russell orchard

yesterday morning we took ella out to breakfast (on my way to the car ella was saying "breakfast. daddy coming too.") and then we jaunted over to russell orchard for the opening day!  i'm so excited that they are open again.  it was surprisingly quiet for opening day, but that was really nice for letting elenora just get down and run around.  here are the animals we saw (and yes, she was saying "animals" although it sounded like the classic child's "aminals"): ducks, cat, chickens, guinea hen (ella said this had "poke-o-dots"), the 1000 lb pig, a goat, 3 sheep (we got to touch one!), 3 ponies, a bunny rabbit (ella said it goes "hip-hop"), and geese.  what a fun place!  we saw tractors and flowers and got to feed the ducks with a little feed.  it's amazing to me that we get to go there for free.  endless entertainment.  we'll be there a lot this summer.

j. and i got to have a date on friday night.  we went to windward, which is always fun.  we split a shrimp and scallop appetizer and then j. had a steak and i had haddock with lobster.  during the meal j. happened to mention that he sees no reason for us to not get pregnant by the end of this year if his job stays secure throughout the summer.  which was a huge surprise to me.  but not altogether unpleasant.  i think if he's game, i am.  (and if he's not, that's fine with me!)  we'll see.

today we took elenora to byfield parish because momby was the guest pianist there this week.  it's not really the way for us to do church.  it starts (and ends) much later than essex congregational, and the nursery is so crowded that i decided to keep ella in the cry room at the back of the sanctuary while j. sat in the pews.  even though they pipe the service into a speaker in the room and you can see the sanctuary through a sound-proof glass, i didn't get to listen at all since there were 6 children and 3 mothers in the room.  i much prefer going to essex and putting ella in the nursery and sitting with j. in the pews.  but after church we let elenora toddle up the aisle to her grandma and she loved discovering this room with dark red carpets, huge ceilings, and rows of pews to run through.  

she didn't fall asleep for her nap until almost 2 pm, but then she slept till almost 4.  i made a chicken, rice and broccoli casserole (secret ingredient: curry) while she slept and then started a new book.  i finished "small island" last night.  really enjoyed it.  now i'm reading brothers karamazov again because i realized it's been 8 years since i read it last and k. recommended a good translation that i haven't read before.  i'm a few chapters in already, and loving it.

here are some ella phrases:

ella do it.

i do it.

ella's shadow...mommy's shadow.

sitting on it.

russell orchard

umbrella fort

mommy fort/tunnel (for when i'm cooking and she makes a game out of climbing between my legs)

pushing it (when she's pushing her tyke trike or stroller)

glass of water

nothing (as in "ella, what is in your plastic easter egg?")

sometimes

arm pit

scooping

dipping

tomato juice (just tried this tonight...loved it)

"each peach pear plum"

 i have it.

mommy help you.

pick, pick, bigger clover.

behind you.