A camping we went!!!

This weekend, we went camping with some of our favorite folks. Friday night, Neall, Becca, Sol and Baby Rose met the Salinases at Heber and we showed up eventually. I can't figure out why it takes us so long to get anywhere! The kids had so much fun. There were bicycle races and rock throwing and "kickity kickball" and lots of running and laughing. The Jacksons headed home Saturday and the rest of us stayed until Sunday afternoon. I am disapponted that my camera is having shutter issues so I didn't get many pictures when we were all together. After the Jacksons headed home, the second set of Jacksons, Papa Richie and LynnLynn, came to visit.

Aunt Becca is a great race starter. Emmy loves her new fairy wings.

John even got in on the race. And the kickity kickball.

Just kids by an anchor.
Emmy said beforehand that she wanted a pink fishing pole and of course she had one. She didn't catch anything but had fun trying. I literally caught a fish the first time I threw out my line. The look on Emmy's face was perfect--she was so proud of me!!! I have to say that was the first time I have ever seen her PROUD of me!!! She kept saying she wanted a pink fish so the rainbow trout was absolutely perfect for her. She told us all she was going to catch a "biiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggg fish" (in her best monster voice) the next time we go fishing.

I wonder what they are talking about. They were both really concerned about our fish getting away so they stayed close to watch them.

On Sunday, the kids and AunTee walked to a little park while we packed up the fishing gear. When we arrived, we went to the little creek behind the playground and took our feet in the cold, cold, cold water. As we were getting our shoes back on, Emmy tried one more time and tumbled into the water. Her face was priceless... as she looked up and said, "I ..am.. cold.. EVERYWHERE!" AunTee let her wear her sweatshirt back to the campsite so she didn't have a cold, soggy ride back!

Obviously, she was pooped on the drive back to Memphis.
We are so thankful for such good times with good friends and family!!!!

Fun times!!!

We got to go see the Wonder Pets!, the Backyardigans, Dora and KaiLan on stage last Saturday. Emmy kept saying, "Everyone is going to be there". I shutter as I imagine her saying this as she wants to go to parties as a teenager. They had the best time! The Backyardigans was a Robin Hood variation where the mayor stole everyone's soap and locked it up. She couldn't stop talking about how he wouldn't let them take a bath. I didn't expect that to be her favorite, at all! The kids wore their Wonder Pets shirts with capes and had fun riding "up top" downtown.

After that, we headed to Wynne. Aunt Becca and Uncle Neallio went to Chicago so we got to hang with Sol and Baby Rose. To make it even more fun, we all spent the night with Joy and Julia and had a super duper slumber party. Obviously, it's really cool to live out of the city so that you can wear your Princess nightgown, Spiderman PJs and diaper in the yard!

In today's episode of "Life with Emmy Ruth"...

I took the suggestion of another mother and tried to bribe Emmy to sleep in her bed. So, last night, I told her if she slept in her bed, the Sleeping Fairy would visit. Earlier in the day, we ran into Dollar General for cat food and she found a Sleeping Beauty ball she wanted. I told her that we could get it for the Sleeping Fairy to give her for sleeping in her bed. Last night, she did sleep in her bed. For about 2.5 hours and then came to our bed. But, still it's a start so the Sleeping Fairy came and brought her the ball and a lovely note.

John had an appointment with the World's Best Dentist today so on our way to Wynne, we were talking about what the Sleeping Fairy might bring tonight and Emmy cried out, "but I slept in my bed last night! I already got my toy! I don't want another toy! I want to sleep in your bed!"

Failure of massive proportions.

On the way home, she was watching Snow White (which she calls Snow Wipe) and it was almost over when we pulled in the driveway. I got in the backseat with her as we finished watching it. When the prince kissed Snow White (Snow Wipe), I asked her who her prince was... Of course she said "Daddy". Then she told me she was Snow Wipe and I could be the seven dwarfs. I tried to confirm that I was to be all seven of them and she told me "no, you can be this one... Dopey".

An evening with the old folks

As we sat in the backyard this afternoon in our adirondack chairs while Emmy Ruth played on her swing set, I remarked to John how this was just the life... how great it is.

