Our Typical Saturday Morning

Our Saturday morning now consist of Ellie waking me (not daddy) up at about 6:30 or 7 (if I am lucky), and watching cartoons. I have to admit that this is probably one of my favorite times of the day. Ellie is usually her sweetest at this time. She will curl up with me on the couch or the rocking chair and watch cartoons for about an hour before she decides to get up and play. We have to watch Handy Manny and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Those are her favorite cartoons. When I would have to get ready for school and she would wake up, I would turn on the t.v and usually Handy Manny was playing and she would plop down on the floor and stare at the t.v. (yes I use the t.v as a babysitter sometimes... so sue me).

The above picture was taken one Saturday morning while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Ellie was playing and I turned it on and she sat in the floor and watched it then started to roll around until she ended up the way you see her in the picture. If memory serves me correctly, she sat like that until the show went off. So funny.

Ellie update

Just thought I would give everyone an update on Ellie. She is now 15 months old, but already acting like a 2 year old. She still doesn't have much hair on top of her head, but it is slowly coming in. I am beginning to think that I need to cut the back of her hair. It looks like a mullet!! At least I can finally put some bows in her hair though.

I have always heard people say "they grow so fast," but you never really understand it until you are a parent. Its just like hearing "Kids will change your life forever." I knew that she would change my life, but it is crazy at just how MUCH she has changed my life. My entire thought process has changed. It is crazy!! Anyways, Ellie really has grown up so fast. I can't believe that she is 15 mths. She is doing things that I think are beyond her years. For example, she can say so much! I swear she carries on a true conversation with us (even thought we might not understand her, she understands us).

Here are just some of the things that Ellie can do. You might not ever see it, but I promise she really does do these things!!!

1. Can do the UF Gator Chomp when asked "What does a gator say?"

2. When asked what at dog, cat, or tiger says she will reply, "Roarrrrrr". (Yep they all sound alike)

3. Will point to something and ask "What's that?" or "Who's that?"

4. Will attempt to brush her own hair and teeth.

5. Likes to feed herself "big girl" food (aka goldfish, nilla wafers, cheese puffs, and anything mom and dad are eating)

6. She is finally cutting her molars.

7. Loves her daycare!

8. Loves to saying Bye and Hi and wave with them.

9. Love Mickey Mouse Clubhouse

10. Loves taking a bath.

11. Loves playing outside

12. Loves to try to have a conversation with you even if you can't completely understand her.

13. Words she can say: "Momma, daddy, hi, bye, papa, eat, yeah, ball, what's that, who's that, and what's up (or at least it sounds like it to me), and Audrey and Sarah.

14. Can sign: More (like more food), milk, and please

15. Can scream louder than anyone!! And she loves to do it when she is in the car about to fall asleep. Not scream as in crying screaming. Just screaming like just felt like making noise screaming.

Well I am sure that she can do alot more, but as it is getting about 2 hours past my bed time I can not think straight. Enjoy some of the pictures from the past couple of weeks!

Ellie and Daddy looking good in their matching outfits.

Ellie was apparently taking Gabe for a ride on his tractor.

Don't remember why she was crying, but she is still cute.

Springtime Fun

Ellie taking Gabe for a ride on his tractor
Gabe was driving the "boat" that him and Ellie were in.

Daddy and Ellie. So cute!!

Daddy and Ellie in almost matching clothes. Guess mommy needs to go shopping.

Ellie in her cute outfit!!

Easter 2009

Last year was Ellie's first Easter, but really this year seemed like it. She was only a little over a month old last year so all she did was lay around. This year we got to buy a beautiful dress, Easter basket and run around playing with everyone else. She had so much fun with Cousin Gabe and Gage.

