Emma Joan

Today Emma and I had a discussion about fire. She was confused about the concept that air makes fires get bigger, and yet, when we blow on our birthday candles they just go out. I told her that if the fire's big enough, air will make the fire grow.

"So it's like water," she said. She did not elaborate.

After a moment, my thought process caught up to hers. "You mean air makes fires grow like water makes plants grow?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said. That was it.

So typical. I've been Emma's mom for over 5 years and I still haven't figured her out. She is a surprise every day.

Emma recently got orthotics for her legs. She's a toe-walker and we're trying to fix that by re-training her brain and her muscles to walk heel-toe-heel-toe. Again, she completely surprised me. Although I'm sure it's tiring and painful to have your muscles stretched all day long, she rarely complains. She is just an upbeat girl and her whimsical nature brings such joy to my life.