Caleb & Bob

Ever since Brookelyn was born, Caleb has been adamant that Brookelyn's name was Bob.  Not Brookelyn, not Brooke, and certainly not Brookie.  We joked before she was born that her name would be Bob.  After she was born and she sounded like the snorting pug nose dog that my dad had (whose name was Bob), Travis started calling her Bob.  Thus, Caleb became convinced his sister's name was in fact, Bob.

Today Caleb took a poster to preschool to celebrate him for his birthday (he's a July birthday so we take it when we get it).  It was designed to look like a beehive and the very bottom hive said, "Something I can really "buzz" about is..."  Well, when I was working on filling this poster out, he was very into whatever it was he was doing and wouldn't give me the time of day.  So, I filled it out for him.  On this bottom piece of the hive, I wrote "I am a very good helper with my baby sister."

Today at Preschool when he was sharing his poster, his teacher (who we are friends with and know quite well), asks Caleb, "Caleb.  What is your baby sister's name?"  Knowing full well that his answer would be Bob.  To her surprise (and mine) he looked at her and said, "Um.  I can't remember."  What?!  So she asks him, "Caleb! What do you call Brookelyn?"  He looks at his teacher and smiles and says, "Oh yea!  Bob!"

What a kid!  I can't believe he said he couldn't remember his little sister's name!  I have been telling myself that he was probably trying to remember Brookelyn, not Bob.  But, who knows?!

Picture Challenge Day 18 & 19

Brookelyn's reign of terror has officially begun:

She gets so stinking excited these days & just huffs & puffs & grins from ear to ear.  I was trying to catch the grin so some of my pictures are a bit blurry.

Did I mention sister bounces when she gets excited?

She loves her puffs.  I got her some of the freeze dried bananas & strawberries the other day.  She actually got most of them in her mouth rather than on the floor.  She was funny because she picked out the banana ones & left the strawberry ones!

This is her "Who?  Me?" face.

I love her big cheesy grin.  Notice the raised eye brow?  She is going to be a mischief lovin' girl!

I love these cheeks!  I could kiss them all day long!

I only got one picture today.  I ended up going to the dentist, taking the dog to the groomer, stopping at JoAnn's fabric (shocked gasp I know) and then running kids to piano.  However, I did manage to finish this baby present finally tonight!  It is fleece & ragged.  I thought the puppies were super cute.  I thought about stitching it in red and I think I would have liked it even more if I had done that.  I've been making them kind of big for a baby blanket, but I figure that way they can be used a lot longer!  This one is for Caleb's preschool teacher.

Picture Challenge Day 17

Samantha always wants to go ice skating for her birthday.  The last three or four years it has become tradition.  Well, this year we broke tradition.  Mostly by accident mind you.  We got to the ice rink at 3 to find out they close on Sundays at 330.  We then attempted to go to the Fun Park to roller skate.  They aren't open on Sundays.  So, we ended up at Logan Lanes for a bowling game.  Everyone but Brooke bowled.  I haven't been bowling since high school.  I went on a double date & the ball decided to go behind me.  Mortified me & I haven't been back since!  Until today....

Sam did good but her score wasn't too hot.  She came in last!

I did take two pictures of Nash, but the other one was blurry so I deleted it.  I was surprised at how good he did.  He didn't throw the ball down anyone else's lane!  And, he would even run up to the black line and then throw his bowling ball!

Caleb was fun to watch.  He just wanted to grab whatever ball he wanted and throw it down the lane.  Travis helped him every time it was his turn.  Good thing too because he had to stop the ball from jumping the gutter and going into the next lane over more than once!

Brooke was just happy to be along for the ride!  She sat in her car seat the whole time.  We took the stroller with us for the ice rink & when we opened it up we found her favorite baby doll - Jemima!  She was thrilled to have her along today!

Picture Challenge Day 16

Friday night after everyone left, Sam got to have her cousin Jade sleep over.  She was soo excited.  They've been dying to have a sleepover for quite some time.  Nash got to have his cousin Kash sleep over too (no pix of those two unfortunately).  The girls finally crashed just before midnight - even though I sent them to bed at 10:30!

Yesterday Caleb took a nap.  I love it when he does.  I just don't love it so much when he falls asleep with a half eaten go-gurt on the couch next to him (I cleaned that up before I took the picture).  He still really needs naps, but won't lay down and take one.  They have to come by accident these days.  I'm really missing the days where I could tell him it was nap time and he'd do it!

Last night Sam danced for a Primary Children's Hospital fundraiser at the Logan Rec Center.  I was surprised at how many people were there because it wasn't advertised at all.  I think the only people that came though were the parents of dancers.  This is her ballet dance for the year.

Waiting for their turn.

Ready.  Position.

All the pictures I took of them actually dancing turned out fuzzy.  I thought Sam was on the far left for this dance so I sat on that side.  Turns out, she was on the far right (where I was originally going to sit & then changed my mind!).

