The best Mommy in the whole world.

That's me. 

Ellie told me this morning when we were being snuggle bunnies in bed.  It was one of those Calvin Klein commercial moments - the beautiful family cuddled up in the white duvet and white sheets.  ;)

Ellie snuggled closer and closer and kept repeating how wonderful we were.  It should have been obvious what was coming next but we were too smitten to notice.  She went from cuddling in bed to snuggling on the couch just to take a little rest before the birthday party she was to attend that afternoon.

Her big brown eyes were glassy and only half open at 10am and when I went to bring her a drink she was burning up.  103.0.  I called the birthday boy's mom immediately to give Ellie's crying and pleading tears regrets. 

Instead of bouncing for hours and devouring cake, Ellie spent the day curled up under a blanket with her favorite stuffed friends sipping apple juice and watching Toy Story 3.  (Toy Story 3 is wonderful and deserves the Oscar nod if you ask me!)  And while we tried to keep Mads away, she wanted to snuggle our sickie, too.

Tonight when Ellie asked to go to bed at 5:30 pm, Madeline was confused.  She walked around calling "Eh-yee!  Eh-yee!"  looking for her sister.  When it finally clicked in her toddler brain, Mads walked over to the stairs and called, "Nigh-nigh Eh-yeeeee!" and waved.  Then she ate up all of the 2 on 1 attention for the two hours until bedtime.

Hopefully Ellie will be feeling better soon and at school on Tuesday.  We are on Blizzard Watch 2011, so if she misses Tuesday who knows when we will dig out and join civilization again!


Is your sickie a snuggle bunny or a crab?   

Sometimes things are just easy.

Parenting is so random. 

Somethings you think are no biggie and they cause tears, hysterics and tantrums.  Other things that you dread and build up to be this huge deal turn out not to be.  For our family I'm talking about - cue the evil music - the pacifier.  Not the pacifier in general, but getting rid of the pacifier.

When Ellie was a baby, I created arbitrary times for when things should happen.  Like Ellie should be done with the pacifier when she turned one.  Then Ellie turned one and I snapped back to reality.  This baby is sleeping 12 hours straight a night.  Only a fool would mess with this sleep success!

So I selected the next random date - 15 months.  By 15 months Ellie would no longer have a pacifier.  And June 2008 came and went with a pacifier dangling out of her mouth every second in the crib and car. 

Eighteen months!  By 18 months there will be no pacifiers in this house!  To prove my point, to myself more than my baby, I stopped buying them.  For weeks we were down to one ugly orange Nuk. 

Then one day on a trip to the grocery store when Ellie was 16-ish months old, she threw the paci into the scummy shopping cart.  The pacifier was tossed in the diaper bag, we came home and it was time for Ellie to nap.

Not wanting to search the abyss that is the diaper bag, Ellie went into her crib with her Lulu(s).  I gave her a kiss and practically ran out the door expecting to hear, "Paci!  Paci!  Mama paci!" but it never happened.  She didn't ask for it at bedtime either.  Or the next day or the next.

My laziness broke Ellie of her paci addiction.  Take that Tiger Moms.

I'm happy to report that, again, my laziness helped break Madeline of her addiction.  Since Mads' crib is bumper-less {I don't let anyone stand and smush Serena & Lily bumpers!}, her paci's were falling through the cracks.  Literally.  When I went to put her down for a nap earlier this week, the pacifiers were gone.  Not wanting to crawl on the ground and search for them, she went in without.

There was a lot more chatter than usual, but Mads fell asleep and stayed asleep for over two hours.  Same deal at bedtime and the next day and the next. 

And that was that.  And we were shocked.  Friends planned how to take away the pacifier for weeks or months.  But for us it was just easy.  No bribes, trades, parades, paci fairies, or parties. 

I just love it when things turn out easier then planned. Especially since it's usually the other way around!

What has turned out easier than planned for you?  What's been more of a challenge?

The First Baby {a not so much "wordless" wednesday}

December 2, 2006

An excerpt from my pregnancy journal:

I think Oxford and the baby are going to be best friends. Whenever I am sitting down, Oxford is in my lap. The dog and the baby snuggle all.the.time and he has been glued to my side the last few months. For those of you who really know Oxford, you know that he has never been a "mama's boy" but that has all changed. I am enjoying our snuggling time, but I'm sure once the baby is born, Oxford will go back to hanging out with Ryan again. Oxford has been overall more calm and clingy and I think he is getting ready for the baby just like we are. Oxford and the baby will be lucky to have each other and hopefully they will wear each other out and we will have some nice long naps in our future!

