My morning with Emma

It's awfully early in the day to be posting about our morning, but I had to share this story about my morning with Emma. I got up at 2:30 a.m. this morning to get a jump start on some business items that need my attention before the holidays. (Really Emma woke me up at 2:30 coughing and I couldn't go back to sleep so I got up because she woke me up. I didn't intentionally set an alarm for 2:30. Who would do that? Not me!) So, I've been up for quite some time working on the computer. Emma got up at 6:00 (30-45 minutes early) coughing up a storm again. She developed a cough after the parade (nearly two weeks ago). It is only at night when she is laying down and she gets congested. Anyway, she woke up not feeling good and apparently very much in need of conversation and attention! She has been talking to me non-stop since 6:00. Before taking Hannah to school at 7:30 she begged me to play her new "Don't Break the Ice Game." I told her we didn't have time, maybe later in the day. She also asked me to do art with her, to feed her three different times within an hour and a half (which I have done), and to read a Christmas book to her. So, her need for attention has been escalating with each hour she has been awake!

As we pulled out of Hannah's school, this is the conversation that ensued.

"Mommy, are there any circle shaped school buses?"
"No, I don't think so."
"Well, are there any square shaped school buses?"
"No, I think most buses long and short ones are usually in the shape of a rectangle, Emma."
"Mommy, is it raining?"
"Yes, it is very foggy and rainy."
"Do you think I can go outside today?"
"No, don't you see the rain falling and all the rain on the road that has been falling?"
"Yes, but I didn't know if I could go outside or not." "
Mommy, can you put a cd in?"
"No Emma, Mommy left all the Christmas cds at home and I'm tired of listening to the ones we have in the car."
"We need to get those Christmas cds out of the living room and put them in the car. We also need to get my Christmas cd out of my room and make a copy of it for the car, so we can listen to it too. I love Christmas music Mommy. Do you want to hear me sing the newborn king song?" (Hark the Herald Angels Sing)
"Yes, Emma, please sing me your song."
(She sings merrily for 1 minute.)

As we pull onto our road.
"Mommy, I don't care if it is raining. Let me out of the car and let me walk the rest of the way home."
"Emma, even when it is not raining and you are not sick, has Mommy ever dropped you off at the top of our street and let you walk home alone?"
"No, but I thought maybe I could today."
"No, Emma that is not safe. It is cold, rainy and very foggy."

Pulling into our driveway.
"Mommy, can you let me out here and I'll walk up the driveway to the porch and go in the front door."
"No Emma, it is raining and it is better for you to get out of the car in the garage so you stay dry."
"Why?"
"Because rain is not good for sick people."
"Why?"
"Because you would get wet and cold and it might make you sicker?"
"How?"
"Emma, Mommy doesn't know all the answers in the world, but trust me, I am older and I've learned over the years that sometimes you just have to believe what your mother tells you whether you understand it or not."

Sometimes waking up at 2:30 and being Emma's mom makes for a long morning by 8:00 a.m. but I sure love her enough to battle through it! Even though 5 seconds ago as I typed this, she just asked me to come play Bingo. Does anyone want a very inquisitive four year old for the weekend? :)