All about our 5 year old

Happy Birthday to my big 5 year old!
emery has been such a good girl since the day she was born. She quietly followed me around with all my errands and has been a great helper and buddy to have with me. I am always laughing at the things she does because she reminds me so much of myself when I was little. She's bossy to campbell, *thinks* she knows the best way to do everything, loves to make up dances and plays, loves her teachers and tries to please them, and is Brilliant! haha

I found these pictures on my old digital camera and had to post them. I had to use regular old film until emery was 6 months old or so. I think she looks a little bit like a dark-haired griffin. She was our only Utah baby so she got to have all the cute snow-clothes. I can hardly buy a light jacket for the kids now without feeling wasteful.

emery loves boxes, bags and little containers. Right now under her bed are at least 6 different boxes and bags full of her treasures. She has a plastic water bottle full of her favorite bark and rocks from outside mixed in with little scraps of paper she cut up. Another bag has all her "make-up"/lip gloss. A big box has her birthday goodies all tucked away from the prying eyes and hands of her sister. She'll tow these things around with us as we go out shopping and tries to smuggle a container or two into church every Sunday. It's a habit that has made me scratch my head over the last few years. Does she feel we invade her space too much? Does she not have very many earthly possessions and feels she has to protect her few treasures?

Another interest she's developed of late is in the Animal Planet channel. I watch it while I'm on the treadmill so she sat on the couch and watched it one day and has been hooked. She especially likes the Animal Cops shows where the cops go save abandoned and neglected pets or take away snakes and crocodiles from homes and lakes. After each show she'll reenact the episode for hours. I hear her saying

"OK campbell, this is a King Cobra! Pretend like you're very scared of it and I'm going to come remove it from your property"

or "This puppy has not been taken care of so we're giving you this letter and taking it to the vet"

or "this pitbull has been trained to fight and cannot go to someone's home. He's too dangerous"

I made her and campbell each a stuffed snake this week to help them act out their games.

We love her so much and are always kept on our toes with the things she'll think of next.