Getting her own way

Little Emma knows what she wants - and what she doesn't want - and when she wants to climb and explore, even if it's nappy-changing time, it's difficult to stop her.

Thes two photies make me chuckle cos this is Emma not wanting to be put down on the floor. No-one is holding / touching her legs, she's just refusing to straighten them down, cos she doesn't want to be put down. She must have abs of steel.

Every intrepid explorer needs a backpack (thanks Ma).

Speaking of explorers, the cat has found a new restingspot, next to our garage.
Note the potplant up on the wall

Emma investigates (Aug)

Let me open this.



Passed out on a walk - this just doesn't happen!
Of course, she woke up as soon as we got home.

Into the lions' den. Well, the dogs' kennel at any rate.

Hello dog. Let me pull your big ear.

Putting insulation into the roof, offering grandpa a hand.

Baby cupboard in another cupboard in Emma's room.
Let me unpack this...

Our anniversary trip - Hermanus

Cath, lil Emma and I made our way to Hermanus for an anniversary weekend. We had wanted to leave the lil one with grandparents but my mom reckoned a weekend would be too much for her to handle and Cath's folks aren't around - well her mom is, but Emma doesn't know her well enough cos she's away so much.

So we just took the lil rat with us. It wasn't great to be honest. It was moerse windy which made carrying a child around tough. Shame man, lil Emma couldn't really stand up - it was that windy.

But the place we stayed was nice and we did hire a babysitter via our guesthouse and we got to go out for a 'rosemantic' supper.

Emma had fun unpacking dad's stuff...

We went out for luch one day and Emma enjoyed playing peek-a-boo with the tablecloth.

Whales. Two of them. Well, maybe you can see their backs.

It is beautiful there. Then again, cath makes any scenic shot that much more beau... okay, okay, I'll stop.

The little soldier, marching around.

Hermanus by die see.

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We taught Emma that a Tiger goes "Graaaawwwwlllll" so this is her opening the page of her book with the tiger on, and growling at it. So cute man.






And her with a dummy... she refused to take a dummy for months, then one day, picked it up as a toy and stuck it in. She doesn't really use it properly. But she likes it every now n again.

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On the way home from Hermanus, we stopped by UCT to watch the Athlone cooling towers be demolished... but they went down five minutes early, so I missed the money shot.


The observers watch from outside UCT...

Going...

gone...

A few random ones in Aug

Granny and Emma help us with the shopping.
Fish fingers .... mmmmm.


Fridge magnets... hours of entertainment.







All this destructing is thirsty work.

Birthdays, weeding and a very scary book

Word was that the house was going to come through... Cath started working even harder to get the place in nick. Here she is weeding away, with lil Emma and the dogs watching on.

Dog and cat... bed buddies.

At little Thomas' bday party, the parents Julie and Marc got a kinda jumpy ball castle. The kids loved it - as you can see by Emma, above.

Thomas' aeroplane cake. Very cool.

Haven't a clue who this is. Cath took the pic, awesome hair though.

Emma at home is a big book reader. But she likes mom

or dad to be closeby - reading is a social thing dontchaknow?

Looking bloody awesome in her party dress and shoes.

Jamie's birthday...

Jamie was also turning one, and he got a Thomas the Tank Engine party, with a Thomas cake.

Emma was fascinated by their ball-fetching sausie dog.

Saw this little girl getting up close and personal with the window while at the party.

All the party kids.

"Lets put them in here and take a cute photo."
"Camera. Quick, everybody out."



Emma, meet beer. Beer, my daughter, Emma.

You two have a good time.

In party mood.

Proud parents.

Back at our house again, playing with her Southern Comfort necklace, a gift from Aunty Emz.

And below, reading the scariest book in the world. The whole book is filled with animals that have furry tails or wooly chests or scaly sides, etc. Each animal says "Feel my soft tail, etc, I won't bite."

Then, on the second last page, there's the picture of a crocodile's tail and it says... "I'm a hungry crocodile... feel my..."

Then you turn over the page....

And it's a pop up page, of a crocodile's face. The jaws jump out at you and the page says "I WILL bite". I, of course, always growl the line and make the croc snap at Emma threateningly.

She poops herself. The pictures below (click on the right hand one) show her face as the croc jumps out at her.

But she then composes herself and demands I read it to her again. Five times.

These days, she still loves the book, but gets up and leaves with about three pages left. Funny that.