Double Digits!

November 17, 2000
Ellie Katherine Glynn
A trip down memory lane:

We returned home from Wisconsin Dells on Monday evening. Early Tuesday morning, Andy had to fly to Pennsylvania and he would be MISSING Ellie's actual birthday. There were many tears shed over this....and that Monday evening, life was not so "happy" at our house, despite just returning from an amazing mini-vacation.

We decided to let Ellie open her gift from Grammie and Grampy and also her gift from Ava so Andy could actually SEE her open some gifts. Her facial reaction is priceless:

Some of you may be thinking "For real? She got a mini DVD player?!" Let me explain: we actually gave that idea to the grandparents when they asked--we've been to long swimming meets where there's not much to do and rather than have her watch someone else's choice movie, now we can control what she watches. We've been to too many hotels in the last years where there are NO kids channels and we NEED 30 minutes of Colin being occupied. Ellie and Jayna have put up with ENDLESS hours of "baby" dvds in our van while we travel. Now they can hook up their earphones and watch their big kid shows. Win-win, the DVD player will be loved by all!

And Ellie's gift from Ava--Threads of Hope BOOKMARKS! They are our new favorite gift to give--such meaning and so precious and so neat!

On the actual birthday, it was a race down the stairs in the morning to see IF the Cake Fairy showed up. Yep, tropical theme it was again, the cake had a MONKEY on it!

As we set out to pacify Ellie in her sadness that Andy would be absent, I told Ellie she could invite a friend home from school for dinner. She picked long time friend Leah, who actually also came home from school with Ellie in kindergarten on Ellie's birthday! Here's a collage of the girls, including a photo from 4 years ago:

And finally, the gifts. We were in Ikea last September and had to be really sneaky--how do you sneak a bed canopy through the check out with nosey (N)Ellie by your side?! Andy shooed all the kids out to the van and I checked out the birthday gift and other items--it was a close call though! Again, the facial reaction is just priceless.

Ellie also received an "Ellie" door hanger and a lava lamp from Jayna. Both of which, she adores. (Please, dear child....do not change your favorite color for years now....)

I was also working on a fun homemade gift for Ellie. Since we moved a year ago, her room has looked pretty bare. She has all of these special things she wants to put on her walls, yet we really don't want to tape them up...she NEEDED a bulletin board, and needed a fancy one at that! The weekend that Aunt Megan visited, we got started on the board, but I finished it all by myself and it truly completes her room. And, just in time, she came home with 2 more ribbons from a swim meet last night!

I had a little box of push pins wrapped up as the "clue" for the board and for the 3rd time, her facial expression was hilarious. She had no idea...and then she went up to her bedroom and discovered the board. The last picture in this collage shows a glimpse of her room now, with the board on the far right of the photo. Finally, it looks like a lived in room!

Happy Birthday dear Ellie, we love you so much. Happy Birthday dear Ellie, happy Birthday to you.

Ellie, 10 years.