Things that make a mom proud

There are so many little things Ellie does each day that make me proud. And then there are also some big shining public moments that are wonderful too.

Three big ones for Ellie this year:

Her first state report. Each student in Ellie's first grade class had to pick a state and then do a verbal report as well as a map to display in the class for the week. Her report fell on November 2nd, 2010.

Ellie picked California, likely because it is the state we visit most. And also likely because it is where cousin Mason lives. I printed off a few pages from the encyclopedia and Ellie went through each page highlighting important facts she wanted to share. Her report included a lot of good information --you can listen below.

I was just so proud of her for doing most of it herself (Kevin and I consolidated her highlights into one page and added a few she missed - but that's it) and for getting up in front of her class to present it. Parents weren't invited, but I sneaked in anyway - I just couldn't miss it!

This video is from the night before the actual event. We were timing it to see if it met the required time. I have a video of the report from school, but this one you can hear a bit better.

State Report from Brooke Heath on Vimeo.

Her first piano recital. Ellie has been taking piano lessons for almost a year. (I believe she started in February of 2010. ) Her piano teacher, Lisa Ericson is incredible. We love her so much and are so happy we found her. Over the last year her teacher accumulated quite a group of students so in October she told Ellie there would be a recital. Together they picked two songs, 'She'll be Comin' 'Round the Mountain' and 'Fiesta'. On November 20, 2011 Ellie had her first piano recital.

She was not at all nervous about playing in front of other people. She was perfectly fine with the entire thing until she found out she had to stand in front of the crowd, say her name and introduce her songs. For some reason, this made her very VERY nervous. I asked her why - she did it all the time in school, but she said that is just school. I assume it was all of the unfamiliar people. I felt a little bad because she really was nervous about that part and not at all about playing. Once she got through it (with help from Lisa) she played her songs really well and I was super proud of her. I asked her if she was proud of herself and she said, "I guess so."

Her first, first grade report card. Ellie's first term report card came in the mail at the end of November. "Exemplary student", what's not to be proud of!

A few Ellie concerns

Ellie is so good natured. I have been watching her over the Christmas break with her little cousins that are sick. She talks sweet to them and tries to mother them. Her cousin Logan was so sick one night and she walked up to him to check on him. He just rubbed her hair and face and then held her hand. It was the cutest thing ever and I knew it was because he trusted her and her concern for him.

Ellie is currently concerned for the birds that are still around. When we see large groups of birds she thinks they should be flying south because they won't find food as easily now.

Ellie had to do a state report in school. She chose California. When she was putting the pictures on her board, she wanted to ensure we still had the flat tape - that is sticky on both sides, so there weren't lumps in her pictures.

This is not an Ellie concern...but it cracked me up...and may be questionable for her good nature. This is my lamb. I call her lambie. Kevin got her for me at Build-A-Bear one time we went there because I loved how soft she was. I let Ellie play with her and she said she had to be punished because lambie was being mean.

Inconceivable. Such harsh punishment. :D

Girls' Night

Ellie and I like to take advantage of a little girl time when we can. We get our clothes on, we do our hair, we make sure we have lip gloss and then we go out.


Back in August it was still warm so we put our sandals on and had a pedicure, Ellie slipped in a nail polish too. Then we got some really healthy snacks and went to see Despicable Me. Ellie is so fun to go out with one on one. I love that she now enjoys doing some of the same things as me, yet still enjoys her own things.






Something else we do just as girls is watch So You Think You Can Dance. It's one thing Kevin doesn't really care to do with us. :) For my birthday in September he gave me two tickets to the live tour and even though it was a school night, I knew Ellie would be my date.

We started with getting ready, then Ellie chose Noodles for dinner (her favorite) and then we rushed to the dance. We were running a little behind and I had forgotten money for parking...Ellie was so stressed out we were going to miss some of it. I think I have passed my "stress-out in tight situations" onto Elie. Fortunately, we arrived in plenty of time. We had great seats right next to the stage and had fun watching the dancers we had just seen on TV a few weeks prior.






Ellie is for sure girlie in the things she likes to do and see, I just hope girl time with mom continues for years to come!

