Hodge Podge

I keep trying to remember all of the cute/funny/off the wall things that Ella says so that I can write about them and let her read them someday, but then I sit in front of this screen and go completely blank. Let's see how much I can recall. I wish I could just record her life 24/7 so that I wouldn't ever forget any of these crazy funny or crazy sweet moments.

The other day, as she was in her crib, she told Stephen that she didn't need to go to bed yet because she's a grown up. When Stephen asked her how old she was, she said "I'm sixteen." Hah! I don't know what I love more- that she thinks 16 is a grown up or that she thinks she's got a shot at fooling dad into letting her stay up.

Ella's had her fair share of colds and stuffy noses this season. She's gotten used to having a humidifier going in her room to keep the stuffy nose at bay and allow her to sleep. So, the other night, she cries from her crib, "My nose is bugging me!" I go in, realize we'll need the humidifier and ask Stephen to set it up while I try to help her blow her nose. Of course, we really end up just snuggling on the floor while dad does all the work. As Stephen is filling a pitcher of warm water in the bathroom, Ella cuddles me and says, "Daddy gonna turn on my medicine fire." Hah! I guess she's been hearing humidifier as humidi-fire, and since humidi means nothing to her, she made the logical jump to medicine-fire. Extra cute is that she really does think there's some source of fire in it because of the steam pouring out of the top.

This one is a few months old, but Ella threw a monster fit a while ago. Time out in her crib was doing nothing to calm her, and she was shaking the crib rail, smacking the wall with her hand and absolutely going bonkers with her screaming and crying. Then, as she's smacking anything in sight with the palm of her hand, she starts yelling at the top of her lungs, "I'm freaking out! I'm freaking out!" I'm so glad I was in the other room for that one, so she couldn't see me bust up laughing. I also have NO idea where she picked up that phrase. It's not like I say that or anything. *Ahem*

Every time I prompt her to ask for something nicely (hinting at the P word) she sweetly smiles and says, "Nicely!" When she tries to say Bo Peep, she usually ends up saying "Pee Bo." The other day she woke me from a dead sleep at 6 am, screaming bloody murder. It's her bad dream scream. It rips my stomach open and makes me feel like I'm falling for a second before I shake my way back into reality and wake up to realize what's going on. I leaped from the bed, ran in to cuddle her, and asked if it was a bad dream. She weepily confirmed it. When I asked her what was in her bad dream so I could comfort her, she says, "Daddy tell me eat my bites and I say NO NO NO!!!" Uhhhh... THAT is the horror which ripped me from dreamland? On the other hand, I'm glad that those are the worst fears she's contending with right now.

And then there's her scary good memory. I don't know how she keeps track of things so well, but when I'm looking for my keys she's been known to tell me where they are. When she asked for her bink and I didn't know where it was, she told me, "In your coat, mama. 'Member?" And she was right- it was in my coat pocket, right where I stuck it a few hours before. I switched most of the contents to my new purse once my old purse's zipper busted, and was frantically looking for my checkbook one day when she said, "Your old purse, Mom!" She was probably guessing- and she was right. How does she even know to think of things like that? The other night, she wanted to take her Jessie doll to bed. She was sitting in her crib and I was searching the living room with no Jessie in sight. Suddenly, she yells from her room, "In the shopping bag, Mama!" and I look down and see a Target bag full of toys that Stephen had brought in from the car, with Jessie buried inside. I just don't get it. How is it that my 2 year old takes care of ME? How is it that I can barely keep my head screwed on and my toddler knows where my checkbook is? I don't know, but I'm grateful. God knew I needed a genius child to help with my scatterbrained ways.

Now I'm sitting here, trying to think of a few more memories, and I'm frustrated at how quickly they're gone. It seems like at least ten times a day I am floored by the things that she says and does, how much she's learning. How much she understands. I guess I've said enough for now. There's no way I could remember it all anyway. She's way too smart and clever. I get to hear this stuff all the time. :)