The Sucker Con Artist

Ok...so we are not officially potty training Ellis yet. However, we bought him a little potty and he has been successful at it a couple of times. We decided that we were going to take the whole reward route. His reward was going to be a little sucker. Ellis does not eat much sugar as it is-due to all of his allergies....so we thought what the heck! So far this has resutled in a total of 4 suckers over the last 4 months. So we are averaging 1 "poopy in the potty" a month. Well, the other night Ellis decides that he wants a sucker. So he says "mommy...i wanna sucker"... and I tell him "first, poopy in the potty" and "second a sucker". He says "ok"! Ellis runs to the bathroom and starts pulling his pants off. I help him get his diaper off and he looks at me with his big blues and huge smile and says " ok...mommy....sucker time". Of course I reminded him again "Ellis....first you need to poopy in the potty and second you will get a sucker". This dialogue goes on for about a half hour. I leave the bathroom to do something in the living room and he comes out buck naked and says to me "mommy...first a sucker and second..poopy in the potty"! Well, needless to say he never had to go poopy in the potty and somehow he thought that I would miss that important piece. It is amazing even at 2 1/2 years old Ellis is trying to con his Mom out of a sucker.

Fathers Day

We had an awesome Fathers Day. We took Ellis to Clayton Beach off of Chuckanut Drive. Pete had not been there in years. It had been quite the hike down to the beach for Ellis. But he managed quite well and enjoyed the beach. Ellis was quite the climber. He was climbing all over the rocks. He certainly made us a little nervous at times. He is at the age where he thinks he can do anything.
He has been in a big boy bed now for a week. The tranistion was a lot easier then I expected. I thought for sure the moment he realized he could come and go, he would be out of there. But to my amazement, he doesn't get out. When he wakes up, he just sits in his bed waiting for us to show up and get him. Once again he surprises us!!

Away from Home

I was recently away on a trip to Indiana for work. At first I thought it would be a breeze as I was with Koby. I was not prepared for the emptiness I felt at night being away from Ellis. Last year I was gone a lot so I thought it would be no big deal. Sure... I knew I would miss the boy like I had done every time before but this time my heart was aching. I wondered was it because I love him more each day or is it because he is an extension of who I am. I don't have an answer really. But what is different this year is that I have a relationship wtih him. Not like he is a baby and he just needs me for necessity. The dynamics are changing. He is a little boy, with his own thoughts, ideas and oh my does he have a big personality. At first, I found myself even thinking...oh, being away will be a nice break from life". That thought lasted maybe 24 hours. I see myself as an independent person, so it took me by surprise when I was overwhelmed with sadness to not hug him, kiss him and talk with him. He is my life, my love and my joy. Ellis...you are truly one special little miracle. Thank you for being mine!
So while I was away going through so much turmoil missing my boy, he was having a great time with Daddy at Grammi and Grumpies house. Here are a few shots of what they did. Ellis had his first ice cream cone, threw rocks in the water for Buddah and took a boat trip to Langley. He loves to spend time on the beach. It is one of his favorite things to do. And right now, rocks are the coolest things ever.

My British Boy!

Just a few more pics of the boy and his Dad!

Skit to Sea Weekend

Wow. What a full weekend we all had! We met up with Cousin Miles, Cousin Chase and Auntie Kristen for the Grand Parade. We are so blessed to live where we do. The draft horses were at the end of the block. Ellis just loved it. Although, I think he was somewhat confused as to why there were such big horses next to his house. The boys loved the parade, mostly they got a kick out of the firetrucks. Ellis spent a lot of time clapping and saying hi to all the girls in the parade. I don't know if there is anything cuter then a 2 year old saying "hi girls" and then wave. I guess he gets that from his Dad. We came home for a nap, then we were off to a BBQ at the bosses house. Ellis had a great time, as there entire play room is practically as big as our kitchen and dining room. He was so wound up when we got him home that he was not able to calm down until 11pm. We are still not back on track with his sleep schedule. Sunday morning, we got up and went down to Fairhaven. We stopped and had breakfast and Avenue bread. We then ventured into the new toy store where Ellis was in awe over a marble maze. We then went and said good morning to Uncle Craig at the shoe store. There was a lot to see and eat.

Cousin Miles 3rd B'day

Jonah, Miles and Ellis




I think that Auntie Kristin and Uncle Craig pulled off the coolest B'day Party ever!! They had arranged to go visit the Birch Bay Fire House and it was a big hit with the boys. Miles had all of his best buds there, Jonah, Emma and Ellis. They were able to sit in the ambulance, push buttons, watch the fancy lights, wear the head gear and sit in the front seat of the Fire Truck. We then went back to Auntie Kristins house and ate lots of food and cake. It was a great day and we again want to wish Miles a Happy 3rd B'day!!!