Izy fo' shizzy.

Ellie was so lucky to have the cutest friend live by us for two years. Isabel (we always called her Izy) and Ellie first met in the summer of 2008 when Ellie was four. We had lived in PG for about two years and we were so excited to have a friend. Isabel and Ellie were good friends from the beginning - but over the two years they lived by us their friendship grew, they played more and more often, they were in the same dance group for two years, and really they just became the best of friends. We all really loved her.

Izy would pop by and we could always tell it was her from her distinct ring and knock. I admit that even when Ellie wasn't home I enjoyed opening the door to Isabel's happy face. She always greeted me with a smile and a hug. She let me treat her like my own. She really just fit right in.


Isabel and her family moved in October. When her mom told me I was crushed for Ellie, but really for all of us. We are all sad not to have Izy around. We miss her visits and having a friend so nearby to play even if for just 15 minutes. We miss her sweet nature and her happy little face.

Izy's last night in Utah was a school night, but we just had to have her sleep over. It was the only sleep over they ever had, but it was just one of many fun times they had together.


I often look out my window at Izy's garage and wish I could see her on her way over to our house. As I was posting this blog Ellie said, "Oh, I miss Izy."

Fall Festivus

Fall is always such a great time of the year. I don't know which year I figured it out, but for most of my life, I thought I was born in the fall. I love the fall. I love the cooler temperatures, the changing of the leaves, the anticipation and commencement of several months of great holidays...beginning with my birthday in September. I know I was technically born in the summer, but it will always feel like the beginning of fall to me - so I still go with it.

As I think what I am going to write about, this post feels similar to one I've done before and I think that is because in the fall the commencement of the celebrations is almost ritualistic in nature. We do some of the exact same activities each fall season, with some of the exact same people and I think that is what makes it so great. Each year we get to look forward to these fun fall activities...so I am borrowing and altering the term Festivus - because the fall is really a festivus for the rest of us around here.

We begin early September with college football. We get our game day clothes on, we go get game day breakfast (chocolate donuts and coke), Ellie and Kevin do their game day dances, Ellie builds the game day fort, and we begin the season of Saturday game day.




We then celebrate my birthday. Please note for my birthday I received a game day shirt and a traditional German chocolate cake. Next year I really won't need to post, I will just make reference to this post and say read and repeat.

Next, it's on to the Utah State Fair. State Fair Day and Game Day happened to collide this year, so we still got our clothes on, set the game to record, went to the fair, and then came home for the game. Don't worry, with modern technology, we still get it all in! Ellie and I each have an activity we love at the fair. This year, we found Kevin one.

Ellie loves the Little Hands Farm.

I love the big yellow slide. (I got to go on it twice because I love it so much.)

And Kevin...despite his injury, will now be returning for the T-Bone the Bull.

We ventured out this year and tried some fried fair food - a fried peanut butter and jelly sandwich. But we also had the traditional Navajo taco and turkey leg. We played games, went on rides ( I literally spun myself sick on a ride this year), checked out the animals, had our picture taken with stinky sea lions, and we hit the pig races which was new for us. It was fun packed.....the fair never disappoints.





One thing extra this Festivus - we got an early visit from Mason and her family. They were in Utah for a wedding so we got to enjoy them earlier than usual. Mason had to be shared with other cousins in town for the wedding so Ellie spent some quality time with Logan and Titus instead.



Back to Fall Festivus, it is what we like to call "high craft season" - Sunday crafts are hit and miss in the summer, but in the fall and early winter they are frequent. We had some family in town for another wedding so they got to enjoy our first fall craft with us. It was fun to have other people there and I realized how great it really is to be together at the table doing crafts. It's such great family time.



In early October we shift to Halloween themed fall Festivus activities. We decorate the house (yes, usually on a game day), we go in search of the perfect pumpkins to become our jack-o-lanterns, and we go on a witch hunt. We skipped Hee Haw Farms this year because the pumpkin patch was a higher priority for Ellie. We were lucky to have grams with us as we found our pumpkins and searched for all the cute witches. Ellie tried to do some of the heavy lifting herself this year. (We usually bring Kevin for that. Talls and Heavy.)








