Hello

Just popping on during this nap time to write a little about what Emma is up to.. Being very helpful in the kitchen (lately by picking up scraps I drop, peeling carrots) and expressing herself clearly and calmly. She makes little 'jokes' or pokes fun occasionally while we move through the day. She's so bright and interested in everything going on and SO good at vocalizing it. Such a joy to have around. 

Our Christmas tree is up and nearly fully lit with ornaments to come this weekend. Emma takes it upon herself to crawl under the bottom branches and check the water level in the basin and let me know when the tree "is thirsty" and I fill a bottle with water for her. She does a little crouching shuffle back under and carefully pours it all in. Last time when she was done one bottle she said she needed more water, and I asked if she thought the tree needed more water. She replied, "No, not more water for the tree, need more water for Emma" with a pat on her chest. And so I got her a glass of water and they drank together.

No pictures of this because Emma's often enjoying some topless time around the house, or bottomless, or both, she's two! Whatever! 

*had to come back and add a fun story emma was acting out for me yesterday :-)

Emma was using a long stick like a fishing pole and catching fish then releasing them in different parts of her room. So she'd catch one in the blue water of her rug then let it go on the ice which was the medallion in the center and say that the fish really like being on the ice. Then she stopped and looked me in the face, and said "they not biting it, they just hang on!" And she repeated it to be sure I followed her, 

so I asked "how are they hanging on?"

And she replied "they hang on with their fins!" Making a hanging gesture with her hands on either sides of her face, and I can just imagine what she must be imagining; the fish holding on to the end of the stick (also note that the stick forked off and the fish only hung onto one part, never the other part which must have had a different use) as she humanely catches and releases it. Too much, Emma 😍

Emma got a head start on hanging a few baubles which all graced the same small, low hanging branch. I wonder what will happen next?

Backtracking here, to when we picked our tree over the weekend at an upstate tree farm with MiMi and Pop Pop

Back to nap time chores..

Sleepy head.

Short stories by Emma

I thought I would collect a bunch of these short narratives Emma recites during play but honestly it has become too hard keeping up with all of them now. Her sentences just go on and on, and on (and on!). But a month ago, here are some things she was acting out. These are her own words.

--------—

I live in a hole by the sea. I sleep all winter in my nest, then I wake up. It is snowing; we have to get birdseed!

Emma looks up and sees a rook. He lands on a pillow. I put him on a leash; he's tethered. Then a horse comes and steals the rook away. 

Last night something sprung out of the bedroom. It said, "GO EMMA!" And tumbled over. 

Emma has a bite on her leg. Bug came along and bite, "Bite!" 

 "..huh?"

I'm itchy, I have to scratch! The bugs like to bite bite bite.

------

Also Emma loves comparing things sometimes relevant to what we are doing and other times completely random. 

Bubbles live in water. Snakes also live in water.

I say, Some snakes live on land.

They have to get a boat and go in the water!

In the car on the way home from NH after thanksgiving, from the back she announces "some people are tall, and,.. Some people are not tall!"

I'd better go because she's sanding Catrick

Thanksgiving snow

What a happy visit for thanksgiving we had with Patrick's side of the family. We left a night early to get ahead of the bad weather and its a good thing we did, it began snowing Wednesday morning and it picked up to cover us with a foot of snow or more. 

Here comes the snow!

And it snowed... 

Story time with Pop Pop

And it really snowed! 

The next morning we played outside, before the sun even touched the ground. Emma, in her new snowsuit loved laying on, jumping in, and sliding down the snow. Eating it was also a popular thing with her and she'd say she was an animal in a nest and the snow was her food. 

First icicle! 

Snow baby 

As soon as we got home we got right back into our snow gear and got the sleds out from the shed to have some more fun. Emma really is loving winter as an active and adventurous two-and-a-half year old!

Also big and special was Emma's connection with her Mimi and Pop pop this visit. Sometimes she would be eating a snack and decide on her own that she would bring some to Mimi and Pop pop and would immediately spin around in her chair and slide off to the floor, setting out with a handful of cracker crumbs or pieces or dry cereal while stating confidently 'Pop pop loves penguins!(crackers)' or 'Mimi will have some!' Sometimes she'd go looking for them, and if she didn't see them on the first floor of their house she'd start asking, 'where's Mimi? Where are Pop pop?'

 'Where are him?'

