One day you're in, the next you're out.

Lately, Mckinley's existence revolves around those who will be in attendance at her birthday party...in October, 2014! Almost daily, we are discussing what presents she will be getting and the guest list. It seems that the birthday party has become akin to a living Will for a 90 year old lady. At any given moment, I will be removed from the list (for asking her to clean up her room, telling her the nightgown she is wearing is not outside attire), re-added and Kingston (poor kid), he has never made the cut. It just got me thinking about where this phenomenon came from. How does a five year old little girl decide that a Birthday Party is the epitome of inclusion and that she can strike fear into the hearts of others as she declares, "Fine, you are NOT invited to my birthday!"? Keep in mind, this kid has had ONE birthday party in her whole life and she was three. It hardly included the grandeur she has conjured of bounce houses, oodles of friends and Hello Kitty lip gloss party favors.  Alas, tonight will be attending a party for a friend from preschool. She carefully selected a gift and came down at the crack of dawn this morning saying, "I am all rested up for Teegan's party."

We live and die by the birthday party. I live for the excitement that comes daily in knowing whether or not I will actually be allowed to attend the party I will be paying for.

Miss Sass.

ChristNEWYEARSmas

Christmas was almost a month ago and here I am just updating the blog. Awesome. I was a failure at taking pictures this year- oh well, there's always the video. The kids slept until 8:00, whipped through their presents in 15 minutes and the morning commenced with the busyness of the day. We headed to Mary Ann's for heart attack casserole, G's for lunch and Mom's for more eating and what we lovingly call our "Second Christmas".

Christmas Eve was a little more exciting this year. We knew we wanted to tell our families that we are expecting kiddo # THREE! Yep, we're nuts. The Ellison Christmas party usually concludes with a talent portion- usually kids singing or playing the piano but I decided to share my talent, "Mark and I made a baby. Due in July!"- Mary Ann and Grandma Irene's face were priceless. We told my family after our white elephant exchange and it is always a good time to see Mimi get so excited. It was nice to tell everyone just to feel less awkward about leaving the room due to an offensive smell and now having a reason to look like death warmed over all day, every day.

Mark and I both took the two weeks between Christmas and New Years off and it was divine. We (meaning I) got lots of naps, we saw "Frozen", went to breakfast, Fat Cats, stayed in our jammies one whole day,  did puzzles, went to dinner with the Williamson siblings, and just enjoyed chilling with no agenda on the horizon.


New Years we partied it up with Dave & Marianne, the Petersons, Mary Ann and Grandma Irene. Busted out some Just Dance, Guitar Hero and the usual 9:30 "midnight" countdown to ring in 2014.


The highlights:
1) Mc opening her coveted "soup case" and filling it with all the goodies of the day. We still pack it full every day of things that she thinks she will need when we head to San Diego next week (pictures, a robe and toys.)
2) Kingston rocking out to the song his excavator plays.
3) The hybrid bike Mark picked out for my present- nothing like an 8 month old preggo lady riding a bicycle! Can't wait!
4) Hearing Mc's feet shuffle to the kitchen to see the milk/cookies were eaten and then running downstairs yelling, "He came! He came!"
5) Once again being reminded that being with family and having small kids make the holidays the best.

Christmas Eve Jammies

Before the carnage

Kingston and the excavator

The packing begins.

Mc's favorite cheetah outfit.

Princess cape for Disneyland from Mimi.

It's practically here!

 
Christmas is upon us! It has been full of all the things little kids find exciting and magical. The daily advents, Christmas lights, and the never-used-enough "you better watch out, you better not cry" to lure them into cleaning their rooms and behaving at church.

We have had fun listening to Mc mispronounce the traditional carols: "good tithings we bring to you and your kids" and keeping Kingston from touching all the ornaments on the tree. We have watched countless hours of the original "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", made sugar cookies, delivered neighbor gifts and played in the snow.

Mc wants a "soup case" (suitcase) and the Ston is asking for motorcycles and "struction site" (construction trucks).  Mark and I wish for a day to sleep in past 7 am and maybe, just maybe a potty trained little boy before the end of 2014! Here is hoping Santa brings you all you ask for!

Cindy Lou Who. Alex far exceeded herself with this hairdo.

Dickens Festival 2013 with Father Christmas. Mom brought a picture of me from 1984 to show him. He is still the best and cutest Santa around.

Preschool program poser.

Snow lady made with Alex. As you can see, Kingston was totally interested.

Filling in for "The Man in Red"



This is what happens when I say, "I need to take one to see if this works".



The fam- minus Brayden and Alina. They had left for the night.

For the past few Christmases, we have had the chance to buy gifts for children who are part of the Adoption Exchange of Utah. Kids who don't have homes, or families and move from place to place with everything they own in a garbage bag. My friend Lindsay heads up the project and every year, I wait for an email to carefully pick a family of kids that we can support. It has been a fun tradition and it always gets me that even my brothers (the gangster, too hard core for Christmas type) always get involved. This year we had a family of 4- two boys (6 & 7) and two girls (5 & 11 months). We had dinner and then hit the Target to buy their wants and needs from a list. My favorite part is thinking about these kiddos on Christmas morning. My brother Tyler says he always wishes he could "be there to see them open their presents"- I couldn't agree more.
We are SO blessed- my kids want for nothing and our family is so close. It only seems right to want to help these kids have what we have all had (gifts and people who care) since we can remember.

