August 19, 2020

Elle is 9!

 Elle, you are NINE!  

Because of COVID, you chose to have a few friends join you at the beach to celebrate your birthday.  It turned out to be so much fun!  You were thrilled to be able to break in your surfboard, and got up on it right away!

You are a leader, strong-willed observant, and sensitive.

You always have to have the last say, even if it gets you into more trouble.  If you are told to "be done" and to go to your room for a break, you will stand firm in your place until you're able to find a way to have the last word.  It may be through a growl and stomp or a few words under your breath, but you will definitely find a way.

You love dogs and are fully convinced that our family is getting one for Christmas, mostly because you've told us so. 

You love to guide and nurture little kids.  You were so good with Cru at the beach recently.  You also love to spend time with big kids, girls especially.  You fit right in, and also observe and learn from them.

Speaking of being observant, you are gifted at taking in the world around you.  

Farrah is your closest friend.  You two beg for sleepovers every chance you get!  You've been in the same class in K, 2nd, and now 3rd. 

Coach Chad calls you Bob, and you two have a fun player/coach relationship.  We're hoping you get to play a few club games before the soccer season is over, or even just a scrimmage.

This has been a summer full of surfing for you, and dad is thrilled.  It's been his dream to push you and Reece into the waves.  Your passion for it has rubbed off on Reece, and now he's been riding every once in a while.

Russell Wilson is your favorite football player.

You love Reece, even though someone watching from the outside in might not know it.  

You asked about the Easter Bunny in June, well demanded that we tell you whether or not he is real.  You were very serious and mature in your asking, so we had to tell you the truth.  You paused for a long minute,  thinking hard, and then fell over laughing on your bed.  You had written the Easter Bunny a few letters and drew a few pictures, and were feeling embarrassed and silly about how you had believed.  We laughed together, and then you yelled, "Wait! So then Santa isn't real either? And what about the Tooth Fairy?" It was a big moment for you.  

Because some people don't believe in God, you keep asking us if he's real.  It's hard for you to trust what we tell you because you like to be in charge, and because you're still processing the fact that the Easter Bunny, Santa, and the Tooth Fairy aren't real.  In March, you'll be pretty disappointed that the Leprechauns aren't real either!

You are determined and a hard worker when you choose to be.  When you have a chore to do, you get it done right away.  However, if we ask you to do something that you don't want to do, you will whine, cry, and cause a huge disruption.  

You love to sing!  Even if you don't know the actual lyrics so a song, it sounds like you do!  We love to listen to Surfaces and have all of their songs on repeat.























Here's your interview:

Nicknames  ElleBelle, Ellers, Belle

What is your name? Elle

How old are you? Niiine. Mom, why didn’t you just put a number 9? Because that’s how you said it, Elllle.

What is your favorite color? Turquoise… I don’t even know how to spell turquoise.

What is your favorite animal? An elephant.  I love those now because they’re so cute… well, baby elephants are!

What is your favorite book? Humphrey. It’s about a pet hamster.

What is your favorite TV show? Family Reunion because it’s funny. I love when the grandma slam dunks the basketball.  She rips her clothes off to show a uniform and runs onto the court.

What is your favorite movie? Indiana Jones.  I want to watch them all.

What is your favorite song? Sail Away by Surfaces

What is your favorite food? Takis (said with a big laugh!) Why are you laughing? Because they’re so good!

What is your favorite drink? Soda.  Any kind? No! I like Dr. Pepper, root beer, 7-Up, Orange Crush, Coca-Cola, and lemonade.

What is your favorite snack? Goldfish, I just like eating Goldfish.

What is your favorite toy? This is easy. What is his name? Avocado!

Who are your friends? Lyndie, Isla, Dylan, Teagan, Stella, Luca, and Farrah

What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play soccer… oh no, no, no, no… Surf!

What is your favorite restaurant? The place nearby the gas station, El Pueblo.  I like the Carne Asada burrito with guacamole and chicken in it. You mean Carne Asada? Yes!

Where do you want to go on vacation? Hawaii with the cousins

What do you want to be when you grow up? Umm… let’s see.  I want to be a vet.  No, no, no… a pro-surfer or a pro-soccer player, or a celebrity.  A celebrity is mainly a pro-surfer or a pro-soccer player or someone doing fashion model thingymabobbers.  And Paityn said if I am, she will do my makeup.  

What makes you happy? Being with my cousins, and surfing

What makes you sad? Reece being a bully and him not playing with me. 

What did you do on your birthday? We had donuts, then we went on a stroll and had some Starbucks, and then we had dinner and ice cream and that’s it. For my party, we went to the beach near Tower 11 to celebrate with my friends.  Those waves were good that day!


