December 12, 2008

Look, I am writing twice in one week!

Emma is so funny I figured I better tell about our shopping trip and her spending the night before I forget.

Emma spent the night with me on Tuesday. She had so much fun, playing and just being silly. It has been a while so she was not willing to settle down to easy and it was midnight by the time we got to sleep. She is getting a bit independent and will lay down in the bedroom with a movie without me…well between coming out to tell me something over and over. She is also hard to sleep with, I think she spent most of the night laying across the bed so between her and the dog, my queen size bed seems pretty small!

Wednesday my mom woke us up at 8am to see if we wanted to go to Rapid City shopping. We are always up for a good shopping trip and Emma was excited to go. She wakes up so sweet and cute and so happy. It took us a while to get going but we headed out around 10. Brianna and Emma in the back seat, little did they know how squished they will be coming home.
Emma was so good shopping. She wanted a Elmo book she seen. It is called “where is Elmo’s blanket?” We looked inside and I said “oh look Elmo’s room is messy.” She said “Elmo.. Messy room!” and so that is what the book is now called. I asked her if Emma’s room is messy and she said “yes” so I asked what she is going to do about it and she said “clean”. Smart girl, now maybe she can clean my house too!

We were going through the preteen section at Gordmans when she seen the training bras. She got excited when she seen a monkey on one and yelled out “Ohhh! Monkey Boobs!” Everyone around thought that was funny. She is so fun.

We ate at the Olive Garden for lunch. She has a great time with the black olives and they always bring her lots. We had a wonderful waiter that Emma thought was funny but as long as he didn’t try to touch her. At the end he brought us each an andies mint. I keep some of these in my fridge for Emma when she goes potty in the potty chair. She opened her mint and excitedly exclaimed “Potty Candy!!” which really had Grandma Mert laughing.

That night Emma called me on the phone. Brianna showed her what button to push to dial me with the speed dial. She called and kept telling me “Elmo messy room”. It took me a few times to understand what she was saying. She had left the book at my house and she wanted it. I asked Kevin if he wanted to run it over or should I and he said since he hadn’t seen her, he wanted too. I sent her blanket with him since she had also left that here. Seconds after he left I get another phone call from Emma, this time Brianna didn’t know she was calling me. She got ahold of her mommas phone and remembered which button to push. She said “mommy, Elmo messy room?” she calls me mommy and Brianna Momma. I said “yes, papa is bringing over to you, he already left.” and she said “thank you” and hung up. So sweet and polite.

Tonight we went to see the Parade of Lights. Emma was really enjoying that, especially the fire truck and the fire works. She calls the fire works “Pop-pops”. I guess that is what they do though. She was really excited to see Santa in the parade also! They all went to the chili feed afterwards but I came home. I wonder if she got to see Santa there too.
Soon it will be Christmas and I will have loads more to write. Tomorrow is cookie decorating at the courthouse, that should be fun also.

Oh, I almost forgot. When she was spending the night she was so funny. Tara went to the living room window and barked at someone going by. Emma ran up and stood on the step stool I keep there for her and she started barking at people too! She also got a big kick out of the penguins. She was so crazy about it that first Christmas, still loves it. She was dancing with Mickey mouse to it.
She also had to get pictures of Cocoa who loves laying on the wrapping paper rolls. She took a couple pictures of her then wanted me to take one of her… but she wouldn’t get close to Cocoa for the picture. I almost couldn’t take the picture, I was laughing so hard.

