Happy 5th Birthday!

        Emma turned 5 this year! Nanie came out for 10 days, and Emma had fun having a new person to read stories with.  There were extra hands to bounce Annika when she fussed.  Around the weekend more family came to town. Aunt Margaret, Uncle Dominic and Patrick came down from Minnesota and stayed at our house. Aunt Lauren and Charlie and Great Aunt Kay flew into Madison the same night as Papa. Papa stayed at our house while the rest of that crew stayed at Aunt Susan's. Aunt Emily also came up and crashed on our floor.
         Saturday morning Emma and Patrick had a blast raking leaves and playing outside. Dominic and Daddy helped. :) Emma spotted two bald eagles soaring. Annika seemed to like the fresh air when she came out with Aunt Susan. That was a fun sighting!
           The invitations featured 5 butterflies so we stuck with the butterfly theme as much as possible. Saturday was the party at 3 pm with dinner of Papa's famous spaghetti sauce served over butterfly pasta. There were sauteed brussel sprouts (and something) that the aunts cooked up along with salad, bread, and rosy glow punch.  Pretzel and caramel butterflies were fluttering around. Tom and Karen made it over around present time and stayed for dinner and dessert. Aunt Susan made the cake topped with butterflies that the ladies decorated, including Emma! Guests colored butterflies to hang on the wall (they are still there) during waiting periods. Annika fussed a bit, but then happily slept in various willing arms.
On Sunday we all headed to Aunt Susan's for a delicious brunch followed by some walking around the zoo. It's always a favorite place to visit. The sun was shining and it was a glorious day.
         We also celebrated Emma's birthday with Great Grandma and Uncle Chuck on a day-trip to Illinois with Nanie. Emma loved the barbie and accessories she got from Uncle Chuck and the create your own fairy tale kit from Great Grandma.

      At the end of October Great Aunt Jan and Great Aunt Jackie came out. They all had a blast dressing up and trick or treating! Emma and Annika had a fun movie night with popcorn so Mommy and Daddy could have a night out. Fun for all!

At-home School

9/27/12 While I was making breakfast Annika was in the bouncer and happy. Emma was watching her. "Oh oh, a little spit up," she said while she dabed at Annika's face with a burp cloth. Then Emma started to play with the magnetic letters on the fridge. With every letter ("E"- this is easy! E says eh and E") she would hold it in front of Annika's face. And so began school. I was Emma's assistant I think. She did almost every letter. And next, "Now I'm going to teach her all the animals!" And Emma showes all the animals to Annika and told her the sounds they make. She did have help from the barn that goes with the animals. It was very sweet. Next Emma continued the schooling with the animal tracks cards. Nene or Hawaiian goose was one that they studied; Emma had to ask what it was. She repeated it right back to Annika.

Our first visit back to church since August 12th, Annika's due date was the same day as the Harvest Meal.  Annika fussed a bit so I took her out to the narthex for awhile. Back in church Steve held her and she fell asleep. Everyone was oohing and ahhing over her.One old man during the shring of the peace said, Wow! He needs a haircut!" Steve told me that his wife came up to Steve and said her husband was jealous because the baby has more hair than him.  Emma sat near Aunt Susan and when she was asked if she was going to the Harvest Meal, Emma said, "Yes as long as Annika doesn't spoil it and we can't go."

At the Harvest Meal, Pastor Jeff told us we make beautiful babies. Rachel held Annika and was very calm when Annika fussed and cried. Emma and Joe (a 3 year old) had fun chasing each other around. We left the meal when Annika was good and angry.

Nakey is best!

First Bath

Second bath- much happier!

Hooray for no diaper!

Annika loves to be nakey- once we got past the first bath. if she fusses and nothing works, we have open air time. It helps her mood and keeps her bum rash-free!

Toothy Business

At church on Sunday October 7th Emma was munching on a fruit leather. Actually she was suv=cking on it and pulling it out from between her closed-together top and bottom teeth. suddenly she says Mommy I have a loose tooth!  her voice was all wavy. i got a tad panicky (so not ready for loose teeth- is she really old enough?) so i say um which tooth?  it's bloody and she is starting to cry. let's go get some water at the fountain. emma really starts to cry and buries her head in my shoulder. i try to gently lift her head and tell her it will be better with some water/ she gets up and buries her face in daddy's chest. he asks her what is wrong and she shows and tells him. i say that i told her to come get some water but she wouldn't. he tells her something that causes her to get up and follow me out. in the narthex i say it must be scary but it happens and it will feel better to rinse her mouth. then we check it out in the bathroom mirror. she is sort of calmed down now and seems mostly concerned with the bloody taste. soo we take a cup of water back in.  slowly she stops lookin worried and begins to play with the tooth. after church when we leave and say how excitint it all is she gets upset and tells us not to be excited.  daddy suggests a culvers treat to celebrate but that we have to be able to be exvoted. emma slowly agrees that it is ok to be excited we just can't show it a lot.  at culvers she wiggles her tooth a lot and tells us about spencer who has a lost tooth.  she is excited all day about  the tooth fairy and telling everyone at school.
next morning she still has her tooth and says she is going to tell everyone about it. when i pick her up she still has a tooth but it is super loose. we reasd stories and she pulls the guardoan silver swan box that aunt susan gave her. we set it up on her nightstand.
after nap we arr getting ready to watch a moive. as i set annika on the ground emma says i lost my tooth!  i urned and there she was standing lookin shocked. i dropped it she says. so we start looking on the ground. moommy i think it is in my sleeve. it falls out and she says ooh gross it is bloody. then she happily puts it in the swan. She doesn't like the blood though and gets shaky and teaery-eyed. i give her ice and she chatters about the hole. she is excited to tell daddy qwhen he gets home.
before bed she tells me that she wants to keep her tooth. can we write anote asking the tooth fairy to leave her tooth? i don't see why not so daddy writes it for her. dear tooth fairy please don't take my tooth.
in the morning there is a note from the tooth fairy written in cursive, pink and purple handwriting, dear emma lovely tooth. TF.  Emma asks me how the tooth fiary knew to write in her favorite colors and how the tooth fairy gets in. I told her the tooth fairy is magic. Emma thought it amusing that the tooth fairy wrote emma how she did (with very curvey, drawn out "m"s).
She said she was going to show everyone at school her hole- especially Spencer.  When I asked her what Spencer said she responded, "hole."  hee hee 4 year old humor!

