A Picture Memory

This picture was altered in photoshop to create a unique twist to the normal photographs we post. It represents a memory of this Christmas from Ethan's perspective. He's so young and innocent, as he looks at our tree and all the objects and lights. What a distraction to have all the toys and presents underneath. As he sat there staring at everything that early morning he said to us, "Mommy, did Ho Ho bring that other little boy toys like me?" As he's looking at all that is there, Nate was taking pictures and captured that moment. And although some would say it isn't a great photo because you can't see his face, we see something different. That he stopped and wondered about someone else's Christmas morning.

Santa Delivered

Christmas came early on Sunday morning - around 6:30 a.m. Apparently, Santa had stopped by during the night and left what I had asked for. A new robot. I also got some sets to build robots on my own (Kinex), the board game Candyland, a music/microphone cassette player, Dora the Explorer V-tech game, Buzz Lightyear underwear, and many other nice things....
We spent the day at my Grandma & Grandpa Vote's house (aka Mama & Papa) with our family - my favorite Aunt Lynn & Uncle Steve were there. My Uncle Layne (aka "Dude") and Laban & Lori teased me all afternoon. Everyone ate and played cards. We also opened presents together and I got some more nice things. When we got home I was exhuasted. Too much activity for one day. Overall, I'd say we had a nice Christmas. We're very blessed. Hope you all enjoyed the holidays as much as we did - just being together!

My Favorite Things.....

It's almost here....I'm sure I'll have many pictures to share with you after Christmas. But for today, I thought I'd share with you some of my favorite things (or at least until I get that Robot I asked Santa for).

I have 4 blankets just like this one - 2 blue ones, 1 purple one, & 1 green one. My MaMa gave my mom the purple one before I was even born. They noticed how much I loved that specific blanket, as it has a certain feel, when I was a baby. It became my favorite. So my mom went to JCPenney's and bought 3 more exactly the same. Ever since I could grasp items, I would find the corner of this blanket and put it between my fingers, rubbing my nose with it as I went to sleep. I'm 3 1/2 and I still have the same routine today.
My other favorite thing is Larry the cow. I've been sleeping with him for a long time and he's "my buddy." I take very good care of him. When he's sick, I give him medicine. When he misses his mommy, I give him kisses & hugs. When he's tired, I tuck him in bed. He takes care of my by keeping me company at night.

Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas! Love, Ethan

Merry Christmas!!!

I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!!! I'm looking forward to the season this year. I'm understanding more and more about how Christmas came about. Although I enjoy recieving gifts, my parents have talked a lot this year about givingto others who may not be as fortunate as we are. I've helped picked out presents for our family members on my own and for a needy family. Each year we adopt a family through my mom's work and buy gifts for them - so that they can have a nice Christmas like we are blessed to have each year. This year it was a single mom with a 3 year old boy and I gave several toys and some clothes of mine. At first I was hestitant to "share" my toys, but last night I surprised both my mom and dad. I have two of the exact same robots that I recieved for my birthday. And although I play with them both, last night I (totally on my own - out of the blue) told my parents that I only needed one robot and I wanted to give the other to a little boy who doesn't have a robot. "That would make him happy."

Needless to say my mom and dad were surprised, but extremely proud. I may be 3 1/2, but it's never to early to start instilling the value of giving. Of course I got a lot of praise for my willingness to share and mom said that made her Christmas this year.

As you will see in the picture, I have my own little tree in my room. I help decorate it ever year and we have a couple family Christmas traditions:

1) We always open presents on Christmas morning at our house. I have one big unopened gift that comes from Santa and is sitting out when I wake up. Then we go to my Grandma and Grandpa Vote's or My Aunt Lynn & Uncle Steve's and just enjoy the day with all of them.

2) Every year I get a new pair of pajama's that I open on Christmas Eve (after midnigt mass). I wear these to bed that night and then I have them on Christmas morning and look extra cute :)

3) Since I have my own tree, I pick out an ornament every year that represents "me". So it's something that I have interest in. For instance my first Christmas I was only 5 months old, so Mom & Dad choose a Firetruck because my room was decorated in cars, trucks, & airplanes. My second Christmas ornament was a duck with googles and flippers, because I had been taking swim classess (with Mom & Dad) and LOVED water!!! Last year I helped decide on an Elmo ornament because I enjoyed Sesame Street. This year I choose on my own - and I picked out a Scooby Do ornament, because I've discovered that tv cartoon and it was one of Dad's favorite's as a kid, so we watch it together (plus I like dogs). So every Christmas this is a tradition for us. That's our family traditions this time of year. I hope we have many Christmas seasons to come and enjoy these things. Usually we travel north and spend New Years with my dad's side of the family (my other grandparents/family), but this year we are staying home because mom just had surgery again and needs to take it easy. Hopefully we'll see them soon, because I miss seeing them and enjoy seeing them.

Merry Christmas!!! More pictures to come later.
Love, Ethan

TURKEY DAY IS GREAT

Turkey Day was great here! We did a lot of fun things. I had a special Thanksgiving lunch at school and mom came to eat with me. I also made a cool hat with special feathers and wore it all week at home. We put up our Christmas tree in the living room over the weekend and we also put my little tree up in my room. I helped put the decorations up "all by myself." I'll get pictures up soon. As for Turkey Day - Dad was in charge of cooking the turkey this year for our family dinner. He prepared by spending a lot of time getting this bird ready. Mom thought he was crazy to "marinate" a turkey, because she said he'd end up frying off all the seasoning or catch something on fire (which he didn't).

