april with the littles

Highlights of the month include: Time spent at the water table.

Enjoying the fresh air outside.

Reading books with Sissy.  (Brooke loves to rock Colby in this chair.)

Trying out the exersaucer.

Giving Daddy kisses and "love pats" to the face.

Playing catch with Daddy using her new pink glove from Grandma and Papa.

Creating her own shade with her hair. (She's a goof sometimes!)

Having play dates with Marlie Jo.

Being adorable.

Taking naps with "Baby Cow" and baby.

Skipping to the duck pond.

Blowing dandelions and making wishes.

Napping in the car. Kevin and I love her double chin when she falls asleep in the car.  I especially love her crossed leg. She looks like a hot mess, but that's when I know she is super tired.

Grocery shopping with her OWN mini cart at Kroger.

Helping Mama unload the groceries. (Thankfully, she did this with non-perishable items because I didn't notice it until hours later, haha.)

Beginning of potty training. (Pee on the potty=coins in her giraffe bank.  This method was a big failure, note to self.)

Picnicing by the ducks and geese, which was actually not the greatest idea.  That goose is NOT afraid of humans and wanted our dinner.

Tasting her first peppermint.

Riding the carousel at the mall.

Although I hate being behind on blogging, I love looking back at these pictures and being reminded of the simple moments I have every day with my kids.  Being a mother is the greatest thing of my life, and although it isn't always easy, it is pretty fabulous.

bluebonnet family pictures

I am absolutely in love with all of these pictures!  I have some seriously talented friends.  Danielle took these pictures for us, and I am so so thrilled with how they turned out.  I wanted them to be more candid shots, especially since Brooke was still not a huge fan of getting her picture taken.  We kept telling Brooke that "we were going to pick flowers with Miss Danielle."  Worked like a charm :)  Basically, Danielle is a miracle worker and was able to capture some of the most precious moments.  I will forever cherish these pictures...

It was crazy windy that day (like 25 mph winds!) and a storm was rolling in.  I was afraid that we'd have to cancel our session, which was so disappointing because there's no telling how long the bluebonnets will be in bloom.  But it all ended up working out.  Although our hair was a little disheveled, the temperature was perfect, and we didn't have the sun and shadows to deal with.  

And just to compare...this was Brooke at the same time last year...

Clearly, I am nowhere near the photographer Danielle is, and the bluebonnets were basically dead by the time I got around to taking her pictures, haha. 

Cousin Tea Party

Ever since we went to Eva's birthday tea party, Brooke has been wanting to have a tea party with her cousins.  We coordinated a date with Auntie Mel Mel, and made it happen.  Brooke and I planned the menu, which included a few of her current favorites: pasta with tomatoes and olives, carrots and ranch dip, and brownies.  She was so cute as she set out each plate and meticulously placed each napkin and tea cup.  

I went to the kitchen for something, and when I came back, saw that she had set her princess gloves, scepter, and purse at her seat. 

Then, she patiently waited for the girls to arrive.  It wasn't just any tea party, it was a PRINCESS tea party. 

I love a good excuse for a party, so this was pretty fun. I see a lot of tea parties in our future.  

And Colby will have to get used to it, haha.  (Aubrey wanted him to wear this special crown at the party.)

Soccer Rocker

There's this show on Netflix called "Mother Goose Club", and Brooke has taken a liking to it. One song, "Soccer Rocker", is a particular favorite.  Probably since Brooke loves soccer :)  Every time we head to the park, we bring her soccer ball along and she spends time dribbling the ball up and down the field. I am actually quite impressed with how coordinated she is, and how quickly she can get down the field.  Kevin and I have talked about putting her in soccer this Fall, so I have tried to teach her the concept of "teamwork".  She is pretty good about passing the ball to me, but she always wants to be the one that scores the goal.  It's a work in progress :)

I snapped a few pictures one day because I love how she can combine her love of girly things, with her love of sports.  I looked back through old pictures to find a picture of her last year to compare it to.  She has changed so much!!