Three Weeks in One Post... Bear with Me, Please!

Kiley's 1st Birthday

Mmmm... Cake!
So excited about so much icing!! Or maybe it is the sugar just kicking in!
Here Mommy, have some too!!
Ms Beth and Ellie

Misc. Photos...

Schatzie perched on Ellie's friends. I took the picture then showed it to Ellie (she wasn't paying any attention to Schatzie at the time) she took one look at the picture, looked at the couch and said, "Hey! Schatzie in my pot!!" Sharp little girl, huh?
What a diva!!

Philly Visit

July 19-20, 2008

Ellie and Sophie snoozing in the back seat on our driving tour of the city. They were wide awake for the 30 minute drive into the city but once we started looking for a parking spot Ellie started snoring and Sophie dozed off soon after... No Touch and Feel Museum for us that day. Instead we drove around the city for the $4/gallon nap (aka- one of the most expensive naps ever) then ate lunch and did some shopping!

South Street
City Hall
Big statue... not sure who but I am sure it is imporntant!

UPDATE... This is a statue of WIlliam Penn. Thank you, Stepahnie!
Rocky
The Rocky steps... aka: the museum steps
Smiling Sophie
On our way to the park in the sweltering heat on Sunday morning.
Happy girls
Sophie, Leigh, Ellie, and MB
"I a spaceman!!"
Ellie was running around one night with (clean) panties on her head, princess poofs on her elbows, a silver princess mask on her face, and in her Snow Wipe night gown swearing that she is a spaceman!!

NC Visit

July25-29, 2008
On the way home from the airport, after telling Grandma and Donna the "spaceman" story, Donna decides to see how she feels as a spaceman... So Donna, what do you think??
We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast and here is Bill, Ellie, Donna, and Deb after breakfast resting their feet... not too much relaxing though, you might just fall asleep!! But hey, thats what we get for catching a 6am flight to Raleigh.

Note: The flight was good in theory and that is it!!
Ellie as the Mitt Monster in Bed Bath and Beyond
Cheers!!
Ellie painting everyone with her princess lip gloss.

Ellie and I on our phones.
Here we are at Friendly Center listening to a Beetles cover band... not too bad just very hot!!
Ellie touching her soon-to-be cousin.
Ellie was facinated with the giant shampoo bottle... An new crush? Maybe! First it was Matt Lauer, then Diego, now Blue Shampoo.

Jessica's Baby Shower
Deb, Ellie, MB, and Donna before Jess' baby shower.

Grandma and Ellie
Jess and Donna sucking their way to victory... Jess won by a fraction of and ounce!
Jess and Ellie
Pretty Ellie in the pool.
Big girl helping Bella into the house.

Naked Ellie running in the sprinklers with Daddy and Uncle Mike... Weeee!!
Saturday night I met up with an old college buddy of mine and had a great time!!
Daddy and Ellie playing Dora Memory
Bye bye Auntie Donna!
Chele, Greg, and Miranda on out wat to go tubing on the Dan River on Sunday... Lots of fun!!!

Alessandro's Visit

Alessandro, his mommy Flor, and Ellie
Playing in the play room
Ellie, Alessandro, Flor, and MB Sunday night (Please be kind... it was a long day in the sun and on the river for me, I fell asleep on the couch after showers that night)
Shopping on Monday... Ellie takes a spin on Bob the Builder's bull dozer
Look... it is a dip in the pool or is it a bath? Actually, it is a pool bath!!! Nothing like killing two birds with one stone!

Horray! Grandma and Ellie
All cuddled up and watching cartoons befor bed!

Measuring Up
Papoo measured Ellie to see just how big this Big Girl is... 37 inches!! She has grown 3 inches since the beginning of November. Wow!!
Stand straight so this is accurate!
Funny faces in the tub!!!

Fourth of July Weekend

July 4-6, 2006

Towson Parade

The weather was on and off all day but we really got lucky! The rain stopped around 8am, in time for the parade at 10:30. It picked up again in the afternoon but cleared up for the fireworks at 9:30pm... And to top it all off, the temperature never got above 85 degrees. Perfect! Here is the whole crew, waiting! We were able to stake out prime real estate on the parade route. Papoo and I dropped off his truck on the side street before they shut down the roads (around 8am) that morning with a portable potty in the back for the kids and to make a easy get-away afterwards! Also we were able to meet up with Andrew, Lisa, Aunt Angela, and Mrs. Frank to enjoy the festivities!
Ellie and Andrew with their flags in hand!
"Look Mommy, those boys are in skirts!!"
"El, those are kilts."

Cheese!! Meme, Andrew, Lisa, Ellie, and MB pose for a picture!
Just checking out what is going on!
"Look Andrew!"
Stand for the flag!
The National Guard Marching Band
Here is as good a place as any to tell you this... Ellie just doesn't like loud noises, at all! Public toilets flushing, sirens, even the garbage disposal so you can only imagine what it was like when the fire trucks and marching bands came by... a bit crazy! We got down a routine though after the first few loud ones. She would see them coming, back to the side walk to watch from afar, and either she or I would cover her ears till they were gone and the next ones came along. But by the end she must have gotten used to it because, by then, it didn't seem to bother her too much any more!

Holding her ears on Meme's lap.
And eating snacks with Meme.

Between Lisa and I, the kids had so many snacks to choose from and the ate so much that there wasn't too much lunch to be eaten later!
Ellie and Mommy!
The Oriole Bird!! Go O's!
And the Raven's Ultimate Fan Bus (and fans)... What a crazy bunch!!

Look, Snow Wipe is helping me sew. A working princess... Is that normal?

Fireworks
Papoo, Ellie, MB, and Meme in the Target parking lot eating ice cream and watching fireworks.
What a show!! The noise didn't seem to bother Ellie too much, we were far enough away! But she has never stayed up that late (10pm) and as cranky as she was the next day, I don't think that will happen again till next 4th!!

Butcher's Farm

July 6th

We went Blueberry picking with Angie, Evie, Louie, and Grant on Sunday afternoon. It ended up being a perfect day to be in the fields... overcast, no rain, and in the low 80's, unfortunately it was really humid but for early July... Who's complaining???

Ellie sneaking a blueberry while picking with Evie. I think that she ate her body weight in blueberries that day!! I have to admit they were really good! What?!? It is called Quality Assurance!
"Evie look, theres more in there!"

"Here, I'll show you! Come on!"
Ellie eating more while Angie picked.
Ellie and Mommy on the tractor.
Ellie and Evie hand in hand on the way aback to the tractor for a water, snack, and potty break.
Ellie playing peek-a-boo with baby Grant.