children

So for Emma’s birthday, I made a special trip with her this evening just the two of us to paint pottery.  She’s never done it before and with all the painting she has been doing lately, I felt like it was a perfect treat.  Turns out it was an expensive treat, but it was a great time.

I thought the plan was for me to do my own mug while she painted a mug for Scott.  So we pick those two things out and Emma said, "Wait!  I have to pick out my thing now."  Apparently in her head she was doing one for her daddy right after she did one for herself.  So she decided on a ice cream cone.  Yeah, go figure that one.  While she was doing those, she spotted a puppy dog that she HAD to do for Lexi because Lexi was the only one left out.  Remember that point I made in her 5 year old letter about always make sure everyone was included and also watching over little sissy?  Yeah, so I couldn’t tell her no. So she ended painting three(!) things there.  I’m such a pushover.  Mom stopped by for a minute on her way home and snapped a picture of us working away on my mug and her ice cream cone.

Emma was VERY serious about the whole thing and did not want my help a bit.  That is an orange dog of course because Lexi’s favorite color is orange.

And poor daddy is getting a mug covered in roses.  I tried to talk her out of it but she was insistent.

And here’s moi’s masterpiece.  It’s going to be blue and brown if you can’t tell.  The swirls wrap around the cup.  It’s a little shaky but I liked the concept.

Please don’t give me a hard time about a 3 and 5 year old getting their nails done.  It was cute and they loved every minute of it.  I was only going to get Emma’s done today but the way it ended up, I had to take Lexi too so you know I just couldn’t have one done and not the other.  But aren’t those chubby little fingers so cute orange?

Today you are 5.  You didn’t seem happy this morning when I tried to make a big deal about your birthday.  No!  You protested.  But then I told your daddy in front of you that you didn’t want your birthday and we shouldn’t give you your presents and and we shouldn’t take you to get your nails painted or to the special place I have planned for you.  And then you were ok with it being your birthday.  I know that was just your shy nature coming through.  Just like Mommy.  Not too much attention on just you.  You still get shy in front of people.  Even people you’ve seen several times.  You usually hide behind me or look at the ground when someone speaks to you.  I keep telling you it’s only polite to respond.  You’ll get it one day.  Mommy did.  And look out to the people you trust well.  You don’t quit talking.

Your favorites have changed even in this past year.  You still like your computer games but your passion seems to be art.  You love to paint especially.  And you love to make things for other people.  I think you may have gotten a creative gene or two from Grandma.  You love to learn.  You know how to write your alphabet and your name and Lexi’s name now although you always ask if Lexi’s name ends with an I or Y.  You are starting to sound out words and can tell me what letter they start with usually.  And we’re working on learning to read!  You can sound out some words in our "reading book". 

You’re not so much a fan of math though.  Counting and adding and subtracting don’t seem to enthrall you nearly as much.  The other day I think I heard you count to 39 and then got stuck until I reminded you that 40 came next.

You have some TV favorites right now although recently we haven’t been watching nearly as much.  But you get excited when you see LazyTown, Max and Ruby, Little Bear or Little Bill on Noggin.  And you can finally figure out Blue’s Clues on your own.

If I were to guess what meal you might pick to eat tonight, it would probably have mashed potatoes and gravy, maybe roast–you just call it "meat", and lots of bread and butter.  And of course a Peppermint Patty or pink ice cream to finish the meal off.  Oh boy and root beer to drink!  Maybe even some Starbuck’s with that dessert 😉

You are such a kind-hearted little girl.  You are like a mother to your little sister.  Always making sure she’s doing the right thing.  You give to her and everyone else until Mommy has to remind you to take care of yourself a little.  Your name, Emma Grace meaning full of grace, is in full swing.  And I’m so proud of you for that.  You are a joy to me and your daddy.  You are a joy to everyone you meet.  You bring life to a room and nothing is ever dull when you are around.  You are the leader when there are a group of kids and you make sure everyone has a part. I hope you know how many people love you.  I love you so much I’m just not sure I can explain it.  And I hope you know how much Jesus loves you.  Much more than I ever could.  He has special plans for you and I can’t wait to see what it is.

You have blessed our lives these past five years and I’m so, so grateful I get to be your mommy.  I love you, my little Emma.

Two things that the girls said today that made me laugh…one from each.

When Emma has trouble saying words, I have her look at my lips and repeat the word and that seems to help.  Lexi really wanted us to hear what she wanted to do when she got home and I guess got really confused on that phrase and says, “Mommy!  Emma! Look at my ears!  I want to get water when I get home and then go to bed.”

As for Emma’s funny comment…the girls had been put to bed but they kept playing.  I went in to check on them and re-tuck them in but Emma  was half sitting up with her head leaned back on the pillow.

Me: Emma, get your head off the headboard and lay down and go to sleep.

Emma (in her 12 year old voice): Uh, it’s a headboard so aren’t you supposed to put your head on it?

I couldn’t hide my laugh.

99% of the time, we have the two screen DVD player playing in our van for the kids.  And they like to change DVDs often.  It’s a pain and if we’re anywhere in a 5 mile radius of home I just say, "We’re almost home and you won’t have enough time to start anything else.  We’ll pick a DVD next time we’re in the van."  To date, that seems to work.

Today I picked up the girls and S from preschool.  S wanted to work the remote which Emma is normally the controller of.  In fact, when we get in the van, one of her first questions is usually, "Where’s my remote?"  So when S wanted to use the remote today about 2 minutes into our ride home, Emma says, "We’re almost home.  I’ll have to do it for now."

This will probably conclude our potty training tales for now.  Lexi seems to have been potty trained in less than a week. She’s had no accidents.  She woke me up again this morning to go and only woke me up because she couldn’t pull down her pull up like she does her panties.  She has gone by herself several times.  She went while we were out shopping at almost every store.  In fact in two stores, she asked to go twice.  She’s done fine at school, overnight, at family’s houses, in stores, at home.  I’m not sure we have any other hurdles to cross anymore except for #2.  So until she does all that and we all do the potty dance for her, I won’t mention potty training again.  For all of you that still need to do it…You can do it!!  If we can do it, anybody can!!

I can’t help but post on how well they’re doing!

When Lexi got up this morning, she was dry and did not want to go potty.  She insisted she wanted to use the potty at school.  Same for Emma.  So I crossed my fingers and flew to the school.  I walked them in and notified the teacher that she had been potty trained while she had been out sick this week and she hadn’t been this morning so be on the look-out. 

When I went to pick them up I was thinking, if she’s in the extra outfit I sent, then I know it didn’t go well.  And sure enough, she came running out in the outfit I put her in this morning.  Yay!  I happened to walk by her other teacher and she said she went twice at school today.  Yay!

We stopped at Taco Bell on the way home and she tried to go there but didn’t.  We got home not too long ago and I hear, "Emma, I peed  I peed!"  I flew to the hallway hoping that didn’t mean she had done it in the floor somewhere.  But sure enough, she had done the whole deed by herself in the potty!!  Double, triple yay!!