My Girls

• The other day, Brooke was talking about birthday parties, about her Elsa birthday we had last year (it was apparently epic... she talks about it all the time), and she said that this year, after her Elsa birthday, she wants a "ghostbuster party". WHA? Where on earth did she hear about ghostbusters???
• Sometimes, we like to be crazy. And sometimes when music is playing, I like to dance all crazy and make the girls giggle. The other day, when music was playing and I was dancing crazy, Brooke yelled, "Mom, dance!! Dance hard!"
• One day last week, when we were driving home, Camille started screaming in the back seat, as she was trying to get her shoes off. Brooke asks, "Can I help you?" I look back to see Camille throwing her leg over the side of her seat towards Brooke, and Brooke trying to take Camille's shoes off.
• Me - to the girls: Guys, I always, always, always want to make treats. It's really hard. Brooke: It's not really hard, because I help you! .... so helpful....
• While we were out on a walk, Brooke was talking about all of her friends that live close by: Turner, Xander, Blake, Elliot.... She said, "I wish Lucy lived next to us. Maybe they can build a tree house next to us!"
• Some things I hope I never forget, though it's quite likely that I will. One thing I never want to forget is how cute Camille's little voice is. It's just so little and cute, so sweet. Another thing I never want to forget is how she comes to me, clings to my legs and fusses when she wants me to pick her up. And how she clings to me when she doesn't want me to put her down. When I actually do need to put her down, because I'm busy with something, I just explain to her that I need to put her down, and she lets me do it. I don't want to forget how polite my tiny Camille is. She always says 'Thank you' when someone does something for her. She also uses 'Thank you' as a response when someone thanks her. She's also really friendly. She says hi and bye to everyone, giving them the hugest smile and it's the cutest! People are always commenting on how cute she is.
• Brooke calls the sample people at Costco "bakers". "Mom, let's go see that Baker!" "Look, there's another baker over there! Let's see what they have!"
• Camille is talking A TON lately. She tries to repeat almost everything we say, and her list of words is growing bigger every day: truck, please, milk (or drink, I can't tell yet), water, doggie, kitty, waffle, banana, ... etc. I love watching her little personality come out. She is the sweetest, cutest, spunkiest little things. And she's so considerate, even for being such a young little person. Whenever Brooke is crying or upset, she goes up to her and starts shushing her to help her feel better. I love it when Brooke and Camille hug, too. It just melts my poor mother heart. Can you tell I have a bit of a love affair with my little? I might be obsessed.
• Brooke is in a hard stage. Not super hard, but she throws some fits almost daily. But. Brooke is such a sweet girl. Just today, I said to her randomly, "Brooke, I love you." and she says right away, "I love you, too, mom." She loves cuddling with me in her bed at bedtime. She's always asking for a few more minutes of cuddle time. She also is always asking me to play with her, which I sometimes do and sometimes don't. But she always asks. It breaks my heart and brings such joy to know that she wants to be with me. She's getting really good at her little strider bike, and much more adventurous, going faster down bigger hills and such. The other day, we were walking back home from the park with Hillary and Elliot Erdmann, and she got to the light way before the rest of us, pushed the walk signal button, waited for it to turn and rode across all by herself, even before either of us noticed. On the one hand, it was terrifying. California drivers are crazy, even if  pedestrians have the right of way. But on the other hand, it's so cute watching her be all independent and want to do things on her own. That's kind of her big thing, right now, her discovering her independence. She's started buckling herself, brushing her own teeth, getting food by herself. She wants to do everything by herself. It's great, awesome really. But it does get hard, sometimes, when she can't do something and gets frustrated. I love my sweet little girl. She's pretty fun.
• I love how Camille does an owl. She says, "Hoo! Hoo! Hoo! Owey!" ("owl"). She loves owls. Every time we are reading a book with an owl in it, she points to it, says, "Owey" and makes owl sounds. It's the cutest thing ever. The other day at church, she kept saying it over and over again to the people behind us. :)
• One Sunday, Brooke kept thanking me for dinner and thanking Daniel for working so hard. And then Camille kept saying, "Thank you, Mamma!" over and over again. My heart just melted. Since then, she says, "Thank you, Mamma!" all the time. She says thank you at all the right times, when people help her or give her something she wants. It's terribly cute. 
• Camille has started letting me hold her hand, which is just about the best thing in the entire world. I love the feel of her tiny hand in mine, and knowing how much she depends on me for so  much. It's like I can feel her love and appreciation every time she holds my hand. Usually, I'm the one to take her hand, either to cross a street or parking lot, or to help her step down a curb or stair. But today, while we were walking to the pool, we were walking in the street, and she held out her hand and asked for my hand. That little girl has my whole heart.

*Chocolate milk mustache!*

*One day while we were playing, Camille kept bring me pairs of her pajamas, saying, "Jammies!" I kept putting them on her, the sleeves over her arms, but keeping the bottoms free, like a cape. I put one pair on after another. Then she grabbed a hat, and put it on herself. She played for a while like that, and she was just so cute.*

*While Brooke was playing at Blake's house one day, I took Camille on my run. I think she had more fun than this picture indicates. Complete with snack, milk, and a stuffed owl. I was pretty slow, having to push her, though.*

*LOOK AT THAT SMILE!!*