Brookie's Birthday Date

For Brooke's "Mommy-Daddy-Daughter Birthday Date", we went to Studio Movie Grill and had dinner while watching "The Lego Movie".  It was really fun to be with our Brooke.  She really loved the movie!  After the movie, we came home and had cake and ice cream with everyone... Brooke blew out her candles in one (almost!) breath!  I know all her wishes will come true!  We love our Brooke!

Happy Birthday Dear Brookie...

Today is my Brookie Lou's birthday.  She is nine years old and so dang cute I can hardly stand it.  I can not believe that our sweet little Brooke is growing up so fast.  It seems like just yesterday that she was screaming her head off in my arms ALL DAY LONG.  Really, after she got through the colic, and after her umbilical cord finally fell off at 3 months of age (that is probably why she screamed all the time... she wanted that thing OFF!), she was such a joy to have around!  She is still a joy... a bright ray of sunshine.  She is a loving, kind, helpful, sweet girl and I am so glad she joined our family nine short years ago!  Happy birthday Brookie!

To celebrate her day, we began with cinnamon rolls and presents before school.  She was so happy with the cake I made for her... she chose a Hello Kitty theme (again!!), this time with the froggie character too.  It was fun to make.  I got to go eat lunch with her at school, so I brought her McDonald's (her choice) and a cupcake.  It was really fun.  This evening we are going on our Daddy, Mommy, daughter birthday date... then back home to enjoy cake and ice cream with the family!  Yay!

Flowers and Frogs Legs

A few things that were a little odd happened in the month of February.  I had a flower grow out of my head, and I ate a frog's leg.

Okay, so the flower didn't really grow out of my head... I am not Daisy-Head Mayzie.  Chloe was doing my hair and made it stick straight up and then put a flower clip on the top.  It was silly!

I did, however, really eat a frog's leg.  It was not attached to the frog at the time, and it was battered and fried, but I did eat it.  Dave and I finally went out to use his birthday gift card at a cajun restaurant (only about 4 months later...) and he ordered fried frog legs for an appetizer since neither one of us had ever eaten them.  I don't know that I will ever eat them again... but I lived, so they must not have been that bad!  And, it was a fun lunch date with my sweetheart!

President's Day Weekend Fun

We had a 3-day weekend this week and we were able to spend a lot of it as a family... it was so nice!  The weather was beautiful, so we spent time outside too.  All in all it was a wonderful weekend!!!  I did  hair wraps with embroidery floss for the girls; they have been asking me to do it for a while now.  It took a long time (especailly Brooke's long hair!), but they turned out really cute.

For our Family Home Evening activity on Monday afternoon, we went for a family bike ride around the neighborhood and then drew on our deiveway with chalk.  We each got our own square to color, and did whatever we wanted.  Dave's was the "manly square".  It was really fun!  I love my family!

My Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day!

We have had a great day so far.  This morning we had cinnamon rolls for breakfast before the girls were off to school.  Chloe was the anti-Valentine's Day girl this year... she wanted to wear all black to protest the "day of love".  What a silly girl!

I was able to go to Brooke and Autumn's class parties (part of what I love about being a stay-at-home-mom)... and they had so much fun!  Ciera and Chloe didn't have parties, but got treats from friends, and had fun too.

Tonight, Brooke and Autumn are going to a friends party, Ciera and Chloe are going to babysit together, and Dave and I are going out for a Valentine's date! Ooh-la-la!
I love my family so much and I am so glad we can have a special day to show each other how much we care!  I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's day too!

Random February Fun

Autumn was taking pictures around the house and took this one of our cute kitty Ava.  Isn't she so cute?!?

Brooke was asked to make a box for her Valentine's Day party, and painted the bear that used to have cookies in it.  She did a great job!

Snow and Sickness

Autumn has been home with fever and headaches all week from school.  She was also complaining of a tummy ache and sore throat.  I finally took her in to the doctor today, but she was negative for strep and flu, borderline for a UTI, so they are sending that off to the lab for testing, ears looked fine, lungs sounded fine, and they said it could possibly be a nasty virus.  She also has Pink Eye, so we did get drops for that.  She is not allowed back to school until she is fever free for 24 hours... which she has not been... so she will be home again tomorrow.  Ugh!

Our weather for this month has been CRAZY to say the least.  It is in the 30's for a few days then in the 60's for a few... it yo-yo's back and forth and back and forth.  It is no wonder we have all been sick the whole month!  This morning it was in the teens, and began to snow around 7:00 when I was taking kids to school... it has been snowing all morning.  The roads are a bit slippery but it is fun to see the world all covered in white.  We don't get real snow very often, it is usually ice.  It is kind of nice.  (Plus I have a little fevered girl to cuddle with!)

Career Day

It was career day at Dodd (and throughout the whole school district), so the kids all got to dress up in the clothes of the career they want to have when they grow up (the older kids didn't dress up!).  Brooke chose to dress up as a Veteranarian, so we made her a name tag and she brought some doctor toys and a stuffed cat.  (I think she just wanted to bring a stuffed animal to school...)  They talked about different career paths and that if you do well in school you can reach your goals.
The other girls got to write about their goals.  Chloe said she wants "to cure cancer... or be an artist.  Whichever comes first."  Ciera decided on a career path to become a social worker or psychologist so she can "help as many people as possible".  Autumn didn't get to go to school because she was sick, so at home she got to do a paper about what she wants to be.  She said she wants to be a "mommy".  When asked how to achieve that goal, she said "you have to get married and have kids" to be a mommy.  It was cute.