Emerson's performances!

Our little Emmy is quite the performer.  Here she is performing some of her favorite Christmas songs as well as "Put your records on" which is a song that the Chipettes sing on the Chipmunk movie that she enjoys.  She is a funny and entertaining little girl!

Emmy gets to open a gift

We allowed Emmy to choose and open a Christmas present this weekend since she posed for more pictures than Bobby and was overall a good girl during the shoot.  She picked the biggest one and here was her reaction

What Bobby was doing while Emmy was baking at Andrew's house

 

Bobby got to have some special fun too while Emmy was at Andrew's baking cookies.  He got to bundle up and head outside for some sledding time with dad.  In the video he is having some fun pretending that his gloves are "roaring" and taking bites our of dad.  This is because his gloves are printed with crocodile teeth and mouths.  I've been trying to get him to agree that he is mommy's boy....but 9 times out of 10 he tells me that he is "Daddy's boy" and I guess I must accept that.

Auntie Amber had Emmy over to make Christmas cookies.  I got the kids chef hats and from the pictures Amber took you can see they enjoyed themselves.  Emmy especially enjoyed the end result which was the cookies (as did I)!

My favorite time of the day

This picture shows my favorite time of the day.  Here we are in our PJs just relaxing.  Emmy and I were snuggling together when Bobby decided that he wanted to come up and join in on our snuggle time.  Then as we were all cuddled up together I looked down to see that Emmy and Bobby were holding hands....melt my heart!!  I told Robb he needed to take a picture because I never want to forget that moment.  It was so precious!  My kids are the greatest blessing and they fill my heart up with so much love.

Family photo time

Oh the fun that is a family photo shoot.  This year - Bobby had poopy pants (and all I had brought was a pink pull up that was in the car) and was melting down and yelling about treats I had promised him....Emmy as I said told me she didn't know how to smile anymore....we definitely gave up after getting the family shot and the shot of the two kids. Robb and I have almost perfected the fake smiles that are required for these type of photo shoots now!  Most of these pictures don't display the fact that Bobby was jumping up and down or leaning back and forth (in constant motion) while we were posing and Emmy was talking through most of the picures as well.

Playing barbies with dad

Robb and Emmy play barbies and I get some good laughs listening to their barbie scenarios.  Usually Emmy directs Robb in what his barbies should say and do and what scene they are enacting.  On this day I overhead that the Barbies were going hot tubbing and later would shake their booties at the club (this idea may have originated with dad).  Bobby jumps in to play every once in a while but mostly I just run around after him and make sure he isn't into trouble.  I have told him that naughty boys when being naughty must give their mom kisses.  So every time he is naughty I ask him, "Bobby, are you being naughty?"  he normally answers "Yeah!" and then comes over the give me a kiss.  I figure this is a good way to get A LOT of extra kisses since he is often pretty naughty ;)

Private dance lessons

This past weekend Emmy was a lucky girl as she ended up being the only little girl in class.  Therefore, she got both teachers undivided attention.  She loved it!  She danced with them and just had a great time.  It was fun to watch her.  Sometimes she would take a quick break to run over and tell me things like..."Mom, the teacher loves pink too!"

Good laughs with Emmy

Tonight during prayers Emmy prayed "God thank you for mommy, my Robbie, my Bobbie and for myself!"  She then later said to God "There is one beautiful mommy there."  I told her that she is funny and she said, "Well mommy you really wanted a funny girl!"  and I suppose she is right, I didn't know what type of a girl I wanted when I asked God for a girl but now I know I wanted a girl exactly like my Emerson Lynn Eckert.

Something to look forward to?

Last night around 12:30 a.m. Emmy woke me up to help her go potty.  As I was helping her pull her p.j.s back up she said to me......"you know mom, when I am five I won't be needing you to do this anymore for me."  I told her I know that is true but until then I don't mind the late night wake-ups.  Bobby woke up at 4:45 this morning and decided all he wanted was his mommy.  I attempted to cuddle him but he wanted to squirm around, touch my face and hair and talk to me.  I actually am not complaining though because I do love some Bobby cuddle time!  I know I may have a future ahead with more sleep but when that happens I probably will miss the fact that my kids need me and want me at all times of the day and night.

