book list

i've started a list of books that elenora has read to me with little help.

1. The Giving Tree
2. Hop on Pop
3. Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What do you see?

any other easy/beginner book recommendations are welcome.

last night we began reading Anne of Green Gables.  i told elenora that it's about a girl with red hair and freckles who is a little bit mischievious and who gets into a lot of trouble and she just got this glint in her eye.

have i said that ella is a jokester?

j. asked her what her favorite foods are the other night, and she said "corn on the cob, with butter, broccoli, with butter, and artichoke, with butter." 

she also loves sweets--and especially chocolate.

we've been on some incredible hikes lately at appleton farm where she has walked miles and miles without complaint of being tired.  it's so nice to have such a big girl.

she brushes her teeth and gives herself a tub.

she plays, recognizably, at least half of both "twinkle twinkle little star" and "mary had a little lamb" on her violin.

last sunday we strollered her to the high school track and all ran around it as a family.  that's maybe one of my favorite things to do because it's active, outdoors, and all-together.  you should see elenora run!  she also likes practicing the long jump.  she goes about a foot and a half.

the difficult things we are dealing with include a bit too much whining and an almost constant demand that somebody pay attention to her and/or do what she says.  i think it's a 4-year-old phase.  we're working on it.  she's much better about not doing these things if she just gets some good quality time with someone.  and she's pretty good about doing her own thing if i'm doing something i need to do--like cook or clean or take care of gracie.  but i never get a few moments to myself to just sit and relax during the day.  of course, i work half of the day and then she's in bed by 6:30, so i don't feel badly about devoting the middle hours to her.  it would be nice to know i could just sit and take a little "self-time" if i needed it, though, without hearing "mommy!"

the day will come when she doesn't need me anymore at all, so i'll just enjoy it while she still wants me around.