Ellen likes looking at her baby pictures. We keep a special album in her room that has about 30 pictures from the first few weeks of her life. It is not unusual for us to find her sitting on the floor flipping through the album.
Ellen is our little love bug. We cherish every hug, kiss and I love you.
Every night she asks me to pick the books for us to read at bedtime and every night she looks at what I have chosen and says "I don't want to read those".
She loves to jump on our bed and rather violently hurl herself onto her back. At least it is a soft landing.
Ellen's TV attention span has quadrupled over the last several weeks. She will sit and watch a full episode of The Fresh Beat Band and then watch Dora the Explorer. Dora is her favorite. She asks to watch TV on a regular basis but we limit her to one or two shows.
She likes going to church. During worship she asks to go to class (she really likes class). After Sunday night services she always asks if we are going to eat at church and is very disappointed when we say no.
Ellen's teachers made her a potty box and every time she pees or poops in the potty she gets to put a coin in the box (we provided the money-nickels, dimes and quarters). As an extra incentive we told her that when she "earns" enough money she can buy herself a toy.
She likes kicking her soccer ball in the back yard. She also likes to run in the yard (and down the long hallway at school).
Ellen is into shoes. She is quick to to tell you what shoes she wants to wear and that she wants to put them on herself. She is little miss independent.
This happens a lot... Ellen asks us a question. We answer. She dismisses what we say/think and goes on to give us the correct answer. What a stinker! (If you don't want my opinion don't ask for it!)
David and Goliath is her favorite Bible story (in her children's Bible book). She asks to read it every night.
Watching Ellen play with her stuffed animals is very entertaining. Kitty is currently her favorite. Kitty came to the grocery store with us on Saturday. Ellen proudly informed me that Kitty pooped and peed in the cart. With potty training on my mind I congratulated her with a heartfelt "Good girl, Kitty". She still sleeps with night night but also likes to hold one of her animals.
She really likes to sing and we love listening to her sweet voice.
Ellen still enjoys taking her baths in our bathroom. I have a feeling she hasn't thought twice about her old bathtub.
She's not much of a phone talker. She will ask a lot of questions about whoever it is we are talking to but then clams up when we put the phone to her ear. But it won't be long until she is begging for her own cell phone!
Dry cereal is her snack of choice. She likes Pops, Kix, Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Frosted Mini Wheats, Raisin Bran, Fruit Loops, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks... basically any cereal she has ever tried. Cheese, fruit, nuts, pretzels and goldfish are also some of her favorites.
I like how she signs her name on cards - very grown-up.
Her personality is a little bit like mine and a little bit like Phillip's but she is very much her own person. She is silly, happy, sweet, stubborn, determined, opinionated, easy-going, cautious, curious, gentle, helpful, creative, shy, loving, smart, active and so much more.
