Trunk-or-Treat

We had a great day of Halloween fun at church! Everyone gathered at 6:00 to have a hotdog supper and then we had a Trunk-or-Treat soon after. It was my first experience with a Trunk-or-Treat so I wasn't sure what to expect, but it went great and the children had a wonderful time. At our van we set-up a few of the old school games; Sucker in a Haystack, Basketball Shoot, & Clothespin drop. Emma Claire got lots of candy and was wired. We finished up the night by going by the Brown's to trick-or-treat. Emma Claire spent about an hour dancing around their living room and getting everyone to do ring around the rosey. We had a great afternoon of family fun!

Fall Festival 2008

Fall Festival at LLLC

Trunk-or-Treat at Holly Grove Baptist Church

Trick or Treating with the Brown's

O, Be Careful Little Mouth What You Say

Emma Claire has really gotten into repeating things we say. At dinner tonight she had eaten some eggs so needless to say they were all over the floor.  As I was getting up from the table I saw the mess she had made on the floor and said, "O, Laurd" , in a long southern draw, and what did Emma Claire do?  She leaned over from her high chair, looked at the floor, and said "O, Laurd, in a long southern draw.  It was VERY funny to hear her say that, but it was also very convicting.  You really learn a lot about yourself when you begin to listen to the mouth of your child.

Diaper Dance Off

Today in Music Emma Claire really had her dancing shoes on! At one point during class she kept pulling her shirt up and pulling at her pants like she had to go potty. I wasn't sure what she was doing but after several minutes had passed I noticed a huge white lump of something around her right foot. As she kept dancing toward me I realized that it was her diaper!!! She had danced right out of it and it had fallen down her pants leg and around her foot!! When she saw it she thought it was soooo funny and so did Mommy. I am just so glad that she didn't go potty while it was off. The story was even more funny when I went back and watched the videos I had made of her. In one she kept lifting her shirt because she knew something was wrong and in another she was lifting her leg because it was wrapped around her foot. How funny is that! Be sure to watch the videos and look at the pictures so that you get the full effect. : )

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Comments:


comment by Ginger and Mallie Kate Williams on 11/02/2008

That was too funny!! Hayden thought it was funny too!! Love ya'll!

comment by Chelso on 10/24/2008

Emma Claire and her happy feet!!! She knows how to shake it... I can't believe she shook her diaper off though!! UR TOO FUNNY EMMA CLAIRE!!

comment by RaRa on 10/24/2008

That is the funniest story!! Only YOU Emma Claire! Never a dull moment . . . not even at school. You are a dancing machine! I've heard of dancing your socks off but never your diaper!

What's Your Name?

Emma Claire is convinced that her name is Baby and with her hard head there is no convincing otherwise. Tonight at dinner Benjamin & I decided to play a game with her. We would say peoples names and then she would repeat them. We did family, friends, pets, etc. She would repeat everything we said except for when we said Emma. We figured it would be easier for her to start with Emma and then add the Claire later. No matter what we did she would not say it. She would just turn her nose up, look the other direction, point to herself, and say "Babies". (everyone is plural to her : ) I don't know what we are going to do when we decide to have another child!

Comments:


comment by RaRa on 11/09/2008

Thats okay Emma Claire, for years your mother thought her name was "R-A-T" Ashley Renea English cause Grandpa always called her his rat!

I Potty, I Potty!!!

At Emma Claire's 18 month check-up her doctor said he believed that she was ready to begin potty training. She had started showing interest in the potty and she tells you either right before or right after she messes her diaper. So today I finally made the trip to the store to purchase her a potty. Of course it was such a hard decison to make because they have so many great options now. We settled for a middle-class one that plays music when you go potty. It was so sad to think she was old enough to start using the potty like a big girl.
When we got home from the store she had fallen asleep in her carseat so I put her straight to bed for her nap. While she was asleep I put everything together so it would be ready for her when she got up. The plan was to just let her see it, sit on it, and begin talking about what it was for. I was not at all ready for what happened next. I went in to get her up from her nap and her diaper was FULL. I changed her diaper and took her into the living room to see her new potty. (I had mopped the bathroom while she was sleeping so I had to improvise) She was so excited. I explained to her that we "shew-shew" (that is what we call pottying) on the potty and that she needs to tell mommy when she needs to go. I took her diaper off and let her sit on it for a minute and then she insisted that mommy needed to sit on it too! : ) I thought that was going to be that. I placed the potty in our hallway and went into our room to fold the laundry. Then out of the corner of my eye I saw her go sit on her potty (fully clothed) and the next thing I knew she came running into our room saying "Shew-Shew, Mommy, Shew-Shew!" I asked her if she needed to potty and she shook her head yes! I quickly felt her diaper and it was warm so I knew that she had just pottied in her diaper while she was sitting there dressed. Even though she wet her diaper while sitting there I was very proud of her for knowing what to do when she sat on the potty. I sat her down anyway without her diaper so she would begin to learn the concept and the next thing I knew she continued "shew-shewing" in the potty!! It was so crazy. I had just bought the potty today! Of course I know she may decide not to be fully trained until she is 3 years old, but I was so proud of her today. It was something brand new and she is quickly grasping the new concept. After we partied, sang, and got a sucker we got on speakerphone to call daddy. When he answered and I began to tell him what she had done she started yelling over me "I Potty, I Potty!!!". She knew she had done something great! She hasn't "shew-shewed" anymore in the potty by herself tonight but she is VERY interested. She tells us "potty, potty" and wants us to take her diaper off and she will sit there and then stand up and say "done". I am so proud of my sweet baby! I will keep you updated on our progress.

