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.

29 months… ALMOST!!!

(eating noodles with chopsticks on New Years Eve)

It was the best of times… and the worst of times.  Tate can be so adorable, yet can make a grown mommy cry.  Her language is exploding, so is her stubborn behavior. 

Today Tate traded roles with me… her idea… she was Mommy and I was Tatey.   She handed me her little pink play cell phone instruction me to talked to Nana.  While on the pretend conversation she prompted me to ask what Nana is doing and how Nana is feeling.  Then she says to me… “ okay sweetheart, it’s mommy’s turn” while holding out her waiting open hand, to which I obediently handed over the pink fake phone.

The role playing went on with her telling me the plan for the day.  “Mommy has to work and Tate will play at Lindsay’s (sitter) house.”  I acted excited with the prospect of playing with some of her friends who will be there.  Hey, I am trying to spin this into a positive thing, hoping to avoid the whiney Tate who would rather stay home with me.  I hear my words exiting the mouth of my 2 year old.  “ Okay,  Tate, look at your feet.  What do we need to get on?” To which I say shoes and quickly put them on.  “Good girl!  Now what do we need to put on?” to which I act like I do not know…. she says “your coat!”  So quickly Mommy and Tate were able to leave the house and walk across the street to Lindsay with Tate (me) carrying Mommy (Tate).  Tate remained in her mommy role until I left Lindsay’s stating the Mommy always comes back and for me to be a good girl for Lindsay.  I guess this is the way Tate hears me.  CUTE!!!

Fun FACTS on my 29 month old girl….

• Not sure if she is left or right handed.  She switches hands with every task.
• Is obsessed with “liptick” and will smear chapstick on her lips until she is nothing but a grease fest.
• LOVES everyone and everything.  Recently she discovered two bruises on my knee.  When she was told that they were bruises, she replied “Oh I love bruises!”
• The same accident that caused the bruises (tripping over the dog in the dark) also caused a HUGE PAINFUL sore between my two breasts.  Tate has showed (or attempted to show) everyone she sees with an added “Poor mommy” as she shows and tells what happened.  If you happen to be in our home, she will take your hand and walk you to the scene of the accident.
• Cailou has replaced her love for Elmo.  Barney had a quick appearance but thankfully this was a quick love.  She stated the other day that her best friend was Cailou.  I am sick of the giggle of Cailou and hoping she changes her likes quickly.
• Her number ONE favorite book  is Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. Coming in as a close second (third, fourth) is Sandra Boynton’s books Blue Hat, Green Hat, Oh My Oh My Oh Dinosaurs! and Barnyard Dance.

I will be posting some pretty great things on me soon.  Somehow news about Tate is so much more fun to report than what I have to share.  My stuff is adult stuff with less hilarity and fun.

The snuggle puppy, Mesa, is not doing well.  She had a long outing with a friend right after Thanksgiving and what started as a tired limping dog has escalated into sedations, x-rays and a consult with an orthopedic veterinarian surgeon.  Not sure if she will need surgery but I hate seeing her so sad.  Poor girl can hardly walk and when she does she is on three legs.  Tate has been so gentle with her snuggle puppy.

2010……… A YEAR IN PICTURES…

January 17 mos..

February 18 mos..

 

March 19 mos..

April 20 mos..

Easter was spend at Tate’s Auntie Kelly in Tampa where she was spoiled and loved by her Florida family and friends.  My little fish got to experience the beach for the first time.  Sadly there was a cold snap earlier in the month causing the Gulf of Mexico to be too cold for swimming.  This was the month that Mommy decided NO MORE LAP CHILD for long flights. 

May 21 mos..

My cute American-Chinese-Norwegian girl celebrating her first official Norwegian Independence day (May 17th)… A dream coming true for me.

June 22 mos..

Adding her own style to her outfits.

July 23 mos..

Crazy FUN times with our bloggy buddies were flying into SLC from all corners of the States…. Lisa and Maisie from Atlanta, Catherine and Hannah from Canada, Mary Mia, Ro and Ree from California and Donna and Lauren from Arizona.  With local buddies Tiffany, Eliza and Sollie, we all rented a house in Park City for a few days…  Six mommies with 8 active kids under the age of 5 year old.  CRAZY FUN!!! 

August 2 yrs..

Celebrating her 2nd birthday… adding her own flare to her dress with the tutu.

September 25 mos..

A quick flight to Phoenix brought a lot of fun times with friends Donna/Lauren and Julie/Tess who were visiting family.  SO MUCH FUN!

October 26 mos..

November 27 mos..

Helping Mommy make pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving feast.

Tate was missing her traveling Nana and Gramps so she made Potato Head stand in grandparents.

December 28 mos..

Fun time playing with the Little People Nativity set… LOVES her baby Jesus.

Snuggling with Santa.

“Mewy Kismus”

Tate sings Santa Clause is Coming to Town” and “Jingle Bells”

Wishing all a MEWY Kismus from Tate….

FROM TATE’S MOUTH TO MESA’S EARS……

 

“I yuv Mesa.  Mommy yuvs Mesa.”

Then she turns to me and asks “Mommy, does Gwamps yuv Mesa?”

To which I answer “YES!”

Pleased with this answer she turns to Mesa and continues “Gwamps yuvs Mesa, Nana yuvs Mesa.”  She then throws her hands in the air with enthusiasm and says “evwebody yuvs Mesa!!!!”

My sweet yuving girl!!!

MISSING OUR NANA AND GRAMPS!

Tate’s Nana and Gramps are enjoying 10 days in sunny Florida with Auntie Kelly.  The first few days of their absence went unnoticed.  She was “too beezee” to chat with them on the phone.  As time passed she started asking about them.  Wishing to go “pway with Gwamps”.  In the spirit of this wish, she constructed Nana and Gramps to pway with them.

Both Nana and Gramps enjoyed dancing to Christmas music, little chats and stories and even a few “sawee” for dropping arms, loosing legs, or feet.

Potato head grandparents are sharing a snuggling night sleep with Tate. 

 

Only four more days until Nana and Gwamps come home….  Hurry home we miss you tons!

Today it happened…. and it broke my heart

The hurtful words “you don’t have a daddy”.

I knew this was going to happen ONE day, but not today.  Tate is a few months over two years old and the little girl who said it to her is almost four.  Way too young for one to say to an even younger girl.  Not just a girl but my baby girl.

When I started down this road as a single mommy, I knew that it would be hard.  Emotionally, physically and financially HARD.  The knowledge that someday I will have to explain her beginning circumstances of abandonment and why she does not have a daddy.  Two hard questions that I want her to understand but not have it define who Tate is.

Brilliant beautiful Tate. 

Not in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the joy she brings into my life.