I wanted to take her picture but she said she doesn't want a picture with a hole. Christmas pictures will be really difficult I guess.  And now her other tooth on the bottom is loose!

I'm the BIG sister!

Finally, after waiting for what seemed like forever, Emma is a big sister!  Annika Marie was born on August 18, 2012 at 9:53 am.  At about 3 in the morning we dropped Emma off at Aunt Susan's house on the way to the hospital. I know that Emma chatted away in the backseat for the entire trip, but due to the contractions I don't remember anything.
Aunt Susan told us that Emma didn't go back to sleep after being dropped off. They played, colored, did a water color book, made food, and hung out.  Emma asked Aunt Susan if the baby was going to be born and seemed excited to meet the baby.
When Steve called to make the announcement, Emma said "I wanted a sister; I got what I wished for!" We didn't know the name yet. When they came to the hospital around 3 pm that afternoon I was nursing Annika, which is a bummer. Emma came in with a huge smile on her face but then stopped and was tentative when she saw the baby on my tummy. Emma was very sweet with the baby and held her a few times. Aunt Susan and Emma went home that night with plans to be in touch the next day.  (Aunt Susan told us that after we got off the phone with them to announce that the baby was born Emma focused on two things. She really wanted to meet the baby and to check on the status of my lap.)

Sunday Aunt Susan told us that Emma kept asking when can we go see my sister. They came about the same time as Aunt Darcy and Uncle Steve. There were presents for both girls, and Emma was only a little put out by the attention everyone was bestowing on the baby.  We talked about names and by the end of the day we had decided on Annika Marie, but no one knew yet. (The email went out that night.)  Aunt Susan and Emma came back with dinner from Monty's that night. We introduced them to Annika. Emma approved the name.
The next morning Aunt Susan dropped Emma off around 7am. We had a long day of sitting and waiting for our doctor to give us the OK to leave. Dr. Flannery came by around 12:30 so we went home not long after that. Emma chose Chinese food for lunch so they went and picked it up leaving Annika and I at home. It was a wonderful beginning of the next phase of the adventure- being home!

Emma seemed genuinely to love her little sister right from the start. And even though the days were disrupted by her, Emma seemed mostly concerned about the lack of attention. She didn't try to take it out on Annika. Whew. :)

Apparently Emma corrected Tom and Karen on the correct pronunciation of Annika during a morning visit before preschool.

She seems shy when people ask her if she likes being a big sister. Sometimes she says yes. She has yet to say no.

Like mother, like daughter

Emma has been watching me breastfeed Annika since day 1. Sometimes she stares. Sometimes it doesn't seem like she notices much. She has seen me use a breast pump a couple of times; that's the only time I feel really weird, but I try not to let it show. I just redirect her somewhere else.

Yesterday there was Emma with her plastic binoculars and a baby doll bottle. She pops her arm out of the sleeve of her shirt, tugs up the hem and proceeds to arrange the binoculars as follows. One lens of the binoculars was positioned over her nipple, the baby bottle inserted into the other end, one finger pressing up and down on a certain spot on the binoculars. We didn't make a big deal of it and said something Oh isn't that nice that you are pumping milk for your baby. (We gave each other a look though.)

A little later I took Annika in the other room to nurse her, and after a few minutes Emma came in with her breast pump. She sat down on the couch right next to me and pumped away. I calmly asked her if I could please take her picture. Emma said, "No because you don't see women getting their pictures taken do you?"

Nope I guess not. :)

Good Funniness

On Monday the 6th of August we were all sitting around the dinner table talking about our days.  Emma is sometimes reluctant to share what she did and this night was no exception.
Mommy: Tell Daddy what we did with Baby Katie this morning.
Emma: You tell.
Daddy: Did you take her to the auto repair shop and get her oil changed?
Everyone laughs.
Emma: Good funniness!
Everyone laughs some more.  It was quite humorous.

This is what we did with Baby Katie.  Upstairs in our bedroom, I showed Emma how the baby might sleep in the bassinet, using Baby Katie as the stand-in. I showed Emma where I would sit to nurse the baby, how the Boppy wraps around my waist, and where Emma's basket of things to do will be located.  Then we went into the guest room to change the baby's diaper. I showed Emma how she could help- by getting a wet cloth, putting the dirty diaper into the pail or finding a new outfit.  Emma had this look of shock and delight on her face that seemed to say, I get to help?  It was very cute. Then we looked at the bouncer seat and Emma took out some toys to amuse the baby with. Downstairs we put Baby Katie in the swing.  It was a rough run through of course with no crying (on anyone's part!), but I think it helped show Emma how she can be involved. Now we just need baby to get here!

