Indy zoo

Ellie and chaperone Dad went to the Indianapolis Zoo on Wednesday with the class from daycare. It sounds like they all had a blast! One of the daycare workers told me today that Ellie and only a couple other kiddos really got into the zoo experience, getting excited when they saw different animals and generally running around. That's our girl!
Apparently her favorite part was the seal exhibit, where they could watch them swimming all around through windows in the walls and ceiling.

And then she was all tuckered out from the excitement. I'm so glad Brian and Ellie got to spend the day together on this fun trip! But now I want to go to the zoo sometime this summer :)

p.s.... I may have jumped at the chance for Brian or I chaperone when I first heard about the trip because I was nervous about sending Ellie an hour out of town and on the highway in a bus with ... well, not either of us! Does that make me crazy, crazy mom? Either way, I guess, it worked out. Since Brian was driving his own car he got to stop at Trader Joes on the way back from the zoo and get some of our favorites (i.e. lots of cheap wine)...

Duck, duck, goose!

Ellie and I loaded up some snacks in the wagon and set off to the park yesterday afternoon. I was able to distract her from the playground long enough to haul over to the pond to see the ducks and geese.

The Canadian geese generally make me nervous, but these birds were nothing but friendly once they saw that we came bearing gifts. Ellie happily gave away all of her Cheerios. And I captured video!
(By way of explaination for my commentary... Brian is more than a little freaked out by geese — and seagulls, for that matter. Any bird that travels in a flock and creeps in close to people fits the bill, I think. But Ellie was unphased by these geese.)

Pig tails...

Daddy gave Ellie pig tails in the back today, since her hair is getting so long... I forgot to ask at school when I picked her up how long they lasted this morning. She's such a stinker pulling those rubber bands out these days. But it was cute while it lasted!

Sharing

Not only can you admire Ellie's new green crocs in this video, you can see the progress she's making in drinking (very small amounts) from a big-girl cup. However, she's also seen me fill the dog's water dish one-too-many times from my own water cup. Such a helpful girl.

Babysitter par-tay

Princess Ellie had quite a night Thursday. Brian and I went to a preview show of the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Purdue, where we got to see our friend Abby play in the band, and we had babysitter Shanna come watch Ellie.
Shanna loves Ellie and doesn't like that our girl goes to bed so early. The few times we've had her babysit, Ellie is usually asleep by the time she comes over. But last night she was still awake, although it was getting close to bedtime. We left for the show at 7 and thought Shanna would get Ellie down for bed within an hour. We were shocked to find them still playing together when we got home shortly after 9:30! We were thrilled to get to see Ellie again and put her to bed ourselves, but I just can't believe she made it up that late. Sounds like they had a great time, though. (Shanna texted me this picture during the evening as they slowly made their way through every toy in the house...)

Visit to Rockford

Ellie and I went to Rockford this past weekend to visit my mom -- or g'ma, as Ellie says -- and help my good friend Sarah celebrate her 30th birthday. One of Ellie's favorite parts was the Crispix that she found over and over again in my mom's cabinet. She had a LOT of cereal while we were there. I love how she would sit Indian style in this old high-chair my mom pulled out. She donned her pink tutu for church on Sunday morning. This looks like she's gearing up for a twirl, but really Ellie was about to yank out her pony tail for the fourth time that morning.

I made one of my mom's choir friends take a picture of the three of us after mass since the last shot we have of the trio is from when Ellie was about six weeks old.

p.s. Brian wasn't uninvited on the trip, he just stayed in Lafayette to work on demolishing our downstairs bathroom. He did a good job. The room is destroyed. Now we just have to put it back together...

Yard work

Brian put Ellie to work in our backyard yesterday afternoon.
As he pointed out, if only she would pick the dandelions by the roots.