Down Grades and Dumps

While most of my friends and family spent the weekend seeing/ listening to a world recognized Women's Bible Study Teacher (Beth Moore) several hours away I spent the weekend with my boys and Elle's camping...........
A couple of months ago Matt expressed a strong desire to sell our large (and glamorous to me) 5th Wheel.  At the beginning of the purchase, when we were both looking at it, Matt wanted nothing to do with such an 'over the top, unpractical, over-weight' RV and I wanted EVERYTHING to do with it (click the link above to read the story).  Long story short, our 5th wheel went up for sale, sold, and was replaced with....
A sportsman travel trailer. 
It's for the outdoor enthusiast...
H.O.L.D........M.E.....B.A.C.K.

Matt doesn't know this yet but I see it as a teeter totter give and take situation when it comes to this RV'in stuff- Last year we had the RV of my choice, this year is the RV of Matt's choice, next year we will just teeter right back down to my choice!!

While Matt and the boys see this rv as an upgrade (the boys see it as an upgrade because it has a set of bunk beds in the back) I view it as a temporary downgrade- but just temporary mind you because next year is coming fast :)

Also, a word to the wise- When one is using the Sportsman's toilet one should take note of 2 things

• The flush valve is not on the floor like our last RV (you could just use your foot to flush and add water)- the flush and water valve is on the side of the toilet......you really have to lean down and get close to the toilet and TOUCH WITH YOUR HAND the valve (I tried every which way to do this with my foot but had no victory)
• Add water before taking a dump- if not your stool (I used the word stool for my mom and sis who are all about the medical way of saying anything body related....urine for pee, dehydrated when thirsty, etc..) will stick to the bottom and sides of the small sportsmans RV toilet and it will take you a good hour plus having to use the water hose to properly flush!

Hope you all had a FABULOUS weekend!

22 Months........

22 Months........Almost 2.........

I was reading about what to expect from your 2 year old.........'2 years olds are famous for their over-the-top expressions of love as well as anger and frustration'...............OH BOY!

I was also reading about mile stones that we will be approaching this year........

• Potty Training (look forward to a picture of Ellie sitting on her potty on this blog!)
• Her brain will start putting things into categories (dogs and cats will be animals- pants and sweaters will be clothes, etc..)
• She will begin to understand abstract concepts like 'now' vs. 'later'

For now this is what we've got going on:

Some new words this past month are:

• 'She pooped' (this is how she lets me know that she has pooped- I was perplexed when she first started saying 'She' and not 'I' before saying pooped.  Realized that is how she hears Matt and I refer to each other when she has pooped)
• 'Outside'
• 'Corn Bread' (and she LOVES her some corn bread!)
• 'Ellie' (sounds more like I-E)
• 'Josh & Shad' 2 of her cousins names

Capri Sun drinks and 'bug juice' are special treats (we try to keep the Capri Sun to a minimum because it gives her diaper rash).  A Bean Burrito w/o onion but add sour cream (from a local Mexican Restaurant that I 'drive thru' a couple times a week- Can't beat that $1.69 burrito!!) is her current favorite food......

It has been an interesting several months watching Elle's interact with other kids her own age- She started pulling hair and scratching but when realizing that those sorts of behaviors were not going to accomplish anything positive she has started more parallel playing (playing in the same area as another child but not directly with the child). 

Physically Ellie is growing (but still petite):

• Size 4/5 shoes
• 12-18 month clothes
• 20.7 lbs (lost a bit of weight with the stomach flu this month)

April of 2011 is when we 'met' (by way of phone) our birth mother Heather- Ellie's name was chosen by both Heather and I this month 2 years ago (Ellie Marie......Ellie after my mom and Marie after Heather- Her middle name)........Such special memories to 'remember'!

Love this picture..........Kate hugging Ellie

Some Sort of Version and A Man Child :)

6 weeks ladies and gentleman..........
thats how long some sort of version of the flu has been in my house (ellie had the stomach flu this week)........
But whose counting the days anyway :)

My beautiful sis and her youngest Toby (will be 3 months old this month)-
He's a 'man child' being that he weighed 16 pounds at a little over 2 months old and is loosing all of his
hair on the top of his head but keeping it around the back and side of his head....like he is an older balding man!
Auntie Loves You Toby James- you are so precious!!