Little Rock, Arkansas

Elliott, Emma, and I left Thursday after work (about 6pm) for Little Rock! My brother Justin was getting married... Em was great anf fell asleep by 9pm, and Elliott made it driving until 12:30, just past the Missouri state line. Friday morning Em was up-and-at-em by 7am, so we had breakfast and on the road by 8! We had to stop for Elliott's conference call at a gas station (PERFECT for people watching!!!!!) in Arkansas, then were NOT surprised by three accidents just outside of little Rock that put us in stop and go traffic. The drivers down there were CRAZY!!!!!! Anyway, we got to our beautiful hotel room by 6pm and to the rehearsal dinner by 7pm!!!

Cute story... We were listening to stories about Christine and Jsutin, at the rehearsal dinner, and Elliott was trying to get Emma to eat her Creme Brulee dessert. Ellitot told her, "I'll give you five dollars if you try this". So, Emma took a bite and said "Where's my five dollars daddy?"!!!!!!!! He laughed so loud, and everyone turned and looked:)

Em watching Uncle Justin dance with his new wife - Auntie Christine!
Not wanting to sit with Papa while Mommy and Daddy TRIED to dance!

Emma's own dance moves...

Can you see her belly stickin gout under her shirt? She was watching the big kids dance...

Cooling off with Daddy.... Emma was OUT OF CONTROL! She was THRILLED to run and dance (of course with Daddy and Mommy the whole time!) for 3 1/2 hours STRAIGHT!!!!! She and Daddy were both sweaty:)

Dancing with Daddy (notice the Converse?)

Chasing daddy

So sweet.... We had a lovely time and are so thrilled for Justing and Christine...

Love to all...

This morning, as she is lying in her crib, Emma says to me: "I like Daddy, he is so cute.... and really brave!" How sweet? He's been in ND for work for over a week...

Apparently I wrote below that "my my" came and saved the day last night.... No, of course it was "my MOM" who came over and saved the evening! Must give proper credit where it is due:)

Bachman's Fall Festival

Sorry it has taken so long to post a blog! Elliott has been gone all week and I am just so exhausted by the time I get home I can barely get a thing done! Then I got sick on Friday - so it has been a long week. BUT, a good one too:) Yesterday I fought off the sickness in the morning - and then it crept back up on me in the afternoon. I took a two hour nap with Emma! I NEVER so that, I seriously thought I had H1N1 and started looking up symptoms on line! :) That is so not me:) But alas I had no fever. Thank goodness my my was kind enough to come over last night and give Emma a bath and put her to bed - THANK YOU - LIFE SAVER!!!!

SO, yesterday morning we went to the Bachman's fall festival and we were able to make scarecrow's! We just had to supply the clothes. Emma sat back and watched at first, while Grandma Loerch got right to work. Finally after about 5-10 minutes she walked onto the straw and gave it a feel. Then she needed fruit snacks:) Emma, ever the observer!

Our scarecrows (much to Em's dismay!)

Making peanut butter/pine cone bird feeders

Pumpkin bowling!!!!

Two seconds after my mom had set these up Emma very proudly kicked them down!

See the smile on her face? She would walk it down and then try and kick it into the pins...

SO PROUD!!!!!

Love to all....

DCTC September-Fest

LAST weekend we went to the Dakota County Technical College's fall community festival. Emma had a ball on the inflatable jumper (she called it a trampoline, which it was in a way). Of course I was so nervous I went in with her the first time -Seriously! The second time it was hotter and the thing was crowded with kids, many smaller than her. So, off she went.... She honestly jumped for about a half hour straight!!!!! When we finally got her out she was sweaty and exhausted.

These pictures we had taken by one of the students - not bad?!

Emma, Tommy and Baby watching Sesame Street in the morning
I came in to Emma's bedroom on Wednesday morning and she had her bunny, kitty, and baby all lined up, and asked me, "take my picture mommy!"

CHEESE!

Emma got some new shoes for fall (of course I had gone to look for shoes for me and I left without shoes!) and she LOVES them! The first day she got SO sad and angry when I wouldn't let her wear them to bed:)

State Fair II with Grandma Loerch

Sound asleep by 12:30!!!
The hour nap didn't quite do it! She was still exhausted on her second carousel ride with Grandma Loerch

On the Big Slide with Mommy

Her first Sno-Cone.... Which she didn't wnat after 2 minutes because it was too cold!

