Eleven.

Dear Jack,

What a grown-up month this has been for you, Jack-Jack! You are a full-blown walking toddler!! In about a week's time, you went from taking a few nervous steps to walking across the room. It's so fun to watch! Your transformation into toddlerhood is evident in so many  ways now. Your 4th tooth came in, giving you this big boy smile that completely melts Mommy's heart. Those big teeth are helping you chomp your way through so much table food, with baby food seriously on its way out (we give you maybe 3-4 jars a week.) You still LOVE to eat & would eat all day if we'd let you. While you have an incredibly healthy appetite, we've introduced a few sweets to you this month (including your first ice cream cone!) much to your delight. You certainly have your Mama's sweet tooth! You learned to sign "milk", "fish", and are just learning "please". You babble all the time with lots of consonant sounds, though you're still not really using any words. You clap and wave on command, both of which are super adorable. Here are some of the things that have excited you (and some you're not so fond of) this month:

Favorites
Reading books - Last month you were only interested in playing with your books; now, you love to read them! You are constantly digging through your book bins looking for the right one, then sitting on the floor flipping pages. You especially enjoy the touch-&-feel books, and you know exactly what parts to feel on each page. Your face lights up when we tell you to go get a book for us to read - you never pass up the chance to be read to.
Playing ball - Your love for playing ball is growing each day! You can chase a ball around the house for quite a long time without getting bored. You are getting better at "throwing" it - you excitedly wave it up and down until it slips out of yours hands.
Walking - You choose to walk instead of crawl 90% of the time. You seem to really appreciate how easy it is to carry something when you walk versus crawling. You're getting faster every day, though you still plop down on your bottom all the time.
Going outside - You are still a huge fan of the outdoors! If any member of the family heads outside without you, you get very vocal. Walking in the grass is a little difficult with your unsteady feet, but you'll be running around out there in no time!
The Laundry Room - We think you know you're not supposed to go into the laundry room and that's why you love it so much - like the forbidden fruit, if you will. You make a mad dash for it anytime we leave the doors open. You spend most of your time in there playing with Daddy's Powerades on the floor or emptying the pantry.

Not-so-favorites
Shoes - Now that you're walking, we trying to remember to put shoes on you when we leave the house. You are not a big fan of wearing shoes, though you are slowly getting used to them. Most of the time, you refuse to walk when you're wearing them (although it might have something to do with being around strangers - you're still pretty bashful!)
The Baby Gate - Because your favorite activity is to climb stairs but you haven't yet mastered how to get back down (you took your first tumble down this week), the baby gate has become a necessity. You don't like being restricted, especially when we hop over the gate to go upstairs without you. Get used to the gate, Buddy; it's not going anywhere for a while.
TV - You are completely disinterested in TV, leaving us completely baffled. TV is kinda our thing, Jack. We're not movie or music people or heavy readers or artists - we love TV. All of us. When the kids are watching a show, it doesn't capture your attention at all. Mommy thought it might be that the content was too mature for you, so we tried Elmo. You couldn't care less about that furry red monster that used to captivate your siblings. This is uncharted territory for us.

Jack, you are the happiest little guy all of the time. It's so hard to come up with things you don't like because everything in life excites you. You are not much of a cuddler these days - you're too busy for that - but you do give us the most amazing hugs! You wrap those arms around our neck and squeeze. And if you see us hugging each other or one of your siblings, you don't like to be left out of the action. You crawl right on over with a giant smile, eager to get some love too :)

We love you, kiddo! One month to go until the big birthday!!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Parenting.

You guys.

Seriously.

Parenting is tough.

I know...what a totally original thought, huh? You've read the articles and heard the cries of other parents and all that jazz already. But it's my turn to harp on the subject for a minute. Because I'm in it deep and constantly feel like I'm struggling to stay afloat.

