Chipmunchs and a carrot

Ella is growing up. She kicked off her weekend with a wild “movie night” on Friday. This fun and wild night involved staying up late (9pm), watching an exciting flick (Alvin and the Chipmunks), dancing (to the music on the movie), gorging on popcorn and drinking (some diluted Coke) with two of her best friends (her Mom and Bridger). I’m afraid we might have a real Wild Child on our hands! Needles to say, after all that excitement and liquids (had to counteract all the salt on her popcorn) she had to wear disposable diapers to bed!! Hee hee :) You know you’ve had a really wild night when that happens…

The whole idea of staying up late with Mom and watching a movie, then throw in the popcorn and Coke, really, really thrilled her. She finally got it into her head that we were watching Alvin and the Chipmunks, NOT penguins (???), and consequently has turned into a huge “chipmunch” fan. Either she really can’t pronounce ‘chipmunk’ or she saw them as a delectable food item… I’d prefer to think the former. She got so into the dancing, pretending that she was a “dancing chipmunch” that she started to fart. Oops! A little too much stimulation and popcorn I guess! Hopefully, for her sake, she outgrows that before she hits her twenties. Might be kind of hard to keep a date if she doesn’t… That is NOT the reason why I’m single by the way. Nope, she didn’t get it from me!

She kept digging around for the salt on the bottom of bowl, repeating to herself “I love salt”, then when the whole bowl was almost gone she looked at me and said, “I don’t like salt. Can I have some water?” That cracked me up :).

The fun continued Saturday, with a trip to the market. As Ella confidently strode through the venders with her little hat and bag, helping Mommy buy produce and fishies for the dogs, the Cucumber Lady (we always buy our cumbers from her) kindly gave L a free carrot to put in her bag, along with the cucumbers that she sold us. Now Ella was just thrilled to have a carrot to put into her bag (Ella enjoys the simple pleasures of life – like carrying cucumbers and a carrot around in a bag. You should try it) and I was touched at the ladies little act of kindness to my daughter, and ultimately to me. You can bet we’ll keep buying our cucumbers from her! I like the Carrot Lady too, because she remembers Ella’s name every week and even if we miss a week. Maybe she’ll pick up from the Cucumber Lady (they sit right quite close together) and give Ella a cucumber next week when we buy carrots from her! Anyways, the simple joys of buying vegetables at the market on Saturdays :). Usually I hate shopping but Ella’s free “cawwot” made all the difference…

Ella made it home from her shopping at the market in time to disperse ice cream to the neighbors, eat some of her own, then supervise the removal of furniture in our old flat, onto a huge, noisy truck. Two guys were also here building a little boda and bike cover between the two houses so she made sure that those two guys knew where she was going and when she got back. She loudly announced to them, as they were busily working away, “I’m going to the market!” Then when we got home she made it a point to go back and tell them, “I’m back from the market!” They laughed. It’s hard not to!

Blast from the past... Ella with my old Cabbage Patch doll, Elmer, in his cowboy pajamas. I think I got Elmer when I was four or five. The pajama bottoms that L is wearing were mine when I was three :)

This picture typifies my daughter. In constant motion dancing, even while laying on her back, with her trusty, big toothed hound at her side. I love Sanyu's teeth in this picture!

There is no doubt that this is my sister Becky's niece! The apple didn't fall far... :)

I think I got this picture just because Ella was SMILING a normal smile - not the wierd cheesy ones that she always pulls when I get the camera out. Note my old pajama bottoms :)