Years of teaching and reading many sagacious articles, I’m seeing the power of her copying what I do. This is a HUGE plus IF I’m engaging in positive behavior, so this keeps me constantly aware of what I’m doing and what I’m saying (plus, how I’m saying it.)
When one walks in the room, she says, “Hi!” with a big smile.
When one gives her something, no matter what it is, she gladly says, “Tank ewe!”
When she wants something from the refrigerator, she looks and sees, “Pees!?”
When she accidentally spills her water, she blurts, “Uh oh”, grabs a towel and starts wiping!
(She wanted to drink out of the cup and not spill, so she tried very hard, then laughed when she spilled a bit. My water bottle is the size of her body, so I gave her the lid to practice)
When I say, please don’t touch that (like my computer), I distract her and celebrate what she is doing instead. (it’s slowly taking effect)
When I want her to put her shoes away, she gladly walks over and puts BOTH away, and the same goes for when I want her to bring me her shoes, book, water…etc. She does it and I greatly rejoice.
Smart girl, this Tatum, and I have to keep up with her. I do put way too much pressure on myself to be perfect, and not make one error in raising her. The beauty about Tatum is she keeps me laughing; her sense of humor and smile melt my heart and keep me in the moment vs. analyzing every little thing. 
Carpe Diem
