What Ellery Says

TOO MUCH IS JUST RIGHT

2011-09-08T09:35:00.000-07:00

Ellery: That Vanilla Pistachio soap smells so good! Sometimes I overdo it. Well...I always overdo it.

THAT'LL SHOW HER

2011-08-30T13:12:00.000-07:00

Ellery: I want to show Lizzie how much I love her and not just for her iPad and phone.

Mom: How are you going to do that?

Ellery: I'll wear my special shoes!

A WISH GRANTED ALMOST INSTANTLY

2011-05-11T16:09:00.000-07:00

Dane and Maggie were poised at the edge of the Alderwood Mall fountain, ready to receive their wishing pennies.

"What are you going to wish for?" Aunt Monica asked Maggie.

"I'm going to wish for a stuffed animal teddy bear," Maggie said.

"Dane, what are you going to wish for?"

"I'm going to wish for a penny to throw in there," Dane declared.

MY LITTLE GRAMMARIAN

2011-02-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

Ellery and Mom were getting ready to go to the zoo.

"Here's your shoes," Mom said as she handed them to Ellery.

"It would sound better to say, 'Here are your shoes.'" Ellery corrected gently.

2011-02-18T17:43:00.001-08:00

Ellery had been sick all week. She told me sadly, "I feel a little unconscious in my belly."

***

When she returned to school after missing a whole week, Ellery was very excited to see everyone and to have everyone see her. It happened to be Valentines Day, however, and her classmates were all buzzing about what kind of valentines and party snacks they had brought.

Disappointed at their lack of interest in her, Ellery said tragically, "It's like I don't even exist!"

WHAT DANE SAYS

2011-02-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Dane discovered a cut on his foot. He immediately called Mimi to tell her all about his "short cut."

Dane and Mimi were playing with beads. A little later, Dane asked, "Mimi, could we play with those beetles again?"

Dane: Mimi, could you give me too many crackers?

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO SOLVE A MATH PROBLEM

2011-01-18T17:37:00.000-08:00

Ellery was working on her homework.

Kim has 7 toy cars. Sam has 6 toy cars. How many toy cars do they have? Show your strategy for solving.

Ellery drew herself with a talk bubble saying, "Mom, what's 7+6?" and Mom with a talk bubble saying, "13."

MOM JUST CAN'T TELL A JOKE

2010-11-29T16:47:00.000-08:00

Ellery: How are an elephant and a tree the same?

Mom: They both have trunks?

Ellery: (disappointed) I was supposed to say that and it was supposed to be funny.

IN TRAINING

2010-11-25T23:06:00.001-08:00

Mom came into the living room to see Ellery perched on a stool, a towel spread out in front of her and her feet in a little Tupperware container full of water.

"What are you doing?" Mom asked, bewildered.

"I'm practicing getting my feet cold for when I play in the snow."

THANKSGIVING

2010-11-25T09:53:00.000-08:00

Mom: I'm thankful I have you for a daughter.

Ellery: Me too. And I'm thankful for good food. And I'm thankful for Henry (the parrot). Are you still thankful for Henry even though he just peed?

BAD DREAMS

2010-10-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Ellery came down in the middle of the night, crying.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I had a bad dream," she whimpered.

"You can get into bed with me," I said.

"Okay. Wait..." she said with the air of someone about to make a serious mistake, "Mom, do you have sharp teeth?"

"No!"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I have the same teeth I always have."

"Okay," she conceded, "I hope Jack Frost doesn't chase me and eat me."

LITTLE PIXIE

2010-10-21T17:05:00.000-07:00

I gave Ellery a job to organize all my thread spools by color into the new storage containers I bought. She enjoyed that so much that I suggested she organize all her hair ornaments into the leftover containers. She was happily sorting when she called out, "Mom, pretend you don't know who is organizing your stuff. I want it to be like The Elves and the Shoemaker."

THE THINGS WE HOLD DEAR

2010-09-11T12:57:00.001-07:00

I was clipping Ellery's fingernails. "Be careful of the pinkie," she cautioned, "it's very special to me.

