Single Mommy

Tonight was my first real night back as a single Mommy! It wasn't easy that's for sure! In fact as I sit here, I am crying. I don't know how mom's do this all the time, because it is so hard! By 7 I was just ready to be done for the day. Elli was driving me nuts, I had run all day long...and I was/am very tired! Tom has been studying all week this week, but tonight is the first night that he stayed late at the school; we met him for dinner and grabbed a subway sandwich. It is going to be a hard adjustment, not only for me, but for Elli. She stands at the stairs and just cries for her daddy.

We enjoyed having Tom home for the summer, but are glad he is back at school, doing what he loves! Can't wait till this part of school is over so he can do the hands on stuff! More of an 8-5 type deal...not a 7-midnight. ;)

On a side note...
We are dealing with HORRIBLE problems with Health and Welfare at the Castlerock office. Yesterday I went to pick up some medications, only to find out I don't have insurance...hello what? If that isn't bad enough, it gets worse. Because we are full time students, and I unable to work...we get Food Stamps. They never sent in or did our recertification paperwork that I turned in, in MAY!!!!!!!! It's now August people! So we haven't been able to buy food (without using our money) since June. It's SO stressful, and I know I was not a great Mommy to Elli today because I was just stressed and not so nice. So, my Love Bug, Mommy is very sorry! Please forgive and know that tomorrow will be a better day!

Because of what we are dealing with there...and their lack of not accomplishing anything, I asked to talk to someone higher up. They said to call the Governor's Office, so I did, hopefully we can get some help for someone before we have to use too much of our money. We live on such a tight budget!

Tomorrow is going to be a better day...I need to start packing, we move in less than 3 weeks and I have not packed a SINGLE box!

Potty

Elli got a new potty today! She LOVES it! She keeps telling me she needs a new diapey and brings it to me. Tells me when she goes poop and goes to the bathroom to squat. I had contemplated waiting til we moved, and might wish I had by the end of this....but our carpets are NASTY already so we might as well get it going here! I am so glad my girlfriend Jessica was here when this happened, she got some great photos! Thanks Jess! Also, on a quick side note, Elli loves Jessica and even said her name tonight! Not just once, but 3 times, and it was a definite Jessica!
Getting ready to go...(don't know why my font won't stay the same)...sorry!
Mommy and Elli after the momentous occasion!

We are learning to wipe...the purple holder is for her own roll of toilet paper! She had the potty sing her a song when she went pee-pee and was SO excited!
Flushing her potty! Good job Elli bug! Mommy and Daddy love you so much! You're a big girl now!

New old table

We just got a great deal on a kitchen table! We got it from a girl that goes to Tom's Medical School. Our table served us VERY well from our friends the Kington's. But it had seen better days and was on it's last leg. Almost literally! So we got this table, and 4 chairs for $85 dollars!

Long Hair

This is a cute little video, Elli has discovered her long hair, and how it will swish around her head. She loves to feel it flip from side to side!

Lots of pictures

This was our first little bit home, we stopped in Salt Lake to visit my Grandparents...Elli's Nana and Great Papa.
Elli loved playing the piano with Nana, and wanted to watch her play. How cute is that?

Looking over at her Uncle Andrew! She was listening to him play music

Eating watermelon with Auntie Lexi
Daddy and Elli making cookies for friends when we got home to Denver. I think Elli may have shared a few germs.

This was a little bridge in Boulder called the "Little Bug Bridge"....how appropriate!
Good enough now Mom, I'm smiling! Little ham.
Eating breakfast at The Buff, in Boulder yesterday! We had such a great day! Walked around the Pearl Street mall, and had breakfast together! Now we just need to get packing, we move in 3 1/2 weeks! Yikes...I have not done anything yet!

C, M, S

As Tom and I were just talking about the blog post I just wrote, he said we should change a few letters....

C- Climbing, my crazy child has figured out how to climb onto the sofa and our ottoman! OH NO! Watch out....I was hoping this day would never come!

C- Clock, my Grandmother (Elli's GIGI) has a grandfather clock that sings music on the hour and has dancing numbers, Elli loves it! Every hour Elli would squeal with excitement and RUN to the clock to dance. You know the "stake dance" turn in a circle....Elli at 16 month has it MASTERED! :D

M- Music, Elli LOVES music of any kind. She dances to any music that starts by booty dancing, or side stepping!

S- Singing/Songs- another thing Elli loves. She loves to sing songs, and woofs during How Much Is That Doggy and makes eating noises for the Dinosaur song (Tom's family song), and snaps with the Monkey Crocodile song. I will try to get this on video soon.

A-Z again....

Since I have been out of the "tech" world for about two months now on vacation, the easiest way to give a quick update is an A-Z.

A- All is well! We arrived back home on Monday at about 7 a.m. after driving all night...we had fun but it's always nice to be back home!
B- Bass, we have a new neighbor upstairs, I think he will drive me NUTS before we move in a month!
C- Charity! We received so much from Tom's brother Jared and his family!
D- Duncan Family Reunion, we had one...with Tom's family in Utah, it's our annual SLC trip. We had a lot of fun, going to Lagoon, the Children's Museum, The Mayan etc.
E- Eat, we ate way too much, and gained a few unwanted pounds, but we are working them off....
F- Friends, it was SO great to get together with friends while we were home, especially Gus and Mara. It's so funny how when you live close, you don't realize how nice it is, till you're gone.
G- Girls...Elliana is definitely a girl...she loves to wear my high heels (I will post a pic soon), and drag around my purse. Always pointing out her pretties (necklace) and her bows.
H- Hello, one of Elli's new favorite words, she grabs the phone and says, "ello".
I - Ice cold in Idaho! Holy cow, we had to borrow clothes from Gus and Mara for Elli because it was SO cold!!!
J- Joke, what a joke to be gone for two months....never again friends, never again!
K- Kind, though we were gone two months, we were blessed with family to take care of us!
L- Laughs, we had so many fun times and gut busting experiences!
M- Movies, we LOVED being able to go to the movies, with no sitter fee!
N- No....one of Elli's other favorite words, NO Mom! Yes, she's sassy, and my mom says I deserve it!
O- Oh...the fireworks were GREAT in IF this year, and OH is all Elli could say! They are said to be the #2 fireworks in the Nation, Philly being number1
P- Potty, we are going to start potty training soon, after Tom goes back to school and we get settled in our new home.
Q- Question; am I crazy to be moving across town? I hope not! We are moving to almost 1300 square feet for 30 dollars more a month!
R- Relaxation, is what we will be doing here for the next month til Tom starts school!
S- Swimming, is something we do often here! Elli loves it, and the pool is SO close! I will get pictures and post them soon.
T- Tom...I love you babe! So glad to spend our summer together!
U- Umbrella, we need one here in Denver, it rains almost nightly! Apparently it's....normal?
V- Very sad...Elli was very sad to leave her new friend Nathan (NA NA)...she balled when we made her leave the house!
W- Watch out world, we have a spoiled toddler in the house!
X- Xnay on nap time....NOT, well, Elli thinks it is time for no more naps, but Mommy, she still needs her nap. Hopefully it's just a "short" phase....
Y-You, hopefully you enjoyed reading this!
Z- Zoo...is a place Elli loves to be. She loves animals, especially Cows, and Dogs.

Pictures to come soon! Back to my weekly updates now that I'm back home! Love you all!