3.25.2012

Mama, take my picture




I guess all of our Mama-razzi and Papa-razzi behavior inspired Ellis to direct some of her own photos . . . not that we ever direct her, we’re just always ready with the camera. This morning she walked over to the plant and said “Take picture” and then did these poses. I have no idea where she picked this up, but I think she’s been waking up in the middle of the night, turning on the TV and tuning into Top Model. Tyra would be proud! The dinosaur pajamas and St. Paddy’s temporary tattoo really complete the look.

3.18.2012

Two and a half



On Tuesday Ellis will be two and half years old. We’ve more or less been telling people she’s this age for what seems like months, but now it will be official. She has changed so much since her second birthday. She’s talking all the time and enjoys repeating almost every word you say, which is fun and potentially dangerous! I’m good about not cursing (or cussing as I grew up calling it) but we hear some pretty awful things on the street. Our only defense is distraction and pushing her stroller a little faster! She loves to sing and does decent renditions of Itsy Bitsy Spider, Wheels on the Bus, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Slaap Kindje Slaap and the alphabet. She has most of the letters right, but her W “Duh-ma-moo-moo” always puts a smile on my face. She counts to ten and I think just figured out that “high-five” is related to having five fingers.

She’s a more adventurous eater at daycare than at home, probably from watching what the other kids eat. We try to keep her diet balanced and ignore requests for pasta and peanut butter sandwiches all day long. She loves being read to and I have a hard time capping her books at night, since we do miss out seeing her while at work. We’ll usually read six short books on weekly repeat. I loved reading Night Night Pookie to her as a baby but whenever I start up “Ohhhhhh Poooooookieeeee, it’s time for bed” she screams “No Pookie, no pookie” and throws the book on the floor. Thankfully she still enjoys a certain ravenous caterpillar and a sweet bear in need of a home and a button. For play, she likes blocks, puzzles, her baby dolls and helping us cook and wash dishes.

Physically she’s still very tall. It’s usually the first thing people say when they find out her age. I should look up my medical record to compare since I remember being taller than most of my friends as a kid.

She’s generally a delight to be around unless she gets too hungry or tired and let’s us know with a pretty intense tantrum, mostly over clothing or trying to get her out of the house before she feels ready. She has the strongest opinions about her wardrobe. Once she’s able to dress herself, I might just stay out altogether! The battle is exhausting and I enjoy the kooky outfits she puts together anyway.

This seems to be the most accurate picture of Ellis now. It’s a longer post than usual, but I know if I don’t write down these observations her early years will just completely blur together. Looking forward to seeing what the next six months will bring. Fingers crossed that potty training will be on that list.

3.17.2012

Ellis drew faces


on the bathtub the other night and completely amazed us.

Citibabies







Today we took advantage of a generous trial membership to Citibabies play space, cafe and gym in Soho. We live too far away to ever seriously consider joining, but their space was the perfect morning field trip for our family. Ellis loved decorating her shamrock and exploring the indoor playground. She enjoyed the playing so much that we decided to skip the free music class. Watching her drive the truck and set up her own produce stand was plenty of entertainment. Erik and I also enjoyed the change of scenery and a chance to check out a few stores nearby.

3.11.2012

Table for Three: The Bedford







We seemed to have skipped a few weeks of table for three with traveling and keeping busy. Even though Erik is recovering from the flu, we made it to The Bedford in Williamsburg for brunch today. Lovely industrial chic decor, quiet atmosphere and a simple, well thought out menu. Ellis and I split an order of blueberry pancakes and couldn’t have been happier. Sadly, the waiter messed up Erik’s order and brought out huevos rancheros instead of grilled cheese. When Erik semi-jokingly asked “Is this the grilled cheese?” we could tell by the waiter’s face that he had put in the wrong order. “Two minutes” he said. About fifteen minutes and two pancakes later, Erik’s sandwich finally arrives. It was decent, but the mistake was hard to overlook. And even though the restaurant was half empty with plenty of larger tables, we were sat at a table for two. Ellis was uncomfortable on my lap and we all felt pretty cramped. At the end of the meal while waiting for the check, Erik and Ellis enjoyed a little puzzle time at a nearby table. This place might be nice to date night, but I don’t think we’ll be back as a family anytime soon.

3.04.2012

City Hall Station Tour










Yesterday, Erik and I had the pleasure of taking a tour of the closed City Hall Subway station through the Transit Museum. I’ve heard about this station for years and the pictures always looked lovely. The unique thing about this station is the arched design and circular platform. This is also part of the reason the MTA closed this station in 1945; the round track left dangerous gaps near the doors. The details were lovely and I especially enjoyed hearing about how the subway was first conceived in NYC and what it took to build it.


3.03.2012

Long weekend in Florida












We spent last Saturday through Tuesday in Florida visiting Mommoms and her sisters. We’ve made this trip enough times that the flight, car rental and drive to her small town are pretty easy. Compared to the BQE, the highways in Tampa felt so calm, clean and quiet. Sadly, Erik picked up the pink eye that’s been going through many of the homes and schools in the neighborhood, but thankfully we had taken Ellis to the Dr. the week before thinking she had pink eye (turned out not) but he wrote a prescription just in case. We picked up drops and Erik was feeling and looking like his old self by Sunday night. Just in time to watch the Oscars! The trip was pretty relaxed otherwise. It’s funny how similar Mommoms and Ellis’s schedules are. They both need a nap in the afternoon and are ready for bed by 8pm. It was really nice to spend time with her. Ellis especially enjoyed playing piano together.