Mid October Festivus - THE ANNUAL SHOPPING TRIP! We join our dear friends and head from Utah to California and back on a full shopping/eating adventure.

Ellie has been honestly preparing for this year's trip since we got home last year. She had her purse packed and week after week she saved money in her wallet for her shopping. This is the first year Ellie took her own money to buy things with. The first day we were mostly shopping in outlets and malls and Ellie had no interest in spending HER money there. I had told her I would buy the things she needed like clothes and pajamas, so that is what we tackled on day one.


On Day two - we hit the Santee Alley. This is where Ellie cautiously watched for just the right thing to buy. My mom bought some luggage, Kevin bought a USB charger, I bought a sun hat and Ellie - a Minny Mouse watch. Ellie's proved to be a better purchase than Kevin's. Kevin's didn't last after day two and Ellie's withstood some water damage and is still working today.

Her second purchase was at Olvera street - some candy to share with her cousins - after our traditional nice meal of taquitos with green sauce. YUM.

Day three of shopping (day four of the annual trip) Ellie spent the rest of her money and was done shopping.  So, she slipped on her new slippers and spent the afternoon at the Orange County Marketplace reading her new book in the cart.

It was great to have her own money, she was able to buy the things I usually say no to and I think she enjoyed the shopping more. It was interesting to see how cautious she was to ensure she bought just the right things. We were all worn out in the end and Ellie spent all but $1.62.

She hasn't started a fund yet this year for next. I wonder if she quickly got over spending her own money. It's much easier to spend mine.

Festivus October concludes with carving pumpkins and celebrating Halloween. Ellie cleaned our pumpkins up and then out and then carved. She had dance that night and they were allowed to wear costumes so we focused on her pumpkin first, dressed her up and then when she was at dance and Kevin was getting a hair cut, I finished carving mine and put them all on the porch with lights so when she came home in the dark she could see them. It was fun for her to see how they turned out after she left. More and more we seem to have to combine several activities into a day and we are a small family!





Halloween - Ellie picked my costume this year. She was Dorthy and I was a clown. Kevin's work did their annual themed office day so we spent many hours in costume shops searching for his Avitar costume and that is when Ellie picked mine out. It was easy and fun.

So, on the 29th, we dressed up. I was asked to help at Ellie's school carnival at the ticket booth. It was pure madness and so much fun to watch the kids.


Then we raced to Kevin's work to go through all the buildings and see the themed offices. This is quickly becoming a Festivus tradition. The first building had a few scary themes and Ellie was petrified, I wasn't sure we were going to make it through, but we went fast and enjoyed the yo-yo champ, the magicians, the cotton candy, and the lighter themed buildings. I was so happy we started with that building because by the end we had pretty much forgotten it. Kevin's group honestly did the best theme and we were really really impressed with the dragon Kevin had spent many hours building.




On the 30th we dressed up to go trick-or-treating early. It was cold so we only made it up and down one street in the neighborhood and then we spent the rest of the night answering the door at Gram's.

On the 31st we didn't dress up, but Ellie got a huge package in the mail from Mickey and Linda that had ridiculous amounts of candy in it. She was in heaven and it was a very successful Halloween for candy quantity and fun.


Fall Festivus November, there is the changing of the decorations in the house, the continuation of Sunday crafts and Thanksgiving. We got to join Ellie this year for the first time at Thanksgiving lunch at school. Ellie and I made three pies on Thanksgiving Eve - I am sad I accidentally deleted the pictures of lunch and of her rolling out the pie dough. All I have is this one of the completed pies, but it was fun and she often likes to help in the kitchen. Ellie spent Thanksgiving with her dad but enjoyed Thanksgiving leftovers with us Thursday night. I can't believe how much that girl can eat some days!

This November we had some early snow so before dinner and crafts Ellie got Jed to play in the snow...and then Kevin. Snow for me is just a fall Festivus no no. I don't like when the snow begins that early...for me, it is the end - the killer - of fall Festivus.






It doesn't matter really, after Thanksgiving our Festivus is pretty much over, because we then shift focus to the Christmas month - which is magical and warm, even if there is snow!