Why the tears, Tatem?

"Santa smells like beef and cheese"

Buddy: Who the heck are you?
Gimbel's Santa: What are you talkin' about? I'm Santa Claus.
Buddy: No, you're not.
Gimbel's Santa: Uh, why of course I am! Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.
Buddy: Well, if you're Santa, what song did I sing for you on your birthday this year?
Gimbel's Santa: Um, Happy Birthday of course. Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho. How old are you son?
Kid with Santa: Four.
Gimbel's Santa: You're a big boy. What's your name?
Kid with Santa: Paul.
Gimbel's Santa: Now what can I get you for Christmas?
Buddy: Don't tell him what you want, he's a liar.
Gimbel's Santa: Let the kid talk.
Buddy: You disgust me! How can you live with yourself?
Gimbel's Santa: Just cool it, Zippy.
Buddy: You sit on a throne of lies.
Gimbel's Santa: Look, I'm not kiddin'.
Buddy: You're a fake.
Gimbel's Santa: I'm a fake?
Buddy: Yes!
Gimbel's Santa: How'd you like to be dead, huh? Ho, ho, just kidding.
Buddy: You stink.
Gimbel's Santa: I think you're gonna have a good Christmas, all right.
Buddy: You smell like beef and cheese, you don't smell like Santa.

I don't care how dirty the face is, I still just wanna kiss it!

The "little" cousins

Hannah, Stella, Brynlee, Tatem

My daughter is not the kind who likes to follow the rules...

..so when we went to the COSI Science Center

in Columbus Ohio with her cousins...

Hannah

...she decided she didn't need to wear a rain slicker

like all the other obedient kids.

As you can see below,

she isn't pleased

that I don't let her get away with much!

Still a little ticked.

Aunt Whit, Uncle Tom, Aunt Lindsay, Uncle Miles

Stella, Hannah and Keith

Brynlee

Trying to get a picture of all our little yellow ducks.

Yes, "trying". Obviously not succeeding.

Lindsay is attempting to turn Hannah around and Whitney is hopelessly chasing Tatem.

Stella was left wondering why the crap no one else could stand still for 2 seconds for a simple picture!

"PLEASE REMOVE THE YELLOW RAIN SLICKER

BEFORE PROCEEDING INTO THE PLAY AREA"

I'm telling you. She's a big time rule-breaker!

Motor Boat. Motor Boat. Go so slow.

Motor Boat. Motor Boat. Go so fast!

Motor Boat. Motor Boat. Step on the gas!

Motor Boat. Motor Boat. C R A S H !!

Do Not Distrub. Elmo is on!

Well...that's a load of crap!

I let Tatem play outside right before dinner. Yes, she wasn't wearing pants. Don't judge me. She made her way over to the kids pool, jumped right in, then commenced playing all around the yard. Up and down the slide. On and off the swing. Riding the trike, pushing the trike.

She finally came to the door when she had had enough of that heavy, wet, gross, soggy diaper. And to my surprise, there was also a wet, gross, soggy load of crap in it. I was tempted to turn the hose on and just hose her off out there. But then I realized I'd have to actually blog that as part of the real story and not just the made-up part and then for sure you all would be judging me. So instead, I locked her out.

THE GIRLS

Brynnie Boo Boo Boo

Hannie Banannie

Tater Tot

We are having another "Midwest Summer".

I guess it's becoming tradition!

Tatem and I went to visit Uncle Miles and Uncle Tom in Columbus Ohio, then Keith and Lindsay, and Hannah and Brynlee joined us for some weekend fun in Ohio. Then, as surprise to Lindsay, Tatem and I loaded up in Lindsays...MINIVAN...oops, sorry Lindsay, the secret is out...and drove with them back to Indiana where we are staying for two weeks.

We are loving our summer travels!

I love Tatems cute little voice, although she has currently learned how to scream, but that's for another entry.

Her little jibber jabber sounds are so sweet. She comes up with some funny sounds and combinations. She loves to find my cell phone, (or take it away from me) tuck it in her neck, and then walk around talking in the loudest voice possible. She's one of "those" people, ya know, the kind of people that can't talk quietly even in the grocery store, or in the public restroom stall. Those people drive me crazy. Please, I don't want to hear your one sided conversation! When Ian first witnessed her out loud, very loud, babbeling into the phone, he looked straight at me and said, "She learned it somewhere! I told you you're a loud-cell-phone-talker!" Ya, I guess I'm one of those people. But I swear I never answer the phone while using the bathroom...in public.

