Ellie's House

The camera drama continued this week, but I think I've resolved everything. I hope. As it turns out, the previously owned camera that I was using didn't have a flash that was operating at 100%. The camera would work if I was outside, but if I wanted to use it inside, I was going to have to buy an accessory flash. I tried taking it to several places to figure out how to make it work, but it was going to have to be repaired. So I sent it back and luckily the lady I bought it from was nice enough to take it back. Sort of a bummer because I liked the camera a lot. That left me with no camera again. So on Saturday, I decided to bite the bullet and purchase a brand new Canon EOS Rebel XS. I actually only had to purchase half of it because my parents were nice enough to pay for the other half as a late Christmas gift. So now I have my dream camera. And it works. And it takes the great pictures I've always wanted out of a camera. And I'm going to love it forever or at least until I leave it at the mall again. Just kidding, Lee. I won't do that.

After we got home from swimming lessons on Saturday, Ellie had a surprise waiting for her in the backyard. The sister-in-law of my co-worker, Jennifer, was looking to get rid of her daughter's play house so on Saturday, Lee and Jennifer's husband, Andy, picked up the play house and brought it over to our house. When we rounded the corner of the house and Ellie saw it, she sat in her stroller for a second speechless and then started screaming "Out! Out! Out!" for me to unbuckle her so she could play with it. She loves it. The only problem is that it's a bit hard to get her into the car in the morning because she sees it and wants to stay outside playing in "Ellie's house". That's what she calls it. I need to get her a little tea set so she can play house in it. Right now she runs in and out opening and closing the door and the windows.

My parents came over on Saturday and we went to the park to fly a kite. I bought a Sesame Street kite and was so excited about Ellie's first kite flying outing, but she was pretty uninterested. She was interested when the kite was on the ground and she liked the green tail attached to the end of it, but once it made its way into the air, she ran off. Out of sight, out of mind. So we made our way to the playground after about 5 minutes of kite flying. She is so over the little kid playground equipment and only wants to play on the park equipment that is designed for children five and older. This causes me anxiety, but she prefers the big slide much more now.

Saturday night my parents kept Ellie at their house while Lee and I went to Fort Worth to celebrate Katy's birthday at Cantina Laredo with about 14 other friends. Before dinner, Lee and I stopped at Wine Thief, the wine bar in the brand new Omni hotel. It was really nice and I had a great time at dinner catching up with everyone. Sunday we met one of Lee's high school friends from Chattanooga for lunch at Mi Cocina. She, her husband and her three kids were in town from Boston for a wedding. Ellie had her usual - a quesadilla - and surprised us when we asked her to say it and she could repeat it. It's funny hearing her little voice say "quesadilla". She can also put back on her shoes now... she's been taking them off for a while, but now in the mornings I get her all the way dressed except for her shoes and tell her to put them on. And she does it. I really like this picture I took on Saturday at the park - I think it's one of my favorites.