Cedar Rapids

 For Steve's birthday (on Sunday the 22nd of July) we rented a canoe again and this time made a right out of the channel and headed towards Monona Lake. We paddled until we saw the capitol building. Thankfully it was a cloudy and cooler day. It made for a very nice lunch on the canoe and overall canoeing experience. Emma was very at home in the canoe; we had to remind her a few times not to lean too far over the edge!

Emma and I visited Steve in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, the following Wednesday. The doctor cleared me for travel and after getting some BOGO free muffins at PDQ we headed off.  Emma was very excited about visiting Daddy's apartment and especially loved that there was a pool right out his back door. We spent two hours at the pool Wednesday afternoon.  When we got in the apartment Emma checked out every door and reported that "the hall closet has a vacuum, a broom and something else and is really quite small."

After tucking Emma in bed Wednesday night she came out into the main room and said, "There is a flashing light coming from the pool. When it flashes I can see the mountains."  Steve tried to explain that it could be the pool lights under the waves. I suggested lightning without really thinking. We both wondered out loud about the mountains since there aren't any in Iowa. 
Back in the bedroom we opened the blinds and the sky was lit up with lightning. We had a spectacular show of flashing lights from all sides that lit up the "cloud mountains." After that Emma fell right to sleep and slept through the louder parts of the storm.
On Thursday morning since it was cooler outside we went to a local park. Emma was excited about the diggers. She wouldn't let me take a picture unless she was scowling. The picture shown is the result of her posing and getting her face just right. (She did approve the picture when I showed her on the camera.)  She attempted the climbing wall, but it was a bit too technical for her. I think she might have done it if I hadn't of been watching.
Emma is looking forward to meeting the baby. She gives us both hugs and surprisingly enough, smiled for the camera back at the apartment that afternoon.
Emma didn't want to leave Daddy's apartment and is looking forward to going back soon!

Chicago in June

At the end of June my cousin Mike and his wife Kathlene and son Owen came out for a visit. We met them on Saturday at Millennium Park in Chicago. Emma was being shy and refused to be in the picture at The Bean, but if you look closely you can see her hiding behind Steve. From there we walked all the way to Navy Pier. Emma only complained a time or two; Owen was a positive distraction! 

On the Ferris wheel at Navy Pier.

On the carousel at Navy Pier.

 At Navy Pier we rode on the Ferris wheel. I half expected Emma to be scared, but she wasn't. After that she had to go on the carousel.  After dinner that night Steve, Emma and I went to Auntie Em's to sleep. It was a late night for all of us and an early-to-rise morning. Even so, we missed the early train back to Great Grandma's. We stopped for breakfast close to the Sear's Tower, which is now Willis Tower I think. Since we had time we bought tickets and rode the elevator up to the Sky Deck. Emma and I braved the glass boxes and saw the ground under our feet- many stories below! Emma said she was scared especially when strangers tried to tell her she was brave. 

Agriculture statue in Chicago.

Yikes! We are really high up here!

In Madison, Emma and I showed Owen and his parents around the main attractions. We went first to the capital building and walked around the observation deck. Back inside Owen and Emma made the bell bong with their hands. We ended the day with a trip to the nature center where Emma showed them how to dip for critters in the pond. Emma liked spending time with Owen!

Cranky Mama

This summer has been brutally hot, and since I am pregnant it has made for some rough days.
A couple weeks ago Emma and I were getting ready to go to the nature center for her camp. As usual it was a trial to get her out the door; sunscreen application was the typical battle. I was near tears when we finally piled in the car. Emma was quiet for a few minutes when suddenly in a timid voice she says, "Mama, I wish we were a family of chipmunks because then the chipmunk baby would grow faster and it could be born today. Then you wouldn't be so grumpy."
I was stunned. The comment made me smile as I said, "I wish that, too, Emma."

Picking and Painting

We went strawberry picking for the first time on the first day of June! Emma was really excited about it. It was a cooler day with a strong wind. The season had just opened but I knew that if we didn't take advantage of the "free" Friday we would not have gone at all. So we met our friends Betsy and her son Truman at a place on the north-east side of Madison along I-94. There were a handful of people picking when we got there, but soon we had the field to ourselves. Emma and Truman ran up and down the rows, Emma carefully stepping over the plants to get from row to row in the middle of the field. Truman's legs were not quite long enough to avoid stepping on the plants.  Emma didn't eat any strawberries until she was that Truman's face was turning red with juice. Even still, she managed to pick 2.1 pounds of berries!  I picked 2.5 pounds to compare.  It was a great day!  Emma and Truman liked the animals they had under the temporary trailer; goats, a sheep, and a potbellied pig. The kids fed the animals some grain and laughed like crazy.  At home we washed all the berries and had strawberry shortcake for dessert. Then we had strawberries on our breakfasts and just for snacking and in a delicious smoothie! Yummy!

For Father's day Emma and I undertook a project described on the blog The Artful Parent. We bought some rubber cement and made our own watercolor paints. First Emma drizzled and brushed rubber cement on several sheets of watercolor paper. When they were dry we started making the paints. Here Emma is mixing up the dry ingredients for the paints. She loves cooking and measuring!

She experimented making different colors with the food coloring colors, and ended up with 10 different colors. Outside she painted 6 pictures, one without rubber cement, for Papa, Grandpa, Daddy, Mommy and herself, plus an extra. Even for Father's day she is thinking outside the male box. :)  She loved painting with the water colors, that stayed liquid throghout the session.  We left the paints on the counter and after 5 days they are finally all completely dry- like the watercolor paints in the store.  Sometime soon we will do some more painting and compare how the paints are dry versus wet. Daddy loved his painting, by the way and temporarily stuck it to the wall above the bed. He asked for a frame even.  Emma noticed it hanging there and was quite pleased with herself.

