Today

Oh, what a night! And afternoon! And evening!

Emma Grace has had one of those days. She was so tired she really should have gone to bed when she got home from school. And she does go to bed early. School just wears her out!

I was supposed to meet my friend Jenn, the one from high school who lives in Florida that I haven't seen in 10 years, tonight. But her schedule was so crazy trying to get from one place to another, we just decided it would be best for us to meet in the morning. God knew what He was doing when He orchestrated that this afternoon. I can't imagine how frazzled Gib would be right now.

Just to give you an idea...

It started at 4:30. Emma Grace wanted a tattoo on her arm. No problem. Go get a wet washcloth and we'll put it on. Only she didn't want to get the washcloth and threw the tattoo at me.

Uh-oh. Not a good choice!

Lost that privilege. I heard about it for the next two hours.

Literally!

6:30...dinner is done and she's in the bath.

7:00...we're getting ready for her bedtime activity, which she chose to be her letter wheel from school. It's way too easy for her, but maybe that's why she likes it.

7:30...telling everyone goodnight and in the bed.

8:30...still awake.

8:45...crying for me to lay with her. (She and Jessica have been going to sleep by themselves since school started...it has worked out great until now!)

After several checks on her, talks with her, sip of water, one more trip to the bathroom, kissing and telling everything from her toes to her head to "go to sleep"...yeah, I was trying to use a little distraction and humor. She was giggling and I thought I had it solved. I just knew she was off to sleep.

Nope.

9:15...SCREAMING for me or Daddy (after several more tries to calm her).

9:22...as I'm sitting here on the computer, I see the flash of Gib going down the hall. I hear voices and see him come back.

Amazing...quiet.

9:32...Ahhhh, she's now sleeping!

I don't know what Gib said to her, but it worked!

Poor thing. She will be EXHAUSTED in the morning. We have "Muffins with Mom" that starts at 6:30am. We will NOT be there that early, but we will be there right at 7.

Emma Grace loves school so much, and I'm SO glad! Here's what she told me when she got in the car Friday...

"Mommy, school is so much fun that me and Caroline (her friend) want to move in to the gym and sleep there and stay at school all the time!"

A great thing indeed!

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Jessica will officially start softball this week. She will have practice three nights a week, starting this Thursday. Her first game isn't until September 12th. She's excited but a bit apprehensive, too.

She seems to be having a great start to this school year. She has brought home some really great grades and seems to be having a good time. Well, as good and fun of a time as you can have in 5th grade! She misses her teachers from last year, but who wouldn't? I miss them, too!!! They had a great rapport with the children and made learning fun. They really were great...I know neither of us will ever forget them!

I just have to tell you what a great afternoon I had with Jessica today. It may not seem like much to you, but it was very special to my momma heart. Jessica is more affectionate with me than she is with Gib. She has always been a momma's girl. But lately, she doesn't snuggle as much. I still get good cuddling at bedtime when we're reading or talking, but today was different.

We finished her homework, and Emma Grace wanted to do some of her letter wheel. Emma Grace was on one side and Jessica the other. Jessica snuggled her shoulder under my arm, head on my chest/shoulder and just stayed there. And I soaked in every second of it. She's growing up so fast. I'm proud, but it makes me sad too.

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I worked this morning, then had a great (but short) visit from Aunt Barbara and her husband Jim. They were coming to Jefferson and came by to see Buddy (and me, too). They LOVE dogs and had to bring him a treat. Not just one, but half of a bag! They brought some pig ears they found at Costco. Let me just tell you, Buddy was all over it! He thought he was in puppy heaven!

Aunt Barbara got to see Grady's room. It was a special treat to be able to share it with her. She's the one who made the beautiful bear for him, which still sits in his crib.

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That's about all I have for tonight. I have so much to write about. Don't I always? It'll come...

Hopefully I'll have some pictures of my visit with Jenn to post tomorrow. I am SO excited to see her again and get a big hug from her.

Oh, I forgot to add how much of a nightmare traffic was this morning because we left three minutes later than normal because Buddy was biting me as I was trying to get him in his crate. And how as I was waiting in the long line to cross the street to Emma Grace's school, I looked down in my van to find that I still had my flip-flops on which completely did NOT match what I was wearing to work. Because believe me, if they had even remotely gone with my outfit I would not have come back home to change shoes. Which would have kept me away from the absolute grid-lock in the library parking lot trying to avoid the horribly long car pool line so Emma Grace wouldn't be late for school and me late for work. And how a sweet friend of mine got Emma Grace out of the car (because there were no parking places for me), got the kids across the street, and her second-grader walked Emma Grace into school. But you really didn't need to know all of that, did you?

Ahhh, it's finally bedtime for me, too! Have a great night!

Love,
Tonya