SANTA BABY….

 

 

This year’s Santa pictures… Thinking of using one or two for our Christmas card.

HALLOWEEN PAST AND PRESENT

First Halloween 2009

 

Halloween 2010

 

Halloween 2011

 

This year was by far the best HALLOWEEN ever!  The weather was a perfect autumn night just enough crisp in the air but not too cold.  We trick or treated in a friend’s neighborhood with tons of costumed kids running from house to house.  Tate was all about this action… she LOVED running to the porch saying treat or treat.  It was all about the fun at the door she has not once ask for her candy.

THROUGH THE EYES OF INNOCENCE

At the Target’s service desk there is a gal with tats, pierces and stretched ear lobes.  A real curious gal to view if you are a three year old unaccustomed to such an unusual look.  A look that warranted a comment from Tate.  “Mommy, what happened to her?”  To which the Target gal said “it is just my jewelry”.  Tate’s response, “Huh???? No what happened to your finger?”  where there was a bandage covered a paper cut. I guess through the eyes of a three year old, a Band-Aid on a finger warrants notice more than tats, piercings and stretched earlobes.

SUPER TODDLER SAVE THE DAY!!!

The other night Tate locked us BOTH in the bathroom.  She pulled off the door knob leaving us stranded.  After trying everything possible to open the door, I resorted to Plan B, dropping my little super hero out the window instructing her to go to a neighbor’s house.  Off she ran, pony tail swinging, wearing a t shirt and a pair of BRIGHT YELLOW Crocs.  Missing was her shorts and panties which were left behind in the living room as she ran to do “her business”.  I watched as my just turned three year old carefully checked both ways for cars and ran across the street on her quest to save the day.  My poor neighbor was greeted at her door with an earnest face announcing that “thewe’s a BIG PWOBLEM”.  Poor Lindsay did not know what to think but fast as lightening, she had that door open.  Saved by my toddler super hero.

SQUEAL!!! Dance Class!

Possibly the cutest back picture EVER!!!!

Being asked to point her toes… she hears POINT TO YOUR TOES.

Busting out her dance moves….

Should be a fun summer of dance!!!

BIG Mac ….

It has been a long and scary journey for our little man, McCain.  We have been missing a puppy around here.  So very much.  I still tear up with the thought that is no longer with us and could not imagine another dog in our lives.

Often Tate would demand she wanted her Mesa back.  She was done sharing her pup in heaven with Jesus and our Heavenly Father.  DONE.  If she saw a dog on the street she wanted me to pull over so she could pet the dog.  I knew that I had to get a dog for my girl and decided it had to be the opposite of my Mesa.  SMALL, hair not fur and an adult dog.

One day on the way home from work I passed an animal shelter and felt I should turn the car around and check out the shelter.  I knew I wanted an adult, Poodle or Shih Tzu mix for the hair factor.  In one of the cages there was an adorable grey poodle-ish pup full of personality.  In the same cage was quivering in the corner, a dirty dog.  I quickly passed by all the cages and left the shelter.  For days I could not get that quivering pup out of my mind.  Something about him pulled at my heart and a week later I went back to hold him. This shaky stinky dog peed on me, would not make contact and ran to the nearest corner to hide.  My heart was mush and he had to be mine.  Poor little man had to endure a quick bath, a clip job and an umbilical hernia repair before this little traumatized dog could come home to live in this land of pamper and love.

This has been a HUGE adjustment for him.  He was found in a field and brought into the shelter.  I suspect he was hit or kicked because he is so skid-ish to an outstretched hand or moving Tate feet.  It has been three weeks that Big Mac has been with us… he has come a long way with his fright but still has a ways to go until he  totally trusts us. 

 

Emerging is a cute spunky dog full of personality.  Tate adores him.

Family Day TWO!!!

Two years TODAY this amazing little girl was placed in my arms changing my life forever.  There has been many tears shed by me since that day… some in frustration but mostly out of the sheer joy she brings to me EVERY.SECOND.OF.THE.DAY.

Happy Family Day Tate Solfrid YuZhu…. Thank you for being my gift from God and fulfilling all my wishes here on earth.

Official First Snuggle

I have mentioned before that this little man is so timid.  I am not sure what his history is because he was found in the middle of a field by an officer.  My guess is he was abandoned in this field.  He is barely a one year and was so nervous he would pee on me if I held him and smelled indescribable.  Timid man had to have his snip job as well as a hernia repair before he was released late on Monday to my arms.  We have been taking it real slow around here by letting Mackie feel comfortable with us and explore his new digs.  The past two nights Mac has given a little bark in the wee hours of the night. I have taken this opportunity to get up and snuggle with him.  Finally after nap time today it was Tate’s turn to hold and snuggle with Mac.  Anytime there is ANYTHING soft around Tate plops her thumb into her mouth.  Even the suggestions that Santa wanted a good picture of Tate and her new puppy without her thumb did not dislodge her thumb.

