Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

I've been a good mom all year. I've fed, cleaned and cuddled my children on demand, visited their doctor's office more than my own doctor's, and sold sixty-two cases of candy bars to raise money to plant a shade tree on the school playground.I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmas', since I had to write this letter with my son's red crayon, on the back of a receipt, in the laundry room between cycles, and who knows when I'll find anymore free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes:

I'd like a pair of legs that don't ache (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don't hurt or flap in the breeze; but are strong enough to pull my screaming child out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I'd also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy.

If you're hauling big ticket items this year, I'd like fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn't broadcast any programs containing talking animals; and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking doll that says, "Yes, Mommy" to boost my parental confidence, along with two kids who don't fight and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up without the use of power tools.

I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting "Don't eat in the living room" and "Take your hands off your brother", because my voice seems to be just out of my children's hearing range and can only be heard by the dog.

If it's too late to find any of these products, I'd settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature without it being served in a Styrofoam container.

If you don't mind, I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It will clear my conscience immensely.

It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house without demanding payment as if they were the bosses of an organized crime family.

Well, Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet under the laundry room door. I think he wants his crayon back.Have a safe trip and remember to leave your wet boots by the door and come in to dry off so you don't catch cold.Help yourself to cookies on the table but don't eat too many or leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Always, MOM

P.S. One more thing ...you can cancel all my requests if you can keep my children young enough to believe in Santa!

I found this on a friends blog and thought it was pretty close to reality- here's where it came from: http://www.sugardoodle.net/

Christmas Card Drama

I don't think I have to tell anyone how difficult it can be to get your Christmas cards out. I'm pretty sure most of us stress over family pictures- coordinating outfits, finding the right day, not to mention getting everyone to sit still, smile and of course, no picking your nose. But when all is said and done, there's always the possibility that maybe you could end up pleasantly surprised. So here is the end result of our 2007 Christmas Card (and a few behind the scenes).

You might notice that it's not a family picture... much easier.

Savor this moment

I've been waiting for an excuse to use this picture, but decided it was worth just putting up on it's own. Kyle HATES taking pictures. Family pictures are not welcome and individual shots are just pointless. So although he may be a bit bugged by me during this particular photo opt, he actually came across as the true hunk that I know and love...

What in the world??

I was busy on the computer this morning but could hear Maci getting into something in the bathroom. I walked into find this









The crazy thing is, I have NO IDEA what she got into! I sheepishly admit there may be somethings on my bathroom floor that don't belong there, but when I looked to see what it was that she had smeared all over her face, I found nothing. I guess we'll never know.

White Ribbons

Most people who know Licity would agree that she is one of the messiest little girls. Food on her face, no problem. Slobber on her chin, great. Lip gloss up to her ears, beautiful. So as a mother of my first little girl (and a skewed vision of what a little girl entails) I say, "How about a white ribbon?" Luckily, she has always tolerated the bows I put on her. So the next time I hear, "Mom, Licity's getting into your makeup." I just say, "but does she still have her bow in?"...

I've been tagged...

I've been tagged by my friend Melissa. Which should be fun but I'm really struggling to think of 6 things about myself- or really just anything at all interesting so let me see what I can come up with...
1) I love my life! That sounds a bit cliche, but it's really how I feel. I have an amazing husband who is extremely handsome, hard working and honors his priesthood responsibilities and is of course a perfect daddy. And I have 3 beautiful and healthy children who (for the most part) really try their very best to make me happy. Not to mention a beautiful home to live in. What else do you need in life?
2) I have three triathlons on my resume and I'm determined that one day I'll be ready for more. I was 18 for my first one and came in 2nd place, I was 19 for the next one and came in 1st place, I was 22 and one-kid-later for the third one and was happy to not pass out when crossing the finish line. I have high hopes for the next one.
3) I enjoy dabbling in anything creative. I've tried sewing, scrap booking, knitting, quilting, photography, deco page, jewelry making, bow making, painting, wood work and many others that I try to block out from my memory. I love to be able to claim I know how to do things, but doing them well is a very different story.
4) I was quite the rebel growing up, and maybe, just slightly, still am. I really don't like doing things that people tell me to do. My poor mom- I'm really sorry... really, really sorry.
5) I watch soap operas. It's sad, I know. I really got into All My Children and actually record it so every once in a while I'll get behind and then have an All My children marathon. What a great way to numb the mind.
6) My favorite thing at the end of the day is to curl up next to Kyle with a cup of hot chocolate and a little treat that I've managed to hide from the kids and tune in to one of our many favorite (and very addicting) TV shows.

