360 Pensacola

My birthday was a couple weeks ago. We wanted to do something that everyone could enjoy. Since Elli Dew doesn't do well in heat for extended period, we had a tough time coming up with ideas. The girls wanted to go to a pool, I love the idea, but not feasible with a baby. Lots of ideas were mulled over, but nothing good came to mind....then it hit me!

Pensacola Beach has just built a BIG ferris wheel. It is called 360 Pensacola. The gondolas are enclosed and air conditioned...perfect! It was on my Pensacola bucket list (well, really the only thing on the list...not too sad about leaving this city). 

This is our view as we drove over the toll bridge to get to Pensacola Beach. You can see the ferris wheel in the  distance. It was overcast so it is hard to see.

 The view from the parking lot

 The oldest and youngest rider in our gondola.

 The iconic beach ball water tower in the background.

 The view from the top

 Reese loving it and taking in the views. It was windy that day and the swaying didn't bother the girls at all!

 Brady posing for the camera

 Me and my girly girls

It was lots of fun and we decided we will go again in the fall, when it gets dark earlier and see the sunset during a ride!

As a side note, I didn't let the 'issues' get me down about how to celebrate. Remember this post last year? At that point we were 10 months into trying to get pregnant, so of course I was wishing for that deep down. But I didn't let it stop me from realizing how awesome my life was then. I did think to myself, on this birthday I really do have everything I have EVER dreamed of...I really am lucky to have had and continue to have the best life I could ask for. 

School's in!

So we are a week into school being back in session...

Let's see...

Reese didn't act up on the first day of school like last year, she waited until the second day!

And, Brady waited until the fourth day of school to wake up with a green snotted sneezy nose!

Also, the girls have started this pact of not telling me about school. I get "I am not going to tell you about my day, but I had fun!" I still ask everyday, because even if I don't get an answer I want them to know I care enough to ask. Of course, random tidbits come out in conversation throughout the day.

Here is Brady's first day of kindergarten picture.

For comparison...

First day of school 2011

First day of school 2010

Apparently without trying she has striked the same pose every year! Look at the green window sill compared to the top of her head each year! And she has wanted her hair done the same way each time too!

Reese's first day 2012

Reese's first day 2011

Oh man do I love love love these cutie pies. Here's to a happy and successful school year, which will include the huge transition of a move to VA.

Can't teach an old dog new tricks: Orthnerisms

So, as many of you may know I have issues with syllables. As in I add syllables to words. I am the product of the 'whole language' revolution that flopped in the education field.

For example, in AP Senior English, we were dissecting a poem that was iambic pentameter (did I spell that right?). Anyways, the teacher says "This poem doesn't follow that part in one line, where is it?"; I proudly raise my hand and say "It is the line with child, since child has two syllables" Giggles ensued! Chi-uld right?

Well, that wasn't the end of my syllable misery. At the beginning of my Junior year of college, I went to an improv comedy show with a large group of friends. They had an audience participation skit. They asked for one syllable names. Karl shouts out his name. I said to him, "They asked for only one syllable names!" I honestly thought his name is two syllables, Kar-ul right?. Note: we weren't dating yet, and he still pursued me.

So my syllable inabilities came back to haunt me! I have an iPhone, and most people know about Siri. You can speak to type. So in my text to a friend, I spoke "Karl told me....". What did Siri type?!?!?! "Karel told me...."

Thanks Siri, for allowing me to laugh at the expense of myself!

Brady's Point of View

I like looking at the pictures Brady takes with her camera. It gives me a chance to realize what Brady thinks is interesting. I feel like I can kinda see inside her head... I wanted to share some of my favorites that make me smile or think like her.

Owl Blanket: Month Three

Today is Elliot's three month anniversary! And boy (or girl) has it been a month a milestones... but first lets see how she looks next to the owl.

She is my sweet sweet little girl! Sweet like a flower but growing like a weed.

She weighs 13 pounds and 3 ounces which is back to 75th %ile. She measures right at 24.5" which keeps her over the 90th %ile! I knew my tall genes would show up somewhere.

Now for this past month's milestones:
-two days ago Elli Dew rolled over from her back to her belly for the first time

-Elli is now sleeping through the night. She has slept at least 8 hours every night for the last week (am I jinxing myself) and the last two nights has gone to bed with the other two girls at 7:30 and not woken up until 5:30...yep, TEN HOURS!!!!
-Elli loves talking to people. If anyone looks her right in the eyes and talks to her she will converse with them.

-Also, since last month when I talked of how much she loves tummy time, she now cares very little for it.
-Lastly, an unique milestone for a third child. This is the first time Karl has been around one of his children at this age. It is fun to watch him discover the highs and lows of infancy...like how as soon as you figure them out, they change!

Disney Photo Book...finally

Click here to view this photo book larger

Visit Shutterfly.com to create your own personalized photobook.

I am not ready for this...

I just put together all the school supplies, house shoes and change of clothes to bring for the first day of school tomorrow. I put the bags down by the front door and walked away holding back tears, thinking "I am not ready for this!"

