What Ella’s wearing: it’s freezing outside

We’re in the middle of a cold snap here in Wisconsin. This past Sunday was 4 degrees (-26 with the windchill!) and I’m never mentally prepared for the cold.

It’s definitely too cold to go anywhere with Ella, and it ruined our little Valentine’s Day dinner this past Friday. A month or so ago we rented a chalet for a 2 hour dinner at the South Shore Beer Garden here in Milwaukee. they have a dozen “huts,” as I’m now calling them, on the lake. We were excited to finally go out for dinner without the worrying that comes with dining out in the times of COVID. But this cold weather had other plans.

The Chalet had a heater and there was a beautiful fire right outside our door, but it was still too cold to be out with a 10 month old. If it were just a little warmer it would’ve been the perfect date. But instead we had to keep the windows and door shut, which meant no skyline or lake view either. We ended up finishing our appetizer and taking our entrees home. Still it was really nice to get out for a bit as a family.

I love that I get to spend so much time with Ella. It’s like getting to know this person that I’m obsessed with no matter what, LOL. What shocks me most about her is her tenacity. She’s always pulling herself up onto things and then just letting go. She tries so hard to walk. She uses anything in her way as a walker. I knew the day would come when I’d teach her to walk, but I don’t even have to show her things! She jumps at the opportunity to balance and fall, and she just keeps going. It’s amazing watching her challenge herself, and she’s definitely a doer. She doesn’t just sit back and learn, she jumps right in and figures it out.

She’s always playing with my tripod when I set up for pictures (one of those things she uses as a walker). today I snapped a few pictures while she climbed on it. I think she may be a future multimedia journalist (MMJane as we call them in news). It makes my heart so happy.