Month: February 2016

And so…since the last drawing I did for Tatum was a giraffe, I asked her what she would want next. I’ve done words of wisdom , Tatum flowers, and  She picked the babies and Coti (fail!), and so now she wanted Minnie and the gang. I found a cute picture of them in a baseball book with all the characters. However, it was really small, and they were wearing baseball gear. The colors were all off, and I did not want it that tiny. So I proportioned it up, changed their outfits and VOILA! (Well, not really voila..more like “voi”laaaaaaaaaaaa (days later)) Getting the lines just right and the expressions perfect was the trick. I found it was all in their eyes!

I enlarged it at the copier and framed it today! Here you go my darling! (I am using the same frame and matte from IKEA. Makes it easier and they all match!)

No, this is not an official holiday, but since it was Sunday, and the Dr. Seuss show was cancelled, I wanted to make it special.

They put a bouncy house right outside of church to make sure we don’t get into church on time.  Seriously, what is that about!? You’re running to get to church on time and your kid sees the holy grail of bouncing. You say, sure, two minutes, but we are not doing it after. Ha. Two minutes in, I’m thinking, what have I done? I’ll never get her out of there. So, I finally use the “Tatum, be quick to listen if you want to go to the train park later” strategy. She stopped.

Looked at me.

Looked around, and then….

BINGO. Out!

And so we do end up going to the train park after and met our dear friends Amy and Mark and little Jack.

Tatum wanted to show off her Artie shirt and also give Jack a Daniel Tiger book. That train park never gets old and friendships never grow weary. We adore them.

Our LDE (Leap Day Eve) ended with a bunch of splashing and hosing things…especially mommy.

Tatum has been begging for a Star Wars shirt. How she knew about Star Wars at all is amazing to me, but I agreed if she earned the stars on her chart. The day came, and the shirt arrived. R2 D2, the little droid, reminds me of my little gal, so I opted for this one. She calls him “Artie Dootie.”

Of course, she had to wear it to bed and then to school the next day. She couldn’t wait to show her friends and Miss Kristin. 

Tatum loves to perform. Her ability to belt out a tune with expression is so evident in all she does…let alone making sure that she looks at everyone in the audience, even if it is just me (and her furry friend).  Today, it was “Hallelulah.”

Evelyn and Bob were fixtures in my life about 10 years ago. In fact, their walk with God was such an attractive quality. Evelyn was working at Scottsdale Bible, and we became friends through the church. Bob…oh, dear Bob. We have been friends for a long time, and our friendship will always be there. He is now a missionary in Costa Rica and is back in town for a bit to get re-situated. Now, 10 years later, we are all a bit wiser and some of us have additions (like kiddos and spouses)

Evelyn decided to have a pizza party at her house so we could meet her “additions” and also celebrate friendship. Bob came and made it even better.

Homemade pizza filled the air and Ev’s husband was busy working in the kitchen. He’s 100% greek and believe me, his cooking is incredibly authentic. Tot helped roll the dough with Alexander.

 

 

 

Eventually she got more help from the master chef.  Soon she was on her way to add the toppings and then some!Food Network is going to have to watch out with this Tot’s cooking! More importantly, we had a great time with our friends. I’m so grateful for them. (and so is Tot). All of our “additions” just make our friendships that much stronger. XO

It was last June when she first met the outer space dentistry group. Time for a tune up on her little 20-toothed mouth.

I picked her up from school at noon, and since we had a 1:00 appointment, it was the perfect opportunity to have a picnic by the fountains. Hey, when it’s 80 degrees and beautiful outside in February, you have to take full advantage.

We ate, we chatted, we people watched, and we spotted doggies. After soaking it all in, we greeted the alien at the front of the dentist’s office. She remembered him/her? from before, so the novelty was short-lasting. 

After playing on the spaceship and exploring….

….she went up to an older boy of about 6, and asked him to play. She directed him to slide and run back up the stairs. She charmed the socks of this little guy, and he had a hard time saying goodbye when her name was called.

Immediately, she got into the chair and was all ready for her examination. The dental assistants commented that she was seriously the most perfect patient and easier than most adults. In fact, they said that she would be THE GIRL in their next commercial. OK, so I am a bit proud of her.

Dr. Libby was so kind and gave us lots of good advice. Her teeth are quite close together and so flossing is a M.U.S.T! So much for rushing through our dental routine!

Also, she asked me if Tatum sucked anything. Uhhhhh, well, nope! Not a pacifier but um…well, does she suck anything? Oh, yes, those fingers. Well, we must start weening because her bite is a bit off.

So, after a successful appointment with berry toothpaste, flossing lessons, oohing and ahhing over Tatum’s behavior, she got to put a surprise coin in the special coin master which dispenses thrilling toys.

Ahh….a little Barney Rubble face thingy with feet! Good for a couple minutes of fun.
Well, we made it through another dental delight. We left the space exploration with a nap in mind when we returned to our earthly dwelling.