Non-baby Shower

 Auntie Em decided that we should have a party for my pregnant self and just not have it be a baby shower. So a small group of Emma's aunts (my friends) came over with delicious food and ready to help paint the play room. Aunt Chenoa brought her daughter Audrey so Emma had a lot of fun playing while the ladies did our thing. Aunt Darcy and Holly were also there on June 10th.

Steve set the girls up on the ottomans with a tablecloth. After eating the girls played out in the new sprinklers that he bought. The large ball popped right away apparently; the girls had to come inside and share the news. The other sprinkler kept them happy for a long time. When it was time to be done, Audrey borrowed some clothes of Emma's and hers went in the dryer. It was really cute to see what Audrey chose- a long purple and red hippy-style skirt with an orange shirt.  Emma seemed delighted to share.

During one break, we let Audrey and Emma add their own touches to the garden scene in the playroom.  Audrey filled in a few flowers, and Emma created a group of roses. Later Aunt Chenoa used her artistic talents and added some highlights to really make it look like a group of roses!

Emma was upset at first when we moved things out of the playroom and when I painted the walls a pale green. She even said a couple of times, "I don't want flowers on the walls. I want my room to stay white like it is."  But now that she has seen the wonders that her aunts can do- she is excited. (Except that the room is still torn apart and I need to finish painting....)

Perhaps Emma would say that the best part of the day were the presents that Aunt Chenoa brought. (Auntie Em and I tried to make it a no-gift party, except for the potted petunias I gave to my friends, but Chenoa couldn't resist!)  There was an awesome green and blue big girl backpack with a Zane CD/DVD, baby socks, and recycled plastic tugboat and chew rings. This was Emma's gift for having fun with the baby. She loves the backpack and has kept it filled with things for camp ever since!  The other present was for baby only; an adorable outfit, brag book, and Sandra Boynton book. Emma was excited about reading the book to the baby. So cute.

Sealing

Emma had an unusual Friday at home with Daddy yesterday. I had to be at the nature center all day for training and summer prep.  So this story is coming second-hand from Steve.

While eating lunch, Steve was reading the newspaper and came across an article about our local zoo. Apparently a zookeeper noticed that one of the seal's was exhibiting some pregnancy signs. There was doubt, but 5 days later a baby seal was born. Emma was very interested in the article because she loves the zoo. Steve asked her what a baby seal is called, and Emma said a sealing. 

Swing, Swang, Swung

Emma has finally mastered pumping all on her own!  Last week she kept bugging Daddy and I to push her on the swing. Sometimes we obliged for a few pushes. Then once Daddy left again for Cedar Rapids, I was too hot and tired to push Emma. So I encouraged her to pump by herself. Of course she whined and complained, "I can't do it! I can't get as high as when you push me!"


So one day she asked me if I would go outside with her and push her on the swing. I had to finish up a few things on the computer and told her I would come outside when I was done. But I might not push you I said. It took me longer than I expected to finish up and towards the end of my work I heard a noise that I thought should have reminded me of something. I went outside and there was Emma swinging really high in the sky!
"Look, Mama! I can touch the Locust tree with my feet!"
"Wow! You are really doing great! I knew you could learn to swing without my help."

Then Emma slowed down and asked me to watch how she got started. She used one foot to push her backwards and then really worked the pumping action. She was soaring high again in no time. And grinning like crazy! It was an awesome afternoon!

Mother's Day weekend

On Mother's day weekend we went north to Minnesota for cousin Patrick's 2nd birthday. On Saturday the whole family went for a walk at a local arboretum-type place. Grandma, Emma, Patrick and Aunt Susan shared a bench- for about 30 seconds. Then the kids were off and moving!

Later at the party, Emma enjoyed swinging with Patrick and a second cousin, Jackson. They also got to find and collect all the pieces to the train accident that had occurred in the yard.

After dinner Emma got to decorate her own train car cake! She expertly squeezed out the frosting and added some colorful candy decorations. She was particularly taken with the gummy life savers.

On Sunday we all headed to a Culver's for a lunch treat on Grandpa. We had some cheese curds and french fries to share. Plus, there were free scoops for all the mothers. Emma used her scoopie ticket to order vanilla custard with oreo cookies. She ate every last bite, which isn't too surprising. Grandma said it was the best mother's day ever!

Feliz cumpleanoz

On Cinco de Mayo we celebrated Aunt Susan's birthday at our house. We had a summery bean bowl and homemade bread for dinner followed by a white cake with raspberry filling and bittersweet chocolate frosting (made by me).  Emma watched me decorate the cake and chose the sea blue color for the writing. She was very eager to take a bite!  On Aunt Susan's birthday Emma left her a telephone Spanish birthday greeting. Aunt Susan was very impressed. Emma had spent about a week practicing the happy birthday phrase and got it just right.

 Check out her tee!

 



After enjoying a huge cupcake at Monty's for a dinner out, Emma came home on a sugar high. "Daddy, you be the cupcake and I'll be the frosting!"

Then Emma was showing Daddy some yoga poses. "Daddy you be the moon and I'll be the star."








Emma is a very avid painter. We bought a gourd at one of the last winter farmer's markets with the intent of painting it. Once I finally got around the setting everything up, Emma was completely absorbed in the process. She painted the gourd with bold bright colors. Now it's awaiting proper display. Daddy need to hang it inside for us!

