Anticipation Month of October- Blog 2: Letters From Mom & Mimi

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 So Princess Ellie,

Do you know what I am anticipating this week (and don’t say Uncle Ryan’s and Aunt Samantha’s wedding as that is next week!!!)…  a girls’ weekend!  Daddy is back east, going to his version of Mecca… a PSU game.  As much as I love our family time and your Dad, weekends apart can be healthy.  And that means a few days of eating dinner in our pj’s (which will probably include ice cream), dancing to music, a trip to the zoo and the mall, no ESPN, the heat on (your Dad loves to make our house feel like the frigid arctic), and for me a glass of wine while reading late into the night after you go to bed (or if the timing is right, I’m hoping my favorite magazine, InStyle, will come!!!).  And of course, time outside (which you can’t get enough of!)… walks and the park are your favorite!    

We might have to squeeze in a visit to a place that is a favorite of both of us… Barnes & Noble!  The last time I took you, you got so excited (and overwhelmed) in the children’s book section that you simply just laid down on the floor and gazed around.   

That lasted about two minutes before you attacked the shelves in hot pursuit of all the most colorful books.  Of which, you then grabbed about ten (don’t worry as you read this in years down the read when you can appreciate organization, I did put them all back when we finished) and took them to the stage where you proceeded to look at all of them there.  And when you were done with that batch, we got another.  

You are a quite the avid reader these days Dear Ellie.  Your Mimi compares your personality to a beloved book character, Junie B. Jones… a series that we will get you in a few years!  So we will definitely, pencil in some reading time over the next few days.  My favorite is when I am reading my novel and you ask to sit on my lap and have me read aloud my book to you… and then you kiss me in between lines.   

You make my heart melt- I love that you adore written words as much as I do! 

Aside from that, we need to get packing… Uncle Ryan and Aunt Samantha’s wedding is in a week!  I’ve sent our dresses and shoes already ahead so it’s the small things we need to remember!  And we can’t forget our bathing suits; the weather is supposed to be really warm and perfect for a beach day!  So while you nap on one of these weekend days, I will attempt to pull out our suitcases and start throwing in a few items.

Ellie if you can’t feel my enthusiasm in my writing, you will feel it in the upcoming days as I get you all to myself!!!  Now that the rest of your teeth have popped through (you should be done until those 2 year molars), you have been in the best mood… learning, sharing, and laughing!  But of course with your stubborn side, you do have the occasional tantrum (the latest being when your daycare provider asked you to crawl down the steps on your belly instead of being carried down… you had a fit and proved you were the stronger one because she lifted you up and carried you down into my arms… and when you got home you asked to go upstairs, only to crawl down the two flights of stairs on your own… everything has to be done on your time crazy girl!).

You are so much fun these days.  You have suddenly found your maternal instincts… you are all about your baby dolls!   

You love bathing them, feeding them, putting them to bed, and they don’t leave your side (they even sleep with you).  You are quite the little mother.  And I have to say, it makes me feel like I am doing something right since you are very sweet with them (although there is the occasional tossing or throwing of the dolls…).

You know Ellie, we walked the 5k Susan Komen Race for the Cure last Sunday and it really did put things in perspective.  Life is about celebrating and appreciating family and friends- that’s what’s important and what we need to get excited about!  And yes, you were an angel the entire walk (a few M&Ms for breakfast on the way seemed to help!).

Alright Spaghetti, let’s get this weekend started… I love you!  And let’s ask Mimi if she is ready to go to Florida for the big event!!!

Love,

Mom

And now from your Mimi...

Hi Ellie,

I love that your mommy is anticipating a girls’ weekend coming up.  It sounds like the both of you are going to have lots and lots of fun!  Maybe exploring the area for a new park should be in the plan too.  Ellie, when your mommy and Uncle Ryan were very young the three of us explored many a parks.  In doing so we found parks with the typical “slide and swing set”, but we also found parks with cool climbing ropes, monkey bars, forts, fireman poles to slide down and so much more!  We also loved parks with lots of trees so that a blanket for a picnic lunch could be spread out and a ball or Frisbee could be thrown back and forth.  But be careful of the “older” parks where the playground equipment is set on top of large black and red rubber square grids.  I don’t think they are as safe as the newer and much improved rubber mulch platforms that are used today.   If the playground planners and builders were smart, they would call your mommy to test out all their creations no matter her age, and this is why!  You see Ellie there was a time when your mommy was about 6 years old and we visited Finnegan’s Park in Philadelphia for an early evening of fun with friends. I don’t think we were there but ten minutes when your mommy eyed an empty swing set.  So she, your Uncle Ryan and three other playmates ran across the rubber grid to get there and of course she tripped…. graceful she was not!  She fell hard and landed on her elbow.  Surprisingly there were no cuts, scrapes or bruises; just lots and lots of tears making that park trip short lived.  When we arrived back home Poppy’s typical First-Aid Kit  (“just walk down to Grandmom’s house and she’ll give you ice-cream that will make it all better”) did not work on this boo-boo.  A trip to the hospital, a diagnosis of a fractured elbow and a six-week cast from her knuckles to her armpit was the eventual cure!  But it didn’t stop us from our park outings, as there was always something for everyone to play on!  Ellie, if you and your mommy do get a chance to explore new parks this week, and you find just the right one, wait for me to visit and maybe the three of us could plan an awesome morning picnic with fun activities there!   Ahhhhhh, a new anticipation to look forward too!

