Best Buddies

 

 

 

 

Or maybe i should call this post, "Emma's Pachi".

This pink elephant has been with Emma since she came home. One of the women in Robert's sales staff, Kitty, gave Emma this stuffed animal and since then, Pachi has become the friend of choice. "Cow" is also a good buddy who has been with Emma since she's been home, but Pachi is the "go-to" buddy, the one she brings with her to color, or eat...or get into mischief.

Everyone should have a "Pachi".

I have no idea where the name "Pachi" came from. Emma has always called him that. It's cute to see her share her food with Pachi...mainly because she doesn't seem to think yet that she should share with anyone else. Pachi rides with us to school, he's in the Pilot to greet her when school is over, he's the sleeping pal, the take-to-the-grocery-store pal, the take-to-the-pizza-place pal...you name it, Pachi is it.

Pachi has also managed to "jump" (that's Emma's explanation, not mine...) into the tub with her, make his way into the shower with her (i don't know how that happened as i was right there, sigh...), sit on on the big-girl toilet (and almost fall in), and be put on the Christmas tree as a 'decowration". He's had a full life thus far.

He has also been pee'd on, had chocolate smeared on his trunk and tail, had been thrown off of the top of the stairs to the floor below, has spent a few hours in the frig when Emma put him in there, and well, sometimes dear Pachi stinks to high heaven.

ah, yes, a full life, indeed.

They 'celebrated' Valentine's Day late yesterday afternoon by eating all (yep, ALL) of the treats that Emma received at her Valentine's Day party at school.

So, here's to Emma and Pachi, Best Valentine Day Buddies!

5 of 100

 

Well, it's back to the photo taking of flowers "in" the house and not in the cold outside.

This is one of my Orchid plants. I have only two, because i'm the owner of a semi-black thumb and because Orchids are expensive and i don't want to pay a whole 'lotta money just to kill a plant. This beautiful baby and it's Orchid sibling, i managed to pick up on a manager's sale for $4.99! What a deal!

It's a stunning flower. And it's blooming. It's a happy plant. So is it's sibling.

Today, i'm without toddler for a few hours, so i'm heading out with the camera. :)

4 of 100

 

LOL...yep, guess what this is?

ANOTHER photo of my Paperwhite Flowers!

Really, i promise that these flowers will die very soon fade but for now, for some reason, they are a favorite of mine to photo.

I'm not sure if it's because they are an indoor flower for me to photo because it's too dang cold to go outside, or if it's because i really love that flower that much. One thing is for sure...Paperwhite Flowers don't have the most fragrant smell to them.

So, here is 4 of 100...

3 of 100

 

Well, i'm back to photographing my paperwhite flower....

I like this photo...i'm not sure what i did to make it come out the way it did, but i like it anyways.

I really need to take my camera outside as there are some places that i've wanted to photo, but just haven't gotten the chance.

Down Memory Lane...

 

 

 

 

It's amazing to look back at all of the photos that i've taken of Emma. It seems that in just a blink of an eye, she's gone from a baby to a toddler who will be three years old in a few weeks. To watch Emma go from learning to roll over, to crawling, to pulling up, to hesitant first steps, to walking, to running...has been the most amazing gift that i've been blessed with.

And it's embarrassing to admit that i still sneak into her room to watch her sleep.

I have a little birthday to plan for her; nothing big, just us, cake and ice cream, and a few gifts.

And of course, lots of photos.

Photo 2 of 100

 

ah, i love this photo.

I took this photo this past Sunday, after our snow 'storm'. You see, anything above the flurry stage here in Nashville is considered a "snow storm".

But, i love this photo. I love the deep, bright red of the berries, the ice on the leaves...

I think that "Still Life Plants" will have to be my theme. I do love beautiful plants and photos of them...

...but only second to food and beautiful photos of food, lol....

Snow Day II Photos

Fun Times....

...ummm, not so much for me.

This is what happens when you leave a toddler alone to visit the bathroom for just a few minutes.

Oh, yes, fun times, indeed.

