Haircut

Portrait Attempt #1

This pretty much sums up how our family "photo shoot" went. It's too hard trying to take the picture and be IN the picture....

Time

Has it been a week already?? We've been inside most of the week because of the weather; we've had a lot of rain lately and in the past couple of days I've come down with a bit of a cold. I took Ella for her Christmas portraits this week and once again spent more than I intended because this girl cannot take a bad picture (of course that's my totally biased personal opinion). :) They are adorable and can't wait to get them back so I can post them.Here's Ella, this morning with her Play-doh. We are going to take photos today for our Christmas card and I have a hair appointment to chop off my locks... pics to come later...

Weekend

Here's some pictures from the past week. We went hiking to Koko Head Crater Botanical gardens last Sunday with Manny, Christina and Emmi:We were able to set up the pool this week with break in the rain. Here's Ella with her new Ariel swimsuit (or swimsoup as Ella would say):Our little spa lady fresh out of the bath:And the artist at work:Ella and I have been walking every night and the jogging stroller I have doesn't have a swivel wheel in the front making it difficult to turn. With all our walking and Ella's toddler size body, my wrist has been afflicted with tendinitis. I decided to invest in a better jogger and this one has the aforementioned swivel wheel as well as built-in MP3 speaker and odometer. Very nice!

Visit

Yeah!!!!! Uncle Joey's coming to visit! See you in a few weeks, Uncle Joey!

Reward Doll

A month or so ago I found this adorable doll. She's one in a series of 4 that were clearanced and I got the one that looked most like Ella. We put it up in her dresser and promised her she could have it once she was finished with diapers. It's been over a week and we've been shopping, out to dinner, to Chuck E Cheese, playgoup, gymnastics, over at friends' houses, on long walks and hiking, and are still successful with the "big girl" underwear.

I gave her the doll today after she woke up from her nap. Of course I couldn't resist dressing her up like her doll...disregard the bad braiding attempt - I'm working on it:)

Back to Ella

Now that the election is over it's time I started posting about Ella again. On Sunday, we went hiking to Manoa Falls again, this time we took Daddy.
A few days ago Ella fell off the slide at the playground. I'm not sure exactly how it happened but I have a hunch she went down it face first. She came over to me crying, her face scratched up and covered in spongy playground gravel. Within minutes she was back to her usual self and running full speed to the playground again.

And the biggest news of all... Ella is potty trained (knock on wood). Last Thursday was the first day of no diapers and no accidents. Almost a full week and only a few accidents. We haven't used any diapers (except at night and a lot of the mornings she's still dry) and even went to gymnastics class and Toys R' Us today. All it took was a simple "Ella, go to the potty." Up until now, I have been taking her but Thursday morning, I just told her to go while I cleaned up breakfast, thinking it would take her a few minutes to get undressed and situated. In the minute it took me to dry my hands and go down the hall, she had gone and was flushing the toilet. The rest of the day I just reminded her to go and she went every time. Now it's a matter of reminding her and we either get an "Okay" or "No Mommy, I good". Maybe it was an issue of privacy with her.
Today at Toys R' Us, she used the restroom and I put a towel under her in the shopping cart, just in case. I also rewarded her with new Tinkerbell furniture (bookcase, table and chairs, and a toy box) for being such a big girl. We've already started "tea parties" with the pots and pans Aunt Sarah brought her from Holland. Note the barbie, doll and puppy "eating dinner." She's spent hours playing with the pots and pans and the table and chair set is going to be the perfect completion of Santa's Christmas present (the play kitchen). I foresee hours and hours of quiet time in this house!

Yes We Did!

"It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America."

"What began 21 months ago in the depths of winter must not end on this autumn night...This victory alone is not the change we seek -- it is only the chance for us to make that change. And that cannot happen if we go back to the way things were. It cannot happen without you."

"This is our moment. This is our time -- to put our people back to work and open doors of opportunity for our kids; to restore prosperity and promote the cause of peace; to reclaim the American Dream and reaffirm that fundamental truth -- that out of many, we are one; that while we breathe, we hope, and where we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can't, we will respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of a people: Yes We Can,"

I Believe

Trick or Treat

Trick or Treating with Lukas...