They're just a bunch of sticks

We decided to plant a rose garden in the front yard and Emily Grace was a big part of the process. She helped mark the area for the new bed. She watched as I sprayed Round-Up to eliminate the grass. She helped dig up the old lawn. And, she helped to order the roses from Jackson Perkins Nursery. Of course, Emily wanted to do all of these things on the same day. Once the roses finally arrived Emily was disappointed that it was a box filled with a bunch of sticks (bare root roses).
     A quick side note on Jackson Perkins. They're slipping. You used to get a little metal tag on each rose identifying the variety, only three out of seven plants had tags. And the bigger issue is that the most expensive rose arrived the size of a miniature rose. It's so out of place it's funny, except for the fact that I paid the most for it.
       I explained about shipping live plants and that they were "sleeping"/dormant. She was away when it came time to actually plant so I did it by myself. when she got home her first question was to ask why I had planted a stick garden. So much for the lesson on dormant roses. It's good to be four.

Love,
Dad

Community Service

Emily Grace will be 5 in July and by that time she will have already done two years of community service... I hope it's bankable. It would be hard to overstate the impact she has had in the classroom the last two years. She has made friends with the friendless. Given voice to the speechless. She has really helped bring these little kids to life. I have no idea what we are going to do next year when she's in kindergarten. But I know what she'll be doing....

Love,
Dad

P.S. In case anybody wonders why I suddenly have all of this time to get caught up on my writing. I crashed my bicycle last Saturday 5/19/12 and fractured my pelvis.

How long has it been???!?!?!!!

I started this post on 3/28/10 it went to a draft and never got finished, until now....

I guess I've missed a few holidays along the way, a birthday or two, perhaps a milestone here and there. But what catches me the most is the things that don't happen any more.

shower doors: it's been so long ago I can't remember what she used to do to the shower doors

red trucks: every time she would see a red pick-up truck Emily Grace was always sure it belonged to her sister Katie. You'd be surprised how many red pick-up trucks there are on the road when you are really looking.

tickle monster: the tickle monster has come and gone several times throughout the years. Now at age four and a half Emily Grace is very strong and the tickle monster has his work cut out for him even trying to roll her over to tickle. The tickle monster is starting to think it would just be easier to tickle the mommy tickle monster...and a lot more fun.

Love,
Dad

"I need a tissue..."

Every time there's a problem, crying, trouble, boo-boo's, stalling for time, this is always the go to answer/response from Emily Grace. I don't know why but it always reminds me of the TV character Laura Petrie from the Dick Van Dyke show. Laura, "Oh! Robbbbbbb..." Emily, "I need a tissuuuuuue...." I guess it's all in the delivery. We fixed a lot of the drama when we just put a box of tissues in Emily's room. CBS fixed Laura's problem by cancelling the show.

Love,
Dad

The Little Things That Just Go Away

I'm not sure how long ago this happened but I just noticed it recently. When Emily is done talking on the phone to someone she's close to like me or mom, Nan-Na or Pop-Pop, her sister Katie, even Aunt Amy or Auntie Sue; Emily would always end the call by blowing us a kiss before hanging up. I felt especially lucky because I also got a hug with my goodbye kiss. If you wonder what a hug sounds like on the phone go find someone you love and give them a great big hug. Listen to the sound you make and that is the sound that Emily would make for me. She came up with this sound and ritual on her own. Sadly, these rituals have faded away. I can only guess that as Emily has begun to speak to more and different people on the phone even she recognizes that not everyone gets a kiss and telemarketers don't deserve hugs.

Love,
Dad