emilygraceeveryday

What's a "dick?"

2012-02-18T20:09:00.003-05:00

Emily Grace and I were driving home from Lowe's today and Emily was reading Maisy's Wonderful Weather Book by Lucy Cousins;Emily is working very hard, self taught, to read. Out of the blue from the backseat comes the question "What's a dick?" After managing not to swerve off the road and into a tree I said "Excuse me?" She said "A dick, what's a dick?" I told her I didn't understand what she wanted to know. She tried to show me the book where she was reading and then told me it said "A hot dick." Once again, managing not to swerve off the road and into a tree I asked her to spell the words for me. She had "hot" correct, did I mention that Emily is four; but the second word was spelled "d, r, i, n, k. She still has a lot to learn.......... Thank God.

Love,
Dad

Was It Something I Said?...

2012-01-22T19:10:00.004-05:00

Mom has requested this entry.

After talking to Emily Grace about who knows what. Emily turned around and announced "Sometimes I just don't know what my dad is saying." This is from the child who would like "cream of the ice" or "berries of the straw" for ice cream and strawberries. Consider the source. By the way, Mom says she knows where Emily gets it from; but she won't tell me.

Love,
Dad

P.S. The boycott of the cat lasted fifteen minutes.

The lion roars.........

2012-01-16T21:39:00.004-05:00

Emily Grace is not one of those kids that listens to my good advice, or suggestions or even pleas for sanity. I guess that makes her just like me. I was the kid with his head, hands or feet stuck in something that required the jaws of life to free. Thank God my dad was a doctor.

Emily thinks her cats are little people and she's constantly in their faces talking to them and being pushy. Cats being cats, Tigger took a swipe at Emily Grace and left her with two scratches across her face, including a good one on her eyelid.

After the tears and guilt from me Emily agreed to stay away from Tigger for four days until Tigger learned to be a better friend.

Look for a repeat of this story in five days.

Love,
Dad

Now I Know....

2011-12-23T13:12:00.003-05:00

I was working in the back yard and Emily Grace came to the window and yelled out "If you need any help just call me." I called back "Thanks." Emily Grace responded "Dad! I was talking to Tigger." (our cat). The pecking order used to be mom, dad, sisters and then the cats. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Love,
Dad

What kind of bad dad am I?

2011-09-05T19:31:00.006-04:00

As you can tell from the widening gap between posts that keeping up with Emily Grace is becoming more challenging, daily. I don't necessarily mean that in a negative way, although there are days... Emily has not only survived her first year in pre-school with me but now finds herself "promoted" to mom's room for this school year. The first thing Emily noticed in mom's room is that there are a lot more rules. (that's why mom is considered the gold standard) Emily has pointed this out to her mother to no avail. Emily's language has also been developing at a tremendous rate, primarily in the way that she uses language and puts thoughts and concepts together. She asked me the other day to "plug the toaster out" or un-plug the toaster. We had pork chops for dinner the other night and Emily got down out of her chair, walked around the table to me, cocked her head to one side and said "these pork chops are not working for me." I told her that dessert would not be working for her either if she didn't finish eating her dinner. The look of shock and dismay was worth the price of admission. Today Emily wanted to know if silly putty was waterproof. I told her that I wasn't sure but if she put it all in the water it might be ruined and I didn't want to hear any crying. I then asked her how she could figure out this problem. She told me that she would take a little tiny piece of silly putty and just test that and see if it was OK. I thought "Wow!" there are kids in fifth grade who couldn't figure that solution out on there own. Do you see why these blogs are getting farther and farther apart?.....

Love,
Dad

words of wisdom

2011-06-11T22:35:00.002-04:00

Trying to remember all of the memorable words/phrases that come out of Emily's mouth is almost impossible. Here are just a few examples: "an-baid" for band aid; "bo-pa-jen" for ? she says it when she's excited or happy about something; and let's not forget "shoo-bee" for shoo. There's more where that came from but who can remember?

Love,
Dad

the truth hurts

2010-11-30T22:09:00.003-05:00

I mentioned to Emily Grace that she would have to come with me to my guitar lesson tomorrow after school. She told me that my guitar lesson was boring. I explained that guitar was exciting and fun; she responded "not for me." Hard to remember that Emily's only three sometimes.

Love,
Dad

There she goes again...

2010-11-17T21:17:00.004-05:00

I know it's a little late but Emily Grace actually started school in August. She is what's called a typical peer. A typical peer is a "typically developing" child who demonstrates good language/speaking skills, can follow directions, plays well with other children, shares, and doesn't join in when chaos is the order of the day. How did she get in here again? Did I mention that she's in my classroom? Mom and I both teach preschoolers with disabilities and after much discussion I drew the short straw and Emily joined my class. She's great for the children, but she's going to make my hair fall out. We were talking about what we would like to learn in school. Emily's answer? "Drive a car."

Love,
Dad

now more than ever....

2010-11-15T20:48:00.003-05:00

The title of today's post has nothing to do with anything and everything to do with Emily Grace. At three years old she's out riding her bicycle by herself, without training wheels. She still needs help getting started, (What's the brake for?) but once underway she's got it down. The bicycle is still a little too big for her so stopping is problematic, Mom taught Emily Grace to stop in the grass so if she topples over it won't hurt as much; bruised pride is always better than better than scraped knees.

Love,
Dad

I know she's in there....

2010-08-19T16:26:00.003-04:00

Bedtime has become a challenge not for Emily Grace but because of Emily Grace. She spends her evenings thinking up excuses to get out of bed and come visit us. I swear you can hear her in there thinking up the excuses. Ok, maybe it's the baby monitor that let's us hear what she's up to in there but she lays in there testing the excuses out loud. Some of them are actually quiet inventive: "If my foot gets itchy I might have to take my sock off. I thought I might hear an Armadillo outside at night. I need to go potty. Will you come and check on me later

Emily Grace is 3....

2010-07-09T20:11:00.004-04:00

How did this happen? Where did my baby go? What happened to my little girl? She's 3 and acting every day of it. No, 3 going on 13 or 3 going on 30. She's 3! God help me. I keep getting in trouble or more accurately she keeps getting in trouble because she has great language. She told me recently to take the highway home because it was a short cut and short cuts are faster. And she makes great connections such as, short cuts get us there faster; so I give her too much credit for being more mature that she really is for 3 years old. So when she does things like putting a full glass of milk on the bed while trying to climb up it's hard to remember she's only 3. Or when she wants to take every baby doll and stuffed bear with us when we go out she's only three. Actually, in all of these examples she was only 2. 2 going on 3. The way it should be for all children.

