Weekend Orlando Trip Day 1

Driving to Orlando - Universal Studios/CoCoKey Resort for Katie's Birthday!

Let the fun begin

Raeg was terrified but loved it all at the same time!

He wouldn't let her go (evil villain)

Ash met wolverine.. she was starstruck. ha

Spiderman ride.. way cool

"Mmmhmmm.. That's right.. I did it" haha

Dr Seuss!

Raeg died and went to Hogwarts heaven. lol (Harry Potter)

ButterBeer.. yumm yumm

Ash sportin her cool grinch hat

Jurassic Park Water Ride

How cute is she? :)

Ashlynn's glasses came in today!

Here she is trying them on for size

So funny on the way home! Ash said, "It's like everything is in high definition now. I can actually see the leaves on the trees and read the street sign that says Do Not Enter." ha. (these glasses are really going to come in handy when it comes time to drive. lol.) It's going to take her a little while to adjust to her new set of eyes, but it's pretty cool. Can't wait for her to be able to read the board in class tomorrow!! :)

Ashlynn's Eye Exam

Yesterday we took Ash to have her vision tested due to the fact she has had trouble seeing the board at school for quite awhile. She was put through a pretty extensive amount of testing that I hadn't expected.

The doctor put a numbing solution in her eyes so he could test the eye pressure. He then gave her eye drops to dilate her pupils to apparently check the retina and blood vessels.

Here she's waiting for the doctor to return with her results. Fortunately her eyes are very healthy from a structural standpoint. She is however nearsighted, which means she has trouble seeing things further away.. especially small words on dry erase boards. Ash found some really cute frames and I'm excited for her to get them in a week. She should only need to wear them while looking at the board or maybe watching television. She's happy about that!

Here's Raegan entertaining us while we wait. I think in the above picture she was talking with Ash about something embarrassing that happened at school

Raeg also tried glasses on and now wants a pair. Ash said she can have hers. ha!

And the ride home.. Ash got these awesomely cool shades to wear home to protect her eyes until her pupils return to normal. (her least favorite part of the visit)

How'd we get lucky enough ...

.. to be the parents of two of the best girls on earth? :o) (not biased or anything cuz they're mine.. ha) Warning: Proud parent post ahead.. hehe


Yesterday Raeg came home from school with an outstanding student award, $25 itunes gift card, and a magnet to put on our car. Each month a student is chosen to be recognized based on performance and it's for something different every month. November was patriotism, October was behavior, and so on.. Raeg was selected to receive the December award for kindness; showing consistent consideration and kindness to those around her. She said when her name was called during the morning announcements, she was in shock... totally unexpected surprise. We are so proud of her! That's like receiving an A in character and to us, that's the most important A of all. :) (proud mama magnet below.. ha!)
Ashlynn recently took a test at school to test her reading level and she came out at a 10th grade, 9 month level! (or a little higher, I can't remember exactly) Way above average for her grade. Again, we're so proud of her. She really enjoys reading when she finds a good series that keeps her interest. The girls school requires them to keep a reading log each week that has to be turned in on Friday with at least 3hrs of reading recorded. Me likes this. :oP .. keeps them reading.


Raeg and Ash have really given their all (and then some) this first year in public school and we're proud of their achievements and how they're shining and handling themselves through the different challenges of a new environment.
Way to go girls! :o)

Florida Fall in December

The other day we enjoyed a perfectly beautiful fall day in December

adding air before the ride

Evening Prowlers

Riley sniffed this little guy out the other night while going out to go potty. The opossum was nearly hyperventilating in terror. We took a banana out for him. He quickly confiscated it and went on his way :) Why does opossum start with o anyway if it's just going to be silent? ha (things that make you go hmmm)

We also spotted this beautiful creature; the great horned owl of Florida. He swooped overhead and landed on a nearby lamp post to wait for his prey. This guy definitely rules the roost without many predators to worry about. Taken at night, it was difficult to capture the magnificence and strength that we saw standing below him. His talons were huge.

Big day for Ash

Braces!! with cool teal rubber coverings :o)

The torture chair with her stylish bib and protective goggles.. ready to begin.

Ortho assistant preparing Ashlynn's teeth for braces

Orthodontist. The entire process took about 1 1/2 hrs. Ashlynn was a little trooper.

Checking out the new smile in the mirror at the office

Now to learn how to eat again : /

To Nana:

Thank you for the Christmas Goodies! I'm guarding my gift as usual and can't wait to open it Christmas morning. I even tried sneaking it to my corner last night, but they caught me!

Love & Licks,

Riley

Early Christmas :)

Hard as I try, it's nearly IMPOSSIBLE for me to wait till Christmas to give gifts. I justify by telling myself the earlier they receive the gift, the more time they have to enjoy it! :) Plus, it stretches Christmas from only one day, into several!

Top of their list this year were these boots! Aren't they stylish? There's a good reason I gave them this gift early. (here comes the justification part.. hehe) The past two weeks have been exceptionally cold down here. (The girls flip flops and sandals just weren't keeping their cute little toes warm) We only have about 31/2 months tops, from mid November to late February, of chilly weather. So, giving them early allows Ash & Raeg to get as much use out of their boots as they can. The good news; they will stretch. Since we went with size 7, they should be able to wear them for many chilly winters to come!

Mitch Tyson -VS- Percy Ali

Well, the moment we've feared since bringing Percy into our home has finally arrived. This morning Mitch and Percy went at it full force. Poor Raegan got her arm caught in the crossfire while trying to break them apart. Percy's front paw is now swollen with what looks like a hole from Mitch's tooth. It bled quite a bit. Mitch also took a hit to his back paw, but his injuries aren't as severe as Percy's. I think this round goes to Mitch. Both were treated with antiseptic and bandages and they're currently serving time in separate rooms. ha.

Can't we all just get along? I think (besides the fact they're both males) the age difference might have something to do with it. Percy pounces towards Mitch in an effort to play and Mitch is just a grumpy ol fart who doesn't want any part of it. I wonder if the dog whisperer communicates with cats too? because we need an intervention. ha

On a yummy note, we had a delicious bowl of homemade Turkey noodle soup with warm bread fresh from our bread machine. Mmmmm Mmmmm Good. :) Perfect comfort food on a chilly day like today!

The Three Amigos

Raeg, bestfriend Katie, and Ash at the theater waiting for Megamind in 3D to begin.

Feeding the Sandhill Cranes

We came across these beautiful/hungry cranes while walking the other day. They were trying to crack acorns on the sidewalk. Once they found we could crack the nuts for them twice as fast, they were all over it! ha

look at their size!

eye to eye. ha. Having them this close to us was pretty unusual. Normally Sandhills are pretty timid.

Brad was a little leery with the hand feedings since he's seen them spear lizards with that beak. ha

One of Florida's beautiful creatures!