I miss you, little froggy

Dear Scarlett, I'm going on two full days being away from you, and it's much easier than my last work trip.  Probably because my schedule is booked solid here, and in the few brief pockets of downtime I have, I get to see the wildness of Las Vegas.  It can be very distracting.  But I still miss you, especially when I wake up and when I'm going to sleep.  When I call, you yell that you love me into the phone, and this morning you asked again where I am.  I said, Nevada.  You said, that's really really far away.

It is baby, but I'll be home soon.  I love you the biggest of all amounts.
Emily

7 Years

I found the wedding picture!  So, happy anniversary again :)

7 Years and Counting

Happy Anniversary my wonderful Charlie!  I thought I'd saved one of our wedding pictures for this blog post, but I logged in today and it's not here.

Instead, here is a picture out the window of my hotel room.  That is a roller coaster.  Vegas is crazy.  I'm excited for you to join me here in a few days,

I love you, I'm so glad we got married 7 years ago. 

Baking with Scarlett

"I'm making frog pizza. It doesn't have frogs in it, it's just called frog pizza."  (at which point I considered putting green food coloring in her dough- which was flour and water mixed- but then I looked at the mess already on the floor, counter, and stool.  And I decided a green mess would be even harder to clean up.)

"I'm making biscuit flour. It's not Biscuit the puppy." (laughs)

A trip down Sauvie lane

Three years ago, Charlie's parents were visiting and we were all waiting, waiting, waiting for the arrival of my baby, who was overdue.  We went out to this bird-watching event at Sauvie Island and took this picture of Sally and I at our various stages of pregnancy:

And Hope, age three and a half, looked like this.

This year we went back, with smaller stomaches and a larger brood.

Hope, six and a half:

"I want the wind to stop winding"

My favorite smiles

Birthday Party, take 3

Scarlett's birthday party this year was:

1. at 9:30am, because that's the time my toddler likes to party
2. not at our house, because at other places, there is actually room to move around with all those people

So we rented a room at the Children's Museum, and I think everyone (especially those under 48 inches) had a blast.  Just as the room quieted so we could sing, Scarlett started singing happy birthday by herself.  Cutest ever.

Frog cupcakes

Feeding Grandma a frog cupcake

Baby Ione, wearing green, just the way Scar likes it

Cupcakes in the morning are the best

Ella and Scarlett, playing with lights

Clay time, with Esther and Grandma

Esther, stopping to get her hair did

Green clothes!  Frog things!  Books!  Toys!  Birthdays!

3-year stats

Height: 38 inches, 75th percentile
Weight: 34 pounds, 75th percentile

Scarlett, age 3

Happy Birthday, my beautiful Scarlett. 

This is the last picture of us as a family, with you at age 2.

This morning you woke up early like usual, 6:15 or so, and drowsy.  You look bigger to me; taller, and you were using bigger words.  I cuddled with you and then I asked, do you know why today is special?  You yawned and said it's your birthday, unimpressed.  But after a smoothie and some ungrumping, things came alive.  You had a whirlwind of a day, and I'm so glad.  We made banana pancakes with grandma and aunt and cousin.  We opened presents here and there, but never all at once.

Then we went to the Vancouver library, and we probably could have spent the entire morning there.  You found a frog, Lumpy, on the librarian's desk and carried him around the whole time.  We told you that you don't have to nap on your birthday, when in fact there just wasn't time for a nap, what with all the running around.  We went to Hope's school for a poetry festival, but you still can't sit still for long and mostly you played on the playground.  We went home and you read books on a bed of blankets and pillows, sitting next to your grandma.  You played with Grandma a lot, board games and pretending to be each other's pillows.  We ate sushi for dinner, and chocolate cake.  You were a great sport.

Now, you and Hope are asleep in the guest bedroom.  You're having a birthday slumber party, like big kids, because now you are three.

Some people love the baby phase best, and I understand a little.  It was nice to hold you all the time and nurse you and carry you everywhere.  But I like this age better.  Because now, you like to give me hugs and kisses, and you're eager to climb onto my lap for a story.  You wrap your arms around my neck and squeeze so hard.  You love thoroughly and outwardly.

New things:

• Sleeping with your blanket over head.  Sometimes your pillow and several blankets.
• Playing 'Going to Chicago', in which you pack everything you can onto the couch- friends, board games, buckets, anything- and pretend you are flying to visit Grandma & Grandpa.
• Playing dress-up
• "He will be mad about anything we put on him.  Not too mad, but a little mad." -dressing up her puppet in a hat and scarf
• Board games.  Luckily, we have some new ones, because we were getting a little tired of the same two games, four times a day.
• Gymnastics class.  You didn't tell me much about it, other than 'I sat on a green star'.

Happy Birthday to our best little valentine.
Emily

Happy Birthday!

On her birthday-eve

When Scarlett woke up this morning she asked, is Grandma here?  I said, not yet, not until lunchtime.  She sat up and said, I'm going to go check.

My baby girl is almost three.  Here she is walking with grandma, and 'smiling'.

Getting Grandma's bed ready

Grandma is flying in from Chicago tomorrow, and Scarlett is very excited.  She's getting the bed all warmed up and frogged.

Almost 3 and looking fierce

Frog hat, frog boots, stuffed frog accessory, dress-up prairie dress, polar bear vest.  Outfit by Scarlett.

"I'm gonna sing some music"

Songs she was singing (barely recognizable as the tune to Twinkle Twinkle)

"I love music, I love music, I love music hippo watering can."
"Frogs in the desert, frogs in the desert."
"Bears in the desert, bears in the desert, music box!"
"Dora Dora hippo watering can" (laughs)

(If it helps, she has a watering can that is a hippo. She usually calls it Hip.)

And, here's the award-winning hit, Frogs in Chicago:

Snacktime conversation

"Can you put some more ants on that log?"

Girls at the park

Long overdue pics of Scarlett and Ella in Eugene.  Ella loves dinosaurs and- lo and behold- there's a big dinosaur for climbing on at the park near my parents' place.  Kids + park + sunset = great pictures.

Ella and Scarlett tried to race, but mostly the racing was Scarlett standing- or being carried- and Ella sprinting.  I'm totally going to get her on our Hood to Coast team in 16 years if she keeps going like this. 

Still crazy after all these years

Scarlett, reading a book about a giraffe, to her giraffe.

She just keeps on loving Arnie so much, it's really sweet.  He was in the background of a picture we were looking, in his younger days, when his nose was bright orange and his neck was solid.  Once upon a time, he could stand up!  Now, she says 'his neck is pretty loved on' and she's right.