Daddy's Birthday Card

This is a card Ella made for Mike's birthday. When we were on our date night last night, we were talking about how well Ella and Grant get along and how much Ella loves Grant. Meanwhile, Kelly was babysitting them at home. Ella was making a card for Mike's birthday and drew Mike, me and herself. Then she drew Grant and put him in a crib (actually looks more like a cage, which I don't think was unintentional). She said to Kelly, "I'm going to put Grant in the crib and draw no legs on him so he can't walk." Hilarious!!! Now I know why psychologists have kids draw pictures to express their feelings.

Ramblings of a 4 year old

Ella and daddy in the car playing "Eye Spy"
Ella: I spy with my little eye...a tree.
Daddy: (conversing with me)
Ella: Focus, daddy! You need to focus when I'm telling you what to look for!

Ella was at home with our babysitter (Kelly texted me at work to tell me. She thinks Ella is hilarious). Ella was eating her lunch at the table and thought she bit off some nail polish.
Ella: I think I am dying...my head, my throat...ugh.
(a minute passes)
Ella: Eh, I'm over it.

Ella was dressed up in her pink princess dress, cowboy hat on sideways, white tea gloves and her guitar strapped around her torso. She came out of her room and said "Look mom, I'm a rock star!"

Grant's First Steps

Grant has finally taking his first steps a week or so ago! He is up to 7 steps independently.

Our little Frankenstein!!!

Ramblings of a 4 year old

Today Ella had lots of funny things to say. For whatever reason, poop is a common theme for her ramblings.

As we were driving back from the lake, she had lots of questions. One was, "Momma, why is bird poop white and our poop brown?" Hmm. Mike and I were stumped. Thankfully that's what i phones are good for. Google it if you are wondering :)

Going up down the back roads Ella said: "Ooh, those bumps make my tummy feel twizzely."

When we got home Mike overheard Ella talking to herself in the bathroom saying, "Wow, that was a serious poop."

My Diaper is Full of Fashion

My Diaper is Full...

Full of Fashion.

I look number one...

when I go number two.

I poo...in blue.

Sorry. I couldn't help myself. I had to do a photo shoot of Grant in the super cute Huggies jeans diapers. Yes, I fell for the marketing scheme (We are loyal Pampers buyers). I still giggle when I watch that commercial.

Who's there?

Grant has an obsession with the phone. His favorite toy is his play phone, but whenever he sees our home phone he will drop whatever he is doing and go for it. Sometimes I let him play with it, making sure he doesn't call anyone. I won't be doing that anymore. About 20 minutes after he was playing with the phone, I was giving Ella a bath when I hear a very serious knock on the door. Not the typical "I'm trying to sell you something" knock but one with authority behind it. Mike is out of town and I debate as to whether I should answer it. So I tip toe to the door and look out the peephole. There are two cop cars outside and two policeman at the door. I began to shake a bit wondering if I somehow have set of the alarm again (they have a paid us a visit or two for that). Then I thought, "Oh no, there's a dangerous criminal on the loose in our neighborhood. Great, this stuff always happens when Mike is gone." I decided I'd better answer the door. They said, "Ma'am, we've received a 911 hang-up call from your house. Is everything OK?" Me: "Um, yes, just giving the kids a bath, sir. I am so very sorry." The look of panic, confusion and a day of stay-at-home mommy clothes and hair was all they needed to see. They kindly left, no questions asked, penalties or fines. Then I look over my shoulder and Grant had crawled out of the bathroom and had a big grin on his face. Hopefully this will be the last time the police pay a visit for his mischievousness.

Ramblings of a 4 year old

Ella: I want to marry you so bad Grant, but I can't. I love you. (gives him a hug)

Ramblings of a 4 Year Old

(Grant crawling across floor)
Ella: Grant, walking is a great form of exercise. You should walk and not crawl to get better exercise.

Ramblings of a 4 Year Old

Mike interrogating Ella about lying (by the way, his attorney skills are starting to come in handy): "Ella, tell me the truth. What happened?"

Ella: "I can't remember. It's hiding in my brain."

