PRAY...

Some days it truly seems hard to be a parent. It also boggles my mind that these little beings don't listen when we want them to! In the previous holiday months of 2011 (November and December), Ella experienced some challenging times with following directions and making good choices at home. As all parents do, I wanted her to be on her best behavior so that Santa would be able to follow through with his tradition: Naughty=no gifts but coal, Nice= What you wish for.

Come Thanksgiving weekend, our Elf on the Shelf arrived; Jingles is his name. I thought "whew, now we won't have to deal with over the top trouble!" Well, I was wrong and we had several struggles through the first couple of weeks. I would say, "Ella, Jingles is watching you" and "Jingles is going to tell Santa what you are doing." It didn't seem to help. Now, mind you, her behavior wasn't ALL that awful, but there was one night in particular....

Jingles didn't come back from the North Pole! Ella wasn't devastated, but she wasn't happy. I think she took a little time to process the event while at school the next day. When she came home she asked if Jingles came back. Of course he did not, as he only travels while she is sleeping. I proceeded to give her some advice.

I told my dear daughter that when she goes to bed she better "PRAY" that Jingles comes back or for her it meant that Santa wasn't going to come. Of course, she asks, "what's pray?" I explained to Ella that sometimes we have to whisper in our heads a wish or hope that we would like to happen. That we have to ask "someone up above" for a little help to make it happen. There are times when things are out of our control, but if we "pray" that maybe what we are looking for will happen after all. (All of the explaining is a little difficult for me to do, because am not 100% sold on the concept---although I try.)

So arrives the next morning. Jingles didn't (mostly because mommy and daddy forgot about him yet AGAIN!). Ella comes down the stairs...she says her good mornings and hellos to the dogs. All of a sudden she says to me, "MOM, I forgot to do that thing you told me to do!" I asked her what that was, as I wasn't quite sure what she was talking about. "You know, that thing you told me to do!" Still, not sure, as I think I must tell her to do quite a bit and often. She, somewhat frustrated, "YOU KNOW, that THING....you told me to do....last night." I am thinking oh boy, this is going to turn into something bad. Ella proceeds to say, "You know, like when I talk to people in my head." Laughing out loud now....but she doesn't think its funny, because I still can't figure her "code" out. "MOM, you told me to do that THING when I went to bed last night so Jingles would come back"

Oh, my....Ella you mean "PRAY?"

Ella replies, in disappointment, "yes, PRAY; you told me to PRAY so Jingles would come back, and I forgot!"

I, of course, tell her that she can pray at her bedtime that night. I explain to her that she can do it anytime of the day and just that she forgot doesn't mean that what she would like to have happen or wish for may not happen, it just means that it may not happen right away. Jingles didn't come back that day anyway (again, mostly to the fault of mommy and daddy, as we didn't realize she DIDN'T do that THING I told her to do). She had another chance.

I am not aware of how much Ella actually prays, as we don't make it a family event. As I mentioned before, I am not sure myself of the power of prayer. I do believe that for ME during the November and December time frame, I did a lot of praying and hoping for some things to change and they did. :)

Recently, I think Ella may be a believer in prayer. We were in the car and I had hoped out loud for green lights all the way to swimming lessons. Ella tells me, "MOM, I am going to PRAY for green lights all the way." To my amazement....we had green lights all the way! She of course, was smiling in the back seat!

"Mom, why you so happy?"

The above comment has been on my mind since January 6, 2012. I didn't want to blog immediately following the previous post, as I am trying to pace myself! Haha. Very new to this all.

The week following New Year's Day I had come down with a pretty bad cold, requiring me to take a few sick days from work. Given that situation was I was able to wake up a little later than "normal" (say 6am instead of 445am) and spend the morning with Ella and Eli before school/daycare hours. It made me happy. Simple. After I dropped Eli off at daycare on Friday the 6th...I was getting into the car and Ella says, "Momma, why you so HAPPY!?"

Oh, Ella! I immediately laughed, but proceeded to tell her that I have had a wonderful week and been able to see her and Eli do things that I hadn't seen before (ie: play, talk, laugh together). I told her I was excited to be able to drop them both off and pick them both up. That it has just made me happy:)

After nearly a year and a half of doing what I felt I "had" to do to help our family out, I had given my notice to the School District; I would be leaving come January 13, 2012. I am now going to be working (a little more than) part-time, with flexible hours.

That week, I just felt "GOOD." I was having a glimps of what life may potentially be like to enjoy the time with the kiddies and not feel so rushed. I was happy. I was happy to get in the car and take Ella to school. I was happy that I was seeing clients while she was at school. I was happy that I could keep a clean and organized home---while they ALL were away!

Most of all, I AM happy that SHE has seen me happy! :) Today is the first official day we start our week without the school district job. Such a relief.

I am smarter than YOU!

It's been a long time since I have "blogged." Something keeps coming up in my conversations with Ella that I feel there is a little birdie telling me-"you need to blog, Jen."