No matter what season of parenting you're in, it's hard. And I know this to be true, even for the years ahead that I have yet to experience. How do I know this if I haven't been there? Because when I only had one little friend at home and she couldn't talk or do anything for herself, I thought "Man, this is hard. I have no one to talk to & I have to do everything for this kid. It will be so much easier when she's independent." And then she became independent, walking & talking & fetching her own diapers/sippy cups/etc. But it wasn't easier; it was harder. Because "Get out of that cabinet!" and "You forgot to say please." and "Oh my god, do you ever stop talking?" Independence comes with a price, y'all. And I thought to myself, "Man, this is hard. I don't know how to discipline a toddler and keep up with her while I'm gigantically pregnant. It will be so much easier when I'm not pregnant anymore & I have a sleepy newborn & this chickadee finally understands the rules around here." Ha! How adorably naïve I was. You guessed it - 2 kids was so much harder.

I could go on & on because every stage we've been in has been tough. Exhausting. Taxing. And, in every stage, I've thought to myself "It'll be easier when..." And yes, some things are easier. A 5-year-old that can spoon-feed the 10-month-old his yogurt and a 3-year-old that can put on his own shoes...these things are what I was imagining would make my life a piece of cake. But I didn't account for the other 900 new challenges that would arise. It's just...sigh...overwhelming.

I'm constantly battling with myself over this feeling. I know things could be harder right now. I know other families are struggling far more than I am. I know I should be grateful for all of the blessings we have and just suck it up. But because others are suffering more than me, because others have been dealt a more trying hand, does that diminish the feelings I'm having? Does that make this sensation of complete physical, mental, & emotional exhaustion less real?

Am I allowed to feel that the stage I'm in right now is really hard, even if it's not harder than what others are facing?

I'm finally in a place where I'm saying: yes. I am allowed. Because parenting is tough, no matter how many you have and how old your kids are. And right now, with 3 tiny humans at my feet, this is hard.

The biggest vein running through all of the difficulty is pressure. The pressure is suffocating. Parenting is just one pressure after another. I used to babysit in high school. Sure, there's a great deal of responsibility with babysitting - you're being trusted with someone's kids, their whole world! I thought there wasn't much of a difference between that & parenting. And then I brought my first child home from the hospital and I distinctly remember thinking "Crap. We have to make all of the decisions now. It's all on us." Because, when you babysit, you're not in charge of making the giant decisions. You know, the ones that affect what kind of person she will become, how healthy & happy she will be. The big stuff. And that? That right there is an incredible amount of pressure.

No one else decides what school they're going to go to and what time bedtime should be. It's up to us to figure out how to get 5 servings of fruits & veggies into their little bellies each day. We are the ones that implemented the "no TV after dinner" rule and the books-before-bed routine. A babysitter comes in & just facilitates the routine that the parents set in place. It's all on us.

No one else has to figure out how to answer all the questions these guys come up with. You should have heard me explain to my preschooler why his arm falls asleep sometimes (I am a pro at dumbing things down to the appropriate level now.) But the questions aren't always as simple as "why don't birds have fingers." I got to explain to my 5-year-old why her preschool went on lockdown last week. (Yes, lockdown. Like, kids sitting in silence, hiding under the backpacks, lights out, etc. There was an armed man in the area, so the police put the preschool on lockdown. I'm still trying to forget the feeling of pulling up to school and finding out the doors were locked & I couldn't get my daughter.) How much do you tell them? There's a lot of evil in the world, but at what age are they ready to handle the details? The teachers won't explain it; that falls on the parents to decide. (For the record, I told her that a bad person was in the area so the preschool director just wanted to keep everybody extra safe for a little bit. She was cool with that answer.)

I like to tell myself that we're doing an okay job. We've been doing this for over 5 years now, everybody is alive and seemingly happy. We got complimented at a restaurant last week for our well-behaved crew, specifically on how well-mannered the big kids were. (Compliments like that, even from complete strangers, are what keep me going. Positive affirmation is totally my love language.) So there are moments where it feels like we've got things under control. Then days like yesterday happen, and I start doubting everything we've done up to this point. (Aha! You were wondering what sparked this rainy Friday's parenting rant, weren't you?)

Last night, the husband and I had to forego a VERY much-needed date night in the name of discipline. Ok, he didn't need it so much as me; I was desperate for a break from the 4ft-&-under crowd. A stubborn 3-year-old who refused to take a nap & was threatened that no nap = no Grandma's house stood in the way of my break.

