january

We happily welcome Daddy back home after our Wichita adventure, and open the rest of our Christmas presents after dinner. 1/1

We squeeze in one more playdate with Gracie Droppelman before Emily goes to school. The girls have had such a good time just being together again--sometimes they played together (pet doctor was a favorite this week) and sometimes they just hung out in the playroom doing different things. 1/3

Emily got several reading primers for Christmas and likes to spend time working on her reading. She can recognize lots of words, and is even starting to really sound out words she doesn't know yet. She's doing a great job--her only frustration is that she can't learn fast enough!

Emily wants to go to a full-day kindergarten so she can "bring a lunch box." We have talked a little with Emily to let her know about all the things Daddy and I are talking about: which kindergarten we think is best, whether we'll move to a new house, and if now is a good time for Mommy to go back to work in a library. Em likes the kindergarten idea and wants me to go to work so her kindergarten class can come visit my library, but is definitely sad about the possibility of moving. 1/12

We go see Dr. John the dentist! He says Em's teeth look great--no cavities and lots of space for her permanent teeth when they come in. 1/14

After we get dressed this morning, Em says, "We're both wearing jeans, so you'll have more jeans [genes] to curl up your tongue!" We have discussed how Daddy, Sarah, and Emily can curl their tongues but Mommy can't because she doesn't have the genes to do it! 1/15

Em says, "It's a possibility." Then she says, "That's a big word for a little girl." 1/17

Christine, Emily, Sarah, and Mom hit the zoo on a warm Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Em is a little disappointed that I don't think it's warm ENOUGH for ice cream, but is happy about a ride on the carousel. Emily is proud of the fact that I don't have to hold on to her at all while the carousel's going. Both the lions and the tigers were up and walking around, and we got to see the mommy polar bear nursing her baby. There was lots for Em to look at! 1/20

Emily's school report says, "Emily is having a great time and is proving to be a leader in the classroom. We are looking forward to having her five days a week." Wow! 1/23

Emily is really enjoying Sarah's interest in the potty. When we get undressed for baths, she always asks Sarah if she wants to sit on the potty and then helps her take off her pants and diaper. She even brings Sarah books to read while she sits and tries! If Emily wants to potty train Sarah, I'm not going to stand in her way!

Em the Critical Viewer: We all like watching the decorating show "Trading Spaces," (Emily LOVES Paige Davis, the host!) and they always do a video collage at the end that shows a "fast forward" of all the changes they have made during the two days of work. Emily says, "That's just a TV trick!" 1/24

While at the Boulder Public Library visiting Mary Jane, another little girl approaches Emily and asks, "Are you four, or three?" Em looks her over--the girl easily has 2 inches and ten pounds on Emily--and Em says dismissively, "I'm almost FIVE." 1/25

While I was at my scrapbook crop a couple weeks ago, Emily, Daddy, and Sarah watched a dog competition that had three parts: long jump (the dogs jumped off the end of a dock into a water tank after a toy), agility (the dogs run an obstacle course with seesaws and jumps and stuff), and tunnels (the dogs go through and underground maze of tunnels to find the exit!). Emily LOVED this and we had to watch the semifinals the next week, and the final competition the week after that. She really focussed on all the information the announcers would tell us about the dogs. She's turn to us and say, "That dog is only 2 years old!" or "That dog's name is Princess!" and she'd comment on how the dogs did during their runs: "That dog took the inside loop!" or "That dog went to the dead end tunnel!" 1/25

After talking with Daddy's friend Gary, we decide to put the house on the market and tell Emily we will definitely be looking for a new house. She is sad, but perks up a little when we tell her we can paint her new bedroom purple. 1/29

Emily helps Daddy put the first of all our books in boxes to take to storage! 1/30

Emily shows me her King of 8 picture. I say, "Emily, this is GREAT! Can I scan it so I can put it on the computer, so everyone can see it?" Em all but rolls her eyes and says, "You mean the webpage, Mom." 1/31

After a couple of months of terrible bedtimes with screaming and crying and whining and moaning, Emily has really settled down and is being a great, big girl about going to bed. She doesn't stall and stall during tuck-in time, she doesn't come out and call and call for Mom and Dad, and she gets up and uses the bathroom all by herself. It would be nice if I could think that this was the direct result of something we did as "parents," but I think Em just figured it out on her own!

Emily decided early this month to grow out her bangs (so they'd look like mine) and we are getting into the hair -in-the-eyes stage already! My rule was that the bangs could grow out IF Emily wore barrettes, headbands, or braids. Most of the time we do, although when I come to pick Em up at school, the headbands are usually being worn in a much more creative fashion than when I dropped her off!