Ramblings of a 3-year old. Volume #4

These ones aren't the usual funny sayings from Ella, but sweet and thought-provoking.

While watching a commercial for a depression medication, Ella asks, "Mommy why are all those people so sad?" Me: "I don't know honey." Ella: "Maybe it's because they bumped into the world." Wow, that's a good way to put it.

At prayer time: "Thank you God for all the wonderful things in my life."


Daddy, you would be so proud of our little girl. She is becoming so responsible, obedient and a wonderful helper. When Grant starts to cry, she will go to comfort him and more times than not she can make him stop. She is doing so many things without me having to ask. And her prayer time has become so precious. I can't wait for you to be a part of our daily routine again.

The Ella Archives. Volume #2

This one goes back to when Ella was 2 years old. Mike was watching a video about the Holy Land and Ella asked about it. We told her it was about the place where Jesus grew up. Then Mike asked her if she knew who Jesus' mom was. Ella said, "Mary". Then Mike asked her who Jesus' daddy on earth was. She didn't know, so Mike said "It's Joseph". Then Ella said with a puzzled look, "Uncle Joe?" We really cracked up at that one!

Grant Firsts: Solid Food

Here are pics of Grant eating his first food: oatmeal cereal. This first pic is the "before" and the second pic is the "after". We had given him rice cereal in a bottle a few times to help with his reflux, but it only made it worse (think volcano). So the doctor recommended trying oatmeal. Now you can totally tell that this is my second baby because I would have never allowed any solid foods to touch Ella's lips until she was exactly 6 months. He seems to like it but is still working on the coordination of keeping it in his mouth.

Ramblings of a 3 year-old. Volume #3

Ella sitting on the toilet, bending over and looking between her legs: "Mommy, I'm gonna save some poopy for tomorrow."

Ella is playing with her elephant and flamingo sock puppets. Elephant to Flamingo: "My name is Mrs. Gotshobuk. I love shots, do you?"

Ella eating a cookie: "I'm going to save some of this cookie to send to Cookie Monster, OK?"

Prayer time: "Thank you God for all the beautiful things in the sky. And thank you for the beautiful world."

Super Hero Kiddos

These are pics of my 2 favorite super heroes. Superflex Baby and Super Shirt Girl. Today as we were getting ready for bath Ella put her shirt on like this and said, "Look Momma! Now I have on my cape so I can fly around the house!" On a side note: No, Ella is not malnourished. I know she looks like all those kiddos you see on the "Feed the Children" commercials with the stick arms and legs and pot belly. I can assure you she is perfectly healthy. I looked just like this too when I was a kid and I turned out fine. In fact, I still have stick arms and legs and a pot belly!

Car trouble and advice from a 3 year old

As luck would have it, our very reliable vehicle would have problems as soon as Mike leaves. I did notice the door was ajar as I was loading the kids into the car, but thought it would be fine. As soon as I turned it over...click, click, click. Dead battery. So what do I do? Keep trying. (I am not functioning on all cylinders first thing in the morning). Thankfully, today at least, Ella is. She says, "Mommy, why don't we just take the black car?" Good thinking. Glad I have my 3 year old to give me advice.

Later today she was asking about the car. I said if it didn't work again, then we would take it to the "man" to fix it. She said, "How can we take it to him if it doesn't start?" Good question.

Grantman firsts: Rolling!

Grantman rolled over to his tummy for the first time today (without cheating)! He has acid reflux so I always put him on a wedge when I lay him down and he was able to roll off that easily, but not on a flat surface. I have been a bad therapist mommy and not doing tummy time since he would always throw up! However, realizing he will be 4 months in a few days, I knew he needed to start rolling. I started working on it with him on Thursday, and he rolled independently today! Here are the pics of his first roll onto his tummy.

Military Reunions

I can't wait for this moment:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr7DcJdbCS0

Grantman Giggle

Pretend Food Man

Momma Momma, come look! I made a person!

Pics of Grantman for Daddy

Some pics I took today of Grantman. This last one was so cute of him sleeping with his tongue sticking out. Totally a bubba chub here. The top two pics were of him sitting up in his crib with his "lovey" that daddy bought him before he left. I thought daddy would like those. He was pretty sick this week but is now feeling better. Even though he didn't eat for 12 hours a day for a day or two, he still looks like the Michelin Man in the tub!

Ramblings of a 3-year old. Volume #2

The other day when Ella was bending over (bottom in the air) to get wiped: "Momma, do I look like a walking dolphin?"

In the car tonight going to get ice cream: "Momma, can I get pinky ice cream with flowers and butterflies? Boys get it with bees and dragonflies." Wow, the gender stereotypes are so ingrained already.

Also in the car tonight (we spent a lot of time in the car -Grant was very fussy): "Mommy, when Grant is crawling I will share my cookies with him. And my cheese sticks too."