Dad was a little disappointed that the turkey ended up a little more "done" than he wanted, despite following the directions as to how long to fry it. He thought he'd ruined it, but it turned out to be very good. Everyone loved it! Even though it was a little crispy on the outside, it was very juicy on the inside. I think he's started a new family tradition for Thanksgiving - which probably means we'll be in charge of the turkey every year now - mom will love that.
By the way, I did help Dad in the kitchen. Everytime he wasn't looking I was touching the bird because it was wierd. Dad kept making me wash my hands everytime I touched it. I didn't understand because I can touch it when I eat at the dinner table....he tried to explain.

And someone gave us free tickets to the circus, so mom and MaMa took me. I got to ride a pony! It was a lot of fun going with them and eating popcorn. We watched animals and clowns run around. I hope we can go again next year.

Future IU Basketball Player

As many of you know, I recently played soccer at the Y. Now the season has changed to basketball and I think I may have found my calling. Granted, I'm not really very good. But the key to my success is that I ACTUALLY PAY ATTENTION!

My parents are shocked. Two classes (practices) in a row I've listened. I've done what my coaches ask. I've actually went up and down the court during drills instead of sitting on the floor, laying on the floor or licking the floor. (For a while they thought the Y was paying me to clean.) If only my Grandma Pierce could see me now....she'd be so proud of my skills.

Maybe it's because I like this sport. Something about bouncing a ball and making noise while I can run around chasing people excites me. I'm not great, but darn it I try.

Mom says I'd make a good future IU basketball player, because they don't know what they're doing either. But darn it they try.

Happy (Late) Halloween!

Sorry this is so late. My mom and dad have been really lazy....just kidding. We were out of town visiting my family in Warsaw over Halloween weekend. I got a lot of pumpkins & candy and didn't even have to put on a costume there :) I trick-or-treated around the neighborhood the other night. I get to wear my Clifford costume again in a couple weeks. My neighbor Jakey is having a birthday party and asking kids to wear the costumes again.
FYI - I wanted to let you know that Orange passed away. Yes, again. So now I just have my Black fish. Mom says no more. Wonder what pet we can get next? We've been through a dog and 7 fish......

Orange & Black Are Back.....

Mom took me to the pet store Friday night and I picked out two more fish. One is orange and one is black. That's there names too. They've made it all weekend and have been in the tank still swimming when I wake up. We'll see how long they last (for those keeping score at home this is really Ralph 6 & Ralph 7).

This weekend we went to New Harmony State Park. Mama and Papa Vote were camping there in the woods. They had a fire and everything! I even got to put on my Halloween costume (Clifford) and walk around trick-or-treating. I'll put a picture up of my costume after Halloween next week - the suspense.....

No More Ralph's

Mom says there will be no more Ralph's. Mom found #5 floating on top of the tank this morning and blamed it on Dad again. He left all the window's open last night and we woke up freezing this morning! Mom says IF there are any more fish entering this house, they will not be named Ralph. That name hasn't brought good luck to us.

We spent the day at the river front. I played at the park and then we walked along the river watching boats. Although dAD had to carry ME most of the way back. The weather was beautiful.

This T-Shirt Says It All

Ethan's a good kid. Every once in a while he pulls something off that catches us off guard. But who can resist that smile?

What Every Kid Should Have

Nate's grandparents, Ethan's great-grandparents were in town visiting this past weekend. With them they brought a musical instrument - a keyboard. It's something every kid should have & keep at their grandparents :-)

As Ethan says - "I'm playing my muzac!" They may have sparked his musical talents.

Ralph - The Never Ending Goldfish....

When we came home tonight, we discovered that Ralph 2 had went to sleep (again). See Ralph originally started last week as a prize from the Fall Festival. He died two days later. Nate purchased a second and third Ralph over the weekend. Against my instructions, Nate put tap water in the tank. All three times.

Sugar Mama (Grandma Vote) bought two more fish on Monday, which Ethan named Ralph and Ralph 2 (which technically are Ralph 4 & 5). Well Ralph 2 didn’t make it today. So we’re back to just Ralph (who’s really Ralph 5).

Confused yet?

Sugar Mama

Last night my Grandma & Grandpa Vote & Uncle Layne (known to me as "Dude") came to watch me play soccer. Something I started doing weeks ago at the Y. It's a class for 3-5 year olds and we learn about the game, practice skills of kicking, and talk about being good sports - meaning that when the mean kid trips me, he should say sorry afterwards.

Anyways, before we left the house I called my Grandma "Sugar Mama." It took them a while to figure out where I learned that at...then the light came on. My mom called Grandma that one day when she was giving/buying me something (which happens often). So that is her new name.

Now back to soccer - I've got skills. I just choose not to use them. It's an hour long class and after a while I get tired of listening to instructions on how to kick a round ball. So I do my own thing. That's right I'm the kid who's rolling on the floor, throwing the ball up in the air, generally not paying much attention. Mom finds it funny. Dad thinks it's a sign I'm going to be riding the short bus to school one day.

Next week is the last soccer practice, then for the next 6 weeks it's basketball....how confusing to spend 6 weeks telling me not to touch the ball with my hands, only my feet....then telling me to dribble with my hands. How well do you think this is going to go over with 3-5 year olds? I imagine the first class will be spent by our coaches saying "Use your hands to dribble. Don't kick the ball." Who scheduled those sports back-to-back?

Where Do I Start?

We've created this blog site in hopes we (mom) can keep Ethan's web site up-to-date. In the past Dad had control over posting things like pictures. Now mom has found a system she can use. So this is my new website. Welcome!