Life With Ella

Although our lives have been busy with work and campaigning, we have had lots of time for fun with Ella.  On Sunday, we went to Golden Gate Park for Pet Pride Day, an event sponsored by the SF Animal Care and Control where Becca is the director.  We brought Towby with us this year!  He had a great time and we had a great time.  Ella met all different kinds of animals.  After Pet Pride, I got a pedicure and Ella got a manicure.  After the mani/pedi, we had a sweet dinner wtih Debby, Toby and Rachel.  Today, Sunny volunteered in Ella’s class to get the kids ready for the Halloween parade.  She had such a fun time being there and Ella loved it that her mommy was with her at school.  We met up with the Kim/Arena clan tonight for some amazing trick or treating in Noe Valley and then we ended the night watching Ella’s favorite band, Vons Du Qua – the 7th grade girl band from CDS.  What a fun night.  Ella loved every minute of it!

 Getting ready to go to Pet Pride.

 Fun at Pet Pride and in Golden Gate Park.

 Nothing like a manicure on a Sunday afternoon.

 Beautiful Ella as Jessie from Toy Story 2 and 3.

Something is going on here and I can’t seem to download more pictures.  I am going to publish this one and then start another Halloween post.

On Friday night, Ella went over to the Kim/Arena’s place for movie night.  Sunny and I went out to dinner to the Public House and watched game 7 of the World Series.  It was great to have a nice adult dinner out.  It was also great to join everyone next door and to watch the kids model their Halloween costumes.  Ella is going as Jessie from Toy Story 3.  Today, I took Ella to her soccer game while Sunny was busy campaigning for Chris.  Only about 9 more days…can’t wait for this chapter to be done.  Tonight, mommy took Ella to Taekwondo and I went to a testing center to take my CBEST for teaching.  I got the results from the reading comprehension and math multiple choice back tonight.  Looks like I passed both of them!  Just have to wait for the results of the essay questions but I think I only need like 3 points in order to pass the whole thing.  I feel relieved.  Now I have to figure out my next steps.  Mommy and Ella had dinner with Auntie Pie and Uncle Michael and then picked me up after 4 hours of testing.  Ella played soccer like a champion today.  She was the first on her team to score a goal.  She was really into it.  She hardly took any breaks.  She wanted to play and play.  Sunny said Ella did a great job during Taekwondo!  Enjoy the pics.

 KJ the nosepickalatasauris and Jessie from Toy Story 3.

Jessie and the good witch Stella.

Juliet was a beautiful Indian princess and Ronnie was a beautiful Indian prince.  I must take pictures on Halloween.

 Ella looks so happy doing the throw in.

 Ella had a great soccer game today!

 Ella almost made it to the top of this monstrosity today.  IShe’s quite the climber.

 They are making a quilt at mommy’s work for survivors of domestic violence.  The quilt is about love and peace.  Ella did this panel all by herself (we sounded out mindfulness for her – but the word was her idea).

It seems like these days and nights are flying by!  We are all so busy.  Ella is loving life and school and her friends and all of her activities.  Sunny and I need a weekend away at a spa!  Hopefully things will calm down soon.  Here are some pics of Ella from the past week.

 Lots of fun at Saturday’s soccer game.

Water break.

 I think they were coming up with a goal scoring plan.

 Rare picture of Ella actually having posession of the ball.

 Ella looks like a pro.

 Ella doing a clever trick with her friend Emily.

 Fantastic form!

 Taking Towby for a little walk on Sunday.

 I love this shot.

 Lining up for school on Tuesday morning.

 Ballet class on Tuesday.  I dropped and broke my camera on Monday so thie iPhone is going to have to do for now.

 Fun times with Juliet, KJ and Stella on Tuesday night.

Every Friday, Ella’s class does the “Redwood News” and posts their stories outside of the classroom.  Here are Ella’s “news stories” from the past 4 weeks.

 Here is the translation…”I Heart lollipop candy bracelet, M&M’s.  I love Valentines Day.”

