Gymnastics Grand Finale!

Oh boy does this little girl love her gymnastics!
She had the most amazing teacher, who truly suited Brooklyn's strong, determined, self sufficient personality traits.

From day one little miss wanted to do it ALL by her very own self. Not uncommon at this age, but a great learning experience coupled with her first year of preschool...that we must listen and obey authority figures. Despite how we FEEL at the time. Hmmm, seems like maybe simultaneously God was *perhaps* teaching me a lesson through Brooklyn's. It always works better (whatever IT is) when I follow the guidance, rules, and gentle leading given by the one who always knows better for me!

Brooklyn learned so much this year. She really blossomed, and grew! What a privilege it is to be up in the stands watching, smiling and cheering her on. Or even getting to go console her when she is having a bad day.

Her final performance was awesome! The whole fam came to support her. She was in all her glory and at the very end she got the much anticipated and longed for trophy!

Her coach, Stephanie

quick story

I have so much to catch up on and blog about! I feel really behind. Things to come.

I just had to get this hilarious story down while it's fresh in my head.

I took Brooklyn to a birthday party at a swimming pool on Saturday. It was so great to have the one on one time with her. She kept saying "mom, watch this cool new trick" as she would splash out of the water with all her might. Or "mom, come on! Put your face in the water, like me, watch!" and then she would show me how to do it :)

The issue that kept arising was her need to poop. We hadn't been in the water for more than 10 min when she felt the need to go #2. She looked at me and said "oh no, I think I need to go poop." So, out we went. Cam back, and then about 45 min  later, a little more urgently this time she comes to me "shoot! I need to poop AGAIN". So, off we went, again.

About 5 min before I was going to tell her it was time to head home she swims over looks at me and yells at the top of her lungs for everyone in ear shot to hear "I'm POOPING!!!!!!!"

So, I swooped her out, put my hand over her bum and RAN.

There were people laughing so hard.

I got her to the showers, got her all cleaned up (poor lovey now had full blown diarrhea) and told her I had to go grab our towels and clothes out by the pool and to wait for me right there. I turned around to head back to the locker room with my arms full of our stuff and here comes a buck naked Brooklyn running out of the locker room hall into the pool. I cannot adequately describe the smile that crossed my face and every person who had watched the whole series of events unfold. It was...priceless.

Happy to report it was just a bad slice of pizza and she's totally fine now.

Benny these days

Where to even begin. I feel like Benny is transfoming into more of a "big" toddler...moving way too quickly to a preschooler than I care to see.
However, now that he sleeps (most of the time knock.on.wood) through the night and can communicate much more, he is becoming so much fun!

Benny boy, you make us laugh multiple times a day with your antics. You cannot complete a meal without grunting, yelling, belly laughing, pounding something on the table (fork, spoon, cup, your hands) and for your grand finale (every.single.meal) you do what we call "drop the mike". This is simply where you lift whatever you fancy for that meal, put it over the floor and drop it like a rock star would throw down their michrophone so as to tell us your "out" or done with your food.

You LOVE dip. I mean it, I've never seen anything like it. Ketchup, ranch, jalepenio yougurt dip, spinach dip, salsa. Last night at your daddy's birthday dinner your tete gave you a bottle of scope to keep you occupied and you proceeded to take the bottle and dip it in your ketchup then lick the bottle. Everything is just a vehicle for the dip :) You also dipped the bread, pretzel, even a spoon full of ice cream in the ketchup and ate it last night. Silly baby.

You still don't have a ton of words, well, not English words anyway. We are all starting to figure out what you are trying to tell us better. Unfortunately when you get truly frustrated by not being able to say what you mean you turn a little...violent. You understand what we are saying much better than you can say anything yourself.  We can ask you to put something away, go get your shoes, or what you want to eat and get a response.  You either saunter away or emphatically shake yes or no.  You are a total biter. I have a giant welt with fang marks on my thigh right now from where you bit me the other day out of pure frustration. We are starting to discipline more, and that seems to be working well. You know when you do something wrong, pull your sisters hair, hit, etc, but it always seems to be from a place of frustration.

