Tired Yet?

 Emma is Quite a Climber These Days

 

How excited can one possibly get?

 

          

 Emma loves to go down the slide at the park as well as play a game of peek-a-boo

Great Grandma and Emma

 

                                  Tired beyond words                                    

Night at the Museum

Last night Emma, Mommy and Daddy were invited to a special Science Museum event for volunteers.  Mommy's friend Carolyn volunteers at the museum and brought Emma as a special guest.  When we arrived, Emma watched a man making balloon creatures.  She also tried to get her face painted, but realized that she didn't really like the process.  She had a flower painted on her leg instead.

Besides body art, Emma made a sailboat that she raced across the floor, tried out some mini-golf and listened to a presentation about the Fire Triangle.  Perhaps the favorite activity of the night was seeing the dinosaur exhibit with Daddy and playing on the musical stairs.  Although we had fun, Mommy and Daddy decided that the Science Museum is probably not the best choice for Emma until she is quite a bit older.  We'll stick with the Children's Museum for the next few years.

Emma playing on the musical stairs

Swinging at the Park

Emma went to the park tonight with Mommy and Daddy. I tried inserting the video of her swinging, but it didn't work. But we do have a picture of Emma and Mommy by the waterfall, which was pretty cool.

Talking up a Storm

Emma has discovered this past week that her words are very powerful.  She has said more recognizable words than we have heard her say in a long time.  She even copies Mommy when she sings songs.  The buzz words for this week are "yah," "no," "dada," "mama," "Alliiiii," "up," "down," "diaper," "duck," "bunny," "doggy," "done," "hi," "bye-bye," "uh-oh" and "all gone."  Besides words, Emma is really into making choices for herself.  She likes to pick out her own outfit and her own breakfast foods.

Hide and seek is definitely a favorite game.  Mommy just wishes that Alli would stop giving away her hiding spots.  Our game usually takes the form of Mommy running around a corner, Alli chasing after her and standing right next to the hiding spot while Emma is hot on the trail.  Yesterday, Emma learned how to use the salad tongs to pick up her big puff balls.  Mommy was really impressed as she watched Emma figure out how to open and close the tongs.  The best part was watching her figure out how to keep them closed after she had her object captured.

Emma still believes that crayons are part of a balanced meal, not something you draw with so we will keep working on that concept in the coming weeks.  Another skill we will continue to improve is Emma's ability to walk up the stairs instead of crawl.  Yesterday she discovered that she could hold onto the railing and make her way up without falling into crawl mode.

I'm hiding!

Emma's Day at the Farm

 Emma spent her Saturday at her Aunt Beth and Uncle Lee's farm in Hokah, Minnesota. They have 600 acres of farmland, prairie, and forest. Emma's car ride down to the farm started off ok, as she took a nap. When she woke up, we stopped at a gas station to walk around and look at Amish gifts. Emma chewed on all of the moose stuffed animals in the process. Once we got back in the car, though, she decided to scream and cry. She pretty much did that for the last hour of the ride. It was even harder to bear when Daddy's 4G coverage disappeared, and he had to follow the street signs and guess as to how to arrive at the farm!

Once we finally arrived, Emma calmed down and put on her best smile to greet all of her relatives. She met Beth, Lee, and her cousins Savannah and Jeremy, for the first time. They instantly became her new best friends. Plus, Emma got to catch up with Uncle Mike and Grandma and Grandpa Maas. She loved all of the toys that they had at the farmhouse.

Soon it was time to go to lunch, and we went to the local cafe on the main street. There wasn't any seating for such a large party, but the customers were very nice and the moved to the bar so that Emma's party could sit at the booths. Emma ate her fruit and veggies, but she decided that turkey was best for throwing. She also got to try some delicious cinnamon rolls.

After lunch, it was time to go back to the farm and play outside. Emma romped all over the yard as she took turns playing with Savannah, Jeremy, Mike , and Grandpa and Grandma. Daddy took a few turns driving the ATV up and down the hills. Emma was really jealous, but she knew she was too little to ride on such a vehicle. The hills are beautiful, and at the top of them you can see all of the other hills and the Mississippi River valley. We also drove up to the cabin of Beth and Lee's friend Janice. It has no running water and no electricity, but it has one of the best and most peaceful views in the entire world. It would make a great getaway for anyone willing to rough a little bit.

Soon it was time for dinner, and we ate corn and beans and veggies made by Beth, and brats, hotdogs, and chicken grilled by Mike. For dessert we had an apple crumble made by Beth's (sister? cousin?). Emma ate her normal dinner, then she has some brats and chicken, then she even had some crumble and ice cream. All the time, Emma got so much attention from everyone, even the puppy!

Finally, with no napping at all in the afternoon, Emma was simply worn out. We got in the car and said our goodbyes. Eveyone was sad to see Emma leave. Daddy thought Beth was going to try to keep Emma for good! Once we drove off, Emma fell asleep, and stayed asleep for the entire car ride home. At the point, Daddy went immediately to bed. It had been a really fun day!