Ella Joel

"Mommy!" Ella Joel called me.

I smiled and got out of bed.

"Yes sweetie?" I said walking down the hall into her bedroom.

"Hungry!" she says smiling, showing her little white teeth.

I tap her nose and pick her up.

"Ergh, you're so heavy!" I say laughing.

She crosses her arms and pouts.

"Am not!" she says

I just laugh and walk down the tiny hallway and the small set of stairs to the kitchen with her on my hip. I set her down in her pink floral high chair and look in the small pantry for some Cheerios.

I hide my face behind the box and pop out. "Peek-a-boo!" I say.

Ella Joel giggles.

"You silly mommy!" she says.

I pour her some cheerios in a Disney princess bowl.

I get out some bread and put it in the toaster. While I wait I get some milk for Ella Joel's cereal.

The bread pops out of the toaster as I'm putting down her cereal on her tray.

"Pop!" Ella Joel says.

I chuckle and grab both pieces of bread. I set it on a plate.

I open the fridge and get the strawberry jam. Grab my plate and walk over to the table.

"Mommy?" Ella Joel asks.

I look up from spreading my jam on my toast. "Yes?"

She giggles. "Can I haf some toast?" she says.

"No ma'am," I say wiggling a finger. "this is my toast." I say taking a bite.

"Pwetty pwease?" she says, giving me the puppy dog face.

I look at her, pretending to think. "Hmm, only if I can have...a kiss!" I say, smirking.

"What? Not fair!" she says, then sighs. "Fiiiiine."

She leans over and gives me a kiss on the cheek.

"Now hand over the toast, mister." she says. Then she giggles.

"Yes ma'am!" I say laughing. I hand her the toast and she takes a bite.

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"Now what would Ella Joel like?" I ask.

We were at the grocery store. I needed to pick up some things for dinner.

"COOKIES!" she says reaching for the cookie package on the shelf.

"For dinner?! Now that's crazy! How about we get them for snack?" I say, knowing the answer.

She gasps. "YES!" she says grabbing them and putting them in the cart.

I pick her up an set her in the seat on the front of the cart.

"Now, what would you like for dinner?" I say, emphasizing the word 'dinner'.

She puts her finger to her chin and thinks.

"How 'bout...tacos?" a grin spread across her face as she said this.

"Okay. Now what do we need for tacos?" I say to myself.

As we walk along the big isles of Walmart, I skim through my list.

Fish crackers

Milk