Life With Ella

Ella had a sweet ballet class on Monday – there were only 2 kids in the class.  They had a good time together.  Video is at the bottom of this blog. Tonight when I got home, Ella picked out a fancy dress that she wanted to wear for dinner.  Dinner was at home and we had no plans to go out.  Ella looked really cute in one of her fancy dresses that is a little too short on her.  After dinner, Ella and Sunny went into the hallway and kicked the soccer ball around.  In September, Ella will be on a soccer team through school…they will be called the “Black Widows”. This is a sweet picture from the other night with Ella and her buddies Juliet, KJ and Stella. Fancy Ella and her friend Ann the hippo. Ella and Ann hanging out with Towby.Ella tending the goal in the hallway. Giving her kick some great thought.And now for Ella’s ballet video…

My parents left pretty early this morning.  We all had a great time.  Ella told them that she wanted the time together to be longer.  She’ll have some quality time over the summer.  Today, Sunny, Ella and I went to the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park to see the Venus Flytrap exhibit.  It was a beautiful sunny day but the wind made it cold and at times uncomfortable.  Ella didn’t have a jacket so Sunny shared her sweatshirt with her.  She looked super cute.Ella tying to get warm in Sunny’s hoodie. Ella standing in front of the Chomp sign at the Venus Flytrap exhibit. It’s a little warmer…the hood is off. Ella will be taller than me very soon.  What an amazing kid. Investigating all the different types of carnivorous plants. Rolling down the hill… To mommy so that she could fly. Playing around in the sprinkler. Climbing a tree.What a beautiful weekend.  I love you Sunny, Ella grandma and papa.

First of all – thank you Sunny for your beautiful birthday message and thank you Ella for your beautiful birthday song and love.  What a beautiful thing to wake up to.  Friday I went to work, Sunny went to work and grandma and papa got to spend the day with Ella.  They had a great time – went to the Aquarium at Pier 39,went to lunch and ate crab, clams, fried artichoke, and calamari.  After that they had candy and ice cream.  Ella also did the bungee thing and jumped high in the sky.Ella watching the fish go around and around and around… Beautiful Ella and Beautiful papa looking at beautiful jellyfish. Grandma and Ella touching a ray. I love this shot – look at the beautiful Ella and her even more beautiful and innocent reflection. Thanks grandma for taking these amazing photos of Ella jumping.  Looks like she had the time of her life. Ella and papa at dinner on Friday night.  Ella looked so tired and needed to crawl up on papa’s lap.

Sunny took me to go see Wicked on Friday night.  We had a great date night.  Today, we woke up, walked to the Ferry Building, had some lunch and then came home.  Then at around 3:00, Ella had her last t-ball game.  This was the first time that grandma and papa saw Ella play t-ball so it was totally comedy for them.  They seemed like they had a blast watching Ella play.  Ella loved having them there.  After the game, we came back to our place, had take out Chinese food, ate a delicious cake that mommy and Ella made and we also enjoyed the incredible banana pudding that Helen made for me.  Thank you Helen…you’re the greatest!

Just a bunch of nerds walking down the Embarcadero.Heading home. Well here are some t-ball shots today.  It was a great season.  Those coaches are angels.  The kids were amazing.  What a great experience for Ella – for us.The beautiful birthday cake that Sunny and Ella made for me.  Thank you!  I love you. The three of us about to blow out the candles. The three musketeers.  What a great weekend.  Thank you so much for coming and spending my birthday with me.  I love you guys so much!

What a day filled with fun, love, excitement, and emotions.  Work has been really crazy for me.  I replaced the music teacher at the school.  Today was our final performance of the year.  My kids did a great job – they should be really proud of themselves.  Here is a shot of me and some of the girls that I work with. This was before the concert.  They all look happy and excited and I look like I am trying to figure out how the hell we are gonna pull this one off. This is Ella’s fancy dress that she wore to school for fancy day.  I can’t take responsibility for her fancy and beautiful hairstyle.  That’s the magic of the more than talented Ms. Alicia. Grandma and Ella doing a sack race. Grandma and Ella practicing their wheelbarrow skills.  The fun has just begun!

