Life With Ella

Ella woke up early this morning on her own.  We knew she would wake up super excited but for Ella to wake up on her own on a school day is a big deal.  She ran into our room with a big smile on her face and she said she was so excited for school and then her playdate with Brickelle and then a night with Stella and Juliet.  What a lover of life!  Ella had a great day and lots of fun at the playhouse place.  Tonight with Stella, Juliet and KJ was a blast.  We all watched Madeline and had brownies and popcorn. Helen and Ron –  now you guys know that you can go out whenever you want – we got it covered! Ella and Casi after assembly today. Ella and Brickelle after school – so happy!  Thay have such a special friendship. A little skee ball. Riding on a car and reading magazines. Ella helping Juliet button her pajamas. The girls in their movie positions.  So happy that Ella has sisters next door. Sweet KJ was so much fun tonight.

Just in case anyone is wondering about the impetigo…Ella is much better.  The impetigo is gone and now Ella just has a scab where it was.  Tomorrow morning is the last morning for her antibiotics.  We switched from bactroban to neosporin and it seems to be helping the healing.  Ella has had a great week at school and is really happy to be back.  Tomorrow afternoon, Ella has a playdate with Brickelle at this playhouse place in Daly City and then Stella, Juliet and KJ are coming over for movie night.   I don’t think Ella is going to be able to concentrate in school tomorrow.  She’s bursting with excitement. Ella working on a big pile of Chanukah thank you notes.

We kept Ella home from school today just to make sure that the lab results on her cultured nose were negative.  We also wanted to make sure that she was cleared to be around other kids.  The culture was negative and the doctor told us that Ella was cleared to go to school.  Ella and I actually had a great day together.  She was in a great mood although she really did want to go to school.  We had music on all day and Ella was singing everything from Miley Cyrus to the Sound of Music to the Beatles… We did this cool art project that Ella was really into.  Ella also helped me with stuff around the house.  I had her take all her towels out of the bathroom so that we could thrown them in the washing machine.  Ella had this big pile of towels and she couldn’t open the door to where the washing machine is.  She looks at me and says, “Can I have a little help here?”  So cute.  I don’t know where she comes up with this stuff.  Ella’s nose is pretty raw but she is not contagious.  I have to keep putting neosporin on it.  I spoke to grandma and papa today and they both got great reports from their doctors.  Papa is going to resume doing surgery on Monday and grandma can throw her slings away and start rigorous physical therapy.  Hopefully she will be driving in 2 weeks.  Way to go you guys!  You are taking great care of yourselves and each other. Ella working on the project. A few of the things Ella did today.  Once they dry, you can stick them on the window.

We want to wish everyone who is reading this a happy and healthy new year filled with love and peace.  2010 was a tough one…for me the hardest part was losing Bug.  She was an amazing dog and a huge part of our family.  Hopefully this year her spirit will guide us to find a new doggie family member.  We celebrated the east coast transition from 2010 to 2011 at 9:00 here with the 5 of us.  My parents went to sleep at around 10:00 and Ella finally went to bed at like 10:45.  Sunny and I have made it to the west coast 12:01.  I am excited to see what 2011 will bring… Today we met up with Phyllis, Michael, Zani, Hannah and Naomi to celebrate Naomi getting straight A’s at Berkeley.  Here are Ella and Zani walking into the restaurant. Ella taking a picture of mommy and Phyllis. Ella and her big sisters Hannah, Naomi and Zani. Later on during the day, Hannah from upstairs came home from Tahoe and came down to pick up her fish Blue.  Ella was in the middle of doing an art project so Hannah joined her. iPad parallel play. Grandma, papa and Ella in their festive head gear. Self timer.  Everyone was laughing because they were making fun of me and my dorky self timed shot. Dinner and dessert. Happy New Year beautiful Ella!

We have had such an amazing week with grandma and papa.  It feels like it just flew by.  We have one more full day and night tomorrow (today and tonight).  Today, mommy went to work, Ella went with grandma to get her hair washed and blown out, and papa and I went to Patagonia to do some shopping.  We all met up at Amicis for lunch and then we took a nice walk and Ella had a great bike ride.  Tonight we had a really nice dinner at Momo’s – not a usual place that we go to but it was really good! Ella’s nose is getting better.  The oral antibiotics are starting to work.  We’re going to have dinner here for New Year’s Eve and of course since New Year’s Eve means nothing to Ella, she wants to have Friday night movie night with grandma and papa.  Ella wants to see Spirited Away.  We saw it a few weeks ago and it was pretty intense, but she really wants grandma and papa to see it (better than seeing Despicable Me for the 3rd time this week!).  Grandma is doing really well with her shoulder. Tonight she was even able to cut her chicken with both hands.  This is a very exciting milestone.  Keep working hard grandma!  You’ll be flapping both of your wings in no time. Grandma and Ella checking out the transition that is being made from a baseball field to a football field!  It’s always a little strange to see. Go Ella go! I love this shot – mommy was pushing Ella and this other little girl on the merry go round thing. Grandma and Ella heading home. Love and happiness, beautiful people and beautiful scenery. Great shot.  Thanks papa! Looks like Ella is about to jump right into a pool.

