She is the definition of cool......

About 10 minutes into the game last night Ellie and I lost interest.  We left the game to Kevin and Emma and wandered upstairs to read.  Ellie asked if we could watch Barney instead because "it reminds me of when I was a little kid".  I was caught off guard, not by the Barney request but by the realization that Ellie isn't a little kid.  It seems that according to Ellie,  once you're 5 you're a big kid and that's "cool".  Yea, I said that is so (NOT!) cool.  She began telling me about other cool things. Namely Charlie, her godfather Jay's girlfriend.  They visited from New York City this weekend.   Ellie has determined that she has good style, which she does.  Picture multiple earrings, funky red glasses, a nose ring, understated, vintage clothes, you get the picture--cool.  My mind raced forward 20 years...oh my.  As if to snap me out of my daze she said "but mom, tongue rings are not cool".  My knees were weak, TONGUE rings?!  She then did a perfect imitation of a pierced tongue talking person.  Seems her swimming teacher has a tongue piercing which makes her hard to understand.   No, no, no,no tongue piercings are not cool I assured her.

 Every time I turn around Ellie is doing or saying something that I want to capture and never forget. Thursday morning as we drove down the street, she asked me why there were so many Christmas lights up.  I stopped the van and looked up in the sky where I noticed the beauty in the trees as the sun shined down on the ice covered limbs.  It looked like a million little lights shining.  I explained to her what was going on and watched as her grin grew and grew until her face was shining just like those trees.  I sat and watched her, tears brimming.  Later I wished I'd had the sense to get my phone out and capture the moment.  But really, I know I never could have.   I've replayed that moment over and over in hopes I'll remember it forever and ever.  On Friday we heard a song with a deep male, gospel voice.  When the song finished she said "mama, was that God?".   I love the thought that God is so real to her that she can picture him up in Heaven recording a CD.  Little kid, big kid, something in between, whatever the case, they don't come any cooler.

Her favorite color is zebra print.