2 and a half!

Ellison trying to not let me take a picture.
I think this is classic rock star... you would think I was the paparrazzi.



"No, you don't take a picture of me."
(Inside her new hiding space... the pantry)



Ellison is 2 1/2 today!  I thought it would be a good time to chat about what Ellison is up to these days...

• Princess Everything! If you were to knock on our door at anytime in the day or evening, you would find a little girl dressed up as a Princess and wearing Princess heels. (This occurs even while sleeping)
• About the Princess thing, she is very quick to point out that while she is dressed like a Princess, she still has Ellison's head... therefore she is not Belle or Cinderella.
• Vocab explosion... talks in full sentences, paragraphs, and tells stories.
• Imagination has gone crazy.
• Yesterday, we went to the beach. A large, square tile in our kitchen was the pool, a few small tiles were the sand, and we even waved at a dolphin. Oh yes, and crabs tickled her.
• The other day, I walked into her room and Ellison had set up a petting zoo... her dolls were enjoying a picnic and she fenced off her little animals to set up the zoo.
• Ellison's dolls all have names, get dressed up, and talk to each other.
• The dogs... Bella is now "Mommy and Ellison's dog" and Ali is "Daddy's dog".  In fact this morning, Ellison woke up earlier then normal, so we let Ali in the backyard and then I tried to bribe Ellison by letting her sleep in our bed.  She woke Graham up and said, "Daddy, your dog is pooping. Go get your dog, she is pooping." (FYI, she did not buy into the bribe, luckily Graham woke up with her)
• Toilet training has been semi-successful.  We had a whole week without accidents.  Then Ellison decided she no longer wanted to wear panties and would have 1 accident a day. We refused to give in, but then her teachers asked us to put her back in pull-ups.  Result: Total regression. Oh well, we will tackle after Dylan arrives.  
• Favorite Movies: Shark Tales (always has been), Tinkerbell (any of the 3), Cinderella, and Beauty and the Beast (cries real tears when beast turns into Prince, not happy tears)
• Everyday Ellison comes home with a new song.  She makes up songs. She stands in front of the kitchen oven and sings to her reflection.  She prances and twirls in the driveway while singing.
• In the evenings, she has two bedtime delay tactics... 1. "Mommy, I want to tell you about my day.  Lay down on my bed."  I lay down and ask her about her day.  2. "Mommy, I have a question for you." The questions are always about Dylan, which are a clever delay.
• Her new response to things that she has done in the past or would prefer not to do that moment... "I did that last year" and "Maybe next year".
• When you are just about to leave, Ellison is known to run out saying, "Wait a second, I need a hug and a kiss."
• Ellison wears a 3T/4T. Just purchased a size 10 Uggs, but still wears a 91/2 in most shoes. And weighs around 36 lbs.

Ellison is a very happy little girl.  She can be stubborn and independent at times, but always sweet and loving. We love her so very much.