Toddlerhood

Today was one of those kind of days when you wonder why anyone wouldn't love living with a toddler.

It was a reminder of how I sometimes can't put on socks adequately (thankfully Emily always can), my idea of shoes is sometimes preposterous, and my opinion on whether to go with "afro" hair or not can sometimes be unreasonable.

Although this morning was traumatizing for the Princess, we did eventually make it out the door late and shoeless. So as I dropped her off at Nanny Maure's, I threw a quick warning apology to all innocent bystanders, said a silent prayer on Nanny Maure's behalf, and headed off to work. A few hours later I received this image.

Obviously following my departure Emily continued to spread the joy.

Although I do suppose that one's outburst can always be another's unexpected treasure.

"Magic"

There are two jobs in my scope of work as a daughter and daughter-in-law.

1. Take care of the cute and adorable child they call "grand baby".

and...

2. Take lots and lots of pictures so they can see her often.

After yesterday's attempt, I've determined that I might as well try taking pictures of Bigfoot, the Lock-ness Monster, or a unicorn. Maybe then I could actually "catch" something on film.

But just for giggles, here's the photo shoot from yesterday evening. Just remember...I warned you.

If you would like to see the other 20 pictures of "magic", just let me know.

Enjoy your week!

Halloween Shenanigans

Halloween Shenanigans - noun  (\ha-lə-ˈwēn shə-ˈna-ni-gəns\)

1. spirited or mischievous activity that involves dressing up in disguise and trick-or-treating;

2. crazy fun by cutting and displaying jack-o'-lanterns

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This year we participated in lots of good Halloween fun. We started our fun by getting down and dirty with carving our first Ewing Family pumpkin. Although Emily wasn't too interested in the inside goop, she did like pretending to help her Daddy trim out the perfect jack-o'-lantern face.

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On Saturday we donned our aprons and boots and attended the church fall festival...all decked out garden gnome style. Although we might have looked the part, Emily was anything but "statue-sque", as she attempted to show everyone that running in circles, dashing through crowds, and running up and down the stairs are really the greatest form of fun.

Luckily for us, Richard and I also got to spend the time running in circles, dashing through crowds, and running up and down stairs. I'm telling you, why waste your time socializing when you can spend it working off a few calories.

As soon as she discovered the candy, Emily was hooked. Of course she had to work for each and every tasty morsel. So she fished for pumpkins and candy, played tic-tac-toe, tossed a few bean bags, and tried her luck at plinko...

All of which proved to bring lots and lots of goodies.

Of course any respectable gnome would not accept anything less than chocolate, so Emily stayed true to her refined tastes and required from everyone only the best candy. Chocolate.

How she knew which wrappers were chocolate and which wrappers weren't is beyond me, but she did.

So when our evening was over, it ended with one very full candy pail...

one very bright smile...

and one very large tantrum.



Too bad candy "Shenanigans" were never meant to be enjoyed all at once. Even if there is one very cute little gnome begging for more. 

Junk Drive Memories

Emily-in-a-Box

Emily's New BFF at Nanny Maure's-

Another Little 2 Year Old Girl. Yay! 

D-A-D-D-Y

One Daddy sized shirt taken from the clean clothes basket.

One Daddy sized toothbrush that was stolen from the bathroom.

One very happy girl that proves everyday that she is a Daddy's Girl.

The Epic Struggle

Junk Drive Memories

 

At Nanny Maure's - giving her a run for her money.

Practicing her "Big Sister" skills

 

Sneaking some chocolate

 

Water anyone? 

Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

As usual Emily was grumpy this afternoon when we got home from church. She was hungry and although I plugged her full of peanut butter crackers on the ride home, she was apparently dying of starvation and was therefore going to whimper, whine, scream, and throw fits throughout the entire house.

Although I would like to think my solution of a timeout was effective, it was actually Richard's solution that was the most powerful at pacifying the Drama Queen...

He grabbed her big, plastic diamond heart ring off of the ottoman and in one quick motion took her hand and placed the ring on her finger...

Instantly the ring brought joy to her life, a sparkle to her eye, and a giggle that filled the room.

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I guess diamonds really must be a girl's best friend. No matter how young or old the girl may be.

Use #562 for Electrical Tape

After 5 times of Emily graciously volunteering to remove her own diaper, Richard and I decided to take matters in our own hands.

Luckily for us, the rest of the evening was "streaker" free.

Lions...Tigers...and Gremlins...OH MY!

I walked into the living room this morning to find...

Last night's left over candy from our date night at the movies.

And...

...one very happy two-and-a-half foot tall gremlin eating it.

Poopy Clouds and Silver Linings

Is it possible to have pride in a catastrophe that surpasses most levels of grossness?

Yes, yes it is possible. In fact, I will prove it.

It all started at 1:30 p.m., Sunday. It was a no-good-horrible kind of day. Sacrament Meeting ended with crying, lunch was starting with screaming, and I was quickly heading for my 2nd timeout of the day (let's not discuss what number Emily was on). Nap time was necessary and both Richard and I had our sights set on achieving it.

1:45 p.m. - Lunch was finished and Emily's face and hands were washed. We appeared to be happy, so I seized the moment and proceeded with nap time. My initial plan was to re-dress her, but today I was feeling lazy. After all, what could be the harm of her going to sleep without any clothes on (I know, what was I thinking).

