Creativity at Work

Here is my big, long post where I play catch up. We have all been putting our creative thinking caps on lately.

Blake and I have been trying to figure out what to do with all of our produce from our garden. Wd don't want to waste it, but there is no way we are going to be able to eat it all before it goes bad. So we've spent some time making freezer salsa and learned how to blanche (I didn't even know what was) our corn to freeze it for later this winter. I also have been on a cooking frenzy. I don't know if it's the pregnancy or if I've suddenly realized that cooking isn't my arch nemisis after all, but I cook/bake all the time now! I've made yummy peanut butter bars, banana bread (every week for the past 3 weeks), 2 ingredient homemade ice-cream (where I whipped cream in my mixer for the first time ever and had to call my sister for advice) and all sorts of other yummy things.

I also got school pictures taken. This always makes me laugh. Not that I care what I look like (funny how things change from when you're a kid) but I think it's funny that the photography company gives teacher a free packet of pictures. Like the whole package: 8x10, 5x7s, wallets...the whole sha-bang. What do they expect us to do with them? My first year getting this package of pictures I asked another teacher and she told me to send them out with my Christmas cards. I'm sure all of you are dying to have a picture of just me so look for one in the mail this December! (just kidding...or am I?) Since I'm on the topic of showing off pictures of myself, I made Blake take a profile shot yesterday. This is me at 20 weeks (but really I like to tell myself I'm 21 weeks and 3 days. It makes me feel better since that is what the baby is measuring.) And I wish I could find the picture of me pregnant with Brooke around the same time because I am definitely bigger this time around. As a fellow teacher told me last week, "You are only 5 1/2 months? You are going to be huge!" Yes, thank you, I know.
On my list of things to buy this time around was a rocking chair. Blake found one for me at a garage sale and I was thrilled! It's in great shape and when we got it home I used my new Kirby fabric attachment to give it a nice shampoo (the story how we ended up with a Kirby vacuum is another story I'll save for another time. It's really quite entertaining). Right now, it's in Brooke's room to use when we read stories at bedtime. Sitting on the floor with my belly is not working anymore. Eventually we'll move it into the baby's room, but that room, right now, is filled with junk and needs a major makeover. But that's later.Okay, on to Brooke. She has been so funny lately! A few weeks ago we were at my in-laws house and she comes around the corner dressed with my FIL's hat and work gloves. She announces, "Okay, I'm ready to ride the tractor with Pinch!" Like out of the blue she says this. So of course, Pinch has no choice but to give little miss B. a tractor ride. Brooke is definitely ALL GIRL. Here she is giving Blake a hug wearing my high heels.In this pic she's wearing TWO skirts and a dress-up shoe. Whenever she gets dressed up she will come stand by you with a huge grin on her face, waiting for you to compliment her on how pretty she looks.Also a few weeks ago I took Brooke to FINALLY get her first haircut. I didn't cut very much off. Just enough to even out the sides with the back. Brooke was actually so excited to go get her hair done, but she was SO SERIOUS while sitting in the chair. Some more funny things: Brooke can sing the ABCs and can say most of the Pledge of Allegiance. She comes with me to work with the scouts and we say the pledge each week. I had no idea she was learning it until one day, out of nowhere, Brooke puts her hand over her heart and starts reciting it.

While watching Toy Story 3
Brooke: Mom! He lost his eye!
Me: Who did?
Brooke: The scary monster (aka Mr. Potato Head)

At Dinner:
Brooke bumps her plate with her elbow
Brooke: Oh, sorry plate.
Then looking at her pieces of meat, she picks one up.
Brooke: Do you need a hug?
Picks up another piece of meat and acts like one piece is giving the other piece a hug.

While in the hot tub:Brooke: Hi, I'm Dory! (to Blake): You can be Nemo.
Then, later...
Blake: Are you Dory? And I'll be Nemo.
Brooke: No, you're a crab.

Last night while wrestling:Blake was hitting Brooke over the head with a pillow. She was laughing hysterically but couldn't retaliate. She takes a deep breath and says very seriously to Blake, "Okay boy..." and runs at him with her attack.

And Finally, here are two videos I took recently of Brooke. They crack me up! The first one is Brooke being a ham after church. I wanted her to sing the ABC song but she was having too much fun being silly. When you ask her "why" she does/wants something her reply is always "because I need to"



In this one, Brooke had no idea I was taping her. This is her just playing in the bath tub one night. She is totally in her own little world! I love it!