Everyone needs an Ellie in their lives! She's a turkey, a mess and something else all wrapped up in a fiery little four-year old package. She's already sent me for some loops that her older brother and sister never did at her age, but the Lord knew that she was the perfect addition to our family, the perfect fit for us. Her personality is a rather big one. And you just never know what you're going to get. But, one thing is definitely for sure. She makes me laugh. A lot.
Here are a few recent conversations with Ellie. Ellie-isms, as I've called them before.
Ellie loves her Sunday School class. She "moved up" last fall to the pre-k class. They use the sweetest curriculum. Each week she brings home a page that we can go over together to reinforce the Bible story they learned. She loves these pages so much that we keep them organized in a special binder for her. Several times during the week, she pulls out her binder and reads her lesson again. They studied the book of Genesis during the fall months. So she had about four or so lesson pages about the life of Abraham. One day in particular she wanted to read through all the stories of Abraham's life. So we did. After I finished reading to her, we talked for a minute about Abraham and his family, specifically his son Isaac. Ellie looked at me and said, "Yeah, mom, he's just like Abraham Lincoln."
Well. Not really. But I wasn't going to tell her that. That's what you get when you're a homeschooling family, and your 3rd grader studied the life of Abraham Lincoln last year with then three-year old Ellie sitting beside her.
Another day the children and I were eating lunch together. Mason and Hannah Kate were talking about Mrs. Tracy's new dog. It went something like this:
Hannah Kate: Mrs. Tracy's dog is going to grow up to be really big. She showed me a picture.
Mason: Yeah, he's gonna grow up to be a Great Dane.
(Before I could add some clarification here, Ellie joined in the conversation.)
Ellie: Well, I'm gonna grow up to be a fairy.
She was dead serious. And we all just died laughing.
And then there was the time I was in the kitchen washing dishes after supper. Ellie came running into the kitchen.
Ellie: Mama, Hannah Kate has GUTS all over her!
Me (kind of sort of maybe not paying too much attention yet): Hhmmmm?
Ellie: Hannah Kate has GUTS all over her!
Me: What? What are you talking about?
Ellie: GUTS! HANNAH KATE HAS GUTS ALL OVER HER!
She's getting rather irritated because I don't know what she's talking about.
Me: Ellie, Hannah Kate just took a bath. She should be clean. She shouldn't have anything on her. What are you talking about?!
Ellie: Uuggghhh. Hannah Kate has GUTS ON HER! You know, ladybugs!
And then she walked off. Apparently, Hannah Kate caught one of the gazillion ladybugs that live in our house, and it got that yellow stuff on her hand. Guts.
Not too long ago, Ellie and Mason were having a rather spirited conversation. I don't even remember now what in the world it was about, but each of them was trying to prove their point. Before I had a chance to intervene and shut it down, Ellie "made her point" again and followed it up with, "So BOOOOMMMMMM!" I mean, seriously. I died. I don't know where she got that. Surely she heard that somewhere and didn't make it up herself. But I just don't know.
To be continued . . .