42 Days without Emily!

I recently dropped the Emily! off in Texas for her annual 42-day visit with her dad. The apartment is awfully quiet without her so I thought the blog could use another dose of her distinctive little voice.

On cafeteria food:
"And do you know what they gave us for breakfast snack?! Cheerios - blegh! And those Cheerios tasted like cardboard...like...like...diet Cheerios!"

On considerate driving:
E: Mama, why did Granddad go so fast through that light?
J: He didn't it just seemed like it because of the way the car accelerates from a stop.
E: But he can't go any faster than the speed limit.
Dad: You can drive as fast as you dare to.
E: No, you can't go faster than the speed limit says.
J (with a sideways glare at Dad): Well baby, you can actually drive faster than the the limit, but you are right, doing so can get you in big trouble.
E: Ugh, there is just so much to remember about driving. That's why I'm going to ride horseback everywhere when I grow up.

Parting words:
"Well I'll miss you too, Mama, but let's focus on the pooooositive! Like how much fun I'll have.

How to annoy me

Scrape the inside of my head with a sharp metal hook, apply intense prolonged pressure to my jaw, and paint my teeth with a sticky substance that tastes like envelope glue, THEN tell me for the rest of the day I may not consume anything hot, hard, sticky or ALCOHOLIC. And you wonder why I hate going to the dentist.

The plan

Recently Emily has had a lot to think about. Between career week at school, her recent dance recital, and our upcoming move to Florida her little mind has been in overdrive. The result?  Her life plan:

1. Continue to take jazz and ballet classes, and resume gymnastics so as to increase strength and skill.

2. Join the circus as a trapeze artist.

3. Get married and have 10 kids. These 10 kids are to be born as two sets of quintuplets - one set of girls and one set of boys.  Emily will not work until the younger set starts school. She and the kids will be supported by her husband who will work for the army earning $100 a week which will be enough for the 10 jars of baby food they will need.

4. Once the kids start school it will be time to rejoin the circus.

Or maybe start her singing career.

The fairy princess of her dreams

This is Emily come 9:00 each night - finally asleep.

But look closely and you'll see that even sleeping she stays very busy.  Wand at ready? Check. Silver glitter eye shadow? Check. Yup, she's absolutely ready to rule the fairy kingdom of her dreams.

Emma on home remedies

No, I did not just misspell my own kid's name.  Emma is our little neighbor friend from downstairs.  She offered me the following wisdom yesterday:

"My tummy sometimes hurts whenever I eat too much so I think I need to have some pizza bread."

Ah yes, little Emma.  Please refer to Emily's list of healthy foods.

Emily on physiology

E: Mama, how come your tummy feels like you're gonna throw up?
J: I just haven't been sleeping well, Baby, and sometimes that causes my body to not work right.
E: Oh no! But I don't want your legs to fall off!

How to charm me

Have an unexpected outburst wondering why you can't like what other people like.  I forgot your indifference was assumed and I forgot I might be the only one who ever sees you vulnerable.

Pioneer of the Month

This is the face of a Providence Elementary Pioneer of the Month.

This honor "reflects important qualities of cooperation, participation, courtesy, respect and friendship."

Look, they even awarded Ben and me!

I just wish there was a better phrase than "good job."