Pawley's Island Beach Trip

We went to the beach for several days with Steve's family a few weeks ago. It was a great trip, and Ella is even more crazy about the beach this year than before.

Ready to hit the beach!


Ella and Aunt Tesie




Playing in the sand








With Steve and Carmen


Ella and Grampy


Playing with Andy, who just graduated from high school and is heading to West Point in the fall!




Jack swimming with Grandma Carole







Fun in the pool



The architects hard at work


Castle masterpiece!

Gymnastics Show

Ella had her end-of-season show for gymnastics class a few weeks ago.

Ready for the show!


Ella loves practicing her tricks all around the house and showing off for our family, and was excited to wear her new leotard that she picked out. Grammy was here which made it even better. But once we were in the gym with all the kids (usually we sit outside and watch through the window) Ella just wanted to sit in my lap. Luckily she managed to pull it together and it was really fun to watch all her moves!

Monkey jump


Back roll with Miss Tricia


Swinging


Ta-da!


Up on the bar with Miss Aly


Class picture


Showing off her medal


Snuggling with Grammy after the show


Even though that was the end of the session, Ella wanted to keep going so we're back in the class for the summer session as well, it's a small class and she is really enjoying it so far.

Her current favorite trick is handstands/headstands that she likes to try all the time - I'm okay with it when she's on our bed or carpeted floor, but we keep having to draw the line at no tricks on the wood floors downstairs. She sure loves her gymnastics!

Memorial Day Weekend

Mom and Glenn came the second half of Memorial Day weekend, and so it was time for the first backyard water fun of the year at Grammy and Grampy G's house. Glenn set up the pools and water toys and Ella was in heaven.

Many toys in the froggie pool



Watering the grass



Dolphin pool


Ella stayed over with Mom and Glenn, and Steve and I had the afternoon/evening and the next morning to ourselves. It was so nice, although definitely strange to be in our house without our little lady. But it was great to have the time together, especially because Ella loves her time with Grammy and Grampy G and it makes it easy to go out and enjoy ourselves knowing that Ella is having such a great time.

A few pics from their trip to the pool -

Juice break


With Grampy G


Making brownies for our BBQ on Monday

First Pool Trip of the Summer

We took Ella to the pool for the first time last weekend. Steve made the mistake of telling Ella first thing in the morning that we were going to go later in the day, and she asked us approximately 300 times if it was time to go to the pool yet. When it was finally time, she was very ready!





At the pool



Lots of fun swimming (and even more fun jumping over..and over...and over...)







Cute video of her "swimming"


In her after-swim robe from Grampy G, could she be any cuter??



It was very fun, and we are looking forward to many, many trips to the pool this summer!!

New 'Do

We decided it was time for a summer haircut for Ella. It's been hot so I've been putting it up in a ponytail every day, but she likes to wear it down and doesn't want to have it up. She is most happy with it completely loose and all over the place..Plus, hair brushing was turning into a twice-a-day battle usually ending in Ella mad or crying. I got a few inches cut off a month or so and it made a little bit of a difference but we decided to try a more drastic change this time.

I took her on Saturday to get it cut. We ran several errands in the morning and then we were on the way to get her haircut. When we got there, I opened the car door and a really sweet smell hit me and I saw a ton of grease in her hair, which had not been there when I put her in her car seat about 15 minutes ago. Turns out she had very quietly taken her tube of lip gloss and squeezed a bunch into her hair during the car trip - auuggh, what timing, right??

It was getting late and I knew that if I went home to give her a bath, we wouldn't get back out for the hair cut, so I decided to just stick with the plan, see if they'd be still willing to cut it, and just give a big tip in exchange for the obnoxiousness of bringing my daughter in for a haircut with a head full of lip gloss. Ella was not happy with the result because she had to get it shampooed in the sink leaning back, and she did not like that at all...but it worked out in the end and all was well once Ella got her post-cut lollipop.

I love her hair cut, it's such a cute length and so much easier to deal with, it hasn't had a single knot in it yet. Ella loves it because she doesn't have to wear a ponytail and brushing is so easy. It was such a surprise at first because I'm so used to her with long hair, and I think she looks older and taller with her new hairdo. But, so far so good and I'm glad we got it cut.

Showing off her new look!

Sprinkler in the Backyard

Hot summer weather is here, and we set up the sprinkler for the first time last weekend. Ella was thrilled and we all had a great time cooling off.





Water slide!