Easier yet Harder

It's funny how as Brooke gets older she gets easier yet harder at the same time. Easier because she can communicate more and we can reason with her a little bit. Easier because she is better at independent play and is more interactive when we play together.

Brooke loves play "nap-time or sleep-time" She is obsessed with putting her baby down for a nap and made a bed in the middle of the kitchenBrooke doing sign language and animal sounds for the camera

Harder because she still can't quite communicate all that she wants to say and gets easily frustrated. Harder because she has become so independent. She is queen of "I do it!" She wants to dress herself: wear dresses even when it's rainy and cold outside--wear underwear all the time (even though she not fully potty trained--I am holding out until next week when I get out of school but boy is she ready!).

Brooke took off her regular clothes and came down wearing her church tights (one of her loves) and this dress.

Harder because she is the queen of throwing fits like you couldn't believe! Did/does anybody else's child go through this? And I am not talking the regular on the ground kicking and thrashing fits. This is ten times worse. When Brooke gets frustrated or upset she will purposely try to hurt herself. She will pull at her hair, rip at her clothes. If we put her in time out she will bang her head against the wall or floor until she cries. If she bangs her head once and that wasn't hard enough she will keep doing it! She acts like a child possessed! What is going on with my sweet girl? Last night we were at my MIL's house and it was time to go and Brooke didn't want to. She started throwing a fit and she threw her head into the corner of my MIL's kitchen cabinet. It left a nasty goose egg and Brooke was sobbing hysterically because it hurt so bad. Usually I try to stay calm and try to help her through it, other times I just send her to time out. Always I try to to stop it before it gets to the point of her hurting herself but last night was terrible! This picture isn't very good, but the big dent in Brooke's forehead is where she hit.

Maybe I need to read a good parenting book....

The End is Near

Testing is over with (thank goodness) and with only a week and a half left of school, things are starting to get pretty crazy around here. Especially when all the teachers got an email a few days about about having "checkout interviews" with the administrators. We'll review our students' test results and then we, as teachers, have to give evidence of all the ways we've helped the kids reach their potential and helped support our school's goals. Not that I don't do that, but I don't necessarily have physical "evidence" and pretty much neither does any teacher, so we are all scrambling around to try and find something to present. Also, one of our school goals is to help all students with their math facts to help our math test scores improve. I'm sorry, when did it become the Language Arts teacher's job to review math? And not that I'm not willing (I did some extra credit math facts at the end of my spelling tests), BUT how are parents being excused from the education process? When is it their turn to sit down and be held accountable for their child's math facts? Okay, enough about that, I'm all sorts of riled up.

Anyway, instead of getting upset, I want to laugh. And thankfully my students make me laugh almost everyday. I love my job and I love the kids I teach. Thankfully, we do a lot of laughing together. So here are some of my "finer"moments as a teacher this year:

1. I accidentally said a four letter word in front of my entire class. We were reading "A Christmas Carol" and I was reading aloud. The word I was supposed to say was "fit" well...something that rhymes with fit came out instead. I was mortified! All of my students just sat there in a stunned silence for a minute and then everyone burst out laughing. My face got bright red and I started laughing too. It took us several minutes to get back under control.

2. I have a projector in my room that is hooked up to my computer. If the projector is on, whatever is on my computer screen shows up on the big screen. There is a "freeze" button I can push that will will freeze the screen showing and then allows me to enter attendance or grades on my compute without everyon seeing it too. Well, I had a student who had gotten suspended from fighting. He came back early and I was wondering why. I wanted to type an email to my principal asking if this student really was supposed to be back at school. My students were working on an assignment using the projector so I *thought* I hit the freeze button and proceeded to to type my email. It was deadly silent in the classroom. Finally I look around and realize my email was displayed on the big screen for everyone to see! I said "why didn't you tell me that happened" they replied "we wanted to see your email!" (The fight was a hot topic at the school.) I was mortified! Especially because the kid I sent the email about was RIGHT THERE in the room with me. Now I double check to make sure the screen really is frozen before I do that!

I could go on for a while about some of my "finer" teaching moments, but I won't. Instead, I'll share some random pictures of Brooke I've taken recently

At the park on Saturday:

taking a break and eating some fruit snacks. Brooke loves laying on the blanket. She likes it when we lay down together and pretent to sleep.Before church on SundayAnd so far my flowers haven't died, even with this crazy weather! Yay! Aren't they gorgeous? (I never knew I would become such a flower nerd, but oh well)

Because I like Lists...