Politely Defiant

It is amazing to me that Ellis is 2 1/2 years old. It just seems to be going by so quick. Now don't get me wrong some days are slower and painful then others. Watchimg him develop into his very own little boy is one of the best parts about being a Mom. He seems to be doing something different everyday. It is either a new word or a new move. The latest is that I have labeled him Politely Defiant. Which quite frankly has worked in his favor sometimes. He can be quite the Charmer when he doesn't want to do something. For example, if you ask him to do something he will say "no thanks"..."sorry"! So, in adult terms that would be "I am sorry to tell you Mom but there is no way I am going to do that"!! I think that he picked that attribute up from his Uncle Luke. Uncle Luke ALWAYS threw on the charm from day 1 and never seemed to get in trouble. He would just look at our Mom, say something, make her laugh and then the next thing you know...instead of getting punished they are sitting around laughing at eating Lima beans.... Go Figure!! It runs in the family! Pete and I are learning to constantly re-direct him to make sure he doesn't think that he is getting away with anything. We had our first experience of having to remove him from a restaurant the other night. He obviously didn't want to be sitting down but rather running around. He cried and he got louder as the seconds went on. I removed him and sat outside and attempted to talk him out of his strong will. I told him he was being a "bad boy". He then looked up at me with his blue eyes and said " I'm not"! It went straight to my heart. Because he is right, he is not a "bad boy", he was just having a bad night. I learned my lesson on that one. We are truly blessed to have him. He teaches me so many things about life. He keeps life in perspective and reminds me daily what is truly important. He is the light of my life.

Some of his favorite things to do right now are;
Playing with bubbles, counting to 10 by himself, running around with the girls, picking dandelions and blowing on them (Grammie taught him this one) going for walks, throwing balls, and taking all the pillows off the couch and then throw himself off the couch. Oh and he loves to tell stories, however we don't quite understand all of his words yet. We just nod and pretend at this time. I have learned to not say "yes" to him when he does this. He was telling me something but now I know he was asking me a question. I said yes, he stood up, walked over to the front door, opened it and started to leave. So apparently he was asking me if he could go somewhere. I won't make that mistake again. So, we make it a rule not to say Yes to him unless we know exactly what he is asking.

Tim's Wedding

Tim and Pete goofing off!!
These are pictures from Tims wedding. Pete and Tim have been friends since highschool. It was a wonderful wedding. Ellis did really well at the wedding. He was a hit with with his seersucker suit!!

EASTER 2006

We spent Easter on Camano Island with Grammie and Grumpie. We arrived in the morning and spent the entire day at the Cabin. Ellis helped Grammie weed her Garden, played with Grammies new Dump Truck and threw lots of rocks on the beach. Cousin Miles arrived around 4pm and we were able to have our Easter egg hunt. The boys were so excited!! Uncle Craig had put cookies in the eggs, which made the boys look even harder. Miles wore the Construction Hat all day which was rather cute since he has a slight aversion to hats in general. We think that it is his new love for Bob the Builder that has sparked this interest. It is so wonderful to see the boys play together. Their personalities just seem to be a perfect balance. They do so well together. We are still working on "sharing" but for the most part they do awesome. It is nice that they have gotten to an age where we can just let them play without litte interception. Ellis is really blessed to have a cousin so close in age. I look forward to watching them grow up together.

BYE BYE MR. BINK!!

Well, we did it! Or I should say Ellis did it. We are 7 days bink free. I know that this is an old picture but I could not resist. It is one of my favorites. It just shows off his personality.
I was surprised how well Ellis did with this transition. I was anticipating some major break down. The first night that I decided to take it away, we went through our nightly routine and then he asked for his bink. I almost gave it to him. Because for those of you who have met and know him....know that this bright blue eyes can convince you to do anything. But I stuck to it and told him that Bink went "bye bye". He looked at me all perplexed by this concept. He then looked at me and said "Bye-Bye????" And I told him yes Bink went on an wild adventure and had to leave. He then said "OK"! And that was it! He just somehow got it and was ok with Bink being on a wild adventure. The funny thing is I think that Pete and I are the one that struggles with it the most. First, it is only a reminder of how he is getting bigger. Secondly, he took a pretty big fall at Nanna's and Gramps and I for one split second thought that it would soothe him. But amazingly enough as all kids he recovered and then was on his way.

Terrible Twos

Yes...the time has finally arrived. It as if it happened overnight. I think that one night he was laying in his crib plotting on how to get back at us for something that we did. I was hoping that we would skate by, but no chance of that happening. Some of his favorite words are:

gimme it!
no way!

Oh and the facial expressions he gives are priceless.

