For the past 2 weeks Ella has been waking up dry. She has been wearing normal diapers to sleep since when she would have an accident she would pee right out the front of the diaper and soak her bed. I guess she was holding it till the early morning and then it would just rip. She also sleeps on her belly so it made it all worse. Anyway she has been dry so upgraded to a pull-up. If she continues we will move to undies next week. Very excited. Was not sure how long this last part of the process would take. She turned 3 1/2 in June.

Last week the girls attended a week long Musical Theater Camp. They worked on pieces from Shrek The Musical. They really enjoyed themselves. They are always singing and doing shows at home and have so much fun together. Claire's voice has grown so much in the last year. She sings so beautifully and she usually makes me cry. She has developed a nice vibrato and it is pretty impressive fro 5 1/2. Ella also has a very cute voice and sing full songs with correct notes and words.

So in the show Ella was in the opening number. She played Shrek's mom and a little boy played the dad. In the song they were singing to little 7 year old Shrek about leaving home. About it is time for him to go. Lyrics like "It's a Big Bright Beautiful World. With possibilities everywhere. It's peaches and cream and every dream come true........But not for you. Very funny. Anyway Ella did a great job. She really surprised us with her performance. She sang almost all the words and did all her blocking.

The second and closing number Claire and and Ella were apart of an ensemble piece. Claire played one of the little pigs and Ella the ugly duckling. very cute.

Then Claire sang her solo. She played little Fiona. She is stuck in a castle and it is day 23 and she she dreams of the day a prince will come save her. After Claire another girls plays teenage Fiona and comes out a girl playing Adult Fiona. At this point it is has been 4523 days locked in the castle. At the end of number all three girls sing together. Claire did so well. She sang great and seemed very comfortable on stage. She was expressive and believable. We are soooooooooo proud of her. This is what she wants to do and I will do everything I can to support her. In 2 weeks she starts a musical theater class. We both will be trying out for Annie in Sept and I hope this is something we can do together.

We spent the last ten days in Southern California, first in San Diego the wedding of a cousin, second in Orange County with Melanie's cousin. It was a great trip, and our girls were introduced to about 20 of their cousins.

For the second half of the trip we rented a car. Several days into the trip Claire must have been thinking about how we ended up with a vehicle.

While we were driving, she asked "Daddy did you get this car from a store or did you find it and take it?"

I explained to her that we rented it, and chuckling told her that I did not steal it.

Yesterday Ella was waiting for us to gather up all the stuff we brought for a day at the pool. She and Claire were entertaining themselves on a concrete area by the exit. I stood by them long enough to see Ella stomping on bugs, both real and imagined, while singing a little song she made up. It had one simple verse paired with one short dance move.

"Smashed by the biggest little people in the world" Stomp, Move to next bug
"Smashed by the biggest little people in the world" Stomp, Move to next bug
"Smashed by the biggest little people in the world" Stomp, Move to next bug

We spent the day today playing on Mission Beach in San Diego, the place where my parents grew up. The girls have spent most of the day getting covered in sand.

During a session of "run in towards the ocean, then run out when the waves come in" Ella pointed up and said "Look! A newspaper in the sky!"

Sure enough, there was a small aircraft pulling an advertisement for beer behind it for all the little children on the beach to see.

This past weekend we went to the Old Shawnee Days in Shawnee Kansas. The girls had a blast exploring the various exhibits in the old town that anchors the festival. But where they started to giggle was on the rides at the carnival that is part of Old Shawnee Days.

We rode lots of various rides, but when asked the next day what her favorite was, it was the "Chairoscope".

After lots of additional question and a review of pictures, that is the name she decided on for the Ferris Wheel.

Those pictures also demonstrate that Melanie was not a fan of the Chairoscope.

Today we had a "goodbye pull-up party" for Ella. She has been in undies for a week now with only 2 accidents at the beginning. Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The party consisted of pull-up hats, cupcakes and ice-cream. Then we had the ceremonial throw the pull-up in the garbage and say good-riddens ceremony. This is a good day :) Attendees were Ella, Claire, Chloe (neighbor friend) and me. We sang to the tune of "Happy Birthday" "Good-bye Pull-ups to you......" followed by "Hello undies to you....."

Ella she is 3 1/2 this month. It was time. I am very happy and I think she is too.

This weekend we got a small starter aquarium and a Betta fish to go in it for Claire. She was and continues to be overjoyed. The fish, which she named Blueberry, is entirely her responsibility to feed and care for.

Melanie says Claire spent nearly all of her time at home up in her room with Blueberry today.

Today Claire had a dentist appointment. He informed that Claire's 2 lower middle teeth are loose. AHHHHH - Where has the time gone? Did not expect this so soon. She is growing up too fast.

Some weeks ago things panned out such that I had Ella, Claire and our neighbor Megan all in a car at the same time. Ella and Megan got into a conversation that exposes one of many little linguistic differences between the Midwest and New England.

Even after a decade, those rubber soled casual shoes that sometimes get used for working out are sneakers. That's how our kids know them too. But if you grew up in Kansas City, they are Tennis Shoes.

This weekend I took Claire and Ella camping, even though heavy rain was predicted for Saturday. It was to a local music event that we really enjoy called the String Band Rendezvous.

Saturday was not so good with the rain getting heavier and heavier as the day went on. We left earlier than I had hoped.

But Friday was perfect.

Over dinner tonight Ella was chatting and chatting away, telling us everything that seemingly came into her mind. For a while the subject was Monkies, and during this part of the banter Ella began to tell us about the Barrel of Monkies(tm), discussing the classic toy where the Monkies form a chain with their arms.

Yesterday our community had it's annual Easter Egg hunt on the Saturday after Easter. It's a great event for kids up to six years old and is well organized.

Each year an Easter Bunny is hired. It's always the same costume, and likely the same person each year (but we never really know who is behind those perma-kind eyes silently waving at and hugging our children).

Last night as I was putting Ella to bed she asked me a simple question.

"Daddy, can you leave my door open? I want Mesquaki [our cat who likes the kids] to sleep with me."

I said no. We want her door closed or she will come wandering out or get woken up. I gently explained that sometimes we leave Claire's door open for the cats because she is older.

She tried again.

"Daddy, can you leave my door open? I am scared and want Mesquaki to help me."

Still no, but that rarely stops a persistent child.

"Daddy, I need my door open. I went to the doctor."

This evening over dinner Claire began an interesting line of questioning me about something she learned in school today.

She first wanted to know if I ever knew about King Maarther. I'm thinking of the fellow with the round table, but she informed me that was wrong.

Intrigued, the conversation continued.

He thought something was wrong.

He thought that everybody should be able to go to the park.

He was a great man.

He talked to the people again before he got shot.