Love-Hate Relationship with Halloween

Overall, I would say Emmett enjoys this holiday for the candy, but finds it confusing and scary. We talked numerous times about how "monsters are not real". Our gym threw a "Monster Mash" the Friday before Halloween and I told Emmett we were going. After I tucked him into bed, he called me back in his room and asked, "mommy, are there going to be monsters at the party?" I felt awful as I could tell he was sitting up concerned wondering what kind of party is my mom taking me to?! I mentioned it to the gym and they said, "oh, maybe we need to call it something else next year." Good idea.

We went trick or treating with the Bertrams in Lake Forest Park. It was a repeat from last year after having a great time and this year was even better since the kids were older. Some of the houses go all out and frankly, made me scream. We showed Emmett this one house and told him everything would be okay. Other toddlers were turning around, but our boy wanted to push through the spookiness as his eye was on the candy prize. After getting his treat he proceeds to walk out with his eyes closed and ears covered. I realize this was a rookie parent move on our part and maybe next year we will skip this home.

This is definitely the last year I will have a say in his costume. So sad. I was so happy all of us played the part in our Arnold Pumpkin Patch. One day, Emmett will think this is totally uncool and then hopefully one day, he will appreciate it. Kudos to Justin for playing the part well of Daddy the Scarecrow!

Emmett's 1st Wedding!

Jason and Ashley tied the knot last night and it was hands-down the most warm, authentic and sweet ceremony we have ever attended. One of our favorite memories and there are many is the "kid parade" of all the little ones walking down the aisle before the bride handing out flowers to guests.

Emmett did an amazing job! He looked dapper and adorable with his new haircut and shiny brown vest with tie. When the parade was done and I started walking him to the back room, he turns to me and said, "mommy, I want to do it again." He loved being in the spotlight while making people smile. I dunno where he gets that from? :-)

The other cute-cute moment was just when Ashley gets to Jason at the altar, everyone is quiet and Emmett says out loud, "hi dad" as Justin was standing up at the front by the groom's side. It made us smile and we are so proud of our boy! We are so excited for the newlyweds, too!

Nap Time is Over

We gave up on Emmett napping months ago. He dropped it well before he was 3 and it took us a few months to finally accept he was done. Now we encourage "quiet time" or "down time" or simply tell him "you need to be alone".

As parents sense when their child really needs to rest after a long day, we explain to Emmett the importance of taking a break for the sake of everyone's sanity. Recently, we told Emmett that no nap/down time means he will be really cranky.

We just had a big weekend here in Seattle as our dear friends, Jason and Ashley, got married. Emmett was part of the festivities and rehearsal night, which means staying up late. We begged him to rest before the evening events and yet, he turns it on me...

He said, "Mommy, did YOU nap today?"

I replied, "No, I did not."

His response, "Then you're cranky!"

Emmett and Mommy on TV!

King 5 did a one hour show on "Learning for Life". They choose Nanny's School to talk about the importance of playing while learning for kids before the age of five. Nanny being the huge advocate she is and well-known expert/childcare educator in town was interviewed. Nanny asked that I get interviewed, too!

Emmett's cameo is brief, but cuuuuuuuuuuute! I love that we're holding hands and you see Anya in my belly!

http://www.king5.com/video/eveningmagazine-index.html?nvid=393158

Enjoy!

First Day of School

Our boy begins another year at Nanny's School and we're thrilled! The last 2 in a half weeks have been life-changing to say the least for the whole Arnold Family in Seattle. On top of our newest addition and Emmett learning what it likes to be a big brother, school was out of session, so structure was missing from our daily routine. Emmett was missing the magic of Nanny and so was mommy and daddy!

Anyway, here is a lovely pic of our adorable son as he starts his final year at Nanny's. His report on his first day back was "Emmett has worked so hard at utilizing his good friend skills...he truly is a leader and makes us proud"! He makes us proud, too.