Snuggle Puppy of Mine

What with Libby starting school and pooping pennies and having a birthday, I feel that Emma's beeng getting shortchanged on the blog lately. So let me tell you a few snippets about our snuggly littlest puppy:



* If Emma could be held 20 hours out of the day, she would be (so long as she could spend the other four hours eating).


* Emma has this hilarious, gravelly, sort of low voice, especially when she's being shy (which is often). The other day after I asked Emma to say goodbye to my friend Kristy, Kristy looked at me and said, "She sounds just like Eeyore."


* Emma insists on going to bed with strange (and different) stuff every night. (Example? She'll often sleep for days with the "Parade" magazine from the Sunday paper.) Consequently, her crib eventually becomes piled with massive amounts of books and magazines and stuffed animals and whatnot. Martin goes in every now and again and shovels it all out. (Me? I just leave it. Seems like a YP.)

No, this was not staged, and -- yes -- I do worry for her social future as a result. (And also -- yes -- this was one of those odd things that wound up in her crib for days and days.)

* Emma is, and always has been, just amazing with names. She seems to hear everything going on around her and absorb any names from it. She knows everyone's little brother or sister, for example. In contrast, Libby only just realized a few days ago that Martin and I have names besides Mommy and Daddy.


* Emma is even more stubborn than Libby, which I was pretty sure wasn't possible. She sets her mind to something, and -- watch out! -- that's it. In fact, I finally just stopped trying to grow out her bangs because the kid simply would not leave a barrette in her hair.

A few moments with the barrette left in. She looks pretty darn cute with bangs now, though!

* My favorite Emma-ism? "Not that one shirt. The other one shirt." "Not that one book." etc. I'll be sad when she realizes she doesn't need that "one" in there.


* Emma love, love, loves when she gets to pick out my shirt for the day. Consequently, I sometimes wear some odd combinations.


* Emma has a special affinity for Seven. I think she sees Nub as belonging to Libby, so she staked her claims on the other kitty around. Poor Seven. He's a gentle guy, thank God, but he certainly doesn't have Nub's completely unfathomable and utter patience with every form of toddler torture. (The funniest part? Emma calls Seven "Nub." This despite her amazing gift for names. Odd.)

Let the tortures begin!

* I can hardly keep clothes on her these days. (Don't ask me about the turd story from when she took her own diaper off Tuesday. Shudder.)

Washing dishes (naked, of course). If only Mommy had the patience more often for the dish-washing game! (Or if only my entire kitchen were waterproof. Perhaps that's the better wish.)

* Because she's always been surrounded by kids a year older than her, she adores having a younger kid around. She is one bossy little beeyotch then. "No, Zach. No." (Although she is fascinated by little babies and is very sweet toward them. But give it a few months, and she'll be quite the meanie.)