Comments:


comment by Caroline Cooley on 10/23/2008

what a smart girl you are!!!this is the cutest story!!

comment by RaRa on 10/16/2008

Unbelievable! You are so smart and catch on to things so quickly. I don't expect anything less of you knowing your parents as I do. I am anticipating more of the same in the days ahead. I am VERY proud of you Emma Claire Quinn! RaRa loves you very much!

Random October Photos

This is one of the outfits our cousin, Ginger, got Emma Claire at the kids exchange. Thanks Gin!!

This is the sight I saw when I walked into the kitchen. You talk about your heart falling to your knees!

It was a rainy day at Daddy's football game.

Funny Names in MS

Funny names Emma Claire called people while we were in Mississippi:
Phillip - Phi-fup
Gran-Gran - Gan-Gan
Grandpa - Paw-Paw
Chelsey - Chelseys
Mallie - Maui
Branna - Branny
Uncle Brandon - Branon
Aunt Hannah - Hanny
Eli - Leli
She could pronounce these names correctly:

RaRa, GG, Poppa, Pops, Na-Na

Mrs. Patty Cake & Socks

Emma Claire LOVES the videos of Mrs. Patty Cake. We only have one but she wears it out watching it. She has learned all the songs on it and will even count to seven with them on the video. She dances around the living room jumping and singing with the children. For the last couple of weeks Emma Claire has been stuck on wearing her socks on her hands. She puts them on herself and claps her hands. Until today I didn't understand where she got it from. This morning she put the socks on her hands and started clapping and singing the songs from Mrs. Patty Cake. It hit me that she was imitating her! Mrs. Patty Cake wears white gloves and waves her hands in the air doing motions while she sings. I can't believe that it took this long to figure it out. It's amazing how much she picks up everyday. I am so proud to be her mommy!

Poll Results: Saturday Emma Claire will be a Flower Girl in my cousins wedding. Will She ...

We made it through the wedding!! Yea! It was beautiful and Chelsey was beautiful. After we ran through the ceremony 3 times in dress rehearsal Emma Claire was just about over the whole wedding thing. By Saturday she didn't want to do anything but play outside. I think she was only in one or two pictures because she kept telling us she was done and crying. When it was time for Emma Claire to walk down the isle in the ceremony she was outside playing and didn't want to come in. They brought her in and pointed down the isle where I was standing and she slowly started walking (and whimpering) down the isle. When she realized that everyone was looking at her she took off running to me. It was really funny and cute. I held her on stage for a few minutes but she wouldn't quit talking. She kept saying "Please, Please" (so I would give her more gum) and talking to Pops (who was performing the ceremony), and talking to herself. I finally just slipped out with her so she wouldn't distract everyone. It worked out fine because I got slip right back in during the prayer. It was a beautiful ceremony and Emma Claire didn't disrupt them too much.

** I will add a video of her walking down the isle as soon as I can get it working! : )


Throw the flowers and then have to clean them back up? 0%

Dance every time the music comes on? 67%

Have to be taken out because it will be nap time? 0%

Play on the stairs? 17%

Have to be held by mommy? 8%

Wear the flower basket as a hat? 8%

Total votes: 12

Poll Results: What will be Emma Claire's Favorite Activity at School This Year??

Everyone seems to know Emma Claire very well. Her favorite class hands down is Music & Movement. She loves to get in there and dance with her classmates. Even when her teachers take her on a walk with her friends every time they pass by the classroom Emma Claire does a little shimmy with her shoulders. I have no clue where she learned to dance like she does. Even after dinner at home she starts saying "Sing, Sing", "Dance, Dance". It is so funny! She wants us to turn the record player on and we dance to some Elvis. It's a great workout!! : ) Love to All!


Arts & Crafts 0%

Discovery 0%

Music & Movement 95%

Playground 5%

Total votes: 62

Amen......Sorry

As many of you know we have been going through our terrible two's early with Emma Claire. I have dove head deep into disciplining books and reading through Proverbs to see what God's plan is for disciplining our children. The other night we were out with some family and Emma Claire got really upset when she was told "No" when she wanted to go up some stairs. The fit turned into a tantrum so in turn she got a spanking. I then took her to a private room and told her that she had disobeyed and we needed to pray and ask God for forgiveness for how we had acted. We quickly said a couple word prayer and when we were finished I said "Amen". To my surprise she followed with saying "Amen" and then lowered her head and said "Sorry". It was the sweetest thing I had heard and I honestly don't think she was saying it to me. I think she had heard me telling God that we were sorry and she was in turn telling Him too!

MS Trip/ Chelsey's Wedding