Ellie at age 4

Ellie turned 4 on February 5th! I've said before that it's felt like we've had a four-year-old on our hands for awhile because she just seems older than she is. She's a ball of silly, mature, sensitivity, creativity and so much more.
Wanted to note some fun things about this big little girl...

-Starting aroung August 2018 she has mainly wanted to wear her hair down and only occasionally is she okay with it half up or in a pony or asks it to be curled. She'll seriously pout/whine/or even cry if I try to do otherwise...so it pretty much has to be initiated by her!
-Changes clothes all the time.
-Favorite colors are still pink and purple.
-Asks to just have quiet time and no nap (even though she is tired and she knows it!).
-Calls Panda Express, 'Panda Bear'.
-Her favorite place to eat out at is McDonald's.
-Loves wearing tights and would every day if she was able.
-Can write all of her name out on own, except the lower case 'e' she has a hard time with.
-Says "I love you (mommy, daddy)" out of the blue, several times a day.
-Loves school (she goes 2 days, for half a day) and is always asking when the next day of school is.
-Doesn't like shadows in her room. So we have to move toys/obejects before nap/bedtime often so they don't freak her out.
-We've had to implement a 30-40 minute nap back into her routine. With her starting school last fall, she was getting worn out and was falling asleep in the car around 4pm if we were out, and/or getting really emotional about things. It has helped a lot.
-Makes her bed most days, without any prompting from us.
-Very curious still and always asks questions about anything and everything! 
-Enjoys the game 'I spy with my little eye...'
-Has said for several months she wants to be a doctor when she grows up.
-Says "work outing" instead of "working out".
-Has started to add another vowel to the last word in some of her sentences. For instance, "Are we going hoame?" instead of just 'home'. But it doesn't always happen and it's not always for the same word.
-Likes to match or coordinate with mom and/or Paige.
-Has started to blush ever so often (Sorry Ellie! You get that from your mom!).
-Can count to 13, and then it goes "sixteen, eleventeen".
-Ranch is her go-to dipping sauce.
-Her favorite toy is her baby doll, which she named Goosey. It's been her favorite for over a year.
-41.7" (86%) and 38.58 lbs (75%)

Some funny quotes from Ellie since the last post I made:

"MY BONES ARE SO FAST!" (as she is running on a hike)

"I want to have two kids...no, I actually want 10 babies."

"Dad, look at the picture of your babe I took." (she had taken my, Kait's, photo and wanted Steven to see)

"I use my finger sensors to find buggers in my nose"

"See, dad understands me." (as she shows me (Kait) her kid Dutch Bros. drink Steven and her picked up on the way home from school - seriously no idea where she came up with that!)

"It's a curious mystery."

"It was fantastic riding in dad's truck!" (it's a single cab and feels different to her)

"Wee, that was terrific!" (after she went down a slide with Paige)

"What is a home telephone?" (I, Kait, was answering her question about what one of the outlets in the wall could be used for - I had said it could be for a telephone that stays at home)

"I have a good rememory" (meaning to say "I have a good memory" but getting it confused with the word 'remembering')

Here are some pictures from her 4th birthday party...

^ Ellie added those random colored pieces of paper on the mantel for "more decoration"

^ That Unicorn punch was yummy...and full of sugar...Blue punch, Sprite, a couple scoops of Birthday Cake ice cream, Raspberry sherbet, and Orange sherbet

  

^ Ellie requested purple frosting on her (cup)cake

^ My wonderful friend made these cookies! 

^ She's been wanting to do ballet again for quite a while, and getting another tutu was high on her list. 

Ellie has wanted help blowing out her candles for her previous birthdays and this year she did it all on her own! Towards the end of us singing happy birthday to her, you could tell she was preparing to blow out the candles by herself. 

^ Ellie asked our friend Josh to read one of her new books to her! 

^ And already enjoying some of her gifts...jewlery making!

January photo favorites

I may have mentioned this before, but Ellie has been loving to match Paige (and/or me). 

She loves to point out to Paige, "Look Paige! We're matching, we're matching!!"

^ (Pretty much every picture of Paige these days is blurry.) Other than the blur, I wanted to capture this moment. Ellie had initiated Paige putting on the leotard and the tutu over her pajamas. Then, Paige went on to put Ellie's snow boots on. The outfit was on point ; )

We were gifted time at the Discovery Center in our town and the girls had fun playing and exploring!

^ One time after the girls went down the slide together Ellie said "Weee, that was terrific!"

I know this wasn't the safest tower to make, but while Paige was helping unload the groceries, she proceeded to build this tower on her own. In the picture below she was saying "Wow!" 

I was pretty impressed as well!

^ Here's your monthly dose of Ellie posing with Bullseye the Target dog! Ha

^ One night I got away with some girlfriends to The Springs. It has natural hot spring pools and we made a nice night of it! 

^ Paige is always getting our shoes on and Ellie was helping put these on all the way. 

Another outfit on point!

^ Ellie had decorated a face which was on a popsicle stick (either from school or Sunday School). Later she traced it on another piece of paper, drew this face, added the eyes and asked me to write Steven's name on it. I love seeing her artistic side. 

