a date with brookie

i have been kind of struggling lately with my relationship with brooklin. i feel like i never have enough time for her, between taking care of lauren's needs, getting stuff done around the house, and trying to squeeze in a shower before scott gets home(some days i can be so lucky) it's really hard for me to spend the amount of time playing with her that i feel i should be. i feel like most of the time i do spend with her seems to be when i'm disciplining her. this is so sad to me. i have really been trying to make an effort to make sure and spend time with her before i shower or start on chores around the house, but i still feel like this just isn't enough.

the other day, scott came home from the shop early to do some work on the computer, and while i snuck in to take a shower i felt the prompting that i needed to spend some one-on-one time with brooklin. i needed to take her out on a date. she was so excited that it was just going to be the two of us. she kept telling daddy and lauren that they couldn't come. so, for our date we headed over to target to spend the rest of her christmas money. what a tough time she had trying to decide what to spend her $15 on. books, toys, movies... she finally decided on a my little pony set and a tinkebell watercolor set. very good choice. the water coloring has kept her very busy. after we finished up at target, i asked her where she wanted to have lunch, and of course she answered, "the train restaurant," which is Billy McHales. she, of course ordered, the mac & cheese. by the way, i have to say that if you do go out to eat with your kids i highly recommend their kids menu. you get quite a bit for the $ you pay. so much more than Bob's or Applebees for sure. after lunch we shared an ice cream sundae, which was free because i told them it was her birthday. well, her birthday was sunday, but i figured it was close enough that it wouldn't be a lie, right? she loved that the staff all came out and sang to her. by the time we left the restaurant it was just about nap time so we headed for home.

i am so glad that i followed the prompting to take her out. i had such a blast with her. i didn't have to worry about anything else but her, and we did what she wanted to do, and i didn't feel rushed or on a schedule. it was perfect. and the best part was that she needed no discipline while we were out. i think i need to do this more often so that i can be reminded that she's not so naughty, and she can be reminded that i can be fun and not so "mean." :)

birthday weekend

tinkerbell party

3!!!???

i can't believe my little bug is three! wow, that seems so crazy to me. at times it seemed like time was just dragging along, but now i sit here and wonder where the last three years went.

brooklin has grown into such a beautiful little girl, and i totally don't think i am biased at all. i am a little worried about the teenage years. she is quite the little conversationalist, once you get her going that is. she may seem shy at first, but once she's warmed up to you she'll tell ya about everything. she loves to read books, play games, paint, play with play-doh, play with her tinkerbell fairies, and she loves movie nights because this means she gets to help daddy make the popcorn with the airpopper. her favorite color changes all the time, but most times she'll tell you one of the four: pink, purple, yellow, or green because of tinkerbell. she knows most of the abc's by sight, and she's getting better at counting. scott and i are learning that she definitely knows more than she lets on. when she's off playing by herself we overhear her saying things that we've been trying to teach her, but she doesn't "seem" to be getting. she has quite the imagination and is learning to make believe, which is great. i love watching her play as she makes her dolls, or play-doh worms talk to eachother. so cute! she is totally potty-trained, and only seems to have accidents when she gets too involved with her play. she's not a very picky eater, althoug she has decided that she doesn't like squids. :) and yes, she has tried them, much to my dismay. but, i do try to encourage her to try new foods, even if I don't like them. for example, she LOVES tomatoes. i usaully don't have a problem getting her to eat veggies, which i am so thankful for. she has been testing her boundaries lately, like most toddlers do, and she definitely has her naughty moments. she has figured out what buttons to push, so i'm in the process of learning how to discipline with love. yeah, not too easy when she dumps a huge bottle of pink glitter all over my bedroom and the cat. or when she throws a tub of wipes and it lands right on her sister's head. brooklin is a very sweet girl too. she is concerned about the feelings of others, and tends to cry when her friends cry. she always wants everyone to be happy. brooklin is a great big sister. she is always wanting to help take care of her, and always lets us know when lauren is fussing.

brooklin is my baby, even if she hates it when i call her that. she will always be my baby. she is the one that is teaching me how to be a mommy. these past three years i think she has taught me so much more than i've taught her. and we are continuing to learn everyday. i love her so much and couldn't imagine life without her. she is my best buddy!

sisters

my cute little "samies."

lauren's blessing