2.09.2012

Cecily's 4 and 1/2 yr interview

Cecily playing Makeup at 4 and 1/2 years




I found when I interviewed her some of her answers were just what was most recent in her life. Like cookies for example she usually wants ice cream, but we made cookies the other day so she had them recently. I will put what she says in pink and I will put my answers of what I see her do on a day to day basis in Red next to hers.

What is your favorite color? Pink Purple or pink depending on the day,. but usually purple
How old are you? 4
Who is your Best Friend? Ruby Changes hourly
What is you favorite Toy? Ponies Baby dolls, stroller, kitchen, dress ups.
What is your favorite Fruit? Strawberries
What is your favorite T.V. Show? Monkey George (curious George) Backyardigans
What is your favorite Movie? Barbie movies
What do you want to be when you grow up? A Dr that helps mommies have babies
What is your favorite Treat? Cookies Ice Cream
What is your favorite Game to play? Candy land
What is your favorite Book? Pinkalicious
What is your favorite kind of Cereal? Fruit Loops
What is your favorite Song to sing? Patty cake Primary songs, never the same one
What is your favorite Outfit to wear? A dress
What is your favorite Animal? Zebra
What is your favorite Holiday? Valentines day because its almost here
What is your favorite Thing to do outside? Ride bikes Go to the park, swim
What is your favorite thing to eat for Dinner? Mac and Cheese
What makes you Happy? Your face or going to the beach
What makes you sad? Biting I think she just thought of something that would make her cry. I don't think she has ever been bit.
What is your mom’s name?  Anna
What does your mom do during the day?  Take care of me
What is your dad’s name? Kreg
What does your dad do during the day? Works
what don’t you like to eat? Guacamole because its spicy. But if there isn't spicys in it then I like it.
Who are your friends? Ruby, Eden, Andrew, Sofie, Ella, Ava, Cater, Baby Carter, and Oli
Where is your favorite place to go? Mall of America
What is your favorite thing to do? Play with my toys Doing crafts and art projects. She loves to color, paint, draw, and write.
What do you like about your Mom? Giving hugs and kisses
What do you like about your Dad? Playing with him
What do you like about your brother? Playing with him
What does (sister/brother) like to do? play with his toys.

We had fun with this interview. I told her I was interviewing her for a job. I spoke in an accent the whole time she thought it was great!

2.08.2012

Cecily and Oliver



Random likes/dislikes:

Cecily 4 1/2 years old
Loves:
~Dancing! she is in a jazz, ballet, and tap class and loves it so much! She also goes to a yoga class once a week that she loves.

~Reading, writing, and spelling. Cecily is so curious and loves to learn. She is so interested in learning about words and writing. She is always writing her friends letters and making them cards. She also loves talking about rhyming words. I hope this means she will love reading just like her mama! She loves doing art and crafts as well.

~Being social, this is not new about her but she has taken her social life to a whole new level. She and her friends are always planning parties and "inviting" each other over. Its so funny to hear her always talking about who her best friend is at the moment, she is always begging for so and so to come over or asking if she can go to their house. She has always been able to make friends with anyone, anywhere but now she really is caring about others and thinks more of their feelings and such. We are still focusing on sharing, but she is getting there!
~Speaking of being Caring, Cecily is the biggest sweetheart. I have been sick for a while and she is so sweet to take care of me and Oliver. She is the BEST big sister and helper! She is always so willing to do things for him and to get things for me. She offers to do things for me, without me asking. 

~Energy, she is never lacking energy. She is always so happy and fun! She is so outgoing and excited about life. She even talks about all her energy. She says I ate all this healthy food to give my energy and now I need to use my energy!

~Being Healthy/using manners: We look at food as a source to get energy, We talk about eating foods that are good for our body, but still having treats sparingly. We do love to bake at our house. Even still she has learned about if we don't use the energy from the food we eat we will be unhealthy and have chubbies. Because of this she will comment about people with said "Chubbies" everywhere we go. We are working on not pointing at people and not voicing our observations of people in an impolite way. She is so excited and proud when she remembers to use her manners.

~Curiosity, she wants to know about everything! My phone conversations, the world, the things work (especially medical things) she questions everything. Its keeping me on my toes that's for sure! She says she wants to be an OBGYN (a DR that helps the mammas have their babies) when she grows up, at the rate she's going I wouldn't doubt her for a second. I am baffled at times at her questions. she is so much smarter than I expect, beacuse of this I can at time expect to much from her little 4 yr old self. I have to remind myself that while she acts very mature in some ways she is still so little, and not ready for a lot of responsibilities.

