Almost Over

Emma likes to lick the top of Zack's head when she's on his shoulders.

 

Zack shocked me this morning by letting me know that this next week is his last week of research rotation.  I would have sworn (which teaches me not to swear) that he told me he has until the END of February in research... not the beginning!  Sigh... Our last easy month is almost over and we begin a grueling set of future months in tough rotations.  Just in time for a new baby!

 

Yesterday we ran some errands together and were able to let Emma play at the mall for a while at their playground.  She had fun with Papa there, as he helps her climb up onto the big teddy bear they have.  What lucky ladies we are to have him with us!

Snow Bunny

We're back to winter here in Kentucky.  It is BEAUTIFUL!  It started snowing last night and our county got 5.0" of snow overnight.  It's still warm here- in the 30s, so the snow melted quickly down to a thin layer of smush, but this morning it was fluffy and beautiful and the trees were coated in snow.  We loved it!  We took Emma out to play in the snow and it lasted all of about 90 seconds before she started crying (the I'm not getting what I want cry) and wanted to go inside.  I think that she'd like to play in it, but we've reached a time in her life (which I am certain will last from now until, oh, age 19 or so) where if I want her to do something she wants to do the opposite. 

Summer in January

Bubbles!

 

I fear that I'm getting weak the longer we are here in Kentucky.  It's January and our days have been sunny and firmly in the 50s.  50s! It even reached 60 this week.  I must admit that I enjoy the warm weather.  It makes it so easy to go to the park when it is warm and I don't have to bundle Emma up so heavily.  I'm sure that I'll be reminded of why I love the cooler north once summer hits and it's hot hot hot though. 
Emma has had a busy few days!  We went to a birthday party on Sunday (which I wrote about, I think), MawMaw left on Monday, we had storytime on Tuesday and today we hosted playgroup at our house.  We've been busy bees!

My Hat's Off To You

Emma actually wore her hat for a little while at storytime before she tossed it off.  Too too cute.

Hello- I am an advertisement for Karen Katz books!

This weekend MawMaw came for a visit.  It was FABULOUS!  As usual, our trip flew by way too quickly.  We were able to eat some delicious foods and enjoy some wonderful visiting time.  Mom, Emma and I went to the mall on Saturday to do a little shopping and to eat at the food court for lunch.  Emma had a smoothie from a stand and LOVED it.  At the end of our mall trip we took her to the playground for some running time and there was the most awful grandma (at least I think it was grandma and not mama) there.  We are sitting there watching Emma play and a little boy comes up and pushes her down.  She turns and glares at him.  At this point I'm standing up and walking over there just to mediate, if need be, and I tell her, "Good glare, Emma!"  Emma stands up and the little boy pushes her AGAIN at which point I hold my finger (pointer finger) up to him and give a VERY firm, "NO!".  Then the little shit tries to strangle Emma at which point I take Emma and turn to him, wagging my finger emphatically and saying, "DON'T YOU DARE!!!!"  Grandma (who is mom's age- not a granny by any means) doesn't say a word and just takes him away.  I'm sorry, but had Emma tried to push or heaven forbid strangle a child I would've given her what for and she would've been done at the playground and my extreme apology given to the other mother.  Needless to say, I followed Emma closely around the playground from there until the little boy left.   Bad boy.  BAD BAD BAD parenting/guardianship old lady.  Toddler fighting may be a sport in your country- but not in mine and NOT with my child.  Tell your little brat to behave himself.

Zack and I tried to go on a date Saturday night.  We went to a new restaurant with Emma and Mawmaw for dinner (which was delicious!).  It was a local smokehouse and they completely sold out of all of their meat while we were there.  Yummmmmm.  Then Zack and I dropped Mawmaw and Emma off at home and went to go to an 8:30 movie to see American Sniper.  It was sold out and the next movie wasn't until 10pm.  So we tried to go get a yogurt at Orange Leaf.  We get there and there is no seating and it's filled with noisy kids.  I'm not wanting to stand and eat and also don't want to go somewhere on a date that I could easily take Emma anytime.  Next we go to a restaurant called "The Pub" to get some drinks and just talk and relax together.  We walk in, the hostess takes us to a table and I am getting ready to heft my big ol' pregnant belly up into the raised seat when a waitress hustles over, whispers to the hostess who then comes to unceremoniously evict us from our table, saying it's reserved.  There are no other tables.  We leave.  I start crying.  We go home early to a startled MawMaw who doesn't expect us home for a long time yet.  Sigh... That date was an epic fail.  All I wanted was to do something fun and adult without Emma and it was an abysmal failure.  We'll try again in a month.  By that time when MawMaw comes for another visit the movie shouldn't be sold out and I'll get reservations for drinks afterwards.  We'll do both to make up for this one not working.  Sigh...

Little Dare Devil

Yesterday Emma and I went to our second dance class.  It resumed again for the winter/spring semester and we had so much fun!  She should be able to begin her first big girl dance classes this summer.  She's growing up so fast!

Today we went back to a church that is down the road from us.  I put Emma into their kids play area during the sermon and kept her with me for worship.  It was a BIG step for me.  We have been there before, but it was still hard giving her to someone I don't know to watch over her.  They have a pager system to contact you if they need to, but my pager never went off, which was good.  Apparently she cried a little right after I left and then played the rest of the time.  They said she did really well and she looked happy when I got her back.  That was tough for me! It'll get easier and easier I'm sure.  I am going to try one more church next week to see how that goes.  It's tough not being able to find that perfect church home fit.

Yesterday Emma also crawled up onto the couch for the first time.  She did it the first time in the morning with me and crawled back off beautifully- turned onto her tummy and went feet first.  Then last night when Zack gets home she becomes a little dare devil and decides to go headfirst off of the sofa twice- face planting and then flipping onto her back from there.  DANGEROUS and painful, I'm sure!  It made me nervous thinking she injured herself, but after a little cry she hopped back up and went back to her business like a tough little champ (it doesn't make it any less scary for mama, though!). 

Story Time Resumes

 

During bubble time Emma was having a good time bending down to pop the bubbles.  One of the ladies there (a nice grandma who brings her grandbaby each week) caught a few on her hand and offered them to Emma. It was adorable to see how timid she was about going up to her to pop the bubbles in her hand and to see the happiness afterward.  She even danced a little to the music before running off.  What a cutie!

 

Emma and I began our week with a great start- resuming story time at the library!  Monday she was a bit nonchalant about being there, but when we went on Tuesday (to her favorite class- the teacher is different daily) she had a blast.  We borrowed lots of Valentine's Day books from the library plus some old favorites and really had a good time.  She's such a sweet blessing in my life.