My birthday Bash!

It was my 1st year birthday and I was EXCITED about it! I had all my friends and family there and we had such a great time! Get ready, there are a lot of pictures. Here we go!!

This was my cake. It was made by my Aunt Nancy. She made me a banana cake. I LOVE bananas but I've never had cake before so I didn't know what to do with it. Pretty things like this I usually can not put into my mouth so I'm not sure why everyone was watching me and hoping I would do something?

It sure was pretty!

This frosting stuff is very interesting. It's really sugary and my mom doesn't give me a lot of sugar. 

I don't know Daddy....even if you give it to me, I'm not sure.

I know...Mommy and Daddy ate some but still not sold on the idea.

Now this is a giant cake! This is what everyone else ate

This is my daddy as you know. He did so much to get ready for my special day. He made yummy pulled pork sandwiches and Hawaiian rice.

My mommy! I loved this Ernie doll I got from....

Grandma and Grandpa!!!

My Grandmas are so good to me. They hung out with me when I was eating my lunch.

My other Grandma, Grammi and my good friend Grant

My Great Grandma came up for my party too. She is so sweet, she gave me lots of kisses! I love her!

Here are some of my buddies from the party...

Mommy kept saying McKinley was my girlfriend but I don't even like girls yet! 

Love my Auntie Sarah! She helped me open some of my gifts.

Look at all these cool gifts! I am so spoiled!

It was really the perfect day and party. The weather was awesome for a pool party. Mom and dad kept saying it was just like their wedding day. Beautiful weather day of but then rainy the very next day. When I went to bed that night it got so stormy and windy, our backyard the next day looked like a typhoon hit! 

I tried to put on my new army rain boots on to go outside to help clean up but they are still a bit too big! 

Happy birthday to me! Can't wait till I'm 2!

I'm a YEAR old!

Look at me? Do I look bigger? Older? Wiser? I am a whole year old! Does that mean I'm a toddler yet? You know what it does mean? I don't have to sit in this chair anymore and look cute while my mom takes pictures of me with a sticker on my chest!

Seriously? Are you done yet? Geesh!

Sorry, I got a little heated there but now I'm back to my cute, sweet self. All you have to do is feed me and I'm a happy camper. This is my birthday dinner. Quinoa, asparagus and avocado.

I had a great day. Mom took me for a jog and we stopped by my favorite park and played with my favorite tree. I love to pick up leaves and rub them against the trunk. It makes a funny noise, it's a lot of fun. Mom had to work so Grandma Betty came to play. She brought me my very own birthday book, pretty cool. The next day I went and visited my favorite doctor, Dr. Kelley. 

I have a heart rate of an athlete. I'm strong and fast, she knows it...

And I have pretty nice feet. I'm developing my arch. 

And I don't want to brag or anything but Dr. Kelley did say I had "the most beautiful skin," whatever that means. But mommy thought that was pretty special....

Oh no....not again! This crinkly paper! This stuff freaks me out. Good news, she measured me and I'm growing taller, so that's a good thing.

Note from mom-I love you!

It's the night before your 1st birthday and I'm reflecting. This time last year I was at the hospital not knowing what was going to happen and when you would arrive. You almost were born on one of my best friend, Darcy's, birthday-but you decided you wanted your own day:) I honestly can't believe it's been a year already. And what a year it's been. I can not imagine my life without you. You are my favorite little buddy (daddy is my favorite big buddy!) and we do everything together. On the rare occasion I go the grocery store by myself or out to dinner with daddy, I miss you. It's like something is missing and that something is my baby boy. I love you so much and you bring such joy to my life. I have always wanted to be a mother-always and you have been everything I've hoped for and more. I love how most nights you still are waking up in the middle of the night for me to feed you. Some would say I'm crazy but I don't mind at all, it's a little mom and baby time that I cherish. 

I love the person you are becoming. You make me smile and laugh every day. I love doing the simplest things with you. Picking up a leaf, throwing a rock into the water, putting our feet in the sand. Those are things I never really appreciated until you can do them with a little person who's doing those things for the first time, so special! 

Tomorrow will be a special day but bitter sweet at the same time. My baby boy won't be such a baby anymore-age wise. But I do have to warn you Price, you will ALWAYS be my baby boy-no matter what. When you are older and on your own, you'll still be my baby boy!