~Typical first born and a big time rule follower! She is always reminding me and everyone else about the rules. and you are in big trouble if you break one of your own rules, ha ha

Dislikes:

~Missing out on things.
~
I feel so blessed to be her Mom and to have her as an example in my life! I thought my job was to teach her about life, but she is always showing me things I need to learn.

Oliver 21 months
Loves:
~Trains, sports. He loves to play trains, talk about them and imitate them. As for sports I think he will be just like his Dad. Lives, breathes sports. He is always running "fast" and kicking the ball, hitting a ball, throwing a ball. Like in the precious post he even sleeps with balls and golf clubs.

~Singing songs, he is really starting to pick up on all of the songs we sing. His memorization skills have been amazing lately. His little memorized prayers are so cute! They consist of about 5 words and then Amen and you totally know what he is saying.

~Letters and Numbers. He knows parts of the ABC song and even knows a few letters. He knows how to count to 10 but because I ask him to do it so often he isn't as interested as of late.

~ Lovies, mostly just at bed but at any different nap/bed time he will have a plethora of toys in bed with him. Always one in each hand. His brown bear "bear" that was Kreg's as a kid is always in one hand and then something else like a book, ball, club, train etc in the other hand. He doesn't really need them during the day or outside of the crib.


~ School, he loves to be social and loves going to school to play all the games, do crafts, sing songs, read stories. He really loves the nursery and the gym as well. He's out going and assertive. He still plays side by side mostly with kids but he isn't shy about being in groups or entering a room full of strangers.

~Caring, he is so empathetic. if anyone is sad or pretending to be sad, he feels badly and wants them to be happy. He'll give you loves or say sorry until you are smiling. He even worries about people on TV that are sad or upset.

~Being outside. We have gone out to play in the snow, and and ride bikes a little this month and he has loved it. Its usually a fight to bring him back inside.

~Shows, We have been sick for a couple of weeks so he has gotten used to watching a lot of shows! If we are home he wants a show on. He still plays while its on, comes and goes, but none the less loves having the TV on. Especially Curious George. It is his favorite for sure! I am really thankful for the TV as much as I detest it for my kids, it has been a great resource every time I am sick. What did moms do before TV?


~Dressing up in our clothes and shoes. If you leave any clothes out you are just asking for Oli to put them on. He loves experimenting with putting things on and off. I think he likes doing it with everyone else's because they are so big and easier to get in and out of. He also loves shoes. anyone's, anytime. I often go in my room and will find 10 pairs of shoes out of my closet. I will know Oli has been trying them on. He loves to wear his snow boots too.

Dislikes:

~He is going through a picky eater phase. I blame it on being sick and getting used to eating bland food, but he refuses most fruits and veggies lately. I am working on getting them back into his diet. If he is hungry enough he will eat them.

~Shopping :( Sad day for me. I can no longer shop in ease with Oli. He freaks our anytime you enter the store unless he is constantly eating snacks.

~Wearing winter wear. He hates getting his coat/hat on unless its someone else's. I don't blame him. Its very restricting on his little body. But like I said before he likes to wear other peoples clothing.

~Any talk of potty training. We are so not serious when talking about it with him. I know he is far from ready but its so funny when he is about to go poop he will get this look on his face and we all just know what he is going to do. He knows it too, he will just start saying no over and over like "Mom, don't even look at me, don't talk to me about it, and don't mention the toilet."  He sometimes will go under the table or go in his room to do his business. We always tease him and say oh Oli do you want to go on the toilet. His reply is always "No"- in a that's a silly question kind of way.

1.26.2012

Our January

When we got home from CA we immediately got busy with life and.. Movie nights,

                                                 Fun times with friends at the MOA
                                      Tea Parties
                                Indoor picnics
                                   Eating snow,
                                   Making snow Angels
                                   Snow Men,


                                Forts,
                                Naps and cuddling with all our favorite toys,
                                                And lots and lots of Dance parties!!
I told Susan that give us two weeks after being home in MN and we would be sick, boy was I right! Oliver has had pink eye and Bronchitis these last couple of weeks. We have been staying home a lot, well at least Oliver has. Thankfully Kreg's work schedule is somewhat flexible so he has been a huge help adjusting his work schedule to stay home with Oli when I need to go to School, work, and other meetings. Each Sunday we say whew glad that week is over and now this week will be calmer, but we are proven wrong each week when things pop up and keep us busy, busy! We are happy and well though. Kreg just took the GMAT this week and did really well on it. He has applied to a Masters of Finance program at the University of Utah. We aren't positive that is what we will be doing in the fall, but it might be an option.   Kreg is also applying for jobs all over the place and working hard at figuring out our future. We are so blessed and grateful for the jobs we have and are excited for the big things that will be happening this year for our family!!

