First Steps In the Snow

Momma, Daddy, please stand back while I take a closer look at this stuff... it could be dangerous.


Well, here goes... one small step for Ella, one giant leap for toddlerkind...


I haven't sunk so far, I think that's a good sign.


Daddy, besides the fact that it's cold, it doesn't seem to be too dangerous. Can we make a snowman now?


Editor's note: This whole photo shoot was done while the model was continually chanting, "snow... snow... snow..."

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Love, Ella


Before the dress.


After the dress.

Ella the Rockstar

Step aside Bono, here comes Ella.
(for those of you that don't know, Bono is the very cool lead singer of the Irish rock band U2. Of course Ella is much cooler than Bono.)

Sentences

Ella has spoken a sentence. Three to be exact.

The first was during her bath. After she tried to drink the bath water I told her no, don't drink the water. She looked at me very seriously and said "No don't drink." Then proceeded to take a big drink.

The second time was when she was getting dressed and she repeated "put it on" to me.

And yesterday morning she kept asking "Where daddy go?" It was so sweet. She was walking all around the house saying "Where daddy go?" "Where daddy go?" "Where daddy go?"

Another Carnival, Another Carousel

This picture was taken back in October when we were in Indiana visiting family. Ella did not want to sit on a horse on this particular carousel, so we sat in the little carriage together.




She gave Daddy a smile and a wave each time we passed him by. Her wave is the best. She holds her hand with her palm toward herself and moves just her fingers in a continental "ciao, bella" type wave.

Air Guitar

"SMOKE ON THE WATER . . .



. . . AND FIRE IN THE SKY!"

Ok, Ella was actually helping Daddy sweep up chestnuts. But she makes a cute little rocker.

Pumpkin Carving

The day before Halloween we carved pumpkins with our good friends Liz and Spencer. I thought for sure Ella would want to get her hands all over the slimy pumpkin innards.



But no. She would have nothing to do with the messy stuff. She took one look, said "no" and walked off in the opposite direction.
It wasn't until we had them all cleaned out that she decided it would be fun to help.




We are sad to see the end of the halloween season since PUMPKIN has become Ella's favorite word. Luckily pumpkin decor continues on into Thanksgiving.

Please?

Ella is now very good at saying "please." So good that she knows its power when she is told "no" or has something taken away. She understands that it is harder to tell her "no" when she looks at you with her big brown eyes and says "puh-lease?"

Mark says we have created a monster. My reply?
We have created a polite monster.

More Things I Love About Ella

The way the "Baby in the Sun" on Teletubbies makes her smile and squeal.

The way she sniffs and wrinkles her nose to imitate a bunny. (just like Grandma Norrie taught her)

The way she imitates a bunny in my ear.

The way she adds an extra syllable or two to some words, like fa-lower and ba-lanket. But the best one is pa-leas-uh.