I am not ready for those teachers (as great as they are) to have Brady for 30+ hours a week and Reese for 17+ hours a week. I am not ready for the infinite changes I am going to see in them this year (even though I know I will be proud). I am not ready to wake up at 6am five days a week (and whatever other time in the middle of the night). I am not ready to pack lunches everyday (I want to sit with them instead). I am not ready for the 10 hours of driving a week. I am just not ready; I want to hang onto summer a little while longer, but it has slipped through my fingers.

Now, while I am not ready, I know they are....go get 'em girls, show them how it is done!

 

First Day Of Kindergarten by Author Unknown

 

She started school this morning,

And she seemed so very small.

As I walked there beside her

In the Kindergarten hall.

 

And as she took her place beside

the others in the class,

I realized how all too soon

Those first few years can pass.

 

Remembering, I saw her as

She first learned how to walk.

The words that we alone made out

When she began to talk.

 

This little girl so much absorbed

In learning how to write.

It seems as though she must have grown

To girlhood overnight.

 

My eyes were blurred by hastily

I brushed the tears away

Lest by some word or sign of mine

I mar her first big day

 

Oh how I longed to stay with her

And keep her by the hand

To lead her through the places

That she couldn't understand.

 

And something closely kin to fear

Was mingled with my pride.

I knew she would no longer be

A baby by my side.

 

But she must have her chances to live,

To work her problems out,

The privilege to grow and learn

What life is all about.

 

And I must share my little girl

With friends and work and play;

She's not a baby anymore --

She's in Kindergarten today.

Two Peas in ONE Pod

Two peas= Brady and Reese

Pod=one bedroom

The girls shared a bedroom for a week when visiting Grandma. After the visit was over, they didn't want to stop sleeping together! Every night they would ask to have a sleep over. The nights we made them sleep separate, Reese would cry trying to fall asleep and often wake in the middle of the night crying. When we let them sleep together, Reese never cried herself to sleep, nor did she wake up in the middle of the night.  But these nightly sleepovers required one kid to sleep on the floor.

School is coming up and we wanted them to get a solid nights' rest in their own BED. Only one solution for sleeping in their own bed but in the same room. We moved Brady's bed into Reese's old room, which we now call the sleeping room. There is only beds and books in there. Now Brady's old room looks like this...

Please excuse the mess...this new arrangement is still a work in progress! So now the girls have ANOTHER playroom...yes, they now have three playrooms. Speaking of playrooms, I want to show off my latest reorganization of the main playroom. 

 Everything has a bin or place now. Every bin is labeled with words and a picture. The best part of this, the girls and Karl know where things go. The girls also love so much having everything organized, they willingly clean up one activity before getting another out. If they forget to clean something up, they immediately do it when I remind them... The house is always clean when Karl gets home from work and I am very proud of this!

Lots of changes and milestones happening here...

Only 3 days until Kindergarten starts....AHHHHH!

I got a promotion!

Well today has been an overwhelming (in a good way) day of new beginnings! 

Elli has started to figure out her thumb. She has had a HUGE desire to sooth by sucking, but wouldn't take a paci. She had been trying to suck her thumb/hand but it would only frustrate her more. I would try many things, but usually resort to nursing (even if she wasn't hungry). No wonder she is 90th %ile right? Well a couple times yesterday and today I have found her actually sucking her thumb, no pro yet, but we are on the right path, which allows me to breath a sigh of relief.

Reese had her first voice lesson today! She asked to learn how to sing so that she could be on American Idol when she is a teenager. I have asked her several times if she wants to do gymnastics or soccer or dance, etc etc etc. But she insists that singing it is. Not too many voice teachers want to teach a 3 year old, but when I tell them I have no expectations (aka I am NOT a stage mom) they let their guard down. I told them as long as she comes out smiling I am happy. She LOVED it today. However, she would not share any details with me. Here is a glimpse of her mid session.

Now for my Brady girl. Yesterday, she came up to me and said, pointing in her mouth, "Is that a new tooth?" Looking in her mouth I think she is crazy...sure enough there was a point of a molar poking through. I get onto google, and reminded that there are 6 year molars, and these are adult teeth. My baby girl has a tooth in her mouth that she will be chomping on when she is 98....CRAZY! Well ironically today was their dentist appointment...she also has two loose teeth! WHAT! I think I am more excited then her. I wonder how much money the tooth fairy will bring her in a couple months ;) Get a good look at this toothful 'smile' because that is about to change!

And to top off all this excitement going on here, I went 9 weeks without losing an ounce, but in the past week I have lost 7 pounds! 

So, about that title I choose for the post. I may not have a job that measures success in quantity, money earned, figures and goals reached. But I have a job that has milestones reached and smiles achieved. Well I have had a burst of milestones thrown at me at once and to me I feel like I took a step up in pay! 

Wordless Wednesday: Brady or Elli? Twins born 5 years apart

 

If you didn't figure it out...Elli is all the brown onesie shots and Brady is the rest!