Emily update

I was going to write about the insane weekend we just experienced, but it seems like Emily has been changing and growing every day so I think I'll tell you about some of those things instead. Or, first, anyway.

Emily has learned how to talk on the phone. She loves listening to either of her grandmas on the phone, although she doesn't have anything to say back. After this weekend, she is even more crazy about her grandmas, and the feeling is certainly mutual! She picked up a little electronic game that I had originally had out for her cousins to play with, and she was carrying it around on her shoulder yakking, and I'm certain she was imitating me on the phone. She had done a little of it with her uncle Pat's actual cell phone, and apparently any small electronic-looking thing is a phone to yak into. It was pretty cute, although I did feel a little bit mocked. She also laughed at me tonight while I was trying to get her feet into her little footie pajamas. She kept getting the one out as soon as I'd get the other in, and I was getting frustrated, which was just hilarious to her! I can't get her to laugh out loud like that any other time, although Travis can.

Emily flaps her arms in front of her when she's excited about butterflies (happens more often than you'd imagine, actually, with books about caterpillars and such), and she can sign for "more" now. She has the cutest little thing she does if you ask her for a "hug hug hug" - she puts her hands on her chest and wiggles her shoulders back and forth. It goes nicely with her pirate dancing. :) She's particularly fond of one of her pairs of pants, although she'll take any of her clothes and play with them - PJ's, onesies, socks, whatever. Travis didn't think I was funny when I suggested that she might become a "materials" engineer. I guess because it's not really that funny. :p

She also had her first experience in the snow (pictures on her picasa site), with the help of her cousins showing her what fun snow can be. I've got two snowmen in my front yard, although one seems more like just a big spear. It was a beautiful snowfall, but it made for rough travels for my parents and sister's family, and for my grandparents who were trying to get back to Ames after dropping visitors off at the airport. They stayed with us last night, unexpectedtly, and it was a lovely visit. A nice way to wind down after a crazy 4-day weekend.

I am thoroughly impressed with how much work it was to make dinner for everyone on Saturday night, and I didn't even do it all myself. I made mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and rolls, and somehow I was absolutely exhausted at the end of the day. Did I do anything else? I can't remember. Jenny did the pies and corn, and mom did the turkey and gravy. How on earth did women use to spend all day in the kitchen making meals for big farm families? Without running water in the house? Insane. But my fridge is full of leftovers, so that's a nice side-effect. And I had a really great time with my mom and my sister, right up until everybody started throwing up. Nothing like a stomach/flu bug to really bring everybody down. :( I feel so bad for my 3 nieces, who all took turns throwing up in their car, and especially bad for my sister who not only had to clean it all up, but also weather her own stomach ailment. Travis was sick all day today, too, and for the whole morning he could only sit and whimper. I hope Emily and I don't get this!!!!!!!