Upon her coming to get me to show me what she had done, she holds my hand as we walk up the stairs to her room. As she sits down in the middle of her 'fun zone', she looks up at me and says:

"Dis is BAD! DIS IS A NO-NO!"

It was truly hard not to laugh....

Valentine Pink Lemonade Cupcakes....

hmmm...i think that i'll try these.

You know, for Valentine's Day.

Or maybe sooner... :)

PINK LEMONADE CUPCAKES

* 1 pkg white cake mix without pudding in the mix
* 3 egg whites
* 1 cup water
* 1/3 cup thawed frozen pink lemonade concentrate; thawed
* 2 TBSP oil
* pink food coloring (optional)

Frosting

* 4 cups icing sugar
* 1/3 cup butter, softened
* 1/4 cup pink lemonade concentrate

1. Beat cake mix, water, egg whites, 1/3 cup lemon concentrate, oil and food coloring. Medium speed for 2 minutes. Spoon batter into lined muffin cups.

2. Bake 18-22 mins. Cool completely before frosting.

3. Beat icing sugar, butter and 1/4 cup lemonade concentrate, until well blended. (Add more concentrate to thin frosting if necessary.) Add pink coloring to desired color.

Hanging on...

....by a thread with this toddler of mine. I have looked forward to every stage with Emma, but this almost three-year old stage, may make me into a hard drinking woman (which is kinda ironic, because i haven't drank a mixed drink since Christmas of 2008 when my sister was here and she drove me to drink).

Yesterday was one of those days when you want to leave your Mommy name-badge at the front door and hide under a rock. It was that bad. In fact, it was more that 'bad'. It was closer to 'terrible' or 'hellish'.

In fact, i think that hell for a Mommy is probably run by a two-year old devil...but that's another story.

Yesterday was a school day. Emma is thrilled and happy. She sings all of the way to school like i do, because, hey, i'm happy she's going to school, too. When i pick her up, her teacher, Ms. Amanda, says to me "Emma didn't take a nap today...but she had a wonderful day!" (Just a quick note: Emma doesn't hit in school. Apparently, that is saved just for me!)

My heart sinks...no nap?

oy...i'm in trouble. I know she will be cranky. I know that she will be less-than fun.

Nap time is a struggle here. So, we've moved to "quiet time" if you want to call jumping on your crib like a trampoline quiet time so it will be just like her school days. Emma chooses not to nap at school, either, instead choosing to take off her socks and shoes and play with her "cwute toes"--->she really does say that in school. No nap makes for a very, very, VERY grumpy toddler by 5pm. So, bedtime has moved up and we start our bedtime ritual at 5:30pm after dinner.

Emma is already rubbing her eyes by the time she and i finish dinner.

We put pjs on, go potty, we read together, play with her little animals, say our prayers....

...and the throwing of little animals, screaming, and the hitting begins.

Hitting has been a problem before, but had stopped with the early bed time. I know that it's because she's tired. I know that. But i wish i could stop it. She knows that hitting is wrong. Emma tells me all of the time that hitting is wrong and hurts. She tells me all of the time that she should not hit.

Usually, i am able to get Emma into bed without being a target before the throwing, screaming and hitting starts. Last night? I wasn't so lucky. I was hit twice. Hard. In the face.

Robert was in the room with us. I gently put Emma in the crib, which i could barely see from my tears. I turned, and started to walk out of the room, just in time to hear Robert tell her in his stern Father-like voice that "she does not hit Mommy", and "No, she cannot have a bagel". I didn't hear anything else as i went to my bedroom, climbed into bed, covered myself up with all of my favorite blankets and cried big, hockin' snotty tears, feeling like i would never, ever figure out this Mommy thing. I finally fell asleep...

I know it was just a bad day and that every single mother has them. But it was just a really bad day for both of us. Every mother wants to be a good mother and to be able to be the type of mother that her child needs. Last night, i felt that i would never be that mother...that i really had no clue and had no idea what i was doing.

This morning, all seems well. Emma is happily coloring as i type this, last night seems all forgotten for her. We are on a even more strict routine now; perhaps that will help. If not, just for today, i have a mini-bag of M&Ms stashed for me to make me feel a little better....