Food in Socks?

Emma has been home 7 and a half months now. I thought we were pretty much done with the hoarding food and toys... Evidently not. She walked in the kitchen the other day and was walking funny. I kept hearing a noise when she walked. Finally I said, "Emma, come here." I lifted her pant legs and found Halloween candy and gum stuffed in her knee socks. Pretty inventive! I said, "Emma, why do you have candy in your socks?" (I've seen her stuff food and toys in her pockets and under her pillow, but this is a new one.) She said, "So nobody can get dim!" I told her that no one will take her candy and if they do she can tell me and I'll protect her. That got a big smile out of her.

You Ever Never Leave Me?

Emma's been saying this for a while now... "Mommy, you ever never leave me????" I say, "No Emma, Mommy will never ever leave you." Sometimes she'll add, "Mommy, you love me, you ever never leave me?" And I'll hug her and reasure her. As much as she needs it confirmed, I'll repeat it to her until she knows that she's unconditionally loved, she'll never be abandoned again, and we are her forever family. Especially if we're not at home; maybe at a store or something, she'll walk around holding my hand and every so often look up at me and either ask it as a question or make the statement, "You ever never leave me mommy!"
Today, Keith and I were in the kitchen fixing lunch and she was jumping around, literally jumping up and down. She was so excited and she kept talking and talking and being silly. She starts most sentences with "Look at my face mom." or "Ya know what dad?" Keith made a comment about her talking so much; he was teasing her and when she figured it out she said, "You funny daddy, you just kidding me." Then out of the blue she burst out, "I love my mommy, I love my daddy, I love my Tyler..." (She went down the whole line, Alex, Drew, and Ellie). Then she said, "I love my whole family!" Then she paused and you could almost see the wheels turning and she said in delight, "My family loves me!!!" (Then went down the line the other way, Daddy loves Emma, Mommy loves Emma.....)Then she hugged my leg so tight. Keith and I just melted. It's amazing that this little girl just turned 3 and has only been with us for 7 1/2 months and only been speaking English that long and she put that all together! I feel sooooo blessed!

Emma's 1st Halloween

I love the holidays!

We've had such fun with Emma's 1st holiday! We made some halloween treats and went to our annual neighborhood carnival. There was a moonwalk, a hay ride, a costume contest, and lots of games and prizes. They finished it off with a parade including a firetruck that threw candy to the kids... Then last night we went trick or treating! Most people were in golf carts or on hay rides going from house to house. Not us, we did it the old fashioned way... on foot and with a jogging stroller. I think we ran more than we walked. The kids were so excited. I kept thinking they would give out, but they just kept going and going... They'd stop between houses for a few pieces of candy and then zoom, off we went again!
Earlier this month the girls were at a Birthday party at Chuckee Cheeses and someone took my purse and stole my digital camera (it had pictures with the girls making Halloween treats, the carnival pictures, and my son's senior homecoming dance). They also stole all my cash! I was so bummed. I got a new camera the day before Halloween, so I'll be able to post those pictures.