Christmas in January

Wow! Is it already January 19th? I've been nagging at myself to get a new post up, but it took my sister calling me out on Facebook to finally do it.

So . . . .
Here are the Christmas pictures! I'm not really excited about them because I didn't get too many good ones (the kids move so much it's hard to get a good shot that's not blurry) and because I was taking video also I didn't take as many photos.

Daddy and Grace in her Christmas dress (thanks cousin Vanessa!)

I wanted to get just one of the traditional "kids in front of the tree" pics . . . Ella was not cooperating! This one was the best of the batch--not too bad :)

The tree is my aunt Nancy's. We stayed at her house for a few days around Christmas. Excellent accommodations! Soft queen bed, cable TV with HBO, free internet access, non-smoking, stocked fridge, complementary babysitting--we didn't want to leave!

I believe in this photo Ella was just told she actually gets to open the gifts behind her.

Grace looks worried, and she should be!

At this point you can tell Ella is quickly tiring of Momma as paparazzi . . . Grace, however, is just hitting her stride.

Good thing Uncle Greg gave up his career as a street artist . . .

Grace opening her first Christmas present . . .

The hostess with the mostess and her loyal companion look on . . .

She's used to Ella on her back, so the pillow pet is a welcome change.

Two handsome little guys :)

Kurt read us all The Night Before Christmas before Ella went to bed . . .

Christmas morning!!!

Ella has a blast opening gifts this year . . . she liked the boxes and wrap more than the gifts!

Here's what we did to Nancy! Hopefully she has recovered by now.

Ella's 2nd Birthday! (Better Late Than Never)

Ella's birthday was celebrated over the course of a few days this year. We started on her birthday, and then celebrated again when the Fergusons came into town for Thanksgiving.

Here is Ella with Aunt Sandra and the balloon she got Ella for her birthday.

Ah, the simple joys . . . to be completely happy with a balloon for your birthday!



Ella shared her night with Aunt Sandra whose birthday was in October. Mommy made a quadruple layer ice cream cake. It had two layers of lemon cake with a layer of Butter Pecan ice cream and a layer of Pralines and Cream ice cream AND a brownie bottom! Thanks to Sandra's local natural foods market, the cake, brownies, and icing were organic :)

Make a wish!

That night we went to the Aquarium because they had a member night. Ella got a happy birthday otter pin and had fun at her favorite exhibits. Here Aunt Sandra is making a rubbing of some dolphins in one of the children's areas. Ella just likes to play with the crayons :)

In that same area there are whale and dolphin fins and flippers to try on for size . . .

Daddy, Grandma, and Grace are watching Ella play in the Splash Zone. Grace is contemplating when it will be her turn.

Is Daddy just trying to help Ella see, or are we practicing for the circus?

Mommy gives Ella a kiss after putting her in her jammies before we all get in the van to go home . . . a key move when your toddler will inevitably fall asleep on the way home!

The night before Thanksgiving, we had another party for Ella and another cake so the Fergusons could celebrate with Ella. Mommy made an Elmo cake out of two cake rounds, two eggs for eyes, some tissue paper for the party hat, and one cutie for the nose :)

Make another wish!

Ella has gotten pretty darn good at unwrapping!

The big gift of the party . . . Uncle Greg's basketball hoop!

She was dunking in no time!

The Garretts Visit, a Big Owie, a Trip to the Doctor, and Finally, Solid Food!

I am overwhelmed with the amount of pics I have to catch up on, so I decided I'm just going to get one post up a day until I'm caught up; otherwise, I would never even try. This post is an attempt at a "catch all" for a few events in the past month . . . lots going on with the Grahl girls :)


These are just some cute pics of Ella at the My Museum in Monterey. We just got a membership so we can use it as a rainy day or any day play place. As you can see, it's a lot of fun for kids!

Apparently, the bulb for the blood pressure gauge can also be inserted into the ear . . . who knew?

Here's our little star . . .

Grace is finally eating solids . . . it's not her; it's me . . . I'm too lazy to have to feed another kid with a spoon and bowl. Ella is technically feeding herself, but I still don't want to have to use all the paraphernalia for both of them. Oh well . . . Grace stares me down when I eat, so I figured it was time to give in.

The girls had their 6 month and 2 year well-baby appointments . . . here they are waiting for the doctor. I thought Ella was cold, so I gave her my vest.

The Garretts came to visit us! We met them at one of Kurt's games. In this picture, I think there must have been a bad call against the Otters :)

We also went to the Aquarium!

A few nights later, Ella was in the kitchen with us as we were making dinner. I think it was a case of "we were all watching Ella, so no one was watching Ella." She touched the open oven door, and burned the palm of her hand--not too bad, but it did blister a little. Luckily, Daddy knew just what to do to make Ella feel better . . .

Halloween 2010

Halloween began on Saturday for us as I had to make treats for the cake walk at the Shoreline Church Halloween carnival. I decided to drop off the treats and stay for a while--or for as long as Ella wanted. I was unsure if she would wear her costume or even do more than cling to my leg; she has been going through a shy phase.

Here is Ella in the van on the way . . . for some reason she rode most of the way there with her bee candy bucket on her head!

This is after she won some cookies at the cake walk . . .

There was a play area with crafts and activities . . . this was a big magnetic wall where kids could rearrange metal objects.

Ella also went in the bounce house--she mainly just stood by the door, but she did bounce a little.

On Halloween we actually went to the aquarium and then to pizza to watch a little of the Giants game. Afterward, we came home, put on costumes for pictures, and passed out candy.

The only picture I got of her with the hood on . . . I had to bribe her with M&M's :)

Here she has a mouthful of M&M's--I know--I'm a bad mother!

Dividing the hoard . . . I let them play with the candy we were passing out.

It started out as a friendly sharing of candy . . .

But then Ella took Grace down when Grace tried to take Ella's M&M's!

"What did I do? I swear I didn't touch her, mom!"


So close and yet so far . . . Grace could only taste the wrapper . . .

The no-hood look . . .

There's our smiley baby!