Love Mom and Dad

dental hygiene

2010-06-05T07:57:00.003-04:00

Emily Grace told me that I needed to brush my teeth. When I asked her why she told me that they were dirty. When I asked why are they dirty she told me it was because I wear them all day. Hard to argue with that logic.

Love,
Dad

What is nocturnal?

2010-05-04T20:10:00.004-04:00

Even at two we talk to Emily Grace about animals that are nocturnal. We have owls, raccoons, opossums and armadillos that wander around the yard and we talk about why they only come out at night. At dinner tonight the subject came up and I asked Emily Grace "What's nocturnal?" She listed all of the above animals and added one more new one that we had never discussed...Ghosts. No more late night TV for this kid.

Love,
Dad

sign of the times

2009-10-17T20:08:00.004-04:00

Emily Grace and mom just went out for a little drive around the neighborhood to look for Halloween lights. Santa who?

Love,
Dad

love bugs

2009-09-19T19:49:00.003-04:00

Emily Grace saw Love Bugs for the first time today. They're an annoying bug, or more often set of bugs making love until they come in contact with a speeding car. When Emily learned their name she gave them a kiss.

Love,
Dad

I never noticed that Fruit Loops are spelled Froot Loops, no wonder kids can't spell.

that's a problem

2009-09-18T20:14:00.004-04:00

I don't think the terrible two's are as much of a problem as Emily Grace's prodigious language development (hey, let me brag for once). The problem is that she can only pronounce, (recognizable to most adults) about 200 of the 2000 words in her vocabulary. How many babies ask for sentimental trinkets to mark the second anniversary of her birth? Just Emily Grace.

Love,
Dad

2009-09-05T20:51:00.004-04:00

It's just another sign that she's not a little girl anymore. She used to have "cute" names for her grandparents-Nanna and PopPop. Those were hers; not prompted or taught to her by adults. The adults also referred to them that way to acknowledge her "speak". They were unique to my parents and we always knew who she was talking about. Well, just this past week things changed. I told her Nanna was coming in the morning to get her and she looked back at me and said, "Grandma coming?" I was too sad to even answer her. She still goes back and forth, but each day it's becoming more "Grandma/Grandpa" and less "Nanna/PopPop". Being a parent is crazy. You are so glad she is becoming more self sufficient and independent while at the same sadden that she's no longer a baby...she's a big girl!

Love,
Mom

backseat driving...

2009-08-23T11:16:00.004-04:00

Emily Grace likes to shout directions and driving instructions from the backseat as we drive around town. Did I mention she's only two? We get on the highway and she starts yelling "turn left" I explain that there is no left turn on the highway. Why do I try and explain this concept to a two-year old? Because, that's what adults do. Emily's mom's solution seems to work much better, she just agrees to make the left turn and then just keeps on driving. Emily also like to go fast. That's also a frequent refrain from the back seat. It doesn't matter if we're on the highway or sitting in traffic. Emily wants to "go fast." Once, after multiple requests to "go fast" I asked Emily how fast did she want to go? Almost immediately she answered "real fast." Recently, Emily wanted me to make a left turn at an intersection so she could see something. She told me what the something was but I could not for the life of me figure out what it was that she wanted to see so I kept going straight. No sooner had we driven through the intersection before she started yelling "turn around, turn around." We had a little talk about driving the car and being a good driver. Emily informed me that she wants to be a bad driver. Watch out State Farm.

Love,
Dad

The best laid plans...

2009-08-15T16:49:00.005-04:00

These pictures are "other Pop-pop and Nan-Na." Emily Grace had her first visit to the Veterinarian, as a helper not a patient. Emily has been waking up at 6:30/6:45/7:00am all summer, now a week before we go back to school she starts sleeping until 8:00+; based on her old sleep pattern I made the appointment for 8:30am. At 8:15 I had no cat, no kid and no help to pull this all together, a mad scramble ensued. I made it there on time, but by the time I got there the cat was strapped in the car seat and Emily Grace was in the cat carrier. The Vet, Dr. Barsch was great about explaining everything he was doing so Emily could watch and understand as he examined the cat and gave her her shots. The only part I wasn't so sure about was when they collected a stool sample. Looks painful, if the cat was a boy I would have suggested they check the prostrate while they were in there.

Love,
Dad

What a helpful little girl....

2009-08-06T12:40:00.005-04:00

Had a guy coming to the house today to give me an estimate for a new roof. Emily Grace's mom thought this would be a good time for her to go see the dentist and leave Emily here to face the salesman with daddy. What a good decision. The salesman could never hit his stride with all of the interruptions from Emily Grace; she was always polite, but she was non-stop. The salesman brought one of our old shingles down to show me how bad they are. He wanted me to bend it in half or tear it apart to see how much it had deteriorated. I declined citing the fact that I didn't want to clean up all of the mess that would fall off. He was very insistent. I told him I already know how bad they are and didn't need to make a mess to prove a point to myself. Emily Grace solved the problem by taking the piece of shingle, shoving it down her shirt and running away. Emily also helped to end the meeting by climbing up and playing the piano, LOUD. I really didn't know she could play it that loudly. The guy was trying to be nice and kept turning around and asking her to be quiet. Which she did for about ten seconds, just long enough for him to turn back around to face me. The meeting ended soon after the concert started. Normally I would not have let Emily Grace carry on like that, but after an hour of hearing about how bad my roof is, even after telling the guy I know that already, I really didn't care what she was doing as long as it reasonable. Next time I'm going to the dentist and mom can deal with the roofers. No Novocaine for me please.

Love,
Dad

a little light reading...

2009-07-26T20:05:00.003-04:00

We read two/three books at night to Emily Grace before bedtime, one of them involves a little bear that has different outfits to wear depending on which page you are on in the book. The problem with this book is that all of the outfits are attached to the book by little strings that become impossibly tangled. I can't imagine that it is very restful for Emily Grace when her daddy is cursing under his breath while reading the story trying to un-tangle the outfits so they reach their respective spots.

Love, Dad

P.S.