Discipline is such a struggle around here - how to do it effectively based on age, how high can the expectations really be, what can and can't we let slide by. We have very high expectations (if you don't expect good behavior, you're not going to get it!) so there are hard & fast rules with accompanying consequences. The well-mannered, decently-behaved kids are a product of these rules, so I know we aren't being unreasonable.

But here's the thing about consequences and kids - they suck for the parents almost more than they suck for the kids. No snack? I get to listen to you whine about how hungry you are. No TV? I just lost my 22 minutes of quiet while I try to get something done. No Grandma's house? There goes my date night. And it's soooooo tempting to give in, to not follow through on the threats. Thank goodness for the husband's resolve or I might have given in last night. The 3-year-old would have received mixed messages all so Mommy could indulge in wine & pasta & bread (all the bread!) Instead, a hard lesson was learned with the hope of a better outcome in the future...and I had a PB&J.

As hard as it was for me to get past all the "woe is me" that was going through my head last night, I know it was a small victory in our giant parenting war. (I didn't hear a peep out of that boy at nap time today; those eyes were shut before I started downstairs.) So I know it's working. It's just hard, a constant fight, a daily question of "Are they really getting this? Are all of these lessons sinking in?"

If you can get past all of the pressure of turning these little blobs into contributing members of society, there are a million other things that make parenting a struggle. Like the fact that you have to be on at all times. Prepared for anything & everything. This is the part where I'm going to be stereotypical & say that us Moms have it worse in this area. Just look at the family at the table next to you at the restaurant. Who brought the bibs & the spoons & the sippy cups & the fruit cups & the puffs & the crayons? And who whips out the Goldfish & the stickers & the pacifier from her big bag of tricks when the food is taking just a little too long? And how did all of those things get into the big bag in the first place? Mom. What did Dad have to bring? The van keys. (Disclaimer: I have a very helpful husband who is quick to fill up my diaper bag when needed, but not without some direction.) It's just my job to know exactly what we're going to need at any given point in the future. Just like it's my job to know when the baby needs his next well-check at the pediatrician & when the big kids have to go the dentist next & which day we have to send in Easter napkins for the preschool party. Are their green shirts clean for St. Patrick's Day? Do we have enough milk to get through breakfast? It's on me to keep track of whose turn it is to eat their half of the yogurt out of the cup it comes in versus just a bowl (this is a very big deal around here.)

Oh hey, more pressure.

I know the husband is dealing with his own separate set of pressures, big things that are constantly weighing on him that I don't feel - being the sole monetary provider, weighing his free time between family & leisure, just trying to get home before 6:00 to help while I make dinner. I don't want to diminish these in any way. It just goes to show that every parent is being mentally pulled in a million directions. And it's hard for all of us. And even though my hardships are different than someone else's, we're all struggling through it in our own way.

Parenting is tough.

Now, if you'll excuse me, there's a bowl of ice cream on the counter & an episode of Scandal in the DVR that are calling my name. God bless bedtime.

The big ten.

Dear Jack,

Oh my goodness, when did you get so big? You're almost a toddler, and we're having a hard time believing it! This time next month, we'll be sending out invitations to your first birthday already. When did that happen, Jack?! We've had another fun & exciting month with you. You're sleeping through the night like a rockstar (Hallelujah!) You take 2 naps a day, 1 short and 1 long, though not always at the same times (sometimes the long one is in the morning, other times it's in the afternoon.) And the greatest part of all is that we can put you in bed without a single fuss from you! You've accepted your fate and just snuggle into your pillow with your bear (yes, a pillow...shhh, don't tell the pediatrician!) You started waving this month, which is so sweet! You're also giving high fives...kinda. If someone holds up their hand, you give them one finger. Then if they offer up just a finger, you give your whole hand. It's pretty darn cute to watch! And you're now the proud owner of tooth #3, something we've been waiting for quite a while. Here are some of your favorite and not-so-favorite things this month:

