Ellie showing off her painted nails

Ellie gave herself a manicure, which is adorable in and of itself, but then, while speaking to aunty Shelly, she was showing off each finger in sequence. Well, she didn’t quite understand why she found it so funny when she showed aunty Shelly her middle finger.

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This Hawaiian princess can’t get enough of reading

This summer in particular, Ellie has really dived in to reading. Most mornings, I can expect to find her on the hallway floor, in front of her bookcase reading to herself, or if it’s a really good day, reading to Ellie.

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Family vacation to Bend, OR [VIDEO]

This summer, we made the decision to take our family vacation in Bend, OR. Bend is characterized by the high desert climate, notably different from the wetter climate on the west side of the Cascades (where Portland is), but its craft beer scene and its many options for outdoor adventure.

It was a pretty low-key affair and more than anything, it was just a good break from the everyday slog of life at home, but while we were there, we definitely took the opportunity to do some activities that we wouldn’t ordinarily be able to do.

For example, we took Ellie and Jack horseback riding which went really well. Jack definitely needed some convincing, but once he realised he was OK, he loved it up on the horse. Continue reading “Family vacation to Bend, OR [VIDEO]”

Ellie and Daddy do Seattle [VIDEO]

This past weekend, I took Ellie to Seattle for a little daddy-daughter weekend before she starts school in a couple of weeks! We had so much fun seeing the sights and I cherished the opportunity to dote on my little girl, and do things like get dressed up and take her on a date.

We got up to write a lot during our time in Seattle. We:

  • Rode the light rail and the monorail (this is exciting to Ellie).
  • Went on a dinner date together, with Ellie in her princess dress and me in a shirt and tie.
  • Went up to the Space Needle and watched Seattle from high up, with the city lights aglow (Ellie often says how pretty the city looks at night because of all the lights.
  • Went to Pike Place Market.
  • Grabbed breakfast at Wayward Vegan Cafe (this wasn’t planned, but Ellie wanted waffles for breakfast, so the girl had to have waffles!).
  • Spent a few hours in the Pacific Science Center.
  • Went on the Seattle Great Wheel.
  • Grabbed breakfast together at Starbucks.
  • Went to Genessee Park to the Seafair Festival so that we could watch the Blue Angels. Continue reading “Ellie and Daddy do Seattle [VIDEO]”

January 2017

With our move to Portland coming up very quickly, we’ve had little time to update the site of late. So, rather than neglect to provide an update, I figured I’d do a quick compilation of the best pictures of Ellie that we have from the past month.