Mike and Anna Marum

Going into the weekend we thought we might be going to Chelan with the Abulhosn's to soak up what likely will be the last rays of the year. Instead we were treated to a visit by Mike and Anna Marum. For those not in the know, Mike is Daddy's brother-in-law and Anna is his niece.

They arrived via train on this afternoon and were scooped up by Mommy while Daddy was left to scoop me up from ELDC... My last day as a Kangaroo (Unit 2). I am so sad to be leaving my teachers Heather Jones and Saibvhonn Lovie, but I'll dish more on that some other time.

Since Nana and Papa are gallivanting around Italy for the next few weeks, we elected to host at their house for the extra room and added comfort. A hot tub may have factored into the decision as well. With our trip to Montana fresh in the memory banks, the adults played Sequence late into the night while I caught some Z's for a big day tomorrow.

Locks with the Lights

Tonight the Beelman 3 saddled up our horses and headed down the the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in our beloved Ballard neighborhood to meet up with the Lights for a picnic and to soak up some sun.

We loaded up on yummies from Whole Foods while the Lights elected to get some gnosh from the famous Lockspot Cafe right at the entrance to the park. Clam strips, fish and fries anybody? Yummm.

The parents chit chatted while Henry and I ran around and around and around, up and down a big hill we were picnicking adjacent to. Audrey was chillin' definitely going for Amy's fries!

After a session of watching huge salmon jumping in the large berth of the locks, we headed over to view the fish moving through the ladders. I was shocked to see one of them with some serious battle scars... I wonder what happened. Sea lion? Seal? That reminds me of a joke Daddy told:

What do Tupperware and a walrus have in common?

A tight seal.

We had an ice cream nightcap from the kiosk attached to the Lockspot while getting friendly with the owner. He told us the story of recently having to quit a $30K fishing job in Alaska to come back and run his ice cream shack due not hiring good help. And it turns out he's probably ahead in the $$ department as a result... A nice little money maker if anyone is looking to will me anything.

Daily Report

This Weeks Theme: The Alphabet
Breakfast: Small All
Lunch: Small All
Snack: Small All
Slept from: 12:55 to 2:55
Supplies Needed: ( ) Blanket ( ) Sheet ( ) Clothes (X) Diapers ( ) Other

Ella raced around the playground with Sofia and Ryan "Running Miles". She also glued letters all around her paper
--Heather Jones

An Evening With Saibvhonn

Tonight my pal and teacher Siabvhonn Lovie from ELDC paid a visit to "babysit" me while Mommy and Daddy scooted to Mercer Island to enjoy a fabu meal prepared by the lovely Miss Laura Velkers. I use babysit loosely as it was actually more like a play date.

While Mommy and Daddy were deep into their hors d'oeuvres and 2004 Ladera Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, Saibvhonn and I were busy playing with my kitchen, watching Dora, Diego and the Backyardigans, chowing black olives and essentially having a great time!

This is the first time in a loooong time that someone other than Silver has been enlisted to watch yours truly... Siabvhonn was watching me because usual suspect Silver is off enjoying her honeymoon. I'm not going to play favorites, but Saibvhonn can come back anytime!

Ratatouille

After arriving home from our Montana trip relatively early today, we were looking for something to do with our evening when Mommy and I decided we'd head down to Ballard's wonderful Bay Theater and catch Ratatouille while Daddy stayed home to crunch on the mountain of images he acquired over the past week.

I was super excited since having recently been to a movie with Mom. We were lucky to gain entry in this instance as the place was SOLD OUT! My favorite character is the "little chef" named Remy and I literally yelled out loud, "Look, it's a beautiful city!" when I saw the Eiffel Tower (I am Sasha's daughter after all). Whether you're my age or a full-blown adult, you will love this movie and not much beats movie popcorn in IMHO!

Headed to Montana

Today we are heading to a house on the eastern side of Flathead Lake in Montana about halfway between the towns of Bigfork to the north and Polson to the south. The address is Yellow Bay actually and the house belongs to a former teammate of Mommy's named Tim Casey.

We'll be hunkered down with our friends the Anderson's: Jeff, Jessica, A.J. and Brenna. I foresee a great week of lounging by our private pool, dipping in the hot tub, having BBQ's, checking out Glacier National Park and eating a few cherries out of Tim's orchard under the warm Montana sun. See ya in a week!

Girl, Gimme a High Five!