Happy number 46 to Na-Na and Pop-Pop and thank you for taking me to the zoo.

Love,
Emily Grace

The many faces of Emily

2009-07-25T20:40:00.007-04:00

Emily Grace is trying on new faces. They might be a little hard to distinguish in the pictures but she can tell you what each face shows and make them again for you. Her only problem is trying to maintain the face. If you make it back at her she starts to laugh and says "crackin' me up."

Love,
Dad

Free?

2009-07-24T20:50:00.005-04:00

We found a free water park sponsored by the city of Oldsmar. We went one morning when the park opened at 11 am. We got there right after the fourth daycare van had just arrived. There must have been 30 to 40 kids running around. The time to go is late afternoon, you can see how many kids Emily is competing with for the fountains.

Love,
Dad

Emily in ORLANDO!!!

2009-07-23T19:48:00.000-04:00

The only thing that Emily Grace took away from two days in Orlando is how LOUD it is there, I could not agree more. We went to Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure and it is loud everywhere, you can't escape the aural assault; inside, outside, even upside down. They really should offer a "quiet" room for us old folks and babies (big and small). The best ride there according to Emily is the moving sidewalk from the parking garage.

Love,
Dad

shoes

2009-07-19T15:38:00.001-04:00

Emily Grace has a thing for shoes. Mine, mom's, Aunt Amy's (guess which ones are hers). Emily has been putting on her own shoes for at least six months, even getting them on the correct feet most of the time. Now about those socks.....

Love,
Dad

I'm not saying she's picky....

2009-07-16T18:32:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace is certainly showing her "personality" now that's she's two. When she asks for something like "slide, swing" which is a request to go to the playground and play on the slide and swing. If you tell her "later" she says right back "No. Right now." If I offer her a drink of water she looks in the cup and says "need ice in it." And don't even try and select the pickle out of the jar for her. If she can't pick it she won't eat it. I get a lot of pickles this way.

Love,
Dad

what a concept

2009-07-15T11:58:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace and I were talking about going to see my parents who live in Geneva OH. They're actually closer to Geneva-On-The-Lake, but that's like saying your parents live in Ruskin. Emily calls them "different, Na-Na, Pa-Pa" I told her that we were going to go on an airplane to visit them and she told me "different Na-Na, Pa-Pa far away." How does a two-year old figure out that concept, amazing.

Love,
Dad

These pictures of Emily playing in the rain are courtesy of the sunshine state, where its been raining everyday. Can you guess that mom's not home?

2009-07-14T20:28:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday, Emily Grace.

Love,
Dad

happy birthday

2009-07-12T18:32:00.000-04:00

Well, she made it to two. Some days she seemed hell bent on not reaching that milestone. The party was a big hit. Only grandma and grandpa could get away with one of those "singing" birthday cards featuring their voices..... Where's the battery in this thing......

Love,
Dad

7 days and counting.....

2009-07-02T23:03:00.000-04:00

I can't believe that Emily Grace is going to be 2 years old next week, on July 10th. It's already become problematic to spell things in front of her because she can figure out what your trying to hide by using the context in which you're spelling to figure it out. When I got home from Publix the other day I was hiding the ice cream as I was putting it in the freezer. I told mom that I had purchased the thing that we have after dinner. Emily Grace promptly announced "Ice Cream!" There was a time that Emily like ice but not ice cream. Oh, how I long for those days........

Love,
Dad

These pictures are from Emily's trip to Maine. Go visit Bar Harbor it's a beautiful place.

get the forklift ready

2009-05-31T20:37:00.000-04:00

I need to do a better job of changing the diaper genie. When I emptied it today it looked like a giant blue Anaconda coming out of it. I hope the garbageman doesn't have heart attack when he opens the can tomorrow.

Dad

Mom, Mom, Mom, Momma, Momma, Mommy, Mommy....Dadda?

2009-03-26T22:16:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I don't say it nearly enough but, there is no greater joy in this world than watching Emily Grace and her mother interact. Doesn't matter if it's bath time or changing a diaper; mealtime or reading a book; just the way Marcy talks to and loves Emily Grace is a sight to behold. It almost makes up for the non-stop stream of requests from Emily Grace for her mother. Second on the list of requested items from Emily Grace is pizza. Emily and I went out to dinner the other night and when the waitress came to take our drink order, Emily looked her right in the eye and said, plain as day "I want pizza!" Fortunately, the waitress was out of ear shot when Emily Grace followed up her initial request with an order for a short beer (Budweiser, for Grandma). That's my girl....

Love,
Dad

That's no way to talk to a baby

2009-03-08T20:35:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace's Aunt Amy dropped by for a visit yesterday. All I could hear from the backyard where I was working was mom and Amy yelling "Sit! Sit!" over and over again. I kept thinking "That's a strange way to talk to a baby." then I saw Amy's dog Buddha. Naming a dog Buddha is right up there with calling it Jesus Christ, but Amy's from Alabama where apparently everything is called Jesus Christ.

Love,
Dad

Never too early to start...

2009-03-05T20:55:00.000-05:00

At 19 months, there is no way I should have to be spelling words to keep Emily Grace from repeating them, but that's not how life works. Only once, maybe twice have I slipped with the word "stupid" in front of the baby. Not, %#@#(&^% or @!$&*^$*%$ or even !*&$%#%, just stupid. But no sooner did the word escape my mouth (in reference to our cat who is stupid) did the little voice from the back seat begin practicing her new word. Emily Grace can't do the "st" sound but even without the "t" there was no doubt about what was being said. And why, oh why, did I have to have a beautiful witness to my little transgression? Thank God mom's very forgiving.....

Love,
Dad

that explains a lot...

2009-02-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

I know that companies are always trying new ideas to boost sales, the easiest being the introduction of a new version of an old favorite and the corresponding price hike for our convenience. My experience is that the new version is actually a poor imitation of the original, costing the company less to manufacture and allowing them to charge more. One of my favorite versions of this process is the select-a-size Bounty paper towels that you get at Wal-Mart. You pay extra so that you can save on paper towels by only using the size you need. What they forget to mention is that they only actually add the perforations to every third paper towel (bigger savings for them) so when you try and pull one (half-sheet) off you end up with the entire roll un-furled on the kitchen floor; this might just be the special Wal-mart version that allows them to charge a penny less per roll that Publix. All of this nonsense comes into play with Diet Pepsi. For some reason (see cost savings stratagies above) I have ended up with a large number of Diet Pepsies (Is that really the plural of Pepsi? Or is it Pepsis? They both look wrong.) that are flat when I open the bottle; I would estimate that 1 out of every 10 six-packs is flat. My first clue is that the un-opened bottle is already soft when you grab it out of the fridge. Pepsi is always very nice when I call to complain and are quick to tell me that even if the product is flat that drinking it won't hurt me. I always tell them that I like to throw up so it's a win/win situation.

