This Post is Brought to You by the Number 3

3 years ago at 3:33 (OK, not really - but that would have been cool) our little Brooklyn graced us with her presence and turned our world upside-down.

So, to honor the girl who has made our lives a joy beyond compare the last 3 years, and so we can always remember Brooklyn in all her 3 year old glory, here is:

"BROOKLYN'S TOP 3"

3 Things Brooklyn Has Said Today:

1.) "Maybe we should probably... or something."
(She uses a lot of "filler words" when she can't think of the words she is trying to say, so she often creates sentences like this. I think it's precious.)

2.) "Cinnamon Rolls."
(In response to my question, "What do you want for lunch?)

3.) "I'm brushing his teeff."
(As in "teeth." And she was talking about the goldfish, when I found her sticking her toothbrush into his bowl.")
(First family photo. Note to self: a little make-up never killed anyone.)

3 Occupations Brooklyn Would Possibly Be if She Was Old Enough to Be Part of the American Workforce:

1.) A nurse.
(She was at my beck and call when I was sick last time and spent half the day at my bedside making me drink water and patting my head.)

2.) A maid.
(She cleans the toilets. I detest it, so yes, I take advantage.)

3.) A nudist.
(That kid hates clothes.)

3 Reasons Brooklyn Cried Today:

1.) Aubrey stole her chocolate milk.

2.) Aubrey stole her Barbie.

3.) Aubrey stole her sucker.

3 Things You Don't Know About Brooklyn:

1.) She has a birthmark on 1/2 of her stomach and back.
(I got a call this week from her Preschool telling me that Brooklyn had broken out in a rash on her stomach and back and that I should probably come pick her up.)

2.) She devours grapefruit.
(As long as it has about a cup of sugar on it)

3.) Anything that isn't normal she refers to as, "crazy."
(Keep reading)

3 Things Brooklyn Has Called "Crazy" This Week:

1.) Her feet.
(She was dancing along to the radio and yelled to me, "Mom, look at my crazy feet!" Then she did a dance move that Michael himself would not have attempted.)

2.) A car that was driving in reverse.
(She thought this was just about the funniest thing she had ever seen.)

3.) Baby Brigham's.... umm..... thing.
(I was babysitting a newborn boy and had to change his diaper. Brooklyn was very interested in this process, and when I opened his diaper up, she gasped loudly and exclaimed, "WOOO, HE HAS A CRAZY BUM!")
(Brooklyn at 1 month)

3 Things That Scare Us About Brooklyn:

1.) She begs to wear make-up everyday.

2.) She absolutely must have painted nails. (Her doing; not mine.)

3.) She knows how to use a debit card (and has for about 2 years now.)

3 Things I Remember Thinking At Brooklyn's Birth:

1.) She is perfect.
(I loved her at first sight. Actually, I loved her long before first sight.)

2.) She was so worth it.
(The 35 lbs., the heart burn, the cankles, the contractions, all of it. SOOOOO worth it.)

3.) Where did that nose come from?!
(Her dad, it turns out.)


3 Things That Don't Scare Us About Brooklyn:

1.) She loves.
(Everyone.)

2.) She laughs.
(Hysterically. And contagiously.)

3.) She learns.
(And she does a fair amount of teaching, too.)

Happy Birthday, Princess.
We love you more than you will ever know.

Some children like to stick things up their noses.

Mine do not.

Some children like to pinch themselves.
Mine do not.

Some children like to bite things.
Mind do not.

My children are special. They like to cut off their circulation.
Yes, I'm serious.
Aubrey likes to wrap her teddy bear's ribbon around her finger until it turns purple.
And Brooklyn likes to put hair ties around her wrists until her fingers turn white.
It drives me crazy.

Case in point:
This morning Brooklyn woke up crying. Not just "I'm still tired and slightly grumpy for a minute" crying; I mean CRYING.
So I went into her room and found a sight to behold.
Her hand looked like one of those plastic gloves that you blow into and then let them fly around the doctor's room.
It was huge and swollen and a sick shade of green.
I grabbed her and discovered to my horror that she had taken the hair tie out of her hair sometime during the night and slipped it around her wrist. And then slept like that. All night long.
And the result was this:
This picture doesn't even begin to do it justice. This was taken an hour after she woke up and had iced the heck out of it, so you really can't get the whole effect.

This kid didn't know what was going on. All she knew was that Brooklyn had owies and she needed to help. She begged me to get "Booken a banade" (Brooklyn a Band-aid) and sat there holding the ice on Brooklyn's hand until she had practically given herself frost-bite.
What a perfect start to the day.

What a difference a year doesn't make

Halloween last year:

Brooklyn was a bumble bee

Halloween this year:

Brooklyn is a bumble bee

Halloween last year:
Aubrey was a lady bug
(and Aubrey was also Tinker Bell)

Halloween this year:
Aubrey is a ladybug

Halloween last year:
I couldn't get any good pictures

Halloween this year:
I still can't get any good pictures

(OK, they're not good, but they are still cute.)

Halloween 2 years ago:
Aubrey was a fetus, Brooklyn was a cowgirl
(and a darn cute one if I do say so.)

Halloween 3 years ago:
Brooklyn was 2 days old and the owner of our hearts.

Some things never change.
And some things do.
Oh, how they do.

Happy Halloween

The............ Three............... Little............ Pigs

So, tonight I came home to 2 very rowdy children that had just about driven their poor over-worked, stressed-to-the-max, (asleep with his head resting on his hand at this very moment) father into meltdown mode. (Luke is a strong man, don't get me wrong, but these two girls are no match.)

