This happens every year…February flies by with a blink of an eye it seems. It’s a short month I know but there is something about this month that just always makes it go so quickly. I haven’t updated much of the general hubbub with talking about the girls recently but actually rather a lot has been going on in just this short month alone:

• Had friends Georgie and family over for dinner
• Had friends Marika and Randy over for dinner
• Had Lottie and Sarah over for a playdate
• Picked up Clara from school for a weeknight playdate
• Had a school social outing at Central Cinema for Cartoon Happy Hour with 14 of Reese’s classmates and families
• Got my hair cut and highlighted, which as Bryan knows, is an all day affair
• Went to Bluey’s Big Play at the Paramount Theater
• Watched the Super Bowl downtown at The Victor Tavern with friends
• Dined at Elysian Brewing as a family
• Had an overnight staycation at the W Hotel for one night as a mystery shop
• Continue gymnastics on Saturdays
• Had Luis and Carina over for an impromptu dinner
• I had a two night work trip to Coeur D’Alene for the regional kickoff meeting
• Reese and Bryan are currently visiting Lon and Trish in Arizona for three nights while Reese has two days off of school and to let me continue studying now that I am less than two months away from my big test

A lot has been going on, this is on top of school, Valentine’s Day, nanny share drama (which is now going smoothly and positively), touring elementary schools, interviewing with daycare centers, oh yeah, and work…

My work trip was short and sweet and only a short 45 minute flight away but it was a good trip for me. I got to connect further with my new supervisor and had my first annual review with him, which is only semi-meaningful since I have only really been contributing my work efforts in the past two months or so. I got to put faces to names of all of the district and branch managers for the Northwest Region. These are the people that I will be working with and talking to frequently so it is equally good that they can put a face to my name as well. Especially as I was the sole female in the group of 30-35 people. Between that and being in the same conference room for over 24 hours I was actually desperate to get back to the chaos and frenzy at the home life. I have one more two night work trip in Vegas mid-March and then pretty much done with work travels for the year, more or less.

Bryan and I continue to work well as a team in drop offs, pick ups, bedtimes, cleaning up around the house, etc. The girls are very cute with one another and Brooke is at ease with either of us. Interestingly though I think she misses Reese most of all when Reese is at school or this time while Reese is in Arizona.

The next season is upon us, the birthday party season. I think we have four birthday parties to attend over the span of two weekends. We also have a ski trip coming up and then that ever-looming exam. Bring it on!

Chelsea

Brooke’s turn…and my oh my, Brookesy Wookesy, as we like to call her, is also developing by leaps and bounds. This is one of my favorite ages, if not favorite. It can be a taxing one too as I feel like we are constantly having to keep an eye on her to see what she gets into, or climbs on, and then following her around cleaning up her messes. But she is learning words by the day, grasping commands and questions, pointing to things, shaking her head a bunch, and my absolute favorite she started just this week…she is saying “uh oh”. It’s the best! I actually think that I heard her say “uh oh” a minimum of 15 times today with the nanny.

Brooke is pretty darn stable on her feet these days and tests herself climbing up ladders, stairs, tables, even the slide in Reese’s room she managed to climb up. She is adamantly protesting Reese picking her up and carrying her around anymore. She gets so worked up about it these days. She says “Reese” a lot and of course “Dada” but still working on the rest of her vocabulary. She’s excellent at playing by herself most times, however, you must be in the room or in close proximity otherwise that is not okay. She still follows me around the house like my little mini me. She clutches at the bottom of my pant leg and holds on for dear life.

Brooke has found some favorite books “I’m Dreaming Of” and the “Babies and Doggies” books were some of Reese’s favorites too. She has become a less adventurous eater and has pretty much weaned herself off of the bottle. She loves to be outside and will bring you her hat, jacket, and shoes to get ready. Another thing we have been doing lately is saying we need to change that diaper and she goes and gets her mat ready and lays down on it herself. She’s still pretty good about getting buckled into the car and stroller and still very much enjoys being carried in the Ergo. She still loves toothbrushes and her and her sister have a dentist appointment in just a few weeks. She’s cut another tooth on the top and I think more are in the process of coming in but that makes a grand total of 3 right now.

