Ellis On A Roll

Ellis has been on a roll lately. Two excellent ideas popped out of her head this week in the time we're going home from "school" and before Beth got in from work.

A couple of days ago while Mike was in the kitchen fixing dinner, Ellis acted out a scene of high drama while sitting at the counter. She basically reconstructed what she and Beth say when Beth drops her at day care and Ellis doesn't want her to leave.

(Ellis in small, whiny voice): "No, Mommy don't go, I want to stay at home."
(Mommy voice): "I have to go and work, Mommy is an adult. But Daddy will get you this afternoon..."

And so on. It was pretty uncanny and little heartbreaking, although she's clearly tipping her hand here revealing how she tries to (mostly successfully) play on our emotions.

What saved the whole thing is that she was acting out the part with a pair of cashews on the counter (Mommy Cashew was indeed the larger of the two) and after she finished the most heartbreaking part of the scene she popped Baby Cashew into her mouth. Take that, kid.

[Photo: AFP. Ellis in her first salad-making foray for Gram]

Today Mike spent most of the afternoon downtown and picked Ellis up a little early. We decided to take a different route home from "school" which took us along Constitution Avenue right past the White House. As we got there I remarked, "Look Ellis, that's where President Obama lives."

Fairly nonplussed, she looked out the window and declared "Daddy, when I get older I'm going to work in President Obama's house." She said it twice, in fact. This made me smile, and I knew it would make Beth get misty.

That's great, Ellis. Just don't take the easy way there and do something stupid like getting elected President.