A boy named REEF turns THREE

Reef... HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY!! 

Today we looked at you and you really did look bigger

no longer a baby,

like a little young man. 

I think it's mainly because you ditched the paci two days ago.  Like cold-turkey ditched.  Amazing, you seriously couldn't get that thing out of your mouth before two days ago.  Here's how the paci days ended... You often would talk with the paci in your mouth and it drove me absolutely a little crazy so I yanked softly pulled it out of your mouth and threw set it aside and that was it, the end of the paci, never to be seen again.  And you handled it like a champion, asked for it a couple times, but really you grasped this no paci thing and you're ready to be a big boy... and big boys don't have paci's.  Nope, no way!

Reef, you are the BEST boy I have ever known {next to your super fabulous dad of course}. 

You are everything cool and adorable.  I never knew a small little guy could have so much style all his own... but boy you got it!  You light up our days and you are adored.  You are sweet and sensitive, you're obedient and funny.  Your sisters pamper and spoil you and your love for them is genuine and incredible.  We absolutely feel blessed and so fortunate to have you in our "club". 

Reef we love you THIS MUCH!!!

I can't wait for the year ahead.  I see many days of batman, paint, dirt, tricycling, swinging, funny songs and stories, trains and lots of yummy things to eat in our future. 

our new friends... by mekena

monday at mid night my moms best friend from college came with her family.the next day kirra and i played with jessica all day [ our friends names are jessica and brian]. we had a tea party, played in the lake, and lots more. but hears the bad part; they are leaving tomarow. so we are planing to have a great day today. good  bye my friends.

Because they're funny like that...

Mekena:
"How does an egg make a flower?" asks Mekena
"I'm not sure Mekena" answers mommy
"Eggsactly, I don't know either"

Kirra:
"Mommy, are toots brown?"
I just laughed and then actually pondered the question.  Oh dear.

... wanna good laugh, head to the Packers house.  Kids are hilarious. 

Photoshoot by Tiffani

In an effort to take photos for Reef and Kaia's birthday invitations... this was the result....

Guess I'll try again tomorrow.  {I better figure out this photo shop thing, I may need it!}

Found a little treasure...

Just found a couple photos that were taken Easter morning.  LOVE these faces!! 

One more month until the BIG 1!!

Eleven months old, that's our baby KAIA. 

And one month until it's cake smashin', sugar overloadin' party day!!  Admittedly I'm a little sad that Kaia will be one so soon.  She dared stand independently the other day, so I just pushed her down.  Ok, I didn't really push her, but thought about it... you know they stand and then they walk and then they move out.  I love this baby stage and once she turns one I might as well hand her car keys and plan the wedding. It's all too much!  Oh dear me!

Well, here she is in her 11 month old glory:

Enjoying a tea party with big sister Mekena

After eating her favorite food... an avocado

A story about a bird...

There once was a mom who wanted so much to make her daughter Kirra's birthday wish come true.  Kirra was wishing with all her might for a rainbow bird for her 5th birthday.  So Kirra's mom convinced Kirra's dad (a very dapper man) to go along to the bird store.  You see Kirra's mom had secretly dreamt of being a bird owner some day herself, so there was a little extra excitement in fulfilling Kirra's wish.  Kirra's dad figured what they heck, a little $10 parakeet, a little cage, a little food... the bird lives a year, the kid looses interest, the parents look like birthday hero's... sounded like the right thing to do.  Off to buy a bird the birthday hero's went.  And then as they stood at the parakeets for sale, out of the corner of their eye's... a rainbow bird.  Seriously a rainbow bird!  Who knew they even existed outside of Rio de Janeiro??!! 

You know where the story is a goin'.  Yep, the wish of the birthday girl was granted.  Rainbow bird, taj mahal style cage, cool toys... this mom and dad don't mess around when it comes to rainbow birds. 

Kirra woke up on her birthday morning, heard a squawk, and there in a birds most colorful splendor sat LULU, (short for Honolulu of course), the rainbow bird.  She snuggled, flew around, drank OJ from a cup, danced when Justin Bieber sang, gave sweet kisses... It was love at first site.  We all fell in love.  For a while...

And then the bird owning bliss wore off.  Lulu squawked like, um, can't even explain it, enough to ring everything in between the ears.  Wow, it was loud.  Luckily it was only a couple times a day, but seemed to always be the wrong couple of times.  Oh and cleaning up bird poop, not exactly a dream come true.  The bird had a thing for the baby - any chance possible the bird would find the baby and bite the baby's fingers.  And then to find out this type of bird lives 30 years.  Kids don't even live in the coop for 30 years, let alone a bird.  Any two somewhat brilliant bird buyers could'a, should'a, wished they would'a done this research before the purchase...but then Lulu never would've been and to have owned a bird for 6 months is better to have loved and lost a bird than to have never loved a bird at all.  {somethin' like that.}

So now Lulu has a new home.  The mom feels a little guilty, the dad feels relieved, the "I once owned a bird when I was five" girl is fine and has gone on to lizard catching. 

Here's to LULU, THE RAINBOW BIRD {rumor has it Lulu has a boyfriend at her new house}!