Ellie's Week With Mimi

While Brian and I wined, dined and saw the sights in California, Ellie got to spent a full week all by herself with Mimi! As far as she was concerned, from the moment my mom came down the escalator at the airport they were inseparable. Ellie cried, "Mimi!" as soon as she saw her and ran right into my mom's arms. That was it -- no one else was allowed to hold her but Mimi, which neither Brian nor I could complain about as we were leaving the next day for an entire week away from our girl... but we didn't really have any doubts otherwise. :)

From what my mom tells me they made many trips to the park, one trip up to Sabino Canyon, attended weekly story time and read LOTS and LOTS of books. My mom took a handful of pictures while we were gone and sent me a few over the course of the week.

Ellie only asked for us once when she bumped her head but apparently got over it a few seconds later. Ellie is a really good kid, but while we were gone she behaved extremely well and napped EVERY DAY which can only be the result of what my mom calls the "Grandparent Effect," where kids always behave uncharacteristically well for their grandparents. Truthfully? I think they wore each other out. :) All in all, they really enjoyed their time together and I'm so happy my mom was able to get in some good one-on-one time with Ellie before we move to Germany. And if time with Mimi wasn't enough, my dad flew in for a week the day we got back (Brian and I flew in super late that night and didn't see anyone until the next morning) and boy did he knock my mom off the pedestal in Ellie's eyes. It was all.about.Papa -- she even nudged my mom out of the chair to make room for Papa so he could read her pre-nap stories!

This girl loves her Papa!

A few funny things Ellie said/did while we were gone:

• "Oh my! Sake's alive!" -- she picked up this little phrase which has since stuck and is used to comment on all sorts of situations.
  
• Every weekday at 5pm the base plays "Retreat" followed by the national anthem to signify the end of the day. If you happen to be outside you stop whatever you're doing, or pull over if you're driving, and pause respectfully until the anthem is over. We taught Ellie fairly early on to put her hand on her heart when the anthem plays. While she and my mom were outside one evening when 5 o'clock struck, Ellie stood as she's been taught and said to my mom, "Hand on heart," (she was wearing a shirt with hearts on it) while putting her hand on the heart that was over her stomach.
• The day my dad flew in, he spent most of that afternoon relaxing on the recliner (see evidence pictures above). After dinner, he stretched out on the couch. Ellie asked him to play with her, but he politely declined saying he was too tired -- that night he went to bed before her which is saying something! Moments before this picture was taken Ellie asked Papa one more time to play, with no luck. She walked away saying, "It's ridiculous!"