LOTS TO THINK ABOUT

2010-09-03T08:49:00.000-07:00

Ellery was tossing and turning in bed while I was reading in her room. "You need to go to sleep," I told her.

"I just have a lot on my mind," she told me.

"Like what?"

"I was just thinking about if mermaids were real, and if they are, how we could send supplies down for them to build a playground."

CUE THE DRAMATIC MUSIC

2010-09-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

Ellery and I were walking through a silent parking garage. "It's quiet," Ellery remarked, then added suspensefully, "...too quiet."

SIMILARITIES

2010-08-31T10:06:00.000-07:00

Ellery was showing all the wallpapers she had saved on my Ipad. She has several categories she enjoys, including cute baby animals, Anime girls and pictures of food. She was showing a picture of coffee beans and she said, "I don't know why I saved this one."

Maybe because you thought it was chocolate," Emily suggested. Sometimes coffee beans look like chocolate."

"And so does goat poop. And M&Ms."

STILL LEARNING THE FINER POINTS OF THE GAME

2010-08-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

Maggie called down the stairs to her Hide and Seek playmates, "I'm going to go hide upstairs, in my bed, under the covers."

WHAT MITCHELL SAYS

2010-08-22T12:14:00.001-07:00

Mitchell: Hey Nick, you know who's really good at finishing things?

Nick: No. Who?

Mitchell: The Finnish!

* * * * *

Janice (to Ellery): Oh, your hair looks so beautiful!

Mitchell (deliberately misunderstanding): Why thank you.

Janice: Mitchell, I really love your humility.

Mitchell: Don't you think I should get an award for my humility?

NEW MATH

2010-08-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Ellery was playing a game with a balloon, trying to keep it of the ground. At first, she gave herself 10 chances for it to touch the ground. When she had used those chances, she said, "It's okay, I still have ninety-ten chances left."

"I don't think that's a real number," Sarah said doubtfully.

"It is," Ellery assured her. "You just don't hear it very often."

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT PEANUT

2010-07-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Mom were discussing Peanut, Ellery's imaginary pet mouse.

Mom: You've had Peanut for a long time, haven't you?

Ellery: Yes. I think since I was four. And now Peanut's cousins live with us too. I don't know why.

Mom: Her cousins live with us?

Ellery: Yes. Her whole family does. Well, not her mom and dad. Her mom lives in Hawaii and her dad is fighting in the war between the mice and the rats.

Mom: Oh my!

Ellery: Actually the mice already won the war. If they had lost, then all of Peanut's family would have to go live with the rats. But since the mice won, they got all the rats' stuff. Now Peanut's family is rich!

NOT EQUIVALENT

2010-06-20T20:41:00.001-07:00

At bedtime:

Dad: Ellery have you brushed your teeth yet?

Ellery: No, but I am making my own time capsule.

THERE'S A LOT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME

2010-06-13T18:15:00.000-07:00

Dad was reading The Voyage of the Dawn Treader to Ellery. They were at her favorite part with the Dufflepuds.

Dad: So the Dufflepuds were kind of like the wizard's servants.

Ellery: You mean his minions?

Dad (taken aback): I guess so.

Ellery: I was a minion once.

Dad: You were?

Ellery (shaking her head slowly at the memory): It's a long story.

WHAT DANE SAYS

2010-06-07T22:07:00.001-07:00

Liz to her two-year-old son Dane: Dane, can I have a kiss?

Dane: No!

Liz: Why not?

Dane: Because that is not how I roll.

NOT WHAT, BUT WHERE

2010-05-28T11:41:00.001-07:00

Mom: What would you like for your birthday?

Ellery: Whatever you get, would you make sure it's made in...CHINA!

IT'S NOT ME, IT'S YOU

2010-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

I had two-year-old Jack and two-month-old Joey while Emily was at the gym and I also had a very insistent Ellery. "Watch this, Mom! Push me in the swing! Move Jack!"

I gave Jack a snack of goldfish crackers and he wanted to share with Ellery. "I want my own goldfish crackers," she said bossily.