Doing Stylish

Late this afternoon Emma was riding her scooter around and around the kitchen table saying, watch how fast I can go! So I said, why don't you see how fast you can go outside? Emma replied very enthusiastically, OK!

So we went outside. She places one foot on the seat and pushes the sit-down scooter with her other foot. She can get going pretty fast. And then it didn't take but 10 minutes until she was ready for a break. She politely asked for her Winnie-the-Pooh chair, which I placed on the front stoop.

Emma: This is our house. I'll sit here and you sit there.
She pointed to the chair that always is on the stoop. So I sat.
Then she went inside and when I was really beginning to wonder what she was doing, out she came, wearing some slippers and carrying some odds and ends of her things (bracelet, hair ties, silly bandz).
Emma: This is our house and these are my things. And this is my basket.
She placed the things in her upside-down helmet. Then we sat there for a few minutes and she asked me if I was making dinner.

Mommy: No. We are having leftovers, but maybe I should make more rice. I think I should. I'll go inside and be back once I start the rice. Dinner won't be too long from now.
Emma: OK.
When I came back to check she had gotten some bright chalk, some sticks and a pine cone.
Emma: Look, Mommy!
Mommy: What are you up to?
Emma: Well, this is my house.
Mommy: OK, but what is that pile of sticks?
Emma: That's my fire.
The sticks had been placed on top of a patch of orange with a pink edge.
Emma: Those are the flames. (Pointing to the pink edge)
Mommy: How creative.
Emma: Here is my marshmallow that I am roasting.
Emma picked up a stick and jammed the pine cone on the end of it and shoved it at her fire. I chuckled. She is so imaginative!
Emma: Here eat this!
Emma shoved the marshmallow at the door and I made eating noises.
Emma: Come out here.
Mommy: I will come out once the rice is covered and simmering.
A few minutes later I went back to the front door. Now Emma was intently drawing something off to the side of the fire.
Mommy: What are you drawing?
Emma: This is my smore! Look!
Mommy: That's awesome! It looks so tasty.
Emma: Come out here Mommy.
I went outside and sat and watched her. After she completed the smore (a purple and green creation) she drew a pink table.
Emma: Am I doing stylish?
Mommy (smiling at the use of the word): Yes, that is a stylish drawing.
Emma: Yeah, it is. I am going to draw a person right here.
She drew two vertical lines, humphed to herself and said, "I am going to draw me as a toddler."
So then we talked about how old a toddler can be.
Emma: This is me as one to three.
Mommy: You are so cute and colorful.
Emma: I am, aren't I?
I don't know if we were talking about the drawing or the real-life Emma! She was covered with chalk at this point. :)  And so stylish!

Big Sister

Emma started making this sound the other day with Steve. It's her version of the what the baby's heartbeat sounds like. She just randomly busts out with it.

Say What?

Setting: Emma and Mommy outside on a sunny, blustery day in late April (today, 4-27-12)
Mommy is sitting on the deck. Emma is playing in the sandbox.

Emma: Mommy, I'm making a lemon meringue!
Mommy: That looks delicious! Great job.

Emma continues to build the lemon meringue while Mommy stares off into space. Then Emma starts to cross the grass carrying her creation. Mommy smiles at Emma and she smiles back.

Emma: Here is my lemon meringue.
Mommy: Wow! It looks fantastico! When do we get to eat it?
Emma: Well, it has raw eggs in it.
Mommy: Oh, OK.
Emma: Well,  it doesn't have raw egg in it. Here, try some.
Emma scoops out a bit of sand on her finger and holds it to Mommy's mouth.
Mommy: Mmmm, so good! Thank you.
Emma: I haven't baked it yet.
Mommy: How long does it have to bake for?
Emma: 50 degrees.
Mommy (smiling): OK.
Emma takes her creation down to her play house. Once inside she says, "Actually, I already baked it. Now I am just going to set it on the windowsill."

Emma comes out of the play house and heads back to the sandbox. 
Emma: Mommy, now I am making a lemon parfait!
Mommy: Wow! That sounds amazing.

Emma continues to pick dandelions, presumably for their lemon flavor and creates another dessert. Mommy ponders the wonders of a 4 year old conversation and imagination.

Remember how much I love you

Yesterday morning was a bit rough. I woke up with a horrible tummy ache and cold symptoms. Emma woke up with a cold as well. So we struggled to maintain civility. I had little patience for anything, which I regret.  At one point I asked Emma to find her water bottle so I could put it in her lunch. She looked everywhere but could not find it. I was frustrated that every morning we waste 10 minutes searching for something- water bottle, coat, shoes, etc.  I finally lost it and she of course got upset and almost cried. I cringed. So then I remembered how one day last week I think we couldn't find Baby Katie and for some reason I opened the front door and there she was on the front porch. So I asked Emma, did you take your water bottle outside by the mailbox? I suddenly remembered that she had it the day before when she got out of the car and went to get the mail.  She looked out the window and said, Yes it is by the mailbox. So out she ran to get it. It should have been funny. It is amusing right now. But at the time I was just annoyed.
Upstairs we brushed teeth and while I was in my bathroom, I could hear Emma in hers. When I went to check she had a sheepish look on her face. I looked all around and my eyes found the icky, white smears on the fresh, clean hand towel. What is that? I asked two or three times; not politely I confess. She finally answered, "soap."  I didn't handle it very well. But I calmed down and went back and apologized for getting so upset over nothing. Emma said, that's OK Mama. Then she gave me a heart sticker and placed it on my shirt. "Now you can look at it all day and always remember how much I love you."  I almost cried.