I also thought that the "new" version of Diet Pepsi, Diet Pepsi Max (I guess Diet Pepsi Extreme, was already in use) went flat a lot faster than the regular Diet Pepsi. However, today I caught Emily Grace vigorously shaking my bottle of Diet Pepsi Max. When I asked her what she was doing she told me "bubbles" and she was right. Shaking the Diet Pepsi Max vigorously produces a lovely bottle full of bubbles to look at with none left to drink. Emily Grace seems bound and detrimined to get me out of the Diet Pepsi generation. I wonder how much mom is paying her.

Love,
dad

The physical toll of Emily Grace, or "I'm not getting any younger."

2009-02-02T20:16:00.000-05:00

I like to run in the annual Gasparilla 5K every year; Emily Grace was there to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line last year. To prepare for this year's race I decided that I needed some new running shoes and Emily Grace and I went off to the local Sports Authority where they were running a promotion, buy $75 in Nike running gear and the race fee ($25) is waived. I like the Nike Free 5.0 running shoe, even though I don't think I'm supposed to race in it but that's what I wanted. While Emily Grace was busy pulling random boxes off of the shelves and looking inside, I tried on a pair of the Free's (or as close as Sports Authority gets to them) when the sales associate came by to see if I needed help and saw what I was trying on he asked what I planned to do with the shoes, guess I've lost that runner's physique, I told him tennis. I was not sure about the shoes so I went to check for some new shorts, Emily Grace played hide and seek in the racks of clothes. No luck. Went to give the shoes another try. A new clerk came upon me trying on the same Nike shoes and asked me the exact same question. I told her they were for swimming. I ended up buying the shoes and I really like them. If I have one complaint it's the insane shade of green that Nike uses on these shoes. It looks like I'm running with a couple of fire engines on my feet. Of course, none of this is as bad as when strangers stop and ask me how old my granddaughter is.

Love,
Dad

If I can get it in my mouth...

2009-02-01T14:40:00.000-05:00

Emily Grace is not a picky eater, she does seem to cycle through how much she'll eat at any one time, but seconds and thirds are the norm; she also likes to graze throughout the day. With so many meals we were running out of cutlery. That's right Emily Grace is very proficient with a fork and spoon. We have been using the little spoons that you use when you first feed the baby, the ones with the long handle. Watching Emily try and hold the end of those and maneuver the food to her mouth was always interesting. I imagine it would be like us trying to eat with a mixing spoon or one of those barbecue forks. So Emily and I went out today to buy some new forks and spoons, the choices are many the options are few. But the most interesting set of baby cutlery out there is the three pack from Gerber. It contains a knife. What is a baby going to do with a knife? Granted, it's not sharp, pointy or serrated, she might be able to cut some soft butter if that ever appears on the menu. I think I'll make her a steak tonight.

love,
Dad

some things only a grandma can do

2009-01-19T08:40:00.000-05:00

When grandma is watching Emily Grace and you call to see how things are going only grandma starts the conversation with how many bowel movements Emily Grace has had that day "She had two large poopies today." Not that Emily has learned how to talk or walk but how many diapers needed to be changed. At least I know my daughter is regular, just like dad.

Love,
Dad

Happy Holidays....

2008-12-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

I know I'm a little behind in my writing. Emily's 10 now and in the third grade. Wait! That's next year. She only acts like she's 10. Not 10 years old, more like there's 10 of her running around at the same time. Christmas has come and gone, the person who picked the shortest time in the pool on how long it would take to break the new stereo, fountain and fish tank was the winner. That baby can wreck a room even while under direct adult supervision. (direct adult supervision being mom, less than adult supervision being dad) I can hardly wait to see what the new year brings.

Love,
Dad

and the winner is.....

2008-10-12T15:58:00.000-04:00

Me. I heard the door handle on the bathroom door jiggle and before I could react, I had company. Emily Grace burst through the door as happy and as proud as she could be. The more I tried to coax her out of the bathroom the more interested she became in what I was sitting on (the toilet) and what I was doing (none of your business). Amazingly, no one wanted to come to my rescue. I had to just wait her out. Live and learn.

Love,
dad

the end of privacy...

2008-10-04T20:19:00.000-04:00

Forget about President Bush and his flying ring of spy satellites that he wants to use on us. Emily Grace has mastered the doorknob. I caught her practicing opening and closing her bedroom door today. When mommy retreated to the bedroom to be able to talk on the phone Emily Grace marched right over, open the door and walked in. Can't wait to see who's the first one to forget to lock the bathroom door.....

Love,
dad

more fine art

2008-09-08T21:40:00.000-04:00

I did need to comment on the Ringling Museum's modern art exhibit. Several of the piece look as if they've come from the Cofer Brothers U-Pull-It salvage yard. It doesn't matter how much you still shine it up, junk is junk.

Dad

fine art

2008-09-07T18:29:00.000-04:00

While in Sarasota a visit to the Ringling Museum is a must; beautiful art, beautiful grounds and clowns, what more do you need? Emily Grace was not feeling well the day we went to the Ringling Museum. The room sized baroque paintings were not enough to keep a 1-year old engaged. We managed to keep her happy by finding all of the dogs that were in the paintings. Every time we found and pointed out a dog to her Emily Grace would "woof" for us. At last count there are 39 dogs in the paintings at the Ringling. Emily was a little confused by the angels in the paintings, she thought they were birds. I explained to her that angels were just the result from people having sex with chickens. Mom was not amused.

Love,
Dad

answers to one of life's pressing questions

2008-09-05T20:44:00.000-04:00

I got an answer to the hotel/motel question in the last blog. It seems that one has a heated pool and the other a cesspool.

