August... and it's almost over!

I can't believe it has taken me a month to post pictures...  But teaching full-time for two weeks put a crimp in everything!  It seems by the time I finally have a moment, a full, child -free, calm-in-the-house-moment, I am ready to fall asleep!  As a matter of fact I often fall asleep putting Emma to bed!

Life lately....  Emma loves to bake and cook and make-up recipes for her dad to try.  Elliott found this baking set on the road one day and thought she should have it (weird!).  It has recipe cards, all the tools, and as apron.  We found a little apron for her American Girl doll and put iron-ons on to match! Thanks Grandma Loerch for helping with that! 

The crazy/annoying technology of 2012...  All three of us we in bed one night, me reading my Kindle, Em watching a movie on the tablet, and El watching a show on his iPad....  Gross, but a bit funny.  At least we were all in the same room!

I took Olive with me to see Dances At The Lakes, put on annually by the company I used to dance with here in MN.  Olive was tired, to say the least, and she entertained herself with the wipes!  While she will play with "toys", she much prefers things that she can shake and make noise, or wipes or clothes, something that she can easily crawl around with. 

Emma took swimming lessons this summer through Community Ed, and boy was that a mistake.  I will never take her back again,but instead will go back to the YMCA.  Emma finally asked her teacher if she could go off the diving board - big girl!!!  She did it all on her own and swan back to the corner.  She is a little fish, slowly getting an actual swim stroke down.

Emma in her birthday dress from Grandma Patterson, with one to match for her doll.  I was a "yes mom" one day and let them BOTH get their faces painted!

Emma and I met my dear high school friend at Como Park, and here are Emma and Ben holding hands. He was lucky if he could keep up with her - she has no fear of rides OR of running off on her own to get in line for a ride!  Poor kid:(  But we had a great time.

Elliott thought it would be a great idea to get Emma involved in Tai Kuan Do, so they took a couple of introductory lessons.  Emma was enthralled, and may still want to take classes, but we need to wait and see how school goes first.  She has soccer this fall, twice a week, and she may be exhausted by the time it is all said and done with.  Speaking of - Emma got to meet her Kindergarten teacher today - Ms. Dravis, so they could do a literacy assessment (all K-5's do it this fall), and then her open house is next Wednesday.  Her teacher said she did great!  She had a lot of questions, and was very curious, but she said that is how they learn!  Yes - let's hope that is the case as the year goes on!!!!!

Emma and Noah, the little boy who lives across the street, went to Vacation Bible School together.  Apparently they held hands in the car the whole way there the first day.  Noah said tit would be OK as long as they didn't kiss!  Emma told his that would not happen until later...  OMG!  

Cool Dad Elliott thought it would be fun to have a movie night in the backyard a few weeks back.  He got it all set-up, we had s'mores, and the kids had a blast!  It was really fun to have everyone over and watch them come and go.  El and Em completed the night by sleeping in the tent, with Bali and the fan of course!

I am certain I have lamented about Olive's need to NOT be near her dad?  To cry whenever he held her?  To cry if he walked near her?  Well, they are finally getting past that stage and Elliott has gotten he to sleep at night on two different occasions!  He was SO proud the first time.  And I was excited, and then a little sad too, as I had been the only one up to that point!  In the long run I know it is all good, she needs him and he needs her, and I need a break:)

While I was teaching full-time in Red Wing for two weeks, Em and OG stayed with my mom, and then with my Dad and Jackie who were able to take time off and come out from Michigan.  

One of the days that my mom had the girls she took them to a friends house on the lake.  Emma had a blast...

My new most favorite pic of the girls - at Lake Nakomis with my mom.  Emma loves her sister and loves to take care of her!  OG is all about pointing and handing things to you, then taking them back.  

My mom got OG on the swing for the first time too, and she LOVED it!  Laughing out loud while Emma pushed her.  Actually, OG laughs most often at Emma - so sweet.

Emma the giant at the four year old neighborhood birthday party!

Cousin Landon and Olive, he is about 1 1/2, talking up a storm and cute as can be!

I dodged a bullet on these blue things that sparkle and light up everywhere!!!  Emma was DESPERATE to choose them as her new shoes for school!!!  She so much wants to be a big girl, and she likes to be crazy and flashy at times...  I finally put my foot down - but it is so hard when I want to encourage her sense of herself!  I just could not imagine her walking in to the first day of Kindergarten with them on, however!