On this Worldess Wednesday, I would like to feature our first baby.

Oxford, our six year old Yorkshire Terrier has always preferred a throw pillow to a dog bed.  I snapped these pictures as he was falling asleep next to me on the sofa tonight.

Despite barking every time someone leaves {the reverse guard dog!} he is sweet and snuggly.  Now that Ellie is getting older, she's getting in on the snuggles, too.  It's only a matter of time before Oxford ditches his bed in the corner of our room for Ellie's big girl bed.

Over My Head

Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head....

That was my theme song in 2006.  Every time the key turned in our nondescript economy car that we parked on a busy city street and crossed our fingers would still be there the next morning, The Fray would sing to me.

Right after I announced my pregnancy in the summer of 2006, positions were eliminated and switched around at my company and I found myself in charge of my department.  After three years of experience.

Couples were trusting me with the "biggest day of their lives" and their savings.  And I cared when I wasn't puking in my office garbage can or on the street in front of Macy's.  Did the smell of dumpsters get anyone else or was it only me?

Then there was the fact that a person was growing inside of me.  When did I get to be an adult?  Could I seriously be a parent?

There I was, a quarter of a century old with a baby belly, radio cranked up belting out the lyrics on my way downtown-

Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head....

Today when I turned on the radio and The Fray began to serenade me, a smile came across my face.  So much can change in a little over four years.  The economy car was upgraded to a SUV, parental status changed from preggers to mom of two and I added a sub to my urban.
 
While I'll probably always be in a little over my head, I'm confident.  I can do this mom thing.  In fact, Ellie proclaimed me the best mom ever before bed last night.

Ellie wasn't feeling the Fray at first and wanted me to flip through our presets to find Taylor, Katy or Gaga.  When I told her that we listened to this song together when she was in my tummy, her face lit up so we sang -
Everyone knows I'm in over my head, over my head.
With eight seconds left in overtime, she's on your mind.  She's on your mind. 


Is there a song that is a total flashback for you?  Where does it take you?

Pottery Barn Kids Art Jar Review. Or we are crafty.

The Pottery Barn Kids Art Jar is filled to the brim with everything from glitter to foam shapes.  Rick rack and letters and googly eyes, feathers, crinkle paper, scissors and glue, this jar has everything a kid needs to let their imagination go wild.

Included in the jar are directions for simple projects like a flower with buttons and pipe cleaners or a puppet out of a colored paper bag.

While it is a bit of a mess, the Art Jar kept Ellie busy for over an hour on a cold and snowy day.  She sat at the table making banners, cards, signs...

and these two little Happy Monster friends.  They are her greatest craft ever, by her account.

While you could probably make your own Art Jar for less expensive with things from the dollar store {I overheard another parent mentioning this once, I would never think to make my own Art Jar at the dollar store!}, this one rocks.  Make sure you have extra glue and glitter on hand because it goes fast, but there is plenty packed in for hours and hours of fun.

Happy crafting!

A little conversation.

"Hey Mads!  Whatchya doing?"

"Dat.  Jibbijoo ooohhhhh bah bah ball."

"You want to play with the ball Mads?  OK, I'll go get it for you."  Ellie walked to the edge of the playroom and returned with an over sized, squishy red ball.  She presented it to Madeline.

"Bah!  Bah!  Bounce!"

"Bounce, bounce, the ball bounces, right Mads!  Did you hear that, Mama?!  Mads said 'ball, ball, bounce!' Didn't you Mads?!"

"Baaah!  Baaaah!  Moooooo!"

"Oh, the Little People Farm?  Sure, I'll play with the farm.  I'll get all the animals out for you, Maddie.  Here.  Here is the llama, here is the pig - oink oink, here's the cow, the sheep..."

"Baaaaaah!  Baaaaaaah!"

"Right, Mads, the sheep says baaaaah.  Now the chicken and I think that's all.  Here, cock-a-doodle-doo, Mads!"

"That's a maraca.  Want to make music, should we be in a band?  Here you shake and I'll play the piano and sing.  Great dancing!  Oh, you're all finished being in the band?  OK!"