I am so relieved that our dog is not named Caillou or Elmo.  Not even suggested by our little Princess Tate…. a huge sigh of relieve escaped my lips.

Introducing Tate’s new brother….

McCain!!!  We call him Mac or Macee.

He is a rescue pup from a local animal shelter.  Poor little timid man quakes in fear over everything so we are taking it slow in introducing him to his new family.  Tate loves him but does not understand why she cannot lay on top him like she did with Mesa.  Sweet man has had his clip job and an umbilical hernia repair and is not feeling up to some Tate snuggling.  He looks a little rough but will have to wait 10-14 days before a good grooming can be done.  I am looking forward to getting to know Mac’s personality as it unfolds in the near future.  

HOPPY EASTER….

Last year Tate and I spent our first Easter together in Florida with our Aunt Kelly and family.  This year we stayed home and enjoyed the traditional Easter activities of the bunny, basket and delish Easter dinner with family.

This Tate grin is thanks to a mouthful of jelly beans.  I have found it is hard to get a decent picture out Tate lately due to an amateur photographer (me) and a moving toddler (her). I should say DITTO to doing her hair also.

Love Love LOVE seeing this back shot of little Miss in her Easter dress.

EGG HUNT

Fun at our FIRST ever Easter egg hunt… Both Tate and my first.  We are with some of our China sisters Eliza, Tate and Xanthe. 

Smile or lack of is due to the jelly beans that have invaded Tate’s mouth…  Amazing how long one jelly bean can stay in her mouth!

Tate and I were late for the hunt due to the fact that it is hard to get a sleepy snuggly toddler out of a warm soft bed on a cold and wet Saturday morning.  That and trying to explain all the fun that the egg hunt would be to a child who has no concept of what all this Easter celebration is about.  Next year all that needs to be said to Tate is Easter Egg hunt and she will out the door in a flash.

RED RED ROCKS OF FUN!!!

 

St George UTAH… perfect weather, fun company and way tooooooo  short of a trip. Oh how I wish we had a few more days hanging with our friends Tippy-t, Liza and Sollie man, swimming and discovering new places and creating adventures.  Tate was GEM while traveling the 4 hrs drive in the car… She kicked back and watch her fill of Caillou, Elmo and “Buddy” the Elf. 

Day two of spring break madness

with one non-compliant two and a half year old and a cranky sinus and eye infected mommy.  After much struggle, the infected mommy was able to get the little miss partially dressed and out the door to the sitters and herself to the Instacare.  A few hours later equipped with medications in hand, the cranky mommy is smiling ear to ear as she talks to her friend about the fun times to come in the next few days!  Oh yeah!

These pics are too cute not to share…. this just might give you an idea with what I am dealing with DAILY as I try to get Tate out the door.  This non-compliant two and half year old has told me she does not like me “Evevah, evevah” and wants Tippy-t to be her mommy.   Since we will be spending a few days with Tiffany, she just might get her wish!  Ha!

It is that glorious time of year that all teacher live for….

Spring break!!! 

Today is my OFFICAL first day of my spring break!  Yippee…  Besides having this week away from teaching, I have one week of vacation from my airline job as well!

Day ONE!!!!

Lounging and HOME!!!

 

Lounging all day long eating apricot dream bar cookies, strawberries and watching DORA on mom’s computer while doing it all in her Princess jammies…. Tate is one happy girl when she can hang out in her own house.

Lounging all day around in my jammies is kind of hard for a single working mommy so my first day involved cooking the apricot dream bars and delivering to neighbors… one neighbor who has been soooo helpful and another neighbor who is sick. I am seeing the bottom of the normally bottomless laundry basket and sorting through Tate’s clothes switching for larger sizes and summer clothes.

 

We have some FUN plans during our week off… I am hoping to chronicle each day as the week unfolds.

REFERRAL DAY TWO YEARS

Tate at 2 1/2 with referral picture….  Decided it is STILL hard for her to hold this picture and smile for the camera. 

CAILLOU and TATE

 

Caillou is paralleling our lives. The two could be a sitcom.

• last night Tate yells out “GILBERT where are you?”  For those not knowing who Gilbert is…. he is Caillou’s sometimes naughty cat.
• lucky me, now whenever we get in the car, Tate will continuously ask “are we there yet” and will remind me that “this is what Caillou said to his mommy.”
• Caillou’s theme sing haunts me… Tate will belt it out at random times.
• Caillou is four years old… the just barely two and a half year old Tate thinks she is four too. 
• a fire engine raced past us in the car the other day.  Sirens and lights.  This brought on a ten minutes conversation of remembering Caillou had am encounter with a fire engine AND a fireman at play school.
• She is planning on marrying Caillou!!!!  I am hoping their kids look like her.

Today Our Snuggle Puppy Mesa went to HEAVEN.

February 21 2005- January 10 2011

And a piece of my heart went with her.