A wonderful Mother's Day Weekend

We got up bright and early Saturday morning in eager anticipation for the Cooper Young Community Yardsale only to find it raining. Emmy and I grabbed our rain coats and umbrellas and headed down to the farmer’s market anyway. Emmy was delighted to get some potatoes (or as we call them, tomatoes) that she could eat right then.  I love that she was eating tomatoes just like an apple! We also got peaches, kumquats, and strawberries. By then, the rain held off so we had fun wandering the neighborhood looking for neat stuff.

Emmy’s music teacher at school was playing at the Levitt Shell that night and Emmy was so excited that we knew there was no way we could miss it. It was soggy and dreary but we headed out to the “Clam” as Emmy calls it. There weren’t many people there so Mrs. Claire saw Emmy right away and introduced her from the stage. Emmy was delighted. She is growing up so quickly. I just can’t believe it. I had put a chair in the car for me and her and at the last minute, John was able to go. Emmy asked why didn’t I get him a chair and I said I had forgotten. I asked her if she had remembered and she said she had so I asked why she didn’t remind me. “Because I wanted you to use your brain.”

I woke Sunday morning to breakfast in bed from my favorite girl and then Sunday afternoon I went to the Grizzlies game with Natalie while John and Emmy hung out at home. It was a wonderful, wonderful weekend. I am so very blessed.

This picture of Lucas and Emmy is from a while back but I just love love love it. She adores him so much and any time we get to see them is just precious. In this picture, we met at a park in Harrisburg and all got to hang out for a while. Emmy kept saying she was in the country and she just knew that she would see Julia's house any minute.

Chalkboard

When we were in Atlanta, MaryMargaret had the cutest chalkboard frame. Emmy and I came home to make our own and it’s not nearly as adorable but we like it. I put something simple on it, like, “Welcome”, and Emmy decided it needed to be more exciting. So she had us tell her how to spell “let’s rock down to Burtonville”.

 

 

 

Atlanta

This weekend, a bunch of crazy mamas got together in Atlanta, with all our kids in tow. Becca, Sol and Rose let me and Emmy ride with them to visit with Mary Margaret, Maggie Grace and Rachel.  Joy, Julia and John B rode with Keeli and Chloe earlier on Friday and met us there. We had so much fun in our short trip!!! We got up Saturday and went to the aquarium and then headed to Ikea. It was fabulous. That night we actually went out on a grown up dinner!!!!

 

Just in case someone got lost at the aquarium, Aunt Becca wrote a phone number on everyone’s arm. Once, Emmy Ruth slipped away a little and when I was talking with her about how dangerous it was, I asked her what could happen if she got lost. She looked at me and said, ‘umm…’ and pointed at her arm with the number. Well played, Kid, well played.  Emmy loved being the second oldest, next to Chloe and loved to talk about her new friend, “you know, her” and gesture towards Chloe. It was really the first time they got to hang out together and it was so sweet.  Chloe is an excellent model for them.

 

The Meyers live in an awesome town outside of Atlanta, Peachtree City. It’s a golf community so we got to ride on a golf cart to dinner and the kids loved riding the cart to the park. I can’t say how thankful we are for our friends and our family. We are so very lucky.

 

Because of the big weekend, Emmy and I took off Monday and had a girls day. We hit up the children’s museum and then went to Walmart to spend a gift card Nana had given her for her birthday. I can’t remember what got Emmy talking about it but she was in the shopping cart and talking about how her grandmother talked to her. I kind of ignored it and then she said, ‘I know she’s in heaven, but she is also in my heart and talks to me.’ I managed to hold it together just long enough to tell her how that she was absolutely right. I told her that I just knew that if her grandmother could see her, she would be so proud of her for being so smart and so kind and so sweet. “Mama, she does see us; she sees us every day from heaven.” And then I cried in Wal-Mart.

 

 

 

Pretty Sweet Stuff

Last night, I overheard John and Emmy’s conversation while watching TV. She asked him which of the little ponies she was like. He told her she was combination of all of them. She was smart like Twilight Sparkle, athletic like Rainbow Dash, sweet like Pinky Pie, kind like Fluttershy and beautiful like Rarity. I was thoroughly impressed with John’s knowledge of ponies but amazed at his complimenting skills!

 

My child

Last night, Emmy had John call me so she could ask me something.

 

“Mama, will you take me to Macy’s to buy me a dress?”

 

It literally was like music to my ears.

 

Heaven

Emmy Ruth and I are so very thankful that we have a church that we truly enjoy and feel so welcome. We have been going to First Baptist for about two years now and has been wonderful. It is so interesting to me to hear some of the things that she interprets from church. Bellevue Baptist has three extremely large crosses on their lawn and last week we drove past them and Emmy said, “that is the cross that killed Jesus!”. The other day she was telling John, in her most reverent voice and with great concern, that Jesus died and went to heaven and now He lives in all of our hearts. However, when the fish in her classroom died, she said he went to fish heaven—which is in New Orleans.