"You're very demanding," I commented.

"Okay, okay," she said. Then, under her breath, "Let just say it's your fault."

BABY STEPS

2010-05-18T09:50:00.000-07:00

Ellery hates to get water in her eyes or on her face. During swimming lessons when it was time to put her face in the water, she would just smile sweetly and not do it. The teacher wanted her to blow bubbles in the water and Ellery brought a straw from home so she could blow bubbles without getting her face wet.

Gwyneth and Greg were in the pool and Greg was swimming around like a fish, diving down and paddling happily. Meanwhile, Gwyneth was using all of her considerable persuasive skills to coax Ellery to put her feet in the pool, then to sit on the ladder and then to move a few inches from the ladder.

Liz commented later that she was so impressed at how Greg could swim. Ellery said indignantly, "Aren't you impressed that I put my foot on the second step?"

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE

2010-05-17T14:56:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Mom were on the elevator on the Golden Princess cruise ship. It was formal night and Ellery was wearing a beautiful dress with satisfying amounts of pink fluffiness.

"You look like a princess," and older gentlemen said to Ellery.

"Thank you," she answered demurely. After he exited, she added, "I won't disagree with him."

WHAT WOULD TOM AND PADMA SAY?

2010-05-15T09:23:00.000-07:00

Mom: Would you like a bite of my apple pie?

Ellery: Yes please!

Mom: It has vanilla sauce with it.

Ellery: (looking at the plate suspiciously) That's not the vanilla sauce I was dreaming of.

THE SNEAKY CLUB

2010-05-14T16:06:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Mom, you're so tricky! You're as tricky as I am!

Mom: Why do you say that?

Ellery: 'Cause when I wanted Moon Sand for Christmas, you said no and then you sneak got it! You're as sneaky as I am. Welcome to the club! (but not the booger picking club)

MY SISTER THE CRACK DEALER

2010-05-14T16:04:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Lizzie, why don't you work at the crack shop anymore?

Liz: I don't believe I ever worked at a crack shop!

Mom: What did the crack shop look like?

Ellery: It had lots of cracks (Crocs) in it.

(Liz used to work at a shoe store.)

BOSS LADY

2010-04-29T14:53:00.001-07:00

Ellery likes to sit at the little coffee table, surrounded by her papers, markers, toys, dishes from snacks, clothes she's changed into and out of and various other bits and pieces. As I was cleaning house, I kept urging her to clean up her little domain. After repeated nagging, Ellery complained, "I don't want to do my job. I don't feel well."

I replied, "I don't feel well either and I still have to do my job."

"Let me guess," she said grumpily, "your job is bossing me."

BEDTIME TALK

2010-04-21T21:07:00.000-07:00

Ellery was in bed, not asleep, keeping up a running monologue of play talk. I was in the next room, pretty much tuning it out until my ears picked out the rallying cry, "All right everyone--let's get punching!"

ROAD SAFETY

2010-04-15T18:49:00.001-07:00

Ellery is getting to be a good reader. She and I were driving along on a bright spring day and she warned, "Mom! Watch For Ice!"

THE BASIS OF A GOOD RELATIONSHIP

2010-04-15T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Dad went to the park. When they got back, I asked Ellery, "Did you see anyone you knew?"

"No," she replied, "but I did see someone who would be good for me to marry."

"Oh! What made him a good person to marry?" I wondered.

"Well," she said, "he likes to smell flowers and so do I."

ELLERY AND GREG, CHILD INVENTORS

2010-03-30T17:59:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Greg came into the room talking excitedly. "We're going to make a kind of glue that will stick forever!"

"How are you going to make it?" I asked.

They thought about it and didn't have a ready answer.

As they were walking through the kitchen, Ellery had an inspiration. "Honey!" she exclaimed, "Honey's really sticky! Mom, can we use the honey to make the stickiest glue in the world?"

OPINION POLL

2010-03-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

"CHEETOS!" Ellery proclaimed from the back seat. "Cheetos are the most popular chip in Washington!"

She said it with such conviction that I had to believe it.

