Man Hands

No, I'm not referring to a Seinfeld episode, but my daughter. Ella is beyond strong and as a result, we have dubbed her "man hands." This, I realize, is not the most complimentary nickname, but when a little girl rips her grandma's glasses off of her face and breaks them in half with one hand, the nickname is at least fitting.

"You want a piece of me?"

In addition to accosting her grandparents, Ella has developed a real joy for throwing, well, anything. I've had to duck on a few different occasions when she's gotten her hands on some of Brady's heavier Matchbox cars. The girl has an arm; maybe she'll be a catcher or third baseman like her parents ;-) She also has a real temper. Combine her fiery personality with the need for a nap and you've got yourself a tiny little thing who will throw herself on the floor, rip out her own hair, and writhe around as if in pain. I cannot wait to see how she is as a Terrible Two. I'm stocking up on liquor now.

Tossing a golf club because she can.

When she's not wrecking the place, Ella is crawling all over (usually to wherever I am, as she still wants to live in my uterus) and pulling herself up on whatever she can reach: chairs that topple, couches that she chews, and thankfully, a few of her toys that are meant for such shenanigans. To say she is busy is an understatement. We didn't have to prepare ourselves for battle this quickly with Brady; the girl is on a mission.

She REFUSES to keep anything in her hair. So she looks like this...

Speaking of Brady, he has been *so* much better lately. Thankfully he goes through phases pretty quickly, which means his screaming and lashing out didn't last very long. He's now defiant and "no-ing" like a normal toddler. This makes Mama happy. I haven't been struck for a few weeks now. Progress. Tomorrow we are picking up the paperwork to enroll him in a 3-year-old pre-school program that begins in September. He'll go to "school" twice a week, for 2.5 hours at time. The idea of dropping him off is enough to make my eyes well up, but then he does something to piss me off and I'm suddenly very pleased with the decision to enroll him.

His first Shamrock shake was a great success

Tomorrow is Ella's official 10-monthiversary. I hope to have a low-key photo shoot with her where, you know, she doesn't face plant off of the chair because she's refusing to sit still long enough for one picture. Any other diva would pose happily, but no, not my little Aretha Franklin. I'll call it a success if I come away with just one good shot. Here's hoping...

Ripping out her headband...

He's been telling everyone he's better than Tiger Woods!