I am in Boston this week to help my sister and brother-in-law take care of my fantastic niece while they both travel. My sister left the day I got here, we actually saw each other at the airport, like two ships in the night, we blew our stacks at each other, kissed and went our separate ways. Two days later my b-i-l left for a business trip and I was all alone with Emma doodles, as we all affectionately refer to her. OH NO! everyone was worried, she doesn’t always do well when both mommy & daddy are gone.

My sister is great, slightly OCD, but that’s part of her charm. She sent me a 3 page document with activities, food, people to call, everything I would need to know to have a happy Emma. She also told me I could make fun of her later for being so OCD, and I did, a little, how could I not, she’s my baby sister, that part of us never goes away. Now, daddy had another idea, if you promise her DD [that’s Dunkin’ Donuts for those of you not ‘in the know’] she will do almost anything. Normally, that’s a Friday treat, stop at DD on the way to school, but she got so lucky this week, we stopped there on Wednesday, Thursday AND Friday. She knew the difference between going during the week and Friday DD.

The kid is great, she knows what DD looks like and would point them all out on the way to school, no need for me to pay attention, she knew! She also knows what her schedule is. On Wednesday, we went to “The Show”. This is something she does with her daddy every Wednesday after school, they stop at this furniture store near his work and there is an animated show in the center courtyard, then it’s on to the restaurant for face painting, craft making, my favorite, and dinner. WOW! Then on Thursdays, it’s off to a local bagel shop that has a man come in and sing kids songs for an hour, she gets to see her best friend there every Thursday night. What great activities to keep them busy, but she knows the show and where it is, every time you drive by the area, she shouts “There’s the show!”

She can also tell time, sort of… I ask her what time she wants me to pick her up, she says, “on the half”! that means on the half hour, what a kid! I picked her up one day at 4:30 and she looks at me and says, “you picked me up on the half’ and that’s the time she chose for next time. Smart kid!

The rationalization at this stage is amazing, I should probably point out that she is almost 3 years old, now you’re saying, wow…

If I don’t post this now, it will never get posted, there is always so much more to talk about Emma, but I’ll save those stories for another posting.