Emma Kate loves shoes...

Now, I know every kid likes shoes. Emma Kate is no different. She goes to my closet and takes all the shoes down and proceeds to model them around the house. Sometimes she likes tennis shoes, sometimes flip flops and more frequently, high heels.
She also gets very upset when she is forced to wear shoes she did not pick out. Keep in mind this child is 23 month old.
Well, here recently, she is upset when I wear something other than what she has picked out for me. Serioulsy. Imagine what 13 is going to be like. Oy vey.

Star Struck

Last Friday when we came for the pep rally, ESPN Gameday was shooting some pre-Saturday footage across from our tailgating tent. Mikey T was star-struck to say the least. He ran over and begged Kirk to come take a picture. When that didn't work, Mikey T decided no one, not even Kirk, could turn down a cute blond girl with big blue eyes. He grabbed Emma Kate and held her over the fencing to show Kirk he now had a baby.

Kirk did make his way over and offered to take pictures. Now a crowd had grown and Mikey T was affraid his attempts would be in vain. As Kirk became mobbed by the crown, Mikey T shouted (which is true) "HEY KIRK, she won't even watch Big Bird, but she'll watch you on Gameday!! Puh-lease take a picture with her!!"

So, finally, after some embarrasing (more for me, than him) BEGGING, Kirk came over, talked to Mikey T a bit and shot the picture.

Other family members got some pics too....

Mighty, Mighty Raiders

Poor Mikey T. I mean, he has a wife and two daughters. He lives in a house with a female dog and a female cat. He lives on the same street as his Mother-In-Law AND grandmother-in-law. The poor guy cannot help but be surrounded by estrogen. So to cure this “problem” he informed me that he was going to coach Opelika Midget League football this year. I thought it would be great. He would get a weekly dose of testosterone-bonding and which may help his stress level. Ha.
Now that we are the “RAIDERS,” our whole life has changed. Every week, my husband gears up for 12 year-old-football like it is the Super Bowl. He sits quietly each night with his whistle around his neck and his dry-erase football board and comes up with new plays. He watches ESPN classic to see if he can be inspired by teams of yesteryear.
He had me type out a weekly schedule with more asterisks and graphics than most of my grants.
Usually, I thoroughly enjoy the Auburn games with Mikey T. We sit in our same seats that we have had for five years. We know all the peeps around us (although I am not a big fan of some). We usually high-five and hug on the big plays and whine and pout at the not-so-big plays. The game this weekend was a little different.
Mikey T suddenly analyzes every offensive play. EVERY PLAY. He tries to anticipate the play before the ball is snapped and he discusses is afterward. He talks to anyone that will listen: The guy behind us, the guy across the stairs, some guy in the bathroom. It is out of control.
In last night’s game, I saw a trace of Steve Spurrier. The RAIDERS were up 6-0, but the VIKINGS were on the move. As the pint-sized VIKINGS drove down the field, Mikey T got more and more frustrated with his tween Defense. Suddenly, the visor came off. All I could see was that shaved head nodding from across the field. I thought the visor was going to go flying. Thankfully, the VIKINGS could not get that last vital 1st down and the ball was returned to the RAIDERS with only seconds to go. Mikey T then coached the team to victory with a little (In his own words) CLOCK MANAGEMENT. No, really, he said that.
So, as of last night, the RAIDERS are 1-1. The DEVASTATING loss to the JETS last week was overcome by the inspired victory over the VIKINGS last night. Let’s just hope this is the beginning of a winning streak for the mighty, mighty RAIDERS. I am fearful for my husband’s sanity if it is not.

EK "helps" Amy

Emma Kate helped me make some posters for the tailgate Saturday Morning....She liked the black marker the best....

Pre-Game Bliss

Home game weekends in Auburn are always fun. There is just an excitement in the air. Everyone is feeling it. The guy at the grocery store who bags my groceries has an extra twinkle in his eye. The pharmacy tech at WalGreens takes "All Auburn, All Orange" to a whole new level. It is just plain fun.

So, Friday, I was so excited about how cute EK was going to be at the pep rally that night. I had made her a navy and white gingham dress with orange accents. I couldn't wait to take some really great pictures.

I picked EK up from school and quickly drove her home to put on her cute Auburn dress. I reached for her super cute navy and white polka dotted shoes. "Ready to put on your Aubie shoes?"

"NO, Amy."

"C'mon Emma Kate, they will be so pretty."

"No, Amy, wan' thees'." (Picks up bright pink crocs)

"No, Emma Kate, lets wear our blue shoes! They match our cute gingham dress! It is for Aubie!!"

Now screaming, "NO, wan these!! No, Amy, WAN THHHHEEESSSSSEEE."

OK, so I chose not to battle over shoes. Hey, she is an individual who likes pink crocs. What do you do?

We were headed out the door, with her cute pigtails--in bows, a super cute blue gingham dress with orange accents and hot pink crocs.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Emma Kate spots her deflated swimmies from the summer....

"Wan swim."

"No, Emma Kate, we aren't swimming. We have to get back to campus quick so we get a good parking spot with mommy's AZONE. C'mon, let's go. Put the swimmies down."

"Wan swim,"

So, I realized that despite my efforts of trying to "put together" Emma Kate, she had come up with quite possibly the cutest look on her very own.

So we headed out the door with cute pigtails in bows, cute hand-made gingham dress with orange accents, pink crocs and swimmies.

