August 2007 through Mila's 3rd Birthday

Well grandgirls, you have had a busy six weeks. We have done many things, you have gone to church with me several times and you are both angels during the service. You both take the Sacrament with great reverence and are quiet and still during prayers.

You have been to the beach several times with Mom and Dad and you both love to play in the sand.

You began sharing a room in August after Mommy and Daddy finished repainting the guest room a beautiful pink and putting the twin beds in there along with Ellie's crib. Mila's old room was repainted yellow and will be the new guest room with the maple furniture.

You two accompanied me numerous times to West Palm Beach to Aunt Jen's apartment to walk Precious (Presh) on days that Aunt Jen had to work late into the evening. On our walks you are both very eager to see the ducks around the lake and Mila always picks up sticks and takes them back to the apartment as a "collection."

The weekend of August 25 all of us went to Deltona to Terri and Gregg's to see Michelle's baby boy, Cole, who was just 12 days old. You were both intrigued with him as he may have been the "newest" and "tiniest" baby you had seen. You two and Mommy and Daddy stayed at Daytona Beach at the Wyndham Ocean Walk Resort and had a wonderful time there, playing on the beach, before coming to Terri's. While at Terri's you swam in Gregg's pool and had lots of fun before the BBQ, then you spent the night again at the resort.

The next day I joined you for awhile on the beach and in the hotel's Lazy River before we met up with Aunt Jen at a special sandwich shop where we all ate a delicious lunch. We all took turns walking Precious outside as she couldn't come in where we were eating. It was a very fun weekend.

On my 61st birthday, 09/03/2007, everyone took me out to dinner at the Old Key Lime House in Lantana on the Intracoastal. We had a lot of fun, especially watching you enjoy the catfish who were being fed bread over the railing from where we were eating, and the boat made out of a convertible auto that was cruising around on the water. We took lots of pictures of everything so we could remember the fun we had. It was a very special birthday for Grami with fun and presents and balloons, good food, and great company!

On Mommy's 33rd birthday, 09/06/2007, we took her to dinner at one of her favorite restaurants, La Tre in Boca Raton. We had lots of Vietnamese food that was so delicious and Mommy opened some presents there. Some of her presents were candy and she shared it with us all for dessert. Yummy!

On Friday, 09/14/2007, Mila and Ellie and Grami and Aunt Jen had an early 3rd birthday dinner in West Palm Beach at Cracker Barrel. For dessert you each picked out candy from their store. Mila chose a marshmallow popsicle and Ellie picked a "binky" ring of hard candy. We all spent the night at Aunt Jen's apartment.

When we all laid down on Aunt Jen's bed to go to sleep, after we had been there a few minutes, Mila pointed out that we had no "sleep music" to go to sleep by. I agreed. She then suggested that I sing a few songs so they could go to sleep. After two or three songs she stopped me and said, "Grami, you don't sing so well."

Aunt Jen and I giggled so much the bed shook! I agreed with her about the quality of my singing, but she said I should sing anyway. After much wiggling and shifting around on the bed, you both finally fell asleep. Aunt Jen slept with you and I slept on the couch.

The next morning as you came out of Aunt Jen's room, we all began singing Happy Birthday to Mila! Her smile was enormous and beautiful!!!! We all got dressed and drove to the Original Pancake House in Wellington for a birthday breakfast. Mila ordered chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream on them, Ellie had banana pancakes. When the food arrived, Ellie promptly ate all the banana slices before starting on the pancakes. Mila ate all the whipped cream first, then the pancakes. While we were there Mommy called and talked to Mila on the phone and sang Happy Birthday to her. It was a very fun time for breakfast.

After we returned to Aunt Jen's apartment it was time to open the presents from Grami and Aunt Jen. Aunt Jen gave Mila two very special activity books, each is a wipe off book that helps you learn to write. One is for all the letters of the alphabet, the other is for numbers. She also gave you a wooden dress-me-up doll with magnetic clothes. You particularly liked that!! and played with it for a long, long time.

