"Hot Date" with the Marvelous Miss Em

The Marvelous Miss Em at Barnes & Noble playing with Thomas the Train Set

Getting her very first manicure

Her very first pedicure

Feeding the ducks and geese at the Greenbelt

She's got quite the arm!

Afterwards, she was exhausted!!

April's new and different was a little off the beaten path from what I've normally been inspired to do. This month, I decided that it was high time I took my sweet niece Emmie out on her very first Aunt Heather Date. Her older brother is very well versed in the famous Aunt Heather Date, but Em's only just over 2, so we had to make sure she could really appreciate it.

I picked her up at about 10 and we immediately went over to Barnes & Noble to play with the Thomas the Train playset they have set up. There, Em learned how fun, though a tad challenging, it is to play with other children while trying to carve out her own space on the train table. She actually didn't want to leave! She did so great playing with the other little kids and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Next, we went down to my favorite salon in the mall and Em got her very first mani/pedi. The lady who helped us was really nervous when we first walked in because she knew how much little kids squirm. Boy did Em prove her wrong! She sat completely still the entire time, entranced by the hot pink and turquoise nail polish being applied to her fingers and toes. Then, just for added measure, the sweet Korean lady painted a white flower on each of Em's thumbs and big toes.

Then, when her fingers and toes were dry, we headed over to McDonald's where she was able to eat quickly and play on the enormous playplace. She kept running through the maze, sliding down the slide and screaming, "Do it again!" as she raced around to go for another. She loves McDonalds! :)

After lunch, we headed over to the Greenbelt to feed the ducks and geese. And I have to say, my little sweetie pea has an amazing arm. She threw the bread so hard, she actually pelted so many of those geese before they could turn around and scramble for the bits of bread. I'm going to have to convince her mom she needs to put Em into softball when she's older. But, Em's favorite part was when she would hold out a long piece of crust and the goose would come right up to her and take the bread directly out of her hands. She would giggle and jump up and down.

Once the bread was gone, we went back across town and went shopping. Em was finally ready for her very first purse... And in the purse, we loaded her up with makeup, a mirror, a comb, new sunglasses (with Tinkerbell on them, of course!), a cell phone, bracelets, rings and two different kinds of chapstick. She was stylin'!

Of course, at this point, we were into our 5th hour of our Hot Date, so we decided to head home. It had been a long day. On the way out of town, Em sang songs to me (most of which had words I don't think the English language has ever officially recognized) and promptly fell asleep. :) She truly is the Marvelous Miss Em.

All in all, it was the best new and different so far. I love my little sweetie pea so much. When she was born, I didn't think there would ever be a way I could love her as much as I love her older brother. But, I honestly think that your heart grows. It's not like she shares my heart with him, it's like I've grown a whole other one, just for her. I'm grateful each and every day that I get to watch her grow up and love her this much. I'm the luckiest Auntie in the world.