Emma the Ballerina

Yesterday was Emma's last day of pre-ballet so the parents were invited to watch.  Emma had a little cold so I could tell she was slightly uncomfortable with a drippy and stuffy nose. I was amazed at how closely she watched her teachers to try and get the movements just right. She is also incredibly flexible! In butterfly stretch her knees almost touch the ground!
After warm-up they went right to practicing their animal movements/positions. From one corner to the diagonal opposite corner the line of girls hopped like bunnies, fluttered like fairies or swung their arms and legs like elephants. Emma was confident enough to do each movement; the first time I watched, she was too nervous to try some of them.  I was impressed with her form and secretly amused when her legs crossed the wrong way. I happened to be sitting at one corner so I was right in the mix of girls before they headed back to the other side. Emma gave me a snuggle hug every time!
Then the class looked at a painting of Starry Night by Van Gogh. They talked about how they could make their bodies look like parts of the painting. The girls came up with most of the elements- looking like a tree, the moon, moving like water or stars. Then they acted it all out. When it came to the moon, Emma promptly sat on the ground and twisted her legs and upper body to make the curve of a crescent moon. I was so impressed! Her teacher commented on it as well. Such a creative young dancer!
The class lined up at the end to their super secret special dance for us. The girls supposedly choreographed it by choosing the order of the movements. Emma's curtsy is so cute!
On the way home Emma told me that her favorite movement was the bunny because she jumped so high so almost touched the ceiling! I captured her completely air-born with the camera. Emma and Daddy watched the short video clips and looked at all the pictures when we got home.

Update for Still Spring Break

While Emma was playing for 5 minutes of fun she asked, "Mommy, did I hear you say something about skipping brushing my teeth tonight?"  Steve chuckled and said, "She doesn't miss a beat." I chuckled and said, "well, I was only repeating what the hygienist had said but it is technically past the 6 hour cut off." (The watermelon fluoride "paint" is fine while eating and drinking but not while brushing or flossing, says the hygienist. So they like there to be a no brushing period of 6 hours.)  Apparently they skipped teeth brushing.
This morning I flossed Emma's teeth using the nifty flosser we got from the dentist. I don't like that it is a disposable piece of plastic so we'll see if we can manage without the device in the future. Emma was happy that her gums didn't bleed!

Still Spring Break

Wednesday and Thursday were tough days. Emma kept asking about when it was going to be Easter and school days again. And she made some poor choices. And I didn't handle that very well. :)
Today, however, was much better. We enjoyed a nice breakfast and Emma said that she wanted to decorate more cookies. (We baked some Easter-shaped cookies yesterday afternoon and evening.) She happily decorated a family of sheep and ducks, utilizing her creative skills to the extreme. (It gave me some time to wipe down the kitchen cabinets.) Then it was off to the dentist. She watched some cartoons on the monitor while my teeth were cleaned, and she minded her manners quite well. But when we had to wait for 10 minutes for the dentist to inspect my teeth it started to get dicey. "Too boring," she said of the commercials that came at the top of the hour. "Change it," she demanded. I used her water cup to rinse my mouth and she huffed and puffed while dumping out the water and throwing out the cup. "You used my cup. That one was for me, not you," she declared. So we ended up wasting a cup anyway. Thankfully the hygienist showed Emma the stylus for signatures and things turned around. When it came time for Emma to hop in the chair, she was an angel. IT was her first dentist appointment so Jenny M. showed her all the tools before hand and tested them out once first, too. When the hygienist showed Emma the water gun and the suction hose, I said that was my favorite part of the dentists. "No, it's my favorite, too, " says Emma.
Emma guessed that she had 500 million teeth, but there were only 20.  She looked a little nervous during the tooth polishing and rinsing, but she always said she was fine. (Emma chose blue raspberry tooth polish.) The flossing caused one area to bleed a bit and I thought she was going to cry. However, she held it together and was fine after rinsing. She was a brave girl and I was so proud of how she handled the whole experience. We took home a flosser, toothbrush, a Dora sticker (that she promptly put on my chest), and a mini yellow football.
Since we left the dentist's at just before noon, we called Daddy and asked him to join us for lunch. When we picked him up he suggested Crema Cafe- a favorite, local breakfast and lunch spot.  Emma got her usual Gobblette plus a juice box. We had the best, well-mannered lunch out! Emma was sad that Daddy had to go back to work. When Steve got up to throw trash away Emma asked, "Did Daddy leave?" I said that he didn't and that we needed to give him a ride to work. "Oh yeah, because he can't take the car because then we would have to walk all the way home. How would we figure that out?"  She got quite the chuckle out of that scenario and it cheered her up that we drove Daddy back to work.
At home Emma asked why her mouth bled when it was flossed. So I explained that once you floss regularly it usually isn't a problem any more. "So are we going to floss my teeth?"  Yes I said and she was happy.
After following her sleep rules she played in the basement while I did some rearranging. While I made dinner she played outside on the play structure. When Steve came home she was still outside and we heard a horrible sound so we went running. She had hit her head on a beam and fallen off the ladder. There she was sitting on the grass with tears streaming down her face. Thankfully she had not fallen on the dog poop pile that was very close by; that would have just added insult to injury. Emma was fine, but Daddy carried her in anyway just because. (I hate that I can't pick her up!) Inside we determined that she sort of slid down the curved plastic climbing ladder, which meant she avoided a serious fall and potential injuries. Whew.
We enjoyed a delicious home made pizza feast. Despite my protests that the first pizza was bland, Steve and Emma both claimed to like it. Emma's declaration made me smile. Unfortunately a poor choice involving the bracelet I asked her not to play with at the dinner table meant she didn't get dessert. A bowl of fruit took some convincing and when she said, "I'm still hungry," she had another slice of pizza. She sang some lovely made up songs while finishing up. It was very dear.
For five minutes of fun we had a jamming session. Emma gave me the tamborine, Steve got vocals since he needed his hands for doing dishes and Emma relented when he said he couldn't hold the microphone. Emma took drums and the harmonica. It was quite the sound! Then it was off to bed, off to bed. What a great day! Good night; sleep tight; I love you. Ditto.

