Emma enjoying some Cooper time on the deck
No comment.......
Em's cute dress from Grandma Loerch. You can see how she is asserting her Independence in the way she smiles for the camera:)
Em's cute outfit from Grams Patterson. Look at that belly!!!
Emma has been a bundle of fun, energy, and surliness lately! I have noticed her first acknowledgement of what she has learned from watching Elmo (Sesame Street) this past week. They were talking about birthday's and then the next Emma is giving me papers and toys, saying "Happy birthday, Mommy", singing the birthday song, and just being dang cute. It has been fun to watch!

We are getting ready to go camping Thursday-Saturday with the Loerch's.... Wish us luck:)

Love to all...

PS-On a side note we found out last week that the owner of our townhouse is filing for bankruptcy so she is loosing the townhouse we are renting! We thought we were going to have to move again in December, but we got a call yesterday and we should be good until at least mid-spring! So that is good news, that we don't have to move in the middle of a MN winter AGAIN!!!!

Emma writing her big girl tricycle all by herself!

Reading the Father's Day book she gave to her Daddy...

Emma had her first big girl babysitter yesterday!!!! I had a meeting about doing a portfolio to get my MN Teaching License, El and my Mom and Denny all out of town... My mom's next door neighbor's daughter came over..... And Emma had diarrhea the WHOLE time I was gone!!!!! Poor Sadie, she was in the battle field and did so well. Poor Em, too. I just pray she'll babysit again after that experience:)

On a cute note, Emma is obsessed with bugs lately (she often leaves the screen door to the deck open so we get flies in the house - yuck!). So yesterday she had me "get it", a fly, and I decided we'd flush it down the toilette so she couldn't dig it out of the garbage (she wants to hold them - I know, she's "quirky"!). As she flushed the toilette I said "Bye fly" and she goes "Bye fly, see ya next time!" CUTE!!!!

Love to all....

Iowa

Sydney, me, Em, Bobby, and Steve... Em, my mom and I drove down to Ottumwa, Iowa last weekend to see her side of the family. We had such a lovely time and Steve (who Emma called Uncle Jason all weekend!) and Bobby were just perfect hosts!

Emma and Sydney, who is 4 1/2, were fast friends!

We went to a 4H exhibition and the nice woman asked if Emma wanted to sit on the horse, and of course as soon as she got it out of its pen Emma was scared to death. Then when the horse was back in its pen Emma wanted to crawl over and inside it to get to the horse! It was so sweet. I told her she needed to ask her Daddy for a horsey:)

Sydney had just gotten this Hummer, but was a bit scared to drive it. Leave it to Emma!!! At first she wanted to hold my hand, but once she got the hang of it she had her foot on the peddle and wouldn't stop!!!! I had to steer so I was exhausted and had to put an end to it after about 1/2 hour because my one leg was sore from going in circles:)

Love to all...

Potty Training

We started potty training Emma on Saturday and no accidents the first day!!!! Then Sunday was a bit tricky, but we are going on three days now with no accidents!!!! She has had the potty around for a while and been trying every no wand then for months, so she was pretty comfortable with that aspect. So we are good:)

Of course she wanted Daddy to "try-on" her "cute" big-girl underwear!

After 6 months in this townhouse we FINALLY cleaned out the garage from our move (that's what is in the background). Em found her fishing pole from the cabin and said she was going fishin' in the water!!! How cute is that? A couple of times after this incident she has asked for some water in a big bowl so she could fish out on the deck! She has such an active imagination, and it is so fun to watch her play

A week of many firsts - she also learned to ride her tricycle all by herself!!!! So I am EXHAUSTED from chasing her all over the neighborhood:) BUT, glad she is so excited about it! Emma, my mom and I are off to Iowa to see some of her family for three days...

Love to all

1st Puke

So Emma puked for the first time today - JOY... In her carseat.... In the Target parking lot.... Just as we got there! She took a three hour nap this afernoon and told me her tummy hurt. Then right before she pucked hse said her tummy hurt........ GREAT!
Here's Emma and Tommy on the deck

Emma playing with her new play dough which was a life saver on the car ride to Michigan!!!!

Love to all....

Michigan 3...

We went to Potter Park Zoo when we were in Michigan and Emma LOVED her ice cream cone! When she was done she said "more please":) Em and Daddy had fun chasing the Peacock...

Love to all...

More Michigan...

Em giving Grams a big thank you kiss...

Look at Em's beautiful feet and strong back!!!

Em, Grams, and Brooke (Grams is in heaven!)

Emma taking our picture, saying "smile everyone"

Sorry I can't figure out how to put the captions under the pictures!!! Anyone?

Love to all...

Michigan...

We DROVE to Michigan for the 4th of July weekend (thank God for the new car DVD player - WHICH I was NEVER going to do!!!). We got to see Emma's new cousin Brooke, Auntie Holly and Uncle Jason, Grams and Great Grams (who is recovering SO WELL from a broken hip) and the rest of the Patterson family.

We spent the 4th at Uncle Ron and Aunt Deb's and just had a wonderful time! Em and El got to swim in the pool.

We got a picture of the three cousins with the three grandchildren - El, Jason, and Ronnie Jr.

Holly and baby Brooke (who is SUCH and easy baby!!!)

And finally little Chase (Ron Jr's baby) who is just the most beautiful baby!