A bond like none other

When we had Dewy, I told Karl I wanted him to have a best friend. So we got Pace. Now they are inseparable. 

We had Brady and I told Karl, I wanted another baby so Brady could have a best friend. We had Reese. Now they are inseparable. 

We gave them their own rooms in FL, they asked to have sleep overs in each others rooms every night. So we gave them a common bedroom with bunk beds. Now, they are sharing the same bed. 

In this first picture, they both have their hand draped over their sister's leg. They are wound into each other like pretzels. 

This next photo was after Brady had a long emotional evening because she missed her daddy so much. I asked Reese is she could make Brady feel extra loved that night. Reese shared her pillow and her oxygen. 

I hope Elli will be able to build this same bond with them as well. 

Orthnerism: Let's speak about spokes

I realized I never made this announcement official on her. In February, Reese became a legit bike rider. With her I wised up to the whole bike riding process, which does NOT include training wheels at any given time.

Two months later and Reese is a master of her bike. She has control like she has been riding a bike for years. Sorry, I don't have an updated video or even pictures but I have this little verbal gem.

After a weekend afternoon out on the alley, I asked the girls to come in for dinner. As they were cleaning up their bike gear:

Me: "Reese, you really are pretty amazing on that bike of yours now."

Reese: "That's the way it is suppose to be, mom."


Alright Reese, from now on, I will not expect anything short of amazing from you.






But I have a feeling you will never let me down.

By the way, this is one of her latest masterpieces. Titled "A girl dressed up as a princess stuffing brownies in her mouth"

My baby is all grown up!

What happened? She isn't a baby anymore. Now the reference of her being my baby has nothing to do with age and ALL has to do with her being my youngest. How did this happen? But what a sweet thing it is to behold.

Let's explore the awesomeness of She.

 She mastered her first easter egg hunt. All I did was tell her "go clean up all those eggs"

 She wanted so badly to enjoy all those sweets she accumulated at the egg hunt. I tried to distract her with the miniature jar of bubbles she got. It worked for 5 seconds (look how sweet her blowing bubbles is) then she dumped out the jar to move onto bigger and better things...sugar.

 Apparently I haven't been giving her enough credit. While pulling the wagon with Reese and Elli, Reese shouts "look mommy!" Yep, Elli unwrapped a tootsie pop and went about her business.

 No worries though, MY baby still loves a good snuggle or piggy back ride. And I don't mind one bit.

 But, more importantly, she loves doing EVERYTHING her big sisters do. If Brady runs out in the early morning with a giant bear in tow. You bet that Elli races to find the other big bear, heft him over her arm, and proceed to the backyard too. Imagine the battles that fall into place when a almost two year old constantly tries to be a 5 or 6 year old.

 I do have to say, she is just as sweet as they come. I love her infectious joy of life.

 I also love her sense of humor. She is our resident comedian, always trying to get a laugh out of someone or laugh right along with others. She loves a good joke that is above her head but makes everyone else laugh. 

But about the sweetest thing as of late, is her new phrase "Daddy home". It can be phrased as a question or a statement. She wakes up, she immediately looks towards the master bedroom and asks "daddy home?". Daddy walks into a door after work, she goes running "Daddy home!!!!". It breaks my heart though, when Karl is out of town. She asks about 15 times a day "Daddy home?" Every time she sees a black sedan "Daddy home!" Playing in the backyard, she walks to the garage door, reaches for the knob and says "Daddy home?" She is a full blown daddy's girl and that makes me SO happy. I think she has her daddy sold on this only daughters business. 

let's band together

Yep, we are on day 34!

Those arm bands were put on her March 1st! She wants to keep them on "incase she goes back to the Great Wolf Lodge, the she can get in for free"

I think she is attached to them because they are a great conversation starter. SEVERAL people have talked to her about the Great Wolf Lodge and then she gets to share her stories. 

But just when I think the yellow one is on its last leg...

We go to a base easter egg hunt and they require this...

Do you see it? Yet another yellow wristband on her right hand. YAH! : /

Master of her own disguise

When she thinks she has secretly gotten into her sisters play make up but has really gotten into their markers!





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Stop the clock...

... My baby girl is growing up

TOO FAST!

Level 1 Badge testing

Reese had a level one badge testing for her Gymnastics class at Excalibur. It gives young new gymnast a taste of competitions. One by one they did set skills and were rated as bronze, silver or gold. Reese just moved up to the level one class only three weeks ago so a lot of this is new to her.

Warm-ups

 Her biggest fans getting limber too

In "Vault" she earned silver

 On beam, she earned silver

 On floor, she earned silver.

 on an unrelated side note, you can see the chub she has gained back since she is so much healthier on the gluten free diet! She has gained five pounds since we started the diet 2.5 months ago.

 Uneven bars proved to be the trickiest for her as she earned bronze on this event.

 More of her fan club!

 Reese proudly accepts her silver badge, that she asked to be ironed onto her leo.

 WE ARE SO PROUD OF HER! She was very nervous to participate and she was brave!

 The event took over two hours, so we had to rush over to swim lessons. She didn't even have time to change her leo! You won't be surprised to know she slept until 10:00 the next morning.

The Big Purple Chair

The local Children's Museum has a giant purple chair that is the perfect photo op. So of course we take our picture every time we visit.

This is December 14, 2008. The day before Reese was born. It was our last hoorah for Brady before her life changed forever (for the better obviously). 

Elli made her debut shortly after we moved back to Virginia Beach. This is February 2013.

Then we visited about a year later. These pics are from March 16, 2014.

 Glad to have a flock to fill up the chair now. 

Life is Good!

Here are more fun pictures from our recent visit.

Cold windy Brady

 Elli wanting momma.

 Reese rocking the Pixie.

 Orthner shadow

 Reese in her domain...performing

 Brady learning how to run light and sound board.

 Things that go.

 Karl using his muscles on the pulley chair.

 Cha-ching

 Stray dog in the museum.

 Another lost mutt,

 Cutest fire fighter EVER!

 Three little Orthners in a bubble!

 Book worm

Another item on our bucket list completed!

Many Faces of Silly

Ask a kid to make silly faces for a camera and you are guarantee laughs!

Here is the collages of our fun.

At the end of the rainbow

After having my first child, and falling head over heels for her, I wanted to give her everything life could offer. I wanted her to have a sibling (especially a sister) that she could have a lifelong bond with like I have with my own sister. Sure, enough 18 months later she had a sister.

Their bond has been apparent from the beginning. I post about on here often. Here are the latest examples.

Yesterday, Brady was invited to play at a classmates house, that also lives in our neighborhood. Great, fine, wonderful, except this is a friend of only Brady. Remember this is their first year of school ever to not be in the same class. So, up until last fall they shared all their friends. Reese was devastated by the lack of Brady. Brady was gone for 1.5 hours at her friends house. Reese cried uncontrollably for one hour of it.

Then today, I stopped by the school to eat lunch with Brady. Brady's teacher quickly whispered this story to me.

They are working on St. Patricks day folklore in class. They were discussing the pot of gold legends. The class was asked to write a sentence "_______ is worth more than a pot of gold." Brady showed her teacher her paper. "My sister is worth more than a pot of gold." Her teacher stated "Brady, you have two sisters, you need to put an s on the end of sister." Brady replied "no, I mean just one sister. My sister, REESE, is worth more than a pot of gold to me!"

That means more to me than if she would have said me. If nothing else, I want to raise kids that love their siblings!

Photo Book

Click here to view this photo book larger

Shutterfly photo books offer a wide range of artful designs and embellishments to choose from.