Am I working too much?

So, Ella and I are driving home from her babysitter's house on Wednesday... when she pulls out her Polar Express DVD that she likes to take everywhere (another story in itself). She opens the box on her lap (laptop style) and starts typing. Ella says, "This is my computer. I'm working on my Polar Express computer." Tearful laughing ensued.

Silly girl.

Another wonderful weekend.

Sometimes Ella's imagination scares me.

Me: What happened to your neck?
Ella: It got scratched.
Me: Who scratched it?
Ella: A lion scratched it. But it's ok.

Banished

Last week, Ella told me that she wanted to sleep in my bed... and that I could sleep in her crib. That's not exactly how everything worked out in the end...

Mt. Hood Meadows

Pretty in pink.
Making a snow angel.
Playing with PlayDoh... for over an hour.
Taking a break.
Making more snow angels!

more ella funnies

when asked why she kept waking up last night, ella replied, "there were crocodiles in my bedroom."

last week, while descending the stairs, ella said, "listen to me, mommy. you need to stop whining." and then followed that with, "you don't need to go to the gym."

while getting ella out of her carseat, i asked, "can i have you?" and ella said, "yes, you may." :-)

Birthday Pics

Playing catch.
I got a gift... Ella got the bubble wrap.
Kissy lips?
Playdoh birthday cake ala Brady and Ella.

Thirty.

A lot has happened in the last week. But most notably, I turned the big 3-0. Yep. It's kind of difficult to say. Luckily, I don't have to say it all that often. I know that 30 isn't old. Really, I do. But, I feel as though the last four or so years were somehow stolen from me. I spent so much time planning to get pregnant, being pregnant (and incredibly uncomfortable), coming to terms with no longer being pregnant, but now having a baby to take care of, spending every waking hour (and some not-so-awake) with Ella, and deciding to start my own business so that I could continue to be with Ella beyond the standard 12-week "maternity leave"... that I somehow forgot to just be. And now I'm no longer in my twenties. I'm a 30-year-old mom with lots of responsibilities, and am trying to figure out where I went.

For the last few months, I was dreading my birthday. And now that it has come and gone, I wonder what all the fuss was about. It's just a number... and yet, it seems to be so much more. Perhaps I thought I'd have accomplished more by this age, seen more places, or somehow have life all figured out. But I have done what I've done, seen what I've seen, and know what I know... and no amount of reminiscing changes that. I can only change what I do going forward. So, I'm hoping to use this milestone as an opportunity to stop being so timid, take some risks—and take some time for me. It's time to get things done!

So watch out, here I come! :-)