Coolest Uncle Ever

Dearest Emma,

This is your Uncle Andy. He lives in New York City and comes over to Auntie Suzy's and Uncle Tim's whenever you are in town.

He wants to be the coolest uncle ever so he has started a new tradition with you. He started bringing you a Gerber Daisy. He says, "Beautiful girls should be surrounded by beautiful flowers."

Not a bad start for a bachelor Uncle, eh? He's also the one that gave you your first introduction to the Mets baseball team and your first Mets outfit and hat. He may even take you to a Mets game when you are older.

Be kind to Uncle Andy, he doesn't have any experience with how to entertain a toddler so you will have to teach him. Give him sweet smiles and I bet he will sit down and watch "Blue's Clues" with you.

Emma's First Christmas

 Dearest Emma, Your Poppa and I are so excited that we will be able to spend Christmas with you and your Momma again this year. It should be lots of fun with baby Oscar too. You practice being gentle and I'll count the days till you are back in our arms. We love and miss you. Your Diva

Your Second Halloween

Dearest Em,

I love your Halloween costume. You make the cutest Raggedy Ann I have ever seen. I'm sorry I wasn't able to see you all dressed up. I love your pictures.   You made your Diva and Poppa smile and giggle. We love you very much and can hardly wait to see you.

Your Diva

Your First Halloween

Emma Bug, Sorry, it took me so long to do a scrapbook of your first Halloween. You were such a cute little bug. I can hardly wait to see pictures of you in your costume this year.

Thoughtful Oz

Dearest Em,

Allow me to introduce you to your tiny cousin Oscar. He lives in New York with your Auntie Suzy and Uncle Tim. He is one month old now and is growing rapidly.

He sleeps a lot, eats a lot, poops a lot and is just finding out what "tummy time is all about." He has sweet smiles, dark muddy blue eyes (which will probably turn dark brown) dark hair, and a sweet disposition.

He will soon have his first Halloween. Your Auntie Suzy loves Halloween and has been known to even dress her kitties in costumes. I wonder what costume she will have for him this year?

I'm hoping you will be good friends and have many adventures at Diva's and Poppa's house. You will have to teach him a few things (like how to wrap Poppa around your little finger) and where Diva keeps the toys. You can even teach him how to dance, color, and how to pick strawberries.

I love you sweet girl and am so glad little Oz will have you for a playmate.

Now your Diva will have her favorite girl and her favorite boy!

Looking forward to seeing you in your Halloween costume.

Your Diva

Emma learns about Art

Yesterday was another learning day for Miss Emma and her very knowledgeable Poppa. They set out to create a masterpiece for Diva's refrigerator (which has never featured a young budding grandchild artist before!) Poppa decided that she was into Contemporary or post modern art with a definite flair for the abstract . She worked very hard and was most diligent with her choice of colors. (This Diva can hardly wait to take her to the Crayola Factory when she gets a little bigger.) Mom and Dad took a field trip into Harrisonburg and Waynesboro using Poppa's GPS. They really enjoyed being able to get around so quickly by punching in Sonic, Walmart and Target. The GPS certainly has made our life easier. Diva has plenty of pictures to choose from. Now all I need is a magnetic frame to show it off. More fun today. We ate all our berries before we could make our pies so looks like it's back to berry batch for us today.

Emma Learns about the Wind

Poppa and Emma were sitting on our porch swing this afternoon discussing politics and world affairs when sudden showers appeared making the temperature drop and the wind pick up.

Using every moment for a teachable moment, Poppa decided to teach Emma about wind by letting her feel the wind blow and watching Diva's ribbons dance in the wind.

The discussion was rather one sided but went a little bit like this:

Poppa: Emma did you know that wind is the fastest growing source of electricity in the world?

Emma with soother in her mouth says nothing but reaches out for the pretty ribbons beginning to dance in the breeze.

Poppa: Some experts say it can sometimes be the cheapest form of any kind of power. Generating power from the wind leaves no dangerous waste products behind. Best of all, its supply is unlimited.

Emma with her finger in her mouth begins to contemplate the validity of this statement while Poppa explains further.


What followed was a discourse on wind farms, the jet stream, global wind patterns, plus land and sea breezes. The discussion was possibly more than one little explorer could handle, so of course she ran to her Diva and instantly fell asleep. Some how I think I got the best part of the day. I got to kiss her little head, hold her close and whisper prayers over her while she slept. It amazes me that she seems to be growing right in front of us. I miss my baby but I'm enjoying this bright inquisitive little person.

A Berry Sweet Day

We went strawberry picking today. The fields were very crowded this morning and the sign said they were picked out. We were disappointed but decided to head to the Farmer's Market in Dayton instead. This was the cutest thing at the Farmer's Market.




We ate lunch at the Thomas House which features Mennonite Cooking. The food was good as always and their rose bush was bursting with color. I tried to get Emma to sit down by the rose bush but she would have none of it. Lucky for me Mom sat down and held her so I could catch this picture of my girls. Aren't they both gorgeous? Not that I'm at all biased!



