Dear Emma,

You discovered Tessa's big bin of princess dress up clothes this month, which is good because Tessa has kind of lost interest in pretending to be a princess.  I, for one, think we still need a little princess around here so your timing could not be more perfect.  Clomp around in those plastic high heels all you want!

We started a parent/child swimming class this month.  Tessa was taking swimming lessons four days each week and I knew I couldn't take you to the pool every day but never let you swim.  During class we sing a lot of songs, learn to blow bubbles in the water, learn to kick your legs, and how to "glide".   Tessa was watching you and taking pictures, and at one point she said "I'm so proud of Emma!", which totally cracked me up.  You love the water, but do NOT want to be dunked under.  About halfway through the class each child gets to pick out a toy to play with while the teacher goes around to each child and dunks them under the water and glides them over to their parent.   You are NOT a fan of this, so I told the teacher you did not want to participate.  The teacher looked at you and said, "Emma do you want to go under the water and glide to Mommy?" and you said "Sure!" and you proceeded to do exactly that.  Um, thanks a lot.

Tessa had her first class (Romp-n-Roll) at age six months.  You had your first class (swimming) at age 2 years 8 months.  Such is the life of a second child.

You don't like to be dirty, and after eating breakfast in the morning you ask to have your face washed by saying, "I got peanutbutters!" which is to say that you have peanut butter smeared around your mouth.

August 8 was a big day for you, and not because it was the first day of the Olympics.  We have been asking you every night if you want to sleep in your crib or in your toddler bed and on that day you chose the toddler bed!  So, we tucked you in, held our breath and waited.

              Awake                                           Asleep

Ya baby!  You haven't slept in the crib since.  Of course, some mornings we find this…

A week or two later we got rid of the crib and the changing table.  I am so excited about this milestone in your life, sleeping in a "big girl" bed, but I was surprised at how I wanted to cry when the crib was gone.  I can't believe you don't need the crib anymore.  I can't believe I will never again lower your feety pajama-ed self into the crib, with its soft bumper pads and sheets.  At least I still get to tuck your feety pajama-ed self into the toddler bed, and I'm truly happy about that.

School mornings this year are so much easier than last year.  You wake up happy, jump out of bed, take off your own pajamas and diaper, throw the diaper away, and ask for your clothes to get dressed.  I cannot tell you what an improvement this is over last years school mornings.  There are no words to describe the difference.  When you are getting undressed at bath time you pull on your shirt until the neck hole is stretched over one of your shoulders and then you stick your arm into the neck hole.  I hate to be the one to tell you this, but you'll never get your shirt off that way.  (Also, you wear flip flops now.  Shoes that are easy to get off and on are a mother's dream!)

You've started climbing into the car, and then into your car seat on your own, and even putting your arms through the straps (you haven't mastered buckling the 5 point harness yet).  If I forget and try to help you, you bat my hands away and say "ALL BY MYSEFF!  ALL BY MYSEFF!" which totally cracks me up.

                            Miss Independent

You also like to wear a chef's hat in the bathtub.  (?)

One thing you are not ready for yet apparently, is potty training.  We are reading the potty books, watching the potty videos, have the potty seat set up, but when I ask you if you'd like to try sitting on the potty you say a very definite "NO!"  I'm not going to rush you, all the experts say not to rush you, but I'd be thrilled if you decided you were ready.  The other day you had a dirty diaper and you announced this by saying, "I pooped my pants!"  If that isn't enough, when I was opening your dirty diaper, never a fun activity, you said, "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand, there it is!"   Nice.

Your nicknames this month are…

Runtybear

Runty

Emma Yemma Ding Dong

Munchkin

Munchski

Little Moon Pie

Crabby Patty

Emmybear

Sweet Face

Pungent One

Cruddy Face

Lovely

Lovelybear

A few days ago you were playing house with Tessa.  You were the mom, and Tessa was the baby.  You would get Tessa blankets, juice, a pretend baby bottle, a pacifier, toys.  Tessa had you running all over the house, waiting on her hand and foot, and you loved it.  Tessa loves to be waited on like a princess, and you are a good helper who likes to be the boss, so this game really suits the two of you. 

Emma speak…

crocodiles/alligators are called dragons

scared is called scary, as in "I'm scary."

vitamins are called vita-nims, as in "Vita-nims, please!"

Each day you seem to pick a different toy to adore, and that makes it hard when you inevitably lose that toy.  I cannot tell you how many times this week I heard "MY PIGGY!" or "MY MONKEY!" or  "MY FISHIES!".  What this means is I get to spend some quality time searching for a lost toy, and if we are about to leave to go somewhere it morphs into frantic searching.  Good times.

You are, for the most part, such a happy kid.  Even when we were hurrying so we wouldn't be late for Tessa's first day of school, and you fell down the two steps into the garage and skinned your knee, cheer still came bubbling up out of you.  (In this picture you can still see the tears in your eyes from that fall, and yet you are joyful at the same time.)   Your good humor spreads to the rest of the family.  We are so lucky to be your family.  I'm so blessed to be your mom.