He still will say please and thank you without being prompted....most of the time. It actually has not been that bad. I have seen and heard worse. However, if he keeps it up I am planning to enroll him in the Scared Straight Program at Juvie for 2 year olds.
Although, I am sure he would charm his way through the book in process and his "Uncle Koby" would release him on his own personal recognizance's.
It is hard to believe how fast he is growing up. I know that Mothers say that all the time. But it is so true. We got his allergy tests back and he is still highly allergic to eggs and dairy. Poor guy!! His diet has to be so limited and we are always having to be careful. It is amazing how many people including strangers want to feed your kids. I know that people try to do it out of some odd sense of a peace offering but it won't be so peaceful if we have to rush him off to the hospital.
He still loves to play ball. It is all consuming but I will say he has a pretty good arm at the age of 2. I think that he takes after his Unlce Luke in that sense, well that and the big head they both had at this age. Well, we are off to go play ball!!!

Happy New Year

Well, Pete and I were able to spend New Years with some friends while Ellis spent the night with Grammie and Grumpie. Ellis LOVES to Spend the night with Grammie and Grumpie. In fact when we walk in after being seperated from him, it as if we never even left because he just keeps going about his business. The first time he did that it made me a little sad but I think that is normal for a Mom to feel. It is also a wake up call that the phase has started where I am no longer the center of his existence. I was hoping that would have started when he was about 26 years old not 2 years old. However, it has been special to see him gravitate towards Pete. Right now he wants Dad all the time. In fact just yesterday Pete was gone all day long and arrived home around 8pm and Ellis was so excited to be with him Pete could not get him to fall asleep until 11:15. Ellis' other favorite things to do are; throwing all the pillows off the couch and then jumping onto them; puddle jumping; throwing balls; playing with Uncle Koby; and last but not least playing with his trains.
We had a follow up allergist appointment for Ellis. They did blood work this time so they could get an exact number. His allergies to dairy and eggs have been somewhat difficult as you have to be careful in what you feed him all the time. So his diet is very limited. The Doctor said that we would most likely have to learn how to use an epi-pen for him. Yikes! That is not something I am looking forward too.
Want to say a special Hello to Grumpie. Grumpie is on one of his wild adventures to Arizona. He will be gone for 2 months, so we will miss him lots.
And Hello to Grandma and Grandpa in Texas! They had a safe drive home from Bellingham but Grandpa did get food poisoning which was hard. But they are home and we are hoping that they will move to Washington this year!
Gramps and Nanna came up for Christmas also. We had a wonderful time with them. We are hoping to see them soon in Tenino. They are currently remodeling the Guest House and that has been a huge project for them.

Christmas Day - Various Photos

Baby Chase hangs out on the couch!

Ellis and Miles plays with trains

Listening to Grammie play Christmas songs

Ellis received this present from Santa!!

Grammie and Grumpie play with Ellis!!

Christmas Morning

Christmas morning brought in big waves and big winds. At times the sun was trying to peak through but mostly was shadowed by clouds. Along with strong winds came no power. We spent Christams day and night by candlelight. We cooked in the Grumpies small travel trailer. Grammie played her new piano to the propane Coleman lattern. And we read stories to the boys by a flashlight. Below is a picture of Grumpie showing Ellis the big waves. Emma went along to make sure no one fell in.

Christmas Train

We have started a new tradition this year. Thanks to Auntie Kristen and Uncle Craig they came up with this great plan to stay in Vancouver with the entire family and go on the Christmas Train in Stanley Park. It was so great to watch Ellis and cousin Miles together. The Park was filled with thousands of lights and you could hear Christmas music everywhere. We stayed at a wonderful hotel which was right across from the beach. It made for great walks and wonderful conversations. Miles and Ellis played in the leaves, watched boats go by with Grammie and Grumpie and of course threw rocks into the water. The third day that we were there, we took a water taxi to Granville Island. We were not able to stay very long as Ellis was in desperate need for a nap and so was Mom. But we were able to go to Story time with Santa and sang Christmas songs. It was a great time and we are already looking forward to next year.

November Snow

One of my favorite photos. Pete took this photo at night during our first snowfall of the year. (November) This picture was taken off our front porch.

Ellis Winston

Two Years Old!!

Ellis is growing like a weed. He is starting to talk in sentences, which for me is way to fast. When other Moms would tell me, it goes by so fast...they were not kidding!!! Where did the 2 years go? His favorite characters are Elmo and Pooh. He loves to dance and play drums with his Dad. We are working on his manners and he seems to be doing quite well with it. He says "Thank You" without any reminders. I am enjoying while it lasts. He also will say the occasional swear word; as he is in the stage of copying everything that anyone says. Ellis has been a true blessing to us. He reminds me of what is important. It is hard to remain at a high level of stress when He points out that the Moon is the coolest thing in the world or when he does a happy dance for a cup of juice. He is a daily reminder of what true love is.