Thanks Brent,
dad

hurricane safety

2008-09-03T18:20:00.000-04:00

What better place to take a baby during a hurricane than the beach? We went to Sarasota for the Labor Day weekend, staying at the Lido Beach Resort. A very nice hotel, I'm not quite sure what makes it a "resort"could be the two, count 'em two ping pong tables; maybe it was the fish pond. Of course I'm still unclear on the whole hotel/motel and which is which, so remember your source here. The Lido Beach Resort was a very nice place. My only complaint is that there are no towels or even paper towels in the kitchen. Have you ever tried to dry a wine glass with a bath towel?

Emily loved the beach, even if the hurricane whipped waves were over her head. She loved the swimming pool even if it was over her head too.

love,
Dad

important safety tip

2008-08-18T20:22:00.001-04:00

Always be sure to securely knot the end of the Diaper Genie before you close the contraption and fill it with diapers. Take it from someone who knows.

Dad

She's back from vacation...

2008-08-12T20:10:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace is back from visiting her Grandma and Grandpa in beautiful Ashtabula, Ohio: the home of covered bridges and not much else. They are on Lake Erie, but you can't really get down to it. The Amish communities are interesting, but they don't watch The Daily Show so what is there to talk to them about.

What was, for me, most interesting is the fact that Ashtabula is trying so hard to attract tourist dollars. They're building these covered bridges, which have to be the least cost effective bridges, in the poorest county in the state of Ohio to attract tourists. Yet, the one thing they could do for free is completely neglected. Customer service. How much would it cost to have the employees of the hotels, restaurants and stores at least pretend that they're glad to see you. It was pretty clear that my arrival on their doorstep was a major annoyance for them. The three employees at Alamo Rent-A-Car could not have been any more un-happy/annoyed when I walked up to claim my reservation. It's not like there was a line. I was the only person there. When I went back in to ask a question they were downright hostile. That will be the last time I rent from them.

The Holiday Inn Express in Ashtabula is another good example. When I made the reservation I called the hotel directly. I asked for a non-smoking room, Emily Grace hasn't acquired the habit yet, although she would like to start so she can get some of that great tobacco money. Anyway, the young lady I spoke to said she would put us on the first floor, away from the smoke. When we checked in they gave us room 325. When we got off the elevator on the third floor and took one breath, we should have gotten right back on the elevator and returned to the lobby. A non-smoking room on the smoking floor is like having a window room on the Titanic, "Look I see fish."

Trying to change rooms was a nightmare. The staff and management could not have made it any more difficult or unpleasant. I highly recommend staying anywhere that's not the Holiday Inn Express.

Dad

terrible twos? already?

2008-08-10T21:33:00.000-04:00

At 13 months it seems a little early to be trying tantrums, but kids grow up so fast these days. Emily Grace's problem is that both mom and I face the worst Emily Grace can dish out times ten everyday at school; so, when Emily throws a fit it's just funny for us. That must bug the heck out of Emily Grace. Too bad.

Love,
Dad

Car off the bridge!?? I didn't do it...

2008-08-08T17:46:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day the Emily Grace went to "daycare" that wasn't grandma and grandpa. Even though Emily was with a mother whose daughter is in mom's class it was still traumatic for mom. I have to give mom credit, she didn't call once to check. I wish the same could be said for me.

Love,
Dad

nicknames...

2008-08-07T21:08:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace at one year of age has had three nicknames, Boobers, Saintonge (pronounced "san-jay") and the latest Jub-Jub. All of these fine names have been given to Emily by her older sister Katie. Who, growing up, had the unfortunate nickname of "the Meatloaf" for her rectangular little body that really did look like a little meatloaf when she was born. Emily's oldest sister was known as the "stunt baby." When she was born I was working in TV and whenever we needed a baby for a commercial we would use her; she always did everything we asked, right on cue. Now-a-days, her nickname might be "call my agent" or "leave your number in the ashtray and I'll get back to you." They grow up so fast...

Love,
Dad

swingin' with the Amish

2008-08-06T21:13:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace is back from another big vacation; this time it was to Northeast Ohio to visit my parents. Emily is getting the hang of traveling. She always gets a window seat on the airplane, even if it means sitting on her big sister's lap for the whole trip. Emily loves the extra cookies the stewardesses slip her on AirTran. She enjoyed looking at the horses and buggies as we drove around in the Amish country. But what was most impressive is when she found one of the key cards for the hotel room and was sliding it all over the door trying to figure out how to get out of the hotel room. What will she think of next?

Love,
Dad

more communication...

2008-07-30T21:23:00.000-04:00

Grandma is convinced that she taught Emily Grace to point to her teeth when you ask. Which Emily Grace does do. She also points to her teeth if you ask her where her nose, eyes and ears are located.

These photos were taken by Robert Rostick, located here in Tampa. He gets a 5 star recommendation for beautiful photography.

Love,
Dad

I'm talkin' to you!

2008-07-28T18:10:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace has been "talking" (expressive) for a couple of months, starting at 10 months. We/she started with sign language, "more, all done, drink, open, up, give me your wallet." Verbally, she can say "bird, book, Dada, air" (for airplane) and "Mmmmm" (for it's good) "moo, meow" and her favorite "woof." What, to me, is so interesting is her receptive language skills; she will actually follow simple directions, I'm sure that will change as she gets older. And then there is always the un-intended communications; that would be the sumo wrestler squat, or maybe it's an NFL lineman, but depending on how long she's in the huddle (as we call it) will determine how many baby wipes you'll be using later.....

Love,
Dad

Now I know...

2008-07-27T17:47:00.000-04:00

I always thought that "child-proofing" the house was for the safety of Emily Grace. Wrong! It's to help me keep my sanity; even if it isn't working very well these days. Mom uses baking soda to clean the house and stores it under the sink. The cabinet is "child-proofed" but every time I turn around Emily's walking around with the baking soda and the cabinet is still locked. How is this possible? It's like living with a miniature version of David Copperfield. Finally, the secret revealed! Just like a bad Fox TV special. Emily was crawling into the cabinets two doors down and climbing over everything until she gets what she needs. I'm not sure I feel any better now that I know that I need to keep everything four feet above floor level. Should be handy in case of flooding.....

Love,
Dad

Where does she find the time?