Bieber

"And I was like, baby baby baby, oh when I was 13 I had my first love"...straight out of Ella's mouth. Considering we only listen to K-Love, this must truly be "Bieber Fever" and it's going around Ella's preschool class. Very contagious.

Photos of Mike's Homecoming

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thethiers/sets/72157625782307983/with/5389337062/

Video of Mike's Homecoming

Video of the Airport Homecoming:

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKLcoIZ6yUQ&feature=related

Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4PKU2VRQY&feature=related

Part 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WeIQ5mshoUk&feature=related

Family Reunited

Sorry for the long break between posts. We have been really careful stewards of our time during this reintegration process and I now have some time to blog. It is really hard to put into words the airport arrival, his first "visit" to the house (as Ella said, "Is daddy coming to visit?"), interacting with him and the children and just having his presence again in the home. Those who have experienced a deployment or long absence of a spouse can probably understand; it is an anxious, nervous, joyful, stressful and altogether very overwhelming experience. Trying to keep your expectations in check. Relinquishing control of responsibilities. And in a way getting to know again your best friend, the only person in the world who knows you the best, but in some ways has become a bit of a stranger. Again, I must give all the credit to God. We have had a few bumps in the road, but it has been a smooth transition. At times it even seems as if it was in the distant past. Ella has transformed back into a joyful, less temperamental (as much as a 4 year old girl can be) and content little girl. Grant now saves some of his famous smiles for daddy, of which I am happy to share. Even Gracie the dog is more content. And I am on the road to becoming me again. I tell Mike that this deployment has possibly taken a year or two off my life! For sure the gray hairs on my head have exploded. More than anything, it has made me appreciate having a husband, not just any husband but one that puts his wife and family at the top of his priority list. We are confident to see fruit from this experience in the months and years to come.

THE Day is Finally Here

Sorry, no humerous or well thought out blog tonight. Which it should be considering this is the eve of the day we have been awaiting since the day after Mother's Day, 2010 (the day I found out he was deploying). Just pure thankfulness, excitement, nervousness and exhaustion. Ella must be trying one last time to strengthen my patience as she must know this deployment is almost over. But in her defense, this must be a lot for a little 4 year old to process. The stars have made it to the top of her countdown chart. Her picture has moved its way up to the top to be reunited with daddy's picture. We've been counting airplanes (one out of four left to go) - counting days is too risky without knowing for sure when he will arrive. Making signs, hanging signs and decorating the house. Yet, she still won't completely understand until she sees him. I still think it will even take some time for her to really process it all. It's even hard for me to process. I have to end with a verse that I have thought about frequently:

2Timothy 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Who knew it would be this hard. If it weren't for our wonderful family, friends and most of all, God, I'm not sure what Mike would be coming home to.

Ramblings of a 4 year old

Azalea our sitter watching the kids:

Azalea: Ella, are these your pj's for South Dakota?

Ella: South Dakota! I've never even BEEN there. You mean North Dakota.



Prayer time:

Ella: And thank you God for the emergency exit...

Me: Honey, what emergency exit?

Ella: The one on the wall.....over there.

Me: (Laughing almost hysterically) Honey, that's the breaker box! It's for the electricity. (Thinking)...we spent way too much time looking at the safety cards on the airplane.

Ramblings of a 4 year old

Ella with a cold:

Ella: (Sniffling)


Me: Ella, do you need a kleenex?


Ella: No, I will just keep smelling it in.


Looking at Ella's Countdown Chart:

Ella: Momma, how many more days until daddy gets home?

Me: Just a few more weeks, not very long honey.

Ella: Momma, this is a long road we've been on.

Missing Daddy

Rubbing cream on Ella's face at bedtime (chapped from a bad cold):



Ella: Momma, momma! I can't stop these tears from tumbling down my cheeks.



Me: What's wrong sweetie?



Ella: (Voice cracking) I really miss daddy. I wish he was here.

Me: Oh honey, he will be home so soon! Remember when we started your chart? We started the stars at the floor and now they are almost to the ceiling. And look! Your picture is almost to the top with daddy too!

