Strike out Violence Day

September 5th, 2011

Another Strike Out Violence day has come and gone.  Another amazing event and everyone got some fun and meaning out of it.  Too bad the Giants couldn’t pull off a win!  Here are some photos from our day.  110.jpgHere we are waiting to go onto the field.  Beautiful family shot.

22.jpg Me and Ella before the ceremony.  We were right there when the Diamondbacks were taking batting practice!

32.jpg42.jpg7.jpg Ella with mommy on the field.  It was a beautiful ceremony.

51.jpg Sweet kiss caught on the jumbotron.

81.jpg Lou Seal and some of the Giants during the National Anthem.

91.jpg Ella and her favorite Giant.

101.jpg111.jpg Ella goofing around with Brickelle and Stella.

Kindergarten orientation

September 3rd, 2011

Today we all went to CDS and had our kindergarten orientation.  First, the kids went into the classroom and had their orientation and then an hour later, the parents went into the classroom and we had our own orientation.  It’s going to be an amazing year for Ella.  Ella was really happy to see her friends and sooo happy to see Ms. Alicia.  Ella saw her right before we were leaving and went in for 2 big hugs.  I think Ella will be so happy knowing that Ms. Alicia will be just across the yard from her this year.  Here are a few pictures Sunny took of Ella on the kindergarten line today.

19.jpg Sweet beautiful Ella.

21.jpg31.jpg On the kindergarten line!  Ella and Emmi are very happy that they are in the same class.

41.jpg Here’s one that I took from the other side.  Ella is so sweet!

Having a job really puts a halt on this blog!

September 2nd, 2011

I know I haven’t been my usually blogging self…hopefully things will settle down and I’ll be able to keep it up.  These are Ella’s last few days before kindergarten starts.  She seems like she is ready to go.  Here are some pictures of the past few days.  I’ll write captions under the photos.

1.jpg2.jpg On Tuesday night, we went to the Giants game.  Ella wore her Brian Wilson jersey that she got as a giveaway at a game a few weeks ago.  The Giants lost but we had a lot of fun.

3.jpgOn Wednesday, mommy stayed home with Ella and they had a very fun adventure.  Ella has been asking to go on this “Ride The Ducks” thing that goes on land and water.  Ella and mommy met the boat thing downtown and went on the duck ride!  Here is Ella in a taxi heading downtown. She loves riding in taxis.

4.jpg5.jpg Ella and mommy stopped at an art gallery while waiting for the boat.  Ella decided that she wanted to quack at the art.

6.jpg Ella playing a good tourist.

8.jpg9.jpg Here’s the Ride the Duck boat!

10.jpg Getting ready for the joruney.

11.jpg About to drive into the water.

12.jpg The captain.

13.jpg14.jpg15.jpg16.jpg Beautiful city views from the Bay.

17.jpg18.jpg Ella has been begging for roller skates.  Sunny found these skates that have 3 wheels on each skate.  Ella loves them but she is also so scared.  She doesn’t let go of us!

Lover of life

August 28th, 2011

Ella is such a lover of life.  She finished soccer camp on Friday.  Ella had a great time.  I don’t know if I would have been able to handle being outside for 6 hours a day in the coldest part of San Francisco.  To quote one of Ella’s friends, “The only place you can get warm is in the bathroom!”  We had a great visit with Nikki B at the end of the week.  Today we went to a rally to support Chris Cunnie for Sheriff and then Ella and I went to the zoo.  We had a really fun day.

119.jpg215.jpg313.jpg Fun with friends on the crazy swing after soccer camp.

46.jpg Ella, mommy and Emmi.  Emmi and Ella had a sleepover here on Wednesday  night.

56.jpg Two beautiful princesses and a tag reader.

65.jpg Ella on her last day of soccer camp.

75.jpg One last swing…

85.jpg Ella loves all the big kids at camp and they love her right back!

94.jpgSweet Ella with her Chris Cunnie door sign.

104.jpg1110.jpg11a.jpg A few of the animals we saw at the zoo today.

123.jpg Ella loves the flamingos.  We saw a few of these guys eggs a few months back!

142.jpg152.jpg One of the coolest parts about the SF Zoo is that there are peacocks wandering all over the place.

162.jpg171.jpg181.jpg191.jpg Our beauty at the zoo today.  Sweet Ella is really growing up.

Too much time has gone by!

August 24th, 2011

The time is flying by.  Ella is now in soccer camp every day and loving it.  A lot of kids from her school are also at the camp so she is having a lot of fun.  Before and after camp, Ella loves playing at this park.  Mommy has been taking Ella and picking her up from camp.  Today she shot some great video of Ella on the monkey bars.  Ella seems to have new strength. She told Sunny that she learned her new monkey bar technique at gymnastics camp.  So happy she’s been learning such great stuff this summer.  Here are some pictures from the past 6 days or so…

117.jpg214.jpg312.jpg All smiles at Rock Band Land camp.

45.jpg Beautiful Ella a few hours after the performance.

55.jpg64.jpg Ella hanging at the pool and hot tub in Cazadero this weekend where we spent Michael’s birthday.

74.jpg Ella helped out with Phyllis and MIchael’s dog Artie.

84.jpg Looks like a serious game of fruit ninja going on.

93.jpg Michael trying to blow out his trick candles.  Phyllis thinks it’s funny.

