The Many Faces of Reese

Reese has always taken intriguing, breathtaking, beautiful closeups. She can be straight faced and tight lipped but I am struck by her beauty. Sometimes I feel vain when I say this since so many people say she looks just like me. 

 She told me that she was going to make a funny face.

 Then I asked her to make another funny face.

 Then she said she was going to make an even funnier funny face....guess what, she was right because I downright laughed out loud. I love this girl's sense of humor. 

Now you can't see her face in this picture, but needs to be included. This was Karl's greeting from her when he got home from work! She LOVES her daddy!

Budding Artist

Reese's recent drawing shocked both Karl and I. She drew Handy Manny and his tools from complete memory. There are little details there that I would have not picked up on if I wasn't looking right at the TV show myself. We have no Handy Manny toys and she wasn't in the room with the TV when she drew it so it was all in her head. 

 for comparison

And this is handy manny himself!

I know she is not the next Picasso, but hey she impressed her biggest fans, her mommy and daddy!

First Day of School 2013

I always make a point to not rush life along nor to live in the past; enjoy the moment I am in and live life to its fullest. However, my mind is still in summer mode. My ADD is getting the best of me. But it is September and we are pressing on. 

Here is a summary of Brady and Reese's first days of school. 

Last week we got to meet Brady's teacher. I grabbed some pictures of her at the school since she rides the bus. Yep, new territory for us: public school and big yellow school bus. 

This is her at her desk. I had the wrong lens on so you can't really see the background, but I promise there is a desk and classroom there. 

September 3, 2013: Brady's first day of first grade. 

I wake up to the sound of Elli vomiting at 3:30. My first sign that things were about to get a little crazy and that I would miss summer immensely. My emotions about sending my biggest baby to school were thrown out the 'I'm too tired to think' window. My gear was shifted to survival mode, but we were still driving. 

6:00...Brady was pumped; Brady was up early; Brady was starting to get hyper; Brady COULD NOT WAIT!

We get to the bus stop early, in typical Orthner style. But within in minutes the bus stop was bumpin'. Yah, that is a third of the bus at one stop. I LOVE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD! As we were walking to the stop we stood at attention for the national anthem, all the kids stood and respected the colors of our wonderful nation, only at base housing. 

 No tears fell as I watched this. I was surprised too. But the mountain of vomit laundry at home distracted me.

Now take the picture above, turn Brady around, and turn the clock to eight hours later. Yea, I lost it then. I downright missed her. I swelled with pride when I saw her coming home. I have issues that a stranger gets to enjoy my Brady Boo all day long, but it is what is best for all of us. 

That night she spoke of mechanics of her desk, the yumminess of the school lunch, the lack of recess, the intercom that can speak to her teacher. Not much said about her teacher, academics or new friends. 

This is an excerpt from an email her teacher sent me. 

"She is an absolute doll, by the way.  So well behaved and a joy to spend the day with."

Yep, teacher's pet already. She has it to a science already. 

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Now Reese is a MWF preschooler so her first day was September 4, 2013. 

Well, no vomit in the middle of the night, but I guess I was still off my game because I forgot to set my alarm. I would have set it for 5:30, but instead woke up to Elli's chattering at 6:35. We all needed to be out the door by 7:30. YIKES...Did I really sleep in on Reese's first day of school. Yep, mother of the year award was overnighted to me. So the morning was a lot of rushing. We did though, we got there on time, which in Orthner speak means we were 15 minutes early. But we pulled up the same time as one of Reese's good friends, so Reese had no first day jitters at all. 

Side note: I keep looking at these pictures thinking 'did Reese grow two inches (in her legs) overnight?'

Reese had a blast. She talked of new rules, playing in the sand, HER hook for her bookbag, chasing a new friend with her BFF, and snack including juice but no water. Again no mention of her teachers or academics. But this is a 4 year old's world. 

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Three cheers for my two students!

 I miss these girls already. I miss the unscheduled summer days that allowed us to get dressed at 9:30. I miss their laughter throughout the day. I try to relish this time as they grow and learn at school. But, heck, those teachers best appreciate my kiddos.

This school year has me frazzled. Besides the forgetting of the alarm, I almost ran out of gas (noticed the light in the middle of thirty minutes of stand still traffic). Also, when eating my lunch, I look down half way through and realize I was using a plastic minnie mouse fork. I am off my game people. But I know I will catch up soon enough.

Here's to a wonderful school year, that soon enough I will appreciate.

Navy Promotion

We are very proud of Karl, for he is now a Lieutenant Commander. This is the first promotion that he has out right earned, the others come automatically after two years (if you don't screw up). He was promoted on his first screening. We have several friends who are OUTSTANDING officers for the US Navy and they didn't get promoted in either of their two screenings; therefore they will no longer have a job in the Navy. So, we are extremely proud of Karl and glad the Navy appreciated all his hard work and rewarded him.

Karl was screened 15 months ago. Yes, he was told he was going to promote FIFTEEN months ago. So, you know we have been looking forward to THIS day for a long time, basically as long as Elli has been alive. Immediately Karl starting talking about his desires to have Brady and Reese 'pin' him (for my non-military friends, that means they change the pins that show his rank during the ceremony, it is a great honor).

We discussed this great duty with the girls about a month in advance (due to Karl's pending travels out to sea). Brady knew almost immediately she wanted to wear a khaki dress to match daddy. Let me you, stores do no make Khaki dresses for little girls, unless you buy the standard school uniform. I did find the perfect dress on Amazon, then Reese just had to have the dress too.

I 'bedazzled' the dresses with miniature versions of Karl's aviator wings and his ribbons (again non-military friends, these show the awards he has earned throughout his career; some bigger deals than others). Needless to say, the outfits were a hit. Brady even asked to have her hair put up to confirm to uniform regs.

Again, non-military friends, look at Karl's lapel, the two silver bars are the rank/insigna he wore when he was a Lieutenant. 

Okay, I am letting the girls steal the show once again ;) Back to my awesome hubs...

Karl repeated the officer oath with his admiral.

Then the girls removed his lieutenant bars. 

 Then the oak leaf insigna was put in its place. Brady did it so fast I didn't catch it on camera.

 I just love Brady's stance as she monitors her little sister.

 The girls walked away after pinning Karl, a little intimidated by the formality of the ceremony. I quietly told them to go hug daddy. What a sweet moment unfolded from there. Can you just see the pride in Karl's face, proud to be an Lt. Cdr and proud to be a daddy. I am glad he so effectively balances these two hefty roles.

And to make things official... biting his lips in concentration

We are very proud of you, Karl! Congrats!

Reese's face in all the family shots do not accurately relay her attitude. She was happy being there. She just doesn't like all the officers looking at her as she gets her picture taken. 

4 and 6 year old photog

Karl and I discussing our lack of pictures of us, just us, since having kids. Like most families, we have grabbed way too many pictures of our little cuties, but rarely make our appearance in the pictures ourselves. So after Karl's promotion we had Brady and Reese try to grab a few of us.

The ones in focus aren't good of us and the good ones of us aren't in focus. But in the line up of all of them is rather entertaining.