^ Ellie got ahold of my phone (again) and asked Steven and me to make a face. This is what she got! 

^ Cinderella shoes, dad's vest, and that pose! 

^ Ellie had a mild cold, runny nose and cough for a couple days, but the morning of the third day she was complaining about her ear hurting (all brought up by her, I hadn't even said or asked anything about her ear). Then that turned into crying in pain (she's never done that before). I was able to get her into the doctor that morning and sure enough, she had an ear infection - her first one ever (that we've known of). She fell asleep on the way home around 11am and she had gotten fine sleep the previous night/morning, and this was very out of the ordinary for her. Poor girl! 

^ On the second day of Ellie having an ear infection she asked me to cuddle with her on the couch, while she watched. You bet I did! 

^ Another blurry picture of Paige, but I had to document this. She had grabbed pants from her dresser and got them on ALL by herself (she's hiking them up as seen here, haha)!

^ Out of nowhere, Ellie has been making her bed after she gets up the morning. And she places whatever she slept with on her pillow. We (usually) make our bed, but I have never asked her to make hers. I did the same thing when I was little (make the bed without any prompting) and have all the way up into adulthood. 

^ Literal nose ring put on by Ellie. 

^ Ellie will randomly sit on a store shelf, posing with or without something, and ask for her picture to be taken. So silly! 

December photo favorites

First big snowfall of winter while daddy was at work. 

Paige wasn't too sure for the majority of the time, but Ellie had great fun making snowballs and helping make a snowman!

^ This girl turned 18 months! Sugar and spice for sure. 

^ Ellie loved helping plug in the mantle and Christmas tree lights, pretty much every day. And several times throughout the day you could spot her just admiring all those pretty lights and ornaments. She did help decorate the tree, finding the "perfect spot" for them (usually on the same branch as another ornament). This year you could see her joy even more and heard impatience for Christmas day until Christmas Eve. Having little ones really does make this holiday even more magical. 

^ I got to have one on one time with Ellie after her morning at school. We went out to lunch (she picked McDonald's), shopped and saw the movie Smallfoot at the dollar theater. 

^ Always trying on boots and she found a new fun little "chair" in a toy stroller. 

^ I wish you could hear the sounds Ellie was making while lifting these weights. Hilarious! 

^ While daddy was at work we hit up the mall. Ellie always wants to get a treat-which usually entails a drink from somewhere and a pretzel with cheese. 

^ You can spot Ellie dressed up as a ballerina often and now she likes to have Paige dress up, too. Ellie likes to pick out both of their outfits!

^ After watching a Daniel Tiger episode where they were emphasizing 'rest is best', Ellie got a tray of food and drink ready she wanted me to serve her as she rested on the couch. 

^ Baby wearing

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^ Paige also likes to be pushed around as she sits in the toy stroller. 

Ellie was intentionally making a silly face. 

^ During our life group, Paige grabbed this container I cleaned up and let the girls play with and put it on like this herself. She wore it on her head for an impressive amount of time. 

^ Post morning snuggles on her chair looking at a book - something she initiates and wants to do fairly often.

^ Paige was intrigued by the Christmas presents ever since I put them out and one afternoon she started to unwrap one! 

^ I neglected to get a group shot of us couples/kids during our annual Friends Christmas party, but I did snap this post unwrapping of presents picture. We love the time we get to celebrate with these friends! 

^ Proud mommy moment. Ellie was picked to be Mary for a part of her school Christmas program. My heart melted as she walked up on stage and sat so bravely and proudly. 

^ I got to go to Ellie's school Christmas party and this was during their gift exchange. She got a notebook, pencils, and erasers - great presents for her! And they got to wear pajamas to school, which Ellie thought was funny! 

^ "Reading" a book to her baby.

^ I'm so glad the girls enjoy story time right before bed (and nap time). On the days Steven works, I read to the girls together, in the same chair (Ellie to my side and Paige in my lap) and I will be sad when they are too big to do this. 

^ Paige and Ellie checking out their new presents from family. 

^ Selfie by Ellie on my phone. 

^ Paige was playing with my hair, putting it in my face and then "fixing" it and she thought it was so funny!

^ I love the progression of these photos. 

Wanted to get a cute photo of the girls together before they opened presents, but Paige wasn't interested in holding still. 

^ Ellie had been asking for a dollhouse for Christmas, for months. She and Paige have been loving it. 

^ Got the game Zingo! from my mother in law and Ellie often wants to play it!

^ Christmas Eve at church!

^ Christmas morning - opening stockings!

Paige's bestie Lily turned ONE!

^ Often after Paige wakes up, she snuggles with her blanket in her lap. 

^ Kicked off the morning of my 31st year with these dear friends (+ their husbands, their littles, my wonderful husband and girls). Had brunch (which Steven made!!) and hung out. Great time!

^ It cracks us up when Ellie wants to help clean the shopping carts. She goes all the way down to the bottom almost every time, even though we tell her we only need to clean what we'll be touching.

Library time.