Belize it or Not

I always wonder who has the amazing job of naming OPI's nail polishes, and how they are creative enough to come up with a billion great names for shades that change by tiny hues from one color to another.  Whoever they are, they are super creative. 

This weekend, Emerson watched me give myself a pedicure - first helping me remove my old toenail polish (don't worry mom, I gave her a dry cotton ball so she wouldn't have acetone all over her hands); and then sitting beside me outside while I painted my toes with OPI's 'Belize it or Not' - not my favorite color, and not very spring like, but it's what I had on hand and I needed a change from my go-to 'Big Apple Red.'  After I'd finished painting my toes (why is it that you can never paint your own toes as well as someone else can?), Emerson brought me the bottle of polish, climbed up in my lap, and said "please?"  [Side note, actually she said, "puh-puh-puh" because in my thinking recently that she uses sign language so well that she isn't going to be motivated to talk, I asked her, "Emerson, can you say 'please,' 'puh-puh-please?" - I was just trying to emphasize the 'p' sound! - but instead she very efficiently said 'puh-puh-puh' and left off the rest; now that's what she says when we ask her to say please - guess that is what I get!]

Okay, so normally I am kind of against things like painted toenails on little girls before the age of 3 or 4ish.  I feel about painted toenails on little girls as I do about pierced ears and two piece bathing suits but maybe not quite as strongly.  But, since I don't feel quite as strongly about painted toenails, and no one else will really see them, and I couldn't say no to how sweet it was to me that she saw me do it and then wanted it done as well, I went for it.  Terry was sitting outside on the porch with us and snapped a few pictures with his phone.  This next picture was totally unstaged...

You know, like "Oh my goodness mom, thank you so much you are the coolest mother in all the world, I think I will kiss you for it!"

I got a couple of sweet kisses like this as I was painting her toenails, she would just crane her neck around and kiss me and then go back to watching me.  Other things you should note about the above picture: those lovely flowers are from sweet Terry on our 4 year anniversary last week - thanks T!  He and Emerson planted them in a pot for me and we'll look forward to planting them in the yard once I'm finished enjoying them on the porch.  And another not so sentimental thing to notice - see that gargoyle in the top left background?  That thing sits on our neighbor's porch railing, ew, first of all.  And second of all, when Emerson was maybe 9 or 10 months old, she saw it when we were outside and she made a growling sound, like it was a lion or bear or something.  Hysterical. 

We really had such a fun weekend in the gorgeous weather - including the rain which we as a family enjoyed watching roll in while we ate a picnic dinner on the porch with Emerson [the crazy hail and tornadoes were south of us].  I enjoyed a productive weekend of getting lots of spring cleaning done while also getting to go for a family walk to a great spot for lunch on Saturday and tucking into bed early to watch a movie during the rain storm.  Sunday was another beautiful day and we made it to church, Terry napped, and Aunt Becca stopped by on her way back from DC just long enough to play with Em for a little bit and stick around for Emerson's bath and bedtime.  Who wouldn't love a few good stories, snuggles and kisses from this girl in her pj's? 

So here is the finished product of Belize it or Not, along with one of the cutest pictures of Em with Becca.  Emerson is so proud of her toes, and grins with delight every time she takes her shoes off and sees them, or lays down to have her diaper changed.  She is spending the week with her cousins (5 of the 6 of which are boys) - yes, 6 cousins all under one roof - while Beth is travelling to see her oldest daughter who is travelling abroad!  So she probably knew that she needed to bring some extra girliness into her life this week, thus the proudly painted toenails!

Belize it or Not!

Love you Aunt Becca! 

(I may or may not return to look at this picture 500 times today.  I could look at that cheesy grin and kiss those big, sweet cheeks ALL. DAY. LONG. - Emerson's big sweet cheeks that is, not Becca's) :)