Spring Break

Emma is on spring break this week so we are staying busy and trying not to kill each other.
Yesterday we had some errands to run that included going to the nature center to purchase a gift for Emma's cousin. While we were there we took advantage of the great spring weather and went to the pond. There was another mother there with her 3 year old and 11 month old boys. Emma and older boy were dipping with small nets and trying to catch aquatic insects. I caught them some water beetles and a damselfly nymph. Emma kept taking the containers and filling them with water and "more nature."  Emma called the dock her boat and after dipping for awhile we stretched out our legs and enjoyed the wind and scenery.
All of us decided to do a little exploring so we headed to the bridge and then beyond the "turtle station." Emma and Lian and raced up and down the hill and the drainage ditch. We saw some cool tracks and saw the sandhill crane fly over head. Emma and I stopped at turtle station and talked with Nathan (a naturalist) who showed us the cool things they had caught. We saw a water strider, water spider, and a huge predacious diving beetle! That was awesome!
Then we all went our separate ways. Emma convinced me to also buy some maple sugar candy on our way out!

Today we went back to the nature center for picnic lunch with Daddy, who met us there on his bicycle. The wind was a bit chilly, but overall it was great. Emma hid in a low-hanging tree and made Daddy horsey gallop back and forth. After Steve left, we explored the shack that was empty. Emma pretended we were coyotes; the shack was our den. She taught me how to jump and tilt my head back to howl. From there we headed down to the pond again. On the "boat" Emma watched her head shimmer in the water. The wind made her reflection wavy. We walked farther past the turtle station and saw two turtles sunning themselves. (A group of visitors also found two baby turtles that they let Emma hold. She liked that!) Emma had me do a count down for her while she raced up and down the hill.
The best part (for me) was when we picked up sticks and played Poohsticks off the bridge. Emma kept saying that the sticks were Eeyore, "What are you doing in there, Eeyore?" She was Roo and I was Rabbit or Pooh depending on the moment. Her stick (Eeyore) came out the other side first. Mine got snagged on some plants right under the side of the bridge. After that Emma tried to get me to buy more maple sugar candy; I didn't have any money. She also wanted to visit the shack again but the campers were there. So we headed home, filled with fun nature center memories!

Bad Girls

Emma has been coming home from preschool talking about a game that she plays with another girl named Charlie. It is called Bad Girls and they try to catch the older boys, Ben and Spencer. One day she even came home and used her jump rope as a gun. We very quickly redirected her and hopefully we won't see that again anytime soon!  Emma does not watch those kinds of movies at home and she never watches TV so obviously this influence is coming from the other kid(s). I guess we can't keep her sheltered forever!
At parent teacher conferences we brought the subject up and the teachers said that the one child does talk about vampires and killing bad guys and even named the Nickelodeon show that it all comes from (I can't remember the name). One teacher said she won't allow her 10 year old girl to watch the show. And there is a 4 year old who has watched it enough to encourage other children to act it out with her? Yikes!
Sometimes the nature of the game leans towards having super powers. Steve tells Emma that everyone has super powers when they be themselves. So the other night at dinner it was just Emma and I and she started telling me about how she was pretending at school to have super powers. Before I could say anything she said, "don't say what Daddy says, Mama. Don't tell me to be myself." I had to cover my mouth so she wouldn't see my smile. And then I proceeded to tell her my own version and that Daddy is a smart man who tells the truth. She gave me a "are you kidding me?" look. And then Emma said, "I told you not to tell me that!"
Emma continued with her story about how she likes to play bad girls who chase the bad boys. I asked her who plays (her and Charlie). I asked her what some of the other girls do (a few chase Preston and one girl "does nothing").  Then I asked her what Ben and Spencer do when the girls play this game. Emma said with a silly grin, "They look at me with astonishment and say 'what?'"  And yes, she did use astonishment all on her own! I was astonished!

Strawberry Shortcake cookbook

Sometime last year Nanie sent Emma a book that I had as a girl. (I was annoyed that she didn't actually send it to me but I will let that go.) It is called Strawberry Shortcake's Cooking Fun by Michael J. Smollin. Emma had us just read it to her like a storybook on a semi-regular basis. Every once in awhile she would say something about making a recipe and we would say, sure, someday.
Well, a couple weeks ago she made Daddy remember the recipes she wanted to try so he could tell me all about it.  He did and the next morning Emma checked in to make sure that Daddy had done his job. We marked the recipes with some sticky notes and I promised that we would make it happen soon. That weekend I added the necessary ingredients to the list. Sunday night we made "Berry Good Sundaes" with Neapolitan ice cream, strawberries, whipped cream, and crushed chocolate graham crackers. Emma was all smiles as she crushed the cookies into her glass.  I have to admit that I was just as excited. (I remember loving the book and dreaming about making the recipes, but I have no memories of actually using the book.) It was a magical dessert!

That week Emma helped me make "Roll-Up Sandwiches" for her lunches in two varieties: peanut butter banana and cream cheese and jelly pinwheels (cut roll-ups).  For afternoon snack we made "Apple Snackwiches" and some "Crackerwitch Castles."  It was a really fun week!

