELla tonight.  Ella loved it.Ella drew this.  She said it was someone doing Karate. Sometimes Ella and Max remind me of an old married Jewish couple.  Very sweet.Ella gets to have movie night with Stella and Juliet tomorrow night (Friday).  She is so happy about this.

This morning I took my parents to the airport – the visit was short but wonderful.  See you guys in a month!  Love you.  Late in the morning, we met Phyllis, Michael and the rest of the family at Los Jarritos for a delicious brunch.  All of Michael’s “kids” were there to give him lots of love for father’s day and to give him support because his mom died over the weekend.  There was lots of love at the table.  After brunch, we met up with one of Ella’s buddies, Eli and his family to see Toy Story 3.  What a great movie.  We all loved it.  After the movie, we had dinner at Eli’s dad’s club and met up with another family from Ella’s school.  It was great to see the kids together eating, talking, playing and entertaining each other.  We really had a wonderful weekend full of love and fun. Ella and her skyscraper and rocket ship.  She put these together while I was in the shower and Sunny was out grocery shopping. Ella’s new cowgirl sun hat.Michael and his father’s day gang of love. Ella and her buddies Alec, Macy and Eli. Eli and Ella were in a race to see who could finish their dessert first.The great power of the iPhone.  There must have been something really exciting going on.

Today was another fun day.  We all hung around in the morning except papa who had a meeting.  Sunny and I had to leave at around 2 for a wedding and Ella convinced my mom to take her to the county fair.  They went there but it was closed for a private party.  Instead, they went to the park, ate lunch at the Java House (aka Maria’s) and then came home to “help” us get ready for the wedding.  I was getting ready to put my dress on but I put on a pair of Spanx in order to keep myself contained and Ella said, “Are those shorts?”  I said, “No, they’re called Spanx”.  Then she said, “Oh, I think they are pre-k’s”.  I asked her what she meant and she said, “You know, they are a little longer than shorts (mine were above my knee) but not pants or anything like that, you know, pre-k’s”.  I really concentrated and then I figured it out.  I then asked her, “Do you mean capris?”  She said, “Oh yeah – that’s what I meant”.  What a sweetheart.  It really just tickled me.  As we were leaving for the wedding, Ella and my mom bumped into Ron, Stella, Juliet and KJ in the hallway.  They all decided to go for a bike ride.  When they came back, my dad was back from his meeting and Ella had some alone time with grandma and papa.  Papa had to go to a business dinner and Ella and grandma had dinner at Amicis and then went to Happy Donuts for dessert.  They ended the night watching Mary Poppins.  Sunny and I had a great time at the wedding.  Sunny did a fantastic job officiating the wedding.  She had people laughing and crying and the bride’s father loved her so much that he asked her to renew his vows with his wife (it was their 35th anniversary) right then and there at the wedding.  Sunny pulled that off too and it was beautiful. We had to document the two of us all dressed up.Great family shot. Sunny marrying our friends Adrianna and John.  We all met each other at the old Acme Chop House.

We have been home for 3 days and its been a busy 3 days!  Sunny has been working hard and I have been catching up with errands and studying for the constitution test that I have to take for my emergency credential and Ella has been having fun, fun, fun!  Ella went to the fair a total of 3 times.  The last time was on Thursday night.  We went with Jaden and Ruthann after dinner.  This morning (Friday), Ella and I went to the airport and picked up grandma and papa!  They are in town for a quick weekend.  It’s great to have them here.  After the airport, we had lunch at the Crab House and then Ella did the bungee thing.  We finished the afternoon off at the little aquarium.  We seem to get into these little rituals.  Sunny is officiating our friends John and Adrianna’s wedding this weekend so she was at a rehearsal this afternoon but got home in time for us all to have a great dinner at the Public House.  Tomorrow afternoon, Sunny and I are going to the wedding and Ella gets the whole afternoon and night with grandma and papa.  I bet they are all really excited about that. Jaden was fooling around and Ella was acting exasperated…it was pretty funny. Not sure if they were trying to get tickets or knock over the ticket booth. Ella was a little scared to go on this ride and she kept telling these two little girls who went on it with her.  She was like, “I am a little scared but brave…” I hope this isn’t foreshadowing. Sunny, Ella, Ruthann and Jaden all went on the ferris wheel.  PRetty cool view of the ballpark and the Bay Bridge. Having fun in the crazy house of mirrors. Papa, Ella and grandma riding the escalator at the Embarcadero station. There is nothing quite like watching Ella have a great time. Ice cream after some jumping. In the aquarium tunnel. Touching starfish. Playing the charades game with grandma and papa. SOme very sweet Ella/grandma love.

Today, Ella and I hung around, did some errands and went to the county fair behind the ballpark.  Ella loved the fair and all the little rides.  We bumped into all these kids that Ella knew.  The first kid was someone who used to live in our building, then we met up with these sisters who Ella used to go to My Gym with and then we saw 2 kids who go to CDS.  Ella loved seeing the kids that she knew and went on all the rides with them.  After the fair, Ella had swimming  I have not had time to download the movies yet, but there will be a movie within the next few days.  Ella’s teacher gets such a kick out of Ella and loves teaching her.  Tonight we went to Amici’s to celebrate one of our friend/neighbor’s birthday.  Helen, Stella, Juliet and KJ represented the Kim/Arena clan. the 3 of us were there, then there was another neighbor Angela and then the birthday girl Mallika.  The girls had so much fun together and Mallika loved all of the sweet kid energy around.  After dinner, the girls came over for a little dance party – looks like Ella may be an interpretive dancer – she has some moves that I have never seen before.  I didn’t capture any of it on film – just one of those pure and funny moments. The girls watching the guy make pizza. Best bud and sister love. Stella was really loving with Ella tonight. Stella let Ella feel her loose teeth. Ella was blown away. Toasting Mallika! KJ helping Mallika blow out her candle. Mallika and the girls.  Happy Birthday!