Emma's Birthday Weekend

We got home late Sunday from Cincinnati.  Unfortunately, we hit some traffic from a wreck on the way home, and had one over-tired toddler in the backseat.  She amused herself by throwing goldfish crackers everywhere.  We were all pretty cranky by then.  But other than that we had a great time.  Our weekend was pretty busy, and Emma definitely did not get enough sleep, which I will be paying for this week!  We headed to the zoo first on Saturday morning, along with everyone else it seemed.  It was hot but we left without sunburns, which I am always thankful for.  It's still a little hard to take Emma to the zoo, because we have to use the stroller and so we're constantly taking her out and putting her back in it.  She can't really see the animals in the stroller, but she can't yet walk through the whole zoo, and she's definitely too big to carry.  Hopefully, next time I will have a better carrier that works for older kids too.  Anyway, we had fun seeing the animals, and Emma even got to pet a few goats and play in the kids' area for a while.

Daddy is so fun!

Mommy got a real hug...hardly ever happens

This was her favorite goat...she wouldn't pet any of the others

We finished Saturday off by doing a little shopping for Mommy...which ended up being for Emma, since she got new shoes and Mommy got nothing!  We also picked up the last of Emma's birthday gifts at Toys 'R Us, since our store didn't carry them and I didn't want to pay for shipping.  We woke up Sunday and drove to Ikea, where we spent way too much time, and got some great stuff, mostly for the kitchen.  After that, we drove around for way too long looking for a Chick-Fil-A, only to remember much too late that they're not open on Sundays!  After lunch, we stopped by at the Children's Museum.  Emma loved it!  It wasn't too big, but had a lot of small areas just her size and toys for her to play with.  Her favorites were the water and sand tables, the building/hammering station and the kitchen.  She was at such a great age for it, and it made me really excited about taking her to the one in Chattanooga in a couple of months.  When we were at the one in Chicago last year, she couldn't even walk yet, so this was a lot more fun for her.  I wish there was something like it closer to BG.

Emma is obsessed with water suddenly...she loved this fountain

Mowing

Getting Mommy wet!

Helping Daddy build

They had several different kinds of drums...too bad we don't have these at home!

We had a great time and I wish she could take more trips like this.  Even though we were busy and all a little tired, we have so much fun spending time together, and we never seem to have enough of it.  And just for fun, here are a few pics of Emma and some of her birthday toys.

Sometimes I really wonder what she's thinking

Happy Birthday Emma!  I hope you had a fun weekend.  In just a few short years, you'll want to spend your weekends with anybody but your Mom & Dad.  But for now, we are loving spending time with you and watching you grow.  We love you!