Hands on, Feet forward

Emma, enjoying her pillow pile

Crawling through the caterpillar at the museum

The ball pit!

Today Emma and I went to explore the Hands On Children's Museum for the first time. Emma had so much fun that I'm sure it won't be our last! The museum has about 15 different exhibits geared toward exploration and imaginative play. Emma's favorite? The ball pit! She also enjoyed playing in the veterinarian's office and with the trains. Emma made a new friend in the playroom today and it's neat to see how well she interacts with other kids (well, most of the time!).

While we were at the museum, Emma was also showing off her newest skill--walking! Emma took her first independent steps last week and is now starting to toddle around with increasing confidence. Yay, Emma :-)

Summer Break is Over

School has started, Pumpkin Spice Lattes have reappeared and I feel like summer is just about over. But I won't be completely convinced until the temperature dips below 90. I have been such a lazy blogger this summer. I need to post more often because Emma is changing so fast and I can almost feel the moments slipping through my fingers.

This summer has been filled with many beautiful memories. Teaching Emma how to blow a kiss, watching her explore every new sound and sight she comes across, reading stories together, playing in the pool, hearing her belly-laugh in the midst of a tickle attack. I love the way she wakes up in the morning, talking up a storm, excited to begin a new day. I love the way that peek-a-boo never gets old and no matter how many times she sees me peek around the corner of her room, she's always as surprised as the first time we played hide-and-seek. I love the way she crinkles her nose when she says "no," like she really means it.

The challenge of the summer has been Emma's picky eating habits. She used to eat anything we put in front of her. Remember that, Emma? She now determines how much she's going to like a food by touching it with her finger. If the food passes, she'll put it in her mouth. If it fails, the food will either be ignored or thrown on the floor. Right now Emma's diet consists of oatmeal, fruit, cheese, peanut butter, green beans, black beans, and yogurt. Oh, and cookies. I did manage to sneak some extra veggies in by baking her zucchini and carrot cookies. But how do you hide chicken in a cookie? At least she likes Pumpkin Spice Lattes. That's my girl :-)