The Past Week

This is just a blog about various things that have happened over the past week or so.  Just over two weeks ago, Ellen climbed up the stairs by herself.  She usually "counts" the stairs... 1, 2, 10, 6, 7, 9!... as we ascend and then when we get to the top, she applauds her achievement each time ... it's so cute.

"Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" is the first song that Ellen can sing... okay, perhaps, just some form of the word "twinkle" and "how I", but it still counts and we love to listen to her sing.  She loves to read and sing through the nursery rhyme book with her daddy.  The last song in the book is Twinkle, Twinkle and she sings along...it's so cute (again).

 

 (This was take #1 over a month ago)

Splashing in her pool... I didn't feel like climbing two flights of stairs to get her swim suit, then fight her to put her in it... besides, it's cute, right?

 

 Our very cute Doodle asleep in my arms... doesn't happen much these days, so I savored the moment.

 Cute Doodle in her cute summer dress

 Ellen LOVES "helping" me with "ak up" in the morning... yes, she has my pressed powder in her hands and is putting it to her face... it's cute, right?

 Doodle...uh... doodling.

 Jeff's brother, Gordon, came to visit us last Sunday for a couple days.  Not sure who Ellen thought he was, but she quite liked having him around, especially when he bought us an ice cream cone at the park.

 It was so cute... the theme at playgroup on Tuesday was "Teddy Bear Picnic"... so we brought Pinky (bear) with us and there were a few teddy-themed activities that day... including a visit from a GIANT TEDDY!!!  I was holding Ellen when she first saw Giant Teddy and immediately wanted down (one of her favorite words of the week) and went straight up to Giant Teddy through numerous other excited bigger kids and gave him a big hug... too bad he didn't know she was down there.

It's Finally Summer!

Summer temperatures finally arrived about a week and a half ago and it is won-der-ful!  This is our 4th summer in England, and I don't remember it being so warm for so long.  We haven't even had any rain, just some thunder for a few minutes yesterday... it reminded me of the hot, humid summers in Ohio.  At 29/86 degrees yesterday, it was the warmest day of all. Ellen and I have spent loads of time outside, either at the swings or in the paddling pool out back.  We've also eaten quite a few suppers outside; we are so glad we bought an umbrella for our table a few months ago.

 Dinner outside

A week ago yesterday, we drove about 25 minutes south of Shrewsbury to Cardingmill Valley to do a short (uphill with a bit of rambling) mile walk to a waterfall and back with Ellen in the carrier.  You'll notice we don't have any pictures of our walk to the waterfall, the beautiful scenery or the waterfall either.... that's because Ellen cried the entire time we spent walking and we decided to turn around and just let her play in the stream that ran through the valley.

 Us before the walk

 Ellen beside the stream before the walk

 Ellen was very happy to help me eat a Magnum

Ellen loved splashing in the stream

Cute little feet in the stream with Ellen's new bouncy ball

View of the valley from where we were paddling in the stream

Just a couple cute pictures:

 

 It's been warm enough to splash in the pool!

 

I took Ellen to Attingham Park on Thursday. We said hi to the cows then took a walk to say hi to the swans.  Once we got to the walled garden, peeped in on her and Ellen was fast asleep - with her banana still in her hand!

 

While Ellen snoozed, I took some pictures of plants in the walled garden I found particularly beautiful and made this collage on my iPhone....

 ...then sat on a bench in the shade  for over an hour(!!!), enjoying the peace and quiet and blue skies above... until Ellen woke up and was hysterical for the next 40 minutes, because I wouldn't nurse her (we're working on weaning her at the moment... not fun).

What I found when I went in to wake up Ellen from her nap this afternoon - so precious

 

 "Standing" is Ellen's new favorite word

 Reading her book with Daddy

Ellen's walking is definitely coming along, although she still prefers to bum shuffle.  On Thursday she climbed up the stairs for the first time, too, which is very exciting and very scary.  She puts her right knee on the step and pushes up the stair by putting her left foot on the step.... oh, and counts the steps, too... "six" and "ten" are mentioned a few times ;o)

This picture was taken on July 3rd before our "heat wave".

Trip to N.I.

On Monday we returned home after spending 6 days in Northern Ireland to visit Jeff's parents, a.k.a. Granny and Grandad. Although it was a relatively short trip this time, it was good to be "home" and see family and friends. 

On Tuesday, 25th June, we travelled for 10 1/2 hours through 4 countries (England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland) and with two currencies (the Pound and the Euro) over land and sea to get to Granny and Grandad's.  Ellen did very well the entire journey and even fell asleep about 2 miles up the road from their house... just figures.

On Wednesday we drove up to the north coast to the Portstewart Strand.

 =

 Ellen bum-shuffled her way through the sand.

 Granny showed Ellen different kind of shells she found on the beach.

On Thursday, we visited a National Trust property in Magherafelt, called Springhill (website).  It was raining, so we didn't get to see much of the outside of the house or gardens, but we got a guided tour around the house. 

Ellen loved driving this car... too bad it wasn't moving. (At the mall prior to going to Springhill)

On Friday, the three of us went swimming at the leisure centre in Limavady.  Ellen enjoyed splashing and the balls floating around the pool.  Friday afternoon was just laid back, although we did make an obligatory trip to the "swees"  (swings).

 

I enjoyed the big swing more than Ellen!

Saturday morning we had a short, but very nice visit to friends we knew from Munich, the MacDonalds.  Rick and Glenda's two children, Aiden and Ava, are so grown up now!  It's been about 6 years since we last saw them.  Glenda's sister, Shauna, who we were/are also friends with, was there, to our delight!  We spent the rest of the day with some of our Belfast friends.  Not only was it good to catch up with friends again and see how big the kids have gotten since last August, Ellen loved playing with the youngest daughter, Abi, who has just turned two.  Unfortunately, we didn't take any pictures that day.

Sunday was church and Monday we made the long journey back... but arrived safe and sound!

Now, about the family pictures - it is almost impossible to get Ellen to look at the camera.  She really doesn't enjoy having her picture taken, hence the few pictures we have of us together and of her looking at the camera... but we still try.

 A picture with Grandad - probably watching "coons".