SpongeElla NoPants

It’s hot here. 100 degrees hot. And we have no A/C. So, it’s clothing-optional, diaper-required here at our house. The watermelon is optional.


Ella’s talking more and more each day – it astounds us the words and phrases she picks up after only hearing them once. A few examples of our child’s spongieness:

Tunnel – We went through one last week in the East Bay to visit “Baby Kate” (pictured on your right) and today she announced “tunnel” as we went through another one.

Basil plant – Ella loves to help me water the plants and tonight walks up to the planter on the deck with her watering can and says “basil plant.” We’ll have her making pesto yet.

Booty – Jason jokingly taught her this word on Friday night when some friends were over celebrating Cam’s birthday. In the tub tonight, she points to her bum and says “Ella’s booty.” Too funny. I caught that one on video tape, too. She’s going to hate me later.

She’s also started using the “I” pronoun in sentences, as in “I see Katy.” But most of the time still talks about herself in the third person. My favorite is: "I-ya dude it." Translation: "Ella do it." I hear that one a lot lately.

Baby Love

Ella loves her baby. The other day, I even heard her say to Baby, “Wuv you, Baby. Wuv you, Baby.” Baby is like our second child. (Third, if you count Katy.) She goes everywhere with us. (Which is more than I can say for Katy.) And Baby is even now part of the naptime and bedtime routine. As well as Baby’s pillow and Baby’s taggie. How could Baby sleep without them?

I wonder how much nature vs. nurture factors in to Ella's love of baby. Many of the boys her age are obsessed with cars, trucks and trains -- anything with wheels. Don’t get me wrong, Ella likes her school bus and the few cars she does have, but could take them or leave them. And the car usually isn’t the sole object of play, she’s filling it up with people and animals.

On the other hand, I notice that the things I point out to her on walks and in daily life tend to be pretty flowers, cute dogs and yes, babies in strollers. I realize that if she were a boy, I’d probably be focusing more on cars, trucks and planes. So, I try to make a conscious effort to interest her in a variety of objects, and not just the “girly” ones. But if she grows up to be a gardener, dog owner and mother, I wouldn’t complain.

Welcome to 1954

Here's our new home:


And here's Jason in our new living room -- with our newest find: an adjustable wall unit, circa 19??. Our neighbor's wife must have decided that it was too dated for her taste, because it was out front of their house with a "free" sign on it. Lucky for us, it's just our style.

Patriot Act

Happy 4th o' July!


Ella claims our front path for America.