2008-07-26T21:14:00.000-04:00

I just don't understand how someone so little and so busy has the time to do so much damage. Who re-programmed the stereo? Why is everybody on the TV green? Who put my watch in the toilet? Where did my shoes go? Quick! Run to the bathroom to be sure someone's not flushing them too. Yet, every time you look for her she's sitting quietly, reading a book or hugging her dolly. Might be time for some security cameras.....

Love,
Dad

it was bound to happen

2008-07-20T18:13:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace and I are now on the same nap schedule.

Love,
Dad

the picture says it all

2008-07-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

only days away...

2008-07-08T21:30:00.000-04:00

It's hard to believe that Emily Grace is going to be a year old in two days. She loves to read (Duck on a Bike) is a favorite, she loves birds and airplanes. She would eat fruit and nothing but fruit for every meal if we let her; mealtime is easy, Emily eats everything (lobster didn't go over too well). She calls me Dada to get my attention and works to make me laugh. Best of all is to watch Emily and her mom interact; the expressions of love that pass between them is breathtaking to behold.
Happy Birthday, beautiful.

Love,
Dad

We're on vacation

2008-06-12T21:20:00.000-04:00

God help us all! Well, fortunately, for mommy and daddy grandma and grandpa came with us so there is plenty of entertainment and people to cajole Emily. We must admit, however, that she's been a good traveler. She survived the plane ride with a little fussing because she wanted to sleep, but then had a blast going up and down the stairs in the Baltimore airport during our layover. She's not a big fan of her car seat, but she's almost outgrown it and who would like to ride backwards anyway?

She's been on a few hikes, pushed her stroller on the carriage road (instead of riding in it), splashed in a tide pool, picked up over a million rocks (only ate a few), and watched the tide go in and out. Tasted some lobster today (she preferred the corn), yelled at some kids in the park, drove a tractor, and figured out that standing in the crib to yell at mom and dad gets immediate results, especially when mom and dad are forced to sleep in the same room. The one thing good about coming home will be separate bedrooms. Pictures will follow....more hikes and adventures tomorrow.

Love, Mom

so many things to bite, so little time....

2008-05-12T20:44:00.000-04:00

I don't which is worse, six teeth or two feet; either choice is nothing but trouble. I watched the other day as Emily walked across the kitchen, removed the "child-proof" lock from the cabinet and proceeded to use it for dental floss.

At ten months old Emily is already clamoring for "real" food. No more pre-digested chicken for her. It's lots of fun watching her inspect each bite of food before she decides whether to allow you to shovel it in.

The walking is still in a "toddling/crashing" stage. It's like watching a drunken sailor walking on the deck of a ship during a big storm. Your first inclination is to yell man overboard and throw her a life preserver; in which she would promptly bite a hole.

Dad

Welcome

2008-04-10T18:17:00.000-04:00

Emily Grace would like to welcome the newest addition to the family, Lindsay Marie; another beautiful baby girl. Emily is not hiding from the competition.

Dad

mooch...

2008-03-26T20:36:00.000-04:00

Cooking, eating, snacking if there's food involved Emily's there ready for a taste and if she doesn't want it or like it? Good luck. Emily seems to be able to discriminate between her foods and when she's had enough of something no amount of coaxing can get her to eat it. It's not that she's a picky eater, but how many spoonfuls of peas can anyone eat before they've had enough and the evasive maneuvers begin; head shaking side to side, her head back over the chair, hands flailing, mouth locked shut. If you get something different that she likes, no problem, Emily looks like a little bird in the nest waiting for the next mouthful of food.

Dad

Emily's Egg-cellent Adventure

2008-03-25T20:40:00.000-04:00

There's nothing better than a basket of empty plastic Easter eggs to keep a baby entertained; just wait until she finds out that the eggs usually come with candy inside (unless dad gets to them first). The big hit for Emily's first Easter was the discovery of something called stairs. I thought climbing the stairs would be a problem for her, shows how much I know; she never even broke stride as she motored right up stairs. God help us.

Dad

It's never too late

2008-03-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

Even when I get home from school too late to see Emily Grace before she goes to bed, her presence is everywhere; from the shredded magazines to the overturned furniture, you can tell she's had a busy and productive day.

Dad

As if it's not falling out fast enough

2008-03-23T21:17:00.000-04:00

It's bad enough that Emily likes to pull my hair but now when I'm giving her a bath she gets hold of my hair and before I can escape her clutches she's kicking me in the eye; had to call for mom to rescue me. The best part of the whole ordeal is that Emily thinks it's hilarious.

Dad

It must be magic

2008-03-15T20:58:00.000-04:00

I don't know how she does it it but Emily Grace somehow manages to untie all of my shoes. At first I thought Mom was playing a joke on me but the fact that the ends of the shoe laces are always wet leads me to believe that is the culprit is Emily. Mom is as smart as she is beautiful but even she has limits when it comes to practical jokes.

Dad

on the horizon...

2008-03-13T21:06:00.000-04:00

Emily's starting to stand on her own, a little too much if you ask me. Although there is something very endearing when you sit down on the couch and she crawls over and pulls herself up. It starts with the flurry of activity as she crawls over, talking loudly all the way and then the silence as she grabs hold and pulls herself up up. The head slowly appears over the horizon of the couch cushion and then the eyes appear looking for you, followed by that great lopsided grin when she finds that you're still sitting there. Now if I just had time to "baby-proof" the kitchen, the garage, our bedroom, Grandma and Grandpa, the cats.......

Dad

Another tooth for Emily

2008-03-09T21:19:00.000-04:00

What can a baby do with two teeth? Tear up a house. Bite everything in reach and enjoy every minute of it.

Dad

The definition of ambivilant....

2008-03-03T21:41:00.000-05:00

Today was my first day back at work after two months of paternity leave. I was so sad to be leaving Emily Grace that I woke up at 3am and couldn't go back to sleep. It's not going back to work that's the problem, I love my job. I just knew that I'd miss that little lopsided grin as she crawled through the house wreaking havoc just like Sherman's march through the South. The only saving grace in all of this is that she's being taken care of by her Grandparents and I know that Emily adores her Grandma and Grandpa and they adore her.

Dad

And a baby shall lead the way...

