Brooks & Addy

I am a forever bad "Hill Family" blogger - in fact, I doubt any one reads this - but I use it to update about my kids life, so that (I will hopefully print it ) and they will have something to look back on since I'm also not always the best baby-book-keeper or journaler.

Brooklyn - 30 Months:
- can count objects (how many stars are there brooks? one, two, THREE! (get's real excited about saying 3!).)
- huge huge language explosion - he can or will try to say ANYTHING and EVERYTHING
- loves elmo, gabba, dora, ADDY!
- loves to draw & color
- loves puzzles - his favorite is a fish puzzle and he will put the wrong color fish piece and say "Silly Fish" and laugh/giggle - so CUTE!
- loves "hand songs" - (the itsy bitsy spider, twinkle twinkle, the wheels on the bus, etc).
- loves to sing songs - can sing ABC, Twinkle, Wheels, The More we get together, & more by himself and most songs that he's heard more than once he can sing with someone.
- bites when angry :(
- pushes---> he does not get the idea of sharing/taking turns.
- at the end of prayers's he knows when we say "thank you, JESUS" & says really loud & happy " A_MEN"
- loves 'may may', 'ro ro', and cousin steven.
- can count to 10, but skips four & six.
Addy - 51 months (need to stop counting months!):
- loves preschool, playing with friends, our neighbor CiCi/Erik/Terry
- calls people "chocolate"
- loves the princess & the frog it's "my favorite movie"
- plays blastball - daddy coaches with Assistant Coach Chuck Willis
- takes ballet
- loves planting/gardening after planting onions & potatoes at keeper's hosue
- loves winnie the pooh, making crafts, playing outside, going to the library
- love's megan/ronda/steven
- Preschool/3's program/ SPUMC Nursery School with Mrs Patruska (Becca, Chole, Chelsea, Rachel, Bryce, Christopher, Caleb & John).

Christmas

This year never really felt like "Christmas" - probably because Brooks birthday is so close (the 19th). But I think the kids really enjoyed it. Addy got a big girl bike - and loveloveloves it, I can't wait for the weather to not be windy & freezing so she can actually go on long rides while I push Brooks in the stroller - hello workout! :)

Brooks got a wooden train set from Santa - and loves it. But I also think Addy might like it a lil bit more...

The kids got lots of 'other' gifts too - but those were their big "santa gifts". I actually made them each a gabba gabba blanket, Brooks being Brobee and Addys Foofa (their favorite characters). I also made them scarves. Addy keeps telling me Merry Christmas hoping that if she says it, it will be Christmas again... Not for another year Addy!

It was SO fun this year having children who really got into their Christmas. Even though it didn't entirely 'feel' like Christmas, it means the world to me knowing my children are happy.

Brooks turns 2!

Saturday was destined to be all sorts of ... wonderful? :) Last time Maryland had an official blizzard (that I lived through) was 1996. Apparently there was one in 2003 or 2004 - but I had moved to Utah. Moving foward - Brooks birthday also happened to be Saturday! Freaking 2! Holy cow - the amazingness of the past 2 years blows me away. I love this lil' kid so much, and can't believe he's a 'kid', not a baby, nor a toddler. A KID!

Mitch spent 4 hours driving (which should have been an hour round trip driving) to pick up my sister and her girlfriend & son so that they could come over for Brooks birthday (bless Mitch's soul....).

It was such a fabulous day, regardless of the weather. (Have I mentioned how much I despise snow?). I hope Brooks knows how much we love him and how grateful we are to have him in our life for 2 years now!

Brooks obviously loves all things "Yo Gabba Gabba" - his favorite character being Brobee. I knew I wanted to make a Brobee cake, but I am no cakebakewhiz. (Even though I did work in a cookie decorating store for 2 years...). I was determined to only use ingredients I had in the house - and running out of cake mix, I ended up using tinfoil for the horns - but otherwise, I think it was a success because at least you can tell what "it" was supposed to be? :)

The favorist thing I made was this pretty rad (for a non painter/talentedcreative type) was this frame... til I realized they all had their hands up like suliting Hitler... Ha... Uh..

Happy Birthday Brooks!

It's been quite a while since I updated this - and tons has taken place! (But I will save that for the Christmas card...). Alas, it's a good place to update on my kids lives so that I can eventually print it out and they can have a mini-update book on their lives. Or Such.

Today was calling for freezing rain (Icing). Scared to death to drive anywhere - but not wanting to keep the kids stuck in the house all day - I bundled them up, and outside we went. Of course it turns out, it's sunny and probably in the 40's... But some silly photos for fun (all off of my phone, so not high quality at all...):

There are no seven wonders of the world in the eyes of a child.

There are seven million.

~Walt Streightiff

Sometimes I do silly things that make my children think I'm not too awful - or was it that I was trying to avoid homework.... Either way, for them, it's a win - win situation! :)

****Obviously my talents do not lie within construction paper art.