Publishing the notes and comments from the ELDC daily reports are generally reserved for Mondays, but yesterday's was too good not to post:

This Weeks Theme: Seattle
Breakfast: Small All
Lunch: Small All
Snack: Small All
Slept from: 1:03 to 2:30
Supplies Needed: ( ) Blanket ( ) Sheet (X) Clothes ( ) Diapers ( ) Other

2 pairs of pants or shorts

Ella was so supportive while I was trying to fix a broken babydoll arm this morning! There was a piece stuck inside and while I was pulling it out Ella was shouting, "I know you can do it Heather!" and "Way to go!". When I finally go the piece out she said, "Girl, you better give me a high five!".
--Heather Jones

Honky Tonk Badonkadonk

When Mommy came to pick me up from school last Thursday she was greeted with an earful by my teacher Heather Jones about the constant singing to my classmates of some questionable lyrics. See, back when it was just Keith Urban there was no problem. But now that my repertoire has expanded to include Track Adkins' Honky Tonk Badonkadonk, Big & Rich's Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy and the line, "I'm just a full-grown queen bee lookin' for honey" from Play Something Country by Brooks & Dunn, some of the teachers are starting to get a little antsy about where this might be headed.

I know Daddy doesn't want to get me in trouble at school, but he'll be damned if he's going to trade in the aforementioned tunes for the Wiggles or the god-forsaken Dan Zanes! Don't believe that I'm constantly singing these songs? While banned from school due to my conjunctivitis last week, Daddy turned the mic on in the vocal booth while I was going down for a nap and captured this tidbit:

Download Ella's rendition of Honky Tonk Badonkadonk | 212KB

Daily Report

This Weeks Theme: Seattle
Breakfast: Small All
Lunch: Small All
Snack: Small All
Slept from: 1:10 to 2:40

Ella conducted her own "conference" on the steps in the classroom with Maddie and Amelia! She also painted a Seattle skyline crown with glitter paint.
--Heather Jones

Maddie Ando Play Date

Today the Dad and I met up with Collen and Maddie Ando for a little fun under overcast skies at the Wallingford Playfield. Daddy packed my bather just in case the weather broke and a dip in the wading pool was in order, but alas, the sun never really got through the clouds.

In spite of the gloomy skies, Maddie and I spent a good hour and a half running around the playground while Colleen and Daddy chit-chatted. This was our first play date so they had a lot to talk about while getting better acquainted. I got a little thrashed by some of the bigger kids on the playground, but it was a fun date all in all. Daddy and I are looking forward to the next one!

Conjunctivitus and Stye Eye

This morning the Mom, the Dad and I headed to Polyclinic Pediatrics to pay a visit to Dr. Spector so that he could have at some issues I am having with my eye.

He said that the oozing was conjunctivitus and the swelling and discoloration was a stye. The stye would work itself out and that a warm compress 2 to 3 times per day would help expedite it. For the conjunctivitus he prescribed some eye drops that would help quell an infection. He is such a crazy dude and always has me wondering if he's going to bite me like a vampire or something to that extreme. But he did give me a miniature paint set as a parting gift god luv 'em.

Being home from school to prevent the spread of icky eye infections isn't bad at all. Because Mommy was attending a Market Tour cooking class with Nana and Bonnie Kosko at Kelly Sear's Cascadia Restaurant, I actually got to pal down with Daddy at the Jingle Sweatshop, or IQ Beats as it reads on the letterhead. I watch Madagascar on the 42" plasma and played hide and seek with Michael Berlin, IQ CEO and friend of the blog.

Later on the party people started arriving to celebrate IQ composer Patrick Napper's birthday. His wife Rebecca Luke got him a decadent chocolate cake from nearby and the wickedly fantastic Macrina Bakery. But the real party started with IQ co-owner and composer extraordinaire Steve Scalfati showed up and played me some wicked licks on his Rhodes.

Did I miss daycare and all of my friends? WHAT DAYCARE?! Just kidding... See y'all tomorrow.

Daily Report

This Weeks Theme: Vacation
Breakfast: Small All
Lunch: Small All
Snack: Small All
Slept from: NO NAP
Supplies Needed: ( ) Blanket ( ) Sheet ( ) Clothes (X) Diapers ( ) Other

The first thing Ella said in class was, "Benjamin my sweet boy!" So cute! She does great in the Kookaburra room!
--Tami

Crooked Club Classic '07

The book is closed on this years edition of the annual Crooked Club Classic staged at the hospitable locale of Potholes Golf course run by Doug Lakland. The course is adjacent to the high-brow O'Sullivan's Sportsman's Resort. A new champion was crowned this year and is a friend of the blog... Mr. Geoff Ott shot a final round 40 to take home all the loot.

Playing Doctor

This evening, much to my embarrassment, as Mommy and Daddy entered my classroom at ELDC to pick me up after a long and productive day, my teacher Saibvhonn Lovie excitedly jumped all over them to tell a story from the day that had her tickled pink.

While we had the stethoscopes and doctor's smocks out for playtime, I walked over to Trevor, whom happens to be one of the cutest little boys I've ever laid eyes on, reached down to his privates and while cupping him exclaimed, "Oh, so small."

You should have seen the quizzical looks from Mommy and Daddy.