elle » Four Against Two

My Little Boy

Oct 052011

The four in FourAgainstTwo stands for four girls. The only boy in our family, save our three dwarf hamsters is my Hubby and to show respect he is a Man not a boy.

I have often said that God knew what He was doing when he gave me girls. Boys scare me a bit. I’m not sure how I would have parented one, or more than one. I know that I would have learned on the job of course, but I still believe that with my anxiety that girls fit me better. I am amazed when I watch my nephews or my friends’ boys play. They play so different than girls. More movement, less talking, less drama and a lot more rough play! My one regret with not having a boy is not being able to have some really cool birthday parties. I would have loved to have had a Pirate Birthday party with a treasure map activity.

My youngest Elle has allowed me to glimpse into the land of boys. She is my Star Wars fan. Thanks to her I can go into the boys section in search of Darth Vader shirts and R2D2 pajamas. I also find twigs, dirt, rocks and bugs in her pants pockets when I do the laundry. She will wear the same undies for endless days as well as socks if I don’t watch her. All of these things are things that I have heard are “boyish”.

Elle is also a pack-rat-slob. I feel bad about this attribute as she got it from me and I got it from my dad. It’s a family gene. The other day I was gutting her room getting rid of the millions of items she has tucked away and I found this:

6 Pieces of gum...right beside the Disney fairy!

Chewed bubble gum. Saved for later. Yucky, but funny. Very funny. Just don’t tell her I told her so.

The Age Of Understanding

Moments with Elle 1 Response »

Apr 252011

I cannot remember when Meg hit what I call the age of understanding. A time when a child starts paying more attention to her surroundings, starts to digest conversations she overhears. I think one reason I didn’t notice when Meg came into this is because she was the oldest. We expected more from her. She had to be smart, polite, brave… I wish I hadn’t had such high expectations of her, not because she couldn’t do these things but because of the pressure we put on her. This is what we tend to do with our firsts. Mita and Enu came to us at ages six and eight so we did not have the opportunity to watch them reach this milestone.

Elle, however, is the baby. Her growth and maturity always catches me by surprise. I’m not ready for her to grow up. I know she will, but I treasure her youth and try to hang on to it.

The other day we were sitting outside on our porch, just Elle and I. I was reading her a Magic Treehouse book. She is really serious when she asked,”Mom, can I ask you something?” She then goes on to ask about a conversation she overheard between Hubby and I a couple of days earlier. She is confused and asking me to clarify. She was so grown up, so articulate. My heart was full of pride and sadness.

Then on Easter morning we were watching the news. They were showing a reporter trying to find an Easter Service in China. The Chinese had guards at a popular church site and were turning people away. The reporter told a police officer “Happy Easter” to see what the response would be. Meg happened to walk in and say Happy Easter about that time. I murmured not in China and Elle says yeah, they are having a crack down. Hubby and I looked at each-other with surprise. She is watching and understanding the news?

The age of understanding isn’t always convenient for parents, we have to watch our conversions a little more closely now around her. It seems Hubby and I can only talk like big people after 9pm now!

I took this over Easter weekend. I think it is the best shot I have ever personally taken of my littlest girl.

Does she have to grow up?

Photo Credit Mandy W. 2011

Wordless Wednesday: I Wish Every Child Was So Loved

Moments with Elle, Wordless Wednesday 1 Response »

Mar 022011

Princess Leia Rocks!

birthday, Moments with Elle 1 Response »

Dec 192010

I just had to share this picture from the party on Sunday.

Princess Leia and my Elle. Dreams do come true!

Wordless Wednesday: How A Five Year Old Loads The Dishwasher

Moments with Elle, Wordless Wednesday 6 Responses »

Jun 162010

Elle of course

For More Wordless Wednesday check this out!

Photo Credit Mandy W. 2010

You Capture: Fun

Moments with Elle, You Capture No Responses »

Jun 112010

This week Elle was out riding bikes with a neighbor. This is the first summer the kids have had neighborhood friends. It is so nice to hear them running back and forth from each others houses. We lived in the country with no close neighbors, save the grandparents, for the first four years of Elle’s life. Now she is a big five and a half year old running with the gang!

Still she has her sense of style as noted in this picture. Notice how the camo pants set off the purple and pink just so, with her summer dress blowing in the wind. At least she is wearing shoes now, even if they are rain boots!

Check out more You Capture at I Should Be Folding Laundry. Next weeks theme is Water. I should get some good shots at King’s Island this weekend.

Photo Credit: Mandy W. 2010

A First For Elle

Moments with Elle 1 Response »

Oct 052009

Last Saturday Elle went to her first “friend” birthday party. She was invited by a girl at school for a Pizza Hut party. How proud she was when she climbed in the car and said,”Mom, I got a birthday invitation!” We quickly RSVP’d and she knew she wanted me to buy some “Pet Shops” as a gift.

In the spirit of the three R’s (reduce, reuse, recycle) I bought a Tinker Belle Halloween Candy bag to put the Littlest Pet Shops in so that she could reuse the bag. Elle made three cards in the spirit of using as much paper as possible!

As we got into the car on party day, she asks me, “When are you picking me up mom?”. I told her that I was staying for the party, that she just wasn’t old enough yet to go by herself. This made her grumble a bit and I think she may have rolled her eyes, but I cannot confirm that (denial:). On the way out of the driveway her three older sisters were yelling at Elle to “Have Fun” and “Bring us back candy” as they were very happy for her. Elle screams back at them to let the dog and the cat in and out while she’s gone! Letting the pets in and out is Elle’s chore and she takes it very serious obviously.

She is growing up way to fast. Here is a picture of her right before we left for the party. Note that she is looking a bit goth/grunge/tinkerbellish in her new over-sized dress, white capris and Enu’s old boots that are three sizes to big! I have a feeling this is not a phase she is going to grow out of, and she will always be my “creative dresser”!

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Photo by Mandy W. 2009

A Sweet Gift From Elle

Moments with Elle 2 Responses »

Jun 162009

I was taking a bit of a nap today (I bribed Meg to watch Elle while I layed down) when Elle wandered up to my room (Where was my paid help?) and asked me if I was hungry. I told her no, I was fine and she said,”If you were hungry I would make you food.” I of course told her that I was hungry and she could make me food. She ran off and I went back to resting.

I had assumed that she meant her fake food she often shares with us. She will walk around with a pad of paper and a pen and make us write down what we want to eat and then give us a plate full of what ever she finds in her plastic kitchen.

After the phone brought me out of my not-so-slumber slumber I ran into Elle in the Kitchen. She had a cookie sheet with a napkin on it, a small pile of ketchup, two burnt french fries (left over from lunch), a buttered bagel, pepperoni, applesause, four teddy grahms and a banana (she had a big sissy help her peel it). This was the sweetest gift from her. She had worked hard and was so proud of herself!

Elle tries so hard to be big like her sisters and I want her to stay little. I cannot stop the clock and deep down I don’t want to. Elle shows such a compassion towards people, animals and insects. Watching her grow and become who she is meant to become will be an amazing thing to experience. I will miss my little baby though, when she is all grown up and starts rolling her eyes at me!