Emma with the stockings

Emma decorating the Christmas tree

December 6, 2008

It has been a month since I wrote in this last, how neglectful of me! Especially with Emma growing and changing so fast.
Emma is getting to be pretty vocal and knows she runs the show pretty much. She might throw fits for her mom and dad some, but she is always very good for Grandma and papa. She is always so fun and keeps us laughing.
Emma still is into the Happy Birthday stage and anytime she sees any candles lit she wants to sing “happy birthday” and blow out the candles. They don’t have to be birthday candles, they can be house hold decorative candles, restaurant candles or if there candles lit in craft shows or stores everyone around gets a personal concert of Emma singing “Happy Birthday” to anyone one she can name from Papa to Tara the dog.
I have been doing a lot of embroidery for craft shows and Christmas presents. The craft shows Emma enjoys visiting me in. The last one Brianna and Emma spent the day with me and Emma hit her mommy. Mommy spanked her and Emma immediately turned to me and look at me like “Are you going to LET her do that to me??” I really wanted to say “aww don’t spank my little Emma” but knew that I had to back Brianna up so instead I said “well if your daddy hit me like that I would have spanked him too!” She was fine with that and didn’t even cry at the spanking, but then Brianna doesn’t spank as much as light swat. She is such a good mother and you can tell it with how well behaved Emma is when we are out and how loveable she is with family and friends.
Brianna was working so I took Emma to Gillette for the Festival of Lights and to see Santa Clause. We met Brittany with her two girls who are just a little older then Emma. We had a great time making goodie bags, decorating cookies, playing bingo and of course seeing Santa, well, everyone had a good time seeing Santa but Emma, who was scared to death of the jolly o’ man and Mrs. Clause also! She would “allow” Mrs. (or Grandma) Clause to talk with her and even hold her hand as long as Aunt Cassie was holding on tight to her, but she didn’t want Santa to even look at her! After getting pictures taken of Cassie holding her behind Santa and Mrs. Clause (which we don’t have back yet), Mrs. Clause gave Emma a candy cane which made her happier although I think us leaving made Emma the happiest of all. We headed back to Cassie’s and Jen brought over her month old baby boy, Trey. Emma loves babies and had fun helping take care of Trey. She also told Jen about going to see Santa. I asked her if she liked going to see Santa and Emma said “yes!” Cassie really had to laugh at that!
Cassie will always be Emma’s favorite, we all accept that, but Jarrod now has a girlfriend who has a little girl just a few months older then Emma. Emma really enjoys playing with Bailey at Monday night bowling when Jarrod and Jordan bowl together on a team. A couple weeks ago, Jarrod and his girlfriend stayed the night at Brianna and Jordan’s so they could all go out hunting in the morning. It was the night before the festival of the lights so when I told Emma to tell Cassie who spent the night at her house the night before, Cassie asked if Uncle Jarrod spent the night. Emma said “yes” and I said “and aunt Skye” Cassie didn’t like the idea of another “aunt” so she showed her jealous streak by saying “who is cooler, Aunt Cassie or Skye?” Much to our surprise, Emma answered “Skye”. The look on Cassie’s face was priceless! So she asked her again, “who is cooler, Aunt Cassie or Skye?” and again Emma answered “Skye”. By this time I was laughing hard and yet feeling bad for Cassie who just had her bubble burst, so I decided to let Cassie in on a fact about two year olds. I told her to change the order of how she asks “Skye or Aunt Cassie?” As soon as she asked that way Emma of course said “Aunt Cassie” which thrilled Cassie. I explained that at that age they will choose what is in their mind at the time, which is almost always the last choice given. This made Cassie feel better to know that Emma wasn’t thinking someone, anyone, was cooler in Emma’s eyes then she was. I think Cassie lives, breaths and talks Emma even more then Papa and I do, well maybe not…
Emma is really excited over Christmas now that the trees are going up and all the excitement with the shopping and all. She loves going shopping and never acts up or cries for things when we go. I have seen her get more upset about not getting new shoes that she likes then a certain toy she likes. I see her as one of those women who has thousands of pairs of shoes as an adult, she better look at closet space when she chooses a home! Yesterday she was insisting on wearing Elmo shoes and she doesn’t even have Elmo shoes (not yet anyway ;-) )
Last night they were over and we put up our Christmas tree. The bottom half is decorated ( top half will be today now that I am alone). I was taking pictures of her putting on the ornaments when she decided that I should put the ornaments on and she should take the pictures! We have lovely pictures of the camera strap and the camera lens cap and floor and even a couple of my big belly, which will go on the fridge to remind me to not give into the sweet cravings! She also decided that stockings go on her feet and not the wall. I got pictures of her with that also so she wanted me to put them on my feet and she would get pictures too. I told her that my feet are too big, they wouldn’t fit, so she said “Papa!” and headed over to him with them. I told her that his feet are even bigger then mine! She is so funny!
I know I am forgetting so much that I should have on here, I just have to make sure I don’t get to busy that I am so behind with the journal.

