Ellie's first pseudo-sleepover

first sleepover, originally uploaded by elizabethwickland.

Last night Eliana got to get ready for bed and sleep half the night at her friend Corinne's house, while Corinne's mommy and I went to a movie (while Leif supervised the sleeping girls). It was her first taste of a slumber party, and I can just see more of them in her future! We got back from our movie about 12:45, and we were back home by 1am. Ellie went right back to sleep and it didn't phase her at all, but apparently Corinne was very concerned when she woke up at 2am and her little friend was missing! Oops. Still, it was fun for them to get half of a sleepover, and maybe, just maybe, we'll attempt an all-nighter some time.

Bozeman News

Two llamas and a "giant sheep" were wandering down Mactavish Lane around 4:30 p.m.

102.6

Ellie went to a friend's house today, like she does every Thursday, to play. When I picked her up, she'd been asleep on the couch for about an hour, which is out of character for her. She was pretty warm when I put her in the car, so I took her temperature when we got home. 102.6. Uh oh.

I gave her some tylenol, a movie, and she slept.

She woke up and wanted to move to the bed instead of the couch, so I got her set up there, and she slept more. By this time her temp was down to 100, so that was a good sign.

I went in to check on her not long ago, and she was still warm, and still asleep. When I left her room, I heard her talking or laughing or crying or something, so I went back in.

"What did you say?" I asked her.
" I said I don't feel sick anymore, and then I giggled, and said I was just kidding!" is what she told me in a groggy voice.
"You're not sick anymore?" I asked.
"Nope!"
"That's wonderful!" I knew she was still sick, but figured I'd encourage her good mood.
"Yup! And I burped at Josie's house, 3 times!!"

So... perhaps she's delirious, but at least she's happy!

Just now I went back in to see how she was, and she told me, "I'm feeling good, like I'm not sick anymore! But I want to lay here for one more minute, and then I'll get up."

She's cute when she's sick and happy.

Candy Land

Eliana has really started to enjoy playing games, for a while at least. She doesn't always keep her focus until the end of the game, but she enjoys it while it lasts! A while back I heard sweet little conversation snippets coming from the living room, and when I went to investigate I found Leif and Ellie playing a game of Candy Land. I love documenting these sweet moments!

Did I mention she cut her own bangs?

Yeah... I only found out because she got her scissors stuck in her hair and asked me to get them out. Yikes! Thankfully the damage wasn't too bad, but she did end up with short bangs for a while! They've mostly grown out now, but here's what they looked like right after the incident... Notice the one side that is significantly shorter than the other!

I told her she made her hair ugly by cutting it, and that made her sadder than the spanking she got for cutting her hair! (We have discussed the proper use of scissors on several occasions before, so she did know better!) She even called Mommom and Poppy and left a voicemail saying that she gave herself 'ugly hair'. Aside from the fact that it was so sad, it was kind of funny! I'm hoping she learned her lesson and won't do that again!

All Dressed Up to Paint the Town... Green?

Ellie and her friend Josie were playing downstairs a couple weeks ago when I realized I left the craft room door open. I realized it a little too late, though, and this is what I found:

They got a bath, and the dress up clothes went straight into the wash. Hooray for washable ink!

Conversation

Leif: Ellie, why are your pants falling down?
Eliana: (twirling and shaking her hips) Because I'm dancing! Like this!

Self Sufficiency

Eliana has become very self sufficient lately. I have to say, I am loving this stage. Here are some examples:

* The other morning Eliana wanted breakfast and I wasn't ready to get out of bed yet, so I told her to find something herself. I assumed she'd find something from the pantry to snack on until I could roll myself out from under the warm covers. Instead, she opened the fridge and got out a slice of bread. Then she put it in the toaster, pushed the button, and waited. Once it was done, she got out the butter and a knife, and buttered her bread before putting it on a plate, sitting at the table, and eating some of it. She didn't finish all of it, but, wow! I was impressed.

* Two days ago Eliana wanted to play in the snow, so I told her to go get her snow pants. Instead of bringing them to me to put on her, like I'd expected, she returned from her room fully clothed in snow apparel: Snow pants, coat, mittens, hat, snow boots. The only thing she needed help with was getting her coat zipper started! She happily tromped around outside in the snow for 30-45 minutes while I watched from the comfort of the warm house. Then, when she was ready to come inside, she came to the door and knocked. This is great!

* Yesterday Eliana wanted me to make her some chocolate milk, so she brought me a cup, her rice milk, and some chocolate syrup. Then, after I poured the milk, she put it back in the fridge. I added the chocolate syrup, and she put that away. By the time I had her drink prepared, she'd put everything away. That was the easiest glass of chocolate milk I've ever made!