Dear Lightning...

Dear Lightning,

We really appreciate all you do to encourage some Mustang spirit around here.  You do a wonderful job at pep rallies, football games and all other community appearances.  And, your biggest (little) fan happens to live in my house.  In fact, I'm pretty sure I hear your name coming out of Emory's mouth more times a day than my own name.  However,

PLEASE stop showing up in Emory's room when it is time for her to go to sleep.  You can't sneak in, we still use a monitor around here.  Just when all is quiet and I think she has gone to sleep I suddenly hear "Hi Lightning!!"  A crazy cheering frenzy usually follows this greeting and often continues for a very long time.  I know Emory loves it when you visit, but let's try to keep it to a minimum...and maybe you could sing some soothing, relaxing songs instead of leading cheers.  The other members of this family like to sleep!

Thanks for your cooperation,
Mrs. Hunt

Punkin' Days

The three of us ventured out to the "Pumpkin Capital of the U.S." for Punkin Day.  I've never been to the Punkin Day festival before, so we really had no expectation.  It actually turned out to be pretty fun!  There was plenty of fair-type food to choose from, boothes to peruse, and pumpkins to see.  The weather on that Saturday was perfect for a pumpkin adventure--cloudy and cool.  Emory has been very excited about pumpkins this year, so she was screaming "pumpkins!" every time we saw pumpkins.  We didn't stay too long, but we did enjoy some great junk food (including funnel cake!), walked around a while, and grabbed some kettle corn as we left.  On the way out of town we stopped off at the Pumpkin Pile and picked out some pumpkins to take home.  It was a fun morning!

   

Chalk It Up!

The latest obsession around our house has been "chalking."  Reminds me of the 80's when we chalked our friends' driveways.  This was before toilet-papering took over.  Actually, I don't think I ever got the driveway chalked for myself, but I remember my sister being the recipient of it many times!  Anyway...Emory loves to chalk on the driveway and she asks to do it ALL.DAY.LONG.  But I don't mind, because it's pretty fun for me too!

In case you couldn't tell, most of the pictures she is drawing are either "a seahorse" or "Dadda"

Row, Row, Row Your Boat

I often find Emory sitting on things like this pretending to ride.  I've see her pretending to  ride this boat (she also does this when the boat is in the bathtub!), a tiny little helicopter, a stuffed horse...

Pretty funny!

Grrr!

Mad Face!  Aaaahhhhh!

Randomness de Emory

This summer flew by and school started off with a bang.  Brian is technically the one who is busy, but since we live vicariously through him, Emory and I consider ourselves pretty busy too.  We were able to spend a lot of time with Brian over the summer, which was wonderful and I think we've both been going through a little withdrawal these past few weeks.  BUT, we've made up for it with several social engagements and trips to school activities where Brian is working. 

Emory is my best little buddy these days, my constant companion.  And I would not have it any other way!  I can honestly say that I love her company.  She is constantly surprising me with the things she says and she makes me laugh and smile all the time.  I'm about to make a random list of all the things I can think of that she says and does lately, mostly for me to remember.  So you have been warned!

• In July, we took Emory for her 2 year check-up.  Everything went well--she weighed in at 23.5 lbs and 34.6 inches tall.  She's pretty scrawny still, but nothing to be concerned about.  To me, she actually looks like she's thickened up a bit, but if you try, there is not an extra inch to pinch on her anywhere!  (Except for those adorable little hiney cheeks, but those are only mine to pinch!)  The doctor did hear a small heart murmur, but said that is common during this time when they are growing so much and so quickly, and hopefully she'll outgrow it. 

• Some of Emory's favorite things (according to her):  favorite food--waffles; favorite song--Twinkle Twinkle Little Star;  Favorite Movie--Pig Movie (Charlotte's Web) 

• Due to our insanely hot summer, we decided to forgo watering our grass in favor of getting one of those do-it-yourself big pools.  It took her a few times, but with her little floatie on, Emory started LOVING being in the water!  We'd strap her floatie on and she would demand to be "put down," so she'd go be-bopping around the pool all by herself.  As soon as we'd lower her down in the water, she would just giggle with delight for the first several minutes.  Then she'd start kicking her feet and go all around the pool chasing down whatever toy she wanted. 