 

Because John and I both have lost our mothers, Emmy thinks that when you grow up, your mom immediately goes to heaven. She often tells me that she doesn’t want to grow up because she doesn’t want me to go to heaven. I try to explain to her that it just so happened that her grandmothers are in heaven but it isn’t always that way and give her lots of examples. But, it is hard for a five year old to understand. Heck, it is hard for me to understand!

 

Then she will come up with something really adorable like she did yesterday before church:

“Mama, you look really prettier.”

I should have known better but I asked, “Prettier than what?”

“Prettier than you normally do.”

 

Easter Dress

Oh that girl…. Emmy is out of school tomorrow for Good Friday so today she woke up and told me she had to wear a dress and heels to school today for Easter. Of course we didn’t wear heels but she did get to pick out a beautiful dress and a pair of dress shoes to wear. When we got there, no one else was dressed up for the day. I looked at Emmy and she said, “I tricked you!!” As if I have ever not let her wear a dress, I am not sure why she had to trick me!!!

 

We had to go shoe shopping since all of her shoes are too small. We bought four pairs last night and she was determined to get some high heel shoes. She tried on several pairs and walked around in them for me to see how well she could do it. I still think she doesn’t need high heels but where does she get this stuff?

 

That child

Each year, we put up an above ground pool for Emmy. This year, it is really just a way to appease Emmy when she has to stay home with us and can’t go to Aunt Becca’s.  Last night we were putting it up and John asked Emmy to rake over the area to get the doggie toys. I went in the garage to get a rake and Emmy stood at the door and yelled “oh a mouse!” I had on flipflops so I immediately freaked out and almost broke my neck jumping over the junked up garage to get out. Emmy was doubled over laughing and turned around to ‘fist-bump’ John as they cackled at the joke she pulled on me. Sadly, it was a surprise to John as well since he didn’t put her up to it! It was all on her own!!!

 

Catch up Pictures

 

There are times I have said that if I had not been there when Emmy was born, I would really wonder if she was mine. She blew all of that out of the water this weekend. As I was showing her dresses for her to pick to wear for Easter, she told me that she needed something that was cool and pretty. The dress I had was pretty but just not cool. Then as we have been getting a few decorations out for Easter, she found these little things and has started little gift bags for Baby Rose and John B.

 

We had a great weekend and I am sure it’s going to be a lot like other weekends to come. After a party Saturday morning, we headed to the Jacksons. The kids hopped in that cold, cold water. Poor Rose had blue lips but swore she wasn’t cold. Then, the kids immediately got in the pool after they woke Sunday morning. I told them they had the option of going to church or swimming. I won’t say who voted which way.  Julia spent the night with us Saturday night too so we had an absolute blast.  The kids were so funny. Rose is just so tiny and she would follow Julia and Emmy and repeat everything they said. Julia would run by singing “Splish Splash” and Rose was right behind her the same way. Emmy slept in later than the other kids so when she came outside, they were already in the pool. Julia had on a Hello Kitty swimsuit and she was so happy to show Emmy. She said, “and look! It can get wet!!!”. Aunt Becca pulled up a slide to the pool but the kids wanted it to be slippery. I was watching them while Neall and Becca put a basketball goal up in the front and I turned around for a second and they were pouring coke and juice on it to make it slippery. I put a stop to that only to discover a few moments later that Sol and Rose were leaning over the slide with Emmy cheering for them. I asked what in the world they were doing and they said they were putting boogers on it to make it slippery. Awesome.

 

After the whole day in the pool, we finally headed home Sunday afternoon. Emmy fell asleep in West Memphis. Short nap! As we were in the back yard, I started trimming back some limbs and Emmy was helping me. There was one that was too big so I told her we probably couldn’t do that one. She said, “but Big is my middle name!!”. When I got her out of the tub, she was being silly and I told her she was ridiculous. She corrected me that no, she was fabulous.

 

Yes, yes, she is.

 

 

Peppa Pig

Peppa Pig is a British cartoon that comes on Nickleodeon and Emmy loves it lately. To be quite honest, I am thrilled since I had seen about all of My Little Pony that I could stand.  For a while after she watches it now, she talks with a British accent.

 

She’s that cool.

 

Tara

On Saturday, AunTee completed her first marathon. I am so proud of her and the dedication she had to do this!!! Emmy and I had shirts made to show our support and the kids were most impressed with the awesome medal.

 

Gourmet Food Trucks

Gourmet food trucks are all the rage. Last night was such a beautiful night and the first Thursday of the month so it was Cooper Young Night Out. We headed out to enjoy some of our neighborhood when I spotted a gourmet food truck and had to have it. We ended up just having a seat right there and having dinner and they thought we were so cute they took our picture for their site. Fun times.

 

 

Lie vs. Story

Emmy was telling me about a friend who told her a lie. After she told me what he said, I agreed that maybe he had in fact told her a story.

 

“Mama. A story starts with ‘once upon a time’ and ends with ‘the end’. That was a lie.”

 

Spa Time

We took the kids to Sweet and Sassy for a little pampering. The girls fit right in with it and Solomon was all about watching himself in the mirror. He’s quite the ham.

 

Valentines Day at School

Emmy got to dress up for a Valentine’s Ball at school this year. Here she is primping.