Easter

What a busy weekend!

Aunt Cathy gave Emmy Ruth a scooter for Easter. I thought I would show her how to use it so I hopped on and ended up doing a 360 degree flip holding onto the handlebars and landing on my knees. John said he was really worried about me but he did agree that if I had not been his wife then it would have been hysterical. This weekend, John hopped on it and Emmy told him not to fall "like Mama". Emmy Ruth was very well protected!

We were so sad that the Jacksons were going to be out of town on Easter so instead of meeting in Wynne like we usually do on the holidays, we decided to go to visit Papa Richie and LynnLynn. The Salinases have moved to Newport and it's so close, that I just invited us to spend the night Friday night and then getting an early start to Papa Richie. That ended up being a picnic after an egg hunt on Saturday morning. That ended up getting rained out as soon as we sat down to eat and ended up in poor Tara's house with way more people than she expected. Of course, as soon as we packed up the picnic and got to her house, there was not another raindrop and we were able to hunt for Easter eggs.

I was selfish and took advantage of Nana and Mimi and Papaw Rickie and Papaw Jim and Ms Denise keeping entertained so that I could talk to Papa Richie and LynnLynn for a bit. I hope they all know how much I appreciate how much they love Emmy. I cannot believe I forgot my camera and had to take photos with my phone! What princess doesn't play in a sequin dress?

Someone was especially tired when we headed home.

We got up and went to our church on Sunday morning. I have said that Easter is the hardest holiday for me missing Momma. I don't know if it is because of the memory I have of her being silly singing "Up from the Grave He Arose" or of the memories of her fighting for us to take JUST ONE PICTURE in the front yard in our Easter Best. I certainly felt like her when I was trying to get Emmy's picture that morning.

I took this picture in the car as she was getting out and it ended up being my favorite. I wanted to send it to MeeMee since she gave Emmy Ruth the Add A Pearl necklace.We didn't have plans for Easter Lunch so I made the executive decision that we should go to the Peabody Hotel for brunch. It was so much fun--John and I loved the food and Emmy loved how everyone told her how beautiful she was. And of course the ducks. This was the best picture I got of the three of us.

A wonderful, wonderful weekend!

Emmy and I have a lovely new tradition of crafting together on Friday
nights. We make all kinds of things and this week we covered some
plastic Easter eggs with a decoupage to make them a little more festive.
It's really something we have both enjoyed (I think she does anyway) and
I hope that it is a way to get her little brain working. She loves to
talk about how she is using her brain; whenever I ask her how she knew
something or how smart she is, she tells me it's all because of her
brain. Julia Shepherd gave Emmy a Build a Bear Workshop kit for her
birthday so we put her together Friday night as well. Emmy decided to
name her Mrs. Joy and I can't think of a better name for her.

On Saturday morning, after ballet, we met up with the Jacksons and
Shepherds for a little stage action. Knuffle Bunny a Musical was playing
at the Orpheum. After that, we all headed to eat and Emmy and I tagged
along with the Jacksons to Sam's. We really would have loved to have had
them hang out longer but everyone was ready for a nap after that. A few
days ago, I saw this great slide that someone had placed on their curb
and told John about it. It's now in the living room. Really? A slide in
the living room? This is not how I envisioned my home! But, she loves it
and really wants it to stay. We might leave it for a bit longer and then
put it in the basement so that even on rainy days, the girl can get her
playground action. We were so glad that Julia and Mrs. Joy came by to
see us before they left town. Be still my beating heart.... those girls
sat in a dining room chair and played on Emmy's computer for the longest
time. How incredibly precious they are and how thankful I am for them.
John was hanging out at a festival downtown with some friends so Emmy
and I strolled up to a new restaurant in the neighborhood and he met us
there. Out of nowhere, Emmy says, "that Baby Rose is stinking adorable".
John and I got so tickled.

After such a big day, we were pooped and slept in later than I remember
us doing in a long time--I got up at 930 and had to wake Emmy at 10 for
church. I helped in children's church this week so we got to spend the
time together. It was neat to be with her and watch her face as they
talked about Jesus dying on the cross. The teacher was telling about the
crown of thorns and how they smashed it into Jesus's head and how that
after he died, they even took his clothes. Emmy was most appalled about
the stealing of one's clothes. And she thought it was a crown of nails,
not thorns. I tried to show her the thorns on our rose bush when we got
home but she didn't quite "get it". When we got home, John and Jandad
were ready to eat lunch (I will never understand why the promise of a
gumball can make a child behave so well) and then we did a little
shopping, where Emmy scored a hot pink fedora. She kept taking it off
and crying "whoo hoo! Cowboy!" and would not believe us when we told her
that it wasn't a cowboy hat. But, you know, she's always been a special
child.

Emmy is still in love with Elvis. She talks about him all the time but
the only song she likes is "Hounddog". We drove by Graceland around
Christmas to see the lights so she likes to talk about how we live near
him. In the car yesterday, she told us how Elvis lives in the White
House.

Of course, I am always on Emmy about using her manners and saying
"please" and "thank you". I can't even remember what she asked for and I
told her to say "please" and she said, "My pleasing is just gone with
the wind". What in the world? Where does she even come up with this
stuff???

I hope she doesn't think back on her childhood....

… and only remember me saying “hurry up!” and “come on, we gotta go!” . Surely she will remember some of the  other fun stuff. 

 

She has been a handful as of late. She doesn’t want to get dressed in the morning and after reading an article, I told her the doctor said that if she didn’t get dressed, she had to go to bed right after dinner that night. It has worked relatively well so far. I also told her the doctor said that I had to pick out her clothes. Whew! What a break in the mornings!

 

This morning, she was getting her baby doll, Erica, up from her crib and then feeding her. Of course, here I am in the background, saying, “come on, we’ve gotta go!” while she gets Erica a new diaper, dressed and breakfast fed. I told her I thought we should sleep in here tonight, in her room, but she said Erica really didn’t like her sleeping in there so she should just sleep in our bed again.

 

Oh, and Emmy’s changed her name to Crystal….

 

No matter, what crazy things she does, she is still a precious sweet delight. The other night, I got home after she and John were in bed. She was wrapped up so tight and cuddly with him. It’s enough to just melt my heart. I knew he’d be a great dad, even when he didn’t, but he exceeds all of my expectations on a regular basis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spring Time!

It’s officially spring time when we can take part in that wonderful age old ritual of…. Sprinkling salt on slugs!  You would think that something as cool as that would earn me lots of points with a four year old, but instead she is all about the daddy. She pats me gently on the cheek and tells me she will snugglebuggle with me tomorrow but today it’s for daddy. And she tells me that all of her kisses are for daddy. When I dropped her off at school, she suggested that I come home and take a nap so that she and daddy could go to the park.

 

Oh what have I done to fail her so early??

Trip to the Dentist

Emmy did such a good job when she got her teeth cleaned yesterday. I was really proud of her, even if she was a little wiggle worm.  While I was getting my teeth cleaned, she stood watch to make sure that nothing happened to the toy box that she would get to dive into as soon as she was done with her cleaning. She did have to cover her eyes while Miss Hannah was cleaning her teeth—that light is just so bright!

 

This weekend, she and Natalie were looking at one of her memory books. At a picture of Sol, Natalie asked who his dad was and Emmy said, “My dentist”.

 

Miss Hannah told Emmy about Sol getting his teeth cleaned and Emmy told her that his second name was “Bear”. We do call him Solly Bear. J