Stanley Family Stories: The Birthday Girl

Brooke didn't have school the morning of her birthday. She came into my room and right away asked to see the scrapbook of the day she was born. She read aloud the story of her early arrival, saw pictures of her numerous tubes and attachments in the NICU, and of her homecoming 3.5 weeks after being born! It seems like a lifetime ago...

Then as is tradition in our home, we had a birthday breakfast. Brooke chose frosted chocolate chip cookies that looked like a pumpkin - enough sugar to last a week!

Then it was off to the bowling alley with Grandma Nancy. Brooke has been asking for at least the past year if we could go bowling...something about 3 kids lugging around balls that could break their hands and feet wasn't all that appealing. Brooke enjoyed about the first 7 frames. Clayton set off the foul buzzer in the 2nd frame and it startled him so badly that he quickly found other ways to entertain himself...

And would you believe that with even such great form....(just kidding - I wouldn't know good form if I saw it!)

I still didn't manage to break 100! Oh...and did I mention that we were bumper bowling?!

(No sports comments from the Poelzer's please.)

And one game later - we're on our way!

Our friends, the Seiler's, arrived in town to join in the festivities - nothing like fine dining at McDonald's with good friends.

And off again to get Brooke's ears pierced. She has been asking for about 2 years and the agreement was that she had to get her flu shot without crying. (I figured it took about the same amount of self-control to withhold uncontrollable sobbing and screaming - as had happened in past years at the doctor's office.) This year there were no tears during her shot - and a promise is a promise. She very proudly picked out her earrings, sat still while they prepped her and didn't even flinch when they pierced her. She hopped on down like nothing had happened. Yeah Brooke!