T-Minus 6 Days

My darling cousin, who is really more like another sister to me, is entering the Missionary Training Center next week to prepare to be a missionary for our church in Mongolia Tempe, Arizona for 18 months (just yesterday she received word that visas to Mongolia were too difficult to obtain and she had to be reassigned).

Last week she came and spent some days with us- yay!  Here are a few of our adventures:

Liz really wanted to get some cupcakes since she probably wouldn't be having any once she got to Mongolia.  So we took her to our current favorite bakery: Crumbs.  (I love that their address is 321 and A HALF).

She was able to get a nice sampler with 12 different flavors!

Ella chose her standard vanilla with sprinkles, and I went with the peanut butter cup.  Alexis chose a chocolate frosting on vanilla cake, with sprinkles also.

We took them to a playground in Central Park and enjoyed the weather that was a touch warmer than it has been.  (since then we've had even warmer days!)

Liz was very helpful while she was here- watching my kids so I could take care of other pressing matters- like a trip to the chiropractor that was way overdue.  Ella & Liz hung out at Books of Wonder while I was with the doc, then we met up in Madison Sq Park for some Shake Shack!  Ella held our buzzers.

Liz helped us greet Alexis when she came home from school- Lexi even paused for the photo op as she came down the stairs!
(I have a photo to post here, but for some reason the editing I did to wipe out the bus route numbers- so weirdos don't get that information- is not showing up when I upload the photo-I'm a novice at photo editing, so I'll try and figure it out b/c it's a cute photo of her on the bus!)

Liz is amazing with the girls' hair.  I just cannot get them to sit still long enough for me to do something like this!  Not that mine would even look as neat as this, but the girls just adore her and will do whatever she asks of them.

She is an expert reader!

And we just hung out at home together a whole lot, too.

Here are all the Elliott granddaughters: Laura, me, Liz & Allie

Our Little Scholar

A little over a month ago, Alexis had to get glasses. She loves them so much- even though she only has to wear them for school & homework she likes to wear them more often because "they make things not so shaky".

Thanks to Aunt Laura for hooking us up with some frames!

The Assembly Party

On Saturday night, I had a little birthday party to assemble all of the amazing donations I received in an effort to bless some of the world's neediest on their birthdays.

A huge thank you (in no particular order) to MattC, TammyV, MackenzieB, CarrieJ, JenniferW, ArlyE, EmmaA, Marie-AdeleM, SonyaD, AbbieW, JenB, ZacL, JoanC, John&RuthE, LisaR, StephanieB, AprilleK, AlliePo, HeatherP, AngieM, LauraP, SusanP, JessicaH, MalesaB, ErinC, StaceyH, LindaT, & ElaineP, ChristianS!! (Did I miss anyone?!)

Because of all our work, we were able to complete 40 kits!!! Can you believe that? I am so pleased with the result. Thank you all for participating and supporting this effort.

Abbie posted lots of beautiful photos that she took on her blog.  CLICK HERE to see them.

Artemis

Lexi's friend had a Lightening Thief birthday party last Saturday.  The invitation requested that guests come dressed as their favorite Greek god or goddess.  Alexis hasn't really been exposed to the world of Greek mythology yet, so we basically chose a goddess for her: Artemis, goddess of forests and hills, childbirth, virginity, fertility, the hunt, and often was depicted as a huntress carrying a bow and arrows.  Allie and Liz spearheaded the costume-making project and the result was great!

(pardon the background- she's standing on the air mattress that Allie & Liz had slept on the night before in the middle of the living room).

Museum

Ever since we went to the Brooklyn Children's Museum, Ella has been asking to go to a museum again.  So one wintery snowy cold day a couple of weeks ago, I took her to the Museum of Natural History.  She's been before, but I don't think she really remembers it.  She has become interested in dinosaurs (since big sis is interested!) and so we went to see the dinosaurs first.  She was amazed.

Then she kept asking to go see the fish (on second thought, maybe she did remember the museum a little bit)- we headed over to the maritime room where the HUGE whale is suspended from the ceiling and all sorts of fish and aquatic life dioramas are located.

Inner Artist

I had no idea that Ella could draw people!  This is an encyclopedic dictionary whose binding has torn.  One night we hadn't put it away, so when Ella woke up in the morning, she decided this would be the place to show off her awesome art skills.  So although I was a little annoyed that she had written in the book, I couldn't really be very mad, because look how cute those people are!  And now I can never fix the binding on that book.