....and because I was very dissapointed in the last two chick flicks I watched : How Do You Know and Morning Glory (both were dumb, don't waste your time)

Best Chick-Flicks I could watch over and over again (in no particular order):
1. The Holiday
2. The Devil Wears Prada
3. Serendipity
4. 13 Going on 30
5. Sweet Home Alabama
6. Mona Lisa Smile
7. Confessions of a Shopaholic
8. Maid in Manhatten
9. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
10. Just Like Heaven

I've read lots of books I liked, but there are only a few I could not put down. I always know I've read a keeper when Blake has to hide my book from me in order for us to spend time together
Books I've Devoured Recently:
1. The Help
2. These Is My Words
3. The Other Boelyn Girl (if you saw the movie, don't judge this book. The movie was awful!)
4. A Thousand Splendid Suns
5. The Outlander Series (there are 8 and they are huge books, so plan on devoting some time to it)
6. Water for Elephants (I'm way excited for the movie to come out!)

Best Young Adult Series I've read (although I wasn't technically a YA when I read these):
1. Twilight (of course, also books I've devoured)
2. Harry Potter Series
3.Hunger Games Trilogy
4. A Great and Terrible Beauty Trilogy
5. Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants series
6. Fablehaven Series

I've noticed that I like to read sci-fi/fantasy when it's in the YA category, but not so much if it's an adult book. I like more historical fiction for my adult reads.

Favorite YA books of all time:
1. The Outsiders
2. To Kill A Mockingbird

Up Next on my adult reading list:
1. 8th Outlander Book (except I think I still have a few years before this one gets published)
2. The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane

Up Next on my YA reading list: I have all these books that I order from Scholastic Book orders for my classroom and then I get interested in reading them too.
2. Immortal Instruments Series (Stephenie Meyer wrote a good review for these books, and SM's review of the Hunger Games is how I started reading those, so I'm thinking this series might be good)
3. The Maze Runner & it's upcoming sequel
4. The Beyonders (Brandon Mull's latest)
5. Beautiful Darkness (Sequel to Beautiful Creatures)
6. Crossed (sequel to Matched)
6. Forever (final installment of the Shiver & Linger Trilogy)
7. The Forest of Hands and Teeth Series

I'm sure there are others that I am missing, but this is all I can think of right now. Also let me say that everyone should choose books at their own risk. I am not saying my picks are for everyone!

And I am always on the lookout for good books/movies to read/watch so any recommendations would be awesome!

Wonderful Weekend

Blake had a three days weekend, which is always nice. It's also nice when his weekends match up with mine, so we can actually spend some time together. Friday Blake and his mom floated the Green River again. The dam people (whoever they are) are releasing tons of water so the flow is really high and fast. I guess it was a wild ride and both of them got wet going through rapids.Saturday was spent doing yard work. Sounds boring, but I loved it! The weekend was beautiful! The sun was shining (we all got a little pink on the back of our necks), and we wore shorts and tshirts all day. For my mother's day Blake took me on a flower shopping spree. I've been itching to get some bright colors planted in our yard.
This is by our mailbox. It was full of crab grass that I had to pull out. The neighbor kids were out riding their bikes and saw me doing it so they all came over and offered to help. I said sure, so we pulled it all out. I'm not sure they did a very good job (i.e. getting the roots out) but it sure looks better than it did. I still want to add more flowers to this spot. The island around our tree. I planted some aisian lillies, daffodils, hyacinth and daisies. I couldn't decide what I wanted, they all looked so beautiful at the greenhouse, so I just got some of each!And my personal favorite: The Gerber Daisy! I planted these up by our front doorSo Saturday and Sunday were gorgeous, but Monday and today have been rainy and on the cooler side. I've been obsessing over my flowers that I just planted (stupidly thinking that summer was here to stay). I really hope they don't die!

Saturday night we had a BBQ with Blake's brother, his kids, and parents. Zac took this pic with his phone: all of us enjoying some time around the fire. It was so nice to be outside and eating and socializing. That is what summer is all about!
I have to tell a hilarious story about Blake (he will probably kill me for sharing this) but don't we all have a slip up that is just too funny to share? So, during dinner the other family was eating with us and we were talking about how we get our kids to eat and not be picky eaters, but also being aware of overeating and eating lots of junk food. Anyway, so Blake says "Yeah, there is a problem with children and beastiality. (I think he meant obsesity) But the coversation just stopped and we all looked at each other and burst out laughing. Sorry, babe, but it was too funny! That became a laughing point all night!

Sunday morning, Blake got up with Brooke so I could sleep in. He also made french toast and was good to get Brooke ready for church all by himself. There were no cries of "We need a Mommy!" that I usually hear. That night, we had another family get together at our house--the kids played and Blake grilled.

Sunday in nursery, the leaders took a picture of all the kids and emailed it to the moms for mother's day. I guess this is the best "Happy Mother's Day" face Brooke could muster:
Brooke showing me how she loves her dollyThen yesterday, Brooke was downstairs watching the "Horsey Movie" (aka Tangled) and she says" Look at my gloves, Mama!" Down to the final 2 1/2 weeks of school to go! YIPEE!

