Ellie the Ballerina!

Ellie started her ballet/tap dance class today. She looked so cute in her new leotard dancing around the studio. She LOVES it!!

Sponge Ellie, Red pants...

It never ceases to amaze me how observant Ellie is! She appears to be engrossed in her playing, when really she is hanging on my every word. I will be talking on the phone and later that day (or week!) she brings up parts of my conversations. It really makes me stop and rethink some of the things I say around her. (Not that they are bad or anything, but I mean after all she is only 3 and you never know when she will repeat something she heard... )
Example #1--During the fire evacuations I started reading "New Moon" to Mark , while the girls played quietly in the backseat. I was filling him in on the important events of "Twilight" since he hasn't read them (doubt he EVER will!). Well, that was back in October--flash forward to today when I was retelling a strange, but very brief, dream I had had about me being Bella and Edward having to save me from falling into a pit (crazy I know!). So later on, we were out running errands and Ellie starts talking about vampires. Ellie asks--and I quote " Mom? Who is the bad vampire again? And why does Bella want to be a vampire so bad? And how come Edward doesn't drink blood??" NO JOKE!! She really asked all those questions.

Example #2--She was telling Maddy the other day how "inappropriate it is to hit others." And she always tells her little sister (as well as her dolls) things that Mark and I tell her. And on numerous occasions I have found stuffed animals in time out for "having bad behavior." And they aren't allowed to come out until they have "thought long and hard about what they have done."

Example #3--She LOVES music and sometimes while we are flipping through the radio station, a song might get stopped for a moment or two too long and later I will hear her singing things like "Fergalicious" and " Shake your Booty" or something similar.

Wow! It's just scary how sponge-like little kids are!!

I cry the day that I take the tree down...

I really do get quite sad when we have to pack up all the holiday decorations and lights and take down the tree. We had such a fantastic Christmas season this year-it was hard to say goodbye!

Mark went back to work today after a nice long break. We had really immersed ourselves in all of the holiday festivities, so it was a little hard for me to get back to "real life".

We carried on some of our past holiday traditions and even started a couple of new ones that we hope we will continue in the years to come!

We hope you all had a fabulous Christmas and New Years!!

Christmas Festivities 2007

The girls decorating the gingerbread house

Mark and I in front of our tree headed to a KPMG Christmas party

Mark and Ellie got to go to the Old Globe Theatre at Balboa Park again this year with KPMG and see "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." Ellie loves getting all dressed up and getting to meet the Grinch before the play.

Santa Claus comes to all the kids' houses on our cul-de-sac every year and brings them toys. Ellie loves it, but Maddy, once again, would not sit on his lap without screaming!

Maddy on Christmas morning opening presents

La Jolla Shores Christmas Day

Mark and the girls headed to a Christmas Party

We did a crazy 20 mile bike ride around Newport Beach

Ellie on "Christmas morning Part 2" with Grandma and Grandpa

We went whale watching at Torrey Pines and even though we didn't see any whales, it was a beautiful day for a hike

We met up with our niece and her husband at Seaport Village and Old Town. I went into the bathroom at the Mormon Battalion and when I came out this is what I saw--so funny!! (Sorry, these were taken with a camera phone)

We finally talked Mark in to getting a Sea World pass this year so that he could join in on the fun from time to time. We love Sea World! They had this really funny Holiday show and we all couldn't stop laughing!

With all this playing, you can now see why it's so hard to have Mark leave! We also got to see Santa 5 different times, visit with family up in Corona, and Ellie and I were even on the front page of the RB Journal --and Ellie again on the 2nd page. (I know--the RB Journal--BIG stuff! and no, you can't have our autographs!!)

Family Traditions

This will be our first family Christmas completely alone here in California. (well, with no family around) I really want to start some new family traditions this year, especially because Ellie is more aware of the season. I want to know what your family's holiday traditions are, or were growing up, that you really look forward to every year. Any fun traditions?

We wish you a Merry Christmas...

Happy Holidays from our girls