A Day Out

In February, the public schools here get a week off- so we decided to try out a new place- the Brooklyn Children's Museum.  It's wonderful.  So much better than its Manhattan counterpart.  (Although it seems to be in a kind of sketchy area of Brooklyn).  We had a great time- so many wonderful activities & special events happening that day!

Ella went shopping at an International Grocery Store & the girls worked at a Pizza Parlor for a little while.  The played in sand & water, did all sorts of scavenger hunt-type things, learned about the Gullah people (direct descendants of slaves brought to the United States in the 17th century to work the rice plantation) and just had a good time.  We were sad to leave.

The Ones From Albany

Carolyn and Stew came down to NYC (from Albany) to celebrate her birthday- and came to spend some time with us!

We ate cupcakes from Crumbs (Carolyn licked the plate!), played Bananagrams & let our kids jump all over them.  Good times!

Ella in Nursery

Got this email tonight from one of Ella's nursery leaders:

 

(picture here)

Just thought I'd share a cute moment from nursery today. We had read a book of Daniel in the Lion's Den, and were then playing "We're going on a lion hunt" when I got to the part where we see the lion, I asked "What do we do?" and Ella quickly responded "Pray!"

Birthday Service Project Update

I've completed 10 blankets....

Several items have been purchased through my Amazon wish list (which ships it to me) and I've started receiving items.....

Others have committed verbally to me (my mother-in-law is sending 4 pairs of crocheted booties!)

Still lots to do to reach my goal of 33 kits..... A HEARTY THANK YOU to friends & family that have already contributed.  And if you'd still like to help out, there's plenty to do.....

City Of Hambergers

On Saturday we went to a puppet show at Posman Books in Chelsea Market.  It was based on the book City of Hamburgers.  A German grandmother tells her American-born grandson all about life growing up in Hamburg, as a Hamburger.  And how she eventually met and fell in love with a man from Frankfurt, aka a Frankfurter.  It was imaginative and quirky.

Check out the store's link for a photo of Lexi watching the show!

Aunt Allie was able to join us!

After the show, the kids were allowed backstage to interact with the puppets....

Alexis loved the tomato-head the best. 

A Project or Two

I've wanted to make new throw pillows for our bed for some time.  I finally sat down and made this pillow:

Also, Lexi is now well into the tooth-loss part of her life.  She lost her 3rd tooth a couple of weeks ago.  And although she doesn't believe in the tooth fairy ("it's just your parents, mom, that come in when you're in a deep sleep!"), I still wanted to make a special little pillow for her.  I found this tutorial online and attempted to make it.  Lexi loves it, which is the most important thing.

You can stick the little tooth inside the pillow's mouth.  Then the "tooth fairy" can leave the money in its place.  And wouldn't you know it?  When I went in to replace the tooth with $1, she WOKE UP!!! And SAW ME!! Boy, would the tooth fairy boss be disappointed in me!  Oh, well.  **sigh**

Snow Day

For the first time since we moved here several years ago, we had an anticipated snow day- on Tuesday they announced that school would be closed on Wednesday due to an incoming storm and the anticipation of inclement weather.  I was still skeptical, but we did end up getting a decent amount that day- for a couple of hours mid-day it was snowing at the rate of 2" per hour.  We headed out to the park in the afternoon and were quite surprised to see many many people out- as if it were the middle of summer!

There must have been at least 10 snowmen throughout the park- I took pictures of a few of them.  I particularly loved this guy who had to be at least 8 feet tall!  A little while after I took this photo, a group of teenagers dismantled him.

We made our own snowman, though not as large as the others.  We also made him a little pet dog- a tribute to Aunt Laura's Odin.  Sadly, they were both decapitated not too long after we abandoned them to play on the rocks in the snow....

We also found the remains of a fort, so we added more snow to it and built it up to be our own.  Ella found a little mound inside that she enjoyed sitting on, so we added a little more to build her a bench inside.  I had happy memories of a huge snowstorm when I was a kid and my grandfather building a big igloo for me.

We stayed out for about 2 hours- until well past sundown.  The GW Bridge through the twilight snow:

Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day in our home is extra special.... because it's also Matt's birthday.  And even though I'm days (weeks?) late in posting this, we are really really really happy you were born!