The funny things the kids say....

The other night Emmy was sitting in between Robb and I watching TV.  Robb and I both asked her to come sit in our laps and she held up two fingers in the air, one toward each of us and said, "That's enough sugar for you two for tonight!"

Tonight she and I were chatting before bed about what color every family members' hair is.  Emmy told me, "Robbie and Uncle Chad have black hair, Emmy, mommy and Bobby have blonde hair, Grandpa Bob has blonde hair, unsure about Grandpa Kelly and Grandma Candy has blonde hair."  I told her that I thought Grandma Candy's hair was red and Emmy thought about it for a while and then said to me,"Oh..forget it" 

We've been teaching Bobby funny sayings now that he is such a good talker.  Some of my favorites are when he says, "Oh, WOW" and "Whoa dude" or "Hey dude"  We also work on "Awesome"  he is putting together 3 word sentences now and repeating everything we say to him. 

Emmy's recital

 Emmy had her big dance recital this past weekend. She wore a new dress to the performance and even posed doing the same pose that she was asked to do when she was taking pictures in her costume last week.  Cousin Mason came to "watch his girlfriend" he said and he also brought Aunt Stacy with him.  Grandpa Bob and Kelly and Grandma Candy and Launa all came too.  Emmy was SO excited that her grandparents all came and even more excited when Grandpa Bob presented her with flowers!  She watched the beginning part of the recital from her Dad's lap, acting out some of the dance while seated.  She sang and clapped VERY enthusiastically for the older girls performing and asked me several times if she could get out in the aisle and do some moves.  She was getting very anxious for her turn.  After intermission I brough her backstage and she performed her dance.  She did really great and attempted to mimic the moves of the teachers guiding them onstage.  She seemed to enjoy dancing but did not have a big smile on her face (she later explained to her dad that she had expected to be able to see all her fans in the audience and when she couldn't she was sad).  The audience looks dark to the dancers onstage under the lights. At the end she did a bow and she told us several times over the past weekend that she loved dancing and performing on stage!

Bobby's 1st Hair cut!

 Last week I took Bobby and Emmy in for hair cuts.  Emmy has had a few hair cuts and immediately asks for the suckers once we get there.  She sat like a good girl through her cut and then got her hair styled into a bun for her big peformance that was later that night.  Bobby watched Emmy get hers cut and ate a blue sucker (hence the blue mouth you see in the pictures).  He and I walked around so he could get a look at the others getting their hair styled and dried.  Then when it was his turn he sat like such a good boy, helped comb his own hair and smiled real proud for the camera.  He was a very good client and looked exceptionally handsome!

Getting ready for the big performance!

Emmy and I have had so much fun this week getting ready for her big performance on Friday.  We had a rehearsal at the Belle Mehus where she enjoyed getting out there on stage.  She is so outgoing and is always running up to girls she has not met and introducing herself and asking if they'd like to be her friend.  She leads her group of girls out onto the stage and loves to do her moves.  Also this week she had pictures.  This photo is one I took prior to the photos they took professionally.  Emmy only needed one pose to nail her shot and she looked so darn cute.  I was so proud of her!  The photographer put her right down in front for the group shot.  I ended up buying a package of photos.  Friday all the grandparents and Robb and I will be watching our girl (in her less than 5 minute performance) at the Belle Mehus.  I hope she has fun.

Emmy's thanksgiving prayer

Emmy had the honor of giving the Thanksgiving prayer while we celebrated at the Eckerts'.  She did such a nice job until about 3/4 of the way through when she decided to take a huge bite of her bun and chew it while she finished up her prayer.  Bobby mostly ate pickles for Thanksgiving dinner and that is his new favorite word.  He can be on the floor, bawling and crying big tears and Robb will mention a pickle and the tantrum immediately ceases and Bobby will ask, "Pickle?"

