Happy Birthday, Em!

Twenty eight years ago today, I held a newborn princess in my arms. I thought she was the most beautiful sight I had ever seen in the entire world. Although I had first laid eyes on her only moments before, I knew that it would be sad for me to spend even one day apart from her. Luckily, she was mine.

Baby Em (you all know that’s not her real name, right?) was a perfect child from the start. She was always smiling (except for those first horrendous weeks before we discovered she had a milk allergy) and went around trying to please her parents. The first time she scribbled on the wall with crayon, I told her that we don’t color on walls, we color on paper. She said, “Okay,” and never colored on the walls again.

Em has pretty much been that way her whole life, always seeking to do the right thing, and to be a good example. I’ll share a few of my favorite “Em”ories with you:

*She was able to speak well at a very young age. At age two, when we would drive past an ad for Coke, she would say, “Ch-ch-ch-ch-Cherry Coke—Outrageous!”  (That was their slogan.)

*She noticed everything. Once, at age 2 ½, she was watching television with her Grandma. She excitedly said, “The Statue of Liberty!” when she saw it on TV, then followed it by saying, “There’s the President,” when Ronald Reagan appeared on the screen.

*“Mommy, I can’t sniff very well.” I finally figured out that she had stuck a raisin up her nose, which required a trip to the doctor.

*When she was three, our extended family ate dinner at a nice restaurant. A man played classical music on the piano while we ate. Em took the opportunity to dance around, whirling in her dress. When the music stopped and the audience applauded, Em looked around in surprise and bowed.

*When she was 2 ½, her dad was washing some clothes with Woolite. Em said casually, “I’ve switched to Delicare.”

*She wanted me to read Sleeping Beauty when she was three. I told her I would be there in a minute and she said, “C’mom, fat chickie!”

*At a restaurant, her Grandma offered to accompany her to the bathroom. As they walked away from the table hand-in-hand, we heard Em say loudly, “Grandma? Do you know how to wipe?”

*When she went to kindergarten, her teacher told me that she kept trying to encourage Em to play with the other kids, “She just wants to hang out and converse with the teachers.”

*At age six she was as tall as the eleven and twelve-year-old boys at the day care center.

*At her grade school, the faculty decided to start a good citizenship award for those students who exemplified good behavior. The principal told me that they were choosing her to be their first recipient.

*She had fun modeling for Sears as a pre-teen, and got to do some runway shows and mannequin modeling.

*As a teenager, she devoted most of her spare time to taking care of her baby brother, Weston, while I worked. I am forever grateful for all the hard work she did, helping me to keep house.

*She surprised me with tickets to a Riverdance performance.

*She paid for her sister, Kay, to come here for Christmas one year.

*She has given me adorable grandchildren and an amazing son-in-law.

I could go on and on with her awesomeness and how lucky I was to give birth to such a caring, intelligent, generous, happy girl, but I don’t want to make everyone jealous, so onward with the pictures!

 This is one of my favorite pics of Em--on the beach in the Philippines

Em with Hubby and son, Avatar

 In the forest with Chunk, who wears her face

 More Philippines photos

With sister, Kay

Happy Birthday to the the first person who called me Mom!

Check in tomorrow for Weston's report on his favorite memory of Em