On another note, skyping with you this past week has been so much fun.  

Ellie, you are such a little character (this is you showing off in your new shades!) and my anticipation of what is yet to come in future skypes brings me spontaneous smiles!  I loved when you asked your mommy if you could “Skype with Mimi” the other day.   You brought the love in my heart to an all time high!  While you sat on your mommy’s lap and gently whispered with me our farm animal lingo… it was truly one of my sweetest moments.  And it was such a change from another of this week’s skyping moments when you chose to show your headstrong stubbornness!  Let me tell you about it.  Ellie, one of your favorite things to play with lately and carry around is this bald, hard plastic naked baby doll.  Better yet, you seem to have an even greater fascination with the baby doll’s little blanket, (Poppy calls it a dishrag because it is so small.)  Anyway, you would try over and over and ever so nicely to lay the blanket on the baby, but as an 18-month-old little girl the best you could do was smother its head time and time again!  You would then try to pick up the wrapped baby, but the blanket would slip off immediately and of course your impatience would then give way.  Ellie, I have to apologize here for silently chuckling as I watched you play  “I’m the Loving Mommy role” turn quickly to playing “I’m Mommy Dearest role!”   Seeing a possible tantrum brewing, your mommy tried to help you in your frustration.  Big mistake.  She should have known better because you, Little Miss Independent I Can Do Everything Myself Without Anyone’s Help, squinted your eyes and gave her such a glaring look that we both knew what was coming next.  Yep.  You did not reach out to whack anything this time, rather you threw the blanket down quite harshly and immediately preceded to hold your breath and turn beat red!  When that didn’t generate the response you were anticipating, then and only then did you let out a cry.  I think we may have to re-nickname you after the lovable book character, Junie B. Jones, miss Ellie!  You see, Junie B. Jones is a loveable, lively, mischievous, tomboyish, temperamental little girl that despite all the trouble she gets into, you can’t help but love her!  Hmmmmmm… are we anticipating a real life twin to this fictional child?  The next few years should be our tell tale sign Ellie!  I think many paragraphs on the antics of Junie B. Jones aka Ellie B. will be frequenting our blogs!  I for one am looking forward to writing them!

You know, sometimes the anticipated planned out schedule doesn’t always go as planned either!  Like today.  It has been raining for the past few days and still is with no let up in sight.   So I guess my picture taking of the Fall Foliage will have to wait another few days!  I guess that means I should start my packing for Florida and call your Uncle Ryan to see if he needs me to mail down any more packages to your great-Gigi this week instead.  Poppy and I already sent down our wedding attire.  I believe your mommy sent hers and yours down too!  (Your daddy will pick up his tux when he gets there!)   Aunt Sammy’s wedding dress still needs to be packed and shipped.  The attendant’s gifts still need to go.  Hmmm…what to do with Daisy still has to be decided.  You know what Ellie?  I am thinking that I need to make a check-off list, so my anticipation does not turn into Anxious Anxiety with capital A’s!  Your Aunt Samantha is a very smart girl.  She has no intentions of stressing about her wedding, so she put together for her guests a detailed itinerary of activities and planned events for the whole wedding week!  If something does not go quite right, your Aunt Sammy says, “Then it wasn’t meant to be.”  I like her sound reasoning.  She is focusing on what is truly important…  hers and your Uncle Ryan’s love for each other, reciting their vows in a faith she feels strongly for, sharing her day with family and friends and a celebration of a truly happy and blessed time!  

So next week Kimberly I think we should continue on with the Anticipation of “The Wedding: A fairytale in the makings!”  It is going to be sooooooo much fun!  What do you think?

Till then Ellie “B.”

Love Mimi