So I decided that a little good-night story telling moment was in order. I snuggled in between the two of them and this is what happened next:

Me: "Once upon a time there were three little pigs. The first pig..."
Brooklyn: "Hahahahahah!! Pigs are dirty! Hahahaha!"
Aubrey: "Hahahahah.... pigs....."
Me: "...built his house out of straw."
Brooklyn: "Mommy, what are these called?" (pointing to her eyebrows)
Me: "Eyebrows. The second little pig built his house out of..."
Brooklyn: "You have 2 eyebrows and I have 2 eyebrows and you have 2 mouths!!"
Aubrey: "Hahahahah! 2 mouths!"
Me: "twigs. And the third little pig built his house out of bricks. One day a big bad wolf came and knocked on the first pig's house and..."
Brooklyn: "Mom, you remember that spider?" (It was as big as my fist and tried to eat her this morning.)
Aubrey: "Scary spider! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!" (imitating my high-pitched scream)
Me: "Yes. And the big bad wolf said, 'Little pig, little pig, let me..."
Brooklyn: "Mommy, I just tooted with my bum."
Me: "And the big bad wolf blew down the houses and ate the pigs and they all lived happily ever after."

The End.

Crime Solved

Well my little detectives; I think it's safe to say that if I ever get murdered, I do not want any of you solving my case.

(Good effort, though.)

The votes for the "Aubrey nose bonker" are:
3 for Aubrey
2 for Luke
1 for Brooklyn
And the actual guilty suspect is..........
(take a good hard look at this picture)
(do you see it...?)
(keep looking - the perp. is in it!)
THE NEIGHBOR'S WINDOW!!
Aubrey wanted to see the neighbor's cute decorated Halloween window.
Now, the fact that I (Ashley) put her in the window does not matter because if the neighbor's hadn't decorated their window I never would have had reason to put her there in the first place.

So, clearly, the neighbors are to blame.

Case closed.

Warning: This Post Was Created Out Of Boredom!

We had really big plans for this day. We were going to wake up early, head to the "Bridges of Madison County" Fair for food, fun, and heart-pumping excitement.

And then we woke up and looked out of our window and we saw this:
And that was it for our awesome outdoor fun-filled day.
So instead, we stayed in the house and got on each others nerves.
And that is how this post happened.

So, in honor of the upcoming Halloween holiday, we have created for you your very own "Halloween Whodoneit Murder Mystery*"
(*disclaimer: substitue the word "Murder" for "Bonked the Beejebies out of Aubrey's Schnoz")

The Scene of the Crime:

Today at 0800 hours, Aubrey Webb fell (or was she pushed...? ) from the window ledge in the kitchen and sustained injuries to her perfectly shaped little button nose. A report was filed and detectives scanned the area for clues as to who could have committed such a heinous crime. After hours of work, local authorities gave up and the case went cold.

Now, police need your help to solve the crime of the "Aubrey Nose-bonker"

The victim:

(notice the swollen nose)

The aftermath:
The suspects:
#1: Brutal Brooklyn
Wanted for multiple crimes including hugging with intent to squish and grand theft toy. Claims to have been "on the potty" during the time of above mentioned crime.
#2: Lethal Luke
Has been known to break noses by just looking at them. Has no alibi for the time of the crime although police did find a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup wrapper licked clean in his back pocket. Make of that what you will.
#3: Ghastly Ashley
Perfectly clean record except for a minor speeding ticket in July of '07. Wouldn't even hurt a fly that was about to poop on her food. (OK, she might swat at it, but definitely not kill it. OK, maybe she might kill it.)
#4: Angry Aubrey
The picture says it all. Suffers from emotional instability, incoherent babbling, and detachment from reality.


Alrighty, my little detectives.
If you uncover the correct suspect and leave a comment declaring your findings, you just might get a promotion and the coveted title of
"WORLD'S BEST CRIME-SOLVING, BLOG-READING, CLUE-FINDING, GENIUS ON THE PLANET."
Good luck.
You're gunna need it...

Family Pictures (in a nut shell)

Okay, so maybe it's not family pictures in a nutshell, it's more like family pictures in a big, huge, never-ending post of more and more pictures. Now, who wants to see endless family pictures and read caption after boring caption detailing every moment of the shot?

Not I.
And probably not you either.
So, I decided that I would spice things up a little by labeling each picture in 3 words or less.
This way you get to see all the pictures without falling asleep on your keyboard.
*Disclaimer: Not every picture has a caption. Because it is late; I am tired; and I just can't be that creative ALL the time. It's hard.
So, here we go.

I title this one: "FREEEEEDOMMMMM!!"

"The Stink Eye" (hint: it's Aubrey)

Ummm.... "Cute" Just cute.
"Meltdown"

"Mona Lisa"
(doesn't she just look like she knows something you don't know?)

(This is one of those with no title. Because I'm boring. And it's just not that funny.)

"Dead"
(As in: "I am DEAD from the cuteness that is Aubrey in this picture.")

"Alfalfa"

"I'm Not Telling"
(But it was funny. Apparently.)

"Going Onmy (that's one word) Wall"

"We're Walking... We're Walking.."
(I know this one isn't 3 words or less, but this is my blog and I make - or break- the rules.)
"The One-hander"

"Squishies"

"Quack; Quack"
(You would never know that my husband is actually the BEST KISSER on the planet. Really. He is.)

2 Words: "Diet Motivation"

All of these pictures were taken by my fabulous friend, Mary Pinegar. She was fun, she was quick, she was talented, she was lucky, and she was worth every penny.
Thank you Mary!