Pretty Princess

Brooke is really into dressing up right now. She wants to wear a dress all the time. When she gets one on she'll say "Oh, that's cute!" She is also really good about getting her hair done (although you can't tell most of the time because her hair is a disaster) but every morning she stands patiently on her stool in the bathroom while I brush her hair and (when I'm feeling adventurous) decide to actually try and style it.

Brooke found this dress in a box that we got from her cousins and she is in love with it. No other dress can compare to it and since I only let her wear it around the house, when we come home she immediately takes off her other clothes and wants to put this dress on. When bedtime came she was in tears, sobbing because she didn't want to take this dress off. I've actually hidden it, so we can have a break from this dress for a few days.And isn't this the cutest face ever! I have been wanting to write this story down for a while, but keep forgetting: Over Easter weekend Brooke and Blake were outside and Blake heard a rustling sound in the bushes. Blake says "What's that?....Oh it's just the stupid cat!" Brooke now thinks the cat's name is "Stupid Cat" She says "Where's the stupid cat?" or "Come here stupid cat!" We have been trying to break her of this habit and now call it the "brown cat".

This morning I went to get Brooke out of her crib and she had taken all of her blankets and laid them over the sides, covering up the slots in the crib. She'd created her own little fortress and was laying down hiding from me--giggling.

Melt Me...

Last week, we got some family pictures taken with Kristin. She is awesome! She took some time off when she had a baby last May, but now she is back in the swing of things and I am so glad! Brooke is two, so that means busy, busy and I had to give Kristin a lot of credit--chasing around after our crazy daughter to get a good shot. It also means that our pics aren't necessarily the traditional, posed pics either. Brooke has dirt on her arm in one of them, her eyes might be a little squinty, or her dress is hiked up. Ah, but that's life with a toddler, right?Love this one...Brooke has started understanding "I love you" and wanting to give bigs hugs or squeezes. On Sunday Brooke came up to me in the kitchen, hugged my leg and said "Yedoo Mommy" I love you, Mommy. Oh melt me!! How could I not stop and pick her up and just squeeze the heck out of her?
This probably my favorite picture of Brooke:She kept on trying to pull this door open, certain that it was unlocked and she could go inside.On of the great things about Kristin is that she gives you full copyrights to all the pictures. So, Blake does not really like his face in this picture (i think it's cute) so ...Presto! I cropped him out and now it's a cute pic of just B. and I. It's not very often we get some family pics of all three of us together...usually it's just one parent with Brooke while the other parent takes the pic. Thanks Kristin!! We love them!

Easter Crafts, Balloons, and Snuggles

Some Easter crafts Brooke made: Her egge used to say her name, but she peeled off the other stickers. We got the idea for the bird cupcakes from the "Our Best Bites" website.
So a few weeks ago we went over to this lady's house that I do scouts with. She just turned 50 and had all these balloons. Of course, Brooke loved them so the lady kindly gave some to Brooke to take home. Well, they stayed inflated for weeks! At first, every morning Brooke would wake up and want to know where her balloons were. Then, the novelty started to wear off and they were just floating up on the ceiling for days. Finally, I decided we needed to let the balloons go oustide. We weren't sure how Brooke would react to letting them go, but she loved it! She told the balloons "bye" and off they went!Sunday snuggles with daddySome other things Brooke has been doing lately: She's been really into pretending and being a little mommy to Blake and I. She recently spoon fed Blake some "soup" she'd made and then told him to go get his shoes on. She came up to me and put one hand on my cheek and held her other hand out in front and said "Spit it out mommy" So I pretended to spit something out and she said "thank-you mommy" and wiped her hand off.
She also loves to chew/suck on the corner of her blanky. The other night before bed, I was singing to her and she kept trying to get me to take a bite of her nasty, chewed on corner. I kept telling her no, that I didn't need any. But I think she thought she was being nice by sharing. The same goes with her sippy. She is always trying to share a drink from it with Blake and I. Sometimes I'll pretend to take a drink from it, but this time I told her no, thank you (we're working on teaching Brooke that) so Brooke said, "then smell it!" so I did.

On Sunday we don't have church until 11am so we usually keep Brooke in her PJs until then. Well, all of a sudden she comes out of her room totally naked and says "We go swimmy?" Brooke loves, loves going to church. If we tell her we are going to church she gets so excited and runs upstairs to find her tights. Putting her tights on for church is the highlight of her day.

Oh words cannot describe what it is like to be the mother of this little one. She brings us so much joy and happiness (as well as exhaustion, frustration, and the occassional curse word) BUT, aside from that, we are so proud and amazied at what a sweet little girl she is turning out to be!