Girls' Night

We had planned a big girls' night a few weeks ago. The plan was to leave the kiddos with the daddies and go out but we ended up staying at home with them! This was a much more fun anyway...

Pictures

check out Sol's birthday post for new updated pictures!

Mama's home and all I got was this lousy t-shirt

Well, that's not exactly true. I got her a LeapFrog jambox and a pair of "crocs" that were $1 at Wal-Mart--I am really trying to get through the warm weather without buying any more shoes for Emmy! But, then I realized that I didn't get her anything that I couldn't have gotten at home so I got her this shirt that is way too big for her but she can sleep in it. And she did just that last night!

Emmy squealed when she saw me but then reverted back to Dadoo; I am telling myself it is only because she was with him for so long and it will take her a few days to get back into the groove of being with me too. I think she rather enjoyed having him to all herself. She woke up at 5am and refused to snuggle with me--only her Dadoo.

I am so happy to be home!!!!

Learning the hard way...

Never try to feed a 19 month old Taco Bell at lunch. At least not if you plan on wearing back to work what you originally were wearing.

I feel as if I am missing a piece of me without my camera. I long to have Her back.

Teaching me something new every day

First of all, I feel as if I am missing a limb of my own body without my camera. Actually, I have the camera but no cord to download the photos. I feel naked and empty when I can't look at my pictures!

A few weeks ago, I decided that Emmy Ruth needed to learn to sit in the shopping cart at Wal-Mart. Until she was a year old, she was of course in the infant carrier and I just popped her in there. Then, she was okay with sitting and went through a phase where she just didn't mind sitting in the cart. Then, she was bound and determined NOT to sit in the shopping cart. Up and at 'em. I usually ended up carrying her around the store. A few weeks ago, I refused to get her out of the cart. That child literally screamed around the entire store. An employee even brought her a tissue. (I asked for a drink but she wasn't so generous with me.) The next time, she cried about 80% of the way around the store and so on it went.

This morning, I plopped her in the shopping cart only to find that the belt was broken and it was just such a hassle to move her and we were only going to be in there for a few minutes. Emmy Ruth did not even attempt to get out one time! I even went to look at John a new lunch box since she was doing so well. I couldn't believe it.

We gave each other high-fives on the way to the car and she just giggled and giggled. So funny.

What a weekend!

Our sweet Solomon turned one on Friday and we celebrated his birthday in a grand style on Saturday. He was absolutely adorable with green icing all over his face and outfit. I can't wait to go through all the pictures. He and Emmy are just so sweet and seeing so many friends and people we have known forever is just great fun. Momma's Girl. Emmy has to have a purse everywhere she goes. So, she carried this one on Saturday to the party. It was a purse of Momma's. It was so sweet to see her carrying a purse that her Yia Yia carried flitting around town.
Emmy really likes cake and ice cream. After she ate hers, she begged LynnLynn and Granny to feed her more!

After the party, we headed back to Memphis for the Cooper Young Festival. Joy and Julia brough Mary Margaret and Maggie Grace over for a big afternoon. It was great to just wander around and visit all the booths. We had sushi as soon as we arrived at the festival too. Emmy Ruth had three pieces! I think Joy was as proud of Emmy eating sushi as she was when the girl first started walking! Joy and Mary Margaret were both 'girls' that Momma thought so much of. I know that she would have loved seeing us with 'our girls' hanging out.

Nineteen months old

This weekend, Emmy Ruth turned 19 months old. I can't believe it. That is so close to two years old!! She is still all about her Daddy. We are learning more and more of our body parts and she still loves to tickle bellies. She will pull our shirts up so that she can get a better tickling on us.

Bath time is going much better: I finally just stopped forcing her to sit down in the tub. There is a mat so that she won't slip and she gets all her duckies out and sets them on the edge of the tub. There is one bath toy that I got years ago of a wrestler--bald and with a goatee. Emmy sets it out and says, "Hi, Daddy" every time. It is hysterical! She still isn't thrilled when the actual bathing process is going on but she will put every toy back when it is time to get out and she even drains the tub for me. So very helpful!!

