Brooke starts Dance class!

Brooke thinks she's a ballerina.  She's always enjoyed twirling around the house, so now that Fall soccer is over we thought her next "activity" could be dance.  She's enrolled in "Creative Movement" which is 30 minutes of "ballet" and 15 minutes of "tap". 

She loves it!  Her teacher's name is Miss Sam ("she's a girl" I'm informed by Brooke -- I guess versus Sam I Am, or maybe her friend Charlie's younger brother Sam...).  There are a handful of other girls, and while I cannot see into the dance studio, I'm sure they're having a blast!  Everyday she asks if we're going to dance today.  Little sister Keira of course wants to be part of the "troupe!"

Maddie Loving (or something like that)

Over the past 3 1/2 years, Maddie has been "subjected" to a lot by these little girls that have taken over the house.  Not to say it hasn't had its benefits, in the form of lots and lots of food being dropped, or in Keira's case being thrown, to the floor at mealtimes...

Keira is especially attentive to Maddie. Constantly laying on her, near her, riding her, sticking her face in Maddie's face for kisses and then laughing, rubbing her hand on her belly, etc.

Maddie also gets dressed up by the girls; wearing necklaces, bracelets, hats, shirts, vet-dress-up masks, band-aids, stickers, the list goes on...

A few times, while I'm cooking dinner, Maddie is always underfoot in the kitchen.  Keira will start crawling through Maddie's legs yelling "tunnel tunnel".  It's pretty funny -- gotta get video of that!

In the end though, she is the best dog in the world!

Keira is 18 Months Old

And boy, she's become a lot of fun and a darling lately!  She's always been quite a cuddler/hugger, and now it's really increasing as you can ask for hugs and kisses and she toddles over and gives them generously.  Very cute!

At her 18 months well check:

weight: 23 lbs 9 oz (39%)

height: 31 1/2 inches (44%)  (catching up to sister!)

We're still working on sleeping through the night many nights, and since the time change, 5:15am is the new wake-up time.  Ugg.  Mom spends 5-7am sleeping upright holding Keira in the rocking chair in her room.  I've logged more hours in that chair in the past year and a half than in my own bed.