"Bay-bee, bay-bee, ugggh uggggh."

"Oh no, what's wrong?  Let me take a look.  Oh, your baby isn't tucked in the stroller.  I'll fix it!  There you go!"

"Baayy-beeeee!  Bye-bye"

"Bye, Mads!  Have fun taking your baby to the park.  You're my best friend, Mads, my best friend.  Love ya, Mads!"


This entire scene unfolds in a matter of minutes. And it is in these minutes that I realize why they never show the mom on Max & Ruby. They don't need her. Of course they need a mom, but they don't need a mom to play, to go on adventures, to start a band.  All they need is each other and that makes me feel wonderful and insignificant at the same time...


This post featured dialouge and is linked up at

Move over Rachel Zoe.

Hanging out at Nonna and Poppa's on Sunday, Ellie and Auntie went to play upstairs.  After an hour of not hearing a peep, I went up to see what had them so busy.

Naturally, the two fashionistas were watching the Red Carpet at the Golden Globes.  Ellie had many critiques to give like, "Oh, that one is my new favorite, it's so glittery!" and "Hmmm, I don't like black so much."

Ellie found the box of party extras from Madeline's hula birthday so the two girls got all fancy themselves with leis and drinks out of pineapples.  Here is Ellie's "Ooooh!" and "Hmmmm," list.

First the Oooohhhs!

And the Hmmmmms.

images from people.com

What did you think?  Do you agree with Ellie or did you have your own best and worst list?

I think I might be a little bit starting to get the hang of this.

"Well, I'm definitely better than last year anyway."


Yes, Ellie you are MUCH better than last year! Thanks to Poppa for discovering you can take video on our camera!

Did you spend your weekend perfecting any outdoor sports?

Tweet Tweet

Hi friends!  It's the 2nd Friday of the month so that means it's #BlogBoycottDay!  After a super fun family trip to the dentist this morning, you'll be able to find me hanging out on Twitter mailto:%7B@ellietownmama}.

Don't we all deserve a bloggy break?  Join us in a social media day.  The blogs will still be there tomorrow.

Promise.

The Great Nap Strike of Twenty-Eleven

The day I've been dreading has come.

It appears as if Ellie is done with naps. 

Well, it doesn't actually "appear" that she's done with them, she yelled into the monitor, "MAMA!  I'M DONE WITH NAPS!" on Saturday and hasn't taken one since.

Everyday after a morning full of preschool/dance/playing with Nonna then lunch she has gone to her room but has not fallen asleep. 

Today I instituted "quiet time."  It went something like this:

"Ellie, you don't have to sleep but you have to stay in your room and play quietly.  We'll call this quiet time."

"OK, Mama, that's a great idea.  Can I play with Penny and her stable and Elizabeth?  Can I have my fancy tea set for a party with my stuffed animal friends?"

"Sure, you just have to stay in your room and talk quietly."

"OK.  Well, how will I know when quiet time is over?  Will you set a timer or somethin'?"

"That's a good idea, I'll set a timer.  See you in a little while!"

Ten minutes later.  Door opens:  "OK!  Finished with the tea party, is quiet time over yet?! No?!  OK!" Door slams.

Fifteen minutes later.  Door opens:  "Did I miss that timer?  Can I come out?  No?!  OK!" Door slams.

Five minutes later.  Door opens: "Can I...  Yes?!  Great!  I love quiet time!"

Oy vey.

Ellie has never been a great napper.  A two hour nap was a rare occurrence but it was still nice to have a little break.  Now that she has stopped napping she has also fallen asleep at night later and later.  Last night it was 9:15 pm before she finally gave in to slumber.  And she gets up by 6:30 am everyday. 

Doesn't a not quite 4 year old need more sleep than that?  Will it even out after a while?  Any tips?

I was so hoping she would nap until 1st grade.

Heart of Haiti

Today marks one year since the devastating earthquake in Haiti.  In times of unimaginable tragedy, I feel such a strong call to action but other than making a donation to a charity like The Red Cross, it seems like there is not much else I can do.  Doctors and nurses boarded planes to aid the injured and I just watched on television. 

