Do they have to grow up?

I was just watching an old home video with Brooke, and I was trying to tell her that the little boy and girl on the TV dancing around and being so cute were Ben and Brittany. It's hard enough for me to believe it, why should I expect her to understand that!

Last weekend brought 2 of our kids 1 year closer to adolescence! Brittany turned 9 on Saturday and Brigham turned 7 on Sunday. There are times when I really wish I could freeze the clock and keep them just the way they are. And then there are other times, like at the dinner table last night, when I said, "Why can't you all just grow up?". That only brought more hysterics, but at least Barr and I were joining in this time!

It was Brigham's year to have a friend party, but he opted to have the family go to Fort Rapids, an indoor water park, instead. No invitations to send out, games to plan, party bags to get together...I was thrilled! It was so bitterly cold that weekend that it was quite a treat to be able to run around in our swim suits. Our kids are the perfect age for a place like that...until bedtime. Brooke isn't used to sharing a bed, or a room, with anyone. Brittany was so looking forward to getting to sleep with her, but there was no sleep happening. We couldn't get her to lie down or leave Brittany alone. I finally swapped places with Brittany but then spent the rest of the night struggling to get Brooke to settle down. She got about 2-3 hours of sleep and then fell asleep again just before 6:00, at which time Brittany came over reminding me how much she had wanted to sleep with Brooke. I had just fallen asleep, and if it wasn't for the fact that it was her birthday that day, I think I would have lost it! Luckily the boys were able to sleep through much of the commotion.

After breakfast we spent some time in the arcade, which to me is just like a mini Las Vegas for kids. Ben and Brittany combined some of their tickets to get Brigham a much wanted strobe light, which of course doesn't work, another reason I hate arcades! Then it was back to the water. All Brooke wanted to do was watch the babies, and I was in enough of a fog, that I didn't mind just watching her watch the babies. Brittany did take me on a few of the slides. The one we affectionately call the toilet bowl was fun, but as far as the racing slides, I don't get the thrill of shooting down a pitch black tunnel with no bearings of where you're going or how long until you get there! I guess that's why we have Dads. They seem to like it as much as the kids.

Before heading home we stopped so Brigham could get a few more birthday fish to add to their tank, and to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for crepes since that was Brittany's birthday breakfast request and they weren't on the buffet that morning. Our original plan had been to go ice skating that night for her birthday, but by the time we got home, we were all too exhausted. Instead we put Brooke to bed at 6:30 and had a quiet movie night.

The next morning (Brigham's actual birthday), Brittany tried to give me a guilt trip that we didn't do anything fun for HER on her birthday. I had to remind her that she had her special day the previous Saturday when I took her out for several hours to go shopping, get her hair cut and her ears pierced. She had been anticipating the ear piercing thing for over a year, but as it got closer and closer to the actual event, her nerves were getting the better of her. Luckily there was quite the crowd at Claire's, and it was their words of encouragement that helped dry her tears and go through with it.

Brittany is like a magnet to people. Her bus driver called me this morning to tell me how she knows she favors her too much and she should probably stop, but she can't. She just loves her! Let me explain. On Friday I drove the kids home from school since I was already there doing the whole cupcake thing. When the bus driver noticed she wasn't on, she called to tell Brittany she left something on the bus so to come down to the bus stop. She then presents her with a stuffed animal, card, and purse filled with candy and has the whole bus sing to her! Of course Brigham is standing there wondering, "What about me? It's my birthday too!". So we had tears and unkind words and Brigham not even wanting to go to the water park. I appreciate the bus driver's kindness, but she obviously doesn't have 2 children! And then Brittany was trying to find room on the fridge to display all of the birthday cards her friends from school had made her and she says, "Wow, look how many people love me!" as she scoots Brigham's one little birthday greeting from the Primary to the very corner. She does try to make things better. She offered Brigham all the candy from the bus driver and then helped me make him a heart shaped pizza Sunday night to let him know we love him. I'm not sure either mattered to him since he's going through a "life isn't fair" stage and nothing we do will change his attitude. It seems like the majority of the time he is grumpy or yelling about something. Poor Brooke is a little scared of him, which hurts his feelings even more. She'll always do the sign for "Brigham" and then make her sad, crying face. I guess I don't want to freeze time for Brigham at the moment. Having him grow up a little is just fine with me!

I guess I should mention Barr and Ben somewhere in this blog! The weekend before, they had a camp out with the scouts. As the temperatures plummeted to single digits, I kept expecting them to return home early, but no. I think their brains were too numb to realize that was an option! All Ben could say about it was "The bacon was disgusting and I was freezing". Barr said none of the boys were even functional the next morning, so just he and one other leader had to get a fire going and cook breakfast for everyone. He lost all feeling in his hands and feet. O.K. I just have to ask Why? It must be a guy thing, because if you have a nice warm bed, why would you choose to sleep outside in the frigid cold? And I know I'm going to keep asking that until all of my kids and husband are out of scouts. That's all for now.

Brooke's a little overwhelmed in 3rd grade!

Fort Rapids, you rock!






She really was having fun.













Can you see her earrings?










Brigham wanted a Holly cake. (that's his elf)









Brigham couldn't wait to use his new air soft gun Christmas morning...
"you'll shoot your eye out!"











5th grade orchestra concert










Brooke enjoying her gift from Santa.