November 5, 2008

Halloween was a blast with Emma this year. She was Beauty and Cassie went as the Beast. She thought it was so fun and both Cassie and Emma spent the weekend with me.
I asked Emma if she was going to go trick or treating? She told me “NO… Treat!” she didn’t want any tricking. When I went over there, they were having trouble getting her in her dress. I finally did and she cried that it was owie on the sides. I said “is it itching?” she said “yes”. So I went to put a shirt under it and she didn’t want to put it back on. Took a while and we did get it back on her. She was satisfied that grandma fixed it and she was ready to go “treating”.
She would see a pumpkin and say “oh, cute” and she would see a ghost and say “oh cute”. She would say “thank you” and “please” and “treat” but not trick. She really thought that was fun to get candy door to door. Then she had to sleep in her dress. She wanted to wear it all day Saturday too but we told her she needed a bath. She loves her baths so she gave up the dress.
Saturday Cassie and I took her to Spearfish and she talked Cassie out of all kind of things. One of the things she talked her out of was a back pack doll diaper bag. Inside it was a lot of different things including two boxes of “cereal” When we got back out to the car, Cassie opened the bag for her. She dug through the bag of thing until she got a hold of one of the boxes of cereal. She was trying to open it and I told her that she shouldn’t, it was a pretend thing and nothing in it so if she tore it open, it would ruin it. She tossed it over on the seat and said “Oh shoot” So then she dug out the other box and I said “that one is pretend too” She shook it and tossed it over her shoulder and said “darn it!” I said “are you hungry?” She said “well… YES” so we went to eat.
She sure enjoys her grandpa. They had a great time playing hide and seek and trying to scare each other. Cassie bought a ghost that is on a line and you string it up and it moves across the string saying “booo” They put it in the living room and Emma got a bit scared of it. She really didn’t like that it was coming towards me. Cassie asked if she wanted her to turn it off and Emma said in a sweet little voice “yes, thank you” so then Cassie said “do you want me to take it down?” and Emma said “yes… thank you” and so she did and wrapped it up. Emma then carried it down like a baby saying “oh cute”. Silly girl.
Today we went to Upton to see Grandma Eda and Grandpa Don. She acted a bit shy to begin with then got warmed up. Grandma Eda gave her a trick or treat bucket saying she had picked it up for her then didn’t get a chance to give it to her before Halloween. That didn’t bother Emma at all, she said “oh cute, thank you” and then she promptly put it on her head as a hat!
We went from Upton to Gillette to see Cassie but by that time it started snowing and we couldn’t stay very long. The ride home was horrible and even Emma was getting scared in the back seat. She really wanted her momma back there with her but I couldn’t pull over since I couldn’t even see much of the road. It was a long trip home from Moorcroft to Sundance. When we got to town I said “thank you Lord for watching over us” and I could hear Emma in the back seat saying “thank you Ron” She is so sweet. I can’t imagine ever loving anyone so much as I do that little girl, well Emma and Jarrod and Cassie and Jordan and whatever future grandchildren I will be lucky to have. Life is good.