People in Haiti are still struggling but there is something we can do to help.  We can shop.  Seriously.

http://bit.ly/HeartofHaiti-ShopforABetterWorld

Local artisans create products like picture frames, ceramics, art on canvas and much more and receive 22% of the profit.  For many devastated by last year's quake, this is the first reliable income that can be used to feed and clothe families, pay school fees and rebuild communities.





Here are a few of my favorite products that can be found at http://bit.ly/HeartofHaiti-ShopforABetterWorld {part of Macys.com}:

 

Please visit http://bit.ly/HeartofHaiti-ShopforABetterWorld and check out all of the amazing pieces available.  From eclectic to streamline, I'm sure you will find something you love that fits your budget. 

Shopping for a cause, a brilliant idea!

*I was selected for this very special “CleverHaiti” opportunity by Clever Girls Collective, which endorses Blog With Integrity. All opinions are my own.

Self Feeding

First of all, THANK YOU so much to everyone who stopped by Ellie-Town yesterday!  The love, support and encouragement was overwhelming.  So thank you, thank you, thank you!  I am working my way through the 100+ comments and look forward to responding to every one, it just might take a little time. ;)

Now, Wordless Wednesday:

Check it out!  Mads can feed herself with a spoon.

You just need a trip to the car wash when it's over.

Wordless Wednesday linked up at
A Beautiful Mess
Live and Love Outloud
5 Minutes for Mom

It's my SITS Day AND Blogiversary {wooohooo!}

Welcome to Ellie-Town, population 4.

Today is my SITS day and whether you are a regular visitor or this is your first time, thank you so much for for stopping by!

So let's get this party started!  Ellie's wearing her ruby red slippers and Mads has on her best party hat.

In the last year {yes, Ellie-Town's first post was in January 2010!} we've had many laughs like the time I flashed a foreign tour group on an airplane and the time I almost lost Ellie in the hamster tunnels at Mickey D's.  We've had many firsts like Madeline's First Birthday, Ellie's first day of school, Madeline's first steps and Ellie's first dance.

I shared my stay-at-home mom dream and also a few realities.  There have been bumps in the road and moments of sheer joy.  Birthday parties and product reviews, nurseries and big girl rooms.  And lots and lots of pictures.

So cheers to the SITS Girls and the first year of Ellie-Town! 

May there be many more posts to come from all!

If you aren't already, I'd love for you to follow along by e-mail or Google Friend Connect, both on the right hand sidebar.  You can also keep in touch with Twitter and Facebook. 

Thanks again for stopping by today!  If you leave a comment, I'm happy to visit back!

Sometimes your mom is right.

I wanted an Easy Bake Oven.  Desperately.  The commercials played during my favorite cartoons growing up and watching those girls bake their own treats was the most exciting thing to my kindergarten self. 

When I asked, okay, begged for the Easy Bake Oven my mom told me that anytime I wanted to bake something to just let her know.  Since I wasn't a child to let things go, I pushed.  It was then my bubble was burst - the Easy Bake Oven bakes with a light bulb.  And it takes forever.  And the cakes are the size of a silver dollar.

I gasped and could not believe these horrible words.  Unfortunately for me, none of my friends ever had an Easy Bake Oven either so I was clueless to whether or not this was all true.

Fast forward 25 years and Ellie was the one begging for the Easy Bake Oven.  I was just as excited as she was when she sat on Santa's lap and asked for it.  It was under our tree Christmas morning and as soon as we returned home from our visit with Ryan's family, we broke that baby out of its box and were going to make ourselves a cake!

Until we broke that baby out of its box and I realized that one of us would get to eat cake and I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be me.

That's our cake before baking.  And yes, the entire cake pan fits in the palm of my hand.  Ellie thought I was lying.  She kept telling me she wanted to make a cake, not a cookie.  I assured her that we were in fact making a cake and, after preheating for 15 minutes, we put the tiniest cake ever mixed into our oven and watched that 100 watt light bulb work its magic.

After the cake came out and I repeated that yes this is a cake not a cookie, we iced it and Ellie went to do her taste test.

And it was a hit! 

Tomorrow Ellie and Nonna are baking cookies.  Maybe they'll be the size of a quarter?

3 reasons gifts should be given at a kid's birthday party

"You just need three things to have a successful birthday party - kids, cake and presents."
-Nonna

So, it seems all around us the above 'formula' is getting messed with.  Parents are requesting no gifts, requesting cash instead of gifts, asking you to donate to charity or requiring you buy a gift off their registry. 

