Emma on a Friday

• Asking me if she can be a Coach when she is an "add-dult," I tell Emma she can be whatever she wants to be when she grows up. Em's response to this piece of news: "Then I'm gonna be a tractor, and I'm gonna practice and practice and be the best tractor EVER!"
• Midway through my absolutely glowing report of Emma's big sister skills to a group of fellow mothers, Em plops down beside me with a plate of food, snatches a piece of cheese out of Sophie's reaching grasp, and growls "MINE" at the top of her lungs right in Sophie's face.
• Leaving camp today, a new friend calls out, "Goodbye Emma, I'll miss you!" To which Em replies over her shoulder, "I know."
• Catching a snippet of me swearing under my breath while trying to open a stubborn bottle, Em screams from the bathroom, "What's wrong, Mommy? I hear madness!"
• In the car, Em repeatedly sings silly songs in an effort to soothe a crying Sophie. I turn to thank Emma for being such a great sister and catch sight of the reason Sophie is crying...Emma is smooshing a rose into Soph's face and demanding she smell the flower.
• During Em's school "gradulation," various parents describe Emma to me as a superstar, a fantastic diva, a beautiful force, pure joy, and a blast of light. I'll take it.