On our last night there (Friday) Emma gave Mimi and Pop pop both goodnight hugs and kisses. So very sweet to see our little girl knowing and loving our family outside of our little home. 

November

An evening with sugar and television.

Well, Halloween was a wonderful event for our family with pumpkin waffles for breakfast, pumpkin carving in the afternoon, a long nap (for Emma) before suiting up in our costumes and joining our friends at the party. All the girls in there costumes together was much adorable! We did a little 'treating' after but Emma wanted to head home at a reasonable hour.. ;-) 

The 'tricking' is what I experienced today.. With a little sugary sweets from Halloween and also being treated to probably an hours worth of age appropriate TV programming over the course of a day (thank you Netflix), Emma morphed into a boisterous, unruly, demanding wild child. Can I say holy s*** for the one and only time on my blog? Alright then. I'm still recovering, and she's certainly still reeling from the effects of so much stimulation because bedtime was nightmarish and she's already woken up once in a fit.

So: TV, Sugar... The daddy and I enjoy you in moderation and I like being in control of our relationship but you are just Not Right for our daughter at this time. 

Regards, 

The mommy. 

October 2014

Emma's sprung into a new big kid stage with new interests and mastering or working on skills. Extremely into helping in the kitchen or watching what I am doing; she uses her little weaning table as a standing surface so her chest is at counter height and helps peel garlic, mix batter or fill the muffin tin. She's been preparing her own snack by peeling a banana, slicing it with her butter knife, and applying peanut butter to the slices. What a rewarding activity!

Everything is a horse lately. We saw this before but especially after the Rotary Club horse show  where Emma rode an Appaloosa she has been imagining every thing is a horse. Stumps, rocks, trees, piles of leaves, our sectional sofa, pumpkins. I should compile all her horse pictures into a post! Sometimes Emma pretends she's pulling the horse along with her so we can take it with us. Other times she "scoops it" and it somehow shrinks into a palm size horse that she can carry home. Scooping items is also really big right now; characters or animals in the background of books, EVERY PLANE, the moon, anything she'd like but can't get. If there's a distressed character in a book Emma is especially concerned and will scoop it up to take care of it. 

Emma has been brushing her own teeth without being asked (she's just into it lately!) and using our Tom's fennel toothpaste. She spits as best as she can into the sink. She can get her underwear on without help, and get some pairs of shoes on and off. I think I need to give her more time to practice and build on these things or rather present her with the opportunity to instead of helping her through it. Of course, if she needs me, I'm there. 

Saying "something [else]" when I need to keep guessing what word she is saying. She told me at bedtime she used her toothbrush on "deen" .. Deen? 

-Something.

Train?

-Something.

Teen?

-Something. Deen! In bathroom sink.

She gave me a clue and Ahah, it's Drain! We do this guessing game occasionally and it always end with me thanking her for giving me the chance to figure out what she's saying. Gosh she's a great girl! (By the way, she was not using her toothbrush to clean the bathroom sink drain, she almost did but I gave her the drain brush just in time!)

Emma's also telling amazing short stories lately, but more on those next time ;-) they need a post of their own.

Emma stiring our noodles, so careful and focused 

She painted this for the moon :-)

Leaves are falling all around..

Fall is full of color, crafts and appreciation of nature as we transition into the colder months.

Yep. No shortage of Fall here. Emma is enjoying making nests in leaf piles, running through them and watching leaves drift down in the breeze. We've started eating our hot cereals for breakfast again and having a cup of tea every afternoon for a warming up. We're also rediscovering how extra cozy it is snuggling up on the couch with a few books and a blanket on a cold day. There have been some cold days (50s) both out and inside but Emma hasn't minded. A lot of the time she tells us that she wants to be cold and will protest putting on a sweater. 

Grandad and CoCos visit

Last weekend we had two special guests, Grandad and CoCo! We all had a great time at our home, their hotel, and some local spots. We've seen Emma being very adventurous and engaging with her environment in different ways, during their visit especially. Definitely moving out of her comfort zone lately. Or is it that the comfort zone has broadened? She is speaking more confidently and has a lot to say, to everyone and about everything. Sometimes she has so much she needs to say at once it comes out as the same two or three words over and over again as she struggled to remember every detail in queue, and with a lack of verbal dexterity. To me it seems like that would be frustrating, because I know Emma's comprehension is far beyond what she is able to express, but she remains the patient and calm girl we've gotten to know the past couple of years. I hope that by repeating some things she tells me she feels I'm understanding what she means and also others can better understand her. Someone else's two-year-olds voice is not always decipherable! 

