EVB: 4 Years + 2 Months Old!

Ellen looks like a giant lately. OK, maybe not an actual giant, but giant compared to the little person I think of her as in my mind's eye. She looks like a school-aged kid ... so tall and grown-up looking. You almost have to strain to see any remnants of the squishy little baby/toddler that once inhabited our house. I feel simultaneously sad and proud to see her growing before our eyes. At times I wish I could keep her little forever, while at other times I all I want to do is encourage her to learn and grow more because she'd turning into a pretty great big kid (of course, she still has her moments ...).  Here are a few highlights of the past month with EVB:

• Ellen is developing into the best big sister. She is (for the most part) so kind to and patient with June.
• EVB is showing more responsibility in terms of listening, helping around the house, etc. Heck, she even attempted to clean up her own barf (or "bark" as she calls it) in the middle of the night during a recent bout with a stomach bug. (We advised her that, in the future, it's best to let Mom or Dad manage the cleanup!)
• Ellen has shown a lot of maturity lately in terms of maintaining an even temperament in spite of odd/new schedules. We were blown away by how well Ellen handled all of our social engagements during the holidays ... She was always in a good mood and did a great job cooperating with all the coming and going, socializing with new/different people, being in unfamiliar places, etc.

Hooray for another great month with our Elle-Belle!

Heading out to play in the snow on what of the few warmer days

Ellen & Dad's snowman