Welcome to the Car Wash

                                           Any chance she can practice driving she will!

 CC had so much fun with Grandma washing the car in the nice weather! She is just like her Mom and Her Grandmothers, LOVES to make things sparkle!!

1.09.2012

San fran, Napa, and Jelly belly Factory

Riding the Bart into San Fran as a family. Oliver Brooks and Paul Brooks

We went to the park in China town. It was so interesting to see all of the people playing games. They seem to live a much slower paced life.


CC and Cousin Addie playing Grandma Great's organ.
CC dancing along with the street performers. There was even people in the crowd taking her picture!
                                        Oli and CC loved the gian Christmas tree in the city!


On our way home from Napa Grandma, the kids and I stopped at the Jelly belly factory for a tour. It was a lot of fun! We loved the samples and free bag of beans the best!


1.01.2012

2011 Recap

We had big things happen this year, some seem like an eternity ago and some we can't seem to get out of our minds. We were blessed immensely, along with being tried and tested along the way. We have grown closer as a couple and a family, and learned a lot. I hope we can say that every year!

January:Got in a small car accident new years day. Kreg was sworn in as a student attorney, he helped run an immigration clinic for the semester. He loved using his Spanish skills and helping people with their asylum cases. He confirmed his love for litigation. Anna and the kids survived another cold winter, we had fun doing indoor activities at home. Kreg had the car most days so we mastered the art of staying home and keeping busy.

February: A couple of ER trips, Cecily and Oliver become the best of friends now that Oli is old enough to really PLAY. Getting out a little more, lots of trips to MOA.

March: Anna turns 26, the kids were sick a lot this winter. Kreg goes to Boston for a Moot Court competition, his team placed 2nd!


April:Aunt Sarah and cousin Reagan come for a visit! Oli learns to Walk! Finally getting outside to play.

May: Oliver turns 1, Kreg GRADUATES! Grandma and Grandpa W. come for a visit. Cecily and I go to her first musical "Pinkalicious". Cecily has her first field trip and graduates from her 3 yr old pre school class.

June:Gram comes for a visit, trip to Nauvoo. Lots of beach time and swimming. Kreg studies hard for the Bar exam.

July: Kreg takes and passes the Utah Bar. Kreg turns 27. Trip to Duluth for the 4th. Trip to CA, Avila beach.


August: Cecily turns 4. Aunt Paige comes for a visit, Fisher's come for a visit.

September: Cecily starts her final year of Preschool in Ms. Emily's class. Oliver starts his first year of Preschool in Ms. Kim's Class. Cecily starts Ice skating lessons.

October: Trip to UT for Halloween and for Kreg's swearing in. Officially an attorney. Grandma W comes for the big event. The kids dress as Gnomes for Halloween.

November: Trip to Seattle with Aunt Sarah and RJ. continuation of Trip to UT. Holidazzle parade. Anna gets a job at the Gym.

December:Trip to CA, Christmas. Oli got trains and CC got lots of Reading activities and her own digital camera!

We are still searching for the right job/career choice for Kreg, its an exciting time with lots of unknown. We are practicing patience and trust in our Heavenly Father. We are anxious to do what ever he has in store for us and what is best for our family! A few things we are hoping for/looking forward to for 2012
~Strengthening our testimonies and relationships with our Savior Jesus Christ.
~Having Healthy minds and bodies
~Finding a job/deciding whats next for Kreg.
~Cecily going to Kindergarten
~Keeping positive attitudes and outlooks.

No matter what 2012 has in store for us I hope and pray that we can handle all of it with grace and a good attitude and with the right perspective! We are so grateful for all that we are blessed with but mostly for great family and friends!

12.30.2011

                                                               Fun times at the park!

                                                 Baking with Aunt Paige
                                                                 Bike riding

 Playing steam roll with daddy on the trampoline. this is Oliver's favorite activity ever!
                                 Bombing the kitchen with cars!
                                        My kids love acting like ducks??
                                 What would a trip to CA be without a trip to funworks?!!


We went to see my college room mates Rachel and Megan, CC had fun going on paddle boat rides with Meg and Rob and Addy too!