Emma doesn't like being put on the spot, but if she's got an idea everything else seems to be blocked out. Like galloping down the hall to my parents suite shouting "Come on, Emma! " Same with playing on the steps of the hotel pool; she could have had a thousand viewers but she would have been so focused on her imaginary game as a sea lion or feeding the fish that she wouldn't have taken notice.

Emma having the opportunity to go swimming at the hotel in Tarrytown where my parents stayed and explore water and her own buoyancy was amazing. She was letting go of fear just enough to laugh about it but still clinging on so tight to Patrick or I, or the handrail as her body started turning horizontally. It's a little different every time we take her swimming, always an adventure!

After my parents departure Emma still has a lot to say about them. Even today seeing a plane had her informing me that Grandad and Coco were on it. Little things remind her of their visit and she states sometimes made-up facts about them, or tells me about swimming or going to Muscoot with them. The whole visit made quite an impression on Emma. 

My mom got this great shot which I love; on the way out Emma climbed up into a barstool and ordered a drink to go! A milk shaken with a cherry, on the rocks. She looks so pleased with herself, that's the big smile I live for :-)

Hello, this is fun!

Floors messy from feeding the animals. Movements larger than life. Wearing dolls in blanket carriers. Bread transforming into camels at tea time. Toddlerhood is absolutely wonderful.

Into the wild

Gearing up with fall coats, hats, sneakers, and a little green bucket we ventured through the woods behind our home and out into a hilly clearing with interesting landscape and variety of plants and wild flowers 

A little girl of Two

 A little girl delighted to have some of the chocolate covered fruit her mother received as a birthday treat. Thanks CoCo!

A little girl so excited about new shoes she couldn't take them off all afternoon

A beautiful feather overlooked by a mother but not missed by an observant little girl.

An interesting sort of beetle found by a little girl who inspects each piece of grass when she walks. 

A week of Emma Quotes

Sept 3rd: Sitting in her garden, lazily digging around. Singing to the tune of Skip to my Lou

Lost my peanut, what'll i do? Lost my peanut what'll i do? Hey, hey, didlly iii-o...

Sept 4th: After reading a few short stories, while showing me her "pouncing" on the couch

let's see some jumping!

Sept 5th: These quotes were taken by Helen, not at my request but I was so happy to receive them, it's what inspired this post! Emma spent a couple hours at Helen and Millie's home so I could work.

"Emma's working like Mama. A little brush on his coat... Make him happy. Scrub scrub scrub. He's looking good!"

"He has a tongue. He's breathing. Sneaky Pete looks happy. I'm brushing him up. He's a little dog. Sneaky Pete lay down! Emma's asking him to lay down"

"Dog, need some? Yes, dog, yes." (Walked over to play kitchen)

On the way home in the car we talked more about our morning and the dogs we worked on.

Sneaky go on couch and lay down and... Emma groom him!

Sept 6th While on a walk, getting excited about hearing our neighbor's rooster crowing and nearing their house. 

gonna SCOOP! Up the rooster, and.. THROW! Him down in the water, SPLASH!

Sept 7th: After a bite of chicken fell off her, looking down to see that it had fallen on the floor.

 Nice catch, Emma!

Sept 8th: Walking through the woods at Depew park, keeping an eye out for animals especially snakes. Emma imagines how she'd handle a snake.

 I put snake in pocket. Having lots of fun with him!

Later that day, after dinner, I say to Timber who was so excited to see deer on our walk, "what would you do if you caught that deer?"

chomp him up!

Sept 9th: After every time I gave her a big push on the swing at the playground this morning, yelling to the geese down in the field,

 SEE THAT TRICK?

Emma do lots of amazing things!

This girl is such a character. (ʃƪ˘ﻬ˘)

Eat, Play, Love

This was Emma's idea!

So busy this past week, what a whirlwind it has been! We got together with friends nearly every day since Wednesday.

We had three mother/child pairs over on Wednesday (one was a mother-child-child  actually!) for play inside then in the yard with the pool to cool off. We're really taking advantage of the hot summer weather that has snuck up on us as the season is nearing its end. This little pool which we found for free has been used nearly every day by Emma, and her friends when they are over.

