Iwuvyou

I never realized how poorly I speak until I started trying to teach Emmy to talk. I have been very aware of my grammar and my pronunciation since she arrived. But, now, I really am aware of how quickly I talk. Emmy is learning to say "I love you" and it comes out in one very quick word when she does say it. We have gotten her to say it a handful of times on the phone but it's not a constant "trick" for her. However, "puppy" or "puppy dog" is on the tip of her tongue all the time.

This morning as we were driving to MeeMee's, she called out "puppy" so I handed her a book about dogs. As I looked in the rear view mirror, she was pointing to the dogs and said, "I wuv you, puppy dog". I am certain that she will eventually feel the same way about me as she does puppy dogs. I hope.

I was at another branch this morning so when I arrived at my office, my coworkers had decorated for my birthday. There are streamers on the door, the light switch is taped off, and all of my pictures on my desk are turned around--even my calendar was backwards! The little snots went so far as to tape a business card to the bottom of my mouse so that the laser wouldn't work. My employees at the other office had cake for me this morning too! I am officially ready for my week off now!!

Sweet Petite

Last night, Emmy had an absolute meltdown when mean, mean Dadoo told her "no!" as she reached up for the stove knobs. I know, I don't know how we can continue to live with such a tyrant. I guess it was just that the stern warning came from him instead of Mean Mama that threw her off.

She seemed to forgive him quickly though. We were playing in our room and she patted his pillow and said, "night-night". John would lie down and pretend to be asleep and she just cackled and cackled. Such a funny little girl, she is!

The Baby

Emmy's newest funny trick is that she loves to put diapers on her baby doll. Once, in a rush, I bought some cheap diapers at the grocery store and we didn't use them all so I held on to them for this very purpose. I just didn't realize that she would be doing it so soon! But, now, every time I try to change her diaper at home, Emmy wants to change Baby's diaper as well. She is so determined right now! If I try to help put Baby's diaper on, she gets mad and wants to do it herself. I am trying to tell myself that it is good that she has such a sense of independence.

She also loves to get my wallet and pull out all my cards and checkbook. Every morning I have to check to make sure that my debit card made it back in to my purse; we have been lucky so far. I took an old wallet and tried to substitute one for her but she obviously knows the difference; it's not as fun as my wallet but it will do for playtime. This morning, she cracked me up walking down the driveway to MiMi's with her pink purse on her shoulder and the wallet inside it. This is Emmy going through my purse. I know, I know... why do I let her do it?? I am a sucker.

Emmy still loves the ballpopper and insisted on having it on the couch with her the other night.

I think this is quite a unique way to get up close and personal with your toys: put your booster seat right next to them!

Poor girl has no toys. I got my birthday present from Papa Richie yesterday and this poor child was resigned to playing with the box. It's so sad. She and Daddy had just finished eating barbecue so she was a little messy.And let's hope she always is this opposed to tattoos... especially when she is in college. We thought she would enjoy this dragon tattoo on her tummy and find it amusing. She did not. I worried that maybe it was irritating her skin or something, but I don't think so because she was fine with it until she looked down and saw it--then she would scream! We took it off immediately, of course, after this picture! I am going to remind her of this when she is eighteen and wants to get a fairy tattooed on her ankle.

Papa Richie's Birthday

Sunday was Richie's birthday so we all went to spend the day with him and Linda on Saturday. We had a great time sailing. I won't say that the kids necessarily loved being in their lifejackets, but I think all in all, they had a good time!!!

On the way home, Emmy kept calling Solomon "Elmo" and Becca was trying to get her to say "Solomon". Very slowly and deliberately, Becca said "Sol-o-mon" and Emmy replied, just as slowly and deliberately, "E-L-MO".

I love that Emmy....

...always has to go down the slide on her belly. She refuses to go down on her bottom--always on the belly!

Elmo

Everyone is "Elmo" now. Last night, we were at the park with Lucas and AunTee and Emmy wrapped her arms around Lucas and said "oh, Elmo!" When she says goodbye to people, she waves and cries, "Bye, Elmo!" She really doesn't watch that much Sesame Street at home and I asked MiMi if she watched a lot there, and she said no. It's quite comical that she has picked this up from somewhere.

For now, I am MomElmo.

Eighteen months old

Yesterday, Emmy went for her 18 month checkup—eighteen months old! Her doctor said she was just perfect and her little ears look great. Such good news.

There are so many things that Emmy is doing now. Lots of clapping and dancing and singing going on around our house these days. My absolute favorite thing that Emmy does is to say “tickle, tickle, tickle” when showing you were her belly is. Of course, she still madly adores her daddy. Every morning as we make our way to the car, he carries her and puts her in her car seat while I trudge behind with my purse, work bag, John’s lunch and whatever else I am toting along for the day. As I lock up the house, I see them dancing and laughing their way to the car and her giggling as he sings to her. It’s adorable.

Emmy is doing much better with her sleep and the only reason she isn’t in her bed every night is that we just simply miss her! Any excuse we have (oh she doesn’t feel well…), we keep her in bed with us. There is nothing as precious as waking up to that adorable face.

