The FOUR year old!

Ella

September 29th
Lincoln Square

Yes, it's true that on September 29th Miss Gabriella Marguerite turned four years old. I can hardly believe we've had her for four years. So much has happened and she has grown from our baby girl so fast into our little girl. Stop growing! I keep telling her as a joke, but sometimes I wish we could make time stand still and savor the special moments like holding your newborn for the first time and feeling the strongest instant bond.....spending long hours ummm "peacefully" discussing what her name should be.......finally naming her....... being thrilled when she rolled over, crawled, walked and said Mama as her first word (of course)........ wondering on her 2nd birthday if I would ever get to "fix" her hair in ponytails, pigtails, braids, etc. and then slowly seeing her bald head finally turn into beautiful long golden curls through four years of time..... sighing a big sigh of relief when she finally learned how to jump (seriously I once googled: "age 3 + can't jump")..... being amazed at how her long legs continue to grow and how graceful they can be in third position during ballet class..... loving her beautiful buck tooth smile and being ever so thankful we just acquired dental insurance that includes orthodontia.....wondering how on earth this innocent, sweet child has turned out so beautiful, smart, sweet, considerate, kind, caring, observant and so creative and fun by spending her days with you.....and watching her cherish and love on her baby brother like she needs nobody else in this world.....and then realizing that you can't stop time so you try to soak it all in because you know how quickly another four years will pass........

Reprise of the cake on the real birthday

This little girl loves her Papa

The infamous"If you take a mouse to school" lunchbox cake
And I thought Ella the Elephant was hard last year! (I have more pictures if you want to see them just let me know :-)

Doing the Hokey Pokey with her friends

Ella requested the events of the day: Lunch of PBJ, go see the play "If you take a mouse to school", face painting by Mama, eat cake, do the Hokey Pokey"

My favorite two faces

Ella by "Mouse"

Posing for a picture in the courtyard:
Ryan, Ella, Braden, Asha
Nicholas

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Marion have been at all four of Ella's birthday party's!
This was in the lobby of the Apollo Theatre where we saw the Emerald City Theatre production of
"If you take a mouse to school".

My little dress-up girl

Boucled'or

Goldilocks and the three bears

Ever since my Dad visited this summer and told Miss Bella the story of Goldilocks and the three bears, she has been quite enamored with it. She often wants to act it out, basically reciting the whole book and told us some time ago that she would be Goldilocks for Halloween. (Thank goodness!! No princess, etc.). So yesterday she got to wear her costume to French Wiggleworms, where we learned how to say Goldilocks in french, Boucled'or.

Then yesterday evening we met up with our friends the San Juan's and neighborhood hopped down to Lincoln Park (where we used to live as renters :-)) and went trick-or-treating on beautiful Burling Street where it is barricaded off from traffic. I can't begin to tell you how many full-size candy bars Ella got! It's all beautiful single family homes, of course with walk-up stairs--so that was a bit frustrating and wore Ella out by the end. But they were all decked out in Halloween decor-some scary, and some not. It's funny how Ella would deal with the scary things--like the very real looking skeleton hanging over a porch--when she saw it she said, "How cute!". She also really enjoyed seeing all the other kids in their costumes and would exclaim, "She looks so pretty in her costume". The three bears became a bit cumbersome with the stairs and all, so I ended up carrying them--but David and I took turns taking her up to the houses, so he had to be the three bears too :-) Overall it was a great evening. On the train home she wanted some candy out of her bag. But my good girl chose the one mini bag of pretzels she got! She did understand how to choose all the chocolate though, and did quite well with most of her selections.

On the 'L to go trick-or-treat
Going trick-or-treating with Papa

Goldilocks and the three bears

Mary (Jyothi) and her little lamb (Asha)

Pirate Ryan

This porridge is not so good afterall
Made it down some more steps with Mama
and the three bears

Urban playground

The Bean

Playing in the fountain

At the concert on Papa's shoulders

Asha & Ryan

All the kids

This week has been a constant reminder of why I love living in Chicago. Not only have all the summer activities begun, but the weather has been glorious. My favorite forecast is "mostly sunny-mid 80's inland, 10 degrees cooler at the lakefront" (that's us). The air feels wonderfully cool and fresh making you never want to go inside.

Luckily Chicago is packed with summer events, festivals, concerts, etc.! On Friday we were able to see a kids concert in the morning at Millennium Park where we then played at the bean (cloudgate) and in the Crown Fountain and had a picnic lunch with friends Heather & Braden. Then last night the Grant Park Music Festival opened and we heard world-class classical music while dining on the lawn underneath the Frank Gehry architecture with friends Alex, Jyothi, Asha & Ryan, Heather & Braden. Couldn't have been better.