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Two kids sleeping, finally... and what happens?  The homecoming parade right behind our house!  Both kids seemed to sleep right through it.  The first thing Brooke says when she gets up from her nap?  "Parade!  Band!"  See if you can spot Kent in the video!



Brooke likes to join in on the fun!

Kent's band loves to get jam sessions going while they are waiting for a parade to start.  They invite a band next to them to join in and they have a great time.

A Journal Entry...

Brooke, Brooke, Brooke... what would we do without our little ball of fire!  She's small and feisty, smart and witty.  I just love her to pieces!  I wanted to write a few things down that are simple and maybe not interesting to you all... but these are the simple everyday things I want to look back and remember about Brooke and our cherished time together.  Let's just call this one a journal entry.

At the library on Wednesday I looked like a very incompetent mother as I carried Oliver around with NO clothing.  His blowout while I was picking out books was a little too major to cover up until we got home!  All the kids stared at him like he was some kind of monster (maybe it was the many rolls!).  Once we got home Brooke couldn't wait to read ALL of the new books.  Little did I know, but three of the ten books were about being scared.  The characters learn lessons and become brave, but I think she's still a little too young to get the moral of the story.  She loved the book called "Little Quack" because the ducklings tell their mother, "No Mama, no! I'm too scared!"  She laughed and thought this was great.  At bath time I asked her to pull the plug and she repeated, "No Mama!  I'm too scared!".  Oh boy.  She also says (while tightening her arms making fists and a shivery looking face), "Bulldog, SCAAAARY".  She was very traumatized by the Cashmere Bulldog mascot at the football game four weeks ago.  As we walk the streets of Cashmere she has located every bulldog sign, painting and bumper sticker and reminded me of that scary encounter at the football game.  Funny girl.

We have started to pray the little "Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep" prayer and then I always ask her who she wants to pray for.  After her Kettle Falls grandparents visited she prayed for them AND Sadie (their dog).  Today it was for Riley and "Riley's Mama".  Brooke and Riley are visiting each others houses on a few days of the month to give their mama's some special work/free time!  Brooke looked at a photo of her friend Riley and her in the wagon and said her longest sentence (that I can remember), "Brooke and Riley, wagon ride, to park."

As we read books tonight, I held Oliver and he just reached for Brooke's sippy cup.  He wanted it more than anything!  He also wanted to get Brooke.  She laughs and thinks it's great.  Never complains, just gets out of the way when she's had enough.  Brooke calls Oliver "Auber" and I just love it.  She often says "Auber LEE!!!"  Sometimes I call him Auber too, often by mistake but sometimes not.

Tonight we were at the playground and Brooke yelled every time a student and parent walked to the school (for open house), "More kids!  Kids coming!".  She noticed the sunset for the very first time.  She all of a sudden pointed to the sky and said, "PINK SKY!  Pink clouds!"  I'm not sure why I loved this so much... it was just so precious and memorable.

If you made it to the end, you probably know more than you want or need to.  But I'm allowed to ramble on and on, because this is MY blog! :)

Oliver: Five Months Old

Can two kids be any more different?  We are spotting some similarities, but so many differences between our two kids!  Oliver is now a five month old with personality and smiles.  He doesn't use a pacifier or suck on his thumb which I thought was an impossible combination before I met him!  He likes the comfort of home and room to stretch out.  His sister was always happy as long as there was action!  He can become overwhelmed and cranky when he gets tired and things are out of the ordinary.

Since 4 1/2 months he has been rolling in both directions, getting into everything.  For the last week, he has been laying on his tummy kicking his legs and waving his arms wanting to move!  We're guessing that he is almost eighteen pounds and my left arm especially really hurts from carrying him around.  He wears a mixture of six and nine month clothing now.  The boy who used to sleep all day and all night has changed.  I knew it wouldn't always be that easy!  He usually sleeps around five hours in his longest stretch at night.  Unlike his sister (with loud uncontrollable screaming) when she woke up, Oliver just grunts and politely asks to be fed.  He's a cuddle bug.  Overall, he's such an easy baby and we are so excited to watch him grow.  We can't imagine our lives with out this sweet little thing!

Playing

Brooke does a great job entertaining Oliver!

The nights have warmed up so we took advantage of the nice weather and had a fire outside.

Oliver on the Move

Oliver wants to crawl and move in the worst way!  He's rolling, but most often kicking his legs and moving his arms.  I'm sure he's burning a few calories during the day with all this movement!  I don't think it will be long before he's getting into everything.

He's doing pretty well as a supported sitter.  Soon he'll be able to stay pretty occupied sitting and playing with toys!  And no, Oliver doesn't have a twin... I couldn't choose a favorite so I put both photos together.

Workin' Away

Oliver is now enjoying sitting next to his big sister in his very own booster chair!  He isn't eating any solids yet, but he has fun playing with his toys and watching his sister.  Brooke enjoys her chalk, coloring and playdoh in her booster chair.

Auntie Caitlin

Auntie Caitlin gave Brooke this adorable coat.  Brooke is so lucky to have an auntie that lives so close and one that loves her as much as she does.  Caitlin come over after work and asks, "Is Brooke awake?" If she's already in bed Caitlin's really dissapointed.  A hug and kiss from Brooke makes her day!  Caitlin is the one person that Brooke is SUPER excited to see.  They have a special relationship that will last forever!

New Playground

 

Today we stopped by Chauntel's house to visit.  When Brooke plays with her friend Ian she gets an idea of what it may be like in two years with her younger brother!  Boys are so much fun... and they are so much more physical!

After visiting our friends we went to a new playground in a small community called Dryden.  They have a brand new playground that we wanted to check out.

 Brooke approved of the horse and the swing.

And so did Oliver!

We had a yummy treat of Asian pears,cheddar cheese and banana bread.  It was a really fun time.

Oliver was looking so grown up in his brown coat and pumpkin hat!

Fun day and we definitely will come back to this gem of a playground!

Pear Harvest

Pear harvest is in full swing.  A steady flow of trucks are heading to the orchards and leave with full boxes of beautiful green pears.  As I drove through some orchards this morning I saw men adjusting ladders, picking fruit, taking breaks, and emptying baskets.

Supportive sticks hold up the heavy branches and boxes wait to be filled.

You really want to have connections this time of year!  We were given a free box of pears from friends.  They get ripe so quickly that you have to use them fast.  We decided to dry them so we can enjoy them in the coming months.  They are so tasty!