Cousins

There's no question that Brooklyn loves her cousins! The other night I watched as she looked at Ella...then Canon...and just gazed back and forth at them with the biggest grin on her face! She was filled with excitement to just be in the same room as them. Even if they're busy doing their own thing! But that's the best part: they're never too busy to play with her! Seven years her senior, Canon has many other extracirricular activities he could be doing, but instead he chooses to get down on the floor to stack rings with her.

He gets so excited to see her growing and learning! He's always saying "Aunt Joci, look! Brooklyn just....yada, yada, yada..." and he describes some new talent he's witnessed for the first time. He's such a good kid. He loves to see others succeed. He encourages other kids (and even adults!) if he thinks that they need it. I've even heard him encourage my dad!  "It's okay, Grandpa. Maybe you'll catch a fish next time..."  :)

 Ella, of course, is happy to play with another girl! She's growing leaps and bounds herself this year: she's a reader now! She read three books to me the other night. Here she is reading to Brooklyn:

 Each of the kiddos took turns with the "Michael Jackson" hat. It makes Brooklyn giggle every time!

After reading together, Ella served as Brooklyn's chauffer for the evening, taxiing her through the house with toys, babies, and blankies.

But when it's time for bed, Brooklyn is sure to let us know. Sometimes she'll lay the kitchen towel on the tile floor and lay her head down on it. Here she is cuddling with her pig and blanket.

One night last week, she and Jackson were cuddled up enjoying a game of football on the tube when she got down from his lap, walked down the hall to her room, and sat next to the rocking chair, waiting for him to follow, as if to say, 'Daddy, it's storytime, and then bedtime. I can't do it myself, so I'm going to need you to help me out here, please.'  And so he did!



Her First Medal

I wish so badly that I would've taken pictures of Brooklyn's first gymnastic classes. She started when she was about 9 months old...she'd been crawling for just a couple weeks. She was not at all social yet; very weary of the teachers and classmates; mainly just focused on my whereabouts.

Honestly I didn't see the benefit of the class in the beginning, but we'd already paid in full, so I put forth an effort to get there each week.

She learned to walk during the semester. Each week the teachers would recognize what improvements she was making, both socially and physically.

 Before I knew it, she was running around the warm-up circle, dunking basketballs in the hoop, sharing the balls with other kids and parents, helping clean up toys after play time, and rolling around for attention from other kids!

 She grew leaps and bounds during this short semester!

She became a social, fearless, curious gymnast!

She accepted her medal of completion last week.

 

Hopefully it's just the pregnancy hormones, but just looking at her in these award ceremony pictures brings tears of pride to my eyes! I'm so proud of my big little girl!

Wheels, wheels, wheels

Between her Princess car and her fancy wagon, Brooklyn prefers to spend most of her free time hoisted above ground by four wheels nowadays. Whether she's climbing in through the passenger window of the car to plop onto a baby's head, or loading up random household items (mail, water bottles or towels) to accompany her for a wagon ride, this girl is all about goin for a ride! 

The garage is organized again, which is nice, but it's also created a new obstacle for Mommy when getting home: The first thing Brooklyn sees is the wagon at the front of the garage! And she is sucked in by a magnetic force, causing her to lose all strength and will of her own. Because the weather's been so mild this week, we've been going on daily rides around the neighhood & to the park, but I fear for the reaction I get next week, when it's wintertime outside again, and the answer is no. I think she'll yearn to feel the breeze through her hair, and the meaning of no will no longer be understood.



Christmas Highlights

I know I'm late, but better late than never! Here are some highlights from Brooklyn's second Christmas.

We did our little family exchange on Christmas Eve, when she got her first big girl chair:

She climbed right in:

but couldn't decide the best vantage point.  'Shall I stand like this?':

'Sit nicely like Mommy sits in her chair?':

'Or chill like Daddy in his chair?':

Still undecided after numerous poses, we moved on to the other gifts:

'Shoes? Really, Mom? How boring!': 

A bow on my head is more exciting than those shoes are!' 

'C'mon, Dad...you're too slow and it's past my bedtime!' Yawn... 

Jackson's wrapping skills...this is the front, can't you tell? Beautiful, babe! :) 

Christmas Morning

Brooklyn got a pep in her step when entering the living room to find her new Princess Cozy Coupe car on Christmas morning!  Finally, her dreams had come true: she was a free woman with wheels! 

The interactive basketball goal paled in comparison to her new ride. But she did humor her mom and shoot a few baskets...from inside the car, of course!

I began to worry that she was going to have to relearn life! She refused to exit the vehicle! After shooting hoops, posing for pics, and loading her babies up for rides, she even ate breakfast in the car:

The exit wasn't a pretty sight, but it had to happen so that we could make it to Aunt Nessa's house for Christmas breakfast & gift exchange.

The mentality that she was the best gift of the season continued as she climbed into gift boxes.

 

But she did play her part as Santa's helper, too, delivering a gift to her Great Grandma: 

After breakfast, we headed home, changed clothes & hit the road again to get to her other Great Grandma's house for more food & gifts. I failed to capture memories there :(, but did get this one on the way home: 

The day full of family, food & presents that started at 6 a.m., ended abruptly as she was placed in her carseat. She was out for the count! Which was a good thing, considering we still had a full day ahead of us the next day.

Christmas Day #2

We headed to McAlester to see her other Great Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, and more for lunch the next day. After lunch, she showed off her rockin skills on her doggy... 

read some stories with her Great Aunt Jan: 

sang songs (or rather, watched inquisitively as Great Aunt Jan sang silly songs!): 

...and again, crashed on the way home after another long, fun-filled day with family!

I'd say Santa was good to Brooklyn this year. Out with the old and in with the new!  All the new toys took over, forcing me to pack up old toys and move them to the attic.  As we arranged boxes in the attic, it became very real to me that we'll be pulling some of her stuff out in just a couple months for the new baby. This was the last Christmas for the Markert Trio!

She's getting lots of practice being a big sister, though. She has babies all over the house. Here she is taking them on a ride:

(I believe there are 3 in there with her...one under her feet, while the other two are partially under her bum!)