Favorites
Snacks - You love food so, so, so much. You'll eat absolutely anything at any time. And we don't really know how it happened, but you're already as demanding of snacks as your siblings! If you see the big kids with a snack, you whine and cry and just plain freak out until they share or until we give you your own snack. It's a good thing puffs are super low-calorie!
Scavenging in the kitchen - Your number one pastime is exploring the kitchen floor for even more snacks. You aren't exactly the cleanest eater, so there are always dropped treasures underneath your high chair. We try our hardest to keep you out of there, but you're pretty fast these days! (We know what you're thinking: "Why don't you just keep the floor clean, Mom & Dad?" Physically impossible, buddy.)
The Bathtub - Every time you crawl up the stairs, you beeline for the bathtub. You would spend your entire day in there if you could. You have the greatest time splashing around and playing with all the bath toys. You've gotten to take a bath in the big tub (instead of your little blue tub) with your siblings a few times and love it!
Books - You have developed a love for books this month, something that makes us very happy! While you're still at the 'plays with book' versus 'reads books' stage, we know this is just the first step in becoming a bookworm like your siblings. If we tell you to go get a book, you'll crawl over, pick one, and either start flipping through it or bring it to us. Reading books with you before bedtime is one of Mommy's favorite times of the day. 
Walking with assistance - You are soooo close to walking on your own and so eager to do it! You love to push toys and walk behind them or hold our hands while you toddle around the house.
Joe - It has taken a while, but you're finally a big fan of Joe! He has always been a little too rambunctious and wild for you. But now that you're bigger and much more playful, you don't mind how insane he is! You like sitting next to him in the playroom, watching him play with his cars or Legos while you eat them. And he has gotten much better at entertaining you when we need him to. This is just the beginning of what will undoubtedly be quite a friendship!

Not-so-favorites
Being told "No" - You've reached that lovely stage of babyhood where you get into EVERYTHING. You're strong and a good climber, so nothing is safe. While you don't seem to consciously be testing boundaries, you're starting to do things that just aren't safe (like climbing on the fireplace or pulling cords) so we tell you "no" and move you to something else. You do not appreciate the redirection! You're very smart and know what you want so you go right back for it. Each time we say "no, Jack" you get quite upset!
Car rides - You just downright hate riding in the car. No matter how many toys we give you, you start screaming the moment we start to strap you in. You're even arching your back when we try to buckle you, too. (Word to the wise: that's a game you will lose every time.) It seems to be a tiny bit better if the big kids are in the car with us (but boy are you sad when we drop them off at school!) We usually just give you a pacifier, pile toys in your lap, and pray you'll calm down.

You are quite a chatty little boy! You babble all day long. In fact, if it gets quiet, it means one of 2 things: you found a pacifier or you're up to no good. You are constantly trying to climb the stairs (one of your most favorite things to do) so it's the first place we look if it's too quiet. You're starting to mimic sounds, trying to form the sounds you hear with your mouth. For example, we're trying to teach you the sign for milk. Every time we make a bottle for you, we point to it and say "milk" while making the sign. While you pick up your fist to copy the sign, you put your lips together like you're trying to make the "mmm" sound. You still say "mama" and "dada", though not directed at either one of us. And you're starting to say what sounds like "hi" on occasion. It's so exciting to be able to communicate with you!

It's really not possible to explain how much of a joy you have been in our lives these past 10 months. You just make everything so much better. Mommy tells you every day, "I couldn't love you more", and that's definitely the case for both of us. We love you to pieces!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

Mr. Jack.

This happy boy has officially been out of my belly longer than he was in it. While my pregnancy with him felt like it lasted forever, these past 9+ months with him have absolutely raced by. It has been one hell of an adventure so far!

The leap from 1 to 9 is pretty astonishing. When was he ever that little?!

Also, I cropped out most of the thighs from these - you're welcome, 11-year-old Jack.

Oh and also, it makes me sad how inconsistent the lighting is in these. Thanks to our house, the Land of No Natural Lighting, these are taken in his nursery (which catches the afternoon sun) at the mercy of the weather gods, who are not always kind to us.

Three quarters.

