I Am Brooke

Since Brooke had a lesson on pets in school, she has been asking to get another pet.  We talked to her about how pets are a big responsibility and how much we have to do to take care of Bella.  Brooke promised that she would be responsible and could take care of a pet.  I figured that if she could say and understand the word “responsibility” that it was worth a try.  So, Brooke and Daddy decided they were going to get some fish.  Two weeks ago we went to the only pet store in town and had someone help us pick out a tank and all its accessories.  Brooke and Daddy set up the tank and filled it with water.  After a week, they were ready to add fish.  So, we all went back to the pet store and let Brooke pick out her fish.  She chose two small orange fan-tailed goldfish.  One of the fish was extremely neurotic and upset by the move, but both fish seem to have adjusted well to their first week in the tank.  No floaters!  The fish have become rather good friends and can often be found swimming together and chasing each other through the tank.  Brooke has been responsible and is diligent about remembering when the fish need to get fed.  She has gone back and forth with many names for the fish, but for now seems to have settled on naming them both “Poo-poo”.  I think this has to do with her initial fascination with watching the fish poop, and I am hoping she decides to rename them at a later date.  And that they continue to thrive!

No, we are not expecting any more family members, but Brooke has decided that we have some imaginary additions to our family.  There is her other brother and imaginary friend of choice, Juicy.  We also have an additional Mommy named Brooke and an additional Daddy named Fannie Fan.

Brooke is very excited that she will be going to a week-long ballerina princess camp and a two-week intensive dance session later this summer (an hour a day of ballet and jazz).  I told her that she could go get her ballet shoes this week.  She was so excited, and this morning she anxiously asked if we could finally go get her new ballet shoes.  So, we went to get her fitted for her first pair of ballet shoes and even picked out a cute little bag to hold her precious new shoes.

Last night while Brooke and I were reading books in her bed, she started running her finger along the lines of words while I read.  I asked her if she wanted me to help her, and she said yes.  So, I ran her finger underneath each word as I read it.  She seemed to like that a lot.  She has also been enjoying a game where she asks about the first letter of words and names.

Brooke loves counting.  She counts everything all the time…fingers, gingerbread man, pictures in books, dolls, stickers, blocks, shoes, etc.  She is always counting.  She can count to 30 on her own and to 100 with help.  I am thrilled that she loves counting with three caveats: (1) she doesn’t become an accountant (I think the chance of this happening is extremely slim…she is much more likely to be counting kids she has healed as a doctor), (2) she doesn’t become obsessive-compulsive about counting, and (3) she doesn’t start laughing “vwa-ha-ha” in between numbers.