Flower Power!

About 6 months ago, Andrea (one of my very best friends) asked me if Brooklyn could be a flower girl in her wedding.  Although I hadn't said it out loud...my immediate response was no.  Brooklyn was throwing a lot of tantrums those days and was not cooperative at all.  It was going to stress me out and possibly ruin the wedding.  =)  Then she mentioned that there were going to be 4 other flower girls (all a little older and great at following instructions), so I said yes, but was still VERY nervous!!

About a month later, all the little girls were in Fayetteville (where Andrea lives) so she wanted them to run by the bridal shop to try on some different dresses to help her decide and get their sizes ordered.  Wow.  This was not a good experience for us at all!!  B "couldn't want" to try on a dress...like COMPLETELY freaked her out.  The other girls were so happy to try them on and twirl in front of the mirror like little princesses, but NOT BROOKLYN!  I finally forced her into a dressing room and into a dress thinking she'd like it once she had it on, but she SCREAMED as if I were torturing her the whole time.  My incredibly shocked and traumatized friend Andrea said with a forced smile on her face, "Maybe just have her try on the dress a couple of times at home before the actual wedding?"  I can't imagine the horror she was feeling!

With all that being said, Brooklyn has really turned a fabulous corner during the past month...LOVES to dress like a princess and is SLIGHTLY more cooperative in life.  She was very ready for her big day and I wasn't even that nervous.  I'm glad I didn't tell Andrea no because as it turns out, she is a pretty fabulous flower girl!!

 They walked down the isle in pairs.  Brooklyn was paired up with Adelyn, pictured above.

Paris (far left, 8 yrs old, grooms neice), Brooklyn (age 3), Adelyn (far right, almost 5 yrs old)

 There were 4 bridesmaids (including me) and each of us had a daughter/flower girl in the wedding

 Again pictured with Adelyn below...how awesome are IPADs!!   

 Brooklyn can't be still by herself for a picture so I kept finding the nearest flower girl to come take a picture with her.

 They asked all of the flower girls to go in the hall for a picture...here is where her 3-ness kicked in.

Yes, she's the one laying down.  =)

 Can everyone stand against the wall please?  Perfect, Brooklyn.  =)  

 The only way I've figured out how to get them all smiling and still at the same time is to go through the series of faces.

Sad faces.  =(

 Surprised Faces!

 And happy faces.

The other 2 flower girls on the end, you've probably seen before.

Ava and Macy...they are 2 of B's best friends.  They are professional flower girls...this was their 3rd wedding in the past 7 months.

When it was actually "flower girl time" (that's what B called it), she did perfect.  She smiled and giggled all the way down the isle and made me so proud!

Here are a couple pictures of my friend, Andrea, the stunning bride, doing their first dance at the reception.

 And do you see who's singing?

Kris Allen!!  He is the groom's first cousin and winner of American Idol Season 8!!

Such a perfect and magical weekend!!  I have to give a HUGE shout out to my precious mother-in-law, Margaret Nalley, who sacrificed her entire weekend to drive all the way up to Fayetteville and helped us out A TON with the kids.  The weekend wouldn't have been possible without you!!

Brooklyn @ 3.5-Years_Old

After some very challenging and terrible 2's, the 3's have turned out to be pretty pleasant for us!!

 Brooklyn has really started to develop some manners and is becoming quite pleasant to be around!

On occasion, she will just randomly come over, give a hug, a kiss on the cheek and say she loves you!!  She's always pretty much given a hug or kiss on command, but other than that has been pretty unaffectionate, so this is REALLY sweet and new!!

She is a CRAZY puzzle worker!  She can do a couple of 50 piece puzzles all by herself!  

It blows me away!!  At school, they say she barely says a word all day, but is a crazy puzzle worker.  When other kids are having trouble with their puzzles, they send B over to help!!

 At her 3-year check up, there were some concerns about her speech.  It has really started to pick-up now and is hilarious (when she is being totally serious and not trying to be funny at all)!!  She says at least 1 thing that cracks me up each day and I will likely start posting many of those 1-liners.

 In the picture above, she put on that plastic bowl (as a hat), put that puppy in that high chair and told me, "Bye, I have to go to work now."  Probably just funny to me and Eddie, but it cracked me up to think about what she was thinking her profession might be.

Her 3 most common phrases are:

1.  "Maybe shake it off?" 

(this phrase has saved us MANY a melt-downs about getting "sticky", falling down, recovering after being reprimanded...it pretty much works for EVERYTHING and she usually comes up with it all on her own)

2.  "Maybe get bigger?"

(Like when asked to eat something she doesn't like or told to do something she doesn't want to do...she says it like - ask me later, maybe when I get bigger I will eat that or do that)

3.  "Maybe some more at the store?"

(She wants to go and get more of EVERYTHING at the store...she's always been my good little shopping buddy)

I probably answer each of these questions (no exaggeration) at least 10 times a day.

 She has THANKFULLY gotten into dressing up and is so excited about being a flower girl in my friend Andrea's wedding this weekend.  I have very mixed feelings...very excited, but also a little nervous!!

When Brooklyn is NOT being super-easy or cooperative, 90% of the time it's related to her sister.  Brooklyn has developed a bossy streak, but only when Chandler is around.

But to be totally fair, Chandler instigates about 1/2 of their issues by pulling B's hair or scratching her.  B thankfully NEVER retaliates, but ALWAYS cries and comes and tells us just before reminding herself to maybe shake it off.  =)

 Hat Day at School

 Here's a happier picture, but very blurry...

 Pajama Day