WHAT GUS AND AMELIA SAY

2010-03-22T09:11:00.001-07:00

Gus: I'm an astronaut!

Amelia: I'm a princess astronaut.

DON'T WAIT UP

2010-03-21T18:40:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Mom were going to Amelia's birthday party. As we went out the door, Ellery called over her shoulder to Glenn, "Bye! We'll be back by midnight!"

REHEARSALS

2010-03-21T18:38:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Next time Greg comes over, I'm going to do my magic trick for him.

Mom: You'd better practice then.

Ellery: Okay... (doubtfully) ...I'll need a volunteer.

FUN FOR ALL AGES

2010-03-21T18:37:00.000-07:00

Ellery said, "You're never too young or too old for bubbles.

TRANSLATOR, PLEASE

2010-03-11T21:17:00.000-08:00

Ellery said, "When I say 'Seussie Awards,' that means 'come closer' in my new language."

WHAT DANE SAYS

2010-03-10T23:52:00.001-08:00

Dane (age 2) and Mimi were playing in the playroom when the phone rang. While Mimi was talking to Gwyneth on the phone, Dane went next door to Papa's shop and found a board. He came out wielding it like a bat.

"Can you put that back where you found it?" Mimi asked.

"Well, not quite," answered Dane. He obviously had plans for that board. Indeed, he found several inventive ways of playing with it which, luckily for Mimi, did not include clouting.

WHAT GREG SAYS

2010-03-05T18:56:00.000-08:00

Greg asked his mother, "Is Marcedes the same as Marcedes Benz?"

"Yes," replied Gwyneth, "but actually, it's Mercedes."

Greg thought about this for a minute and then said, "Mercedes is really easy to make fun of because it sounds like turd ladies."

CUTE AS A...GRAPE?

2010-03-01T23:14:00.001-08:00

Ellery and Mom were eating a bowl of grapes when Ellery found a teeny tiny miniature grape. "Oh, it's just so cute!" she exclaimed, "It reminds me of Baby Joey!"

MAY I BE EXCUSED?

2010-02-25T19:01:00.001-08:00

After eating dinner at IHOP, Ellery announced, "I'd like to refresh myself in the Women's Room."

LITTLE EVANGELIST

2010-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

"Ellie doesn't believe in God," Ellery reported sadly.

"Oh, that's too bad," I replied, "Maybe nobody has ever taught her about God."

"We tried and tried to tell her but it didn't work!" she said.

"What did you say?" I asked curiously.

"We said, 'Why do you think we celebrate Christmas, then?'"

PAIN AND DELIGHT

2010-02-25T18:55:00.001-08:00

We were going to stop by Jason and Liz's house. "Oh, good! Maybe Jason will play with us!" Ellery said, excitedly.

"I bet he will--he's a good player," I agreed.

"It's always so fun to play with Jason," Ellery commented, "and painful."

(Jason does play with the kids very wildly but they all love it so much.)

TEMPERATURE CONTROL

2010-02-15T21:06:00.000-08:00

We were driving in the car and I turned off the heat. "Do you wonder why it's so warm in here?" Ellery asked with a little mischief in her voice.

"Did you turn on your heat?" I asked, referring to the control in the middle seat.

"Yes, but not today. It was the day we went to Andy's parents' house for Fourth of July." (eight months earlier) "'Cause I was so cold."

"Would you rather be too hot or too cold?" I asked her.

"You call it hot but I call it WARM," was her reply.

WHAT GREG SAYS

2010-02-14T20:48:00.000-08:00

"In 32 years, it will be the future," Greg said confidently. "My dad said so."

GOTTA GET READY

2010-02-04T21:10:00.000-08:00

I was sitting on the couch and Ellery was walking by on her way to the bathroom. She suddenly stopped and did an odd caper while spouting nonsense syllables. She resumed her normal walking and explained, "I was just practicing being silly for when Joey is born."

SHRIMP IS SO FIVE MINUTES AGO

2010-01-28T16:11:00.000-08:00

Sampling at Costco:

Fruit leather?