Hanging our ornaments on our tree

 Emmy found the perfect spot where Bobby could not reach her ornament.  She placed her ornament right next to the one we picked out last year (Belle) and looks at it all the time with a big smile on her face.

Bobby failed to understand the concept of hanging the ornament on the tree vs playing with it and put up a protest.  You can see he is not happy leaving the ornament on the tree in the picture but what you can't see is how we had to chase him down to get the ornament away from him prior to its hanging.

Eckert kids pick out their ornaments

 Robb and I took the kids to pick out their own Christmas ornaments this year at the store. Emmy spent a LONG time choosing her favorite and several choices were made before she came to her final decision with the Barbie pink pop star princess ornament.  Bobby was happy with a tractor.  We may have spent more time at Hallmark looking at the Christmas items but dad does not have a lot of patience for Bobby's antics when he is in the store so we had to leave before the Christmas spirit evaded us.

Grandpa Sauter made a nativity scene for us

 I am sure that Grandpa Sauter is watching from Heaven when the kids enjoy the nativity scene he made for them.  We set it up in the office so that the kids can both share the office chair and have room to play with the nativity scene.  They are very careful and gentle with it.  Emmy is old enough to understand now the story of Jesus being born in the manger.  She told me the other day when looking at the mother Mary that that mommy reminded her of me ;)  Yes, that is right....I am an angel!  Emmy shares so nicely with Bobby when they play together and he is really pleased with himself when he is able to play by his cool big sister.  In this picture you cannot see the nativity scene but I wanted to capture the kids faces.

When dad is gone we miss him

Robb was on a hunting trip a few weeks ago and when he was on his way home again I had the kids send him a video expressing their concern for his safe travels home (this was right after a big snow storm had hit Bismarck).  Emmy had a stern warning for him not to bump into any rats or cactuses and Bobby was concerned as well (until he put Emmy's  headband over his head and then got mad about it).

Bobby loves to talk....and eat pickles.....and have Emmy put lip gloss on him

Mom may be too tired to update.....

There has been a lot going on recently at our house....but I am just too tired to catch up on blogging lately.  Robb had a major sinus surgery (3 hours) last week.  He has not recovered well and we are constantly trying to keep the kids away from him so he won't risk getting his nose bumped.  He has to go back to the Dr. to get the splints out of his nose this week but I'm not sure when I will get help bathing kids, changing Bobby's diapers or taking them to/from daycare.  I have had much help from our parents in the past week (thank goodness)!  Last night I got no sleep at all between getting up to check on Bobby and Emmy running into my room at 4 a.m. yelling that she had a fever and cough (she had neither by the way).  This late night, early morning wake ups from Emmy is getting to be a habit.  Emmy woke me up two nights ago by tweaking my nose.  I woke up pretty frightened but had to regain my composure quickly as I didn't want to scare her (even though I was VERY scared).  Last weekend she woke me up about 6 every morning but I actually didn't mind because I let her crawl into bed (Robb was downstairs sleeping on the recliner) with me for a  cuddle-session.  My favorite times during the weekend are when Emmy and Bobby both want to cuddle up with me.  I want to make sure I am always available for cuddles since I know that 10 years from now I will be wishing for them! 

Emmy did tell me the other day after watching a commercial for make up that I should get some of that make up so I could be beautiful like those ladies.  When I asked her if that meant they were much prettier than me she thought about it and told me....."No, mommy, you are much more beautifuller"  This is in contrast to something she had told me earlier that week when out of nowhere (in fact, I think I was helping her go potty and she was sitting on the toilet) she told me that she is "much prettier than me and although I am pretty I could never be as pretty as she is." She has picked out all of the presents she wants from Santa and even though it is too early for it, I have started using Santa to get Emmy to be on her best behavior!