Picture Challenge Day 14 & 15 & Sam's Birthday Party

The other day I walked past the living room & happened to see this:

I thought it was pretty funny.  What's even funnier is when he tries to get out & ends up getting stuck!  He was happy as a clam just sitting in Brooke's walker, eating white cheese cheetos & watching cartoons! 

Not long after I caught Caleb in the walker, Brooke was back in it.  You can't tell very easily in these pictures, but she was grabbing hold of the fish tank & pulling herself toward the tank & up off the floor.  Her feet would come up off the ground & she'd just sit & grin.  She thought that was the best way ever to watch the cartoons that were on the tv!

 Notice the foot in the air?

Caleb wanted to have his picture taken with the scrapbook...

Tonight we celebrated Sam's birthday.  Her real birthday isn't until Sunday, but since that's the day Travis leaves & she's dancing tomorrow night, we figured it was going to be Friday or forget it!  This year she picked Hello Kitty for her cake.  I think it turned out pretty cute:

I got the cupcakes done & the frosting cleaned up.  I was looking at the cupcakes & was like "Something's wrong."  That's when it hit me.  "Crap.  I forgot the whiskers!"  Since I had already tossed my cake decorating stuff into the sink to soak, the Hello Kitty cupcakes were whisker-less!

She was pretty excited to get her blanket.  I did hear, "My mom FINALLY finished my blanket!"  I knew that would come out of her mouth eventually!

Blue, Brad Paisley, Hanna Montana pattern shirt that Grandma Terri made her.  She's had it cut out probably as long as I've had the butterfly blanket cut out.  I think every time Sam sees her she asks when she's going to get it made!  We're hoping it's long enough to cover her belly!

Adorable dress Grandma Terri made.  I didn't get a picture of the other dress Grandma Terri made her.  I'll have to snap a photo of her in that one!

Caleb was totally into the "Heavy, Heavy, Hangover..."  Caught her pretty good on the nog with more than one gift!"

She was super excited for this.  Grandma Kris & Grandpa Scott got her & her American Girl doll matching pjs & slippers.  And yes, she's wearing them & so is the doll tonight!

She has turned into a Big Time Rush fan.  She got one of their cds for Christmas.  For her birthday she wanted a BTR theme but I told her I didn't know how I was going to do a cake for that.  I found this BTR book/poster book in a book order for her back in December & ordered it to have for her birthday.  She loved it!

She loves this hat.  It has Hello Kitty on the side of it.  Every time she puts it on, she starts doing hip hop!  Silly girl!  Here she's opening a Brad Paisley shirt.

I found this shirt & it screamed her name to me.  It says Nerd Alert.  I thought she'd love it.  And, she did!  I'm sure it will become a favorite.

Aunt Cass & family gave her this cute ear warmer.  It looks super cute on her.  I should learn how to make these!

I can't believe my baby girl is turning NINE!  Her dad is in complete denial & I can't say that I'm not too.  When did she get so old!  Wasn't she just born?  It dawned on me recently that next year I will be sitting through the maturation program next school year!  Wait!  I am SOO not ready for that!  I'm afraid she's growing up way too fast for her dad & I!  I think it makes me appreciate my smaller ones a bit more because I have her around to remind me of how fast they will grow up.  Some fun things about Samantha are: She loves her dance class (obviously).  She's been dancing for LaShar's since she was three & I don't see an end in sight any time soon.  Girlfriend loves to get her groove on.  She's so tall.  I keep telling her she's going to be like Grandma Kris because she's long waisted, but she has legs up to her arm pits & is just so stinking tall.  She's so kind & thoughtful of others.  She always wants everyone to feel good & not be sad.  If someone is sad she does what she can to make them feel better.  She's getting really good on the piano & has recently started asking when we'll sign her up for guitar.  Yes, I know, ironic.  I've told her that I refuse to pay someone to teach her to play guitar when she has the father she does!  I think she'll end up being a one man band just like her daddy!  She loves to sing.  She's always singing - whether it's a song on the radio or one she's made up.  I've noticed that she's starting to write lyrics down recently.  Her dad gave her some song writing tips awhile back & I think she's decided to start working on them.  She knows how to navigate around on the computer better than a lot of other kids her age.  Not sure if I'm glad or worried about this!  The girl reads and reads a lot!  she usually has a minimum of three chapter books going on at once and up to as many as six.  And, one of my favorite things about this girl is that she isn't afraid to come & talk to her mom.  She's so willing to open up and tell me everything about every aspect of her day.  I sure hope she stays that way.  I never imagined that I'd have a daughter that would be that way with me because I so wasn't that way with my mom.

Brooke was extra jumpy after the party so we busted out the Johnny Jumper & put her in it.  I didn't know if she'd like it or not because the last time I had her in it, she was not a big fan of it.  Oh my heck.  The girl LOVED it!  She couldn't jump high or fast enough!  She'd get going and lift her feet up so she could swing!  I'm hoping the video I took will upload.  It was hilarious!

I couldn't get the video of Brooke to upload, but you can see it here: https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150547757856570