October 26, 2008

Emma is such a joy. She is back to being able to spend the night with Grandma and not worrying about her momma being here. She makes us laugh so much while she is here. She is into the movie Free Willy and Free Willy 2. I sure wish I had the money to take her to Sea World. She gets so involved in the movie with a lot of “Uh oh” and “Oh NO!” She tells me “Willy… water… oh no” She also is into asking for help. She says “help me” and it sounds like “happy” so I say “you’re happy?” and she says in a very clear voice “NO… help ME” Kevin thinks that is so funny, he will say that just to hear her say “NO.. Help ME” She also sings Happy Birthday to everyone, whether they are here or not. Tonight she was singing Happy Birthday to Tara. I said that Tara is sleepy, we should sing her sleepy songs. She thought that was a lot of fun, she would sing then tell me “shhhh, sleeping”
We had a big few days while I was babysitting her off and on. Thursday Jordan and Brianna had to be in Spearfish for Jordan’s MRI on his knee. Emma and I went out to Grandpa Lee and Grandma Mert’s so Emma and Emilee can play together some. She had a great time. Friday she helped make Pigs in the Blanket while Jordan and Brianna got the car ready for Jordan to take it out of town to school this coming week. She did a great job with it. She loves to cook. Today Brianna and Jordan worked at the bar in Hulett and I babysat Emma. We made cookies and carved her pumpkin and made fried chicken for supper.
Emma helping with the pumpkin was so funny. We cut the whole in the top and gave it to her and said “you need to pull out all the seeds” She wasn’t about to stick her hand in there. I teased her a few minutes before I put my hand in and pulled out a bunch of seeds, then she got right into it. She did a pretty good job cleaning it out but never seemed to sure of the feeling of that pumpkin guts. I got great pictures and video though. We did the Little Mermaid on her pumpkin. It turned out really cute and she is so proud of it. I feel bad though that they won’t be home until Friday night and she won’t have a chance to enjoy it. They will be doing one at Grandma Marla’s though so that will be nice for her to enjoy. Brianna and Emma are going to stay over there while Jordan is at work. I will sure miss her!

Emma cleaning out her pumpkin

The Band-Aid Queen

The Band-Aid Queen
By Shari Gose

Look around the house and you may find
Band-aids of every size and kind
Dora ones are what she likes the best
Looking for an “owie” she comes to test
She sucks in her breath, says a little “ow”
If there is a mark, she is most happy now
She wants a band-aid on each knee
Maybe there is a mark only she can see
Most likely it is all part of her pretend
No “Owie” there she has to mend
If her legs are full, her arms will do
If arms are full, dolly has “owie” too
Pulling them off, seems to cause great drama
This Band-aid queen is the delight of grandma!

Copyright ©2008 Shari G.

Emma and Brianna playing with the birthday hats

October 10, 2008

Emma is really talking a lot more now that she is two. She is also letting us know things that pretty much surprise us.
Jordan went hunting for 10 days with Jarrod and Grandpa Don so while he was gone, Brianna and Emma decided it would be a good chance to go to Grandma Marla’s house. They had a great time and really enjoyed the bonding Emma had with Grandma Marla. She also started waking up in the morning saying “good morning Ron” and having discussions with Ron a lot. She even shared her toys with him. They would ask her what Ron looked like, remember last time she saw him he was without hair and sick. Emma would take her to his picture in the other room and point to it. When Marla was watching Emma one afternoon while Brianna was working in the bar, she took Emma up to a lookout point that was special to Marla and Ron. When they were in the car, Emma said hi to Ron and Marla asked her where Ron was. Emma pointed to the seat next to Marla. If she doesn’t see Ron, she is showing a fantastic imagination, but I actually think Ron is letting Marla know he is still with her through Emma. Emma also started calling Marla “Ma wa” which Brianna said was Ron’s pet name for Marla… before she was “mommy” like I am, Brianna is Momma. Now Brianna is Mommy, I am Mommy at times too, even a Shari today and once in a while maaa.
Today we had a craft show and the kids brought Emma down to it. Emma loved being in the gym and didn’t understand why she couldn’t have a ball since there was basket ball hoops there. She is so funny. She sure won’t let Jordan out of her sight much. I think everyone got such a kick out of her but she was surely a wild child there.
It is so good having Emma home, I missed her so much. Last night when they came over she came in the house so excited. She yelled “It’s RAINING!” I said “It’s snowing” She said “It’s raining!” and started singing “Raining… Raining…” I told her that it is really, really cold rain. Then she got Grandpa to go out on the deck with her and make a miniature snowman. She enjoyed being out there eating snow and dancing around in it. She almost makes me like the snow, of course that changed when I had to go out this morning and go through 6 inches of snow to my car and pry my frozen doors open!