Bobby is now talking in 2-3 word sentences.  He is so cute with his inflection.  His sayings are exactly as Robb and I talk.  For example he now answers, "Yep" instead of yes and I've noticed that I often do this too.  He also says, "Cooool!"  The favorite thing for me that he does now though is skip and dance around the living room saying, "Go Bobby, Go Bobby, Go Bobby Go!"  He chants this while skipping, running circles with a big smile on his face.  I just love that little pumpkin.  He and I have become really good buddies (especially since Dad is no longer someone to wrestle with and won't be for a while).

Snow = Sledding!

Robb was so excited yesterday to take the kids outside to play in the snow and go sledding.  He had bought them each a sled but as I watched them it looked like they preferred to ride together.  Poor Bobby got a little pulled down by momentum as Robb led them around the driveway and over some snowbanks.  They looked so cute out there in their snow suits.  It gets really dark after work and it was very cold outside so they only played for a half hour but they came in with rosy cheeks and smiles on their faces.  Robb is such an awesome dad!  He is always finding ways to create fun for the kids.

Trick or Treat!

 After work today I quickly got the kids fed and dressed up so I could take them out Trick or Treating.  Bobby was supposed to be a Garden Gnome but he refused to wear the hat and beard so he ended up just looking like a strangely dressed little boy.  Emmy was Ariel for daycare and then Minnie Mouse for trick or treating.  Emmy remembered the process from last year and so her and Mason were ready for the trick or treating.  Bobby didn't really go last year since he was just a baby so this year was his first real experience.  He told me many times that he was having fun and he was very selective of the treats he gathered at people's houses.  He always chose the biggest treat and with some prompting from me he would say "dae doo" which was his version of "Thank you!"  Emmy was so funny to watch because she would try to sneak (much to my embarrassment) extra treats while Bobby was taking his time choosing one.  She also would ask to pet any animal she could see from the doorway and then wish the people "Happy Halloween!"  It was cold so I pulled the kids in the wagon for the last few houses and Bobby was so bundled up that you really couldn't see his outfit.  We made a special stop at Aunt Toni's house and she spoiled the kids with outfits and candy.  The kids also had fun at daycare today as they got to wear costumes and get candy there as well.  Bob's 2T costume barely fit him and the ladies who watch him during the day reminded me again that he is biggest sized kid in the classroom.  Our Bobby is a brute!  He is a sturdy little man....and I love every pound of him.

Once we were home the kids enjoyed passing out treats (not as much as their dad does though I think).  Robb keeps track of how many kids come to our house (as he has every year) and never seems to want to call it a night and turn out the lights.  Both Bobby and Emmy passed out treats and wished people Happy Halloween.  Emmy tried to give most people large handfuls of candy and she told us her philosophy was the bigger the person, the more candy they should get.  Robb told her it probably should be the opposite as we had several Jr high and high school aged kids come to our house.  Emmy admired some costumes (especially the princesses) and made sure to give compliments out.  It was such a fun night for the kids.  Emmy told me later while we were saying prayers that she had a great Halloween this year and that she "loved, loved, loved being part of our family."  This warms my heart ;)

Brrrrr! It's getting cold outside

Here is a pic of Bobby all bundled up for the cold weather.  It is getting really cold outside now but the kids still love to play with their winter gear on.

Mason gets a microphone but Bobby gets to put on a performance

Our sweet little Bobby finds a way to make me laugh on a daily basis.  He really loved to sing into Mason's microphone and dance to the music he was making.  He has the best dance moves.  Arms up in the arm, knees bending and boucing up and down with a big smile on his face.  His singing was hard to understand but I think he is going to be quite the musician based on his early performances!

Mason's 4th Birthday party

 Mason turned four and celebrated by having the kids over for some jumping fun!  This year Bobby was able to really get in on the fun.  He did his best to keep up with the crazy older kids.  I barely could get any pics of Emmy because she was moving and jumping so fast!