I love you,

Mommy

P.S.  Grandpa came every single day to Tessa's swimming lessons (that is 20 lessons!) to babysit you while you played so you wouldn't have to just sit on a bench and watch Tessa's swimming lesson.  You two had a blast together!

Smitten Kitchen posted a recipe for Blueberry Crumb Bars recently. 

(You should go check out her recipe and her photos, they are outstanding.) 

I had some blueberries from the farmer's market. 

So I decided to make some.

Best. Blueberry. Cookie. Ever! 

Then she posted a recipe for blueberry pancakes.  So I had to try that too.

And lo!  It was excellent.

Luckily Jen from Amazing Trips solved the riddle of which griddle to buy (electric? cast iron?  one burner?  two burner?) and also posted an amazing pancake recipe (which I personally tried and it was so good). 

My mom found the Nordicware 2 Burner Reversible Grill Griddle at Costco and it is AWESOME! 

We made pancakes and fried eggs at the same time!   I cooked pancakes so fast that I actually got to eat breakfast with the family.  Usually I'm stuck at the stove.

What goes with blueberry pancakes?  Blueberry banana smoothies!

Yum!

Who likes blueberries?  Me! Me! Me! I do! I do! I do!

Hold me…

*****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

Emma picking the grass…

Emma thinking about eating the grass…

Emma eating the grass…

Emma regretting eating the grass…

(Hurrah for camera's with a sport mode setting!)

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

Dear Emma,

Several months ago we were shopping at Target and I found some Elmo socks in the $1 Spot.   I handed them to you and you threw them out of the cart onto the floor because you were in a bit of a tizzy at that particular time.  Well, I knew you would actually want them someday, even though right at that moment you despised them, so I snuck them back into the card and hid them by my purse since the sight of them was so offensive to you at that time.  You must have seen me because when I turned around again you had stood up in the cart and threw them onto the floor again with much weeping and gnashing of teeth.  You had such a hilarious look on your face and if you'd had the vocabulary I think you might have said "I HATE THESE SOCKS! AND HERE IS WHAT I'M DOING WITH THEM!" (while hurling them onto the floor).  Today, months later, when I pulled out these brand new Elmo socks for you to wear you cried "ELMO SOCKS!" and practically swooned and hugged them.  So, let this be a lesson to you that will serve you well for the rest of your life… MOMMY IS ALWAYS RIGHT.

We took you bowling for the first time ever and you got a record! Rolling the bowling ball the slowest without it actually stopping.  I think your bowling ball's mph was 0.36.  (This picture shows the fastest mph her bowling ball reached.)

You learned to give kisses recently and are very, very enthusiastic about it.  Sometimes I have to tell you and your sister to stop smooching so much.  I'm sure you will cringe when you are older and read that, but I'll take the smooching any day over the incessant fighting over toys.

The Sharing…

The Fighting…

Like your sister, you want to decide how your hair is done each day.  Lately you want a Cookie Monster and an Oscar rubber band on your ponytail every day.  If I forget one you say, "Where Trash? Where Cookie?"  (Trash is what you call Oscar.) (See photo.)

Nicknames this month

• Pungent One
• Crabby Patty
• Emma Yemma Ding Dong
• Little Moon Pie
• Em-muh
• Sweet Baby
• Sweet Face
• Lovely

I love the sound of your voice.  When you sing Jesus Loves Me or Itsy Bitsy Spider it is like music to my ears.  I love that you wake up singing in the morning.  It is amazing that that same soft baby voice can also be scream louder than a Vitamix turned up to the highest setting and completely bring our family to a screeching halt.

Reading books has become one of your most favorite things to do.  You sit on my lap and as I'm reading you repeat the last word of the page with this serious look on your face as if you were the one actually reading the book.

We got a kitty this month.  We named her Lollyanna.  I wanted to call her Lollyanna Lavinia Chandelier (the name of Nancy's doll in the Fancy Nancy book series is Marabelle Lavinia Chandelier) but Daddy did not like that name.  When we brought her home she was really timid and hid under the couch and I explained to you that the kitty was scared.  You got a very serious look on your face and said, "Tessa, Lollyanna scary.  Lollyanna scary."  You shook your head sadly and seemed very upset about it.  You love the kitty so much… maybe a little too much since I'm pretty sure the kitty is hiding from you most of the time.  We are working on the concept of gentleness.  (Since allergy problems have become an issue, Auntie Pam has graciously agreed to let Lollyanna live at her house but still be our kitty.)

We put a new cover on the trampoline and this has enabled you to get on and off the trampoline by yourself.  Now it is possible for you to run out in the backyard to gleefully enjoy having the entire jumping surface to yourself, and not be knocked over by your big sister's enthusiastic jumping.  The other day I looked out in the back yard and you were blowing bubbles as you jumped. 

You learned the fine art of complimenting others this month.  We frequently hear you exclaim, "I like your shirt! I like your hair!"  After you run out of obvious things to compliment you get creative, "I like your nose!  I like your ears!"  Sometimes I hear you clomp, clomp, clomping down the hallway in my new red espadrille wedges shouting, "I like your shoes!  I like your shoes!"  A few days ago I had on the heart shaped necklace Daddy gave me for my birthday and you whispered to me, "I like your Care bear!"  Care bear is what you call anything heart shaped.  Maybe because your Care bear has a heart on it's tummy.