September 27, 2008
Emma’s 2 years old now. She was so excited over having her birthday. She was wanting to open presents all afternoon and we had to tape a couple back together. We ended up with a lot of people here and it was nice, other then one incident that put a damper on the party that I feel horrible about… all I will say about it is Grandpa Kevin is in a lot of trouble!
Emma enjoyed having everyone around and having three little girls to play with. They played very well together, having a little tea party out on the deck. Cassie of course came with the coolest present ever! She brought Emma a little salon vanity and chair. The girls all loved that, taking turns fixing hair… only problem with that was Emma didn’t want to open any presents after getting that. All the little girls wanted to help and crowded around her, tearing into the presents. When we finally got things settled a bit, Emma opened her presents and enjoyed each of them. She likes the Hello Kitty ATM bank that Grandma Marla gave her and of course the Tricycle Grandma Shari and Grandpa Kevin gave her. She really enjoyed the table and chairs that Grandpa Lee made for her… all in all, she was spoiled and loving every bit of it.
Emma is so funny now that she can talk more. Today Grandpa Kevin gave her a pop and she was so proud of herself having her own pop (even though Grandpa didn’t let her have the whole can). She showed me the can and laughed and said “daddy” I asked “is that Daddy’s kind of pop? What kind does daddy drink?” Thinking she would say Mountain Dew. She thought about it for a little bit and had a light bulb go off as she said “Beer!”
Emma loved the cake and we have the back of it picked apart a bit. She would use the pony as a spoon and dig it into the cake then eat it. Of course she is a mess, not as bad as last year though. She was going to spend the night with me and was great until she realized that mommy and daddy went home without her. She was busy “fixing” my hair when all the sudden she said “HOME” and put stuff away and cried “daddy”. I took her home to her daddy and she was so happy. It makes me sad that she won’t stay the night with me after spending so much time during Grandpa Ron’s illness with me… but I understand why she won’t. She is afraid she will be left for a lot of days again. She is getting better about mom and dad being out of her sight but she still is a bit clingy. She probably will have trouble with Jordan going hunting for 10 days. She misses him so much when he is in school for 5 days. Brianna and Emma are going to go to Grandma Marla’s for a few days while Jordan is gone… after Emma’s 2 year check up on Tuesday.

a couple weeks early but Emma's 2 year old pictures

September 12, 2008
Today we went for Emma’s 2 year old pictures. We decided that we should get them early so we would have them for her 2nd birthday party to give out to grandmas and grandpas, aunts and uncles.
She wasn’t sure she wanted to get her pictures taken but after she got to see the first she was all set to pose. I would sing Happy Birthday to her and she would get so excited. The rest of the afternoon we listened to her sing Happy birthday to herself. Mostly we would hear “happy” then some singing and “Emma” …. “happy”… “me”. It was so cute.
While getting her picture taken by the time we got to the Bronco dress she was getting a bit tired and would lay down on the set and say “night night” It was so funny. I kept telling the lady she has to be ready, Emma doesn’t pose for long, and she proved me right. We were so lucky that we got as good of pictures as we did, she was always moving off the mark and dancing around. I love the hats and the blue one was a bit big on her so it was always sliding down into her eyes. There is one picture that she is pulling it way down over her face. I love that picture.
She was such a good girl for as long a day as she had. She didn’t ask for anything all day except for “thirsty” and of course “baby”… not a doll but a real one. She enjoys them so much. We didn’t get home until a quarter to 11 tonight so it wasn’t surprising that she was ready for bed by the time we got back to town. What a sweet angel she is.