Emmy brought over her pretend baby and asked me to watch her, which of course I did. The first time she called me Grandma for her baby, it was slightly amusing. However, this time she took off and called back, "Take care of my baby, Grandma and Papaw". I almost fell out of my chair at John's face at being a grandfather so early!

EGGS!

On Sunday, Papaw Jim said something to Emmy about eggs coming from chickens and she got so tickled that she was laughing hysterically. She thought he was trying to pull something over on her, he is known to be quite the prankster, but she was doubled over laughing at him, saying “No they don’t! They come from my kitchen!!!”

 

We stopped at the store this morning and when I pulled out my own bag from my purse, the cashier said, “oh you have your own green bag”. Emmy quickly corrected him that no, it was a blue bag. I tried to tell her about how we were using our own bags to try to help the environment and that was called “being green”.

 

 As she was sitting on the counter, he went on to tell her that although it was a blue bag, saying it was green was an allusion to something else. I asked Emmy if she knew what that meant and of course she did.

 

Up from the grave HE AROSE!

What an amazing day we had! How lucky we are to have our Lord and then to be blessed with so many friends and family that love us. We started out the morning with the Jacksons. It is quite comical to me to remember all the Easter mornings that Momma made us stand in the front yard to take pictures and we were appalled and now we are doing the same thing to our kids. I love it! After the photo session, we went to visit some residents at a local retirement community. I am so thankful for a sister in law with such a great idea for Easter Sunday. We are so blessed. Then, we headed to church and I was so glad that we sang my favorite hymn of all, "Up from the Grave He Arose". I try to hold it together but of course cry each and every time I hear it. Thankfully, I was able to sneak out and get Emmy and Sol without making too much of a scene. And on to the pictures...

Solomon is such a good big brother and stopped Rose from eating this egg!

Emmy asked me to take a picture of her in front of this tree in Neall and Becca's neighbor's yard. Her shoes are on the wrong feet. :)

We went to Nana's for lunch and had a good Easter egg hunt. When we pulled up, Emmy said, "Oh, Nana is the best grandmother ever". What a precious child she is... and how lucky she is that she has so many people that aren't related to her by blood but that love her so dearly.

After lunch, we went back to Neall and Becca's and met Papa Richie and Lynn Lynn, as well as Uncle ET. How lucky we are to have family that we love so much and that are so good to us. The kids had a big time playing outside and nothing is as adorable as seeing them run around like

little madmen.

Amazing grace... how sweet it is.

My artist

Emmy and I painted some flower pots to match the decor of our front porch. I am so thankful for such a talented artist. As I was going through some things the other day, I found this apron of mine. It was especially sweet to find the note that Momma had pinned to it. Oh, how she would have loved to have seen Emmy Ruth painting in the apron Grandma Ruth made.

Easter at the Mall

Of course we have the 2010 pictures of Emmy Ruth and Lucas Anthony at the mall. I seriously think I might burst sometimes. :)

2007...

2008... 2009...

2010...

We tried to get a picture of them showing that they are three years old... but this was the best we got with all the excitement!!! How lucky we are to have LynnLynn and her fabulous Easter shirts for Emmy Ruth to wear.

Barbie Pool

AunTee gave Emmy a Barbie pool for her birthday. I remember playing with mine and carrying water from the bathroom to my bedroom to fill it up, always spilling some in the hallway, so it was pretty sweet to see Emmy Ruth playing with her pool.

I don't remember my pool coming with any accessories, but this one came with little frufru drinks for Barbie and in one picture, Emmy is serving Barbie her cocktail. My Girl. :)

And here is Rudy in Emmy's teepee.

The Zoo with the Jacksons

Last weekend, Solomon spent the night with us and we had so much fun! I do think we need a bigger bed if we intend on all sleeping together though. I absolutley love that Sol always runs in and heads immediately for the piano. It cracks me up every time. Also, he slept all night playing with Uncle John's earring. It was pretty adorable.

Saturday morning, we got up and headed to the zoo. I love our independent kids and how grown up they think they are!! And they love Baby Rose. The bears were a big hit, as usual. This was the first time that the grizzly bears were out there really playing so they loved that. Then we went to the all time favorite polar bear exhibit. The kids were down front and the polar bear would look to make sure they were there and then dive down and "surprise" them. Those kids lost their minds!!! It was precious. They would all jump back and scream---every time he did it. It was great!!!