She is definitely unique. I am calling Project Runway right now to find out where their next casting call is.

Good News, Bad News....

I first want to apologize to my dear friends that also love Auburn as I do. I did not mean to rub it in. However, I would like to mention that I am sitting in my office watching ESPN set up GameDay. I'm just sayin' is all.
So, the good news is, ESPN Game Day is right by where my family tailgates near the new student parking deck. Right by the new student union. Right by the stadium. Corner of War Eagle and Go Tigers.
Bad news is, ESPN GameDay is right by where my family tailgates. You see, my brother, my aunt and my husband are devout Auburn Football fans. They are almost obsessed. And they do not like LSU fans. I will not go into detail, but lets just say there was a "stadium arrest" one year at LSU. I'm just sayin' is all.
ESPN Gameday will bring a large crowd very close to our tailgate that will include the Auburn faithful, with their chests painted orange and blue and their "Dunn for Heisman" posters. It will also include LSU fans with their mardi gras beads and the all too familiar scent, Eau de Parfum, "Bourbon in the Morning."
They will be loud. They will be rowdy. They will be drunk. I am fearful that one will "accidently" cross that orange and blue boundry made up of auburn bows and little helmet grills and the violence will follow. It will be nasty, possible bloody.
Then, my brother and my husband will have to join in to help my aunt.
So, please keep me in your thoughts this weekend as I cheer on my beloved Auburn and try to keep the peace between the Tigers and the Tigers.
War Eagle!

Pure Joy

Is there anything better than walking down College Street sippin' on a Toomer's Lemondae? Emma Kate doesn't think so.

"amy"

Some of you may know that Emma Kate was late to talk. Not too late, just late-r. It probably had something to do with that 4 month cronic fluid problem before she got tubes in May. And, as I was told by the speech pathologist, my talking fast didn't help.
Shortly after we got her tubes (in May) she began saying a few words. By the time "sissy" got here for her summer visit in July, Emma Kate could say "Ashley." She perfected "Daddy" and "Mo' (translation: more). She could tell you she wanted a "sippy" or that she was "all done" with her dinner. She affectionatley called my mother "ma-ma", my father-in-law "Hoppy" and her sweet, patient puppy "lucy."
We were really on our way. The entire time Ashley was here we tried to get Emma Kate to say "mommy." Even "Momma." Nothing. When she wanted me she would just point.
Ashley left in August and Emma Kate still would not say "mommy." Oh well, I could wait.
After Emma Kate had been to school one short week, the sentences came. "I wan' eat." "I wan' bath." and the most used phrase, "I wan' Daddy." Still, no "mommy."
One day, after work/school I was sitting on the couch watching my Ti-Vo'ed "The Hills," when Emma Kate walked right up to me, put her hand on her hip and said...............................
"Amy, I wan' candy, Amy."
There it was. The communication from my daughter I had waited for for 21 months. A full sentence. Perfect inflection. Communicating her need for candy to...."AMY???"
Now it is mid-September, and I am still "Amy." We have tried everything. Not answering to "Amy." Having EVERYONE call me "mommy." But still, all I get is "Amy."
We have now realized that all summer she heard her big sister calling me "Amy." And why would the little sister do any different? I mean Ashley calls Mike "Daddy" so in Emma Kate's eyes, Daddy is Daddy and Mommy is, well, Amy.
Hopefully, this phase will pass. In the meantime, I will just have to wait to hear my little girl call me "mommy."
I will write more later....Now I have to go........my daughter needs her "Amy."

Emma Kate goes to "school"

So, after almost 2 years of being a Work-at-home-mom, I am back in the real world. I started working for Auburn U in mid-August. Which obviously means EK is now in full-time day care. We LOVE her "school" and could not be happier. The first week she refused to nap and was "anti-social." Now, for those of you who know and love Emma Kate, we know she is not anti-social. However, we will admit that she is an observer. She is constantly watching people--of all ages--to figure them out. She doesn't run for a new toy the minute she sees it. She observes, she figures things out. She is very selective...and patient.

I assume this is what led to our next week's progess report, "Emma Kate was bitten today." Apparently she had been eyeing a particular cell phone toy for quite some time. There she was, playing with her cell phone, in her mind talking to "Sissy," no doubt. Sitting at her table when BAM, little-boy-who-will-not-be-named grabs the toy. As EK refuses to give up said toy, he-who-shall-not-be-named takes a chunk out of her back. HER BACK!! Well, EK refuses to back down and holds the cell phone with all her might. As no-name continually tries to pry the phone from her hands, she continues her very important-imaginary conversation with her sister. BAM, he bites her arm. We are talking "could convict via CSI teeth mark-bites."

The teacher informed us that Emma Kate did not cry. She simply told the teacher (who witnessed the biting go down) she had a "bo-bo," and moved to the other table.

All I have to say is I know my daughter. She is going to observe. She is going to be patient. But when she hits her boiling point with ol' no-name, it is not going to be pretty.

And I am sure I'll get a progress report to prove it.

Now we're blogging....

I can barely keep up with the myspacing and the facebooking and the pitterpattering websites. Much to my dismay, however, I have been pulled against my will into the world of blogging. I guess when you move away from friends and family, they need weekly doses of your stories to survive. So, to those of you who have been asking, here we are. Hope you enjoy.