Sell Your Avent Stock... Ella Quit Binkys

Ella gave up her binkys!  The dentist told her on Wednesday that it was time to give up her binkys, and she talked about it for the next few days.  On Saturday, we headed to build a bear and made a My Little Pony and put a binky inside.  Ella sleeps with the pony and is doing great!  The pony cost $65 with the roller skates, but worth every penny with the reduction in spending on Avent binkys and hopefully avoiding a future of braces.  Next step - staying dry overnight so we can be done with diapers too!

Class Party

We hosted Ella's class for a welcome back party last night and had about 30 people at the house.  The kids had a blast decorating trick or treat bags, making pet rocks, playing and destroying the house.  Jordan told the last remaining kids that he could talk their parents into staying longer if they cleaned the basement - before and after pictures are below - pretty impressive!  Our last guests stayed until 10:45PM and our kids loved every minute of it!  We are so lucky to have such a great group of families at school.  Despite an 11:15 bedtime, Ella was still up at 5:45AM.  We will all go to bed early tonight! 

Making Pet Rocks

Decorating Trick or Treat Bags

Stopping to Refuel

10PM TV Break - They All Look So Sleepy!

Ella is Smitten with Hope - They Ate Raw Broccoli and Carrots Together All Night

Basement Post Destruction

The Cleanup Crew - Mason Lost His Pants

Bolton Trip to Frankenmuth

We had plans to visit Storybook Gardens in Ontario today with Sara, Ian and the girls, but the weather didn't cooperate.  Instead, we headed north to Frankenmuth for a day at the water park and lots of eating.  The girls all loved the water park and had an amazing morning.  We then headed to our room (we booked a room for showers and nap), got ready and had lunch.  While the little girls and daddies napped, the big girls and mommies headed into town and went to the cheese haus, art fair, ice cream shop and Bronners.  Boy does Hannah want to be Christian.  We all then visited the arcade in our hotel before heading home.  It was such a wonderful day!

Four clean girls post water park fun

School Update

School continues to be wonderful for both girls!  Ella races in to school each day without looking back.  They have been studying clouds, including watching clouds and observing what they look like, learning about the different types of clouds, and doing lots of cloud inspired projects.  Ella also started her special classes and seems to really love science and french.  So far, she learned how to say, "Je m'appelle Ella."  Dot Day was also a big event where the all of Stage I and II came together to do dot inspired games and activities.  Ella is such a peanut compared to her classmates who range in age from 3 to almost 5, but it's good because it pushes her to keep up.  We are seeing her grow so quickly, it's amazing.

Hannah is also enjoying school this year, and getting to take more special classes and she even gets to have a free choice of special classes.  Hannah has math and reading group, and her grasp of math concepts is really amazing.  I think Hannah will be a late reader like mom though.  She also loved watching the class butterflies hatch.

Play Date with the Hays Girls

We had Kendyl come over for a play date, while Hannah went to Brooke's house.  Ella and Kendyl played so well.  They played with some of Ella's new birthday gifts, took every single dress off of the new dress up furniture we got Ella for her birthday, jumped on the trampoline, played on the playset and ate ice cream.  Hannah and Brooke were also busy with legos and LOTS of hair bows.  Nothing beats get togethers with old friends.  I hope these girls stay close as they grow up.  Linde and I became friends at birth like the Bolton/Pulis/Hays kids, and are still best friends today.  It's like having extra siblings.

The Celebration Continues

We had a pancake breakfast and opened presents to kick off Ella's birthday morning.  Hannah bought Ella a necklace and Floam from her own piggy bank money.  Then daddy had a beautiful cake delivered while Ella was at school.  When she got home and saw the cake, her eyes lit up!  Since Jordan was out of town and I'm sick, I figured the least I could do would be to give her a cake for dinner.  She and Hannah dug in smash cake style and LOVED every minute of it.

Ella's Farm Birthday

Despite the cold and wind, this was my favorite birthday party yet.  Thankfully, the rain ended in time for the party and the remnant puddles were great fun to splash in.  The kids got to go on a wagon ride, milk goats, watch bees make honey, tour the farms and go on a pony ride.  We had a farm inspired brunch with pig bagels and chick eggs, and of course birthday cake.  Rosie and Mason stayed late to help with clean up - including eating leftover cake after it had already been placed in the trash bin.  A fantastic end to a perfect birthday day for our big girl Ella!

Chick eggs

Mina's pig bagels

Bee Keeper Ella

Making friends moments before the goat ate her coat

Milking a goat

Wagon ride

Cake face

Birthday girl cake face