We decided to stop by the strawberry field on the way home and buy some berries. This time they were open and we were ready to pick. Emma and I examined all the rocks in the parking lot before sitting under a big shade tree to eat grapes and swap stories. Mom and Dad made short work of picking. It was so much fun watching Emma discover Strawberries.

Hmmm....What are these?

I think I'll take a closer look!

Maybe I'll just poke one.

I'll just try one!

The many faces of berry addiction!

Needless to say Virginia grown Strawberries are delicious and picking them from the field is half the fun. Emma decided Dad needed some help picking so she went out to help. All in all it was a berry sweet day....now to find some strawberry recipes. I'll post pictures of our creations tomorrow.

It amazes me how much Emma can communicate without very many words. She said the word, "Birdy" while watching the birds eat at the feeders and points to the cats and says "kitty". When this girl gets her words I'm sure she will have many stories to tell. Sure wish I had half her energy!

Mr. Wonderful and I have to work till noon tomorrow so we will have to have an afternoon adventure. Stayed tuned.

The Wading Girl

Here's the Divine Miss Em wiggling and dancing in the new wading pool in the back yard. Mom bought her this swimming hat, shirt, and skirt all on sale at Target. The water was very cold but our girl danced and waded to her heart's content.

Hopefully the sun will warm up the water tomorrow for another wading session. If not Poppa and Dad hung the baby swing from one of our cherry trees for her enjoyment.

I'm sure there will be more pictures coming and Mom even took a video of the splash party. We had strawberry pancakes for supper and I've got a recipe for strawberry pie from my mom that you know we will have to fix.

More adventures will have to wait till Saturday afternoon as Mr. Wonderful and I are working with volunteers Saturday morning.

I did notice Mr. Wonderful reading the story of the little "Red Hen" to Emma before dinner. Of course he added suggestions on how the little red hen should have diversified her efforts , obtained a small business loan, and employed her friends to help make a marketable product thus adding to the economy and multiplying profits. What a guy!

Second Full Day with Emma

Emma loves bubbles so naturally her Poppa had to buy her a bubble gun. She likes to pop them and is pretty good at blowing them too. It was fun to watch her chase the bubbles in the wind.

Yesterday was a catch up day for sleep. Jet lag hit mom and dad pretty hard. Emma hasn't adjusted to the time change and new bed yet either so has been very restless and waking frequently. You know if baby doesn't sleep neither do Mom and Dad!

Berry picking is scheduled for this afternoon. I think Becky was a migrant worker in another life. I've never seen any one who can pick berries faster than she can. My mouth is already watering for field ripen berries.


Ever the educator, Poppa had to show Emma all the different trees in the back yard and explain each one to her. She liked the feel of the leaves except for the pine needles. She was attracted to the Maple leaves....do you think it's because she partly Canadian?




Outdoors can be exhausting and even little explorers need a break. Poppa and Diva did our best to wear her out. Why do they call it babysitting.....you never get to sit?

Mom and Dad took a much needed break to go to a movie and dinner while we took charge of the little one. We got lots of smiles, and stole lots of kisses. Bath time was fun, but cuddle time was even better.

Check back with us tomorrow and see our"berry special" girl in the Strawberry Patch.

First full day with Diva

Our Canadians arrived right on time and Miss Emma went right to Poppa . (They have a special connection....she bats her eyes and he turns to mush!) After collecting baggage and several attempts at putting the car seat in correctly, we were off to Chick-fil-a ( Becky's favorite). On the two hour drive home, all of them fell asleep in the back seat ( hey, it's a long plane ride and Momma are the last to get any rest!)



Wednesday was spent shopping for the girls, and Barnes and Noble for the Daddy. Emma was quite patient riding in the buggy while Mom bought replacement dishes (broken from the flight), baby food, and lots of things she doesn't have in Canada. Conversation went something like this..

Becky:....."Do you know how much I pay for this in Canada?"

Me: "No, I don't have a clue."

Becky: "At least twice as much"

Who knew how much excitement you can get from baby wipes and cereal? Needless to say there were many conversations that started this way. The merchants were pleased to take our money and the car was packed by the time we got home from shopping and grocery buying.

Lunch was spent at (you guess it! Chick-fil-a!) Emma delighted her Diva with her new trick, drinking from a straw! Any guesses who bought her the Daisy bib? I was also introduced to baby place mats. Plastic colorful mats that have sticky strips that you peel to stick to the table and keeps it from sliding. Emma loves finger foods and loves feeding herself. She enjoyed the freedom and mom enjoyed the clean surface. Clean up is easy too, just by rolling up the uneaten food in the mat and tossing it.

Emma enjoyed our big back yard where there is always a new discovery. She liked the grass and enjoying rolling in it. Poppa especially liked her new hat. No outside retreat is complete without a ride in the new red wagon. Emma and Poppa took it out for the inaugural ride. It was hard to decide who had the best time....Emma or Poppa!




