three and a half

Ella had a half birthday last week. Our big girl is three and a half and boy is she three and a half. Really she's kind of like a minature grown-up who just still has some trouble with her Rs.

The things that are new and different and fascinating about Ella these day are:
1. She gets more and more brilliant every day. She soaks up and remembers everything she learns at preschool and hears as she goes about her daily business. She knows more about bugs and plants and dinosaurs than anyone I know--and I know a lot about dinosaurs. She is starting to recognize her letters, identify their sounds, and even has memorized a few words. The other day she read "Mo" off of a law office window. She also continues to figure out life's puzzles at every turn.
2. Related to her memory, she is intensely persistent and unforgiving if you forget something or aren't willing to wait for her to complete a task. Last week before bed she really wanted to draw. It was bed time so she couldn't. She was mad. But she didn't forget. The next morning Ella didn't come visit us like usual when she woke up and around 7:15 we went to check to see if she was still asleep and feeling OK. She was fine. She was drawing...in her pajamas...and had been awake for an hour. She did the same thing for the next 3 mornings. She didn't forget.
In the airport this weekend she pulled her own suitcase and carried her own backpack from gate to gate. It was slow but it was so exciting for her and she was so proud. Nobody even batted an eye when she took a break to sit down on her suitcase in the middle of the airport.
3. She loves, loves, loves her little brother. Close your eyes. Imagine you could walk into a room and make someone smile and laugh and kick his legs every time you walked into the room. Imagine it just made that someone's day. And you knew you had that power and you loved to do it. That's the Ella and Mo relationship right now. She is the only one of us who can turn any Moses frown upside down at any minute. She would do just about anything to make Moses smile and laugh. And she does. She puts on quite a show sometimes. It works. He must just wonder how he got so lucky to have this fun person to hang out with all the time. Or he just wonders what in the world is she doing and what she's really all about.

Ella Bear...You're the coolest. We can't believe you're now sliding towards 4 but we're loving every minute of it. Thanks for being such an exceptional girl.