Ella's Soccer team and tidbits

 We are ending soccer season. It is crazy how kids minds change. Ella was ALL ABOUT SOCCER this summer. Then, as time went on, she:
-didn't like me to cheer for her at games
-didn't like cheering for the team herself
-took a while to enjoy practice, but when she warmed up, she loved it
-wasn't too intent on getting any goals
-but was then quite disappointed when she couldn't play one game because we forgot her shin guards.

Basically, she has a love/hate relationship with soccer. It was sure fun for me to watch her play though. Also, Lucy badly wanted to join in- so we'll see if she has the same sort of mind games that Ella has.

I struggle knowing how to be compassionate to Eleanor when she cries and whines for little things (if I get mad/annoyed, of course she cries harder!) while still teaching her its not ok to cry and whine for little things. How do I teach this?! I'm hoping and guessing it's just a phase and she'll mature out of it.

There is this wild field behind Ella and Kaden's preschool that is perfect for exploring. I'm so pleased how much she likes Kiddie Korner preschool. She is very excited for her Halloween party next week. They are having a little parade the parents can come to, where the kids show off their costumes. I'm excited to see it too! Her teachers are simply the sweetest- and it is obvious both Ella and Kaden and all the other kids I see at pick up love the teachers so much. I love hearing Ella say, "Bye Teacher!" at the end of school instead of using her name, Ms Karma. ha. I also heard Kaden say, "See ya later Alligator" to Ms Janet, and she responded, "I'll see you in an hour, sunflower!"
Heart eyes all around.

 I struggle with just sitting and doing nothing while my kids play. If I'm on my phone, Lucy always sees it and wants it, and I feel so dumb if people see me on my phone while watching the kids (is this crazy that I feel so self conscious? probably) Should I get a paper book? Perhaps a self help book about building confidence.

Lucy's Conversations at 2

Lucy just turned two, and she still seems like such a little baby to me still. I cant decide/remember if Lucy is talking as much as Ella was at this age. I wanna say that Lucy still baby talks way more... ah I'm not sure. I'm going to make a list of what Lucy says:

Thank you, Mommy
I wanna wear a dress (slurred all together)
fish
I want to eat.
I want to watch... Ella. (I think she means Elsa but she can't pronounce the "s")
Apple
Here you go.
What? (she'll say this a lot. I'll tell her something. she'll say "What?" and I repeat. and then again, "what?)
Where did it go?
Here it is.
I love you. (very slurred. but i promise i hear it.)

She'll also sing sometimes- usually I can make out Twinkle Twinkle little star. And sometimes its obvious when she sees a star she'll start singing it.

Also, her hair is always in her face. I'm over it.

Summer time

Summer in grantsville has been good to me. I feel like i'm in a good community- also we are now happy Grantsville land owners. For better or worse, we have committed to this lil town.

lil Lucy and Grantsville tidbits

I hardly take pictures of Lucy it seems... whenever I get out my phone to take a picture, she wants to grab it and run away with it and watch tv on it. then its a battle to take it away. I guess I have only myself to blame for it- letting her watch downloaded movies on my phone in the grocery cart while I shop- she is a right terror running away from me and around the store if she has a lick of freedom. I don't seem to remember Eleanor being this way.

Teaching one year olds to entertain themselves right when you want them to is a tricky business. Parenting is a tricky business.

Today was a real slow day.. stayed at home played outside and inside and then outside and then inside.. walked across the street to get snow cones (coconut and cream for me and red raspberry and cream and sprinkles for Ella) while Lucy took a rare and late nap. I both love and hate slow days. I love that I don't have anything to do and then I feel lazy and that feeling is annoying. I AM NOT LAZY i tell myself as I'm sitting outside doing nothing. our yard in Grantsville is simply amazing. The trampoline is fabulous, the big tree that provides lots of shade on the side of the house is fabulous, all the pots of dirt the girls play in, the bag of grass clippings Lucy plays in is fabulous, it is wonderful and easy to be outside.

Here in little Grantsville, I am more online shopping happy than ever. Since Wal-mart is 20 min away and there's no target to be found, Costco is 40 min away, online shopping is my go to. and it seems Brent is the same. In the last 10 days or so, lets see if I can remember everything I've ordered:

1. the game Cover Your Assets, amazon.com

2. all red wool sneakers that I've loved for ages and finally bought, allbirds.com

3. jeans and pants for ELLA!! she requested jeans the other day (she has never in her non diapered life worn jeans! she of course has always been in dresses, and if not a dress, i have forced her into stretchy leggings, but all of a sudden, she found some 3T leggings i had tucked away in a drawer for Lucy to wear this fall and Ella has taken to them!) and a jumpsuit for me, target.com

4. golf balls and tees and a fancy set of golf clubs for Brent- who all of sudden is wanting to do weekly golf outings with some of his brothers and now he is ALL IN TO EVERYTHING GOLF. I am in full support, amazon.com

5. vanilla and chocolate protein powder from cleansimpleeats.com because one of these days I will lose weight, damn it

and there we have it.

Tonight, Ella and I went to Little Miss Grantsville, which is basically a beauty pageant for girls 9-12, and it was both darling and scary. There a lot of diva attitudes and hip bopping. They did a little interview with each girl. One was asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, and she went silent for a solid minute. the interviewer looked around wondering what to say to prompt her. the girl looked frozen. then some dink in the audience laughed. Anyhow, she finally said, "singer." But then, she was asked, "whats your most embarrassing moment?" and i thought to myself- yikes, way to call her out.

The theme of the pageant was The Greatest Showman and as part of their introduction, each girl said what part they would play in the circus. One said she wanted to be a clown, because then she could be both funny and scary.
!?!?!?

A good 4-5 girls in a row said the ringmaster followed by some version of "because I like to run the show and be in the spotlight"

It was an eye opening experience.