Emma, the Sandwich Thief: It's Her Life

Emma has been a real riot lately. (We're still waiting to get one of those mythical "chill" babies with the phlegmatic temperament. Ha.) She's incredibly cute, but also vaguely terrifying. She's a mix of Cody's open temperament and affection and Cordelia's cunning and willfulness. Like her brother and sister, she's just extremely … verbose. The things she says are just hilarious, and unexpected, and crazy clear. Sometimes, really objectionable: "Today I am going to take my diaper off during my naps and PEE IN MY BED." Me: "Well, I guess that's your choice, but it will mean you don't get to have stuffies or blankets in your bed. Her: "Fine. I don't WANT THEM! Take them AWAY!"

But also sometimes weird. Yesterday she told me, "I will NOT eat that egg!" "Okay," I said agreeably. "Why not?" Her response? "Because I am SO ANGRY at you!" A moment later she wanted to spin upside down and was all giggles. And today, for example, she said from her carseat, "I am not Emma!" "You're not?" I replied. "No! I'm Fiona! I'm Fiona the Sandwich Thief! And I am WANTED, dead or alive!" Then she broke into Bon Jovi, singing all the verses through, and then moving on to "It's My Life." Really, that's Cordelia's anthem, but there's nothing that makes you almost drive off the road laughing than a two-year-old belting out "It's my liiiiiiife, it's now or never….I ain't gonna live forever….I just wanna live while I'm alive…" From there, she reverted to "Let it go, let it go!" (But she pronounces it, still, "let it toe, let it toe…"

She has such an expressive little face — happy, mischievous, mad. She is easy to soothe, but usually has a clear preference for who is worthy of soothing her — and if Cordelia is around, that's the only person she wants. And Cordelia is magnificent at it, and oddly suited for it. She likes to figure out how to tick everyone else off, but if you mess with Emma, she'll mess with you. She can calm E in an instant. It's kind of beautiful.

Anyway. Back to Emma, who is, as she often tells me, "so adorable." Indeed.  Even when she's dirty, which she almost always is.

And even when she's supposed to be napping … but isn't. Because there are so many things to talk about instead: kids, and "Jesuses," and "tomic" books, and tlocks and birds and trains.

Time Warp

A happy, but long day, so I will give details of Cody's big seventh birthday later, but for now I'm just feeling overwhelmed by the passage of time. It's hard to believe my little boy, whom Ms. Leavesley measured today at over 4 feet, 3 inches, used to fit in my forearm.

 I love you, birthday boy. Even though you are only 11 inches away from being taller than I am.

Little Bird is Five Years Old

Today, we had a dual celebration: an Easter birthday! As Cordelia joyfully explained, "Isn't Jesus SO lucky that he gets to share HIS special day with MY special day?!" Yes, dear heart, He is just so lucky.

It was really more a birthday weekend. One of their joint gifts was a trip to the Baltimore Aquarium, where we haven't been since Emma was in utero. They loved it all over again. Sharks! Dolphins! Turtles! Jellies! Tantrums! It was, all in all, a good (if exhausting) outing. We had lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe (single worst meal I've ever tried to eat) merely to indulge Cody's guitar phase, then spent a happy 90 minutes in the huge Barnes and Noble. There, Emma managed to peruse the entirety of the children's section and pull out almost every title she has at home. By name. "Look! Good Night Good Night Construction Site! Oh! There's Ollie! Oh! And Corduroy! Oh! And Hug Time! Oh! And Chicka Chicka Boom Boom! Oh! And there's Knuffle Bunny!" The salesgirl was stunned. It was quite entertaining. Cordelia's choice was a junior novelization of Frozen, from the Grades 3-6 section. Which, I'm amazed to report, I suspect she will be reading in another month or so. She's basically done with the easy readers and is ready for chapter books. Because, you know, she just willed it.

Sunday dawned clear and bright, and after Mass (a separate post on that, that was really all the Emma show) we did presents. She raced through them, glancing at their contents and then piling them behind her, hoarder that she is. She received a Frozen Barbie from Granny (her favorite) and a new Elsa costume to replace the one that she literally wore out.

 Emma gave her her very own Princess Elsa Castle Lego set, and she and I spent much of the afternoon building it, and talking. It was among the most fascinating chats we've ever had. It gave me such a clear picture of her mind, and her sense of her place in the world, and everyone else's, well, subordinate place.

Our conversation went something like this:

CML: Once we get this castle built, Anna's not going to be allowed inside.
Me: That's not very kind. Why not?
CML: Because it's not the ANNA Castle Lego Set. It's the ELSA set. Elsa doesn't have to let her in.
Me: She doesn't have to … but don't you think she might want to?
CML: Only if she's in the right mood. But she'll probably just shut the doors and not let Anna in. Anyway it's Elsa's birthday, so she can do whatever she wants.
Me: Ah. I see. Well, how would she feel if on Anna's birthday, Anna wouldn't let her in?
CML: Anna doesn't get a birthday.
Me: Um, what? Why not?
CML: She's not as good as Elsa. 
Me: Oh, I don't know about that. I think they're both pretty exceptional.
CML: But mom, who do you like better: Elsa or Anna? 
Me: Well, it's not either/or for me. I admire them both!
CML: But which do you think is better? Elsa, right? Because she has powers. And she's beautiful.
Me: That's true. But Anna is beautiful too. And what a heart! She has the power of amazing love and devotion to her sister. If it weren't for Anna, Elsa wouldn't have survived. Prince Hans was trying to destroy her but the force of Anna's love saved her sister. That's pretty awesome.
CML: Prince Hans is not PART of this Lego set. He's not real. He's just a character.
Me: Riiighhht….well, all of them are characters. 

At this point, I pop into the kitchen to giggle in private and try to maybe avoid the carousel. No luck.

CML: Right. So who do you like better, Anna or Elsa?
Me: I really think they're both amazing. I really admire Anna's huge and generous heart. 
CML: Well, Elsa's prettier and has a better smile.
Me: Weeelllll, that's one interpretation.
CML: I know more about Frozen than you do. And I'm the birthday girl.
Me: Yes. Yes you are. 
CML: So I win.
Me: I suppose you do. 

So then I go in to recommence building Elsa's ice castle, and this is what she's been working on in my short absence.

My next question was: "Where's Emma?"

As Rachel Lynde once said about a certain red-headed snippet, "That's the kind that put strychnine in the well."