Reading is getting a lot more fun too since she babbles back at the books now. She still isn't so thrilled with sitting through an entire book (I mean that could be five to ten pages!) so we often read the first page, then the last page and maybe a middle page in there somewhere.

This morning, Emmy put on a size 6 tennis shoe! I can't believe how tall and beautiful our little girl has become.

Traitor

Every day that Emmy has gone to the sitter's, I have driven her there and home. That correlates to me driving over the bridge once to take her, once to get back to work, once to pick up Emmy, and once to get home. My car could easily drive there by itself, I sometimes think. Usually, Emmy can see me coming through the sliding door at MiMi's and will run to me calling "Mama!!!"

Last week, since I was off work, I took Emmy to the sitter on Thursday and Friday so that I could get some things done at home. Friday afternoon, John got home from work a little early, so he rode with me to pick up Emmy. The look on her little face was sheer delight. Now, every afternoon this week when I open the door, she cries, "Daddy???" For hundreds of times I have picked up Emmy from the sitter's, she is now searching for him and is terribly upset when he is not there!

Hmph, does Daddy buy you fruit smoothies from Sonic??? I think not!

It's that time of the year!!

Saturday, Tara remarked how she loved this time of the year--cooler weather (well, somewhat) and festivals! We stopped at the Germantown Festival for a bit and the kids enjoyed riding the car, Lucas moreso than Emmy, but a good time all around. We are looking forward to the Cooper Young Festival this weekend after Sol's party. It should be a great time.
We are not looking forward to the game Saturday though!

The Rest of the Week

Well this has not been a really productive vacation, I must admit. Today, I was determined to take a nap. But, this was also the day that MLGW came to read the meters. Our outside dogs, Luke and Anna, were barking like mad for several hours. I lay in bed for an hour and finally jumped and ran outside telling them to shut up!!!!!!!! There was work that I needed to do anyway so I finished painting the front door. It looks so nice. I can't wait to get the handle and locks installed so I can put before and after pictures on here.

I have a phobia. A real problem. I am terrified of mice. Hate them. Last night, John felt awful so I said that I would feed the outside dogs if he would bring in the dog food from the car. As he was filling up the Rubbermaid container in the mudroom, I stood in the kitchen talking to him with the door open. That little monster ran in the kitchen and I began screaming. The rabid beast hit the wall and ran back out to the mudroom, thank God! I said to John, "you know I can't go through there to feed the dogs now, right?" He said that yes he knew but he was just glad that I didn't lock he and Emmy in the mudroom.

Today is the seven year anniversary that I married the love of my life. At the mall. After we got married, we had lunch at the Olive Garden by the Mall of Memphis. There were a group of older African American women wearing huge hats and John took a picture of them calling it "our reception". He is just as witty and charming today as he was then and I am so thankful for him putting up with me for the past seven years. And for giving me my Emmy Ruth.

I couldn't make up this...

I asked Emmy who loved her and she said... "Puppy Bill". I am sure that our dog Bill does love her, but I was really hoping for a "Mama" in answer to that.

As Rudy Giuliani spoke, Emmy yelped, "whoo-hoo!" Honestly, I couldn't make up this!!!

Happy Birthday????

Yesterday, we had big plans to go to visit Dr. Neall and then have lunch with Papa Richie, who had an appointment with Dr. Becca. But, Emmy woke us up around midnight to get in our bed and then again around 2am with vomit. We all got in the full size bed in her room then and cancelled our trip to Wynne. Thankfully, she had several "blow-outs" during the day but no more puking. Tara and Mrs. Alice were so good to us and let her spend the night with each of them this weekend and she ended up giving all of them a stomach virus as well!!! I felt awful, and I know Em did too. We are lucky that John and I seem to have only gotten a 'touch' of the bug--not full fledged like the rest of them. Urgh!

Today, I kept her at home with me again, just to make sure she didn't get anyone else sick, so all of my vacation projects are still on hold. Maybe tomorrow!

It was a wonderful birthday with lots of great wishes from friends and family. I am so lucky to have gotten cards and calls from friends from Arkansas to Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Pretty cool. And pretty cool to have a sweet monkey girl that sings and dances on command. I was washing dishes and she came in the kitchen and said, "Dance, Mama!" So I did. And she did. Best birthday dance ever.