My Ellie

We have been having such a tough time with Ellie the last two months. She has not been very pleasant at times. Also it is such a struggle to get her into bed at night. Then she will wake up in the middle of the night yelling for us. She is starting to wake Maddie up (who does not act very kindly to being woke up), so then at three in the morning we are trying to put both kids back to sleep.

We have been so upset with her over the last few weeks especially, but today was a reminder that she still is our same ol Ellie. I got an email from her teacher Mrs. Latham. She said that Ellie was such a good girl in class. Also she was the only one in her class that already knew her phone number (she also knows her address, but the class has not started on that yet). Plus she was the first preschooler in her class to receive site words.

I know she is just a typical four year old, but wow she sure is trying her Mommy and Daddy.

Another Reason

We really love Southeast, but yet there is another reason to love them. Tonight we had a preschool where we got to see what a normal Sunday service is like and to meet the staff. Ellie is so excited to go to "Bible Jesus" and now I can see why.

Starting in Februay SECC is staring a year long series of going through the Bible using The Story. Not only will the adults be following the story, but so will each of the children groups. They were distrubuting the books out at church, and there is also a version for Ellie to follow along with us. Check the link out above.

The girls are spending the night with Memaw and Papaw tonight because I have class #3 (almost half way done) tomorrow and it is so much easier on us if they spend the night there instead of us waking them up, getting them ready, and then off to town.

And So it Begins

Today we started rehearsals for the spring show. I have decided to do the musical The Wizard of Oz. I have a great cast and so excited to get the production started. It is going to be a fun show. I will have middle school auditions next week and then elementary auditions at the end of February. So the next few months may be crazy-along with 2 kids, 6 classes of my own, and 2 college classes. Wow-but I don't know what I would do with my time if it was not filled.

NO SCHOOL????

This has been the most bizzare winter, well if you can call it winter. The weather has been so mild, and we have not really seen snow. Today is the first MLK Jr day I have had off in over a decade. Ellie went to the water park at French Lick with Mom and Dad, so it was just my baby girl and me. We had a great time just playing and bonding, something we don't often get to do with Ellie around.

Here is my sleeping baby right before I joined her

Saturday....

Class?? Yep I swore after I took a Saturday class in my undergrad that I would never take another one. Yet today I started a six week Saturday class. I am hoping that this will go over much better than the last one. It is a six week field trip class. Every Saturday we will go to places that could be potential field trips for our students. Today we went to the Kentucky Derby Museum (I always enjoy going to Churchill) and the Bat Factory (not my favorite place).

After class I had to rush to Meghan's to celebrate Eme's birthday 3rd birthday.

Also happy birthday to my best friend, Melissa Pierce

Happy Birthday Daddy

First Snow

Well kinda. We had a dusting today, and it was technically the first snow. Here are my snow lovers enjoying the view.

Sleepy Girls

I realize that I not quite the picture taker with Maddie as I was with Ellie. Here are a few cute ones of Maddie.

New Years Cookies

Ellie has been talking about New Years cookies for a while, and I did not know what she was talking about. It is amazing the power of google. Once I found out what they were, we started baking.

Here is the final product

Ellie has been working on masterpieces of her own

Here she is drawing Rapunzel, her tower, and Flynn Rider

Notice the gold hair flowing around the picture

NYE 2011

What an odd day. We had thought last week that we would have a party for NYE, but we did not get much of a response because many people already had plans. So we laid around all day and really did much of nothing. Then Meg called and we invited her over. Then it snowballed from there. We put some food on, and then called our parents. It was a low key night, but a good one. It was nice celebrating with everyone we love. What is even better is that our NYE tradition is still intact 10 years later. We have NEVER spent two NYEs in the same location/same people since we have been together. It is nice to have something different to do every year.

Ellie painting on her new Easel
Just Dance

Eleven NYEs and counting

Day after Christmas

Meg and Eme came over today to celebrate Christmas. The girls are starting to play so well together--even Miss Maddie too.

Christmas Day

Christmas Day:

For the past two years, mornings have not been exciting. Ellie is not a morning person, and it takes her about a half hour to get in the Christmas mood. She was a little better this year.

Notice the excitment-she has been wanting this gift for months

Notice Bob's excitement with this gift-E loved it too

Love this picture

So Beautiful

This girl is wild

Ellie loved Barbie Princess Charm School

from Memaw and Papaw

I laugh evertime I see this picture. My sweet little girl has been not so sweet for the past month since she has turned four. Just look at her, she was not wanting to get her picture taken.

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve:

We started the day off at church. What a great way to start the Christmas festivities.

Next we went to Melvin and Donna's to celebrate Christmas with them.

Here is the doll Donna handmade for Maddie

Ellie's annual Christmas Eve Nap

Then it was time from Christmas with the Jenkins.

Starring Princess Ellie

Featuring Mischievous Madelyn

Yep they really are doing that

Maddie loves her Uncle Shawn

Ellie and her friend Kandace

Maddie playing with Ry Ry

We are so blessed to have such good company on Christmas Eve.

BREAK

Christmas break started this week, as did week full of cathcing up with the people I like the most. Ellie was out of preschool this week also, so we were able to enjoy the time together.

*Monday: I had lunch with my SHS gang. They were still in school, so it was easy to meet up with them at the local Willie D's. After I got back to town (Mom watched the girls) Mom and I did some Christmas shopping.

*Tuesday: I meet some of my theater girls for lunch. They were home from college for the break. Ellie wanted to go with me-we met at Olive Garden. Yum. It was nice to catch up with each of them and hear all about the college life over the past semester :)

Love and miss these girls

Wednesday: Today was the day I had been looking forward to for a while. So many different events had kept pushing the day back. I met up with my friend Debbie from SHS to eat lunch and then go see Breaking Dawn. Going and seeing these movie are our thing.

*Thursday: Meg, Eme, and Shelby came over and we baked, baked, and baked--then we decorated lots of yummy treats.

Love this look

Today we are taking some time off just to relax and recoup from the busy non work week. The Christmas festivities start tomorrow.

Christmas Party #2

Tonight we had the fire department Christmas dinner. We were able to convince (and by we I mean Ellie) Bob and Janet to go with us for the first time since we have been married. The food was good and the girls really enjoyed getting their "gift" from Santa. Maddie was not a fan of Santa though.

This was as close as Maddie got to Santa

Family Get Together #1

I always enjoy getting together with my aunts and cousins from my mom's side. We always have great food and lots of fun. This year was no exception, except I had such a busy morning. Mom and Dad had girls while I dropped Bob off at work, and I went to Z Salon and Spa for some much needed relaxation. After my appointment was over I headed back to get Bob and then on to Joan's.

Ellie and Danielle

My Cousin Carrie and Aunt Nette