I love you so much, early happy birthday and I can't wait to spend many more birthdays with you! Thanks for picking me and daddy as your parents. We both love you more than anything in this world! 

I'm a farmer!

Now that I'm 2 days away from being 1, I have been promoted to "Assistant Farmer" of the Brooking household. My specialities are tomatoes and strawberries. I'm learning not to pick the green tomatoes, not to tear at the leaves and not to eat the green part of the tomato. But boy, those baby sweets are sure tasty! They taste amazing! I think I may like my tomatoes just as much as bananas and peas. 

I'm really studying the coloration of the tomatoes and listening to mom tell me not to pick them too early. It's better when you wait....

Now moving on to the strawberries. I'm in charge of 3 pots. My hands are perfect to sift through the leaves to find the strawberries. They are just the right size.

Good strawberry plants, good strawberry plants. I know it's almost the end of September but I'm expecting you to keep producing my yummy snack. 

Almost 1!

I can't believe I'm almost 1! Less than a week to be exact! My Aunt Nancy came over and took some pictures of me and we all think they are pretty cute. 

Duck Tail

Do you see it? Do you see my duck tail? Mom and dad call it my "Duck Tail Woo-Woo." I don't know why it does it? My hair just goes up like that by itself. I know some boys put stuff in their hair to get this look but mine just does it! Here are some pics that really show my duck tail woo woo.

One of my favorite past times-drumming!

Well now isn't this fitting! My dad took me outside to show me my very own giant rubber ducky today! He knows how much I love my mommy and baby rubber ducky in my bath but this is amazing! It was my very own outside bath tub! 

Note from mom-Teaching

Well, today is the first day of school. Kadin got up early, put a tie on, I made his lunch, Price gave him a kiss and hug good bye and then was off. He starts his 7th year teaching. How can it already be 7 years? I taught for 6, how can he be teaching longer than me? :) The first day of school always brings back fond memories for me-from a teacher stand point. I loved teaching. I loved the kid's excitement, the big eyes, the energy from everyone, it was awesome. I miss teaching, and I miss all those crazy, fun kids. 

But things are different now. I have a new student, a single student, and his name is Price. I get to teach him all day, with a couple nap breaks. Those are his refueling breaks. He goes down for a bit and gets up ready to learn. I get to teach him so many new and exciting things. We learn names of objects. He points at EVERYTHING and wants to know what it is. That takes up most of our school day-pointing. I get to teach him about foods, how to drink out of a cup and how to calm down when he can't have bananas at every meal. 

I teach about colors, how to give hugs and kisses, how to pick out books and turn the pages. I teach him not to touch the stereo speaker or the candle holder, as much as he wants to. I teach him how to stay still and not roll over on the changing table. I teach him to help me put together his diapers out of the laundry,  how to wash his hands in the sink when he puts his hands in his poop. 

As much as I miss the energy and the number of kids when I was teaching, I wouldn't trade what I am doing in a single heart beat. I have the best student in the world. He wakes up every morning ready for his day and looks forward to learning. 

Yesterday was my most favorite lesson so far. It was just him and I. Beautiful, sunny day and we went down to the beach. We sat together, our feet in the sand and played a pass the rock and splash game. He picked up a rock, handed it to me, I threw it in the water, the rock made a splash and he clapped his hands. We played this game for a half hour and Price and I could not have been any happier. Pure bliss. Just an example of a daily lesson with Price and mommy. Looking so much to many more new lessons to come. I think it's going to be a good school year! 

Too much fun!

With summer coming to a close, my daddy goes back to school tomorrow, I'm trying to jam as much fun into my days as possible! My 2 Auntie Sara(h)'s came up to see me over Labor Day weekend. They are so much fun. I can't wait to see them again for my birthday in a couple weeks. 

My Auntie Sarah almost likes to read as much as I do. That is why she got me this cool Alaska Animals book from her trip to Alaska. There are some crazy animals that make some weirdo noises up in that state, it's so interesting. Thanks Auntie Sarah!

I was trying to act cool here...I think I'm doing a pretty good job with my elbow on her shoulder. 

THIS is the ultimate act of cool! I'm standing in my daddy's truck all by myself. Soon I'm going to drive this thing!

Actually, I may have lied. THIS is the ultimate act of cool. My Rocky shirt my mom found for me. Why did she get this for me? Because I have an Eye of a Tiger she said...."Adrienne!!!"