Sunday evening Emmy was lying around in her PJs and had to put her ballerina outfit on as well. Then she started playing football in the house. Since I made her and her daddy go outside, I just put her rainboots on her. We noticed later that John was still wearing the broaches that she had put on him from an earlier play time.
Last week we went to the Alpine Village at Trinity Baptist Church. They put on this really neat Christmas festival for the kids with a live nativity, puppet show and all kinds of little activity booths. The kids loved it.
The picture with the nutcracker makes me laugh. I have Momma’s collection of nutcrackers that I have added to on my piano. This year, we have a 4 ft inflatable nutcracker that I put by the piano as well. Emmy loves that thing. When it’s unplugged and deflated on the ground, she gets so sad but is giddy when it comes back to life. Now she has started hugging it when we leave and telling him good night. It’s hysterical. When she saw this nutcracker at the Alpine Village, and the one at the Enchanted Forrest, she was amazed that they are everywhere! Not just at home!
Lucas and Emmy let me and Tara tag along with them to the Enchanted Forrest to have cocoa and cookies with Santa and see Santa vs. the Snowman on the IMAX screen. I think Emmy Ruth is going to have to improve on her technique if she wants Santa to bring her anything because the falling out on the floor in front of him and screaming for her life might not get her the “Barbie girl” she has been asking for. Lucas, on the other hand, hopped in his lap and said he wanted a “bowling alley, balls and pins” and Santa told him that he agreed, one did need pins with a bowling alley. Later on, Lucas told Tara that he asked Santa for a bowling alley and all he gave him was a candy cane.
In other related holiday shenanigans, we have to work with the girl on the advent calendar and how that you get whatever is in the pocket for that day, nothing more. I walked by the calendar last night and realized that day six’s gift was gone and had been replaced with a chicken nugget.
Sweet Julia Jean had a fabulous birthday party and we are so grateful that we get to share these precious times with her. Happy birthday, Julia!
Saturday we went to the zoo with the Burtons and Rogers. Emmy Ruth officially exhausted her daddy and Aunt Cathy. She ran and they chased her all over that zoo. It wasn’t very chilly Saturday but Aunt Cathy brought Emmy a Dora hat and mittens set so we had to wear that some of the time. Of course we got her picture made with the Buddha as well. And I think it’s safe to say that this girl was meant to be in parades. When she was on the carousel, she loved to wave each and every time she went around. I moved once to try and get a better picture of her and she was distraught trying to find me so that she could wave.
I got this really neat cake pan to make letters so I figured this was a good way for Emmy Ruth to learn what the letters look like to go along with knowing the alphabet song. Last night we started with, what else?, the letter E. Emmy was delighted to help with the mixing and putting the cake batter in the pan, and she couldn’t wait to ice the cake. So after her bath, we started icing the cake and she did one whirl at it and promptly sat down to lick her spatula. She’s really not much help in the kitchen yet.
The Jacksons took some pictures of Emmy and Sol when Emmy was visiting. These are my favorites.
“No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”
Emmy Ruth is really getting into the princesses lately. We watched Cinderella the other night and she just loved it. I am really having a hard time with this transition to little girlhood for her. Watching Dora the Explorer is still a toddler thing but the princesses really makes her a little girl. I think it also has to do with me being such a “princess” as a kid, it’s really emotional watching her get into this—in a good way!—but emotional. Momma bought me the Cinderella DVD, it was the last Christmas gift she bought me, and I had not opened it since I already had a copy, so when Emmy pulled it out to watch Tuesday night, we opened it for the first time together. It is the little things that get me every time…
We were in the car yesterday and Emmy was singing along to her music CD and I heard her sing loud and clear: “there’s a hole in the bottom of the sink, there’s a hole in the bottom of the sink, there’s a hole, there’s a hole, there’s a hole in the bottom of the sink”. I guess it’s true and it does make more sense than there being a hole in the bottom of the sea.
Last week, Emmy had a couple of really bad mornings when I dropped her off at school. This morning, as I was hugging her good-bye and telling her what a good time I had with her this weekend, I actually got a little choked up and almost cried! She just sat down and ate her yogurt. I can’t decide which is harder: her crying when I leave or me crying when I leave…
Yesterday we had a little battle over naps, me insisting she take one and her refusing to do so. After being asked “why?” I told her I was the mama and I said so. She put her hands on her hips and said, “well, I am the Emmy!”. Do I even have to embarrass myself and admit that she never took a nap?
Since the unfortunate accident, Emmy’s little lip and mouth are a little sore. When she brushes her teeth, she says “this is not my favorite”.
She has this little Cinderella vanity that I got at a yard sale for $5 and then a few months later, I found another one at a thrift store for $5 and I got it so that would could make one complete set between the two. I had one of the vanities in the car to give away and Emmy saw it and cried “but that’s my favorite toy ever!”
Every thing is a battle that Emmy wants to do it herself. Getting in the car is especially trying since I can throw her in the car and strap her in her seatbelt in about 7.6 seconds. But, she wants to crawl up herself, strap herself in and even open the door. It’s tough when we are rushing to get to work!! But, it’s hard to argue with her since she needs to develop her skills and her sense of accomplishment. I am hoping to develop my patience any day now.
I think I have mentioned this before but she calls John “Maddy”. This is a combination of “my” and “daddy”. It’s pretty darn cute.
Baby Jaguar holding Baby Rose. Ok. Really? I know that Baby Rose has no idea what I have in mind for us. We are going to have so much fun when she is slighty older but really??? The crying when I come near but smiling for everyone else MIGHT hurt my feelings one of these days. 
After all the hubbub on Friday (yeah, the basement flooded in addition to the the Emmy injury), we didn't get to really do all we wanted to do for the party. We had plans for lots of games but the kiddos were having fun without ever actually playing any of our fun games!!!! I ended up talking too much to take all the pictures I wanted to take and Emmy refused to wear her Dora hair. After weeks of her wearing it every day, she wouldn't wear it at the party. I wonder about that girl sometimes. I also didn't get a picture of Spiderman in his costume, but he had fun regardless.
She has promised to never run inside again. :)
