Bits and Pieces

1.  I got to spend this past weekend with my Grandma.  I love my Grandma!  She has such a capacity for loving.  She also has a compulsive need to feed you; it's nice to know where I got that particular trait from.

2.  I'm afraid that the muscles in my neck are trying to turn into marble; at least that what my husband says when he tries to give me a neck massage. 

3.  I finally have an appointment with my favorite massage therapist.  She is AMAZING! 

4.  My one year old is starting to ask to sit on the potty!!!!!!  By "asking" I mean he goes into the bathroom, hits his diaper and then points to the toilet.  It may not be verbal but I'll take it.

5.  My oldest son participated in his first pinewood derby with his Crocodile car.  I thought he had the coolest car there. 

6.  My baby is half scooting- half crawling now.  One minute he's sitting next to me and the next he's all the way across the room.   Does being mobile mean he's not a baby anymore?

7.  My reading urge is slowing down.  Thank goodness!  I'm only reading 3 books a day now. 

8.  I've been craving caramel corn for a while now.  Why is it so delicious?

9.  I'm starting to think about my garden.  I've been trying for years to grow a watermelon for years but Idaho just isn't the best climate for it.  Should I give up or go for it again?

10.  I've officially conceded the Battle of the Thumb to my baby.   

Ella


© Ella's Place

Sweet Cheeks

Have you ever written a word and realized that it just looks wrong?  You think it's spelled write but you're not quite sure so you end up looking it up in the dictionary or using spell check.  This happens to me all of the time.  I wrote down the word "cheek" and it just doesn't seem right; especially if the "c" is capitalized.  Cheek.  Doesn't that just seem wrong?  Am I the only one?

Sorry for that tangent.  Now on to more Hanson family introductions.  By all rights, I should introduce you to my first born but I'm not.  Not that I don't love him 'cause I do.  I'm starting with my 5 year old little girl.  I have the feeling I should warn you in the off chance she decides to take over the world when I'm not looking.  That's right, I said take over the world.  I'm 75% sure that my 5 year is going to rule the world someday and I just think you should be prepared.

Before I tell you why you will one day bow down to her, you should know that you're going to need to buy stripes, lots of stripes.  She loves wearing striped clothes!  I let her pick out the clothes for her little brother the other day and she picked out a striped polo shirt paired with striped pajama pants.  Don't ask me why or how but they worked.  She has that talent.  She can mix & match any clothes with stripes and make it work.  I am frequently awed by this talent as I have no clue about clothes myself.

You will also need mustard.  This is an essential ingredient for any sandwich she makes.  She doesn't just have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; she has peanut butter, jelly and mustard.  Peanut butter and honey usually has lettuce and mustard to enhance the flavors.  She's also been known to eat a peanut butter, cheese and mustard sandwich.  Or mustard, honey and jam.  There are endless combinations of sandwich fixings that she'll eat but only if it includes mustard.  I try not to judge....

But back to taking over the world.  It's really hard to describe and I'm pretty sure you're not going to fully understand.  She says things like, ".... in the evil clutches of my hands!" and then throws her head back while bringing her hands curved like a bear claw up to shoulder height in front of her and does an evil laugh.  It sounds awkward but she does it so naturally.  It reminds me of that Tiny Toons cartoon "Pinky & the Brain" except she's never seen it.  So I can only assume that this is just a natural part of her personality. 

That's not all.  If she is rough housing with her older brother and gets hurt, she may shed a few tears but she gets up, growls several times and then proceeds to go all wildcat on him.  She very rarely admits defeat.

Just in case you're worried that she'll make a bad "Dictator of the World," you should know that she is geniunely loving and kind.  She loves babies, ponies and Jesus.  And once she looks at you with her gorgeous green eyes and strawberry blonde hair; you're lost. 

So this is my smart, sweet and sassy daughter who will one day rule the world.  She prefers to be called Sweet Cheeks or as you will one day know her: President-Princess Sweet Cheeks.  Don't say that I didn't warn you!

Ella


© Ella's Place

Mr. Ella Hanson

I follow a few blogs and often find myself wondering what their family is like.  You get bits and pieces every once in a while but somehow it just doesn't fulfill my curiousity.  Since I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one either, I thought that I would introduce my family to you.  That way you can combine what you learn here with the other bits and pieces I talk about to put together a more rounded image. 

I thought that I'd start with my husband; while he's not perfect, he's pretty much one of the best husbands ever.  I'm not kidding.  I can even prove it.

He cleans.   In fact, I haven't had to do dishes in almost a decade.  For that reason alone, he should be inducted into the "Husband Hall of Fame."  He does more than just dishes too.  He does the laundry everyday including folding and putting it all away.  I can count the times I've had to take the trash out since we've been married on one hand.  I could go on about what he cleans but the best part is that he organizes and supervises the children and their cleaning endeavors.  This includes their bedrooms, weekly jobs and outside jobs.  I've had friends who've said that they're going to send their kids to live with us so that my husband can whip them into shape.

