For the 4th of July, we spent the afternoon at Smithfield Plantation on the VT campus, they had lots of activities going on, and it was a gorgeous day!

Of course Emma has no concept of looking at the camera when we're using the timer...

Listening to two violinists on the back porch of the plantation house, very nice music
Emma was thrilled to find a little dandelion flower in the grass...
And just had to smell it up close!
Playing with childrens' toys from the era, Emma especially like the "Jacob's ladder" toy and the Pick-up-sticks
Trying out the little propeller spinner
Spinning on the dance floor
After Smithfield, we went down the road to the duck pond and set up for a nice picnic lunch. Here's Emma on the way in, in her chariot
Enjoying lunch
Coming back from exploring the woods with Daddy
Checking out all the ducks!
Feeding the ducks a few leftover scraps from lunch
On the way back... very contemplative... that ball was literally holding her head up!
We decided it was time to go ahead and get some training potties so we'll be ready when we want to start... Emma thought they were great toys, she quickly figured out how to make them play the reward music! For a while there she was climbing in to turn around and sit down, like she does her high chair... either that or she's seen Daddy do this move....


Emma has been extremely helpful around the house lately, she was a big help in the kitchen getting the pizza dough worked out, and helped Daddy to make some garlic cheese breadsticks for her to dip in the sauce...
Let's just say it was a little bit messy!
But boy did she love those garlic sticks!!!
And here's one of the main benefits of being on the tiny side... you get to use your toys longer!!! A friend stopped by this morning with his 6mo old boy, and we were talking about the doorway bouncers. We pulled ours out from the closet to let him try them out, and Emma was thrilled to be bouncing again!!

Here are the "action shots" :)

She's also recently discovered how to bounce on her hopity-horse, after struggling to sit and bounce on it, she figured out that she could sit by the window, holding the edge of the window with one hand, and steady herself to bounce several times each time she tried!