A Few Notables

This Summer, we did a few summer reading programs locally. Brooke actually READ her books, but a couple of them allowed a young child to be read to. So Brenna could technically participate as well. Half Price Books was nice... for every week you read 15min/day, the child rec'd a $3 HPB shopping card. We did all but two weeks so I think Brooke raked in $21 in Half Price Books 'money' and has already been shopping to spend all her cards, picking out some books for her sister as well.

Another one surprised us today in the mail. HEB had a summer reading program as well. The child had to read 10 books (or be read to) and you mailed in your reading card to receive a 'reward' in the mail. Today, the kids got their rewards! And I was pretty impressed with HEB! Inside each package (one for each child), was a certificate, bookmarks, pencils, stickers, 40pts worth of Buddy Buck points (another HEB game where you can collect pts and collect prizes) and a shirt!

So, the girls wore their shirts all over today. Brooke was very proud! And Brenna was just...well, Brenna. :-) Brooke also really enjoys bookmarks too! We've been reading chapter books with her lately and so she really likes to find a special bookmark for whatever book we're on. We read one chapter a night and she loves it! Begs for more!

In other news, now that Brooke has been back at school for a while, Brenna is totally lonesome! I never realized how much these two kiddos play together! But she really misses Brooke while she's gone. I did raise an only child for 3 full years...I just don't remember what we did?!?! Anyway, so we've been having fun together, but you can tell, she really misses her big sis when she's not around. However, that being said, she also likes to rule the roost while Brooke's away. She can play with the big kid toys (she loves Brooke's Leapster?!) and play in Brooke's room with no distractions or interruptions, etc. And pretty soon (after Labor Day), Kindermusik will start back up so we'll have an activity to do, just Brenna and me, again.

Here's the goofy girl...

Her hair is starting to get longer...doing the same as Brooke's did, coming down in her face, so pretty soon, these bows that are now for cuteness and decoration will be a mandatory thing to keep the hair out of her eyes!

Here she is genuinely happy. She's just a happy girl. She still has her moments...and I feel like we are sometimes entering the Terrible Two's already (which really start at 18 mos anyway you know), but she is overall such a happy happy kid!

And, I love love love this face! This smile, this sweet innocent little face...this is my sweet Brenna...Now, if you are a parent, you know that moment, when all of the sudden you realize....it's quiet. That MUST mean trouble. So you go to look for your kid to find them in some danger, for sure, right? Well, nine times out of ten, when I make that mad dash to see why everything's so quiet..... I find Brenna doing this....

She loves books. She likes to flip through them, she likes you to read them, she likes to sign all the words in them. She just loves books. And I love that!

And have I mentioned yet how much she loves her big sister???And the couch. Lets just say, whoever thought up these little toddler couches really was smart. I've never met a tiny tot who didn't enjoy a nice relaxing lounge on a foam character couch. All our guests seem to always make it over to the couch. A great investment I suppose...

This past weekend, my computer was totally re-formatted. I have put pictures back on it from my backup drive, but in the process, and before I re-install any programs and start sending out more pics, I am going through alllllllllll my pictures and (gasp) deleting some. Or maybe not some...a lot. As in, I've been through 2 yrs of pictures so far and have deleted over 25 GB of space (just in pictures people!!!!). So anyway, I've been perusing pictures and saw that Brooke had her first ponytail at this age. Therefore, I had to do one for Brenna of course! And no, Brooke did not have any more hair....her 'ponytail' looked the exact same! (I'm soon going to be doing a comparison post again...look for that to come!)

And if yet, you still don't think that we make the cutest babies ever....(and I personally don't see how you can NOT think that)...then surely this picture will convince you. ;p .... Brenna's first pigtails...