 

Dear Jack,

 

Hey there, big boy! It has been another fun month with you! Sadly, you spent half of it under the weather (a fever on Christmas Eve/Day that morphed into a terrible cold & then a solid week of unexplained throwing up multiple times a day...no fun for any of us!!) But you've grown in so many ways despite all of that. After losing a pound while sick, you ended the month at 24 lbs 7 oz. You're 30 inches long, putting you in the 98th percentile for both height and weight (no surprise there!) Although you adore eating real food, you're still drinking 4 bottles a day - we are so grateful that you have always been so accepting of formula. Though your sleep patterns were rocky during your illness, we've ended this month with much better nights & naps. You always sleep on your belly with your hands at your sides - so sweet! The bad habits we developed of bringing you to our bed in the wee hours of the night, rocking you to sleep, & holding you through naps are slowing vanishing. We've established a new bedtime routine for you that includes books on the couch, a few songs in your rocking chair, & then putting you in bed awake - while you're not totally on board with it yet, you're making serious progress! Here are a few things you love (and don't seem to love so much) this month:

 

Favorites

Table food - All month long, we've been introducing you to lots of new foods. Buddy, you haven't met a food you don't like! You are in love! Any time we're in the kitchen, you crawl in & whine until we give you something to eat. You get so, so excited when we start carrying you over to your high chair because you know you'll get to eat! You join us at the table for each meal, smiling your way through your siblings' prayers & happily accepting any little bites we're willing to pass your way. Some of your favorites include: pancakes/waffles, peas, broccoli, blueberries, peaches, Cheerios, & toast. The pediatrician gave us the go-ahead to let you try (almost) anything, so this month will be fun for you!

The playroom - Any chance you get, you crawl right on into the playroom with your siblings. Their toys are just more exciting, plus you love being near them! You usually head straight to Joe's cars or the big Lego bin.

Itsy Bitsy Spider - This has long been one of your favorite songs. Your cute little smile gets even brighter when we start to sing this song with you. You haven't mastered the motions yet, but you love when we help you do them.

Being outside - You're a big fan of being outside. You seem very calm out there, even with the cold weather we've had. You especially love to swing on our playground! Considering you should be walking by then, this Spring will be a blast for you!

Not-so-favorites
Socks - You've developed a very annoying habit of pulling your socks off and eating them. We are constantly trying to find your socks so your piggies aren't cold! And, when we do find them, they're usually wet. Unfortunately, we've got several cold months left, so this is going to be a game we play for a while.
Being left out - You're pretty obsessed with your siblings, so it's not surprising to us that you get very sad when you don't get to do something with them. For example, you often cry when they get out of the van at preschool. You threw your first full-blown tantrum this month! Mommy let the big kids go out in the backyard to play on a warmer day (warmer being about 40 degrees.) It was just a little too cold for you, so we stayed inside & watched them out the back windows. Oh boy, you were mad you didn't get to play, too! You would look out the window & start bawling, then get distracted by a toy & calm down, then look outside & start crying again. After a while, you just stood at the window crying, nose pressed up against the glass. You hate missing all the fun!
Diaper changes - You are the ultimate wiggle worm during diaper changes now! Phew! It's such a battle to get you changed.

We're so proud of how smart & independent you are. You will happily play by yourself for a long time, crawling around & exploring. You're getting braver every day, conquering milestones like climbing stairs and cruising along furniture (seriously, kid, when did you get so old?!) We can't even believe that the next milestone you'll meet is walking!! You started saying "Mama" this month, & it's the sweetest sound in the world! You still love your Mama somethin' fierce, but your bond with Daddy is getting stronger every day. You light up when he gets home from work (& get pretty vocal if he doesn't come say hello to you right away!)

Everything about you is precious, from the way you cuddle up to us on the couch to the way you shyly bury your head in Mommy's shoulder around strangers. You are by far the calmest of our kids (for now!) You are the absolute sweetest little guy & our love for you is overwhelming!

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

The middle child.

Oh, Joe. This kid is a crack-up. I never want to forget all of the quirky, hilarious things about this crazy 3-year-old, so I thought it was time for a Joe update.