The girl likes to dance and bop to some music. She loves swings and the toddler gym. She likes to pretend putting lipstick on me and pouts her lips to get me to pout mine. She’s definitely gotten the stranger danger vibes right now and has randomly selected strangers to break down into sobs at their nearest approach. She likes it when Reese sings to her. She likes to cuddle wrapped up in her towel after bath. Bryan has been putting her down for bed most nights and falls asleep on his chest. She’s a deep sleeper, rarely being woken by her sister, and snores to boot.

We love Brooke so much and just her fun, sweet disposition that has a bit of that sass and independence her sister has. I can’t believe how much she’s grown, although she still looks so tiny to me too.

Chelsea

It’s been a hot minute since I’ve focused solely on the girls and their development, interests, likes, and whatnot and I thought I’d take a pause of the general banter about sicknesses (because they are never-ending), work and the day to day to talk a little bit about each of my girls.

Reese…ah, bugaboo. She is definitely growing up and we see that in so many ways, and then she prefers to sit on our lap on the couch, lay down with her at bed, wipe her booty, or refuse to go anywhere in the house herself and I realize she is still just four. And her latest saying is that she does not want to grow up. But in comparison to Brooke she does seem grown up most of the time.

Reese is definitely well liked at school and daily brings home drawings or art projects that were made by her friends to show us. I finally asked if she gives hers to others and she said no. When I asked why her friends always give her their projects she said, “Because they like me.” She had her first playdate with one of the new kids at school last week and this was truly before Bryan and I had even gotten to know her parents very well. They live around the corner from school and picked her up from school, got the girls pizza, and we just showed up at 7 pm to meet them and retrieve her. We definitely had the feeling like we were missing something until late in the evening. She has also had playdates with Clara her bestie at school, went downhill skiing for the first time with Lily, and had her old friend Georgie and family over for dinner this week.

I’m continually reminded of Reese’s true personality traits when she is at play with her good friends. And she is a good friend. But she also gets her friends to break out of their shells, take bigger risks, be more daring, be louder, and generally excitement overtakes everyone. Without fail this happens. I’m not sure the other parents should be thanking us!

So Reese loved the skiing, which was great and a very hopeful sign that there might be many more family ski days and trips in our future. She was all smiles and even protested leaving the mountain. She was totally fine continuing on skiing even after her friend and family were already headed back to Seattle. She also really enjoyed the ice skating that we did in Chicago and I’ve been wanting to take her to the rink here sometime soon.

Since the beginning of the year with the new room all set up and shared with Brooke we have really leaned into to the routine chart that we got her years ago for bedtime. She loves doing it every night which has really helped streamline the bedtime routine, be more consistent with going to the bathroom and brushing her teeth before bed, and we’ve been reading books in the glider before going to bed quietly so as not to wake up Brooke. I’ve been enjoying reading in the glider with Reese again.

The other big news with Reese is that we are currently in the process of touring schools for Kindergarten for her to start at next year. We really have three we are looking at; Madrona (our local zoned school), Stephens (where her preschool is currently located and where Brooke could end up at in another year plus), and Tops (an alternative preschool, still public though, that a few of her friends will be going to and we have heard good things about). We are firstly already enrolled in Seattle Public Schools so there is that. We toured both Stephens and Tops this week and brought Reese (and Brooke) with us. Both had a lot of positive qualities to it. I don’t think we have a wrong choice and I am now eager to tour Madrona, but now we also have a difficult choice. I still can’t believe she will be in Kindergarten next year!

We have a dentist appointment set up in a few weeks, a hair cut and an eye doctor appointment are needing to be scheduled, and in a few weeks Bryan is taking Reese on a daddy daughter trip to Phoenix to visit his parents while Reese has two days off of school and to give me a little more time to study. Reese is still Reese, and that’s exactly what she wants to be!

Chelsea