2008-02-16T22:03:00.000-05:00

Mom, Emily and I went on a hike at the Booker Creek Preserve here in Florida. Now, Mom and I have taken lots of hikes over the years in many different places; in all kind of conditions. And I can say without a doubt that the trails at the Booker Creek Preserve are the best marked trails in all of America. The baby could follow these trails. The choice was a smooth sandy path or a sharp, cutting crawl through pointy, jagged undergrowth. Just in case the pain factor wasn't enough to help you figure out which way to go; there were trail markers every five feet. Why don't they just tie a rope around you and drag you through the park? They must lose an inordinate number of people in the parks here in Florida.

Dad

Just in case

2008-02-16T22:00:00.000-05:00

Just in case you couldn't see the tooth. If you click on the picture (any of the pictures) it will expand to drive-in movie proportions.

Dad

Hard to see, easy to feel.....just ask mom

2008-02-15T17:21:00.000-05:00

After an exhaustive search and extensive photo shoot we were able to capture the elusive first tooth on film. It took lots of cajoling, plenty of hot water and a lot of laughter but we finally got it.
Enjoy. Dad

don't let that cute face fool you....

2008-02-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

When Emily grows up she should open a destruction company, that's not a typo. She is a one baby wrecking crew. She's relentless. The house was clean, everything put away and then she woke up. The pictures say it all.

Dad

There she goes........

2008-02-05T21:57:00.000-05:00

There was a time that I didn't care for toys that made noise. Then I figured out that I could keep track of Emily's whereabouts by listening for the music from her toys; if the music was playing then she had to be with the toy. Well..... I could hear the music playing and when I went for a visual check Emily and the musical duck were on their way out of the family room and to the bathroom. So much for the best laid plans. The picture is Emily on her way to a bath, we undress her in the bedroom and she crawls all the way to the bathroom. Watch where you step.

Dad

The "grass" is always greener....

2008-02-01T20:36:00.000-05:00

It's amazing just how many diapers one baby can use in a day. I'm thinking of renaming Emily Grace "The Super Soaker." On a side note. In preparation for Emily's adventures outside I finally decided to take care of the lawn. (Lawn here being described as a generic green mass that kept mowed prevents the homeowners' association from sending me threatening letters). So I sprayed it with a Weed n' Feed from Ortho; two days later, everything was dead. Now, when Emily crawls across the lawn you can follow her progress by the dust cloud that follows along behind her.

Dad

A new standard

2008-01-30T17:47:00.000-05:00

Here's a shock, even after selling "fashions" at the Home Shopping Network for four years I'm still style impaired; especially where Emily's clothes are involved. I know there's a problem with the baby's outfit when the first question mom asks when she sees Emily is "You didn't leave the house today did you?"

Dad

Where do they all come from???

2008-01-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Feeding Emily Grace is like trying to feed Dr. Octopus; hands keep appearing from under the table grabbing everything in sight. There's a hand swatting the spoon, another rubbing the food into her eyes, there goes another grabbing the bowl. How did she get the napkin in her mouth? Where did the spoon go? The arms (all eight of them) are also a lot longer than you think, nothing is out of reach for Emily Grace.

Dad

What I want to know is?

2008-01-25T11:08:00.000-05:00

Is it mean to feed the baby a whole jar of prunes when you know she's going to Grandma's for the afternoon?

Dad

What can you say?

2008-01-22T23:43:00.000-05:00

What can you say about a little girl who follows you around the house on her hands and knees, complaining that you're moving too fast? The sign that she wants to be picked up is that she bumps against you with her head. Emily's actually standing on her own at 6 months, she doesn't know she's standing, she's just interested in getting the vacuum cleaner cord to her mouth; the fact that she's standing there doing it is of no importance to her.

Dad

She's a crawling, biting machine...

2008-01-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

Mom went back to work just in time to leave me with a crawling, drooling, biting machine. Emily Grace has her first tooth and from all of the drool I'm sure the others can't be far behind. For 6 months old I'm constantly surprised by how fast she can crawl, turn your back for a second and she's under the table, look away and she's dragging the 5lb. bag of bird seed off the shelf, the only thing between Emily and taking a cat "nip" from the poor cat's tail is the sliding glass door.

Dad

different shades of pink...

2008-01-16T12:05:00.000-05:00

Brad Pitts' representatives called and asked us to stop talking to Angelina Jolie's representatives; they also wanted to know if Emily Grace came in any other colors.

Dad

you know she's cute when....

2008-01-14T15:22:00.000-05:00

You know you have a cute baby when representatives from Angelina Jolie contact you three times about adopting your daughter.

Dad

Today is the first day of the rest of the week...

2008-01-08T14:16:00.000-05:00

Today is my first day home all day as a stay-at-home dad with Emily. How am I supposed to get anything done? When Emily's awake, she's crawling all over the place gnawing on anything and everything she can reach. Best of all she will crawl through all of her toys to get to something she shouldn't have, i.e. shoes, electrical cords, the cat, microscopic bits of whatever the vacuum doesn't pick up. And when she finally falls asleep you can't do anything because she'll wake up and continue her quest for the best tasting furniture.... Love you honey.

Dad

Midnight? My bedtime is ASAP

2007-12-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

Emily's getting ready for her first New Year's Eve party. It should be interesting with three of mom's college friends/roommates and their families coming over; Emily will be passed from mom to mom to mom. Which will help me keep track of her; she's a sneaky little thing. Emily's working on her crawling, but not when you're watching. We were on the floor for a long time and while Emily was up on all four (knees & hands) she wasn't moving very far. When I left the room to answer the phone I could hear her ripping up the magazine I had left on the floor. When I got back I moved her back to her original position and waited and watched, nothing. When I went to answer the phone again more crumpled paper. Thank God mom came home and saved me.

Dad

Growing up way too fast

2007-12-28T22:41:00.000-05:00

I don't know if the problem is that I work in early childhood education and have been sensitised to the developmental milestones but Emily Grace is starting to attempt things that she shouldn't be doing. Just this morning we caught her crawling out of the house with the car keys in her hand and a lit cigarette in her mouth. Emily claimed that the cigarette was mom's but I know that mom doesn't smoke unfiltered Pall-Malls.

Dad

Strap on the ol' feed bag

2007-12-26T17:38:00.000-05:00

It's always dinner time at our house now that Emily's discovered food. She didn't seem too impressed with the rice cereal; not enough garlic I suppose....
Dad

Where are the Reindeer?

