Worrier-in-Chief

As all who have met me (Beth) know, I get great satisfaction from having been right. I remember disagreeing with my parents on some issues and thinking as a kid that I wouldn't do repeat what were clearly mistakes. And -- ha, ha -- I haven't. Unfortunately for me, as it turns out, most of those things don't matter much.

What I am more conscious of are all the things I dismissed or even laughed at -- and how wrong I was. For example, I rolled my eyes many, many times at my mother and her worrying. Now I worry all the time...about everything. I am tempted to run through a list of the things I worry about, but the list would be long and silly. Suffice it to say that I owe my mother yet another apology. Sorry, Mama.

Now on a happier note. There are some cute Ellis stories to share:

• When you ask for a hug, sometimes she gives you a hug and sometimes she turns around and backs up until she plops into your lap.
• If you ask her what a happy baby says, she fakes a laugh. She will also tell you that a sad baby says "waaa." A video of this will be posted on the left, though it was not one of her better renditions.
• When she was smaller, the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" always calmed her. It stopped working several months ago. But recently, the song "Maybe" from the musical "Annie" started working. She also sings along with certain parts of the song -- particularly the "me" from the line "their one mistake was giving up me," and any time the word "baby" is sung. I cannot seem to get her to do it when the camera is running.
  
• She can point out my nose, mouth, eye, eye brow (she likes saying "brow" and she rolls the "r"), ears, hair and cheeks (and she strokes my cheeks very gently).
• The teachers at daycare are trying to teach the older kids in the infant program to be gentle with the younger ones. Ellis likes to show people that she understands this by petting the cat or a fellow classmate and saying "gentle." It comes out more like "chintew," and is ridiculously cute.
• Ellis has a chair that is just her size, which was a gift from our friends the Acocellas. Ellis loves to sit in it in the back yard, to watch TV or just to hang out.
• One of Ellis' favorite books is "Barnyard Dance." Wherever we are, she will act out the beginning of the book by stomping her feet, clapping her hands, bowing to the horse and twirling with the pig. This book was another great gift -- this one from the Marquis family.
  

In 3 weeks, Ellis is moving into the toddlers program at daycare. She is moving with her classmates Claire and Emmi (bka, "Memmi) but leaving behind Lucas (bka, "Duke") who won't be able to join them until September due to lack of space. We are excited and nervous about the move. The time is right but it will be hard on Ellis to lose her friend Lucas for a few months. Another thing to worry about...