Growing Family: Brooke is 3

Brooke turned three the other day, because we are celebrating the girls birthdays together in May we only had some small gifts, cards from family, a day playing at the park, Aunt Jessie's soccer game and a family dinner at the OG. We still celebrate each day separately with the girls days. She seemed to enjoy her day, although she was a bit ornery it was very hard to try and go the whole day without disciplining her! I know kids don't just change overnight or wake up on a 3rd birthday a different kid, but she is really maturing. I know I talk a lot about her speech improving but I truly have seen the most improvement in the last few weeks with new sentences and expressing new thought, she is a champ at potty training, we are basically diaper free with he exception of overnight. She is her own person who decides when she will do things. I've been that worried, stressed mom with her over her development and comparing it to Sophia (its very hard not to do that) but truth is , from what I have seen so far is that it will come, she will thrive and succeed when she is ready. I know this NOW.

Brooke is very much like her sister in how they share a enormous silly side, all kids are silly, but I think they are the biggest goofballs. (is that bad to say about them? I say it with love) they feed off of each other and will laugh and laugh for hours together, it truly makes me the most happy to hear them laugh at each other. Sophia is brave, but Brooke is the boss, i'm not sure the best way to explain, but Brooke really is a leader, she will take charge and lead the way when they are both in an unfamiliar place, I've always told Rusty she has a "boss" walk. She is however stubborn to the core and is not as quick to listen to direction, but in recent weeks has been better at following the rules.

Just this week I enrolled Brooke into Sophia's current preschool for 2 day preschool. So very sad and excited about this. We are getting Sophia enrolled in Kindergarten and have roundup in May. Also very scary. Im trying to balance the whole schedule since they both kind of overlap on picking up and dropping off the girls to and from school. Im not really wanting Sophia to ride the bus just yet (helicopter) although she will fight me on this! We will see. I sobbed to rusty over the phone when I enrolled Brooke into preschool. It's all happening to fast, I have this picture I took my first morning when I left Farmers to be a stay at home mom, it was on our bed with both girls lying in it with me and we were watching cartoons, that feels like it was just yesterday, and now I have both girls in school, well almost. Most say I should be enjoying it, and enjoy my free time, but I don't want free time. Im not ready for it. Don't get me wrong I love the girls growing into smart young girls but whoa! Slow it down!
- Her eyes have remained Blue. (Sophia turned more green when she was 2 1/2)
- She loves to swing, and really loves the tire swing
- Enjoys picnics
- Likes to play Barbies and with her hot rod cars
- Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc and The Good Dinosaur are some of her favs now
- Fav snacks-popcorn, string cheese, apples, belevita bites, any cheese cracker, she surprisingly does not like grapes, any kind of melon, or oranges, but will eat celery or cucumbers, opposite of Sophia.
- Still likes to cuddle when she wants to

We love you our sweet girl!Happy Birthday!