Today’s day was Giants day and Ella was very excited to wear her jersey.  She’s having fun with the themes this week and it has been easier to get her up and dressed.  Grandma and papa are coming tomorrow night and Ella is so excited!  Their relationship is a beautiful thing.  So much love. On the way to school in her Giants jersey. Ella looking and listening on as one of the Leaping Lizard dads reads his daughter a book this morning.

Today was “twin day” at school.  We weren’t going to do anything for today…but we received an e-mail last night from one of the moms who is a coach of the T-ball team and asked if any of us would send our kids to school in the T-ball t-shirt so her son would  have a twin or maybe even a triplet, quadruplet… We asked Ella if she wanted to wear her T-ball shirt and she wanted to so we did it.  Sunny bought me a very cool desk chair for my birthday and it arrived yesterday so I got my birthday present early.  Ella saw it yesterday, in a few parts and was very interested in putting it together.  Tonight, Ella and I put the chair together.  She was really into it – totally focused, really listened when I showed her how to read the instructions and organize all the pieces.  It was very cool and she helped a lot.  The chair is fantastic.  Thank you Sunny.  I love you.  Here are today’s photos. Ella and Ann in the elevator on the way to school this morning. Ella and her buddies Ethan and James right after washing their hands at school this morning. Ella and her buddies Dillon and Clark.  Looks like Dillon was trying to flash a gang sign…maybe the upside down bunny gang. Ella helping me put on the wheels of my new chair. Tightening the screws with an allen wrench. Of course all Ella wanted to do was spin around on the chair. Here is my new chair!  What a beautiful chair.  I love it!

On Friday night, I went to a friend’s retirement party and Sunny and Ella did the usual Friday stuff…t-ball practice, dinner at Pasta Pomodoro and Friday night movie night.  They watched Mary Poppins and had a great night.  On Saturday, Sunny went to see Hannah graduate from Mills College in the morning and then picked Ella and I up to go to a sweet party in a beautiful Oakland park to celebrate Hannah’s graduation.  It was a lot of fun and one of the highlights was a huge orange dinosaur piñata.  Ella really tried hard to open it up, but she’s too much of a little lover.  On Saturday night, Sunny and I went out to see an opera and Toby stayed with Ella.  They had a great time together and watched Mary Poppins for the second time this weekend.  Today, we met up with Brickelle and we waited on line at the ballpark to get a Willie Mays bobblehead.  After that, we came home, hung out, and then went to watch the game.  The girls had a blast at the game and the Giants won so it was great all around.  We met up with Brickelle’s parents and little brother after the game and had an early dinner at Mijita.  After dinner, Ella and I went over to Stella and Juliet’s house to spend some time with them.  They were away for the weekend and Ella was missing them.  OK – now time for a very busy work week for both of us. Check out Ella and that huge stick – it was bigger than Ella!  It was a really fun party. Ella and Brickelle before the game. Walking up the ramp. Ella is every serious about her sunflower seeds. Brickelle showing Ella her blue cotton candy tongue. Ella looking a little too cute in her hat. What a smile. Smiling away and they don’t even have a clue that the Giants were about to win. Coming home from the game.

Ella’s mood is so different than it was last week.  She is a joy to be with, really hasn’t cried at all, she’s been incredibly reasonable and so loving – not needy.  Who knows what was going on with her…but we are sure happy to have her back.  Whenever I pick up Ella from school, we go to her classroom, get her lunchbox, jacket, Ann and then she hands me all these little pieces of paper with staples or tape or cut with fancy scissors.  Sometimes the paper has scribbling on it and she tells me that it’s homework, sometimes it says “Mommy, Ella, Love” or “Mama Ella Love”.  Today she handed me this black folded and stapled piece of paper.  She told me that she wrote a rhyming book.  I have to admit that I thought it was going to be another one of those scribble things but instead, she gave me this.Cat, bat, rat, fat, jet, met.  She said that she did this all by herself.  I think it’s terrific!  Ella’s class been reading rhyming books each day so maybe this inspired her.  Whatever it was, way to go Ella!Ella decided after her shower at 6:00 that she wanted to stay home for dinner so she put on her nightgown.  I guess that sealed the deal – no going out.  Ella played around the house – she’s been really physical lately, climbing, jumping, playing with the basketball, baseballs…I got these shots of her jumping off the bench. After jumping and dinner, Sunny went out and got Ella some Blush – cookies and cream.  She loved it and was sleeping by 8:50.