Mid-August

Sunday after the memorial service for my great-aunt, Ellie and I headed down to Port Discovery for some running and fun! After Port D we wandered down to the harbor, there was a art fest going on and we had fun just seeing what was there. At Port D she played on the horses and tried to rope some cows!
She played in the convince store.
She got to bang on some tall drums...
... and some short ones too!

First thing on Sunday morning, even before we got ready for church, we installed Ellie's new booster seat. She is so excited about her big-girl seat... not only is it pink but she gets to use a grown-up seat belt. She told me that the grown-up seat belt looks like bacon and when I asked why, she said it was because it is brown! What a silly, silly noodle-head!
Good bye to our old car seat!
Ellie trying it out while I rearrange some stuff in the car.
The big girl had to carry her seat out all by herself!
On a rainy Saturday we did a lot of cleaning and organizing. Ellie found her old footie jammas and had to wear them all afternoon... Please remember, it is August and those footies are fleece! Well, here she is giving all of her fans a concert!
Friday evening we went and played with Joelle. The girls had a great time singing and playing. After dinner they watched Annie and loved it!!

Below... One is Ellie and Joelle giving Cathy and I a little show. The other is Ellie bouncing down the zip line mat at Port Discovery on Sunday.

Mid August

Ellie hanging out with Schatzie on Thursday morning. Ellie treats the dog like one of her babies, she just loves to "rub her" like the rest of her dolls!
Michele came up to visit Ellie and I in Baltimore this weekend and since she had never been to B-more before, Ellie and I gave her a tour of the city!! Friday evening we went to Fells Point to see the boats, eat dinner, and get ice cream.
Ellie and Michele waiting for dinner at Kooper's Tavern.
Then we had gelato next... YUM!! I had mojito gelato, Michele had pistachio and white grapefruit gelato, and Ellie had chocolate with chocolate crunchies and if you are wondering... yes, that is chocolate on her chin!
About ten minutes after this picture was taken Ellie took the funniest spill ever! Miss Sassy-pants would not stay still or even sit on the bench to eat her gelato (as you can see here). Well, she started dripping and getting it all over the place and in one of her refusals to sit her flip-flop slipped in some of one of her drips, her feet go out from under her and she lands with her tush square in a puddle of melted chocolate gelato and at the same time toss the rest of her bowl down the front of my dress, down the side of my purse, and all over my toes. All any of us could do was just laugh!
Later that night/ early the next morning... Ellie woke up sniffling and sneezing at around 5am (this isn't unheard of at all) and the next thing I know I hear, "Mommy, I can't stop the boogies from melting on my face. I need you to help."
Saturday...
These are a little out of order, sorry. Saturday morning Ellie and I took Michele to Hampden for brunch then it was off to the Inner Harbor for a quick city tour. A little after noon we all came back to our house and Aunt Angela, Margie, and Meme took Ellie down to meet up with the rest of the cousins for a "playday" and Michele and I went up to Oregon Ridge for the Hot August Blues Festival. Fun was had by all!
I didn't know they were planning on swimming (oops!) but luckily I did pack an extra set of clothes! Way to improvise. Later Ellie told me that she looked like Andrew, they were both swimming in shorts!
Everyone relaxing in Heather's back yard on a hot Saturday afternoon!
Andrew and Ellie playing (and wreaking havoc) in the back yard.
Enjoying watermelon!
And microwave s'mores... She wears it well!
Saturday breakfast in Hampden at Cafe Hon. They have the best gingerbread pancakes ever!!
Ellie and Michele at the Inner Harbor.
At the "Top of the World"... Ellie LOVED the telescopes!
Michele's view of downtown or as Ellie kept referring to it as "town".
You sure can see lots of boats from up here!!

Sunday...
Michele headed back down south after breakfast on Sunday morning after a super-fun visit (Come back any time!) and that afternoon we had a Girls Day!
There was a performance of Snow White at Towson University at 2:30 and Ellie wanted us to get dressed up fancy to for the theater!
Meme, Margie, MB, and Ellie just before we left for the show!
Ellie and I in the theater with our ticket for Snow White! It was a fantastic show and we all really, really enjoyed it!!
We had to sit in the back row though and she had to be on my lap, Ellie was too scared to sit anywhere else!
Meme, Margie, and Ellie at the theater. What a fun time! I am so glad that Papoo told me about it!