I'm not sure if that was at all interesting for anyone else but that was a lot of fun to take time to think about me. So Amy, Sarah and Lara you've been tagged!

Maci (May) 6 Months Old

I can:

- Roll over (old news)

- crawl/scoot backwards

- Talk in high pitched squeals

- giggle when tickled under my chin (or back, legs, chest, tummy or feet)

- yell at my mom when hungry

- Smile for anyone who's watching

Flashback Friday... Wow Licity!

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it! For anyone who doubted when I told you Licity was a REALLY big baby... she's only 4 months here. (And it's not just the picture, her head really is bigger than Ethan's.)

The art of Halloweening

What is it about Halloween ? There's the costumes, the pumpkin patch, pumpkin carving, the cookie decorating, the Halloween party, the school parties (sugar cookies for Licity, candy for Ethan, games, treats, crafts and pictures for my preschool class). Then there's the actual Trick-or-treating with pictures and candy and... did the kids even eat dinner that night? Needless to say, we are glad it came and we are really glad that it went! Phew!

But, the kids did look really cute!


Halloween

Party in the Park

Pumpkin Patch

The dirtier the better!

We went on the annual "camping on the beach" trip to Doheny, CA with our good friends the Nelsons... it pretty much rained the entire time. Rough on the parents, but SO much fun for the kids! It was dirty and sandy (and snotty), but was honestly one of the best trips all summer! Thank you Nelson family- we wish you were closer!

Ethan loved the sand! Each day he would build "the great wall" and wait for the tide to come up and wash it away.
Licity's vacation revolved around "lil' mermaid". It's amazing how entertaining one doll can be (sing, dance, swim, etc.).

Licity being "lil' mermaid"


Not even Maci could stay clean on this trip.

Highlight of the trip... one of Kyle's famous (way too scary) stories.

I'm back!

Hooray! I finally have a camera again- I'm still not sure how it works, and the lighting is all off on all of these, but I'll get there. So here's what we've missed... Ethan continues to thrive in school. He is so excited about everything he learns and is easily enticed by whatever reward they're using at school. He's started the "Book It" program and is so focused on getting a free pizza (like we don't have pizza once a week anyway) that he will read both morning and night because that's what he thinks he needs to do. I love his determination and know how wonderful it is to not have to fight him on homework.

Licity is as crazy as ever. Her favorite thing is sitting on the counter in the bathroom making silly faces in the mirror, applying mommy's "lip glogs" (see also: slide show from September), or coloring with deodorant all over the mirror. Fun! She also loves her school but for very different reasons than Ethan- I would love to know who Hunter is? She is also impossible to get mad at- not because she doesn't do infuriating things, but because she is always smiling (especially when she's doing something wrong).

Maci is a busy baby. She's well on her way to crawling and is so intent on grabbing anything within reach. She went through a nightmare of a time switching to bottles, but she's adjusted now and is such a happy baby-She definitely has one of the biggest smiles I've ever seen on a baby.

My Smart Little Ethan

So I asked Ethan a question about something that he had done the other day that I knew he didn't want to give me the answer to... after pausing for a long time and with a very dumbfounded look he finally said, "Well, I guess it's better to tell the truth than to lie." WAAWHO!!! He is listening! There is hope after all!

Where did September go?

September flew by so instead of writing it all out, I thought these pictures could explain most of it.

Flashback Friday!

Well I didn't quite get this done on Friday so really it's flashback Monday-- I heard someone else using this idea and thought it sounded fun. I'm going to start way back to the days when Kyle and I first met... It's been 8 years since I first saw him giving his talk in Sacrament meeting in the MCC 2nd Single Ward. I can't say love at first site because that's just cheesy, but I knew for sure this was a guy that I wanted to meet. A friend of mine introduced me to him... and his girlfriend, who was in town visiting. Fortunately, a couple weeks later, we were both running late and bumped into each other again in the parking lot (without the girlfriend). We started talking and there were definitely sparks -- until he went on to go sit with all his friends while I stood there alone... Anyway, I persisted and invited him to a "family home evening" that night-- which he stood me up... and again, I invited him to play soccer the following week-- which he failed to return my phone call -- until finally he did call. We talked all night long and I decided that I would try again to invite him out on a double date that my roommate and I had just planned. A couple nights later we went out and had a great time. He called first thing the next morning but then I didn't hear from him for 2 weeks! I was totally confused but I knew we had so much fun when we got together so I thought, "Okay, one more time." I had been given tickets to the circus and knew he was the only one I wanted to go with. After canceling a few of his own plans we met up and went on the most amazing date- we laughed, we flirted, we talked and we had our very first kiss... The rest is history. He proposed 6 months later and we were married four months after that on August 4th, 2000. I finally found out that there was a very good reason for his hesitation and it just showed me more of why he was such a great catch... and besides, 7 years of marriage and three kids later- I think everything worked out perfectly.