"No fank you."

Teriyaki chicken?

"Yes, please."

Spaghetti?

"Yes, please."

Cocoa?

"Yes, please."

Tilapia?

"No fank you. I only like shrimp."

Shrimp scampi?

"No fank you."

Shrimp with cocktail sauce?

"No fank you. Shrimp used to be my life but not anymore. Now spaghetti is my life."

BODY LANGUAGE

2009-12-28T17:23:00.000-08:00

Ellery was dancing and wiggling as she asked me a question.

"Do you need to go to the bathroom?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then why are you standing like that?" I wondered.

"This is just my happy stand," was the answer.

YOU ARE WHEN YOU EAT

2009-12-28T17:22:00.000-08:00

Ellery: I'm never going to eat after an ape.

Monica: Why not?

Ellery: I DON'T KNOW!! Maybe it will be a trap?

CHRISTMAS EDITION

2009-12-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

While riding in the car playing Christmas trivia:

Mom: What did the three wise men bring as a gift for Jesus?

Ellery: A pony!

While jumping on Mom and Dad's bed after opening her stocking:

"This is the best Christmas ever!"

After returning home on Christmas day:

Ellery: This is going to change my life forever!

Mom: What?

Ellery: This! (patting the Dora hopping ball that Corin and Josh gave her) Forever.

While cuddling on the couch with Mom:

Mom: Will you sit on my lap?

Ellery: Why?

Mom: Because I'm cold.

Ellery: (in a longsuffering tone) Okay. Just this once.

2009-11-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Driving to Thanksgiving Dinner we suddenly hear an outburst of triumphant and diabolical laughter coming from the back seat, "HA HA HA HA HA!"

"What?" I asked Ellery.

"Oh nothing," she answered mysteriously.

NOT YOU, CONTINUED

2009-11-21T19:12:00.000-08:00

Ellery: What letter do you like best?

Mom: I like them all.

Ellery: In all the world, what is your favorite?

Mom: Well, in the Russian alphabet, there's a letter that sounds like "shch."

Ellery: What is the name of that letter?

Mom: I don't know.

Ellery: Maybe Valnat?

NOT YOU

2009-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

In the car:

Ellery: I love you.

Mom: I love you too!

Ellery: No, I meant the letter U.

THE JACKET ALWAYS COMPLETES THE OUTFIT

2009-11-13T08:50:00.000-08:00

Ellery was getting dressed for school. She had on a light pink shirt, light pink pants, pink socks and boots and a pink bow in her hair. We were debating about the sweater. I couldn't find the dark pink sweater that would match the dark pink boots. I found a brown sweater and then a pink and brown sweat jacket.

She had on the sweat jacket when she spied the fuzzy pink coat. "I'll wear that!" she exclaimed happily. As she discarded the inferior jacket, she muttered to it under her breath, "Goodbye, loser!"

NO ONE LIKES A DIRTY MIND

2009-11-04T23:08:00.000-08:00

Ellery: My brain is clean.

Mom: What do you mean?

Ellery: The top section is "Food I Like." (She had just discovered something new she liked to add to this section--garlic bread.)

The middle section is "Colors I Like." Did you know I like green now?

Mom: Oh! That's interesting.

Ellery: Most people's brains are all messy but mine is organized.

WHAT GREG SAYS

2009-10-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

In the car, on the way to IHOP:

Greg: One time my brother stopped believing in God but then he got sent to bed early and he started believing in God again.

I'M SURE YOU'RE WONDERING WHY I'VE CALLED YOU ALL HERE...

2009-10-28T18:47:00.000-07:00

We were at the pumpkin patch with Ellery's Girl Scout troop. We were part of a group of a dozen or so girl scouts and parents navigating the corn maze. At a corn crossroads, we paused to wait for the rest of the group to catch up. Once everyone straggled up, Ellery asked, "Now that we're all here--what are we doing here?"

SOMEWHERE AN INDIAN IS CRYING

2009-09-19T17:11:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Somebody glittered.

Mom: (looking around for extra sparkle) Where?

