There was a little girl

There was a little girl
who had a little curl
right in the middle of her forehead
And when she was good
she was very, very good
And when she was bad
she was horrid.

--Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


So happy to say that I think that Ella Joy is finishing up this crazy compulsive wiping stage. I know there will be others. But what a feat to have survived the last month of some serious craziness.

I love this picture because it reminds me of the good, the very,very good.
She is so sincere in her compliments and her affections.
She will tell me with unrestrained enthusiasm "you the best mommy ever!"
And then hug me as tight as her 2 little arms can hug.
I sure love this little girl!

Tonight it was the Crockpot

So I have burned my fair share of meals. I tell David that it is because I am a multitasker. Surely I can run and flip the laundry while that pancake is cooking, or I can vacuum the living room really fast while the potatoes get a little more crispy.

To be completely honest, the smoke alarm went off quite a bit at our old house. So much so that the obnoxiously loud noise no longer scared Noah or Ella Joy and we actually had a fire alarm routine in place. Noah would run and open the backdoor and fan out the smoke while I quickly turned on the oven fan, then grabbed a broom to turn off the alarm.

I am proud to say that the fire alarm has not gone off once since moving to our new home. However when we came home from Church the BBQ chicken was "well done." We tried to make the best of it by smothering those tough pieces of meat with cole slaw, hoping to cover the burnt taste. In the end, David and I both felt a little sick. And to make matters worse we had invited a friend to come eat with us. He ate but didn't ask for seconds. Who can blame him.

I thought about feeling bad about this one. You know that pathetic feeling that comes over when you feel like you just can't do anything right. Well not tonight. I won't be taking the blame for this one. I have accepted fault in the past and I am quite certain I will have to accept fault in the future. But not tonight.

Tonight it was the Crockpot.

I love Annie

This is a Stier family favorite. I am certain that all 6 of us have every song and line memorized. We used to act it out. I would play Annie, of course. Becky was Miss Hannigan and Duffy. Shelly always played Molly. Usually we could rope Pat into playing Daddy Warbucks, Rooster, or Punjab. I remember Becky and I trying to imitate the gymnastics tricks. We figured out the double cartwheel but we could never quite get the handstand on the knee trick. Anyways....

Last week I saw the DVD for sale at Target for $3.99 and I couldn't resist. Let's just say we have already watched it a few times. Ella Joy knows all the characters names and can't stop talking about the mean lady. She is very jealous of Annie's locket and is planning on asking Santa for one for Christmas. Noah likes it as well. All week he has been singing Its a Hard Knock Life and he of course has already planned out what he would do if he got chased up a draw bridge by Rooster. He says he would slide back down past him and then runaway. Good to know.

So we are passing the Annie love from one generation to the next.

Schmoozing

Julia is learning young that a great personality goes along way.

Thanks JuJu for using your sweet charm on Chris (the super nice worker) at the Cool de Sac (an indoor play cafe). He liked you so much that he treated us to a super huge brownie topped with icecream and whipped cream. Amazing!

Bread Buddy

Today Ella Joy and I baked bread -- my one claim to Molly mormondom.
I love baking bread.
I love the smell.
I love the kneading.
I love the cute little buns.
The one part I don't love is the clean up.
So I put my compulsively clean 3 year old on the job and she was amazing. She cleaned til there was not a single piece of goo (dough) left on the bowl or hook. I will continue to employ her services. My mind is already busy thinking of other cleaning projects I can put her on.

Compliment of the day:
Noah told me that my pizza was delicious. "Its better than Dominoes."

A huge compliment from the boy who grows anxious everyday around dinner just thinking about what he might have to eat.

May I have your attention please....

for the month of December I am going to do a post a day. Yes, I know this is a lofty goal for me the bi-monthly blogger. However, 2009 is coming to a close and I want to remember something about each day! So I invite my family and friends to try and be as attentive as EJ's ponies and I will try to accomplish my goal. Happy December!

Happy 1st Birthday JuJu

Today JuJu turned 1. I can hardly believe a year has passed. She has been a perfect baby. We all adore her. Even Ella Joy who had a hard time with her arrival to our family now expresses often how much she loves JuJu. Ricardo is one of JuJu's greatest fans and is planning on marrying her in 20 years. He absolutely adores her. Although JuJu was sick we did our best to celebrate her first birthday. We had chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast, played at the park, and sang with the neighbor children. Nonna brought over her special birthday cake which she has made for everyone's birthday since we moved here. Have I mentioned how grateful I am for all of our wonderful neighbors! This weekend we will celebrate again when David is home. Happy Birthday, JuJu!








JuJu's Favorites
1. Rocking her babies outside
2. Num-num
3. Rice and lentils
4. Sliding at the park
5. Open doors that go outside
6. Bathtime
7. Icecream
8. Dogs
9. Hide and seek with Noah
10. Daddy