*****Should have been published July 27, 2008*****

Dear Emma,

You are still loving the bubbles.

You came out of your bedroom the other day with your Elmo blanket clutched around your shoulders and went running down the hall yelling "I a super hero!  I A SUPER HEROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  I've since tried to set you up with a sweet cape, but you prefer your ghetto Elmo blanket cape to anything I've been able to come up with.

A few weeks ago we spent a week in Canada with your cousins and grandparents.  I'm not sure you've ever been happier.  We let you stay up until midnight most nights (unheard of at our house), you had cousins to play with all the time, Lola fed you any time of the day or night, and you got to take bubble baths in Lola's huge tub. 

Your cousin Andrew was your favorite playmate and we frequently heard you yell "ASHREW! ASHREW!" at the top of your lungs. 

We celebrated Independence day while we were in Canada… which was very odd since they don't really celebrate that holiday.  We lit some sparklers in the backyard, and you got to hold one for the first time.  God bless America, these fireworks are fun!

You are fiesty and like to give people a little thing we like to call "the business".   We have a little song from the "Yo Gabba Gabba" show that we like to sing called "Don't Bite Your Friends" and it goes like this…

Don't, Don't, Don't bite your friends

We don't bite our friends.  NO WAY!

We don't pull their hair.  Uh uh!

Friends are our friends. Uh huh!

So we treat them with care!

Don't, Don't, Don't bite your friends

Here you are giving your cousin Gabriella the business…

Here you are giving Tessa the business…

There are no pictures of you trying to give Daddy and me the business.  This war is over.  Daddy and I win.  We don't negotiate with terrorists, even two year old ones.

At Daddy's company picnic you rode a pony for the first time.  You weren't scared at all and had a blast.

We've been enjoying the hot summer weather.  Swimming in Auntie Pam's pool, running through the sprinkler, playing at the splash parks, going to camp meeting, eating Otter Pops. 

Speaking of otters, we went to the zoo for the first time with Auntie Shanell and Cedric.  You enjoyed seeing all the animals, but if you and Tessa had to pick a favorite I'm sure you'd both say the otters.

Your nicknames this month are…

• Crabby Patty
• Sweet Baby
• Lovely Bear
• Emmy Bear
• Emma Yemma Ding Dong
• Little Moon Pie
• Sweet Face
• Pungent One

When we were in Canada Tessa would run off with Rianna and you'd be left behind.  When Tessa gets out of the car for school or more recently for Vacation Bible School you get left behind.  When Tessa took ballet you had to wait in the waiting room even though I know you wanted to participate.  I'm a youngest child too, so I know what you are going through.  My heart aches when I see you get left out so many times because you aren't old enough or are too little to keep up.  I hope you know that there is no "second best" with a Mommy.  You are my second child, my second daughter… but my only Emma.

I love you,

Mommy