Last night we ate at Cracker Barrel....this time both a Mommy and Daddy favorite. We made a quick trip to Target for a wading pool for Emma and some allergy medication for Mom. Both Emma and Mom have allergies. Em is cutting more teeth so this Diva wiped lots of runny noses and drooly chins yesterday.

Emma loves her bath time but we only have a shower. Leave it up to Poppa to come up with a way to keep our baby happy and clean. He bought a small pond liner for a water feature that is black plastic and fits inside the shower. As you can see Emma liked the concept really well! When she is done it is easy to empty the water down the shower drain and easy to fill from the shower head. Emma slept all night long which definitely makes for happy parents. More adventures today! Stayed tuned!

Count Down to Virginia Visit

The Cats are all looking out the window and waiting for the Divine Miss "Em". They had better get their rest in now. I'm sure she will find them fascinating and will want to play chase. JJ will be a nervous wreck for the next three weeks . Lucy is a little braver. They may want to retreat to the basement or attic till they get used to having a little person in the house.



Pop pop spent some time putting the little red wagon together for his girl and bringing down the high chair, changing table, baby bed, Emma chair, and assorted toys. The wagon has a back and also a safety belt! He still needs to hang the baby swing. We've heard from reliable sources that our girl is a real swinger.



This Diva is prepared to be on the run for the next few weeks. Miss Emma is a free spirit and likes the wide open spaces. Fortunately we have a big back yard for her to explore and plenty of time to make discoveries.



These anxious grandparents are all set to have big goofy smiles for the next three weeks. We leave this afternoon about 2 o'clock to pick up our Canadians in Richmond about 5 p.m. First stop after the baggage claim?.....why Chick-fil-a, of course! Stay tuned for the adventures of Diva and Em. Keep us in your prayers as we travel.

Coming this spring!

Dear Emma Bug.....Just got the confirmation that you are going to be bringing your momma and daddy to come see us May 27th.

Your Poppa and I are so excited that we are counting off the days. I'm glad you love New York because you know we will have to go visit your Auntie Suzy and your Uncles Tim, and Andy.

You are going to be the big girl cousin. How bout that? I know you are used to being the little cousin in Canada but here you will get to be the oldest. How fun is that?

I'm wondering if you will chase Diva's fat Cat JJ? I bet they will run! I can hardly wait to chase after you myself.

I wonder if your Momma will take you Strawberry picking?


Miss you sooo very much. Sending you hugs and kisses!

Your Diva

Hello!

Hello....Is this my Emma Bug?

Look at you Miss Thing? You are walking and are such a clever girl. Every now and then your sweet momma will ask me if I want to babysit you. I always laugh and say:"Sure, come on over!"

How I wish we lived close by so we could watch you grow. You are changing so rapidly now and learning new things every day.

Will you even remember us the next time we see you? You would enjoy seeing all the baby animals in the nearby farms. We would practice our animal sounds. I bet you will be good at them.

Your Poppa misses his girl too! Be sweet to your parents.

Miss you soooooooo much,

Your Diva

Your First Birthday!

Dearest Emma Bug......It's almost your birthday! You will be one year old. It's a big celebration for you and your momma and daddy. No doubt they will be thinking about their journey to the hospital in the very worst of weather so you could be born.

They will probably remember long sleepless nights and adjusting to having a brand new baby in the house. They will probably think about all your firsts...your first smile, your first solid foods, the first time you turned over by yourself, the first time you were able to sit up by yourself, the first time you pulled yourself up, the first time you crawled and so many more first. They will probably come to the conclusion that you are one remarkable grrrl (but then we've always known that!)

You are passing by babyhood now and launching into the world of being a toddler. This year you will master walking, running, climbing, eating with a spoon, climbing stairs, and many other things that will surprise and amaze your mom and dad. You will begin talking and putting together words and sentences. You have always been able to communicate but this year you will learn new skills and the world will grown a little less threatening as your skills increase.

I hope you enjoy your party and being the center of attention. We look forward to seeing your pictures and videos of your big day. I hope you know you are loved and prayed for every single day. You have made a huge impact on your Diva and Poppa.

Missing you more every day,

Your Diva

Reading With Diva

Dearest Emma,

It won't be long till you have your first birthday. You have grown so quickly and have learned so many new skills. What a clever girl you are. I could hardly believe that you were crawling the last time I saw you. I loved hearing you laughing and giggling while you made your way to my waiting arms.

I miss reading to you. Your momma tells me that you enjoy books and I am so glad to hear that. There are so many wonderful books to share with you. I hope you will enjoy some of the books that your momma enjoyed when she was a baby. I know she has a copy of "Baby's Birthday!" I read that book so often to your mom that I still have it memorized. I wonder what will be your favorite book.

Your Poppa and I miss you and love looking at your pictures and telling each other our favorite Emma stories. Know that you are a special little girl and we love you with our whole hearts.

Your Poppa and Diva