Friends, the circus and a mommy with an unsteady hand

2 Ringside tickets to the Big Apple Cicle, $80 Snacks and streamer wands $20 Haircut to fix the bangs of my baby that I botched, $25 The twinkle in her eye on a daily basis.......priceless

The Littlest Gymnast

Not long after we came home from China, Em was invited to a birthday party of a fellow AP. We hadn't previously met but she was so sweet to invite us so we could meet other families with children including some children from China. Needless to say Em had a really good time so we decided to try the free trial class and haven't looked back. It's a very nice program (chain but independently owned) which at this age is parent participation. The children are on average 18 months-3 years with Emme being one of the older children. From day one we have felt very at home here and enjoy our first instructor and now the owner who runs our class. The children and parents are lovely and it's a nice social outlet for us both. In time one of Emme's friends joined and the two ladies enjoy being together while we get to hang out and chat. When we began, she could not do much of anything other than run around. She was unable to jump or walk backwards or grasp the bars. In the 7 months we've been attending, Em can jump in a few ways, run, walk backwards, gallup, walk the low and high balance beam, climb the little wall and slide down, forward roll and swing on the parallel bars and bring her feet up to the bar. Physical therapy has nothing on the skills she's achieved. It is the highlight of the week and we refer to it as "date night". I pick her up from school, we grab dinner and then class. In June we will try to move her to the next level which is without parents in the room and is more skill training at stations rather than group games. Here are some pics from Tuesday night. P.S...... I know I'll get some flack but I couldn't resist adding the photo of Em looking at our friend who is expecting. She was looking at the "baby". A few weeks ago I asked Em to be careful and not jump all over A since she had a baby in her tummy. Em looked at her oddly, lifted up her shirt and asked where the baby was.

Three Year Stats

This is a little late but we had our well child visit today. Em turned three in March but was sick so we postponed her visit and then was sick again. So here's the 411 as of today. She weighs 28.5 pounds and is 36 inches tall. She is up to date on all vaccinations and fortunately we haven't had to give her too many. She can say more words than I can count and averages sentences 4-5 words in length though sometimes I'm the only one who understands her. She can spell her name and can sight read it as well. She knows mommy's "other" name is Lisa and knows her middle names (Chinese). She can count to 15 independently, knows all her colors, animals and animal sounds and 1/2 or more of the alphabet. She sings many songs even though she doesn't know all the words. She has a great appetite and eats so many things I have lost count. She loves being outdoors and being social. She loves to help in the kitchen and will rub her belly when something smells good. She has several "good" friends whom she asks to play with regularly. She prefers children her age or older though she does admire a baby now and then. She LOVES animals with dogs being her favorite. She will chase a pup and its owner down the street just to get a closer look. We recently began potty training and the past 2 days she has had much success. When she is trained she gets a new bike.

A Comparison

Again, I don't usually like the "fake" quality of many post processed photos but it's a fun experiment. I definitely am finding which presets I like and would use versus those which I don't. My favorite LIKE is the beach photo of Em facing the water. Feedback is welcome.

Like a kid in a candy store

Coppertone Baby
Originally uploaded by Mom2Emme

Like a kid in a candy store I am having fun playing with all the treats and goodies in Lightroom. I'd be lying if I said I knew what I was doing but all the more fun. This is my first group of post processed photos and while I don't normally like "fake" photos I think they came out interesting. I do like the depth of field in some of them or just aging them slightly to add character.
Click on the pic for others in this grouping.

Ducks and Water

Sunshine and Smiles