We had such a great time on all of our State Fair Adventures!!!

On a side note I got Emma some sparkly pink ballet flat shoes yesterday, on sale at Target. Of course she had to wear them out of the store! The funniest though, is that she was crying on the floor at bed time, because I wouldn't let her wear them to bed:)

Love to all....

State Fair with Grandma Loerch

Em and I went to the State Fair with my Mom on Saturday... Here is Emma with her Root Beer and MAc-n-Cheese on a stick!
One of two carousel rides with Grandma loerch

With Mommy on the Whale ride

One of many tractors she climbed on, on Machinery Hill (she would say "Oh my goodness!")

Little Ms. Idependant

State Fair III (Goin' back again today!)

So we spent $35 on the Midway rides for Emma (and Elliott)! Who would have ever thought that a 2 1/2 year old would need that?! The above picture is the first ride - mind you ALL she had talked about all day was going on all of the rides that we saw. Then she got on this one and was scared to death. Not to mention that Elliott's legs didn't fit, so I had to go on with her (as everyone waited) and then she just wasn't having it, so we got off!!!!
Attempt number two was the Teacups and she LOVED it, so then she got REAL adventurous.... The roller coaster!!! Seriously!!!! The above picture is of her waiting in line with Daddy, so excited, telling me she was going on it!

See the picture of the big guy in the white shirt with his had in the air?! That is Emma next to Elliott and she LOVED it! She was so short that she barely fit over the lap bar. She cried when they had to get off.

Then finally (even though she was literally falling asleep in line!) she wanted to go on this LOUD and FAST spinning "Ladybug". Every time they came around she looked like she was going to cry and then all of a sudden she would let out a delighted squeal... Silly girl!

DONE.....

So Em, my mom and I are going back again today and I have already told Emma we aren't going on as many rides:)

On a side note, Emma started back at Carol's this week. Every morning she is so excited to get there, telling me, "Hurry up , Mommy!" When we are in the car on the way there! However it has definitely been a transition week and she has noticed not being around Mommy 25 hours a day. nap time has been difficult (only 1 1/2 hours compared to her 2 1/2 often at home). Then add on to that that she got scared of the Locust in Carol's backyard (even though she hears them at my mom's and now at our house too), then the lawnmower was on and she got scared, THEN when she was going down for her nap the Wednesday Siren's went off!!!!! So she and we, have been working through that. I spent three hours consoling her the other night, she was just shaking, saying she didn't want the siren's to go off! Finally we discussed how the siren's are meant to keep us safe, and that someone pushed a button to make them go so we know that a thunderstorm is coming, not to make us scared. Silly girl asked, "Does Carol push the button?" She is so sweet, and finally after three days now, she is falling asleep without crying...

Off to the Fair!

Love to all....

MN State Fair II

Emma and Daddy at "machienery hill"
Emma on her love/nemasis the giant lawnmower

Emma jumped on this 4 wheeler and put her hands immediately on the handles, like she was ready to take off!

All emma could talk about was going on the gandola - then we got in line and she was scared to death. This was a runninh theme during our venture at the fair. Once on of course she loved it and cried when it was over... another running theme!

State Fair I

Emma lovin' the gigantic Gernsey cow
Emma and a little chick at the FFA Birthing Barn - ALL baby farm animals! what could be cuter?

Emma and Daddy on the Merry-Go-Round (which she went on twice!!!). Every time she came around she would wave.

Emma and Daddy at the end of the giant slide - you can see she wasn't scared of that!

Coming down the giant slide...

State Fair Preview...

Don't have time this morning to do all the pictures I want to share, but here is a preview of the State Fair! Em, Dadddy, Papa Jim and I all went together on Sunday. IT WAS A BLAST!!!!! Emma and her Daddy were like two peas in a pod.... How sweet is she hugging this giant cow????!!!! And, we never expected we would spend $35 on the Midway for rides for a 2 1/2 year old!!!!

I'll post more tomorrow.... Much love to all....