Grami gave you two boxes of lace up animals which you enjoy sewing. And a pounding block with many pegs and a hammer. And Ellie's gift from Aunt Jen and Grami was a "Learn to Dress Elmo" doll that tells you to zip his zipper and button his button and tie his shoelace, etc. Ellie loves Elmo.

We took a nap so we would be rested for the birthday party. Ellie had a hard time going to sleep even though Mila fell asleep almost immediately. Ellie thrashed around so much that she finally woke Mila up just as she was falling asleep herself. Mila wanted to get up but I told her she needed to just lay there and rest for a few minutes. She was agreeable about that and as she lay there, she watched Ellie sleep, then several times stroked Ellie's hair. And several times she sat up and gave Ellie's forehead a tiny, sweet kiss. After about 20 more minutes I told her she could get up and we went to the living room where she played with her toys again until Ellie woke up after about an hour.

We went home at 3 and Mila and Ellie dressed for the party. The whole house had been decorated by Mommy and Daddy with a Hawaiian theme for the Birthday Luau, even with long strands of grass hanging down from the front doorway through which the guests must enter.

Guests arrived and the playing began. The first guests were Aimee Lieber and her mommy, Janice, and her two sisters, Jailea and Emily, and the baby, Audrey (later joined by dad Chris, and brother Cameron). Aimee gave Mila several activity books with a magnifying glass and Mila was thrilled! and the party was on!

More guests arrived: Abigail and parents, Evan and Kharin Andrews; Ashley Camargo and her dad Oscar, and his sister; Rebeca Mendez and older sister, Yareni and mother, Maria; the Souza family from the Boca Ward: Linnea, Lilya, Jasmine, Daddy Daniel and Mommy Louisa; and Mommy's friend from her former job, Fernanda and husband Jorge and daughter, Isabella.

There was lots of fun for hours: everyone pinned the monkey on the palm tree, played Tiki Toss, and Catch-A-Fish, beat a Piñata and grabbed the candy, played with your toys and your friends on the patio, and ate a wonderful luau of "Hawaiian Haystacks," which was rice with grilled chicken chunks, celery soup sauce, and whatever additions you wanted of many choices: slivered almonds, diced tomatoes, diced red peppers, coconut, fresh pineapple chunks, black olives, green peas, and raisins. There was also watermelon and of course, ICE CREAM BIRTHDAY CAKE! From Baskin-Robbins, strawberry ice cream over chocolate cake. Yummy!

Kids had a choice of four juices, strawberry and kiwi, orange and pineapple, tropical punch, or strawberry and banana and orange. Adults had their choice of Hawaiian Sodas made by Aaron to individual order.

The grand finale was playing at the pool. Everyone had lots and lots of fun and the kids had access to snacks of Goldfish and green seedless grapes and juice. I think everyone was tired but happy by the end of the day.

On Sunday we were all too tired to go anywhere, even church. It had been a very big birthday!

There were remaining presents to be opened. The presents from Grandpa Ed and Peggy were: a drum set which she really enjoys playing, and a Crazy Chicken Choker toy which walks around to a Polka that Ellie hates! She yelled, "no, no, no!" then later "off, off, off!" to get the toy turned off. Peggy also gave a check for $100 to Mila.

Aunt Lisette and Uncle Jeremy sent three one dollar coins in their card! How sweet and special!

Mommy and Daddy had many presents for Mila and a toy for Ellie too. Ellie received a sweet baby doll when Mila received a more "grown up" doll. A wooden toolbox was a favorite and Mila knew she could use it to help Daddy. A globe was a special gift and Mila wanted to be shown where on the globe we live. A set of eggs for her kitchen was a big hit with Mila and Ellie and they were lost to cooking for a few minutes. Once they returned, the remainder of the gifts were opened. Pink garden gloves were received, and a few presents from the party that had not been opened yet were opened as well.

