Four and a half years old - 08.27.2016

Emery Annabelle is four and a half years old. She's been waiting for so long to add the "half." Last weekend, someone asked her how old she was and she said with a bit of a sad face, "I'm regular four."

Emery is doing a great job with reading. She's still a bit hesitant to sound out new words, but with books she's been read many times (and memorized), she will often read along. Emery has a great memory for story details, song lyrics, TV quotes, and words in a book. She often says things like: remember that time when we.... and she'll recall something we did a long time ago with very interesting, accurate details. She also gets frustrated when I don't immediately recall the moment she's describing. Her coloring has improved a lot. She used to scribble pretty indiscriminately, and now she's much more intentional with trying to color within the lines. She's working on writing letters and numbers and writes some better than others.

So far this year, Emery went bowling twice, watched Blake run a marathon, traveled to Wyoming where she and I walked a 5K, swam underwater, and toured Washington, D.C. monuments and museums. She also got a new twin size bed. In a few weeks, she'll take her first class: Ballet and Tap.

In Wyoming, Emery fell head over heels in love with Blake's folks' dog, Jaxsyn. Jaxsyn is a golden doodle and the two of them had tons of fun running and chasing and playing together. Emery still misses her everyday. Emery also got to go fishing in the Wyoming mountains.

We got Emery a magnetic calendar and a regular wall calendar, and she likes to keep track of the date and day of the week. Mrs. Diana discusses the date and the weather with the kids too. She recently asked for a watch. Emery appreciates order and figuring out patterns.

Emery can use the TV remote to get a DVD started or find a show on her list on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon. I only instructed her a few times and she got the hang of it. So far she still asks permission to turn on the TV and asks before she picks a show. Emery's favorite movie is Frozen. In the car, we often sing along to the Frozen soundtrack - I think I know the words better than for the albums I like. Emery also likes a funny little British show called Sarah & Duck, an Amazon show called Tumble Leaf, Curious George, and a Disney short film called Frozen Fever (about Elsa and Anna, of course).

Emery has been a little more adventurous trying new foods. She likes bell peppers, cucumbers, smoothies, and in Wyoming she ate buffalo meat. She laughed when I told her and she didn't believe me.

I started braiding her "pinktails" occasionally for church. Her hair is pretty long now, but still pretty fine. She likes having braids. She also likes putting bows in my hair, which I enjoy. Last Sunday she insisted on a certain bow that I didn't think matched her dress, so in order to agree to switch bows, I had to wear the one that didn't match. Yes, I walked into the church wearing a big blue bow in my hair (and maybe slipped it into my purse moments later).

Mrs. Diana's daughter got married this year, so not only did Emery attend a wedding for the first time, she got the behind-the-scenes look at all the prep work everyday. She got to see Becky's dress and invitations months before the wedding. Plus she got to help: she carefully removed straight pins while Mrs. Diana sewed Becky's veil. She also is convinced that she will one day get married, leave us, and move to Tennessee (like Becky.) She's very concerned with figuring out where she'll meet her future husband. Oh my.

We love our sweet, spunky girl!

It's a standing joke that my dad likes to give people a Speed Limit sign on their birthdays that are divisible by 5.

It's so fun to be uncooperative!

Fourth Birthday - 02.27.2016

Emery Annabelle is four! She's been asking every week since this fall: "Am I four today?"

This fall at Mrs. Diana's, Emery began learning short vowel sounds and blending, and she's able to sound out some 3 and 4 letter words. She recognizes several other words she's seen before, many she's spelled on an electronic spelling and story book she has.

A couple of weeks ago, we were shopping and Emery pulled me over to a display, saying "Books! I see books!" I didn't see any books, just batteries, headphones, electronics. So I tried to figure out where exactly she was looking, and I realized the sign above the display (mistakenly) read "Books." She was reading the word! She's still hesitant to try to sound out multiple words in a book, but once she gains more phonics tools and practice, we think she'll really take off with reading.

Most often, we find her "reading" books by reciting the story she's memorized from hearing us read to her (sometimes word for word). She has a pretty good auditory memory for movie lines and song lyrics - just like Blake, but unlike Tiffanie. She wants to act out shows and movies with her toys and says to me: You be Junior Asparagus, and I'll be Laura Carrot. Then she launches into lines from an episode of VeggieTales and I have no idea what lines come next (even if I've seen it lots of times.) This is frustrating to her. Blake can recite the lines back and forth with her. Sorry, kid!

At this point, I think her fine motor skills aren't quite as advanced as her cognitive skills. When I suggest she try to color in the lines, she tells me: "But I don't want to." She started learning to cut paper with scissors as well.