“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”

It is impossible to believe that Halloween 2013 could have gone any better. The weather was perfect, the candy was plentiful and the kiddies had a blast. Mc was Miss Polite wishing everyone a "Happy Halloween" and yelling "Thank you!" as we ran from house to house. Kingston tried to keep up with the big kids (Mc, Brynlee and Devon) but in bell bottoms, that is hard for anyone to do.

 

The costumes were a hit. Only once did Kingston get mistaken for Captain America but the older crowd knew exactly who he was. Mckinley, as Alice was a perfect match and I have decided that I will gladly go as the protagonist to her costume every year as long as she will let me. This year, my friend Stefani, from Hawaii, allowed me to borrow the Queen of Hearts costume she had made. It was a fun costume and the make up was a treat. It is always fun to be someone else for a night, even if it is a murdering Queen with a love for blue eye shadow.

 

The kids carved pumpkins, ate mummy dogs at Mimi's, saw "Hocus Pocus" for the first time and stayed up WAY too late hopped up on sugar but in the end, this is what it's all about. And, if it wasn't for my kids, I wouldn't have had a breakfast of 100 Grands, Babe Ruths and Twix bars the day after.

Alice and the Queen at the Trunk or Treat

Evil Kneivel- this get up won him "Most Creative" at the trunk or treat.



The kiddies with Mrs McGonogal

Evil and Uncle TyTy.

Carving some punkins.

Mimi and her Halloween spread.

The Halloween tradition of napping in the car on the way to Mary Ann's. This year, Alice in Dreamland.

Now, Mark had a perfectly good Mad Hater costume that he opted not to wear but did find time to pose to be sure to make it on the blog for "posterity".

 

F I V E

Miss Mckinley Reese is five.

A whole month of celebrating the day you graced the world with your luscious locks and sweet smile. Alex was leaving for New Zealand for a month so you got to open your presents early via Facetime. Next, a day at preschool on your actual birthday with Skelton/Parachuters as your gift of choice to your class and a huge bag of loot from your darling preschool teachers.  Then off to lunch @ Hot Dog on a Stick at the Mall with Mimi, Papa and Britty to ride the train and carousel with a surprise visit from daddy. Sunday, a family party with the Lawrences- more presents, more cake and more fun. This past Sunday, we celebrated with the Williamsons and our new stuffed kitty "Pepper/Mr Whiskers/Mittens" was welcomed into our home.

The most exciting details of the actual day included you climbing into bed with us at your usual 5 AM call time sharing, "I feel five" and after leaving preschool, "I am 5, I think I talk different now". Five has been particularly good to mommy because we all know there is a rule that all five year olds have to try new foods at least once.

At five:
-You love playing pretend with make up, dress ups and dolls
- You are a whiz on the i-Pad and found Bobby's World in the OnDemand and have to watch it every day.
- You still don't like pizza, love all things chocolate and crispy shrimp
- You want to be a princess when you grow up
- You love mermaids
- You can buckle yourself in, dress yourself, brush your teeth and help with the silverware.
-Family Home Evening is only successful if there are "other people there" because that is what makes a family
- You are great at making friends
- Your hair sparks jealousy among the masses
- Your coloring is getting so much more precise and you love to write little notes
- You weighed 47 lbs @ your last appointment and didn't even cry when you got a shot.
- You have become a pro on a two wheeler with no training wheels and learned to swim this summer without floaties.


You have been such a blessing in our home and there is never a dull moment. It has been a life changing experience to watch you learn and grow and to find your own opinion. You have a strong will, a sweet and tender heart, an imagination, a stubborn streak and give the best hugs in the world. WE LOVE YOU!

The pretend, foam make up kit was a hit and will hopefully deter the marker faced brother in the next picture.

Said Marker Faced brother. You said you wanted to make him look like "a lady".

You and your best cousin, Brynlee.

Painting daddy's nails.

Our beautiful girl.

A house of Gearheads.

This pretty much sums of Mark Williamson. His passion, probably since birth, was for all things that had two wheels, went fast and I am sure terrified his mother. I remember seeing him the first time on his gun metal gray Honda CBR- hat backward, huge mutton-chop sideburns and taking the ladies for rides. Seeing him on that bike just added to all the reasons I knew Mr Williamson would be mine.

We had fun times riding that bike up the canyon, she was there the day he proposed and it was a sad day to see her go. Throughout our marriage, we have had MULTIPLE bikes at any given time in our garage and before kids, I looked forward to Springtime cruises on the back of the bike in the balmy AZ air. I rode on the back of a chopper going 100 miles and felt like I might fly off the small suction-cupped pad, sat in what seemed to be a recliner of comfort on a BMW cruiser and have held tight to my love on a Kawasaki police bike.

I guess I always knew it came with the territory, Mark and his bikes but little did I know the thrill of the road would be etched in the DNA of my children as well. Every day, seriously, Kingston talks about riding a motorcycle. Mark will take him out, set him on his knee or on the tank and cruise around the neighborhood. Mc rides as well and begs to go faster. To be honest, I think it's pretty cool. Mark and I have a vision of hanging out in the garage with our kids and their friends building cars, talking bikes and bonding over all things mechanical. All I have to say is I better step it up and stop crashing because soon enough, my kids will ride better than I do!

Kingston and some light reading.

Mckinley and daddy racing the bikes @ Fat Cats. Of course Mc picked the tatted, leather bikini lady rocking the ape hangers.

My sexy man at his recent track day.

Hugging the curves.