The weather was so beautiful (hot!) Monday, that we took advantage of a free day with Aunt Anne visiting and went to the splash pad for a picnic. The kids got wet (and so did Anne), and I got sunburnt (and so did Anne), and we all got worn out. Here are some of my favorite shots from our fun time.

Katie splashing through the spray.

Isaiah trying to spray me and everyone else in his path.

Isaiah and Treyson ambushing Anne and Katie as they run through the water.

Girls Night

Last Friday was Fathers and Sons and as per our tradition, it meant a girls night for me and Katie. I set the expectations really high with a promise of painting nails, doing hair, and going shopping. So, when it came time for our girls night, Katie was pretty disappointed to find out I meant we were just going to do hair in my bathroom, with plain old normal nail polish, etc. She nearly burst into tears as she asked why we weren't going to a salon. Now, she has never been to a salon, but going to the barber shop frequently with Isaiah she has heard what the female equivalent is like. And with spectacular promises of a fun girls' night still ringing in her ears, she was understandably disappointed with the reality.

So . . .

We went to a salon. Am I a total pushover as a mom? Maybe. But it was a spectacular time; Katie felt like a princess, and I felt like the best mom ever as I watched her smile and giggle expectantly. She told the stylist she wanted it shorter and curly (like it isn't curly already!). So, the stylist trimmed it, then curled it in ringlets with a curling iron. While she was busy with that, I painted pink sparkles on her nails, and she got a swipe of my lip gloss. What more could a two-year-old beauty queen want?!

Here's a shot of the finished product (she really was happier than this, it's just hard to get a two-year-old to stand still for pictures):

A walk down memory lane and . . .

Isaiah, two days old

Katie, seven days old

Isaiah and Katie today

We're going to have another little one! Tonight was Adam's big birthday bash and we made these tshirts for the kids to announce that we are going to have another baby. We told the kids this afternoon, and their reactions were so sweet. They are very excited to have a brother (if Isaiah's prediction is correct) or sister (if Katie's prediction is correct) this fall. We're expecting the next Ellis baby November 7, making me 14 weeks pregnant.

Time Out

"Baby Ashley" has been spending a lot of time in time out lately. Unfortunately, this is why:


"Mommy Katie" has been spending a lot of time in time out herself. Naturally, she plays pretend doing the same things we do in real life. But poor Ashley is the one who really suffers; she spent all night the other night in time out, and wasn't released until Katie woke up in the morning. (The punishment was deserved, though, since Katie reported that she punched her in the stomach and poked her with a knife! At least Katie isn't usually violent. Her time-outs are usually for being defiant--drawing on the couch, ruining the window shade, yelling at Mom, etc after receiving a warning.)


I have hope that it will get better. Isaiah went through the "constant time out" phase and came out okay. Here's his incriminating photo at Katie's age:

Cinco de Mayo!

I thought this was kind of appropriate for today. Wednesday is Adam's 30th birthday, and we're having a "30 And Still Hot!" party this weekend since he likes spicy food (and it's so conveniently close to Cinco de Mayo). This is the front of the invitation.

So wish Adam a happy birthday if you see him, and have a fun Cinco de Mayo.