For the past few days, Emmy has just had to have her ‘ballpopper’ every night. it cracks me up that she has to have something else in her hands when she is playing with it. Like shoes, keys, a sippy, a baby, whatever. (Thank you, Aunt Pat! You got her this loud, LOUD toy when she was just a baby!)

She is very independent as of lately. The other night she was trying to carry three pairs of shoes and push the ballpopper and when it wouldn’t work, she would throw everything down and have a fit! Or if she tries to put on shoes and can’t get them on right away, she gets very upset. Heaven help us all if I try to assist—that only upsets the little darling even more. She certainly has her daddy’s temper! Every day when I pick Emmy up from the sitter’s, she takes her shoes off in the car on the way home. I find this amusing since I always take my shoes off as well in the car. There is no doubt, she is my little munchkin. We do love her like mad and all of her little quirks!

Happy, Happy, Happy!

For the past two days, Emmy sits in the car seat and sings "happy!" and claps her hands. John and I have started singing any songs we can think of that have Happy in them and so far have been limited to "Happy Birthday" and "If You're Happy and You Know It". It's quite hysterical to see!

Are You Kidding Me?

I stopped by Ike's on the way back from my lunch to get a pregnancy test (No, I am not.). After walking up and down the aisles, I finally asked the pharmacy technician what aisle had them. She said that they kept them back there so I asked for one. Then, the pharmacist comes up to her and asks who is asking for a pregnancy test and what kind did they want. At this point, I am standing in the general area with several people so I start waving my hands over my head and crying, "me! me! I need a pregnancy test!" Everyone in there cracks up at this point. I mean, really, how ridiculous is that??

The test I got had a mail in rebate of $2. I am still trying to decide if it worth $2 to have an envelope in my hand writing sitting in the office mail that reads "Answer Cup Pregnancy $2 Mail-In Rebate".

I think it is worth it.

Again, I am not pregnant.

The People Have Spoken

In a recent poll taken by Dear Momma…, I found that 100% of those replying felt that mothers of small children, especially those in strollers or shopping carts, could use the handicapped stall. Of course, there’s a story. Picture it, Wal-Mart, last week… (that was for Estelle Geddy—remember when she told a story on Golden Girls and always started with that?) After I paid for my items, I had to go the bathroom so Emmy and darted into the handicapped stall. The greeter (yes, I am there a lot) came in and asked if anyone was in the handicapped stall. I was tempted to say nothing, I hate it when people talk to me in the stall! At work, people have been known to come in the bathroom and call out “Tara, are you in here?” She is really nice, so I said that yes, we were in there. She then waited on us to get out. When we were leaving, I apologized for the delay and she replied, “You know, you really aren’t supposed to bring the shopping cart in here, there’s a sign.” I told her that the sign read that you couldn’t bring unpaid merchandise in the bathroom.

At first I was furious and then I felt badly for being so annoyed, I mean, I can really have seen Grandma Jackson doing THE.EXACT.SAME.THING! Possibly even to me! I am glad to know that I was not crazy. Well, at least regarding this.

A Bed of her Own

Sunday night, Emmy Ruth slept in her own big full sized bed until about 2am. Last night, John put her to bed so that I could go on to sleep and she was still conked out when I woke her up this morning for the day.



It's quite lovely. :)

When the Girl is Away

Saturday night, Emmy and Lucas went to spend the night with Lucas’s Nana. Every time I called to check on them, I could hear nothing but giggles and shrieks of laughter, so I am thinking that they had a fabulous time. John and I planned to have a date, but we ended up doing nothing. We had eaten at a hibachi for lunch so by the time dinner came around, we were still a little full. And it was so hot! Yuck! When we cleaned out the house in Wynne, I brought boxes and boxes of photo albums home and they have just been stacked in my office. I knew it was time to organize when one of John’s friends said, “oh I didn’t know that was your office, I thought it was a storage room”. So, all the quilts in the hope chest that was John’s mom’s, were moved and the photo albums went in to the chest. I still need to clean off my desk to make this a working office, but it’s a step in the right direction.

On Sunday, we stopped at the Dollar General to get one little basket. That’s all I needed. But, John found a toy aisle that was 70% off, and it was Dollar General, so that is pretty cheap. He picked her out some singing stuff animals and I thought we would put them away for Christmas gifts, but instead he put everyone of them out for her when she got home from Arkansas. She did love them and it was pretty entertaining to watch! Poor thing, she was covered in bites. We can have her outside for 30 seconds and she gets a bug bite and it welps on her skin. I don't think they bother her but it is so sad to see!

"Here's looking at you, kid!"
I am afraid she has my mad dancing skills... All of her animals ready for action...

I can't say too much since Emmy did learn how to "squeeze" the hands on the animals and turn them on and off. Thankfully, these guys turn off when you squeeze the hand as well as turning on. So, there is an end to the madness of a singing dog, frog, chicken and pig.