- We absolutely, completely underestimate this kid. Unlike his big sister, he's much more interested in ramming cars together or building a dinosaur with Legos than he is in learning how to write or doing a puzzle. But when we can get him to slow down long enough to practice writing his name or figure out a puzzle, he nails it. He's really smart if you can get him to stop moving for 5 seconds to talk to you. And he has a huge vocabulary that surprises the heck out of me. He'll throw out "appropriate" or "frustrated" and I just die (mostly because it comes out "appwopwiate" and "fwustwated" with his precious little voice.)
- He has a ridiculous obsession with the color red. The love runs deep. When given the choice, he'll choose red anything over any other color 10 times out of 10. All of his school projects that come home are red. Red snowman? Yep. All red Christmas tree? You bet. His favorite clothes are the red ones - a red fire truck shirt & red Superman shirt, red sweatpants, even red underwear. He has a red winter coat, red gloves & hat, new red shoes...he looks like a walking strawberry on cold days. His love of red is so extreme that he refused to play one of his new board games he got for Christmas because there wasn't a red player. We're not sure how this even started, but it's been going strong for months now with no end in sight.

- He comes up with the weirdest names for things/people; "Bony" is currently the name of choice for just about any character he dreams up. Though he still sleeps with a zoo of stuffed animals in his bed at night, his main 2 squeezes are his duck, which he named...wait for it..."Bony", and his puppy dog, which now goes by "Igor". (Your guess is as good as mine on that one, folks.) Recently, he's added his stuffed Superman to the mix, along with a bunny that he named "Superman". Weirdo.
- He has become very attached to me lately. I have no idea what triggered it, but it first started mid-December. I picked him up from school one day and his teachers told me he had been inconsolable for almost an hour, telling them he just missed me. There had been no warning of it & I still can't figure out what brought it on. Ever since then, he tells me all the time that he's going to miss me - at school, during nap or bed, if I run an errand without them. After Christmas break, I knew going back to school was going to be a struggle for him, so we started talking about the return days in advance. At the mention of school, he immediately started getting anxious & saying he'd miss me. I sent a picture of him & I in his backpack so he can look at it anytime he misses me at school; it seems to still be working!

- He has been 100% potty trained since the fall, which is 200% awesome. It's in the Top Five of my greatest accomplishments in life so far. I thought potty training that boy was going to break me for good. But some kind of magical bathroom fairy came along and POOF! Done. He's in underwear full-time, even overnight. MAGIC, you guys.
- He's very into superheroes at the moment, specifically Superman (it's the red cape.) He's getting better at identifying the different characters. When the kids put on dress-ups, he always chooses his Ironman mask & cape and runs around "saving" everyone. He tells me that he & his buddies play superheroes on the playground at school - he likes to pretend he's Super Joe. He has already determined that his 4th birthday party (yes, the one that is 7 months away) will be a Superman birthday.

- He doesn't listen, like, ever. He's just too busy playing to listen when I tell him things. We have to really make sure he's focused on us before we give him instructions or there's a slim chance he'll actually follow through. I often say to him "Joe, what did I just say?" to be sure he really heard me.
- It takes him forever to get to sleep at night. He still takes a nap every day (praise Jesus!) but that makes it harder for him to fall asleep at bedtime. He lies in bed talking to his animals, kicking the wall, & making funny noises. Thankfully, Brooke falls right to sleep and isn't bothered by his antics. He sneaks downstairs about 50% of the nights with one of a million excuses for why he's up. Most of the time, he gets shooed back to bed with the threat of his animals being taken away. But sometimes his excuse is so hilarious/random/adorable that we end up laughing at him. Tonight's excuse? "We need to check behind the dresser because I think one of my cars got lose-ded (lost) back there." Last night's? "I need something in my bed to help remind me of you so I don't miss you while I sleep." It's pretty hard to get mad at that.

- He has great manners, almost always remembering to say "please" & "thank you". He very randomly will thank us for small things that we gave him or did. For example, while eating a snack he'll say "Mommy, thank you for buying me red socks because red is my favorite color." Or he'll tell me mid-afternoon "Mommy, thank you for making me oatmeal for breakfast this morning." It makes me pretty darn proud to see how genuinely grateful his little heart is.
- He has the World's Best Smile and I just love him to pieces.

A few months ago, Joe brought this book (Five Little Monkeys Take a Bath) to us and insisted he could read it. It has become his favorite book and insists on "reading" it to us multiple times a week. It's pretty adorable!

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.)