Ellery: Right there (pointing at a wrapper on the ground). Somebody is a glitterbug.

THE KNEE BONE'S CONNECTED TO THE...

2009-09-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

Ellery: My ankle hurts.

Mom: What hurts?

Ellery. My ankle. You know, my foot wrist?

HAVE IT YOUR WAY

2009-09-17T18:57:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Mom will you make me a jelly sandwich, cut it into thirds, and I will just eat the top left hand corner?

Mom: No! I'm not going to make you a sandwich if you're not going to eat it.

Ellery: (resignedly) Okay. I'll eat the other corners.

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW

2009-09-08T23:10:00.001-07:00

Ellery and I attended a meeting about kindergarten. It was mostly information about how they have so many kindergarteners that they're adding a third class. I had prepped Ellery about how when there was someone up in front talking, we needed to listen politely. There was a question and answer time and, after the principal had asked several times if there were any more questions, Ellery raised her hand. I pulled it back down and asked her in a whisper what her question was.

"I was just going to ask if we could be done listening to her," she replied.

STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS

2009-09-04T11:38:00.000-07:00

Ellery has had a cold and we've been trying to get her to cover her cough. She knows about covering her mouth with her hand and coughing into her elbow. The other night when Glenn got home, she told him excitedly, "I found a new place to cough so no one gets my germs! Under your desk!"

The next day, she discovered that she could spare those around her exposure to her germs by coughing into her shoe.

RANKINGS

2009-08-27T10:28:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Pepperoni is number one in real life.

Mom: What's number two?

Ellery: (thoughtful pause) Love.

CAN'T ARGUE WITH DESTINY

2009-08-23T15:32:00.000-07:00

Ellery: I'm putting all my Polly Pockets in a dungeon.

Mom: Oh no!

Ellery: It's just their fate.

JUST WARNING YOU

2009-08-20T12:37:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Mom, if you see a fishing pole attached to an umbrella...RUN!

OH, THAT'S WHY

2009-08-20T12:36:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Mom, I'm so wobbly because I went to sleep and I felt this wobbly feeling of mine.

WHAT WAS I SAYING?

2009-08-04T21:21:00.000-07:00

Ellery woke up crying in the night. I took her to the bathroom and as I was tucking her back into bed, she said sleepily, "Uh, Mom? Can I ask you something?"

...long, drowsy pause...

"I really like pink."

CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR

2009-08-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Emily: Ellery, I was at the library today and I saw some books about kindergarten. I almost got them for you.

Ellery: Oh! That was almost so sweet of you!

SIZE MATTERS

2009-07-27T21:20:00.000-07:00

Ellery is always looking for an excuse to get out of bed. The other night, she came out and said plaintively, "Guys, my hand is itchy."

"Well, scratch it!" I replied.

"I can't scratch it with these little fingers!" she retorted indignantly.

I gave it a good scratch with my big fingers, she gave a contented sigh, and headed back to bed.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

2009-07-21T17:58:00.001-07:00

Ellery was going to visit Grandma Vi and said in anticipation, "Mom, you know what I like about going to Grandma's house?"

"No, what?" I replied.

Ellery's eyes looked dreamily off in the distance and her voice took on a tone of wonderment as if she were anticipating a trip to Fairyland. "She never makes me clean!" she marveled. "I always make a mess and I never have to clean it up!"

TAKE THIS DOWN

2009-07-20T22:58:00.000-07:00

Ellery: Mom, will you write something down for me?

Mom: Sure, what is it?

Ellery: It's a list of what I need to make my new invention.

Mom: Okay. Go ahead.

Ellery: - a mystery part,

- I really, really need some bandages in case it breaks,

- a cup with juice in it,

- a ball.

IT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING

2009-07-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

We were on our way to Bixby's faraway birthday party. Ellery was already disconsolate due to receiving four shots the previous day. After we'd been driving for almost an hour, she asked her sister woefully, "Liz? Are we in the middle of nowhere?"

"Yes, Ellery. Yes we are."

"That's my problem!" she burst out in despair.