 Here is a picture that Ella drew of Dog Dog and she wrote…”I brang my stuffy”.

“I love Alex, love Ella”.  Alex is Ella’s third grade buddy.

 “I am going to Tahoe”.  The little person in the left hand corner in pencil is Ella swimming.

 Ella at soccer practice on Thursday.  It was so cold there!  Sweet Ella after practice.

 A Halloween picture that Ella drew after school the other day.  Here is the story on the other side.

 “Happy Halloween.  It was a dark and spooky night and my family and I were going trick or treating.  I ran in front of my family.  I stopped.  I noticed something strange.  I was alone?”  Ella said that she put the question mark there because the story wasn’t over and she was wondering if anyone else wanted to finish it.  This thing just flowed out of her during her after school program.  We got there to pick her up and she was writing away!

Ella has had an incredible weekend full of friends.  On Thursday, we went to the SF Sheriff fundraiser with the Kim/Arenas, then Friday night, Ella had movie night over at their house, and on Saturday night, the kids came over here for a movie night and Stella and Juliet slept over.  This was the first time they slept at our house – Ella has slept there a few times.  The girls had a great time.  Ella also had a soccer game on Saturday and really loved it.  It was great to see her so animated and happy on the field.  Tomorrow, Ella’s friend Emmi is coming over and we’re going to take them to see Dolphin’s Tale and then Emmi is going to sleep here.  On Tuesday, (Ella doesn’t have school on Tuesday and we have work), Ella is going to Emmi’s to spend the day.  How fun.  Ella is loving this weekend.  We are very tired.  Here are a bunch of pictures of Ella at her soccer game yesterday.

 Sleepover!!!

This was a bit of a crazy week…haven’t had too much time to sit down document the week.   Happy New Year to all who observe Rosh Hashanah.  We had friends over on Wednesday night for erev Rosh Hashanah and then went to one of Ella’s classmates houses of Thursday night for another Rosh Hashanah dinner.  On Friday, we had movie night over at our place with Helen and the kids.  They watched Ice Age.  All the kids had a great time.  Today, we went to a CDS family day at a park where Ella played on the playground all day and Sunny and I played softball all day. Here are some pictures from the week.

 Beautiful Ella at ballet on Tuesday.

 Ella during the prayer over the wine.

 Beautiful in the morning.

 Ella and her friend Torin showing their wiggly teeth!

 On our way to Rosh Hashanah dinner.

 The kids had a great time on Thursday night.

 Friday morning after assembly.

 The kids were totally into the movie.

 Ella and KJ having a tender moment.

 Ella’s latest artwork on the dry erase board…an angler fish and and octopus.

 Ella all dressed up as word girl.

On Sunday, we took a walk over to the ballpark where they were showing a live broadcast of the SF Opera Turandot.  It was cool to watch the opera at the ballpark for us, but boring for Ella. Luckily, they had a lot of kids activities to do.  Ella got her face painted and made a beautiful paper lantern.  Then she went over to the little ball field and hit some balls.  I mean she really hit some balls!  Today was a big day at school for Ella.  Ella had a classroom share today.  Every day, for 5 weeks, each student presents something that they want the class to know about them.  Ella brought in her drum set and played the drums for her class.  We weren’t allowed to watch the share.  Ella was so confident about what she wanted to to.  She showed us the night before and she was like, “The drums can be complicated and challenging.  I have been playing the drums for 2 months and I find them easy.  Here are some of my beats.  I also like to do attention beats in case people aren’t listening.  I saw Luisa right after Ella’s share and she gave me a thumbs up and said that Ella was awesome.  Ella also was the first in her class to loose a tooth this school year.  She is the first on the tooth poster.  Every day when we pick her up, she tells us about how many times she got to see Ms. Alicia.  It really completes her day.

 Ella getting face painted.

 Some serious lantern making,

 Ella smacking the blals out of the little ballpart!

 Ella right before her big drumming share.  Ella looks so proud.

\ MOre fun jumping rope!