Part 1 -- Ellie's B-day (Ellie's POV)

I had my birthday party today. It was lots of fun and I got lots of presents. Not as many as last year, but mommy asked daddy if there were any toys left in the toy store again, so I guess she still thinks I got too many. Daddy just did that wink and smile thing that always makes mommy roll her eyes at him.

I got a really neat doll and necklace from Auntie Twinkie. Oops, I mean Auntie Kristina. Mommy gets really mad at me when I call her that. I don't know why, daddy calls her that all the time, but now that I think about it, he only does it when mommy isn't around. Guess I better be more careful and mind my P's and Q's as daddy likes to say. I don't know what that means, but he says it's something some lady named Mrs. Ceurillo used to say to him.

After the presents, we had cake. I don't know why everyone makes fun of mommy's cooking. This cake was lots better than last years, only one little burnt spot and mommy just covered it up really good with lots of icing.

She is getting better, honest. Tomorrow, I am gonna show her how to make scrambled eggs with out getting any of the shell in the eggs. I told her it was easy, she just had to concentrate and remember to breathe, like daddy is always telling her. Wonder why he is always saying that to her, how can a person have to be told to breathe?

My mom and dad are really neat but they have some really wierd ways of doing things. I mean, in most families, the mommy is the cook and stuff and the daddy is the one who reads the paper after dinner, but in our family, daddy won't even let mommy in the kitchen less he is there with her.

And they are always kissing and stuff. Most mommies and daddies I know aren't even married, but mine act like those people I see in those movies that daddy lets me watch sometimes when mommy isn't home. You know, the ones who hug a lot and play wrestling in bed. Daddy says mommy is a really good wrestler. And when he said it, he had that winky grin on his face.

I asked Auntie twinkie about it, and she said it is grown up wrestling and that she is going to tell mommy that she needs to have a talk with daddy about what I watch on t.v. Daddy thinks Auntie twinkie is nosy sometimes. This time I think daddy is right.

After the party I was super sleepy and daddy carried me to bed. Mommy came in and sat with us while daddy told me the story about when I was born and how mommy was really mean to him while she was in, what's that word? Oh yeah, labor. He says she yelled a lot and stuff, but when I was born she really happy and named me after my two grandmas in heaven.

He also tells the part about how he tried to get mommy to marry him for a really long time and that he had to "woo" her, as he calls it. Mommy always smiles at that, she says it is the best part of the story, that daddy is a really good wooer. Daddy always says that mommy isn't so bad herself and then they kiss.

After they left, I got up and got my stuffed penguin off the floor that I always sleep with. I was getting back in bed when I heard mommy and daddy giggling in their room. The door was closed, so I knew I wasn't supposed to go in. When the door is closed I never bother them, less it's a `mergency. Auntie Twink says the door closed means they are doing that wrestling thing. Their door is closed A LOT.