My Girl Elena Part 2: March Madness

Elena has been sharing my bed for over a year now. Honestly, it is one of those things I said I would never do, but it is one of the aspects of motherhood I enjoy the most. I absolutely love the snuggle time and the joy of waking up to such a sweet & cute voice is indescribable! And, to top it all off, I don't even have to share my covers because Elena has her own "blankie." She loves this particular pink blanket and brings it in the car every (cold) morning on the way to the sitter's. So the other night it was pretty chilly and I, literally, shivered. The following conversation ensued between Elena and I:
E: What happened, Mami?
Me: Tengo frio, Nena (I'm cold)
E: You wanne mi blankie, Mami?
Me: No, Nena. Mami, esta bien. Gracias. Te quiero mucho! (Mami is fine. Thank-You. I love you).
E: Nena te love you too, Mami (Nena loves you too). Here, coje mi blankie (Take my blanket).
I absolutely LOVE this little girl and it feels sooooooooooooo good to know that she loves her mommy just as much :) To understand her sacrifice, one must know how much Elena treasures that blankie, especially when she is going to sleep. But here she was, willing to give it up for me because she thought I was too cold. My daughter is a precious Gift from God. She is so special. I adore her!!!
And those who have had the honor of meeting Elena in person know that she is like this all the time. She is really an easy child to parent. The only "problems" she is giving me is when we are playing outside and it is time to come in. At first she ignores me. So when I go to get her, she starts to cry. As much as it breaks my heart to see those big tears streaming down her face, I bring her in. It's not even so much because it's time to go because, in all honesty, 5 more minutes outdoors won't kill us. But I want her to learn that she has to obey what I say.
Elena is also very witty, but I haven't really posted a lot of her funny sayings here. However, this one really cracked me up. When I picked her up from the sitter's on Friday, she was still napping. So when Tania brought her to me (carried her like a baby and placed her in my arms), the first thing out of Elena's still sleepy mouth was a complaint. Here she was with sleepy eyes telling me that she "hadn't slept well" because Chi-Chi (sitter) hadn't turned off the lights in her room (she sleeps in a pack n' play in the sitter's room). So I'm thinking, "Where on earth did she come up with "didn't sleep well!" I never say that because I'm usually out less than 5 minutes after putting my head on the pillow. And she complained to me in Spanish so if it's something she has heard the sitter say before, then she is already translating. Woo! Hoo!
Well, spring is here and the temps are in the low 30's in the mornings. I thought winter was going to kill me, but I did well. I expected it to be as cold as it was. But I don't understand these chilly temps when it's already late March. I swear, spring is going to be the death of me. It is so depressing. At least it has stopped raining (for now). I think "March Madness" has more than one meaning.
I also got my "Dear John" letter at work. Five of us are slated to lose our positions in my school. I know my principal has put in the waiver for me, but am not sure about the others and how that would affect my outcome anyway. I'm leaving it in God' hands. When I lost my job last school year, He took very good care of us!
Have a wonderful week!
Love, Maria and Elena

Riding bike today. The last time we went "biking" was in the fall. Elena has improved so much since then. She pedaled the entire trail (something she couldn't do last time).