uw

last week we visited the university of washington for the first time.  i sure don't know what took us so long!  it's a beautiful campus right outside of downtown seattle, and we couldn't have picked a more perfect day.  the sun was shining, the weather was warm and the campus was empty (thanks to spring break).  we were happy to have anastasia, hanna and hudson with us for the day.  anastasia and ryan went to uw, and it was nice to have someone to show us around.  brooke and hanna were so excited to be "going to college for real!"

a college campus is one of my very favorite places to be.  it doesn't matter what college because i don't think i've ever been on a campus i didn't like.  this one, i loved.  and the library was a place of my dreams.  i could have stayed in there all day, but it was much more fun to see my children outdoors exploring this gem of a place.  seeing the juxtaposition of their little bodies amidst the beautiful large campus was really very special.  and it was so easy to let my mind wonder to the day when they will be much bigger, much older and strolling along a beautiful campus somewhere in this country.

big girl

you look so grown up.
your annual check-ups at the doctor now include an eye exam, hearing test and blood pressure check.
you go on play dates without me.
you weigh 36.2 lbs and are 42.75" tall.
you do what i ask most of the time.
you are finished with your booster shots.
you pick your battles.
you say things like, "i forgot to tell you..." and "actually, i was thinking..."
you take care of your little brother and help him when he needs it.
you close the door to your room when you're in it and when you're not.
you ask for permission before you do things.
you let out a loud grunt instead of throwing a fit when you don't get your way.
you compromise.
you remember things with great clarity.
you carry on a conversation with any adult.
you act so grown up.

best friends

there is something so special about a girl's first best friend.  i never expected brooke to find hers at the young age of 2.5, but she did.  i grew up on a gravel country road with empty fields on all sides of us, so i delight in the fact that hanna and brooke can run back and forth between each other's houses all day long.  even though they are only 4 years old, they are everything you would expect two girlfriends to be.

they giggle and laugh,
they pretend,
they fight,
they are competitive with one another,
they would rather be with each other than with anyone else,
they get into innocent trouble together,
they love each other.

not only did brooke find a best friend in hanna, but we each found a friend in the baker family.

we play at the park together,
we go for walks together,
we share meals together,
we celebrate holidays together,
we take care of each other.

it's a special thing that we have.

open up

i never posted this pic of brooke during her first trip to the dentist in nov. '09.  it's been hanging on my fridge this entire time, and i finally scanned it onto my memory card today.  because... i couldn't post this next picture without first posting brooke's :)

gavin's 1st trip to the dentist!  he is such a big boy.  he did amazing!  he happily sat and let them brush his teeth, count his teeth, check his mouth and apply fluoride.  brooke had a check-up at the same time, so they were sitting side-by-side.  brooke has come to love the dentist, and she let them do her entire exam, teeth cleaning and even x-rays all by herself while i was overseeing gavin's exam.  they both received a very positive review from the dentist, so everyone left the office happy :)

meow

when i picked brooke up from school today, she looked like this :)  in celebration of dr. seuss, they read a book about cat in the hat today, and it inspired some of the girls in the class to want to look like cats.  brooke's sweet teachers did some face painting and voila!  cats.

is it just me, or is brooke looking so grown-up?  i helped her get dressed this morning and pants that i bought her just a month and a half ago were already 2 inches too short.  either i'm shrinking some clothes, or my girl is growing!  i've started buying her 5T clothes, which just blows my mind.  especially considering the next step up is the "girls" section.  oh, lordy.