He loves children and enjoys being a father.  He is also a fully participating dad.  By that I mean he changes all the diapers whenever he's home, does night duty with our babies, volunteers at school, does homework and attends all sporting & school events. 

He's willing to play card and board games with me even though he almost always loses just so he can spend time with me.  That might not sound like much but we are both fiercely competitive and hate to lose.  Imagine playing scrabble with someone once a week for a year and only winning 2 times while being that competitve.  That is true love.

He has been trying to figure out how he could buy me a Kitchenaid stand mixer for years.  This Christmas he finally figured it out.  He contacted everyone who would give him a Christmas gift and asked them to give him money instead.  He then took that money and bought me a stand mixer.  The only gifts he got for Christmas were from me.  Everytime I use that mixer he gets a smile on his face.

And if all of the other reasons aren't enough, he tells me that my "mommy belly"  (the extra skin on your lower abdomen that doesn't go away after you have children) is sexy.  You might think he's just trying to make me feel better but he truly means it.  He thinks it's sexy because it was created by my willingness to have his children. 

I told you he was one of the best husbands ever. 

And unfortunately for everyone else, he has no brothers.

Ella


© Ella's Place

Books

I have been obsessed caught up in reading lately.  A lot.  Like 3-5 books a day.  I tend to go through these phases every once in a while.  Doesn't everyone?

My main problem; other than trying to take care of 5 children, find time to work out and actually spend time with my husband; is finding enough books to read.  Sure I have a personal library of over 1,000 books but I want something new.  Thank goodness for public libraries!!!!  I seriously don't know what I would do without them.  Actually I do know, I'd be completely broke with books lining every wall and surface in my home.  It kind of makes me sound like a hoarder. 

How do I find all of these books I'm reading?

I will go to http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ and browse through the Young Adult section.  They have popular books, new books and thought provoking books that they highlight.  If I find something that interests me, I reserve it online at my library.  I've found quite a few engaging books this way.

Or I do a library browse.  I check the cart of recently returned books that haven't been shelved yet.  I figure if someone else was interested enough to read it, it's worth a quick check.  Then I'll go through the different sections and look through the displays the library sets up to highlight certain authors or genre of books.  On a quick tangent, can I just say that I love libraries.  I love the smell, the orderliness and just the feeling you get there.  It's my go-to place when I'm frustrated or just need to leave the house. 

Lastly, I check thrift stores.  Most thrift stores have a book section where you can pick up a good book at a good price; $0.10- $2.00.  I save up all the money I get for birthdays and other events just for this purpose. 

I will admit that there is one other place I check for books; my sister.  She is living with us and loves reading as much as I do.  So every once in a while I go in and snag a couple of her books.  I always make sure to return them though!  I don't like borrowing books from other people though.  Only because books are easily overlooked and often not returned or lost.  I have anxiety issues if one of my books has been borrowed too long.  



On a completely different subject, I stained my teeth orange when I was eating carrots the other night.  I didn't know that could happen.  It took a day and a half for it to fade.  They were even organic carrots so they were obviously free of dyes and preservatives.  And it was only 4 teeth too.  Does anyone else find this odd?

Ella


© Ella's Place

Resolutions

I decided not to set any resolutions this year.  Mainly because I'm not a goal oriented person; oddly enough my husband is.  He has many lists of goals: yearly, 5 years and even 10 years.  He wants to run a 4 hour marathon, study a new language each year, attend a World Cup game where Brazil is playing and even participate in the 2030 Iron Man Championship in Hawaii.  I can't even fathom setting such detailed long term goals.  My long term goals are to be happy, raise my kids to be good people and to be a good person myself. 

My other reason for not setting any resolutions is because I'm afraid if I say it out loud then I will jinx myself.  That Murphy's Law will rear it's ugly head and put every obstacle it possibly can in my path.  I did have a general goal in mind but never stated outright that it was my resolution.  In my mind, I was circumventing all the disappointment and frustration that would happen if I didn't attain my goal. 

Unfortunately, Murphy's Law read my mind and I have already broken the resolution I never made.  I still feel guilty about it too.

Should I count today as a lesson learned and start fresh tomorrow?  Or just give in and indulge my natural tendencies and "resolve" to do better next year?  If I do decide to start fresh, do I actually write down my goal thus making it "official" and open to Murphy's Law?  Or do I keep it hidden and protected in my thoughts?  I mean Murphy can't read my mind everyday can he? 

I've already decided but am reluctant to say anything.  I think this is a weird kink in my personality.  Think about it; I chose to write about this in my blog for anyone to read.  Do I think that you are going to inform Murphy of my intentions thus jump starting the obstacles.  Logically, it would be beneficial to share my decision with you.  I'm sure you would offer encouragement and support no matter what I decided.  You could be my conscience; holding me accountable for my actions.  

I'm still not telling.

What does this say about me as a person?  Does anyone else think the way I do?

Ella


© Ella's Place