GOTTA HAVE FAITH

2009-07-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

After I nagged Ellery to clean up her clutter one too many times:

Ellery: Did you hear me praying?

Mom: No. What were you praying about?

Ellery: I was praying that you would like messes.

BRAIN POWER

2009-07-08T23:05:00.000-07:00

The garage door was not working properly and Glenn was working on fixing it. It was time for me to go. I headed out to the garage and Ellery said, "You can't go! The door doesn't work!"

"Oh no!" I replied. "What should I do?"

"I don't know," said Ellery.

"Can you think of an idea?" I asked.

"Okay, I'll try," she said. "I'm going to think big! You'd better stand back."

IN MY OWN SWEET TIME

2009-06-21T20:39:00.000-07:00

Glenn was urging Ellery to get ready for bed and she was, as usual, distracted by many things on the way to the bathroom to brush her teeth. As Glenn kept directing her to the job at hand, Ellery said reproachfully, "In all my life, I have never heard someone so bossy!"

INNOVATIONS

2009-06-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

"Mama, what did they do before they invented fun?"

A DIFFERENCE IN PERCEPTION

2009-06-17T16:13:00.000-07:00

We were on the way to IKEA with Emily and Jack when Ellery said matter-of-factly to Emily, "Do you smell something awful? If you do, it's my dress. It stayed in the washer for a long time and didn't go in the dryer."

Backstory: Ellery picked out her own clothes and she picked one of her favorite short-sleeved dresses. I sniffed it and said, "Oh, this doesn't smell very good (explaining about being wet for too long), shall we put it in the wash?"

Ellery sniffed it and replied, "I think it smells wonderful!" I want to wear it!"

LOOKING FORWARD TO KINDERGARTEN

2009-06-10T22:48:00.001-07:00

We were headed for Garfield Elementary where there was to be an orientation for incoming kindergarteners. Ellery was talking about what she hoped would happen. I can't remember her exact words but she was hoping she would be "teachened."

FIVE-YEAR-OLD EDITION

2009-06-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

Ellery was looking forward to seeing her friend Olivia for the first time since she turned five. "I hope I'm taller than her now," she said.

Surprisingly, Olivia was still three inches taller than Ellery, just like she was when Ellery was four.

Ellery tipped over on her stool and the stool fell on top of her. "Things like that happen all the time to five-year-olds," she said tearfully.

OH, THE INJUSTICE!

2009-05-28T22:56:00.000-07:00

I let Ellery stay up a little later than usual because she was so full of high spirits and fun. When I said it was time for bed, she travelled the distance from the living room to her bedroom on her knees, pleading, "Mercy! Mercy! Please, mercy!"

PRESCHOOL WAS GREAT BUT...

2009-05-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

An excerpt from Ellery's goodbye/thank you card to her preschool teacher, Mrs. VandenBosch:

"...and I wish we could have done unicorn for U instead of umbrella because I like unicorns."

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

2009-05-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

We were headed out to the grocery store when Ellery dawdled in the alley. "Let's go, honey!" I urged.

"Oh! Sorry Mom!" she replied. "I was just practicing my pink flower Spring power moves."

FASHION EXPERT

2009-05-16T16:48:00.000-07:00

Ellery and Mom were getting ready to go to a yard sale with Dane and Liz.

"Do you need a jacket?" I asked her?

"Yes, I think so," she replied. Then in an instructive tone she added, "Because the coat always completes the outfit."

MOTHER'S DAY

2009-05-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Ellery's Mother's Day card as dictated to Emily:

Ellery: I love Mommy. Jackson has a balloon and I'm getting an orange smoothie.

Emily: What do you want to tell Mom about how much you love her?

Ellery: Tons. All the way up to my love line.

Emily: Thank you Mom for...

Ellery: ...the food that you cook for me for dinner.

Thanks for playing with me when Dane comes here.

Thanks for being my mommy forever and ever.

And write a picture of me and her hugging each other, will ya?

