Our Little Hoarder

One of the reasons I started blogging was to record the things that Ella does that I don't want to forget. For a long time now, Ella has been slightly obsessed with little things that she likes to carry around with her all of the time. It started with her blankie, which we introduced to her when she was about a year old. Then, when she was two, she started asking for little things that she wanted to sleep with in her crib (pieces of paper, little booklets, stretchy frogs she got from her prize box, glow bracelets).  When she started preschool, she was allowed to take one "friend" to nap with her, and she chose with a little beanie baby sheep (thank goodness I collected those things at one point in my life). "Sheepy" was her best bud for a long time, but every now and then she'll switch him up with something else - her little dog, kitty cat, tiger. Certain objects would join her in bed for a week or two and then she would find something else that took it's place. At any given time, you will see her walking around with an armful of items - right now, it's usually her blanket, a beanie baby of some sort, her lipsmackers, and some play make-up I made for her (best idea ever). She had this thing about paper early on - I even had to laminate a dvd flyer and some zoo tickets so that they would endure toddler treatment. Now, it's turned into sticker sheets and small books. Grandma Goodwin bought her a cute little Peter Rabbit book set, and she pretty much has to sleep with them every night. She'll break out her flashlight and lay in bed to look at her books most nights before falling asleep.

I'm not sure how long this will last, but it's pretty darn cute. I know having all of these things makes her feel complete and safe, and she's good about giving them up when she is going to preschool for the day or when we are going somewhere where she can't take them. It just makes me laugh that she is so protective of something that I would probably would have just thrown away (like a small bead, a flower petal, a teeny tiny eraser). I like to think that she sees the beauty in even the littlest things. We could all learn something from that ...

Ella's grown up a lot this year. Some days, I just look at her laying in her bed or sitting in her car seat and am amazed at how big she has gotten. She has learned so much and is her own little person now. She's the happiest kid and she gets so excited when she is able to do something all on her own. She loves telling stories, singing, being silly, and making us laugh. It blows my mind that we will possibly be talking about starting kindergarten in a year and half. WOW. I am beginning to see why everyone told me to enjoy every moment while she is little - it does go by way too fast.

Here are some of my favorite Ella pics from the fall and winter:

Ella and her cousin, Grace, watching a movie ..

Playing in the leaves ...

Birthday party at Deanna Rose Farmstead ..

Bowling birthday party ..

Ella and her second cousins ...

Halloween 2012. Months ahead of time, she told me she really wanted to be a robot. We got this costume all ready, and then she freaked out about having to wear it ("I don't want to be a robot anymore! I want to be a princess now!"). After a little convincing and a reminder about the all the candy she was going to get, she sucked it up. She already told me that she wants to be a witch (like her Nana) next year.