My Blue Eyed Thumb Sucker

I know I shouldn't be excited about a thumb sucker, but I can't help but recognize the similarity she she has to me (not now of course), but thumb-sucking is what I did. My habit was a bit obsessive so we'll try to avoid that- but so far it's just at naptime and nighttime and it's just as she's falling asleep. Sure, I'm aware what a potential nightmare this may be, but for now, it's just so sweet.

Schools in Session

I am totally loving school!! I really don't think it's because of my kids being out of the house (but yes, that's an added bonus). I just love how much I see my kids growing already and I can't take the credit... which seems like a down side but it really just eases my burden of being the only one invested in their well-being.

Ethan is at Noah Webster this year. I've always been excited about that, but never really knew what that entailed. Now I'm seeing how hard they push those kids, and luckily, Ethan is eating it up. He insists on doing everything right and loves when I tell him how smart he is now that he's in Kindergarten. What I would have done (if I had a working camera) is posted a picture of Ethan's first spelling test- not a 100% but pretty close and I am definitely a proud mama!

Licity tested in for the Amancer Program through the Gilbert School District. I knew she wasn't talking as much as Ethan and thought she might not be comprehending as well as she should by this age, so I took her in for an evaluation. She is now enrolled for a free, 5 day a week, with door-to-door bus service at the elementary preschool that is right in our neighborhood. I can't say for sure how she's doing in class, but she loves getting on the bus in the morning and is as happy as can be when she gets home. I'm just feeling really blessed with how everything has worked out this year.

Just getting started (original version)

This is how new I am at this blogging... this post is actually the original post that I started with last month sometime that took like three days to write because of all of the interruptions and then when I came up to my computer to finish it I saw that someone had closed it out! Little did I know, it was here all along under 'drafts'. Duh! So here is the original McEuen Summery...

So, getting started on a 'blog spot' is a bit intimidating! I figure it's easier to just start rather than obsess about all of the different frills to add. So here we go...

This is my family; Kyle, my husband- he's 29 and started a fairly new job as a Client Manager (??) for this newer company which is sounding a little sketchy as I'm writing this but is a surprisingly good place for us to be at right now. He's the world's best dad- I couldn't ask for anyone more perfect with the kids and also as a husband. I'm extremely lucky to have him.

Ethan is our oldest- he turned 5 last May. He has to be the smartest kid I know, so intuitive. He can argue any point and often ends up winning (legitimately). With that, there is good and bad- I am anxious for the good to start paying off but I'm afraid that might be few years away. We do love how often he makes us laugh (in amazement). He also uses his determination in sports which he loves! He's really good at soccer (if I do say so myself) and basketball and baseball and .... He's a fun kid!

Licity is our middle child (although I don't think she realizes that yet). She just turned 3 in August but seems determined to be the baby of the family- I think we need to stop spoiling her so much. She is a funny little girl- so happy! She's impossible to discipline because of her adorable smile (and she knows how to work it)!

Maci is the baby- almost four months now. She gave us a scare the first couple of months with her sleeping habits (or non-sleeping habits), but she has totally come around. She seems to just wait for you to look her way so she can smile back at you. She's still trying to figure out a schedule but is so content that it doesn't really matter if she's awake all day.

I feel so boring that I won't go into me- really, talking about my family says everything about me... they are my life. I do have a few other things that occupy my time- I love scrapbooking but am two plus years behind on my family, I also love reading a good book and since I'm being honest I'm really into a few (too many) TV shows. I won't name all of them but my favorite is The Office.

Anyway, that's enough to get started... I'll add more details as they come.

My Wonderful Husband

I showed my husband my blog and his comment was one I hadn't considered...
"Nothing about a husband, huh?"

I know I have pictures of him on here, but I don't think I have even mentioned having a husband. So here it is...

KYLE MCEUEN IS THE BEST HUSBAND EVER!

I love you honey!

By the way- it was really hard to find a picture of him alone (or with me). I promise to be better about including him in our family.

Broken Camera

What a bummer! My camera broke- just after I started this blogging thing... I figured I'd still write, but it's not near as fun without pictures to go with.

Rees Family Reunion 2007

Our most recent trip was to Park City, UT. It was so fun to see everyone! If I had it my way, all 9 of the Rees clan would be living right next to eachother in their own private culisac... or neighborhood. But until then we'll have to settle on our reunions to bring us all together. Here's some fun photos...