 Robb got in there for a while and the kids had a blast jumpin on top of him....poor Robb.  He was complaining that his knee hurt for a few days afterwords.  He is at the bottom of the pile in the picture below.

Emmy's dance class

 Emmy has started Dance Class now.  She and her class do some stretching before class.

 Then they warm up by dancing and clapping to the music

 She gets pretty excited to see me watching and loves to run over and tell me that she loves me and I'm her best friend.

They also danced  to a song where they pretended to be kitties.

Emmy is every students' favorite test subject

Emmy has become a favorite test subject for the peds and motor control classes.  Two of our U Mary PT students came over and had  a lot of fun "playing" with Emmy.  I overheard some of their conversations with her which were pretty amusing.  I heard her talk about how hard it is to share with Bobby and how when she doesn't share she gets into trouble and must go to time out.  I also heard her talk about Santa and she remembered what the Santa that her daycare had come the the Xmas performance said to her and what he gave her from last year.  Her memory is much better than mine!

I love Emmy's prayers

Each night that Emmy and I say prayers together brings another story I think I should write on the blog.  Tonight she was saying her own prayer to God and started just talking nonsense.  I interrupted her and told her that God wants to hear about her day and he can't understand jibberish.  She told me that she was trying to make God laugh and asked me if I thought that God was laughing.  Last night she told me I could say my prayer to God first and so I did.  Among the things I said was me asking God to help me be the best person I could be.  Emmy listened really closely and was quiet for a while and then leaned close so our noses were touching and whispered to me, "You can't be the best ever because I am"  You gotta love that self esteem!

What the kids are up to lately

Bobby has been busy learning new words.  He loves to point to his eyes, nose, mouth, chin, cheeks, ears, hair, tummy...and then point to these same body parts on the person asking about them.  He answers yes with an "mmmmhmmmmm" and No is answered with, "No, no, no, no."  He loves his sister Emmy and when I pick him up at daycare and get him first from his room he immediately asks for "Emmy!"  He sure loves that sister of his.  He is always asking me where she is at and looking for her around the house. He also has discovered that he likes to sweep the house and he makes car noises when he sweeps. 

Emmy had her first dance class this morning.  It was so fun to watch her with the other little girls.  I bought her new ballet slippers which she was really excited about.  She enjoyed looking in the big mirror and watching her own dancing.  She also liked to step out in front of the crowd and perform her dance moves as if she was leading the class.  At times she should have been listening and following directions from her teachers better but she really preferred to make up her own dance routines to the music.  After class we got smoothies together and then did some grocery shopping.  Emmy was very popular at the grocery store since she had insisted on wearing her sunglasses and fur coat (that her grandmas made for her).  Later some of my U Mary PT students came to do a motor control project on Emmy where they evaluated her motor skills when she was playing.  She loved having two fun girls to entertain her and Bobby joined in too since he doesn't like to miss out on any play time.

Today we carved and created pumpkins.  Emmy and Bobby both enjoyed it and dad proved himself to be a master carver.  Emmy was a little hesitant to pull out the pumpkin insides but soon got into it and enjoyed it.  Bobby got right in there with Robb and was pretty serious about making sure we got our work done.  The kids then proudly displayed their pumpkins on our front step.

 I took the kids for a run today.  Emmy and I went together first for a few miles and then I dropped her off and pushed Bobby in the jog stroller for a couple more miles.  Bobby likes the ride but Emmy likes the snacks.  It is definitely a work out to push them in the stroller.

I went to Emmy's room to wake her up from nap time only to find her playing in her closet and wearing her swimsuit.  I guess that means she didn't take a nap...........

Our search for the perfect pumpkin.  Emmy and Robb searched for the best pumpkin and Emmy finally found her pick.  Bobby and I searched too but we were never sure where we were going or what we were trying to find....mostly he just ran around like a crazy man and I followed after him chasing him from one pumpkin pile to the next.  When our time there was finished we bought Emmy and Bobby pumpkins and then headed for home.