2007-12-25T13:00:00.000-05:00

This is Emily's first sighting of Santa as he arrives by shrimp boat in Apalachicola, FL.
She's still laughing.
It's a very nice tradition. Santa arrives the day after Thanksgiving and the whole town turns out to celebrate. We kept an eye out for Forrest Gump but we never found him.
Dad

Happy Holidays

2007-12-22T22:01:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas. We celebrated Christmas in July. Hope all of your presents are as grand!

Dad

4 months old today

2007-11-06T05:53:00.000-05:00

What a busy month for someone so little. Emily got to dip her toes into the ocean, OK gulf, for the very first time. Grandma and Grandpa were there to share in that little adventure.
Halloween is probably more confusing than anything else when you're only 3 months old and haven't discovered the joy of candy. But, how often do you get to wear a cat suit or dress like a pumpkin?
Emily has started to recognize that mom and dad have different voices and that sounds can come different sources. When having a conversation and mom is talking, Emily will watch her very closely. When I speak Emily will look around to find the source of my voice; when she sees me she lights up with a look that says, "WHOA, where did you come from?" When mom speaks Emily's little head turns to find mom's voice and mom gets that same great look and so it goes, on and on and on.........

Dad

It's a new age

2007-10-16T20:56:00.000-04:00

Someone pointed out that they had never seen so many pictures of one baby before. Mom and I figured out that we are at about 250 pictures for Emily's first three months. What makes this figure so significant and so inconsequential all at the same time is that all of the pictures are digital. No film was exposed in the making of these pictures. I would be surprised if even fifty of the two hundred and fifty pictures were even printed. Until Emily arrived, I only shot on film. It's amazing and a little sad to see how fast things can change.

Dad

My face hurts

2007-10-10T17:17:00.000-04:00

Emily's spending a lot of her time studying faces so I try to give her a wide variety of choices. By far smiles get the best response, if you give her a big smile she gives you a smile back. Emily still smiles with her whole body. It's a whole baby body workout.

Dad

stop me if you've heard this before

2007-10-02T21:49:00.001-04:00

There is nothing like coming home after a long day and seeing Emily peering up over the crib rail looking for you. I'm amazed how long she can hold her head up and just watch you. Mom was worried that after a long day of chasing little kids around all day I'd be too tired to face another one when I got home. The thought never occurred to me. I can't wait to get home and have mom and Emily Grace tell me about their day. It's great fun to sit down and see how long you can keep Emily talking. She always seems amazed that I speak fluent baby and when she smiles she uses her whole body. There's nothing better.

Love,
Dad

emily time

2007-09-26T22:22:00.000-04:00

I'm sitting here with Emily on my lap trying to type and hoping that watching me type will bore her to sleep. With all of the cooing and clucking going on I may as well be taking dictation. We just crossed the 11 week mark and are well on our way to 3 months. Seems like she's been here forever. I'm guessing that Emily is just over ten pounds. Publix, our local grocery store, suggested that I stop weighing Emily on the produce scales. Apparently there are health laws in Florida (not that you'd notice). We did pull out one of her newborn outfits, it's hard to believe that they were big on her. Emily says gooowahhhkrrrrrrrr.

Dad

talk to me

2007-09-10T18:27:00.001-04:00

Emily and I had a long conversation last night (almost 30 minutes). She is very concerned about this sub-prime lending mess. She can't figure out why all of those financial geniuses think lending large sums of money to people who can't pay it back makes good sense. I guess reading the Wall Street Journal to her while she was in-utero really paid off.

Dad

Now I know why

2007-09-03T20:12:00.000-04:00

After all of the baby showers we had enough baby clothes to open a small store. I couldn't imagine how we would ever use all of those beautiful outfits. Now I know. While I've been doing Emily's laundry all along, suddenly her output seems to be matching her intake. Does Spray and Wash come in a 55 gallon drum with a spray applicator? I can't find it at Costco. Now, not only does each piece of clothing need to be inspected; you have to look at the whole outfit, not just the obvious places. There are spots in places that just ain't right or even physically possible. Just one more sign that she's my girl.

Dad

to the beach and back again

2007-09-02T21:58:00.000-04:00

Emily made her first trip to the beach today. It was going great too, until I dropped the bottle in the sand. Adds calcium I say. It was a beautiful sunset; including the green flashes of light at the horizon just as the sun sets. It was the first time in many, many sunsets that I've seen this phenomena; Emily got it on her very first sunset. Of course she was still obsessing about the sandy nipple and didn't even watch the sun go down. A special hello to Emily's Grandma and Grandpa vacationing in Greece, hope you brought your fire extinguishers.

Dad

Now it's dad's turn

2007-08-26T15:16:00.000-04:00

The breast pump has arrived. I don't know who's more excited mom or Emily. Now I get to participate in the feeding process. It's kind of strange to open the fridge and see a shelf of your wife's milk. I want to go get a bunch of little milk cartons to put it in. Mom didn't take kindly to being called the Dairy Queen. Think I need a new nickname.

Emily is just starting to figure out that the face is the place to look. She'll study your face for minutes on end, watching for something; and when you get just the right combination of raised eyebrows, wrinkled nose and puckered lips you're rewarded with her smile. The greatest gift that you could ever get.

Dad.

damned if you do, damned if you don't

2007-08-20T21:16:00.000-04:00

Since when did we need the advice of so many experts to help us take care of a baby? The latest one promotes the fact that Madonna uses his advice. I wonder if he was the one to advise her to wear a couple of gold plated traffic cones as a bra? The best part of all this advice is that none of these people agree with one another. That way you can pick and choose whichever system, or versions or parts of a system that suit your needs and apply them to the baby; which leaves you in the exact same place as if you had never read any of the books in the first place.

Dad

date night

2007-08-16T22:14:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for watching Emily Grace so mom and dad could have a night out. Night being defined here as two hours of nobody crying. It's nice to be able to sit and talk about things other than the baby; but, it's even better to get back and see her beautiful little face.

Dad

1.25 months, she doesn't look a day over 5 weeks

2007-08-15T22:26:00.000-04:00

Emily is just entering that age where she is recognizing mom, dad and everyone else. Dad is all talk and no action, mom actually feeds me; everyone else is just scary. We may have also reached the point where smiles cannot all be attributed to gas; a few maybe.... that's my girl.

Love,
Dad