Mommy Reflections

Now that Brooklyn is three, I am just amazed at her little personality. I see a lot of me in her...especially in the dramatic temper tantrums and undying affection for all animals. We struggle to keep Brooklyn inside for a little while just to give the dogs and cats a small break from her sticky little hands. Kittens end up in her baby stroller, dogs are spoon-fed their food one kibble at a time, the puppy gets a bubble bath, and all the dogs have had the pleasure of listening to her "read" a book to them while laying on the porch beneath one of Brooklyn's blankets. We try to keep the dogs and cats outside but they are often invited inside by Brooklyn when we aren't looking. Several times I have found the puppy sitting in one of Brooklyn's little plastic chairs at her child-sized table being served a meal of yellow play-dough.

And she is a complex character, this little girl. While Brooklyn is very outdoorsy and doesn't mind playing in the mud or getting very dirty, she also almost always wants to wear a dress. Her clothes and face can be as dirty as can be but she washes her hands at least three times during a meal. She is the most independent kid I've met (other than maybe myself) but still climbs into our bed to sleep with us for the last few hours of the night. Her high pain tolerance does not mean that she doesn't have a sweet, sensitive heart that can easily be broken whether for herself or for others.

She's learning her ABC's, learning to count, and putting words together to make complex sentences more and more each day. She loves to "help" with whatever Mommy or Daddy are doing. She loves snuggling on a lap to read a book. She kills bugs for Mommy and catches caterpillars for Dad to enjoy. She loves other kids and is never too shy to go make a new friend. She's been in situations that would make her slightly shy mother tremble and doesn't even flinch (she must get that from her Dad). Also like her father, she has selective hearing but for the most part she is an obedient little girl...eventually.

I guess I'm just a proud Mommy that is absolutely amazed by the little person that is my daughter. As Brooklyn gets better at expressing herself, I see her becoming a very complex little person and I just can't get over the miracle. --Becca