So, yesterday at church Tatem was feasting on a bag of gold fish crackers. She was eating so many I thought for sure she'd poop an orange whale by the end of the 3 hour block. So I hid the bag from her when I thought she was distracted. Well, she was onto me, and she saw a glimpse of the bag as I was trying to shove it behind my back. In her "loud-cell-phone-talker" voice she started repeating over and over, "Uh-oh! Uh-oh!" as she climbed over her dad, and over to me, and started digging behind my back. But for all those who know my sweet little Tatem, her little "uh-oh's" are not gentle and dainty like. They are filled with gusto and begin with a huge "Wh"!! They go something like this: WHAAAH-Oh! WHaaah-Oh! WHaAah-OH!! And she kept saying it over and over until I finally gave her the bag of helpless gold fish.

But my favorite was when she put together this new combination for all of the congregation to hear, "ahs-ol! ahs-ol! ahs-ol! Now where on earth could she have learned that one?!?! I was waiting for Ian to look over and me and tell me I mumble under my breath louder that I think I do!

Best seat in the house

Just watchin' her favorite show,
PETE'S DRAGON
in her favorite new spot...holding her favorite toy.
She sings along with Nora - she's always singing.
Laughs at Elliot - he's always making funny noises.
And yells with Lampy - he's always in a drunken stoupper yelling at something!
SHE CRACKS ME UP!

I lied.

I took Tatem to get her chicken pox shot.
I asked them to weigh her to verify she weighs 20 pounds.
Well, come to find out...she's not quite there yet.
That was even after a hearty lunch and a sippy cup of milk!
(CUP, not bottle! We're doing good today!)
So, I guess I have to retract that previous post and say
at 15 months she weighs 19 pounds.

two cute little piggy tails
the end result of two cute little piggy tails

It's what a good daddy does

15 month update

Tatem is 15 months old and hit a big milestone.
She finally weighs 20 pounds!
She finally advanced from a rear facing infant seat to a forward facing booster seat and I think she couldn't be more happy about it. We installed it last night and took her for a drive...and I swear the little lady could not stop talking. She turned into a jabber-jaw with all she could see. She was in car seat heaven!

So, now that she's a big girl we decided to try other new things...

It's time to learn how to use utensils. This was her attempt at eating yogurt with a spoon this morning. She ended up a disast but it sure was cute. I'm loving those little (HUGE) teeth! She has three on the top and two on the bottom.
Another milestone: She finally grew out of her 6 month footy pajamas! It seemed like overnight her toes were being forced to grow upward and her shoulders were being pulled down in those footy jammas. So she got new summertime jammies. New pajamas are always fun!

Another milestone attempt: No more bottle.
Result: FAILED!

Monday morning - no bottles! By 3:00 Monday afternoon, I broke down and gave her one. The thing is, she knows how to ask for it so she knows exactly what she wants. And let's just say, SHE RUNS MY LIFE! There's this little thing called a tantrum she's perfected. It's not pretty!

Tuesday morning - no bottles! I put her morning milk in her favorite camelback water bottle. She yelled at me. So I put her milk in a regular sippy cup. More yelling, with tears this time. So I poured her milk into a...a...a...BOTTLE!!!! Yes, I did. I did it. I gave in, and she smiled through her tears and grabbed that bottle right out of my hands like a spoiled brat.

Maybe tomorrow?

Last Year. This Year.

It's all about IAN - Go Team Ian!

First and foremost: Ian passed the Idaho State Bar!See. There he is accepting his certificate after the mass group swearing in chant. Oh, you can't see him?? ME EITHER! Down in front!!!
"Give me that...I wanna see if it's real"
The ceremony was in Boise in early May which was also our 9th wedding anniversary so we went a day early to celebrate.
Then in June, Ian and my brother Adam, ran the Teton Dam half marathon in Rexburg Idaho. They both beat their last years time by at least 13 minutes or more. I always tell people something like, "you don't actually run these races to win them!" Well, Ian also ran with Adams Father-in-law and Sister-in-law - both of which took FIRST PLACE in their age divisions! Look at that. The first time I've ever been wrong!
Fathers Day 2009
At church on Fathers Day Sunday, they handed out these cute gifts to all the Fathers! Ian got his little gift bag, took one look at it, and asked if he could exchange out his Dads Root Beer for a Diet Coke. And then on Monday, it was Ian's birthday.
I hope Ian got enough attention over the last 2 months because I'm all tapped out.

TATEM loves her AUNT MARCI