"Mom, I am smarter than you!" Of course, I say, "Oh really?" Ella proceeds to tell me that she is smarter than me because she knows that "crabs have eight legs!" Well, this has been a recurring conversation for almost 6 months now. Aaron and I took a mini-vacation to San Franscisco for our 10 year anniversary. We returned and were showing Ella our pictures of the ocean and all the ocean life we had seen. She was so intrigued, the poor girl has never been to the ocean. Ever since she saw the picture of the 'washed-up crab' and his missing legs---she is smarter than me! Ha. Little girl doesn't realize that I am the smartest of all...I know more....and as I often tell her, I have eyes in the back of my head! (Which I believe she is starting to BELIEVE!).

Sadly, there are so many more wonderful things my child has said over the last year. I have been quite busy as we have dealt with unemployment, extra jobs, crazy schedules, and of course--life. I haven't made resolutions for the New Year, but I definitely hope that my new position this year will yield me some time to blog more.

Determined

We've been on 'vacation' for the last 10 days in WI. While there Ella had several bedtime accidents...through her pull-up! Ugh...and so we continue to work towards completing potty training during night time (even though our pediatrician assures us she will not walk down the aisle with a pull-up on). Thankfully over the last 4 nights, we've not had any wetting through...and Ella continues to try to go potty before bed and at least one time after she's gotten into bed. So far so good...she may still wake up with a full pull up, but at least she isn't leaking though!

SO.....tonight, I see such determination in her to get a dry pull-up in the morning. We OFTEN have a night owl on our hands...asking us questions, reading books, forgetting to tell us something etc, etc. However, tonight we have one little determined girl; she is DETERMINED to wake up dry tomorrow. She was put to bed at 7:30pm....since then (it is now 9:10)...she has frequented the potty about every 7 min. How do I know? I hear her flush...every time! Not to mention she yelled at our dog Jack for drinking out of her potty. My question this evening is: should I be mad that she is STILL not sleeping or should I be thankful that she is so tenacious? And, should the sleeping fairy come tonight?

When your child learns to read....

So, the other day, we decided to get take out from Chili's. The first thing Ella said was, "I want Mac-n-cheese!" Immediately my brain kicked in and said, "They don't have Mac-n-cheese." End of discussion, no negotiating, nothing. So, Ella went with Daddy to go pick up the food, she came home with her "coloring" page (which includes the kids menu) from the restaurant and her cheeseburger (the girl LOVES her cheese). There was no further mention of mac-n-cheese that night, Thank GOD.

The next morning, Ella was coloring on her coloring page from Chili's. I was eating breakfast, she flips the page over and says to me: "MOM, They DO have Mac-n-Cheese, see right here (ah, wonderful a picture of mac-n-cheese on their kids menu)! You were trying to trick me mom, but you didn't!!!" And so, with that I know she is very capable of environmental print and gets the concept of reading....she's also picking up on our spelling code between daddy and me. As grateful as I am that she is learning to read, I am saddened by the fact that I am going to have to "outsmart" her in different ways....my job just keeps getting tougher! :)

The Markers!

Oh, I am so excited to have a true story for you today! Lori, Ella's daycare provider, always has something to tell me about Ella when I pick her up. More often than not, it is good :)

Everyday, Ella takes "something" with her to Lori's house, whether it be a stuffed dog, stuffed animal, new toy, or today---Markers. This is something we as parents have given into. The rule for Ella however is that she has to leave whatever she brings with her at the door. Well, today...she wanted to take her MARKERS! LOL. Before daddy left, Lori said to Ella, "maybe we should have Daddy take the Markers with him." Ella, of course, tried to negotiate---something she thinks she's very good at, but to no avail the Markers went with Daddy. So...

I arrive to pick up Ella and Lori asks her, "Did you bring anything with you today?" Ella, says matter-of-factly, "uh, I did, but YOU didn't let me keep them." The thing about these "ellaisms" is that her tone of voice is so appropriate and the way she says things---it's as if she knows what she is talking about.

Welcome to the Essence of Ella!

I have decided that although it is fun to enter "Ella anecdotes" in my Facebook Status daily, I am unable to retrieve those innocent comments when I want to. So, I have decided to begin the Essence of Ella. At this time in her life (Age 4) the things she says and does make me and Aaron laugh on a daily basis. Her uncanny, innocent remarks are often hilarious. The most recent was during her stomach flu episode last week. My dear daughter asked me as I was wiping her face with a cool washcloth, "Mommy, why are my brains coming out?" I wanted to laugh so, so bad, yet realized that wouldn't be appropriate given the time and situation. So, I want to make sure these comments and daily life experiences are documented for Ella. Interesting how times have changed from a baby book, photo album, baby blog, and now a Preschool blog! The convenience of being able to access the blog should come in handy for those remarks that I will just need to hang on to...for future embarrassment:)