Ella: Aw, I can't wait for him to be here!

Ella Dreams

Ella: Mommy, I going to dream tonight.

Me: What are you going to dream about?

Ella: I'm going to dream about smiling coconut trees gently moving in the breeze.

Ramblings of a 4 year old

I will post more about Ella's birthday and Christmas when I can download all my pictures. But for now, I will just post more of her ramblings from Christmas to now. She has been full of them lately!


Ella, I want to apologize to you in advance for all the potty posts. I know some day you will be very embarrassed that I posted them, but they are so funny.


At Grandma Betty's and Grandpa Jerry's in Dickinson:
Grandma: Ella, you still have toilet paper in your butt.

Ella: No I don't.

Grandma: Yes, you do.

Ella: It's not toilet paper, it's a piece of cheese!


At Grandma Fran's and Papa Joel's in Bismarck (Ella on the potty):
Ella: Ehhhh, Errrr, Ehhhh, Errrr. That's the sound I make when I go poopy.

Sarah: Are you done going poopy?

Ella: No, I still need to roll one out.


Again at Grandma Fran's and Papa Joel's (pulling into the garage):
Ella: I don't want to go in the house anymore. It's too constricting. I want to go back to Texas. In Texas I can go outside and play on the playground where it's nice and warm. Grandpa, you must like the cold.

Grandpa: No, but I live here and work here and it would be too hard for me to get a job in Texas.

Ella: I have an idea. You can just wait until it gets warm out. Oh! I have a job for you in Texas. You can feed Grant his bottles!

On the way to school:
Me: Ella, why are you so crabby today? You are really showing bad attitude. What happened to my sweet Ella I had back in ND?

Ella: I'm here.

Me: No, the sweet Ella is gone. I sure wish I had her back. I wonder what happened to her.

Ella: No, mommy it's me (pointing with urgency at her chest). It's me!!! I'm your Ewwa.

Opening Cousin Doug's and Kristi's presents:
Ella: Mommy, Doug is a husband now, right?

Me: Yes.

Ella: And Kristi is his wife, right?

Me: Yes.

Ella: Then they need to have a baby.


Per Kelly, the babysitter:
Ella: Let's play dolls. I'll be the babysitter and kiddos, you be the mommy.

Kelly: Ok. "Bye kids, I love you and I'll see you in a little while".

Ella: No! You have to say, "I'm leaving now, I need some 'me' time".

Disclaimer: I do not ever recall using the "I need me time" statement. However, I do say "I need my space" or "I need it quiet so I can think".

Driving in the car after discovering Grant has his first tooth:
Ella: (Starting to cry) Momma, I don't want Grant to get a tooth.

Me: Why?

Ella: Because, I want him to stay a baby.

Me: But honey, he can't stay a baby. He'll keep growing bigger and bigger and soon you will be able to play with him more.

Ella: Then I think you should put him back in your tummy.

Grant's Firsts

Grant has been a very busy little guy. He is so smiley, but do not be fooled. He is one determined little bugger when he sees something he wants. Like now with the computer. He keeps adding plus signs to the post. Anyway, either Grant or the object must be removed or he will keep trying until he gets it.

While we were in ND, he really took off crawling on his hands and knees vs. army crawling on his belly. Yesterday there must have been some serious brain wiring going on. In one day, he got from sitting into 4-point position to crawl for the first time (usually just goes from belly to 4-point), pulled up to tall kneeling holding onto a box, then pulled to stand from that position. I usually have to work on these skills for a few weeks or months. It's fun to see it "just happen".

As you probably already read in Ella's latest blog, he also got his first tooth. Bottom center-left. This would explain the crankiness a few days before we flew back. Sarah, the kids and I were at the fabric store when he opened his mouth just right and I saw a little white bud poking through. I exclaimed, "Look Sarah!!! He got his first tooth!!! Then we all oohhed and ahhhed; Sarah, Ella, me and the lady cutting the fabric.

Let's hope he slows down now a bit and holds off on any new firsts until daddy gets home...which is just a few weeks away!