happykiddo

To see the world in pink

*sigh*  I've been seeing so many completely cute little girl beds lately, and then today I found this World in Pink bed set from Boodalee that I sooooo want.  Ella really needs to sleep with the Eiffel Tower and the Shangri-La.  Right?

I'm totally not wanting to rush Ella out of her crib, but rather am collecting ideas on ways to make her bedroom even more unique to her funny little personality. 

In the next couple of months I'll be painting a mural in her room - lots of fun color to complement the funky paper flower-balls I have hung on the ceiling over her bed.  She still needs curtains, a fun rug and some major Ikea storage for her veritable mountain of toys (and random shopping bags and boxes that she likes to collect).

All I can say is that decor8 has NOT been helping me as far as not wanting to do any more house shopping for a while, as she has posted a 2-part Baby & Kids Online Shopping Guide:  read part 1 and read part 2.  Read at your own risk!

Ella the little lady - 16.5 months brilliant

Ella has grown and grown and grown.  It's no wonder that she loves dozing off into daily deep afternoon slumbers - it feels like she gains an inch every day!

Her walking has progressed quite nicely - she has matured from a furniture clutching, tumbling Bunn to a little girl who gallops and does a very special little girlie stomp-y dance-prance all around the house.  And I do mean all around the house.  It's a multi-purpose interchangeable move that works well when exceedingly excited and also when exceedingly angry.  Very innovative.

There are so many other things that delight and amaze us about the short one.  She is almost starting to speak now.  Last night she actually told me 'ank u-ooh' after I gave her some dessert (and after I repeated 'thank you' a few times, which probably meant she just wanted me to move onto other more exciting topics of discussion). 

This polite outburst was caught in between a few 'uh ohs' which is another big household phrase right now - from all 3 of us, as Ella has joined in the chorus anytime something potentially dangerous happens (ie:  Ella falling and hitting her head on something hard, Ella trying to climb up and down stairs, Ella accidentally hitting herself in the face with something she has been holding after flailing in excitement, etc.).  So now, Ella gets kind of hurt, we all say 'uh oh' and Ella starts laughing and runs off.  Seriously, she is as resilient as they come.

We get 'mommy/mama/mom' and 'daddy' on a regular basis now and of course every small furry creature is called 'baby'.  There is really absolutely nothing like having a perfect little person call you by the Mommy name.  You just don't realize how powerful that word is until it actually describes you.  It's hands-down one of my favorite things ever.

Happy 2008!!

Ella the calendar girl

How fun - Ella's 'Baby Blue' photo was included in a Flickr 2007 video calendar.  I love seeing what the world at large is up to throughout the year!

Time to send the kiddos to India?

Really interesting article on India's growing educational system in the NY Times today -- apparently even Japan is a little leery on India's kick-butt teaching style.  And you know if they make Japan nervous that means something...

I mean, wow... just, wow:

India’s more demanding education standards are apparent at the Little Angels Kindergarten, and are its main selling point. Its 2-year-old pupils are taught to count to 20, 3-year-olds are introduced to computers, and 5-year-olds learn to multiply, solve math word problems and write one-page essays in English, tasks most Japanese schools do not teach until at least second grade.

I still can't count to 20....  although Ella is pretty at long division, so maybe there is hope for her yet.