Memories

My favorite pajama shirt is a large gray Biathlon shirt from my college days at BYU. Large being the most lovely part of the that t-shirt =)

It's now Tate's favorite shirt of mine, too, because there are letters and shapes on it.

The back has an advertisement for Einstein bagels. The funny thing to me, not ha-ha funny, but hmmm funny, is that I can still taste those bagels slathered with white cream cheese that I often ate for lunch on campus. I can also taste the giant rice krispie treats that would occasionally accompany my bagel on days when I felt like a splurge (both caloric and monetary =). I don't remember much about the biathlon, but that food is so vivid still! Food really sticks with a gal!

Speaking of memories, anyone know how to fix a stuck camera lens? Tate pushed it in when I was snapping a shot and it's stuck somewhere in the middle of open and shut. Here's the last picture!

Toddlerhood

I don't know when, but at some point in his short life, Tate has decided on his menu. That's it. He's done trying anything else. I may have mentioned this before, but he consents to eat fruit snacks, yogurt, cereal, applesauce, bananas, cottage cheese, bananas, chicken nuggets, juice, bananas, cookies, cheese, some crackers (if he thinks they're cookies), pb & j sandwhiches, peaches, and mac 'n' cheese. Oh, and lots and lots of pretzels. Yesterday I made some delicious frozen pudding pops with swirls of cool whip and layers of chopped oreos. After it had gotten near room temperature, and I had eaten all I could, I offered Tate a bite. To my surprise, he opened his mouth and let it in! Only to be followed by a quick swipe of his hand to his tongue to get rid of it! It was a reaction fit for hot peppers or such, but pudding?!!!

Also, yesterday I got all the ingredients for some banana cake thing ready to go like on a cooking show where everything is measured nicely in their own little glass bowls so Tate could help me assemble it. He yelled and ran away. I had to force him to stay near and help pour ingredients in the mixing bowl. As I poured, he would only touch the ingredient bowl with one finger.

This little lady, on the other hand,

enjoys cooking

and is at the stage where she will eat anything!

Denial

I thought Tate was looking so dapper in his new white button-up shirt matching Eric. So here we go trying to get a good shot before church with a boy who can't wait to go to nursery (and needs a nap =)


Now here's the denial part. As my oldest child occasional makes noise during Sacrament Meeting at church, I usually think to myself that it's not as loud to everyone else as it is to me. However, sitting in the hall with Avery last week hearing his high-pitched squeal, followed by this week sitting in the hall and hearing him in there spouting alphabet letters, I realized that perhaps other people can hear him, too =) Aahhh, Tate, we love you! Never a dull moment.

North Window

Some book told mom that north facing windows provide good light for portraits so Aves was her muse today. She's such a pretty little squish, don't you think?!

p.s. Happy 7 months to Avery!

Things that make my heart smile, tee hee:

This face, fresh with PB and J, enhanced here with cheeto grime, (too bad you can't see that it's in his hair)
toddlers in big shoes,
and new spring baby clothes (to show off those beautiful Popeye arms)!!

May 9th

Happy Mother's Day you wonderful women!

Here's hoping you get a flower

or some chocolate!

Tate's watering what looks to be weeds, which is why I ripped out a bunch of them last year, but left some in a funky shape because I wasn't sure what they were. Turns out they bloom later on in the summer. So, I wish I hadn't ripped out what I did. Live and learn =)

Yeah for May

Avery is six months. Stats include 75% for head and weight (17 lbs 5 oz.) and 90% for height (26.75 in.). Mom is happy, because if my memory serves me right, this is lighter than Tate was at this point. Maybe my back will get a break with this baby =) She's practicing with solids, but thinks they're just for kicks. The only way she would eat yogurt, as pictured above, is with it smeared on her lips and she licks it off. Eric says she has a lizard tongue. She does like to play with it and can stick it out impressively far! At the moment she is quite the mama's girl, but finds dad and Tate entertaining, too.

Check out Tate's crocs!! I think he'll be able to put them on by himself soon. Plus, they're supposed to be odor resistant! I bought the real deal, so maybe Ave's can wear them, too (with some girly bling, of course). Anyway, here's the before picture. We'll see how they last through the summer!

Here's matchy-matchy mother/daughter. Thank you grandma Shirlene for making them! We wore these around Easter, but forgot the picture before church. Ave's had a bit of a blow-out at church that day so there's no picture. Hence today's picture. I just woke her up to go so she's a little dazed.

Tate can recognize all but 5 upper-case letters of the alphabet. Tonight he "read" his first word. It was "no" in the book "No, David!" I tell you what, that book has new meaning now that we've got Tate around! Especially the nose-picking page, 'nuf said =)

We had another round with M&M's and our M&M math book this morning and Tate was doing much better than the other day as far as waiting to eat them, and do so one at a time. He is such a sweet little boy. He loves baths and wrestling. We introduced him to a puppet today. It was hilarious. He was squealing and scooting out of the room, through the hall, and into the laundry room, facing the puppet lion at all times. There was also throwing of shoes or whatever was handy at the puppet. He thought it was hilarious. The funniest part to me is that he seems to address it like it's a real being.

Looking forward to some sunny weather and the opening of pools this month!!!