Park and Picnic = Happy Girl

Emma loves to swing and go down the slides.  We have spent the last several days eating lunch on our deck, "picnic" style and going to the local parks after dinner because the weather has been amazing.  Whenever Emma gets to the bottom of the slides, she says/signs "more" and goes running for the steps.

Last night there was an Asian family at the park...their daughter and Emma kept sizing one another up but wouldn't interact.  Emma kept running and hiding into my legs, but then peeking to see where the other little girl was.  I tried to get Emma to say 'hi" but she acted shy; the other little girl, looked to be about 4 years old, and was speaking in Chinese to her mom and Grandmother, so not much conversation was going to happen anyway.  The mom and grandma kept staring at us and chatting in Chinese...I would love to know what was being said!

I am really noticing how much of a little girl Emma has become in these pictures...there is no sign of the baby she was last year at this time.  Next September she will be getting ready for preschool.  *sigh*  It's going too fast!

"No" is the word of the week, with lots of sass in her "no"...especially when it's time for diaper changes.  Emma doesn't want to stop what she is doing to be changed and doesn't believe us when we tell her she can go back outside or to playing once we are done.  Our girl is busy, busy, busy.  This week she is burning so much energy, she is asking for more food after every meal and snack.  I swear she looks taller every week and the Mail Courier states the same.  Emma and the Mail Lady have forged a friendship...she will actually give us our mail, even when she isn't on our side of the road yet, just so she can interact with Emma.  She binds the mail with a rubber band, just so Emma can carry it all on heavier days.

If I had one word to describe Emma right now, it would be Octopus...that kids hands are everywhere and snatching things from us in a blink of an eye.  Keep your eyes on and your hands wrapped around drinks, cellphones, remotes, receipts and food when she is around!