Five & fabulous.

She is one of the most spirited children I've ever met. My answer for "what's one word to describe your child?" is always "passionate", in both good and bad ways. She gets incredibly excited about everything. The anticipation of future events is almost too much for her to handle sometimes. She just loves experiencing life! On the same note, she can get incredibly upset about the littlest things. And she has a very hard time recovering when she is sad or angry (something she gets from both of her parents - letting go is not our strong suite.)

She has this insane memory that continually blows our minds. She remembers the most minute details from years ago (and at only 5 years old, 'years ago' was when she was only 2 or 3!) She can tell you what she wore/ate/saw/did at pretty much any past event. She also vividly remembers anything you've ever said and is not afraid to call you out on it.

She loves school and everything related to it (especially homework!) She really loves to read. She picked up reading so fast that we're having a hard time keeping up with her! My mom picked out a 75-page Dick & Jane book for her to help with sight words in the Spring, and she can now read the whole thing cover to cover. And she's really interested in spelling and writing words. She'll say to us "Can I go play with J-A-C-K?"

She has an appreciation for food that is adult-like. She will try just about anything and eats just about everything. And because she watches so much of the Food Network (see #3 below), she now uses many food adjectives when she eats. It's not uncommon for us to hear something is "so creamy" or "perfectly seasoned". On the other hand, she is incredibly complimentary of my cooking, proving her palate is still very childish.

She's hilarious and full of attitude and silly and sassier than your average 5-year-old. Her imagination is active and full of adventure. She is a fabulous big sister and an amazing daughter. We are so, so lucky to have her as ours.

Happy birthday, Brooke Mary.


Here's her yearly birthday interview. Just before her birthday party, I remembered that we hadn't done it yet. I figured we wouldn't have time and would just do it the tomorrow. Oh no, that was not acceptable. She remembered and was sure to remind me we needed to do it before bed. A memory like a steel trap, I tell ya.

Brooke's Birthday Interview: Year 5
1. What is your favorite animal? A bunny.
2. What is your favorite food? Chicken & rice. And spaghetti & meatballs.
3. What is your favorite show? I'm gonna pick 2: The Pioneer Woman & Doc McStuffins. (The Pioneer Woman is a cooking show on the Food Network. She's an aspiring chef so she loves to watch the FN!)
4. What is your favorite color? Pink, purple, and silver.
5. Who is your best friend? Molly, Claire, and Hannah.
6. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Oatmeal.
7. What is your favorite restaurant? Chipotle...and LaRosa's.
8. What is your favorite book? Pinkalicious
9. What is your favorite song? Jingle Bells
10. What is your favorite toy? Last year, I said my video game, so this year I'm picking Ariel dress-up.
11. What is your favorite snack? Cereal with milk. (She gets this from her Mama. It's the perfect snack!)
12. What do you like to sleep with at night? Honey Bunny and Bunny.
13. What kind of birthday party are you going to/did you have? A Frozen birthday. (And yes, she sang this answer.)