It has been a whirlwind of fun!

Mila is growing up too fast!

Today Mila and I were the only ones to go to church. She was a perfect angel in sacrament meeting. She took sacrament like a grown-up and selected exactly one piece of bread. When the water was almost to us, she whispered to me that she would give me a cup herself, and when the tray arrived, she carefully chose two cups and handed one to me and drank hers without spilling a drop. She was very proud of herself that she did it all by herself.

During sacrament she quietly looked at the hymnal and drew on paper I had provided. I was very proud of her sweet, reverent behavior. It was a pleasure to be with her.

After Sacrament, she was eager to go to Nursery and quickly began playing with her friend, Amy Lieber.

About thirty minutes into Sunday School I was summoned by Carol Cutler and asked to help in Nursery as only one leader was there and needed help. I spent the rest of my church time in the nursery and it was lots of fun. There were only five kids, three besides Mila and Amy (Jonathan, Laura, and Rebecca). They were pretty well behaved and colored, played with play-doh, and sang with the primary chorister.

About thirty minutes before class was over, the teacher's child, Rebecca, went into the bathroom alone. Mila's eyes lit up and you could see the light bulb go off. As soon as Rebecca came out, Mila announced she needed to use the bathroom and could do it "by myself."

After she was in there about a minute, I cracked the door and asked if she needed any help. She said she did not. While I was peeking in I could see that she had lined the toilet seat with toilet paper (like she has been taught). In a minute she called me and wanted help smoothing her skirt out. She had handled everything else all by herself!

I can't believe how mature she is. And it's still almost two months until she's 3!!

Planet Smoothie, Yum!

On Saturday, July 28, Grami and I split a "Screamsicle" smoothie while Mommy was shopping at Ross. It was serious work.

But I stuck with it and completed the task!

Mila
2 1/2 years old

Ellie is really developing her personality fast. She is talking quite a bit now and especially likes to say Yeah and No. And mine. And agua. She still asks for milk with sign language.

She’s no longer totally submissive (with repressed anger) to Mila. She now has begun to shove back (when pressed) and has figured out how to torment Mila to some degree. She will take something of Mila’s and run like hell, with a sly smirk on her face.

I don’t witness so much of Mila snatching things from Ellie anymore, for two reasons: Mila is learning to share (after much firm coaxing from mom and dad) and Ellie just isn’t taking it anymore.

On Sunday while at Aunt Jen’s apartment, Mila found a little action figure of Lisa Simpson, so I turned the Simpson program on for her to see who Lisa is. It was a program where Bart was trying to run away and get married (although only 7 or 8, whatever his age is). Mila picked up that theme and whined the whole rest of the evening that she wanted to “get married.” At first she wanted to marry Ellie, but later decided Ethan (Harper) was a good choice. Luckily she forgot about it overnight.

On our way home from Aunt Jen’s apartment on Wednesday afternoon, Tiff called and wanted Ellie to talk to Mila on the cell phone. Their conversation was hilarious (I had it on speaker phone). Mila was solicitous of Ellie asking how she was and was she having fun and did she miss Mila, etc. Ellie jabbered full steam ahead through it all, and after they accidentally disconnected themselves, Mila continued to talk for another five minutes into the dead phone. Later Tiff told me that Ellie had done the same.

Two+ weeks in July

The past couple of weeks have been very busy. On July 10, our beloved Grandma Audrey passed away while at Wendover Hospice in Shelby, North Carolina. On Wednesday, July 11 we traveled to North Carolina (Aaron, Tiffany, Mila, Ellie, Aunt Jen, and Grami) together in a rental van. You girls were wonderful on such a long trip (15 hours, including stops).

Although it was a somber occasion, we still had great fun with you two. You were very sweet and entertaining. In particular, when we stopped for dinner at a Huddle House in Georgia, you were so cute, running up and down the aisle getting the “wiggles” out. Everyone in the restaurant was smiling and enjoying your sweet antics. You danced around to the delight of everyone.

