One Week Later.

"What happened? Where'd the tree go, Mama?"

Ella acting out: "I'm a tree"

The city made it our way late last week and cleaned up The Tree That Went Boom. Sadly, we came home to a rather naked front yard. The city tree that was to be tagged for 'eventual' removal bit the dust.

We spent most of our weekend at Ella's disposal, not to say that isn't much different from our day-to-day operations. (She's a pretty big deal in our world, yes.) This weekend? Well, the threesome needed it.

The easel got a good workout.

And what a girl can't do with one hot summer day, a bucket full of water, a few paintbrushes and some mismatched cups?!

Sidebar: As of this morning, FOURTEEN is a really big number in our house. Ella, on her own, without any coaxing has decided that perhaps diapers aren't the most comfortable devices. She balances herself perfectly on the big girl throne. She has performed this act 14 times in the last five days. No treats. No bribes. Folks - she makes me look like a genius.