More standing

Another week of standing-related shenanigans :).

"Nothing to see here people...I am NOT planning on climbing up on that shelf behind me."

 "OK, yes I am...gotta be quick, before they see me!!"

An ice cream social with our local Down syndrome support group.

Ellie is more excited than she looks.

 Back at home, the boys do some sports analyzing on live television while Ellie jumps into the set.

"I think California Chrome is gonna do it!!!"

"Let me play you a little song titled - Have a Great Week and We'll See You Next Time!"

Look what I can do!

This week, I was a photographer on a wild safari hunt...in our house.  I was trying to capture the rare breed of the "climbing/standing Ellie".  Here as you can see, I managed to catch a few shots of her in her natural habitat.

First, we have some kind of yoga pose she's been developing.  In this comparison, you can see she's really working on her form.

Then we have the "knock over the plastic kitchen, pull up to standing position and climb on top of it" move.  This one surprised me, I have to say.  I didn't even know she could do this!!!

As the sun rises, she gets her energy for her next feat...

which is, "climbing on closed toy bin".

"Ta Da!!!"

Now back to a toy being used for it's purpose - a happy Ellie is starting to pull up and build those leg muscles!

Picnic

Happy May everyone!

I told the kids to keep Ellie happy for a minute while I cleaned up breakfast and this is what they came up with in their room :).

Kind of reminds me of this:

Then we had a fun church picnic where Ellie happily hung out on a blanket and tasted ice cream!

Then to end the weekend, we participated in a race.  Ellie and I ran to the finish line to see the boys cross and she had quite a bumpy wagon ride!  She thought it was so funny and even instinctively held on to the sides!

Hats!

Hi there!

Ellie wore a few different hats this week (besides the hat she always wears of being the cute little sister of three loving siblings!).

We have the backwards baseball cap look:

 We have the "sittin' on a blanket in the sun watchin' my brother play soccer" look:

 And the "I just got home from church and look so spiffy and cute" look:

And finally - Ellie got a swing for the swing set for her birthday!  This is our fourth one of these - the straps never make it more than a couple years due to weather so we just kept getting new ones!  Jacob loved his and said he felt like he was an astronaut in space!  Now here is Ellie - how lucky she is to have three people wanting to push her!  We made some adjustments and figured out how to get her safely locked in there and now as long as the kids are out back - Ellie is outback and always moving!!!  Here she is laughing the first time we put her in.

Ellie is 2 and Easter is here!

Happy Easter Holey Ellie friends!

Ellie says "I'm doin' so good  now, my second birthday is even better than my first!  No more medicines, no more oxygen!"

"Just having fun with this giraffe thingy with balls that keep spinning around!"

"And Easter mass was so special, except I wish my people would let me crawl around more!"

"I guess I'll hold still and smile real quick for this picture with the girls." :)

Then a birthday and Easter celebration!

 "What's this, a lollipop?"

 "Now that tastes alright!"

  "Time to hunt for eggs?"

A new ball popping game - fun for all four kids!!!! 

 

 

Then a lick of some cake and we call it a day!

Big Week

"Hi Y'all"!!!!

"I'm goin' be 2 this week"!!!!!!

"I'm just so excited about my party!

"Since it's so close to Easter, we're gonna have a big Easter/Ellie celebration"!

Julia and Ellie

Holy Week + Ellie Week = Holey Ellie Week!!

Prayer books

Ellie was so happy today about the addition of a new table in our little prayer corner.  She got a whole shelf of books to have her way with!  Make a mess and learn about Jesus, Ellie!