Dog Days of Summer

Saturday night Ellie and I went to Cathy and Joelle's house for dinner and playing... The girls had popcorn and watched a movie.
Movie pictures from movie time... Yes, Ellie's eye is swollen and no, that wasn't from Joelle. I think its official, Ellie is allergic to cats!
Mmmm.... Pink cupcakes!!
Ellie loving the icing!
Princeses and their cupcakes.
All dressed up and no where to go!
Sunday... Ellie just HAD to try on some jeans too!
We went to Oregon Ridge Quarry Beach for the afternoon because it was just too darn hot to do anything else!!
Someone is being super silly by taking my chair all the way into the water!
"Who me??"
Getting ready to splash.
Just too adorable!
Testing out the water!

First Weekend in August

The butterfly in the backyard... Ellie and I watched it flutter around for about 15 minutes.
Schatzie and her tooth
Getting ready to go splashing in the pool.
Belly in the pool!
Recycling her pool water. First we play in it then...
we water the garden!
Saturday...
We went to the National Zoo in Washington DC. It is something I have wanted to do with Ellie and I had gotten an email that there was a HPU alumni lunch at the zoo on August 1st so, why not? I know it is August and normally I would have waited to make the trip in September or October but this just ended up working out perfectly!!
She HAD to sit on every statue that we saw... and believe me, there were plenty there!
First things first... We had to see the sea lions, there were 2 four year old females, Summer and Cali. They were lots of fun to watch! One was sunning herself on the rocks and the other was swimming all around!
Ellie and I at the zoo!
Ellie checking out the meerkats.
Ellie and the giant elephant shrew.
The gorillas were just hanging out and napping. I can't blame them it was pretty hot that day! I didn't get a picture of the orangutans but they weren't too active either!


All smiles in the monkey house.
A college friend, Aimee, and I in the monkey house. Ellie is quite the budding photographer! Aimee met us at the zoo for the whole day instead of just meeting us for lunch, it was great to see her!!
HPU Alumni Lunch
Ellie sporting her new HPU hat.
Aimee, MB, and Vicki... I can't believe its been 10+ years!!
Ellie waiting patiently for more animals!
After lunch we were off to see the giant pandas!!
They were so big and just neat to watch! There are very few things in this world I would like to stand there for 10 minutes and watch them just eat but pandas are one of them!
Learning about the giant pandas.
The sloth bear, I think he definitely needed a mani/ pedi!
Ellie on another statue!
Elephants do live in houses sometimes and it was a very stinky house! Ellie and I agreed that we don't want to ever have to share a house with an elephant!
The pygmy hippo.
Who is taller, Ellie or the gibbons?
The reptile house... Upon Ellie's request we stopped inside. She wasn't a fan of the snakes or alligators but was very interested in the lizards and turtles... more on that one later!
One of the alligators. I have to say, he was a bit intimidating!!
And here is where the day took a complete turn. For starters, if you are asking yourself if those giant tortoise are...? Yes, they are! And if you are looking at that picture and wondering what is going on... they are mating. Now I will tell you that giant tortoise don't move very fast or even at all sometimes so when we walked up to the glass and the largest of the three was moving with purpose everyone took notice! Then he mounted the female and I just chuckled to myself. This is how the conversation with Ellie and I went...
"Mommy, what's he doing?"
"He is giving her a great big hug." (this got a couple laughs from nearby parents)
"No Mommy, she is giving him a ride."
"You know what, honey, you're right. You are so very right!"
And you know what... That is one of the best laughs I have had in a very, very long time. It was priceless!
Down at the farm... one of the fuzzy alpacas.
A tarantula in the Amizonia exhibit.
Checking out different wood and leaves found in the rain forest.
There were Dusky Titi Monkeys freely climbing in the rain forest and there were signs saying to just stay 5 feet away from them. I think we were about 7 feet from them, it was awesome!!
I am trying to teach her an appreciation for science early! Last night Meme asked her what she want to be when she grew up and she replied, "A doctor."
Three pelicans hanging out at the sea lion exhibit.
DONE!
This is what happens after 7 hours at the zoo on a hot and humid August day, but I will tell you this... it sure was a fun, fun day!
Sunday...
Sunday was a rainy day (until the afternoon) so we took it easy and played the day by ear.
Luckily we brought our umbrellas into church! Ellie was "Singing in the rain..."
"Just singing in the rain, what a glorious feeling..."
Off to Port Discovery...
Lets face it, its a rainy day so why not!!!
Climbing like a monkey on the "big playground".
Over the rope bridge.
Cleaning windows in the water room... No if I could only get her to do this at home?!?!
Making food in the diner.
Craft time in the Recycled Art Studio. Here she is making pipe cleaner Worry Dolls.
Getting her materials and supplies.
Ellie's art work... a sparkly suncatcher and our Worry Dolls.
Banging on the drums in the drum room.
At one point she was banging two drums at once and shaking her tush while she did it... Only Ellie!
Learning about the artist Marc Chagall.
Oh mummy, we sure did have a good time!