Baby no more.....Emma's the big girl

I've always wanted to learn a foreign language....I never thought it would be a one-year-old who would teach it to me. Emma speaks sometimes in a language only a mom or dad could understand. "Gogwees" is a zebra (don't ask me where any of these came from). "Bob" is a crab. "Bup" is cup. "Coro" is squirrel (I guess it's pretty close). I can't think of them right now......And she also thinks that Noah is Santa, so she gets very excited when she sees his ark....
Speaking of Santa....okay we actually tried this year. Last year we went on "pet night" so we bailed and didn't give it another go. This year, we decided to dress her up all cute and make sure she kept a barette in her hair and everything. We had been preparing for Santa for a long time, and she was adamant that she wanted to see him. So, we got about 20 feet away, and her little hands turned to claws, and there was no unburying her face from our shoulders. She would only lift her hand to wave and say "byeee" over and over. Needless to say, there is no picture with Santa this year. And it may be awhile before such a thing exists.....
After a short trip to the neighbor's house, Emma has discovered Dora, and she is IN LOVE with her. In fact, if you ask her what here baby sister's name is (for all of you out there DYING to know- Emma does actually know what it is), she'll probably tell you Dora. I have no idea where this love for Dora came from, but she finds little pictures of her everywhere and will not let go (diaper coupons, toy catalogs, you name it!)She also got a pair of Dora pj's as a hand-me-down, and treasures them. If they're dirty, she'll request that you bring them out of the hamper so that she can just look at them. She's a funny kid.
Last week was Emma's last week coming to class with me. Mom's too big to carry Emma up and down stairs and to chase her when she escapes as I am trying to clean the baby gym. She's really going to miss it I think- she was my model student. She would always sit on her placemat and follow all of the actions to songs (like the teapot song and itsy bitsy spider). I just wish a little of that would rub off into staying out of the time out corner at home. Ah well. She's a good girl overall, just funny. Pretty soon this will be a blogger for two girls, not just one. We can't wait. And when you ask Emma if she wants a baby sister, she usually stops and thinks, and nods her head as if to say "Why not? Sounds fun". So she can't wait either!!

*the picture is of Emma's FAVORITE part of the hands-on-museum in Ann Arbor (and we're hard pressed to make her go anywhere else after she sees it!)