Emery can write her name pretty well, but the letters are usually pretty big and spaced out, and she often runs out of room (they go on the next line or other places on the page). She has started learning to write the lower case letters in her name, "e" and "r" are more obviously different than the upper case versions ("m" and "y" don't look a lot different). She can write other letters too. She wrote a card to her friend Mary Helen, and wrote MH's name plus "Love, Emery" on the inside.

This winter Emery has enjoyed several chances to sled in the snow, make snow angels, and throw snowballs. Also, a few weeks ago, Emery had her first dental check-up, and did very well.

Emery still loves stories and pretend play. We got her dress-up dresses for her birthday, and she loves wearing them, changing in to a different dress, and pretending to be (her version of) whoever that character is. For Christmas, Emery got a Candy Land game from Uncle Bryan and Aunt Sherry, and she has learned how to take turns and follow rules and wants to play over and over.

This fall, my folks bought us tickets to Disney on Ice and Emery loved seeing her favorite Disney characters and princesses skating and dancing and acting out their stories (most of which she's actually unaware of - she knows Rapunzel's name and face, but is unaware of her movie and story.) For Emery's birthday, we took her and her best friend, Mary Helen to Disney Live, a fairly similar show (without the ice) where they danced and acted out stories - this time with fun magic tricks (objects appearing from an empty box, making people disappear.) The girls had a blast.

We can't believe this big girl is already four. She's a delight. She's funny and sweet and a ton of fun! We're grateful for her!

Aunt Cindy crocheted her a mermaid tail!! She's over the moon excited!

Is it me, or does she look SO grown up in this picture?!

4th Birthday Party - 02.21.2016

For Emery's 4th birthday party, we decide to celebrate with her very best friend, Mary Helen. We invited Mary Helen over to play before we went to see Disney Live on stage at the Patriot Center. The girls had a ball. What a special day with a special friend!

sometimes intermission is way more fun that the actual show :)

Christmas 2015

We enjoyed a lovely Christmas morning at home, opening presents to each other and from Blake's family. 

Emery got a wooden, fairy princess train set.

In the afternoon, we went to Tiffanie's folks' house to open presents with Gramma, Grandpa, her brother and sister-in-law, Bryan and Sherry, who were visiting from Texas. 

Christmas at home - 12.25.15 from Tiffanie Johnson on Vimeo.

Christmas at Gramma and Grandpa's -- 12.25.15 from Tiffanie Johnson on Vimeo.

Halloween - 10.31.2015

we took strawberry shortcake to two Trunk or Treat parties tonight. One at our church and one at a church on the way there (because it started earlier!)

three and a half years old - 08.27.2015

emery annabelle is three and a half years old!

like a good 3 1/2 year old, she's becoming more and more opinionated and wants things a certain way (her way!) she comes up with scenarios about activities we can do, people we can visit, places we can go. "when grandma comes over, she can sit here!" i keep telling her: "emery, you are not in charge." and she says: "yes, i am," almost in a surprised way. well, i guess we need to be more clear about that! she usually obeys (perhaps after some debate on her part) - and more than anything, she ultimately doesn't want to get in trouble or make us mad. she's still timid in groups of people and if there are too many bigger kids at the playground, she'll wait until they've all had their turn(s) before taking hers.

she spent the school year learning letters and letter sounds at Mrs. Diana's, and she's starting to hear/recognize initial sounds in words and identify what letters words start with. today she said: la-la-Leon. Leon starts with L. she can read a few words (emery, ball, all, no, up, why) and verbally spell several more (mickey, mouse, bath, bed, fox, box). she can write the letters in her name, though she isn't always willing to try R and Y.

we got her a set of books that are stories about each letter of the alphabet. My "a" Book (My "b" book, etc.) is the story of  a girl named "Little a" and her box, and the things she will put in her box, which are all things that start with "a." the books are silly and cute, and she loves them.

emery likes to sing while she plays. it's fun to hear her renditions of songs. she likes He is Exalted by Twila Paris, though she thinks it's Sandi Patty. (score that as a double win in the 80s christian music category!) she also likes Days of Elijah, I'm in the Lord's Army, the B-I-B-L-E, Overwhelmed, This Little Light of Mine. (all thanks to the sunday school music Mrs. Diana plays in her home).

she likes to help and she's becoming a bit more self-sufficient. she recently became strong enough to open the refrigerator by herself. she can get a cup and/or put it away, and it's very helpful to us.

this summer, she's begun to exhibit a few more fears: bugs, unidentified noises, scary characters in movies. she's convinced there are alligators in our closet and won't go in to any room until the light is on. her imagination is growing.

she says when she grows up she wants to be a doctor (thanks to Doc McStuffins).

emery is a sweet girl. she's growing up and surprising us every day with the things she learns and understands. we're so very grateful for this sweet girl.