You know what, Emma?  I like your Care bear.

I love you,

Mommy

For Tessa's birthday we took her to Build-a-Bear Workshop for the first time.  I don't know why we waited so long to take the girls there… it was AWESOME!

Tessa picked a white and pink bear that she named "Anna".  She picked out pink leggings, a pink skirt, pink flip flops, a pink tank top, a pink hat, and pink sunglasses for Anna to wear.

Emma picked a brown dog that she named "Goggy" (like Doggy) and picked out a yellow princess-butterfly outfit with silver flip flops for her to wear.

I think our favorite part was watching the animals get stuffed, and making a wish on the little heart they put inside.  SO CUTE!

Look at those smiles.  Totally worth it!

P.S.  Did you know that they have a fluffing station so you can bring your bear into the store and fluff him up?  It looks like a shower head but has just air coming out of it, and they even have brushes you can use to fluff your bear up. 

Emma's kitty Lillyanna is the 2nd one.

Tessa kitty Lollyanna is the 3rd one.

The other two are their brothers Pax and Jax who have gone on to new homes.

… and yesterday I finally heard it.

Tessa:  "Emma, you are not the boss of me!"

1. Why will my kids eat Ramen or stir fried noodles, but not spaghetti or mac-n-cheese?
2. Why will Emma eat whole wheat waffles or whole wheat bread but not a whole wheat bagel?
3. Why will Tessa eat grapes at home but not if I send them in her school lunch?
4. Why will Emma eat apples, strawberries, and bananas but not drink a smoothie made of bananas, strawberries and apples?
5. Why will my kids eat hash browns and french fries, but not mashed or baked potatoes?
6. Why will Tessa eat cantaloupe at home, but not in her school lunch?
7. Why will Tessa eat bread sticks but not pizza?

May 27, 2008

Dear Emma,

You are very fierce lately, growling and making scary faces at us, pretending to be a tiger or a bear.  We are supposed to act afraid and cower a little bit, and it seems to bring you a lot of joy to think that you've frightened us. 

(Never Crabby… yeah, right!)

You have a couple of plastic bugs and snakes you got in a birthday party goody bag and you like to bring them to me, crinkle up your eyes and say "Pider!", and I'm supposed to act scared.  When you come across a real spider, you actually are the one who is scared, and I have nobody to blame but myself for this.  Sometimes when I get surprised by a black spider in the kitchen sink first thing in the morning you can hear my screams all the way to Canada.   You know all the words and motions to "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" song and it is one of your very favorites.

You discovered Tessa's computer and like to play the Elmo games at the Sesame Street website.  This typically involves you watching the screen and smacking me on the arm when I need to click on something or press a key for you.  Awesome fun times for you, maybe not such a good time for me.

You've discovered the awesomeness of band aids and neosporin (or Petro Carbo) which you refer to as "speshul kweem".  You come to me many times a day with imaginary hurts that need speshul kweem.  Your sad face and serious expression are so adorable, it is hard to keep a straight face.

We've been trying to teach you to pray, but so far your prayers are limited to "Jesus, Amen!" 

At lunch time you come to me and say "I'm hungwy, samweech!"  I know what you are really meaning to say is  "Dear Mother, I'm hungry.  Would you please make me a grilled cheese sandwich."  Another of your favorite things to eat is noodles, which you call "meenoos".   The other day we were watching Elmo's World and when Mr. Noodle came on you said, "Mr. Meenoos!"

Speaking of Sesame Street, we went to see "Sesame Street Live: When Elmo Grows Up" a few weeks ago.  It was magical to watch your face as you saw Elmo on stage.  You were horrified at all the two year olds there having tantrums and I realized it has been quite a while since you've had a tantrum of your own.  

Today I listened as you ran up and down the hallway singing "Jesus Loves Me" at the top of your lungs.  Your baby voice is so pure and sweet, I could cry if I think about it long enough.

Nearly every day you lose your taggie blanket somewhere in the house.  When you finally find it you say, "I pound it!" and then point at it and say, "wite dair, wite dair" or "dair it is!"   We bought a spare taggie blanket that is identical to the one you love so much, but you can tell the difference, and if we try to hand you the imposter taggie blanket you initially grab it but then pull your hand back as if it has been burned, as if to say "THAT IS NOT TAGGIE, DID YOU THINK I WOULD NOT NOTICE?"

It is really fun to read to you these days.  You enjoy books now, and listening to stories, which is a big improvement over a few months ago when all you wanted to do was turn the pages as fast as you could and then throw the book on the floor.

Before Daddy and I go to bed we open the door to your room to let in the warm air, since your room tends to be kind of chilly.  When we open the door we get blasted with an odor that is kind of sweet and really strong, so we like to call you Pungent One.  We also call you Emma Yemma Ding Dong, Runty, Runtybear, Emmybear, Little Pooh, and Little Moon Pie.

Your Auntie Lhevinne and cousins visited us, and you were so thrilled at all the attention you got from your cousins.

I love you so much and I thank God for you every day.

Love,

Mama