March 23, 2020

Carmel

March 23, 2020
Today you lost your beloved hamster, Carmel.

From Thursday - Sunday, Carmel didn't poop or eat much, so we placed him in a shoebox and took him to the vet on Monday.  We had to wait in the car because of the current Coronavirus quarantine.  The nurse took Carmel from us, and about 10 minutes later the small animal vet called me.  She explained that she could feel a tumor in Carmel's abdomen, and that there wasn't anything that they could do to save him. He was already very uncomfortable, and so the only thing we could do is put him to sleep.  When I told you this, you thought putting him to sleep was a good idea. You didn't understand specifically what it meant. I clarified and told you that he was going to sleep permanently. You burst into deep tears of sadness and loss.  They nurse brought Carmel back to us so we could say goodbye. She then took him and returned him permanently asleep. You held him closely all the way home.

In the car on the way home you said, "I would be this sad if Dad died." which made me laugh out loud. You laughed because I was laughing. Then you looked at me confused, and asked, "Why are you laughing?" because you were really that sad. You said, "My heart hurts more than it ever has before in my entire life."

That afternoon, we all sat out front and painted a rock for Carmel. They are in our backyard with him now.

You learned what cremation is and said you wished Carmel would have been cremated so that you could wear him in a necklace around your neck.

Because this happened in the time of Coronavirus/Covid-19, there was no on campus school. Ms. Boyesen arranged a tribute online on SeeSaw for your classmates to write you notes of encouragement. You were grateful to hear from your friends.




January 31, 2020

Reece Turns DOUBLE DIGITS! #10

Reece at TEN!

The morning of your birthday, you enjoyed two VGs donuts shaped like a 10.
You received:
    Salty Crew sweatshirt
    Haro BMX bike
    Books: The Last Kids on Earth and a Lego Stop-Motion book from Elle

You rode your bike to school with Dad, and then watched Dukes of Hazzard after school. It was just like Dad's birthday re-lived. Dad was happy, too!

We all enjoyed In-n-Out for dinner (your choice!)

From family and friends, you received gift cards and cash.  So far, you've bought yourself Zelda-Breath of the Wild, or BOTW as you call it.  You also purchased a new Salty Crew hat from Amazon.

You love being with people!  You feed off of other's energy and it fills you up.
You can be lazy. You have wrappers, dirty socks, papers behind your dresser and under your bed.
You love your friends... especially Julian, Max, Brooks, Keenan and Miles.
You're in your third year of Cardiff Mustang soccer with Coach Juan.
You play drums with Glenn. Glenn is fun, motivating and connects with you.  He pays attention to what you like and gears your lessons towards the specific music you connect with.  You're currently working on "Back in Black" by AC/DC. You're also starting to like Weezer.

You had an awesome birthday party at the Kearny Moto BMX track. You invited most of your soccer buddies and friends from school.

You still LOVE to read!  Comics and graphic novels are your favorite.  We're trying to encourage you to read more novels, and lately you've enjoyed the Last Kids on Earth series.








March 2020 and January 2021

*COVID-19 really changed your social life this year. You've been a trooper and even gained a new hairstyle out of it!

Here's your 10th interview:

Nicknames  Reecer, ReecerBoy
What is your name?  Reece, of course
How old are you?  You should know I’m 10 years old, Mom…
What is your favorite color?  I like blue and orange, but mostly orange
What is your favorite animal?  Hmm… I like puffer fish a lot
What is your favorite book?  I like a lot of books, but I guess Calvin and Hobbes
What is your favorite game?  Legend of Zelda, Breath of the Wild – BOTW
What is your favorite TV show?  Looney Tunes!
What is your favorite movie?  Captain Underpants The First Epic Movie
What is your favorite song? I like a lot of songs…
What is your favorite food?  Can it be anything? Hot Cheetos! I want some now!
What is your favorite drink?  Fanta, any kind
What is your favorite snack? Beef Jerky
What is your favorite toy? Nintendo Switch
Who are your friends?  Brooks, Julian, Max, Keenan, Miles
What is your favorite thing to do?  Be with my friends
What is your favorite thing to do outside?  Be with my friends
Where is your favorite place to go? Wherever my friends go
What is your favorite restaurant?  Hmm… Subway!
Where do you want to go on vacation? A place where only me and my friends can go, so we can hang out together and do whatever we want
What do you want to be when you grow up?  A Marine Biologist
What makes you happy?  My friends and my Nintendo Switch
What makes you sad?  My sister because she tackles me & fights me all the time
What did you do on your birthday?  I went BMXing!