"Key Cat? Kamer?"

"Where did the Key Cat go? Kamer! Whey did you go?"

"Mommy, Kamer went to poop in da box."



Little Cookie Monster

When we registered at St. Matthew's a while back, they gave us a cookie mix in a jar as a welcome gift. So, one night last week when Jason had a work event seemed like a good evening for baking with Emerson! Our weekday evenings are so brief, that we don't have time for much beyond the usual dinner, bath, snack, books, Diego, prayers, etc., so we try to squeeze them in when we can! I love doing these kinds of things with Emerson. And he LOVES being a part of the process!

He did ok not getting his chubby little fingers in there on most of the layers of ingredients...until we got to the M&Ms.

Lots and lots of stirring.

"Do I lick it?"

These cookies were obscenely large. And quite tasty!

"Mommy, look what I did to my aypon!"

Rainbows. And Rainbows.

Whew, another full weekend. We didn't realize it until afterward, but we didn't get in the car a single time to go anywhere! Our neighborhood is really great, one of the big reasons we moved here!

We had lots of fun in the yard and around the house, went to a neighborhood party, and even got to hang with the Lomaxes (the boys had a blast!). We went on a couple bike rides, played at the park, fed the fish and the geese, and just had an all-around great weekend outdoors, including a couple long runs for me.

When it started raining Sunday evening, we were kind of bummed, but were also just still so glad it was nice the whole weekend. Mid-bath, we grabbed Emerson to show him his very first double rainbow. It was a full, end-to-end arch, and was so bright! My picture certainly doesn't do it justice. Emerson was fascinated with it. We sat in front of the window until it slowly faded.

Fish, Horses, Frogs and ELEPHANTS!

We need just ONE more day to our weekends. We squeeze a lot into those 48 hours every week.

Saturday included mowing, running, all the yard and household chores, and a family bike ride to the pond to feed the fish, then off to the park. And that was all before lunch! After watching the Derby last week, and realizing Emerson's fascination with the horses, we met up with some friends at Scioto Downs in the evening and watched the races. Em loved it! And somehow, the rain held off! The horses were impressive, although he might have liked the tractors even more. Stacy took him into the winner's circle for some close-up action. Em is already asking to go back to the horses, but if you ask him what his favorite part of his day was, it may be the frog we saw on our way back to the car :)

Sunday included mass, grocery, family naps and then the feature of this blog, the ANNUAL ELEPHANT WALK! This was our third year heading down to Goodale to watch the Barnum & Bailey's elephants on their way back to the train after the last circus show. Check out our 2009 and 2010 elephant escapades! Bree, Scott, Kerry and Cormac meet up with us and Auntie Jess every year, and the boys have a blast! And since we were in Grandview, we hit up our fave eateries, Dewey's for pizza, and Jeni's for ice cream. YUM!

Enjoying his cone...was done after one more lick! I always try to get both me and Emerson flavor that Jason also likes, since we only have a few licks, then pass them off to Jason to finish.

Trying to stay warm while we wait. Seriously, mid-May? 50 degrees and rainy?

Emerson, and his buddy, Cormac. Cute little buggers.

  

"Here they come, Cormac. Right dere."

They really are the coolest.

And there they go...

Bye, Cormac! See you next year!

Zielinski? Party of Three...

I love our little party of three. Mother's Day left me feeling so loved.

My day started with coffee in bed. To be fair, I get coffee in bed almost every day. One of the many reasons I'll "keep" Jason. When I came downstairs, sitting on the kitchen island were three giant planting pots, with Emerson's handprints and artwork all over them! Perfect for herbs! And Emerson was SO proud of his work! I must have heard "Happy Mudder's Day" a few dozen times over the course of the day. And he's very serious about his smooches...he'll grab my face with both hands and plant one on me.

We had reservations for brunch at Brio, one of my favorite restaurants. Tuscan eggs benedict and a couple bloody marys made for a most delicious way to start the day. After brunch, we walked around Easton, then ran a few errands, including picking up my fave herbs to cook with...basil, cilantro and parsley, for my new, beautiful pots. (I have nowhere near a green thumb, so we'll see how this goes!)

And two absolute gems, from the mouth of my babe...

• When asked by his teachers if Emerson was getting his Mommy a gift for Mother's day, he replied that he was giving me, "candy, a coat, and some boats." Essentials.
• When asked by his teachers, why he loved his Mommy, Emerson answered, I love my Mommu..."Because she gives me cheese."

Em loved this old phone booth! Look at my handsome little boy!

Trying to prevent a call to 9-1-1.

He's "roaming..." :)

The new train display at Easton was the coolest!

"For your enjoyment and safety, please do not stand or climb on fence."

What a great day!

Cookie Cutters

Another haircut post! Well, Emerson's hair is kind of a big deal. At least to me it is! I've been wanting to take Emerson to a Cookie Cutters kids' salon, but couldn't figure out timing with their limited hours and locations. With the new neighborhood, we have one just a few minutes away. Saturday morning, it was our first stop! You can see how unruly his hair was getting...especially with all this humidity.

"Before."

Gets to sit in a firetruck and watch "Woody" (Toy Story). Well, about 8 minutes of the movie anyway, since that's all the longer it takes to cut his hair!

Haircuts don't get any cooler than this!

Bubba Bath

I know I mention that Emerson is a "water-baby" a lot in the blog. But, this blog is about all things Emerson, and he always has, and I'm quite sure, always will, love the bath. We can always get him to behave during dinner if there is a promise of a bath afterward. And he doesn't cry about having to take a bath like some kids, he cries about having to get out. Poor Emerson. We won't let him sleep in the bath.

I do remember my little brother eating his dinner in the bath. Regularly. My Mom would make him a plate and he'd continue his 2-hour nightly bath, with his plate resting on the side of the tub. Kinda gross. But, I appreciate my Mom's ability to knock out two nightly tasks in one fell swoop. Tub. Check. Dinner. Check. Maybe we'll start serving Emerson his dinner in the tub. I'm sure it would make clean-up much easier!

Bubble Boy.

Talking to his reflection.

PRUNE HANDS!

We never worry about how clean he gets.

Just like Daddy.

In between these incessant rain showers, we were able to do some yard work this past weekend. With all the rain, we were in desperate need of mowing. Luckily, Jason has a cute, blonde, 40 lb. shadow to help out with these tasks!

Jason had a rule that Emerson had to stay behind him. Can you see how much this little boy loves following in his Dad's footsteps? Literally!

Uh-oh...someone's going too fast.

The saddest boy in the world.

He's over it.

Taking a break. All play is hard work!