Oh Ducky, My Ducky

Emma has a few toys that she absolutely loves.  Seahorse helped to calm Emma during her first few months.  Then we transitioned to Elephant who has always remained a favorite as well as Oh Man.  Recently Ducky has entered the scene and Emma can't get enough of him. 

Last weekend, Emma was seen throwing Ducky off the side of the couch to see how he landed.  As soon as she saw him on the floor, she would screech loudly and smile.  Mommy would then bring Ducky back to the drop off point and Emma would begin her experiment again.  Who knew that Duckies liked to bungee jump from couches.  Perhaps Emma should start her own bungee jumping business. 

 

All set!   Mommy and Daddy are you ready for my amazing trick?

 

First I need to give Ducky and good-bye kiss....Then PLOP!  I drop him over the edge

 

 

After I locate him on the floor, he magically comes back up to the couch to do it all over again

You're the best Ducky!!

To the Children's Museum We Go

Over MEA break, Emma visited the Children's Museum with Mommy and Carolyn.  Emma loved the room with the water tubes and bubbles.  She also liked the short turtle presentation, where she did a turtle dance.  Perhaps hanging out in the toddler pond with a little boy who was around her age was one of the highlights of the trip.  She is definitely going to be a go getter.  She was already trying to hold hands with the little boy and putting out her big smile when he looked at her. 

Overall, she paid most attention to the gears exhibit.  The gears were attached to a magnetic wall and you could move the gears to different positions and then see how they worked.  Too bad Mommy brought the camera on a low battery.  We only got one picture with the gigantic building blocks.  We will have to go back as soon as Emma can walk and crawl on her own. 

Emma is trying to start a new fashion trend with one pant leg up and one down

The Wrong Pumpkin

On Sunday, Emma decided that it was necessary to visit the pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkin (well mommy might have had a little pull in the deal too).  When we arrived at the patch, Emma had fallen asleep.  It was a challenge to get her into the carrier but a good thing we brought it.  The Pine tree Apple Orchard is very hilly and it would have been quite a challenge to take a stroller to the pumpkin fields. 

Brr...It is chilly out here!

Mommy and Emma

When we reached the field, daddy found a great pumpkin.  We took a picture with it, however, it wasn't the final pumpkin we picked out.  Emma decided there was a much better pumpkin further down the field.  When weighed, this pumpkin will be just about the same weight she is on Halloween.  What a smart little girl!

The picture with the wrong pumpkin.

After we picked out the pumpkin, we checked out the apple exhibit and purchased some apples for home.  It was a bit chilly outside, so we decided to enjoy the pumpkin from our cozy kitchen.  Emma loved exploring the pumpkin while we sat and ate lunch at the kitchen table.  Emma also had her first experience trying out her high chair and sippy cup.  Emma is definitely a master with kitchen utensils.  Although no water was in the cup, she had a fun time practicing how to properly hold the cup.

 

Can pumpkins be used as bongo drums?

 

 Wow, this pumpkin is the size of me.

  The stem is definitely the best part of this pumpkin!

Even when I'm sick, some things are just too funny!

Emma has had a small fever and a runny nose (I call it a case of the oogie boogies) for the last few days, and sometimes it hard for her to breathe through her nose.  But every now and then, she becomes spontaneously happy and really surprises us.  Following you will see a video of Emma laughing her head off at Erin.

My ExerSaucer MEGA Active Learning Center

Now that I am 4 months old, I can play in my ExerSaucer!  I love to practice standing up and reaching for really neat things.  Myfavorite parts are the spinny toys, and making the circus music play of course.  I also love to rotate myself around and around.  Who could ask for anything more?

Drooling and grabbing, oh heavenly delight! 

Blue ponies are awesome!!!

The Relatives Came

This weekend Emma celebrated her baptism at St. Odilia's Church.  Prior to the baptism, Dan's family came from Milwaukee to spend some time with Emma.  On Friday, grandpa and grandma picked up Emma early from daycare.  They spent some quality time on their own with Emma before Mommy and Daddy arrived home.

I am having so much fun with Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bruce! 

On Saturday, Emma had her first experience at an apple orchard.  Daddy, Mommy, Grandma Jan and Grandpa Bruce took Emma to pick apples.  It was pretty hot and sunny so we didn't last too long.  However, Emma did have an encounter with a goat before the trip was finished.  Mommy thinks the goat wanted to get at Emma because her toes looked like little corn kernels.

What is that you say?

Fingers are great teething tools.

Daddy is so silly!

I never thought of it that way...

On Sunday, Emma prepared for the big baptismal event by listening to Daddy and Uncle Mike making weird noises with their mouths.  Emma loves bird calls, squeaks and buzzing types of sounds.  Carolyn and Mommy drove Emma to the church where all the relatives greeted her.  Emma wore three layers of baptismal gowns that were made by one of her great-great grandmothers from Mommy's side of the family.

 I know you all are really into this dress but I would just like to have my bottle.

 Are we almost done with this layering thing?

Nobody told me it was bath time.

During the mass, Emma paid close attention to everything that was being said.  She also let out a loud burp when the special oil was placed on her forehead.  

Some Days...

Emma will need to forgive me for ranting a little bit here.  The impetus for all of this was my need to procure a social security card for Emma.  The hospital was supposed to order one, but somehow we never received the card in the mail.

So I walked over to the Social Security office on Chicago Avenue, about 15 minutes from where I work in downtown Minneapolis.  Some days you just have to hate the government.  To start, the building itself is miserable looking.  It looks exactly like what it is - a place for the government to submit it's citizens to the humiliation of needing their approval to live your life.  I had to wait 30 minutes to even get into the building due to security checks.  Some woman seemed to have backed all of her belongings into a suitcase, and brought that with her into the building.  I can only guess why.  At least she wasn't planning to blow up the place.

Be that as it may, the most depressing aspect of the experience was observing the people both in the building and on my walk to and from it.  People with defeated faces, who glance as you walk by and silently say that all hope is lost, nothing matters, I may as well be dead.  People who have been tossed aside and disregarded from the day they were born.  I wonder what horrible things have happened in their lives to produce such an effect.  Sadly, just giving them money to live won't fix anything - for one thing, life isn't so great for them, and money won't fix the root causes of their misery.  It will buy food, drugs, booze, and whatever else they need to endure they day.

At the office I think you see a true cross-section of current American life.  You realize that life really blows for a lot of people.  There are a lot more desperate people than those who are not.  Who can blame them for not trying, getting into trouble with the law, not caring about anything?  For some it looks like all they can manage is to make it until tomorrow.  I truly wonder about all of the laws and regulations the government has in place, and how they have affected people over the centuries.  To what degree is the government to blame for all of our problems?  Can they really fix them in our current political environment?  Or are they merely perpetuating their own political existence, oblivious to the lives of ordinary people?  How bad do things need to get before they actually address our problems?

So Emma, one day you will see these things, and maybe you will understand, and maybe you won't.  I hope that we live in a more civilized place when that time comes for you to learn about the true nature of our society.