Thursday, January 10, 2013

Two years with our Ella-love!

Before leaving North Carolina we had an early celebration for our sweet birthday girl.

It’s hard to believe how much she’s grown in a year!

Where did my baby go? Now she’s often found carting around her own baby dolls and showering them with tough toddler love. This girlie could swing and slide on a playground all day, and she takes her job as chief assistant on Luke’s dirt, toy, and blanket relocation projects very seriously.

She’s also a girl with battle cries. When she spies Luke playing with a coveted item, she’ll charge in shrieking, “Share! Share! Luke Share!” (Not exactly the spirit of sharing we seek to cultivate.) But an even more fearsome war cry blares when she charges into the kitchen with a kiddie chair. “Help! Help! Eleanor Help!” In a flash the chair is pushed to where I’m cooking and Eleanor is on top expecting her share of stirring and pouring. So I do as much stealth cooking as possible until my mommy conscience forces me to accommodate her. Fortunately it’s hard not to be charmed by the eager, busy little helper she is.

Our hearts melt when she earnestly inquires, “Why you sad, Luke?” or, “What you doing, Luke?” in her sugary little voice. Another tender scene is when they reconcile after wrongdoing. What precious hugs and kisses she gives! She’s a hand-holding all-star, sweetly requesting “Mommy hold my hand” several times a day.

Her joke-making skills, however, are a bit dismaying. For example, Me: “Eleanor, you silly girl!” Eleanor: "You silly stinky-poo!” A word clearly stolen from Erik’s diaper-changing commentary, and now strictly banned from our home. She relishes delivering her own comic comebacks, not as a response to an insult, but in response to any statement whatsoever. Another typical instance of Eleanor humor… Erik: “You look like a princess!” Ella: “No, Eleanor a boy.” Erik: “Eleanor’s a girl!” Eleanor: “No, Eleanor’s a princess!” There’s a fine parenting line to walk here, but it seems perhaps she’ll follow in her father’s comedy talent footsteps with a bit of her mother’s stubbornness thrown in!

Other Eleanor distinctives include: a passion for lotions and cleanliness, a poor sense of direction (she often takes a wrong turn on the simple path to her room), a love for painting and stickers, and the most beautiful girlie-face I’ve ever seen.

We love you Ellabelle! What a shining glow you’ve brought to our lives, with your lively personality, caring concern for your brother, priceless cuddles, and darling little voice that says the sweetest and silliest things.

Back in Albuquerque we had a second bday party with more cute pics that I’ll have to post soon. Right now the Ella-princess is requesting my presence at a tea party!