Thursday was Emma's 2 year Pediatrician visit, which was very difficult for Emma. We have a kind and gentle pediatrician but Emma still has anxiety, likely anticipating the shot at the end of the visit. We are told it is not uncommon for children to have doctor anxiety at two years and the third year should be better. I'm glad we won't have to have another well visit until next year! After the appointment we did go to our new favorite ice cream shop, the blue pig which is just around the corner from her Drs office. This place is a gem. They use local dairy and pick and prepare all their ingredients and have a huge variety of flavors that changes daily. On this day Emma got Pig M&M icecream, and a scoop of peanut butter chocolate swirl for mama. So tasty!

Friday was a wonderful play at our friends Tricia's with her daughter Shea and a few other girls. At one point Emma declared she is helping Millie, then the two girls pushed a doll stroller together. When Emma stopped this game she said "Millie's turn!" And released the stroller to her. She has really been practicing sharing lately. Later in the yard Emma took it upon herself to bring the girls cups of water that were placed on a table. She makes my heart melt every time she says "He go!" (Here you go!) She also collected tennis balls and piled them in front of the family's dog Rio and would move the pile two balls at a time when Rio moved to a new place in the yard. My little caregiver! 

After play we were invited to go for MORE ice cream and is saying no to icecream something people do? We cannot, not if it's at the Blue Pig(which it was!) on a hot summer day(which it was!)!(!!) So Emma and Millie got to enjoy their treat and play while the moms chatted. I brought home a pint to have around for Daddyman who has been unable to join us on our ice cream excursions.

Saturday we had grown-up friends over, a couple from Brooklyn. It was a nice get together, they got to see our new home and how much Emma has grown. It had been a long time since we saw these friends so Emma's has changed quite a bit but she is as sweet and patient as she has always been. This is confirmed to me when they complimented her well behavior, her independence and merry manner. It goes without saying I'm Emma's #1 fan and I see all these wonderful things about her every day but when another person observes her and vocalizes to me what they see... Well I appreciate it very much!

Sunday was an easy morning at home starting with our tradition of homemade pancakes --and home made syrup to compliment them. Emma's Pop Pop (Patrick's dad) taps maple trees and boils down the sap himself. This is a time consuming process and a good amount of work from start to finish so we're thankful to have a little bit of the fruit of Pop Pops labor! So sweet and lovely, pancakes are not the same without real maple syrup. Later Sunday we went to a friends whose little girl is a year and a half. Emma and Orla played so well together, jumping and rolling on beds, sharing snacks, hugging and making each other laugh. Everyone enjoyed themselves!

We were pretty worn out by Monday morning but being Labor Day we had plans to go to a BBQ in the afternoon. It was a restful day up until then. This BBQ had a couple familiar toddlers for Emma to play with, and some new little boys as well. We hardly ever see boys! Emma concluded our visit there by getting a dance party going in the kitchen. These girls have moves! Emma and Esme exuberantly stoping their feet and jumping around was so entertaining to the audience they had attracted. It was a perfect ending.

Phew. So now it's Tuesday and I'm catching my breath as Emma naps. She has been skipping them a lot lately and this mama needed a break. Though we have no social plans today we did start the day with running around the dog park, groceries (at an unfamiliar store, that always makes it tricky!) and a pop in to the book store to return a book. We saw heavy equipment working in the parking lot on the way out and it was as good as icecream for Emma! She was so interested in this "tractor" scooping and leveling, and the sound of continuous tread on the pavement as the machine seemed to be heading toward us sent Emma running behind me. A thrilling experience! We worked up our appetites so back home I made seared tuna steaks for lunch which were incredibly tasty and quick to prepare and Emma cleared her plate so I'll be making it again in the future. 

Okay. No more typing, I will pluck away with my thumb and post the past weeks pictures as I enjoy my ice coffee, before returning to my domestic duties. Thanks for reading, all!

With love.

All Tall!

Lunch before icecream :-)

Oh gosh the best banana bread is any banana bread stil warm 

Emma leading the way to the dog park this morning.

Seared Tuna steaks

Rubbed with lemon and cooked on a preheated pan over med/high heat for 1-2 minutes each side, then covered with a sauce of soy sauce and grated ginger. Scrumptious!