We stayed at the same motel (Jameson Inn, Gaffney, SC) as Grandpa Ed and Peggy. The enjoyed watching you eat your breakfast and be so lively.

You were perfectly behaved angels at Audrey’s cousin’s house (Jackie Bennett in Grover, NC). And at the graveside services. You two sat very, very still and respectful and quiet. Grandpa Ed, Jackie, Tiffany, Aaron, Aunt Jen, and you two sat on the first row of chairs. Peggy and Grami sat on the second row and could watch you two as you were so sweet during the services. Mila, in particular, watched everything the priest did very carefully.

And later Mila repeated some of the phrases, with emphasis like the priest had placed on the individual words, as you were playing: “In life, yada, yada,” and “We love, yada yada.” It was so touching that you had absorbed so much of the service.

Towards the end of the service Ellie got down and quietly walked around the end of the row and came back to sit with Grami. As if she were there to comfort me. The soloist sang my mother’s favorite hymn, “In the Garden,” and the ceremony was so lovely.

We visited after the service at Jackie’s house with a few relatives who came for the service. Later you went with your mommy and daddy to Charlotte to visit the Petranek family.

On the ride back to Florida we went through Atlanta and stopped at Ikea. While the girls were in my care as we were browsing the furniture section, Mila ran ahead and disappeared. I called and called her and ran as fast as I could with Ellie in tow, but couldn’t find her and was terrified. I phoned Jen and she and Aaron came quickly and Aunt Jen spotted Mila and all was well. (Tiffany had been in a different section at that time). Mila apologized to me and seemed to understand the seriousness of her disappearance. I was so grateful she was okay.

We arrived at Terri and Gregg’s house around midnight to spend the night in advance of Michelle’s baby shower on Saturday. The de Berrys stayed at a Hampton Inn in Deltona. While the ladies were at the shower Saturday afternoon, Aaron played with the girls in Gregg’s pool. When we arrived later they were in great humor and having lots of aquatic fun.

We stayed for the barbeque and finally left for home around 8 PM, arriving home around midnight. It had been a long trip.

The next week plus was spent in helping Aunt Jen move to her new apartment, which you love. You particularly enjoy seeing the little lake the all the ducks, especially the baby ducks.

Thank you Aunt Jen!

Thank you Aunt Jen for caring enough to create this blog so that we can record special events and occurrences in Mila and Ellie's lives.

My first entry will be about their trip on Friday, July 6, to the Boynton Beach Mall. They played for about an hour and a half in the mall play area, climbing in and out of the car and rocket and crawling through the tunnel. Mila got brave and made an excellent first attempt at walking around the lighthouse on the small walkway (about 3" wide) that circles the lighthouse. She held on tight and moved one foot at a time carefully and walked halfway around. Then she decided that was enough for one day but was very proud of her accomplishments.

Ellie found a friend to play with, a cute little blonde boy who looked about three years old. They played on the curved couch area for probably 30 minutes, crawling up and down on it and walking the length of it, only to begin again. She seemed sad when his dad told him it was time to go, but quickly found other things to be interested in.

At one point Mila came over to me and borrowed the mall map, saying she needed to study the map. Then she walked over into a crowd of about 8-10 older kids, some maybe as old as 8 or 9, and put her hands on her hips and loudly said, "GUYS, GUYS!" and once she had their attention, told them something I could not hear. They looked thoughtfully at her and then moved out of the area. I suspect she told them it was too crowded or something like that, but I failed to ask her to tell me what she had said while it was fresh in her mind. But she seemed pleased that they listened to her. Power! Just like her mother . . .

This blog is an opportunity to share memories of the two angels Mila and Ellie! Created in July of 2007 this is actually a place to share ALL memories of the girls. Past, present, future. Whatever you are inspired to share, please do so! HUGS from Aunt Jen ;-)