Growing Pains

It has now only been 9 days since Mike has left but it seems like so much more. It is really daunting to look at the count-down chart and see that we are only on day 9 out of 196 days. Ella is really having a difficult time. She has become even more emotional and is pretty much whining and crying most of the evenings. She has said that she wishes daddy were here because she feels sad all the time. She also said yesterday when I wanted to sit with her that "I just want to be lonely right now". I pretty sure she meant alone but I do know how she feels. It is very lonely raising a family by yourself. But I'm not ALL by myself. I know without my faith, I'd be a complete and total mess - unable to withstand 2 screaming kiddos without any way of comforting them (not without a lack of trying). I find I am at the end of myself a lot these days. But the bright side of that is that I rely on HIM more and not myself or Mike. Mike was always my rock, my go-to person. I know this will be a great time of growing for both Mike and I. I guess there is a reason why they are called growing pains.

The Ella Archives. Volume 1

Since I haven't sat down and recorded all the funny and embarrassing things Ella has done, I have forgotten most. But this one for sure I will never forget. Grandpa Paul and Grandma Shelly had sent some money for Easter. So I took Ella to Target to pick out a toy. She picked out a pink microphone. It wasn't a real one in the sense that it didn't have batteries or plug in. It just made a subtle echo sound. Or so I thought. I let her have it thinking it couldn't be too loud. I was right. The microphone wasn't loud, but she was. As I was pushing her through Target in the cart, she started belting out Jingle Bells (now remember it is Easter time). It went something like this: JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE BELLS, JINGLE ALL THE WAY. OH WHAT - HEY LADY, THAT IS NOT NICE TO STARE - FUN IT IS TO RIDE IN A ONE HORSE OPEN - HEY MAN THAT IS NOT NICE TO LAUGH -SLEIGH, HEY! It is really hard to capture in words. Just ask me sometime and I can do a great impersonation. Was I embarrassed? Maybe a little but mostly trying hard not to pee my pants since I was 8 months pregnant.

Texas Mutant Creepy Crawlies

In the short time Mike has been gone (7 days) I have had to face one of my biggest fears. Texas Mutant Creepy Crawlies. Who back home has to catch lizards that sneak into the house? Or how about huge, flying crickets??? I'm pretty sure I've never seen a flying cricket before tonight. I know even though all of my friends' husbands have said to call if I ever need anything, I don't think they mean coming to my house at midnight to kill a bug. Ugh, this is when I could really use a man around the house. Gracie did subdue it a little, but would rather play with it than eat it. She eats EVERYTHING else. Even though Mike still laughs at me for checking the sheets every night before I go to sleep, I feel it is totally necessary. I guess this is going to be a big growing moment for me. Killing my own bugs.

Ramblings of a 3-year old. Volume 1

Today in the car we drove by a McDonald's. Ella said, "Chik-Fil-A's fries are crunchy, but McDonald's fries are smooshy. I like smooshy fries better." Me too:)

Grant lying on Ella's bed at bedtime: "Oh Grant. You spit up on your burp cloth. That's good manners."

And a side-note on Grant : He is now rolling from his back to his side and will be ending up on his belly shortly.

So I danced with CinderELLA...

Just had to capture this for Daddy. She was just beaming while dancing and singing tonight. She said before bed, "Mommy, I miss Daddy. Why does he have to be gone so long?" She thinks these 6 days have been long. Can't imagine 6 months.

Social skills teaching from a 3 year old

Ella teaching Daddy appropriate social skills:

Ella: Daddy, are you in Germamy?
Daddy: No.
Ella: Are you at Camp Bullis? (where he did his training)
Daddy: No, remember I am in Iraq.
Ella: Oh, are your friends from Camp Bullis there?
Daddy: No, but I have new friends here. They are nice.
Ella: Oh, well, if they aren't nice to you then you need to say: "I DON'T LIKE THAT. THAT IS NOT VERY NICE."
Daddy: OK Ella, I will.

It's storytelling time

While Ella was looking at a blank photo album today, she turned the pages as if reading a story. This is what I heard:

"There once was a king. His name was Material King. He went walking one day (finger actions accompanied this) and he ran into an iguana. The iguana was mean, a hitting iguana. He tried hitting the king, so the Material King put him in the Hitting Place. There was FIRE in the hitting place. After that, the iguana didn't hit anymore. The end."

Not sure where the fire part came from. Could be all the Old Testament teaching at her preschool :)

Down to the lasts...

Sigh. It is now the day before Mike leaves for Iraq. We are down to counting the lasts. Both of us just had a moment of crying...last time Mike puts Ella down for a nap, last time reading books, last time praying with her, last time playing together in the yard, last "nuggle" before bedtime, last supper (pun intended). I keep reminding myself it could be so much worse, like 200 yrs. ago when wives saw their husbands go to war. Their husbands would leave, and they never knew if they were alive or dead until they saw them again, which could be several years. At least I get letters. Hear his voice. See him on the webcam.