2:00 p.m. - You can still hear talking in her room. Nap time is obviously going good.

2:30 p.m. - There is finally silence. Yay!

2:35 p.m. - A foggy stench starts to engulf the house. While Richard goes to investigate, I lay on the couch unmotivated to move, basking in the excitement of my soon-to-be nap.

2:36 p.m. - I am summoned to her bedroom where I find an open toilet (her potty chair is currently in her bedroom serving as a stool to her bed), an open diaper, and a bare naked child sleeping on her freshly washed bed.

Oh yes, it was a moment worth remembering and it was a moment worth being excited over. We just couldn't help but be proud as we looked down to find her tiny attempt at putting her own poop into it's proper place. The toilet. Yes, Emily expertly attempted to remove her poop from her diaper and placed it into her very own toilet. The only problem was she didn't have the proper tools or knowledge necessary to complete the job (i.e. clean up), and therefore decided that reading books and climbing all over her bed seemed like logical post-extraction activities. I would have disagreed.

2:37 p.m. - We realized that nap time was over for us and over for the cute bundle of poopy mess lying before us. In it's stead was hosing down body parts and hair, wiping off books, gathering up bedding, and cleaning up furniture and carpet.

3:00 p.m. - Our checklist was assessed for the last time.

Room cleaned. Check.
Stench gone. Check.
Lesson learned. Check.
Extreme pride. Double Check!
Nap time. Only in our dreams...

B is for Blanket...Bedtime...and Birthday Gift Too

Why is everyone so happy?

Well, there's a new blanket in the house and it's perfect for...

Jumping up and down on...

Even walking and running on...

 It's everything a little girl who LOVES letters could ever wish for in a blanket...

And it was well worth waiting for until Grannie Annie and Papaw could come into town.

The Greatest Family Home Evening Cookies

How does one make perfect cookies for Family Home Evening?

Tip #1: For perfectly puffy cookies, use shortening instead of butter.

Tip #2: Always mix "wet" ingredients separately from the "dry" ingredients.

 

Tip #3: Stir...stir...stir...

Tip #4: Large Chocolate Chips are the best.

 

Tip #5: Always congratulate yourself for a job well done by saying a hearty "Alright!" Just don't forget to follow the cheer with a good taste testing!



Tip #6: Enjoy!!

Little Stinker Alert!

Conversation between Emily and I at bedtime.

Emily (just tucked in, touches me as I lean in to kiss her goodnight): "Pretty..."
Me (smiling, feeling really loved): "Ahh, you think I am pretty?"
Emily: "Nooooooo"
Me: "Nooooo???!"
Emily (smiling from ear to ear): "Nooooooo..."

Cooking With Emily

Emily is quite the chef in our house. In fact, she LOVES to help make all kinds of goodies in the kitchen.

She just doesn't always like what she makes...

Happy Birthday Miss Fuss Fuss!!

Emily Loves:

• Anything with a screw top, including milk jugs and soda bottles.
• Eating pizza rolls, mac and cheese, chips and salsa, oatmeal bars, bananas (or as she calls them "anana") waffle fries, cookies, candy and gummies.
• Having her drink filled with ice.
• Play talking on the phone.
• Playing or "inspecting" each and every diaper that enters the house.
• Putting on girly stuff like nail polish, make-up, and lip gloss. 

Emily is a true Busy Body. She is constantly in motion and is always curious about everything (especially if it is in your hand). She loves to spell words and loves anything to do with letters. She is proud of her name and will gladly tell you what it is (just don't be surprised when she ends it with "YAY!"). Besides the ABC song and the "Emily" name song, she loves Teach Me to Walk in the Light and enjoys singing the chorus in church, in the car, and throughout the house.

She's often a mess with her wild crazy hair, dramatic personality, and never-ending energy, but you can't help but smile as soon as you see her light up and tell you "Hi!".

Happy Birthday Sweetie! We love you!!

The Party Diva

The Party Diva's Rules for a Successful Birthday Party

Rule #1: Guests are ultra important. Without them you don't have a party. Be sure to not only entertain them with games, but it is also best to socialize.

Rule #2: Must have cake. Dessert is where it's at, so having cake balls in the shape of ice cream cones are great. However, you should always taste test the cake before your guests. Therefore, it is your duty to take opportunities while Mom and Dad are busy to climb up on the table to steal a couple of bites. After all, you don't want your guests to get sick.

Emily's face lit up when we started singing the Happy Birthday song.

Rule #3: The party surrounds you...so take advantage of it. Those presents on the table, they're yours. So open them when you want to. No one around? Oh well, they should know to always be prepared.

Grandma and Grandpa Gates and Uncle Jonathan's gift -

All the beauty products a Princess could need.

Necklaces, play nail polish, makeup, and even a blow dryer.

Emily's gift from Aunt Sandra, Uncle Grant, and cousins -

fruit and veggies that you can pull apart.



Rule #4: Make friends with those guests that have "the goods".

Emily sneaking some of Daddy's chips

Emily sneaking some of Aunt Sandra's M&M's



Rule #5: Remember that you are the diva.

Emily posing with her nail polish

Emily and Grandma reading her card together