Ellie turns four

Ellie turned 4 on July 1.  We had a little "pool party" for her at our neighborhood pool, just really low-key.  We made cupcakes to share and just let the kids swim and run around.  Unfortunately, it started to rain pretty hard about an hour after we got there, so we were stuck under the covered patio for a good while.... the rain never really let up for about an hour!  It was a pretty big rainstorm but the kids had fun playing outside the pool so it all turned out okay.

We had spaghetti & meatball for dinner (per Ellie's request) and ate chocolate cake.

4 things we love about our little Ellie bean:

1. She is hilarious.  Ellie makes us laugh every single day.  She says the funniest things and just likes to be silly. She loves to dress up (multiple times a day) and be "fashion-y".

2.  She is always hungry.  Ellie could eat all day, every day, and never be full.  She's always asking for snacks, meals, drinks, etc... sure it can be a hassle but it's kind of endearing too.  I don't know where she puts it all!

3.  She is a great sister.  She loves Olivia and is a big helper with her.  She and Abbie also get along really well.  Ellie is definitely our more stubborn child, but lately she has shown signs of mellowing out a little.  A few weeks ago, Abbie was upset about something (I had given in on something to Ellie, leaving Abbie with the short end of the deal), and Ellie changed her mind so that Abbie could have what she wanted.  It was really sweet and unexpected.

4. She's persistent.  Not always a quality I can fully appreciate at this stage, but one that I'm sure will serve her well someday.

Happy 4th Birthday, Ellie.  We love you!!