Category: SAHM I am

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.

I’m very picky about who gets to watch Tatum. Actually, I’m pretty picky about any association Tatum has. Why? Because this Tot’s brain is in development mode, and every input her little neurons receive means more positive neuron growth. Am I over-analyzing it? Probably. But we found Gabby, and for that, I’m incredibly thankful. This means whenever I have to go for a couple hours here or there, I am confident she is in superb hands.

Gabby is headed to college next year, and selfishly, I’m praying she chooses ASU! She probably could go anywhere, but ASU would be so blessed to have her. She is such a mature, well-balanced girl with an old-souled head on her shoulders. When I talk to her, I feel like I’m talking to a seasoned adult.
Tatum continues to love her even more every time we see her. Thank goodness it’s mutual.

It was not just a day off school and a day to spend with Doug; it was so much more!

After starting off with a quick workout, we headed off to the park. It was that or the zoo for our Monday plan. The city of Scottsdale had the same idea, because the park was packed. According to sources, the zoo was worse, so I’m glad we chose the park, but we went home and walked (blessing to live so close) since the parking was impossible.

I had promised her a ride on the carousel AND the train. What was I thinking? The line was longer than even the weekends.

Then it happened. Who did we see giving a State of the Union speech but President Lincoln! Resurrected. I thanked him for freeing slaves, and we shook hands.

We headed to the museum since it was indoors and full of trains! Doug saved me with the “I can’t see!” issue. After many rounds of making the Thomas, Mickey, and Nemo trains go, we were headed home for lunch and playing with Coti. He showed off as Tatum threw him the monkey. My two kiddos are sure amazing.  Doug took care of Tot while I headed to an appointment; I promised a surprise for Tot after I returned. OK, so it was really because I wanted it, but I took Tot to get fro yo. Chocolate, vanilla, and “I want more, mommy!” She kept saying, “When I get bigger can I have a bigger size?” She saw my massive one and got a bit jealous. 
She scooped every teeny tiny bit out, and

Hooray!! Now we are ready for Kiddy Keys class!

What a fun-filled day with our hero, Doug and my Tot! 🙂