Eyes on Us.

I am one super blessed Momma. Yes, now thanks to Brooke I too say SUPER. I think when most kids get quiet, Mom's start to worry about what they're in to.....while I was doing the dinner clean up this evening it was really quiet in the house, so when I went to see what she was doing this is what I found:

As if we as parents don't already know that they are watching every single thing we do....when it comes across like this it makes me giggle and think that at least by her watching me exercise daily she is learning something positive for herself.....and I will totally be rethinking everything else I do in life!

She has her Fisher Price iXL, which is a game system. But, she calls it her Nook because I read on mine....so, she is listening to HER music on her nook and singing so loudly all while getting her heart rate up. Funny thing, she must be in pretty good shape....she was on it for 10 straight minutes that I know of, and I am not sure how long she was on it before I went out there!

We are being watched!!

America's Got Talent.

We are pretty picky as to what Brooke can watch on TV. Some shows these days always manage to throw in words no one should be repeating, but especially a five year old. A summer time guilty pleasure I suppose is America's Got Talent on NBC....Brooke loves watching the silly people try out to be the next star. Last night after watching this show for about 5 minutes, she disappeared into her room....when I found her she was practicing HER routine for the show.....oh boy!

VBS

Another busy week is behind us and another one is beginning. Summer OFF....ha!
This past week Brooke went to VBS right across the street from 9am to 12 every morning and loved it....naturally! I don't know why, but I took this pic to show her sweet Daddy (who was on vacation from one job anyway) walking her over there every day.

A friend of ours took pictures of Brooke singing Friday night in the little performance showing what all they had learned. It was too cute! Brooke definitely does not suffer from stage fright of any sort. She grinned the entire time she was walking down the isle and sang SO well. Pretty proud parents we are!

Father's Day

I know Father's Day has come and gone, I am a little behind. We got to spend a couple of days before Father's Day with my Dad, so on Father's Day we drove to Plainview to spend the day with Steven's Dad. It is truly sad....I forgot my camera, and don't have a single NEW picture of Brooke with EITHER grandpa....I know, I know....working on it.

Anyway, the funniest part of the day to me....was in preparation of our awesome meal. We were served Steak and Shrimp. And Steven's Mom, aka Nana was raised around the coast and can peel a shrimp faster than most can eat one.....well, her theory has always been if you're going to eat them you have to know how to clean them, so it was time for Brooke (aka newest Miller shrimp lover, we learned the hard way on Mother's Day when she basically cleaned our plates of all shrimp!) to learn how to do it herself.

I walked in to hear giggling and see this:

Then, as I got closer I saw what I expected....the wrinkled nose as she is handling raw shrimp. She did learn how....and after about 4 or 5 managed to go brag about how she knew how to Paw and Daddy and never showed back up to help....go figure!

That night I realized I hadn't gotten any pictures of her and her FATHER on Father's Day.....so, I captured one of my favorite times of the day anyway....cuddly giggly time.

Here is a picture of what Brooke made herself for her Dad and Grandpa's. It was her idea, she picked out everything and all I did was write the year on the bottom!

Ladybug Picnic

Another short view of some of the business of our summer! Brooke was invited to a "Ladybug Picnic" last week. It was put on by 'one of those' mom's who is uberly talented, creative, makes yummy treats, etc....I LOVE going to her parties, oh um Brooke does too of course. This talented Mommy was a school teacher before becoming a Mommy, so she read them stories, had them do crafts, exercises, THEN have a little picnic complete with ladybug cupcakes that she made herself the night before.....they were wonderful. I am only including two pics of my ladybug. I tried to crop all of the other kids out because one of the mommies in this group was not fond of her kids pictures being anywhere on the Internet.

My lovely ladybug sitting and listening to the awesome story teller.

And again!

This, believe it or not was the same day. We went swimming....and when we came inside in the cool air conditioning I told her she might want to go put a coverup on over her swimsuit so she won't get cold.....THIS is what she was wearing. Ok.....she loves to be unique!

Such a grown up.

The title says 'such a grown up' for several reasons. First one being because she is SO tall....this swim suit we got her at the beginning of the year, and it is a 6x/7....and granted she has her back arched in order for her belly button to show in her little pose....but this thing MET when she first wore it about two months ago to a school swimming day. She is constantly told how tall she is, and she just giggles and says "I can't help it!"

I shared this picture also to show you the princess mermaid I went swimming with yesterday....yep, she wore the crown IN the pool the entire time.

I have also been told recently by several people we don't know very well about how grown up she ACTS. I chalk it up to her being an only child who hangs out with adults, plays with adults, gets talked to like an adult, etc....but I suppose I don't really realize how grown up she acts until I am around other kids her age. She loves to have normal conversations, is insanely curious about anything and everything, and sometimes at the playdates I coordinate for her....to get some "kid" time she would rather sit and visit with the Mom than with the playmate playing with the toys. I seem to remember acting that way myself, but I don't think I was FIVE.

Another way she is so grown up is her sweet, caring, generous spirit. I suppose she gets things....as all kids do. New clothes because she outgrows the others so quickly, stuff from sweet grandparents who rarely show up for a visit without some little something for her...even if it's just a sheet of stickers. Anyway, she has started making presents for myself and her Daddy. Random little things she puts our names on and puts them somewhere for us to find. She watches for a few minutes and if we don't notice it she will MAKE us notice it and proceed to tell us she made/got/bought that just for us because she loves us so much. I don't ever want her to think of things and love as something that goes together.....so, I always tell her she doesn't ever have to BUY Mommy and Daddy anything, we love her just as she is.....so she has started drawing more and more. Right now I have a painted rainbow on my nightstand, while Steven has a red heart on his.....too cute.

This picture is the latest thing she wrapped up just for me. Random stuff remember?! It's a lime that she wrote Mommy on the baggie and taped it to the ice dispenser on our fridge. TOO sweet!

I know we will encounter tons of hard questions from her as the years go by, but lately the hardest one for me to answer is "Momma, why are some people SO mean?" Um....speechless.

It's a HARD life....

Being a Mom can be really tough at times....summer time however is not one of those times in my opinion. But hey, if it is tough I am willing to suffer like this for my dear child!

Poolside at a friend's awesome pool this past weekend.

Can you see me suffering?!

Brooke having fun with our friend's handsome almost teenage son, AJ.

Brooke finding her first high school boy to have a crush on....she has talked about him off and on all week....uh oh.

Having a blast! About five hours worth of pool time to be exact.