The only bad thing that happened was while at Aunt Dorothy, I came outside to take some pictures of Ellie and her great great grandparents and fell down the steps!! Her steps are of smooth concrete and my shoes did not have any tread on them (they were super slick). I just stepped wrong and couldn't catch myself and fell down two to three steps. Yeah me!! I didn't think I was really hurt. I just scratched up my foot a little and my toe (the one beside the big toe) was hurting. Well, we went on about our day and all the while it (the toe) was hurting me to the point I started to limp. Well, here it is about 7pm and I look at my foot. I mean really look and inspect it. Guess what... It is black and blue on the bottom of my foot!!!! I really think I broke it!! It isn't swelled up much, just sore and black and blue. I think I am not going to the ER though. All they will tell me is to stay off it and that isn't happening (softball season remember?!?!).

Anyways, I hope that everyone had a wonderful Easter!!

Dedication

Websters Dictionary defines dedication as self sacrificing devotion.

I want to know why this vocabulary word is not in kids minds today? I never had a problem with this. If I said I was going to do something, I did it. If I was part of a group or a team, I did everything I could to be the best at what I was doing. Especially when it came to sports. I was dedicated to my team. You would never hear me say, "Are we still playing (practicing) today?" Instead you would hear me say, "I hope this weather stays nice so we can play, do you think it will coach?" I always was at practice and at every game!!!!!! In fact I remember toward the end of basketball season, I would leave basketball practice and head straight for the softball field sothat I would not be behind in conditioning.

Never in the 4 years I have coach have I ever heard anything like that. It just seems like students today just don't care. I am so tired of having players that are not dedicated on my team. I have girls that don't want to be at practice, don't tell me they are not going to be there, leave practice early for stupid reasons (and usually doesn't tell me), won't show up for games, or leaves games early just because I didn't play them one game. That is NOT DEDICATION!!!! So what that I don't play you? If I don't play you then I have a good excuse. It is probably because you aren't doing something right!! Did you ever stop and think about that? It is not because I don't like you, it is usually because you don't try hard or care enough for me to trust you out on the field. I need 9 players that are going to give me everything they got for 7 innings and if that means playing a 7th or 8th grader over a 11th or 12th, I will!! I have to have somebody out there that is dedicated to this team and willing to practice hard and get better!!!!!!!!

I also can't stand it when I have people mad at me for yelling at there kid or the kid gets mad at me for yelling at them. I can forgive you once, maybe even twice, but when you do it over and over again don't expect me to baby you! I can not tell girls that they will get it next time or that it is okay!!! No one should do that. IT IS NOT OKAY!!! I can't stand it when parents think it is!!! It is not okay to lose time and time again, but apparently that is what I am suppose to tell these kids. That it is okay to lose! Some of these girls have the ability to be good, but it is all up to them. There's that DEDICATION again. Coming to practice everyday, working hard, and WANTING to get better. That is dedication!!!!!!!!!!! Don't expect me to play girls and tell girls that they are doing good when they don't try to get better. That is the way that I coach and if you have a problem with that then I don't need you on my team. I will not resort to babying anybody. No matter how bad you think I need you!

I am sorry that I had to write this, but I think it clears up alot of stuff that has been on my mind. I am doing all that I can to make this team better, but I can't do it with out the players wanting to get better and the parents helping me out with the kids attitudes. I want to keep these girls working out throughout the summer and fall, but I am sure that I won't be able to do it because no one will want to be there. There is that dedication thing again.... It's all up to you. I am dedicated to this team. Are you?

More beach pictures

Gulf Shores 2009

Well, this spring break we went to Gulf Shores with the Shubert family. We all had a blast!!! We went to watch the girls play in a softball tournament, which they did pretty good in. Ellie hated the beach. We would put her in the sand and she would just scream!! Look at the pictures, you will understand. She also hated the water. Of course it was freezing cold, but we never really got her feet in it. I think it just scared her. The one thing she did love was the balcony at our condo. She loved to walk outside on it and look at the beach. She would just talk and talk. We had so much fun that Ellie was so exhausted and would actually sleep through the night. It was great. We hope to go back next year and I hope that we can all put in to get a beach house together. Enjoy the pictures.