103.jpg Ella really thought it was funny.  Seems like Charlie and Hannah were bored and mommy was slightly entertained.

118.jpg First day of soccer camp…big smile at 9:00 in the morning.

122.jpg131.jpg Playing with the big kids on a cool swing.

141.jpgElla and mommy were the first ones to arrive this morning.  Ella had a blast on the swing.

151.jpgAn early morning climb for Ella and her friend Maya.

161.jpgMore fun times on the big swing.

Rock Band Land Camp

August 20th, 2011

This is going to be really quick so I can get this video up.  Ella loved Rock Band Land camp this week.  Their final performance was yesterday.  Ella dressed up like an astronaut to perform the song.  It is an original song made by the kids.

Bubbles, popsicles and communicating

August 16th, 2011

On Sunday, we hung around the building and played with the Kim/Arena clan.  They kids played in the bamboo garden which they all haven’t done in a while.  They climbed in the tall bamboo, played with bubbles and the bubble wand and did a lot of chalk drawing.  After their outdoor experience, we all came inside to use our new popsicle maker, the Zoku.  The kids were really into watching the whole thing.  It didn’t come out perfectly, but we’re all learning how to use it.  The kids said the popsicles tasted great.  Ella started her first day of Rock Band Land Camp with Stella and Juliet today.  They all had a great time.  Ella really had fun jamming on the drums.

115.jpg213.jpg Exploring with tap shoes on.  This was their nature walk of the day.

311.jpg Check out the bubble over their heads…I wonder what it says.

44.jpg KJ was great at the bubble wand.  He did it all by himself.

54.jpg Juliet was an incredible bubble maker.  She was so patient.

63.jpg Towby chilled out with all of us.

73.jpg A very happy Ella.

83.jpg92.jpg Watching the popsicles get made and the finished product.

102.jpg Ella got upset with Sunny because Sunny started to take some of Ella’s stained glass art off our window.  It was old and fading and we had discussed taking it off but I guess Ella wasn’t ready for it.  The translation of the note is:  Mommy – Ask for things before you do it when it is mine.

116.jpg Here is an up beat message from Ella…I love it, yes I do

A special note from the tooth fairy

August 14th, 2011

Ella woke up at 6:30 this morning which is so rare for Ella.  She usually sleeps in on the weekends but this morning was special.  Ella woke up to find a note from the tooth fairy and 2 gold dollar coins.  The note said, “Dear Ella, Thank you for the tooth.  Love, The Tooth Fairy.”  Ella loved the note and the coins and couldn’t believe that the tooth fairy knew her name.  So sweet.  Today we took a walk to the Ferry Building, got some great fruit at the farmer’s market and then had lunch at the Java House.  This afternoon Ella went to taekwondo and Sunny and I worked out at the gym.  We had a mellow night tonight – everyone was very tired.

114.jpgSearching for the perfect fruit at the farmer’s market.

212.jpg I love Ella’s new tooth missing smile.

310.jpg So we were walking home on the water, right behind the ballpark where the boats are and we hear these seagulls yelling at another bird.  The other bird yelled back and it was an intense yell.  All of a sudden, it took off flying – it had a huge wing span and then it landed high up in a tree.  In my mind I was thinking, “What the hell was that?  An ostrich? (I know they don’t fly – Ella told me!)  Ella looks up and says, “Oh my god, a heron.”  Of course, she was right!

43.jpg Ella and her buddy Lou Seal.

53.jpg Great balance!  Ella is getting to be pretty good at taekwondo.

Ella lost her first tooth!

August 13th, 2011

This has been such a busy week.  I went back to work and Ella had gymnastics camp all week.  Ella loved gymnastics camp and there are some pictures and 2 videos that mommy took during Ella’s gymnastics performance today.    I was stuck at the retina specialist and found out I have Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.  I have a follow up appointment in a month so stay tuned… Tonight, we went over to the Kim/Arena’s for Friday night movie night.  Ella lost her first tooth during Friday night movie night!  Ella’s tooth was really wiggly and she kept playing with it.  All of a sudden, Ella was like, “Look! My tooth came out!”  She said that she was wiggling it and it got stuck and then she tried to wiggle it back and it came out!  Very exciting night.  So great that she was with her buddies when it happened.

112.jpg211.jpg I took these pictures at around 6:30 tonight.  Ella’s tooth was so wiggly…we knew that it was just a matter of time before…

39.jpg42.jpg52.jpg Ella’s tooth came out!

62.jpg Here is Ella’s sweet little tooth.  It is now in possession of the tooth fairy.  Ella will wake up to 2 gold dollar coins.

72.jpg82.jpg91.jpg101.jpg113.jpg121.jpgElla doing an amazing job at gymnastics camp.

Let’s go Giants!

August 8th, 2011

Today we went to our first game since we have been home from NY and the Giants won!  They were on an 8 game losing streak.  It was a great game and a great day.  After the game, Ella ran the bases and she escorted auntie Pie.111.jpgFamily pic before the game.210.jpg Ella and Snoopy today.2a.jpg Ella and Snoopy June 2008.38.jpg Ella and Charlie Brown today.3a.jpg Ella and Charlie Brown July 2008.41.jpg Ella and Lucy today.  Lucy wasn’t around back in the day, so I don’t have another shot like the other 2.51.jpg Happy family after the Giants won!61.jpg71.jpgElla and auntie Pie before and after running the bases.  Ella said that she won.