Ellie week part VII: sweet and sour...but mostly sweet

one final Ellie week post...

{yes this is a blurry image..but i wanted to share it because a. it's virtually impossible to snap a clear photo these days and b. it totally captures Ellie's personality these days: on the go, happy, energetic, always moving, sweet & sour}

 anyone who knows and/or who has been around Ellie for about 10 seconds knows that she has a very unique personality. i like to call it "sweet and sour...but mostly sweet." you see, she is so sweet and kind and loving in so many ways....most of the time. but don't get on her bad side...and don't make her mad...because then things can get a bit sour.

you can make her mad by doing 1 of 2 things: 1. pick her up and try to love on her while she's busily playing or running around. 2. deny her a treat or a toy or basically something that she wants. (and if you're me, which i am me, i have a 3rd and 4th way i can make her mad: 3. give another child attention (this could mean holding them, chasing them, giving them a snack....the list goes on. she's suffering from "only child syndrome" at this point). 4. leave the room.).

so what does "making Ellie mad" entail? well, there's only one way to describe it: crazy. and one other word too: tantrum. 

now, i must admit, i really wasn't expecting to be dealing with tantrums at such a young age...but we have at least one grumpy spell or tantrum a day these days...and sometimes, if i'm extra lucky, i'll get a handful of them. she is a very stubborn, strong-willed little squirt. the solution: therapy. ha ha, just kidding (could you imagine an 18-month old in therapy? strangely, in this world, i somehow could). for reals though, i'm not quite sure of the best solution. i usually don't give her what she wants, continue to hold the kid, and go in the other room anyway. i then come back to her out-of-control self and try to hug her and reason with her (insert laugh here) and then distract her with some other toy or snack. is it working? kinda. am i hopeful it will get better? you betcha. could i use advice? of course.

having said all of that stuff about Ellie's sour self, she is also the sweetest little toddler on the planet. the evidence:

• she gives unsolicited hugs and kisses all day long...not just to me or M, not just to her Grandma and Grandpa, and Gammy and Pops and aunties and uncles, but to her toys (even things like blocks and toothbrushes) and even to her food. i love her huggy little self.
  

• whenever she sees me she says, "hii mama!" (even if she just saw me 10 seconds before). makes me feel so loved.

• she looovvees her crib. she practically jumps out of my arms to get in it when it's time for nap or bed. i think this is partially because of her love affair with her raggidy ole pig that she's snuggled in bed with since she was born. when i leave the room, i often hear her talking to that pig saying this like "awweee, hiii pig. niiicceee." and then i hear her lips smacking as if she's kissing that pig. wow. she loves that thing.
• she also looovees for me to sing her before she goes to sleep. she'll snuggle into my shoulder and say "song? sing?" we sing this "night night" song that my mom wrote for my little sister when she was Ellie's age..basically you sing everything you can imagine to sleep. when i finish, she'll say "again?" or she'll say, "twinkle twinkle?" and then we'll sing twinkle twinkle 5 or 6 times. she loves being sung before bed-time. i love being snuggled before her bed time.
• she says please and thank you, like this: "paallllleeeeshh?" and "take-yoo." i love that sweet little voice.
  
• when we're getting ready to go upstairs to take a bath, (which is still twice a day...she loves her bath SO MUCH that we take one in the morning and one at night...maybe that will change once we start paying our water bill??) we do a little waddle dance and sing "up up up to take a bath bath bath." she waddles just like i do and follows me all the way up the stairs. it's one of my favorite moments of the day.
•  she still LOVES books. she loves being read to and reading books on her own. her favorite book right now is "Papa, Please get the moon for me." she has a recent infatuation with the moon, which i think is absolutely adorable. she also recently loves "The Polar Express" thanks to Grandma Lynne. i love that she loves to read. 

she is just sweet as candy, this little Ellie girl.
if you've met her, you'd agree.
if you haven't, you must.

and thus concludes my Ellie week. hope you've enjoyed it.
and Ellie,
i hope you know how much your mama and dada love you. you're our joy.

{our cute + curious little bug}

xoxo