BE KIND TO YOURSELF

2009-05-06T12:58:00.001-07:00

Ellery was speaking softly and tenderly to her freshly scraped knee:

"I'm sorry I falled and hurt you.

A BUDDING SONGWRITER

2009-05-03T20:34:00.000-07:00

Ellery was humming quietly to herself and then she brightened and said, "Mom I made up a song that has two parts. Do you want to sing it with me?"

"Of course!" I replied. "What's my part?"

With a little shimmy of her shoulders, she instructed, "Possible...Possible...Possible..." giving it a jazzy rhythm with a questioning emphasis on the last syllable.

I imitated as well as I could, including the sassy shake of the shoulders as Ellery joined in with her part, alternating with mine.

"Cracker! Cracker! Cracker!"

THE POWER OF ADVERTISING

2009-04-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ellery looked up from the TV show she was watching and said, "Mom, can you buy me goosey goose?"

Using my translating skills, I asked, "Juicy juice?"

"Yes," she answered, "So I can shine a little more? Please?"

BIOLOGY 101?

2009-04-12T16:06:00.001-07:00

Ellery: How do mermaids sleep?

Mom: I'm not sure. Maybe it's kind of like how fish sleep.

Ellery: How do fish sleep?

Mom: I'm not sure. I think they kind of just slow down.

Ellery: But Mom, if you had a robot fish and you put it in the water, it would do everything you command.

SPOKEN LIKE A TRUE SHIKSA

2009-04-12T16:04:00.000-07:00

Singing in the car:

"I've got the goy, goy, goy, goy down in my heart..."

NOW'S MY CHANCE!

2009-04-10T21:31:00.000-07:00

After being led astray by mapquest, we found our way again, thanks to Glenn's GPS. When we got to an area that looked familiar, Ellery said, "Finally, we're back to normal." After a brief pause, she said, "I've always wanted to say that."

TRANSLATOR, PLEASE

2009-04-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

How Ellery says certain words:

Flee = Three

Kitten = Chicken (especially interesting when ordering chicken nuggets)

Gunda Gim (hard Gs on both) = Jungle Gym

Ginda Bells = Jingle Bells

Mine = My ("Mine eye! Mine eye!" or "Sometimes mine panties get stuck in mine butt")

Lemlade = Lemonade

Keets = Cheeks

Dup = Jump

Fetid Keys = Feta Cheese (she loves it)

NEW EVERY MORNING

2009-04-05T21:35:00.000-07:00

Ellery said, "Every night my nose grows new boogers and I have to pick them out."

WHAT AM I DOING WRONG?

2009-04-05T21:34:00.000-07:00

I noticed Ellery out of the corner of my eye, hopping and dancing around. I didn't pay much attention until she said plaintively, "Mom, I keep trying to fly but I just can't!

CARIBBEAN EDITION

2009-04-01T22:08:00.001-07:00

Ellery was ready for bed and sitting on her bunk in our cabin. She looked solemnly at Anne and said, "GrAnne, I need to ask you something."

"You can ask me anything," Anne answered encouragingly.

(pregnant pause)

"What's two plus nine?"

Uncle Geordie had given Ellery a little gift bag that included an candy dispenser that had a fan on it. Ellery was eager to use it and she asked, "Mom, can you read the destructions?"

Greg was sitting on Gwyneth's lap and looking across the table at Grandma Jean. He noted that her cross was broken. Gwyneth didn't think it was but Greg was sure. After a moment, he said, consolingly, "Well, at least she's still a Christian."

NO, MOM, NO! DON'T SIT ON THAT

2009-03-17T09:35:00.000-07:00

After Amelia's Birthday Party

"Mom, you're sitting on my party noiser!"

BACK IN THE OLD DAYS

2009-03-04T23:49:00.001-08:00

Glenn was tucking Ellery into bed and telling her a story about when he was a boy. She loves to hear about things that happened when he was little. Tonight's story was about Dad's dog Laddie. Laddie had gotten tangled up with a skunk.

Dad: ...and then I had to give Laddie a bath in tomato juice to try and get rid of the smell.

Ellery: Oh, right. Because you didn't have water back then.