• School has started now, which means that football season is in full swing.  Our little town has a pep rally every week and all the school kids go and it is also open to the public.  We went to several pep rallies last year and Emory liked it.  But this year, she is CRAZY about the pep rallies!  She gets so excited to see Lightning (the Mustang mascot), the cheerleaders, the band, and Travis (the band director).  It's really getting funny how she talks about Travis as if he's a celebrity.  These are the questions that she asks me repeatedly all throughout the week lately:  "Mama, do you hear the band? Mama, is Travis directing the band?  Mama, do you see Travis?  Mama, do you see the cheerleaders?  Mama, do you see Lightning?  Mama, can Lightning hold me up?  Mama, do you want to go to the pepperrally?" 

• On two different occasions recently, I have heard Emory complimenting one of her little "friends."  The first time she said to her friend "Taryn, I like your pretty dress!"  The next time (on another day) she said to another little friend "I like your sandals, Ella."  Oh how my heart melted to hear her saying those sweet words! 

• The church nursery has not been Emory's favorite place lately.  So we decided to start letting her just come in with us to the service and work on her being quiet and still.  She usually wants to bring Piggy in with her and I've noticed that after we shush her and tell her to be quiet and not talk, she then picks Piggy up, puts his little snout up near her face and whispers the reprimand on to him.  "Piggy, be quiet.  We don't talk in church." 

• She has started referring to her Little People ride-on toy as her car.  She hops on, tells us "goodbye" and heads off to various destinations, most often to Mansfield to see her "cuz-ans."  And when we are actually getting ready to drive somewhere, she runs to her "car" and says "you want me to drive, Mama?" 

• Lately we have been using the basement and the stairs for entertainment (we've been desperate since it was too hot to go outside).  It's a whole new unexplored room, and she is content to stay down there and play by herself.  This works out really well when I'm trying to get dinner ready (since the entrance to the basement is right in the kitchen).  I help her get down the stairs, then I come back upstairs and get everything ready while she plays.  The other day she was down there and I would check on her every few minutes by calling down to her "You ok Emory?"  And her response was "I'm ok, are you ok Mama?" 

• As I mentioned, Emory's favorite movie is Charlotte's Web.  She LOVES it.  She'll watch it over and over as many times as she can.  She cries when it's over.  A couple of weeks ago I noticed she was singing one of the songs from the movie, the one that Fern sings to Wilbur at the beginning.  Since then, I've observed her doing several things that are from the movie, and I can only guess that she is pretending that she is Fern and Piggy is Wilbur.  She will ask for a blanket, wrap Piggy up and tuck him into her little stroller while singing "there must be something more to us than you and me...it must be tangled up somehow with destiny...i used to think the sum of one and one was two...but we add up to more, me and you..."  And she knows all the words.  Or she'll tuck him into bed, or put him in her bathtub and pretend to give him a bath.  It is SO stinkin' cute! 

I guess that's enough for now.  Emory Faith, what a delight you are!  I can't count the times I am in awe at the sweet nature God has blessed you with (which also happens to be a blessing to your parents!).  I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that you are on loan to me while we are on this earth and I am the one who gets to spend each and every day with you.  Best job in the world.    

Initiation

I have been a mother for over 2 years now.  During that time I've experienced many things that really seemed to define motherhood.  I've been tee-tee'd on, poo'd on, thrown up on, snotted on, cried on, had things spilled on me, hair pulled, jewelry pulled, along with other much nicer things.  But I would say that the one event that officially ushered me into motherhood happened the other day.  My sweet little angel came walking into the living room where I was sitting and she was holding her hand out and saying "here Mama."  So I reach out unknowingly and take whatever it is she is handing me.  As I look down into my hand I realize, oh yes, it is a booger.  Thanks Emory.