Today we decided to go to the Jewish Museum downtown to see the Curious George exhibit.  We didn’t check the museum schedule and got to the museum to find out that it was closed.  Ella was totally fine that it was closed – later on during the day she told us that she told grandma and papa in the morning that she wanted to go to the Jewish Museum on Thursday and that she was right – we can’t go Wednesday because it’s closed…so we have to go on Thursday.  Ella threw some coins in the water outside of the museum and ran on the water steps with papa.  We decided that we would go to SFMOMA since it was right there.  Ella was pretty interested in some of the stuff and not so interested in others.  At least she knows what she likes.  After the museum we had lunch at Nordstrom where she inhaled her mac and cheese.  Sunny and I went out on a hot date tonight and saw the Little Fockers (didn’t really plan to see that but that’s what we ended up seeing) and Ella had a date with grandma and papa which I know made the 3 of them really happy! Another great grandma Ella papa shot walking down Mission Street.  It was a little colder out today. Playing around with papa on the water steps. Making one of many wishes. Taking those steps like a champion. Here are Ella and grandma at the SFMOMA.  Grandma was introducing Ella to some of her friends. Ella LOVED this cake – we had a little mid day snack at the sculpture garden cafe. Ella was mesmerized by this piece.  She sat there for quite a while watching it change. A beautiful gold beaded curtain that Ella loved running through. Ella added some more stuff to her dream. We did a video chat with AJ, Michael and Milo this morning.  It was great seeing you guys…we love you!  Michael and AJ got this costume for Ella for Chanukah but it was at our house.  They were going to give it to her while they were here but since they couldn’t make it, they had me present it to Ella during the iChat.  Ella loves it.

Today we made our trip to the aquarium at Pier 39.  Ella never gets tired of this place and wants to go every time grandma and papa are here.  After the aquarium, we went to the crab house and had a great lunch.  Ella ate clams, crab shrimp and fried artichokes.  We had a really fun day.  Later in the afternoon, Sunny and I took Ella to the doctor because she has some kind of infection in her nose.  She was so stressed out about going to the doctor that she fell asleep in the car.  Once we were in the office, we read her a whole bunch of books and she got less stressed out.  There was this one book that we read together called “Do Not Open This Book”.  Ella was really into when the doctor came in.  Ella did a great job.  She cooperated with the doctor, let him take a culture of her nose infection and kept begging me to finish the book.  She’s on antibiotics and her infection should be clearing up in the next 2 days.  I have been editing the pictures when you can see the one gross nostril.  Ella has been great about not touching it.  She probably got it from picking her nose so any parents out there reading this…DO NOT LET YOU KIDS PICK THEIR NOSE!  Ella learned the hard way.  The 5 of us had dinner at the Public House.  There is so much rain here that we almost needed to take a boat across the street. Grandma, Ella and some beautiful jellyfish. Here are the 3 beautiful pepople in the tunnel under the bay. Ella has become and expert at touching the skates, rays and sharks.  I remember a time when she would not touch them for anything! Back at home with our fish sitting job.  Ella has been very responsible.

We all spent the day with Jesse and Heather today.  They have been in town from LA for the past few days visiting family in the Bay Area and we got them today.  We had a really sweet day hanging out, walking to the Ferry Building, having tea and then hanging out back here watching parts of Fantasia and having dinner.  Jamie, Michael and Milo are staying in NY – no possible way to get here.  We explained the blizzard to Ella and showed her pictures of NYC snowed in that AJ sent us… Ella’s response was, “Oh my God!”  She’s been saying that a lot lately. In the beginning of our walk, Ella was cold so Sunny bundled her up with her scarf. Uncle Jesse giving Ella a little ride. Happy kid. Ella found a ladybug on our walk. I think they were doing some kind of chanting. Aunt Heather and mommy helping Ella to fly. Papa helping Ella to fly. Ella did a lot of jumping today. What a perfect postcard picture. Learning to drink out of the special tea cups. Ella did her job well – she fed the fish at dinner time.