Not okay, friends.

Here are the 3 reasons why the Birthday Party Formula should be left alone:

1)  A child gets one day a year for it to be all about them.  1 out of the 365 days in a year, that child is special and singled out and the world revolves around them.  Let them have their day.  Let them eat cake, play with their friends and open up some gifts.

2)  I like taking my child to pick out a gift for another child.  It teaches them that the world does not revolve around them the other 364 days.  It teaches them to be generous, to give from their heart and consider someone else.

3) If you, as a parent, want to make a donation to charity, make a donation to charity. Or donate the gift that my child spent her time selecting (and she does take her time making a choice!), but don't ask a parent to make a donation.  Being socially responsible is each person's individual choice and one should not be forced into it.

Also, it is not my responsibility to fund your child's college education.  It is tacky to ask for cash, it just is.  Don't do it.  Of course we don't need one more piece of plastic that lights up and plays music. Or another Polly Pocket, Barbie or random big girl toy that could cause a choking death to Madeline. But we do not get to choose the gifts given to us or our children, that is the choice of the gift giver (or whether to give a gift at all for that matter!).  Whatever you receive, be gracious and move on.

So there you have it.  The above reasons do not apply if you are asked for a list or ideas/suggestions.

What do you think?  Should gifts be given at birthday parties?  Have you received a "no gifts" invitation lately?  Does it make you feel guilty for not putting "no gifts" on your invitation?

Slinky

Madeline Claire,

After your bath the other day, which you always take with your sister, washing each other's backs is your thing and you love to giggle together in the tub, getting scrappy over who can put the most squirty toys in the random Boo Bucket that has hung around since Halloween, it appeared.

Your very first slinky curl.*

Tucked behind your adorable little ear, was one spiral curl going around and around and around.  The perfect curl.  Your slinky curl. 

Tomorrow you will be sixteen months old.  We look forward to discovering more about you everyday.  Finding that one little twist of hair is just the tiniest tip of Madeline Clarie iceberg.

We love everything about you, Mads.  From the top of your head to the tip of your toes.

*The term Slinky Curl came to be after Poppa brought Ellie a Slinky Junior.  Ellie pulled out one of her many curls and dubbed it a Slinky Curl.  And there you have it.

four {also known as Hello Kitty party planning part 1}

In less than two months, our house will have a four year old in it.  You know what that means, we've got a party to plan!

Miss Almost Four definitely had her hand in planning the Circus that took place in our home last year, and because of that panic attack wonderful event, this year Ellie's party will be held at a local children's exploration center.  It's a win-win, the staff does all of the work and it's one of Ellie's favorite places. 

When Ellie proclaimed sometime last summer that her birthday would have to be a Hello Kitty party, I immediately knew to type http://tinyprints.com/ for the perfect invites.  Here are a few of the front runners so far:

 As low as $0.99, they also have coordinating thank you's.  And while Ellie's 'writing' isn't exactly legible, it's never too soon to learn to be gracious.

Tiny Print's birthday invite selection is not limited to Hello Kitty.  Believe it or not, you can find tasteful Wonder Pets, Dora and more of your children's favorites on stationary perfect for their next party.

More party fun to come, stay tuned....

Christmas 2010 Recap

Santa visited our house.  We know because besides the gifts he left, he also ate his cookies {leaving crumbs behind} and left a note for the girls.  It's a good thing this proof was evident Christmas Morning because Ellie wanted to see it all.

Ellie was thrilled with her new microphone, and shrieked, "OH MY GOSH!  It's America's hottest new dance video game, Just Dance Kids!" when she pulled it out of her stocking.

 After we finally changed into real clothes, we headed to Nonna and Poppa's to open more gifts and have Christmas Dinner.  The Elizabeth Doll made the trip with us, and it's a good thing because Elizabeth {the doll} got an entire wardrobe plus a horse and stables! 

 Madeline was just as excited about opening gifts.  She sat on Poppa's lap and tore off itty bitty bits of paper and handed them to him one by one.

 The next day we hit the road and headed South to spend time with Ryan's family.  When Ellie saw these two Country horses, she ran between them and yelled "CHEESE!"  That's my girl.  ;)

 The lights were beautiful.

 And we were full of holiday cheer.

Hope your Christmas was Merry and Bright!