St. Patrick's Day

We headed over to the Salinas’s to celebrate St. Patty’s Day this year. Not only did we have green mashed potatoes, but we made green cupcakes too! So exciting. And Lucas took Emmy on a ride on his green John Deere tractor!!

Cubbie Hole

Here is a picture of our darling Cubbie Hole. And yes, she is always naked. I think Emmy Ruth feels that clothes really restrict CH in her day to day activities.

 

The little darling...

Yesterday, Emmy and Cubbie Hole were playing in the living room and Emmy put Cubbie in her stroller and brought her to me. She said, “Here, Grandma, you watch Cubbie Hole, I am going to watch Dora.” I suppose I would be Cubbie Hole’s grandma but I am so not ready for that yet!!!

 

After the rain passed, we went for a walk in our raincoats and boots.  It was the whole family, John, me, Emmy Ruth and Cubbie Hole, in her stroller. Emmy has been watching Cinderella lately and kept calling me “Stepmother” as we walked.

 

We are going to have to have a long talk soon.

 

 

I wish I had a dollar...

... for every time I heard John say "Emmy, where are your clothes?" or
"Emmy, why are you naked?" or "Emmy, put your panties back on!". I
don't get it.

We are having a really hard time in the mornings lately. John has
started going into work earlier and riding in to work with a friend that
lives a few houses down from us. This lets us sleep in a few extra
minutes but the change has thrown Emmy's routine into a tailspin. She is
having a really tough time waking up now. Every morning she pulls the
covers back up over her face. Some mornings I try to pick her up and
take her in the living room to wake up while watching cartoons but
usually she will fight her way out of my lap, run back into the bedroom
and pull the covers back up over her head. Yesterday, I got her fully
dressed and she got back in bed and pulled the covers back up over her
head! John's band Filthy Diablo had a song with the lyric "I'm not
ready!!" and every morning, she cries out "I'm not ready!!!". I am going
to have to figure out a way to record her saying it and then lay it on
top of John's recording of that song.

"Ladies and gentlemen"

Last night we were the guests of honor at an impromptu concert by Emmy Ruth. She ran in and sat at the piano and announced, “ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls…. The amazing Emmy Ruth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and proceeded to play. I am not sure where she got the intro but it was hysterical. I rushed to find the video camera, as she did it about twenty times, but of course there was no charge on it.

 

The day before, she pulled out a drum of John’s and sang “Twinkle Twinkle” while pounding away. Now that she has found his drum, her little toy drum set will never work for her again.

 

 

 

 

She's my girl...

When I was little, the first name I ever gave my baby doll was "Chester Drawers". I have a sweet spot for the name Chet now, in honor of Chester Drawers, and lobbied for Chet as our boy name. I tried to push it off as a great name in honor of great guitarists to John, but of course, we found out we were having a girl, so the name Emmy Ruth won.

Emmy was playing with her baby doll the other night and when I asked what her name was, she said "Cubby Hole". I didn't think it would stick but today, she told Nana Alice and Daddy the same thing. So, I guess Cubby Hole is it!

If naming baby dolls after furniture is a trend for us, I only what Emmy's kids will name their baby dolls.

Too much Cinderella?

Emmy loves all the princesses equally, but apparently, Cinderella has really stuck with her. When we were at the Children’s Museum with Maggie Grace and Solomon, she put on this dress in the stage area. She is trying to carry the front of it like Anastasia and Drusella do in the movie. It is hysterical to watch her be such a ham. Maggie and Sol were delighted to be on stage and Sol entertained everyone with his breakdancing skills. He has mad skills.

 

Last night, she was saying grace and she said, “God is good, God is grace, let us thank Him for our shoes. Amen.”

 

I often wonder where this child gets it.

 

Quote from Emmy

Yesterday we were driving home from Little Rock and Emmy Ruth was playing in the backseat with her baby doll. And I quote…

“Why are you crying? You have to be patient.”

 

And to think, I didn’t think she listened to me.