The girls created a classic candy-gram (with some help from mom)

 Dear Daddy Matt,
We love you to (Reese's) PIECES and we hope your birthday is like a SYMPHONY in New YORK. We promise not to SNICKER(s) about your age if you don't tell WHOPPERS.  Our POP ROCKS!
Love, The SOUR PATCH KIDS

Wanna Help Me Celebrate?

My birthday's coming up.....

During an interview for his birthday in 2008, the Prophet and President of my church, Thomas S. Monson, was asked what he would consider an ideal birthday gift from his fellow church members.  He answered, "Do something for someone else on that day to make his or her life better. Find someone who is having a hard time or is ill or lonely, and do something for them. That's all I would ask."  We've recently been asking this question at dinner every night, too, to get us thinking about being nice to others: "What did you do for someone else today?"  Alexis and Ella are better at remembering to ask the question than we are!  And they seem to enjoy thinking back on their day and hearing everyone else's answers.

I was recently reading around in blogland and came across this blog where a woman wanted to celebrate her birthday by doing service for others.  I felt inspired!  So that's what I want to do for MY birthday, too!   I'm basically copying her idea exactly, because it's so wonderful.  And we belong to the same church which has an amazingly well organized world humanitarian effort.

In her post, she wrote that there are areas of the world where women are bringing home their newborn babies in newspapers with no hygienic way of washing & caring for their babies. Can you imagine what that must be like?  Our church has specified the following items that, when assembled together, constitute a newborn kit and will be distributed to needy moms & babies in poorer areas of the world. 

• 1 double receiving blanket (cotton flannel or lightweight fleece, two pieces of fabric, each between 36" square and 45" square---- or a medium weight fleece in single layer, 36" by 36" with the edges serged.)
• 4 flat fold (single thickness) cloth diapers (100% cotton Birdseye Cloth or 100% cotton diaper flannel), approximately 25". Please do not use pre-folded or disposable diapers.
• 4 diaper safety pins
• 1 pair booties or baby socks
• 2 regular-size bars of soap (Ivory or other non-allergenic brand)
• 1 newborn layette gown (please, no footed sleepers)

 
Since I'll be 33 this year, I would lovelovelove to assemble 33 kits- a little gift for a new baby's birth day. But I can't do it alone- will you help?  I will need donations to reach these numbers:

• 28 25 double receiving blankets (crafty friends! This is a perfect fast&easy project! This page has directions )- (I already have several that I've made)
• 132 flat fold cloth diapers  (like these)
• 132 diaper safety pins  (like these)
• 33 pairs booties or baby socks
• 66 regular-size bars of soap (Ivory or other non-allergenic brand)
• 33 newborn layette gowns (please, no footed sleepers)
• 33 2-gallon size ziplocs

Leave a comment telling me what you can do to help, or email me directly (kendracope@gmail.com).  I'll give you my address so you can send me your contribution.  Then, I'll package everything together and take the kits to my local Bishop's Storehouse where they'll be sent off to the Humanitarian Center. 33 seems like a lot to me, but I know it's only a fraction of what must be needed around the world.  Spread the word to your friends, too- if we get enough for more than 33 kits I'd be over the moon!

 ETA: I set up an Amazon wishlist right here if you'd like to choose stuff from there and have it shipped to me.

And we're planning an assembly party! (thanks for the idea, Abbie!)

MLK Day

“Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by participating in a service project with  an organization known as Children For Children.  They organized a huge service activity in a local high school- there was station after station after station of child-friendly service projects many of which focused on crafty things that my kids LOVE to do.  We spent over 2 hours and didn't even scratch the surface of the opportunities to make a difference for someone else.  I have long wanted to get my kids involved in service but have not been able to find an organization that has projects that are suitable for young children.  Children For Children is the perfect solution!  And I hope we can spend a little more of our time giving this year.

Decorating socks that we filled with catnip & stuffing- to be donated to a local pet shelter.

Decorating eco-friendly tote bags

Making bracelets for children in rough home situations- each bracelet had a "peace dove" bead.

Tying blankets and scarves for residents of local homeless shelters.

Making placemats for local food pantries to use when they distribute dinners.

Decorating the inserts for mugs- to be donated to nursing home residents etc.