Transition

Everett was given his own blog for the first year because I print books with all of the blog posts.  These blogs and blog books have replaced my scrapbooks.  SO, it was only fair that he have his first year all to himself and have posts that marked all of his first year milestones.  BUT, it has always been the plan to merge the two blogs at the end of his first year.  So, aside from a post that I will put up with Emily's 4 year pictures (so that it can be printed in her book to round out her 4th year), this blog will no longer be "active" - all new posts will be on the family blog (Everett's current blog) which will continue to follow our lives and feature both Emily and Everett.  Follow me HERE

PS There are two new posts below, posted today, don't miss 'em!

4 Year Well Check

Bright and early on June 22nd, Emily had her 4 year well visit where she weighed in at 38.6 lbs. and measured 42 inches tall.

She asked me the whole way there if she was going to have to get shots and I told her I didn't know.  (This is something she asks me before every one of Everett's visits too... she might not have thought about it if she hadn't seen him get so many.)  And everything was going swimmingly...

until she asked the doctor if she was going to have to get shots.

The anticipation was rough but thankfully she had already done amazingly on her eye test (I couldn't identify the letters she was reading off after a couple of rows).  And once the shots and tears were finished, we met up with friends for breakfast and some fun!  Our first stop (after bagels) was the OC Zoo.

That little zoo never takes very long so we followed Emily and Emory (who followed a peacock)...

over to ride the train...

and the horses!

This was Emily's first time to ride on the big horses that trot...

and are guided by a "cowgirl" on her own horse.

Hooray for trying new things!  Must come with age.

School's Out For Summer!

More Birthday - Pool Party!

Also on the morning of June 12th, Emily awoke to find that I had made her fairy cake the night before.  

The whole "fairy theme" surrounding this birthday originated when she announced that she wanted a fairy cake like the one we saw at a store.  And, luckily for me, the first thing she said that morning was that my cake looked like the one from the store.  Hooray!  

We took it, that afternoon, up to our neighbor's house to share with the playgroup.

It was a bonus playgroup because our hostess has a pool and everyone knows how Emily loves to swim!

She was all over that pool in no time.  Jumping in and swimming around.  But, with 30-35 kids... it got a little stressful for Mama.  I had to stop taking pictures so Everett and I could get in the pool to enjoy it and monitor the fish more closely.

After a swim and some pizza, it was time for Emily's cake!

The crowd gathered rather quickly and Emily was starting to tell me that she didn't want them to sing to her when...

everyone broke out in song.

It was an overwhelming 20 seconds...

but she recovered as soon as everyone stopped singing and she got the first slice of chocolate cake!

The cake gobbling was broken up for a short time when a large California King Snake was spotted.  As Marje tried to guide it out of her yard (a "friendly" snake...eats the rattlers!) I took a quick picture (of nothing it turns out)...

and then looked around for Emily.  I knew she would want to be close and I feared she would get a little too close and/or in the way.  Of course, when I found her she was just a few feet away from the snake - right up with Marje, snake hunting!  Oh geez.  I pulled her back to the rest of the onlookers and then had to skeedaddle - the natives were restless for cake!

After her brief hunting expedition, which ended with the snake slithering out of the yard, Emily was back to her cake...

happy as a girl could be.  It was as if she was a newly minted 4 year old girl who'd had an amazing few days of birthday celebrations!  Imagine that!

And Everett... he was pretty happy too.

More Birthday - School!

On Tuesday morning, June 12th, I went up to Emily's school to celebrate her birthday with her class!  When I arrived, she was running over to get a tricycle.  As soon as she saw me she started shouting to all of the teachers and kids that her mama was there.  Then, she hopped on the tricycle and started pedaling around excitedly. 

She was so excited, in fact, that she wasn't watching where she was going (looking at me and smiling instead) and crashed into a wall, a post, and drove off the sidewalk into the bushes.  Each time she just got herself back on track, put her HUGE smile back on her face, and pedaled some more.  It was pretty funny.

After a little bit, it was time to go in.  Luckily, Emily was one of the "special helpers" that day so she was handed the bell to ring - letting everyone know that it was time to go in.

She covered the WHOLE playground...

and ended up back over by me with her fellow special helper, Cam...  (Side note, we had just run into Cam at Disneyland the day before!)

before lining up with her class.  Girls...

and boys.

Once inside, her class did their daily practice of "ducks cover."  Earthquakes, gotta love 'em!

(I think it came from "duck and cover" but being ducks and covering up is more fun for kids I suppose.)
Emily showed me the class' silkworms that were now in cocoons...

before setting the table for snack.

Another job that she took very seriously.

Then it was time for her to choose her birthday cake, and frosting, and put on her 4 candles!!

(After having watched everyone else celebrate their birthdays or 1/2 birthdays, she knew right away that she wanted the chocolate cake with sparkly frosting.)

At snack time she got to sit in the special birthday chair!

She loves to pour the drinks and made sure to pour me some when snack was almost over.

Everyone LOVED Emily's snack choice (chocolate swirl ice cream cups, mini-Oreos, and mini-marshmallows) and one friend came over to thank her personally.

Not sure if Emily has EVER sat at the school snack for so long.

She was the last one at the tables... she was NOT going to miss a DROP!

To end the day, they had some free play/center time.  Emily worked on her "Corduroy"...

and played with the babies as well.

Her fake baby cry got both teachers' attention right away and they told me how her fake cry is always really good and gets them every time.  I like that she knows how to soothe the babies at least!  :)

She was a very happy birthday girl!

***that morning was warm but Emily, without a moment's hesitation, told me that she wanted to wear her birthday cake shirt to school