Fond memories of a visit (01/15/07)

"Are there pictures of me picking my nose?" asked Emma's four-year-old cousin, Kaila. After we got done laughing we all told her no, that we were just teasing her. The pictures on the camera were just photos of ordinary things. She wasn't sure she believed us but also wasn't willing to press the issue as she had just endured a five-minute lecture on the subject.

That was just one of the highlights of the past few days that my husband and I spent in Texas. Our granddaughter, Baby Emma, as she is known down there, hasn't progressed to nose-picking just yet. She does play peek-a-boo and patty-cake and insists on removing her left shoe at any given opportunity. She has even worn a hole in her car seat from using it to help get her shoe off.

She also dances, she dances a lot. She doesn't move her feet but the rest of her sways and jiggles in time to the music. Her favorite tunes to dance to always include Elmo. In fact, I now know more Elmo tunes than I ever knew existed. She has an Elmo chair that giggles and vibrates. Emma seems to hate vibrations as much as I do. She has a creepy Elmo that says, "I love you." It's eyes light up and I think it looks downright demonic. She has a tiny Elmo thing that looks like a See-N-Say that she figured out how to work within seconds of receiving it. She has a plain Elmo made for hugging, Elmo slippers and who knows what else. In fact, if a piece of clothing or a toy has a picture of Elmo on it someone is sure to buy it for Emma.

She also likes jewelry. Strings of beads end up around her neck and her other grandmother's earrings are a source of endless fascination. She likes my rings and I explained to her that diamonds are wonderful as well as sparkly and rubies and garnets are also pretty. She is too little yet for rings and earrings and doesn't seem to like bracelets so she will have to content herself with yards of plastic beads.

The last time we saw her she was crawling and now she is walking. She has mastered the art of going where she isn't supposed to go then looking back to see if anyone is going to prevent her from going farther. We also did that very same thing at Forbidden Gardens in Katy, Texas.

Forbidden Gardens is a reproduction of the original palace of the Emperor in China. I wasn't really listening to the tour guide as he droned on about the pits of terra cotta soldiers, weaponry, and the workings of the Imperial Palace. I was watching my daughter and Emma, trying to save up memories for when we went back home.

After the tour, we walked alongside of one of the pits and were on our way to get a picture with a statue of the Emperor when we were stopped by a stern tour guide who informed us that we couldn't go there. We had been given free reign of the place the first time we visited so we thought it was OK but we were wrong. We had to settle for a photo with one of the fiberglass horses instead. It wasn't the same. Emma didn't care one way or the other.

We had a huge party for her first birthday with at least 30 of her closest aunts, cousins and other assorted friends and relatives. She had a good time being passed from one person to another. One of her aunts fed her tiny chunks of peeled grapes. Emma dropped several pieces of them on my blouse. I think it was a plot by "favorite Aunt Laura" to make a mess of my clothes as I was holding the baby at the time. It worked but so what? Anyone who picks up a one-year-old can expect to end up more than a little messy.

All in all we had a wonderful time playing with the baby and enjoying the company of all her extended family, even "favorite Aunt Laura." They are all exceptionally nice people and I couldn't ask for anyone better to help raise my granddaughter. But one of these days we hope to move close enough to be more than long-distance grandparents. Of course, Emma will probably be in college by then but one can always hope.[[In-content Ad]]