Life With Ella

Although we are all slightly ill, we are so excited about our vacation.  Ella’s ear has not hurt her since Friday and she is totally on the mend.  Sunny is still struggling with bronchial asthma and I have some sort of sore throat.  None of this will prevent us from having the time of our lives.  On Saturday, Sunny had a pedicure and Ella watched some of it.  She really wanted to have her fingernails and toenails painted at the spa too.  Ella and I went today.  We both got light pink with golden sparkles.  Here are some shots that I took at the spa and in our home.Ella getting ready to get her nails painted.Watching, making sure that the woman is not going to clip Ella’s nails. All done and waiting for me to finish up my pedicure.  I think Ella was watching Word Girl. Ella’s sweet hand and foot. The three of us. Beautiful Ella about to go out to dinner.

Today Ella woke up and felt a lot better.  It’s amazing how medicine works sometimes.  This morning, Ella and I met up with Caroline, Adam and Zach who are in town from NY.  We met at Yerba Buena and the kids had fun playing around.  After the park, there was a puppet show.  I have to say, I really can’t stand puppet shows, but Ella totally loved it.  After the puppet show, Ella rode the carousel twice.  Ella is totally into going on the carousel all by herself.  This is such a relief.  I think we spent the first few years of her life nauseous from riding those carousels.  We came home, had lunch and then Sunny took Ella out to meet up Zani, Phyllis, Hannah, Naomi, Michael etc.  They ended up at another park and Ella had more fun.  Tonight we had dinner at Mijita with Ruthann and Jaden.  Jaden is about a year and a few months younger than Ella and I think she likes being the older kid sometimes.  It keeps her behavior in check.  Tonight I bumped into Helen, Ron, KJ and the girls – Juliet was carrying a pink guitar and Stella had a Tiana doll.  Helen told me that they got presents for putting themselves to bed.  This gave me a great idea.  We usually start putting Ella to bed at around 8:15 and she ends up falling asleep at 9:30 or so.  We read to her, tell her stories, massage her…she gets in and out of bed, says she’s thirsty…all the regular kid stuff.  Tonight, Sunny and I were in Ella’s room and I said, “Hey – did you know that Stella and Juliet have been going to sleep on their own?  They got some really cool presents tonight”.  All of a sudden Ella said, “I want to go to sleep on my own tonight.  I want cool presents”.  We told her that it had to be for more than a night.  She said, “OK – I’m going to sleep now.  Goodnight, I love you.”  We left – she is sleeping!  This is a beautiful thing. Ella having a blast sliding/flying. Adam giving Zach a little push down the slide. Caroline and Zach flying down the slide.Ella climbing in her new shades. Ella and her little buddy Zach.  Ella liked being the big kid today. Ella listening to the beginning of the puppet show.  She has this slightly entertained look on her face.  Good thing you couldn’t see my face.Zach wasn’t as entertained or amused as Ella was but he watched some of it. Beautiful fake smile on the carousel.  Ella still loves the carousel.

Ella hasn’t hung out with her buddies in a few days – the Kim-Arena family has been a little under the weather…even KJ who experienced his first ear infection.  Everyone is feeling better now so we all went to Blush after dinner.  The girls had a lot of fun together and KJ got right into the mix.  He is becoming a person and he is so sweet and cute and as we witnessed tonight, quite a little dancer.  Ella wanted Juliet to listen to “Love Story” by Taylor Swift because she sings about Romeo and Juliet and Ella thinks its so cool that her friend’s name is in a song.  KJ loved dancing to Miley Cyrus.  Oy – we are all in for it with this bubblegum music.  Here are some shots from tonight.  I thought Ella was over her Cinderella stage but I guess I was wrong. Ella and Stella trying to figure out how to play one potato, two potato. Cookies and cream yogurt with chocolate shavings…YUM Yogurt store art shot. Fooling around down the block. Sweet KJ…what a charming young boy. KJ and his girls.

This morning we met Courtney and Candace for brunch and then I took Ella to another birthday party at Pump It Up.  Ella had a great time with her buddies from school but every once in a while had a little “dynamic” with one of her friends and I think because I was there, her emotional reactions became a little amplified.  I just stopped paying attention after a while and she was fine.  After Pump It Up, we met Sunny at home.  Sunny did some errands while we were at the party.  She bought some stuff for us for Hawaii.  Ella put it all on. Then I went out to do a little shopping.  I found some cute stuff for Ella and when she saw it, she immediately put it on.  She is so funny with her outfit changes. Having fun at Pump It Up. Ella in her new rash guard shirt and her new life jacket for the ocean.  She kept her polka dot leggings on and of course, Ann was hanging out with her this afternoon. Ella and Bug coming back from the Zen garden.  Those are Ella’s new shoes for the beach and ocean.Ella added her special hat to her new sweater and dress outfit. Building a black and white castle.

Today was a beautiful day.  We spent most of the day outside, walking around, trying to fly a kite, playing a little basketball… Tonight, Nikki B and Donna came over to go to the Giant’s game with Sunny and me, and Debby, Toby and Rachel came over to hang out with Ella.  Ella had a great time with them.  Thanks so much for hanging out with Ella!  We had a lot of fun at the game.  The weather was perfect – it was a gorgeous night, and the Giants won 12 – 1.  We came home at around 9:15 and Ella was still wide awake listening to Debby read her an Eloise story.  I think she finally fell asleep at 10:30 which is better than last night when she fell asleep at 11:00. Today Ella was making a birthday card for one of her friends and she drew this picture on the card.  I thought it was terrific. Nikki B and Donna at the game tonight.  This was Donna’s first time at AT&T Park.  I think she had a great time – it was an action packed night. Here we are at the game – one of the first times we have been at a game without Ella.  People in our section were asking us where Ella was! I took this tonight as we were leaving the ballpark.  Everything was perfect…the company,the temperature, the color of the sky, the lights, the trees and a Giants win. I took this of Ella tonight at around 10:00 we were hanging out and listening to music.  We went from Miley Cyrus to show tunes to Hey, Soul Sister and ended the night with a little Cinderella.