Swim lessons

Last week Emma had her first swimming lesson since last year. I didn't have enough to eat before hand so I was a little cranky, and late afternoons have Emma a little cranky, too. Watch out swimmers!  The class was similar to the previous classes, except that the kids start kicking, floating, holding onto kick bars and scooping with their arms on day one. Emma couldn't stop smiling! Except when she took a huge jump off the side and I didn't get my arms to her fast enough. Even with the waist floaties, she completely submerged before I pulled her up. Oops! She coughed a little and I swallowed the urge to coddle and went with pride instead. "Emma, you did so great! That was a huge jump! Just keep your mouth closed next time." She shook it off quickly but was very careful not to jump quite so high from then on (including today).
Today she did an amazing job of kicking and scooping. I lightly held my hands under her to gently push her back up if she needed it, but she was swimming on her own most of the time! (She did have the waist floaties on but still.) She might be part fish.
She really wanted to do everything by herself like choose a toy, grab the kick stick and the noodle. But the best part was that she can pull herself up on to the side of the pool all by herself! You could tell how proud she was of herself.

I'm the Big Sister

Our California vacation this year was awesome! We only visited family in the southern part of the state, but we enjoyed every second while we were there.
Our trip started in San Diego where we spent half a day touring San Diego Zoo. That was awesome! We saw a hippo, elephants, panda bears and lots of other animals. We met my cousin Russell and his wife Carrie for dinner at a local Italian place and stayed the nice at their beautiful house. Emma loved their cats! She kept saying that their house was more fun than our boring old house.
Back in Santa Barbara, Emma particularly enjoyed helping out down the hill in the barn with Grandma. Emma was in charge of feeding the cats and counting and collecting the eggs. She gave the daily report to Uncle Mark every evening.  After several days of watching Grandma milk the goats, Emma attempted milking Lainie, a favorite mama goat. It was really great to watch, and Emma did manage to get a tiny bit of milk in the pail.
Grandpa and Uncle Mark amused and instructed Emma on the ways of honey bees.  She eagerly shared her knowledge of the queen bee with me and pointed out the queen amongst the mass of bees inside the capped honeycomb.
Aunt Karen Anna graciously shared her American Girl dolls with Emma as well as the old bucking bronco horsey she rode as a child.  Aunt KA also instructed Emma on how to handle a dog on a leash and very quickly Daisy and Emma became fast friends. They cuddled on the couch all weekend, when they weren't playing or walking around that is. Emma was able to bunk solo in Ladybug Cottage, Aunt KA's bedroom. She loved the decor and the big girl bedroom.
Aunt Lauren, Uncle Paul and Charlie provided many hours of entertainment and hilarious moments. Emma liked watching Charlie do everything, especially take his bath.  Baby Katie took to needing a nap or her diaper changed in Charlie's room as often as possible.
G-Bugga took us all down to the breakwater where we enjoyed the fresh salt air. Daisy and Nora came down, too, and that was when Emma really lit up. We watched the surfer boys for a bit; Emma was interested in what they were trying to do.
Grandma and Grandpa took the whole gang to the Museum of Natural History, which was quite fascinating. The science explore and play area was a real hit with all ages. The "underground" tunnel with puppets and holes for popping out of was great fun for Grandpa, too. Emma said afterward that her favorite part was the tarantula.

Grandma and Grandpa also took us all (minus KA and G-Bugga) to the Sea institute (or something like that). Emma got to pet a small shark and examine lots of interesting marine animals. In-N-Out was a delicious lunch! Emma was spoiled with her own strawberry shake.  (A typical 4 year old moment must be shared so that you don't start thinking it was all smiles and joy.  Emma had taken the lid off the shake so she could dip her french fries; this was something I had shown her how to do in San Diego- my mistake!  Emma picked up the shake container and was attempting to do something with it so Uncle Paul started trying to help her since a major spill was imminent. She got angry and started trying to yank the shake away from Uncle Paul. As I opened my mouth and said Emma No (you are going to spill it)! The whole thing launched out of their hands and splatted on the floor in a huge mess. Emma cried. I tried to explain that the whole thing could have been avoided and that Uncle Paul was indeed stepping in to help. And despite my efforts to keep her from having a replacement shake, a full strawberry shake arrived promptly. Lesson learned? probably not.)

Vacation also marked the end of the first trimester. We told Emma the news that she was going to be a big sister one Sunday morning. I had made a couple of shirts that said "I'm the Big Sister" on them, but of course she refused to wear them.  So plan A of having Emma go out for breakfast wearing the shirt as a way to announce the news had not be aborted. Plan B- we got dressed and shared the news ourselves. Everyone was very excited. Emma was subdued about the whole thing.  Towards the end of the trip she started to talk a bit more about the baby, and we were cautiously optimistic that she didn't throw a tantrum when we told her.
Overall the trip was relaxing and fun. And it was wonderful for Emma to have a chance to bond with the family and be "on her own" for over a week. :)  The only major downside was the on Thursday night Emma woke up and couldn't go back to sleep due to pain in her ears. It turned out that she had a double ear infection and bronchitis! We started her on antibiotics and she was ready for the trip home.

BACK STORY:  in mid-December we found out we were expecting but wanted to wait until the 12 week mark before making any announcements, even to Emma.  Due to intense and constant morning (all day!) sickness, I failed to keep up with the blog, talk to friends, or cook home cooked meals. Consequently, there were a few times during the trip when I had to excuse myself from the dinner table and go lie down. Thankfully, Emma never noticed and nobody commented until after we spilled the beans.