Friday Friday!! an Ellie edition

It's been a while since I've posted on a Friday and I've been missing it something fierce.  Also since little sis hit the scene I haven't posted many updates on what Ellie has been up to lately...sorry sis!  So today I'm going to do something about it!!

{ONE}

Near our home there has been a huge vacant lot that we've been waiting to get developed and it's finally happening! We've been anxiously awaiting a McDonald's opening up and it finally happened last week. When we saw the Grand Opening flags Thomas couldn't wait to take Ellie there for lunch for a Dada Daughter Date. 

We tried hyping it up the days leading up to the big event and Ellie had a blast.  Thankfully Thomas was willing to document their date for me.

If I haven't mentioned it before Ellie is obsessed with the Cars franchise, and just the other day (before their date) she was watching some videos on YouTube and there was an advertisement for McDonald's with Mater trying to order a Mater Burger.  So Ellie insisted on having a Mater Burger with her Happy Meal.  Her very first one!! 

**[Side Note]** which reminds me of a story when I was little, around age 4...My dad was taking me on a Daddy Daughter date and I requested to go to the new McDonald's that just opened up in our neighborhood.  He thought I was crazy because he had never heard of a McDonald's being there so he took me to one about 20 minutes away.  I then requested a Happy Meal, which he thought was frivolous because I already had enough toys so he just bought me an All American Meal!! It was so long ago I am not sure if I was devastated or not, but when we got back home my mom asked how it went and I told her that "Daddy wouldn't take me to the pretty McDonald's because he didn't believe it was there and he wouldn't get me a Happy Meal".  My mom was mortified and chewed him out for it.  It's a hilarious story now and we always make fun of my dad for not getting a Happy Meal.  Needless to say, he learned his lesson and would be willing to get his 32 year old daughter a Happy Meal at any McDonald's I request to go to ;) **[End Side Note]**

Thomas has heard this story on multiple occasions over the years and promised that he would never do that to Ellie...let the Happy Meal toys collection begin!

Mater Burger!!!!

{TWO}

We still have Ellie sitting in a high chair at home.  Not all the time but she loves her high chair and it might be a really sad day on the farm when it's time for Little Sis to take over the reign.  Another thing Ellie loves is gogurt, and she prefers it frozen.  Music to my OCD, lets not make a mess, ears!!  But then this happens because it turns into a "really fun" tactile experience...

{THREE}

We finally got a YMCA membership (for Ellie only) back in February and we signed Ellie up for gymnastics right away.  I was counting down the days until Ellie turned 3 so she could go into a more structured and skill based class.  She's been signed up for two sessions and still manages to wander off away from her coaches...much to my irritation, but Nanny got her the most adorable gymnastics outfit that I can't stop!!! Now that she is so adorable in it and loves gymnastics so much I am going to have to invest in more...where can I find these in her teeny tiny size???

{FOUR}

In addition to gymnastics, we have also had Ellie in swim lessons.  She had to be in the Parent/Child class for nearly 5 sessions before she finally "graduated" to independent swim lessons, finally!!! It is so much more relaxing and fun to just watch her in the water than having to actually be in the water with her - also the locker room is much easier just having to get her changed.  In reality though it's good she was in the P/C class for so long because it really built up her confidence in the water that she now chooses to go to the pool over the park when given the option.  She is so much more comfortable in the water and I am loving her having this independence.  Also, she loves to go into hot tubs!!  One thing that we are doing now when we have to book a hotel (like we did for our Golden Anniversary) is if they have a pool or not so that Ellie can go for a swim.  She spent nearly 2 hours in the pool while we were in Ellensburg and I love it!! (also I love it when Thomas takes her in the pool, that is my favorite ;) )

{FIVE}

I may have mentioned in my previous post that we had a road trip last weekend to Spokane for my cousins wedding.  Ellie has been to her fair share of weddings but this was the first one where she was able to make it to the dancing and she had so much fun.  She loved the ceremony and watching all my cousins walk down the aisle (bride included), and kept asking if Thomas and I are married, that she wants to get married when she gets older, and that she loves weddings.  She ate a bunch of her meal and was just a sweet heart.

Right after the ceremony we were supposed to follow and walk to the reception, but Ellie had other ideas and wanted to play around the alter and "get married"!!  I mean how cute is she???  She totally stole the show IMO, and was the cutest babe there...with the exception of Finnley of course ;)

{SIX}

We started nannying again with one of my former families and Ellie is having so much fun going to her friends house and playing on their equipment.  Also she is still so tiny she can fit into these tiny shorts that are more Finnley's size but they are so cute.  I couldn't help myself but take pictures of her...and look at how long her hair is!!! EEEK, I am in love.  She also keeps asking for a scooter, so we will have to grab my Razor that we have in the garage down for her.  I actually got my Razor back when they first came out in NYC back in 2000.

{SEVEN}

Ellie has an affinity for Cooper, our 9 year old Miniature Pinscher.  She keeps opening our slider door to let him in the house, which is not my favorite when it's so nice outside.  The other day she made her way over to the door and we told her to "stop and what are you doing? put Cooper back outside!" to which she replied without skipping a beat "But Cooper is my Best Friend!!!!" Oh my word it was adorable and now our favorite story to recount.  She also has been asking us to let her take him on a walk, last week I obliged and she watched me grab his harness and leash.  Now she knows where they are and has grabbed them out on multiple occasions claiming she is taking Cooper for a walk.  He is such a good boy and thankfully tiny like Ellie that he is unable to pull her around.  Watching these two (both our first children) together is one of my favorites and I love that Ellie loves her puppy Best Friend so much!!

{EIGHT}

Also since we are nannying again we get to go and do even more fun stuff with our friends.  We made our way to the Childrens Museum and of course Ellie loved the water table section, like always, and could have spent the entire hour there!!  We love it at the museum so much that we are going to have to make sure to take more trips there!!

This little babe is the Apple of my Eye and I am so proud of her and how much she is growing, learning, and who she is becoming.  This sweet girl loves her little sis, loves her friends, and has a new obsession with frosting.  I just can't believe that she is mine and my life is so enriched with her in it.

♥ Ashley

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