It's a wild party, when you lose teeth

So I've been a really bad blogger.  On the 14th of December, two days before Hads got out of school for Christmas vacation, she had her Christmas party at school.  I was able to sneak away from work for just a little bit and go visit with her and I was so glad I did.  One minute she is cheesing and posing like this and the next minute......

there is a big hole, where a tooth use to be.  She finally lost her first tooth!!!!  She will be 7 in February, so she had been working that loose tooth pretty hard, her friends were getting quite a bit ahead of her.  She was a late teether, only having 2 teeth at 12 months, so we tried to explain that to her, but she wanted it out.

A few days later we would discover that she has a sharks teeth type thing going on and there is actually a row of permanent teeth coming in behind the baby teeth.  We knew there was an orthodontist in her future, but didn't realize it was going to be before she was 7.  Oyyy, my pocketbook.

HoHo Merry Christmas

No No Ho Ho

Saturday afternoon Hadley and I had plans to go see The Nutcracker with friends.  We thought we would squeeze in our Santa visit that morning.  A few days before I started talking Santa up pretty good to Ellison in hopes that she would sit in his lap.  She talked a big game, "I sit HoHo's lap", "my HoHo", "HoHo I want a purple baby doll".  But when the rubber met the road, it wasn't happening.  As we approached her little thighs went into lock mode around my waist and it wasn't happening.  We settled for using sister as a shield and holding her hand standing on the ground.  I think it was a pretty good compromise, she isn't crying and wasn't tramautized!

Orange Belts and Parades!!!

Thursday Night was another busy night for us.  Hadley had to be at Karate at 5:30 for her belt testing.  She is now an orange belt and can't wait for karate to start back after the holidays.

Immediately after testing, we had to get layered up in our warm clothes and race across town to participate in the Christmas Parade with her gym class.  I literally made it as the float was pulling out, threw her up on the moving float and she began to panic.  In my haste to get everything ready for Thursday, I failed to explain to Hadley what she would be doing in the parade and that I wouldn't be with her.  So when she got thrown up on the float, didn't see anyone she knew and realized I wasn't going with her she was none too pleased.  In the end she toughed it out and ended up having a blast with her class.

It was pretty, stinking cold.  My toes were numb.  This little lady loves her a parade.  She loved dancing to the band.

Umm that's the float my kid was on.  We were on the wrong side of the road, so we didn't get to see her and in searching for her, the float was gone before I could take a good picture of her.

My sweet girl all bundled up after the parade.  Did I mention it was cold?  She had on two jackets, one turtleneck, two pairs of pants, two pairs of socks, gloves and a hat.  She kept telling me she couldn't move her toes, I told her it didn't matter as long as they were WARM!!!!

It's going to GET ME!!!!

Our first holiday occasion, Hadley's Christmas Play, called for our first holiday outfit.  There is a reason, I call this one The Root Tail Tooter, she is a stinker.  She absolutely refuses to give me a decent shot.  I had my Mom applique these Christmas outfits, she gave me a really skeptical look about the cheetah print, but I was convinced and I LOVE IT!  Especially with cheetah print sequin shoes, ADORABLE!!!

So this fabulous tree is located at The Bud.  I thought, a couple of pictures of Ellison in her holiday outfit in front of it would be beautiful.  Umm no such luck, she saw the red cardinals, freaked her out....

...see the red cardinal in the bottom right of the picture?  Every picture of Ellison, she has this really worried look, like the tree is the boogie man, IT'S GOING TO GET ME!!

Our Holiday Mouse

It is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.  The holiday season has kicked off with a holiday mouse!!!!  "Don't you love to make footprints in the snow?"  That was this little mouse's line and she did fabulous!  Yes, I'm her Mom and biased.  Such a cute little mouse.

My Big Girl

Wow!  She is growing way to fast.  Such a little lady.  I feel like I blinked and my baby disappeared.  We have let her hair grow out and it looks even more blonde.  In this pick she is sporting a second stylists' creation, Great Aunt MoMo Designs.  Aunt MoMo she loves the pockets!!!!!

Bathing Beauties

Party it UP!!!

The day after Thanksgiving we had a party for Ellison's birthday.  Oh my word does this girl love a party.  She kept touching her chest saying "my party" "my presents".  The other highlight for her were the cupcakes.  Once she saw them she couldn't stop asking for one and she did not disappoint when she finally got one.  She devoured it.  She took great delight in opening her packages, squealing with each new discovery.  I am so grateful, we truly got to celebrate her birthday this year.

In her birthday outfit.

My party, my presents.

Aunt Mary brought her ipad and this little lady was in heaven.  Such a little techie this one.

Showing Nana Vicki her reading skills.

Squeezing Aunt Mary in two.

Say cheese BellBell.

CUPCAKE!!!!

This is getting a little messy, how about I just eat it like this.

Happy Thanksgiving

We went home to LA for Thanksgiving and to celebrate Ellison's birthday.  The trip ended up being quite the adventure, but that was at the end so it didn't spoil the beginning.  Thanksgiving I got to meet a cousin I don't remember meeting before.  I have cousins by the dozens on my Dad's side that I haven't met.  So it was nice to finally get to meet at least one, along with his family.  Bradley, Elaine and Cassie joined us along with my Aunt MoMo.  It was a great day and the girls go to play with sweet Cassie and had such a good time.

The pie, Kentucky Derby Pie.

The girls, they look quite shocked in this picture.  I think I was acting really ridiculous trying to get all three of them to look at the same time.  The end result was expressions of who is this CRAZY WOMAN?

Such concentration during sticker time.

A new way to play on our itouch.

Someone couldn't make it to the Thanksgiving meal with the rest of the family.  She ate early and went down for a long nap. 

Sweet Cassie.  She is so adorable.

Hadley and Cassie, building a house out of the blocks.

Ellison Ann making new friends.  She made herself comfortable with Elaine.

Oh no the baby is crying.

Wait, she is all better now.

Elaine, Cassie and Bradley.  So glad we got to meet you.  Hope to see you again at Christmas!!!!!

Birthday party pictures and the story of our adventure later.

Wax On Wax Off

They aren't great, but here are a few snaps of Hads doing her Karate thing.  She loves it.  Probably her favorite activity.

Bath time fun

Bath time fun.  What is it about taking a baby out of the bath and them looking at their own reflection.  Both of my girls love looking at themselves in the mirror after their bath.

She wanted her picture taken by herself.  She loves the camera.