You are a runner, you love to run: everywhere. You love basketball, anything that makes noise, stacking toys, your shape toy (where you fit the shapes into their holes), screwing lids on and off of cups or tupperwear. You continue to be absolutely fascinated with all things involving physical work. Machinery,  big trucks, things that make loud noise- furnaces, water tanks, wheel berrows, brooms, rakes, leaf blowers...you get the gist. We visited the local fire station a few weeks ago and you LOVED it! For only being 1 1/2 you were totally fascinated. I guess what I'm saying is you are ALL BOY. Your sister was swaddling babies at this age...you prefer to chuck them on the floor.

Here are a few cute pics from the fire station trip.

You have changed SO much in this past year. You are truly a joy, you have a total sense of humor. One of our favorite things is to listen to you jibber jab to yourself before you fall asleep, you screech like Axel Rose at the start of "welcome to the jungle", you love to steal other people's forks, spoons, cups, you continue to adore your naked time. You are notorious for standing on the back of the couch right after bath time, stark naked giving a show to all the neighbors.

Sunriver last summer (both still babies)

Sunriver this summer, movers and shakers!

We all love you more than words can say. You round out this family in the most perfect way little man.

xo
Mama

Starlight Parade

Our friends the Harris's and Wilson's invited us to join them at the starlight parade this year. We were both a little weary, since bedtime is 8 in our house and the parade didn't start til (gulp) 8:30. You know you are a parent that covets schedule and sleep when the thought of deviating from the normal routine, is living on the edge :)
We went and it was AWESOME!! So much fun. There were a few "hairy" moments, but that's just normal to any time we leave the house.

We rocked the pants off that parade! I looked at my watch and saw it was TEN PM and looked at Matt like "we better wrap this up soon, before we stay two min too long". We didn't get home til almost 11 and made some amazing memories!

Pizza at Hot Lips (taken to go for obvious reasons), we ate at Jamison Park and let the kids play. Then headed down to where Dan was saving spots for all of us. The kids were so flabbergasted that they were allowed to play IN the street. They were seriously confused at first.

Deep thoughts over pizza

Waiting for the parade!

This is her "this is AWESOME" face

Pure cuteness

Outings

Here's what we've been up to since daddy returned to these parts of the world.

We took the kids to the children's museum. This was very nostalgic for me. I had a pass when Brooklyn was Benny's age, so she and I went frequently. Benny had never been. To say he loved it would be an understatement. 

"He ma! I can't see the water!"

Face paint!

Last week my mom's group made the annual trip to Hood River. I don't remember why I didn't go last year, but Brooklyn and I went the year before that while I was pregnant and it was fantastic.

We rode with the Wilson clan, totally fun!! Now that's a lot of babies

Brooklyn and one of her Noah's :)

organized chaos

Alpaca farm

Look, a monkey looking at an alpaca

What a great day! The weather was awesome and if you haven't been to Hood River, you are missing out. It is so incredibly beautiful. They have something called the fruit loop, which is a whole loop around the hills that overlook the valley with fruit stands, baked goods, wine tasting...what more could you ask for!

Such a fun day!

reunited

Matt is home from China! I didn't post that he was going to China just to be cautious while home alone with the babes, but he was gone for 9 days (I kept thinking it was 10, and ten sounds a lot longer, therefore giving myself more cred for holding down the fort...10 it is. Ha)

He went for grad school, in lieu of a class, to study the industry. It sounds like it was a once in a lifetime, amazing experience. He's going to do a post with pics soon.

We picked him up from the airport last night. It was a long anticipated day, so we made a special sign and got there nice and early to give him the welcome home he deserved.

Matt, although we got into a great rhythm and I was beyond well taken care of by all my amazing friends and our family in your absence (thank you all!!!) you were missed so much. This family is definitely not complete without you here. We love you and are so incredibly thankful you had a wonderful time, but we are even more thankful God brought you home to us safe and sound. Plan to be smothered for at least a week year :) xo

Blurry, but had to post it, she was holding her sign upside down :)

This sight got a lot of smiles from weary travelers that came out before Matt

This moment will be one I remember forever





While he was gone the question of the week in our house was "how many sleeps til daddy gets home". She loves her daddy more than words can say (especially if she's in trouble with mommy-then she REALLY wants daddy).

moves like jagger

This boy kills me. He loves to dance just like his sister! Enjoy this gem. 

Benny boy, I hope you always keep it as real as this my love.