Very Grinchy Indeed

Christmas Eve dinner was a very....ummm..."traditional" Mexican feast of chicken, bean and cheese enchiladas, mango salsa, guacamole, cheesy corn bread and tortilla chips. Followed by a dessert of christmas cookies and The Grinch Who Stole Christmas cake!!

Capped off with a viewing of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Here is Tate reciting the story word for word.

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

M: watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Unkie Dan: watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Nana: the Grinch cake

Grandpa: the Grinch cake

T: watching the Grinch Who Stole Christmas

Almost there...

Oh we are so close to the big day! Tate has been telling everyone who will listen what he wants Santa to bring him for Christmas... Shake 'n Go Dragsters and Shake 'n Go Crash Up Speedway. Thank goodness "santa" has purchased these gifts that are now wrapped and await arrival under the tree! 

Tate had a Christmas party and performance at school last Thursday. It was complete with class made cookies, song and dance! Here is Tate, Max and Matthew doing Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. We have it all on video for your laughing pleasure.

More Christmas goodness to come....

'Tis the Season

Tate dictated a letter to himself last night. He began...

"Dear Santa Claus and Toys R Us...."

After that, it really doesn't matter how he finished it - he has taken quite a liking to consumerism.

Hi!

I've been feeling very stressed in my everyday life and therefore the blog has been suffering. I apologize. Writing cute things about Tate actually lessens the stress... so therefore I pledge with new dedication a more regular posting schedule. Please stay tuned... 

Boys are...

...sweet!

This afternoon while driving home from a client's photo shoot and then lunch out, Tate said he had something to tell me.

"Thank you for having such a nice lunch out with me today!"

Boys are sooooo sweet!!

Boys are...

...gross!!

Tate called me into his room to tell me something tonight. In I go, even though he supposed to be sleeping to see what he wants.

"You have to smell my feet!!"

Boys are sooooooo gross!!!

Pupperversary

Six years ago I wanted a dog. Dave didn't. He didn't want to be tied down with the responsibility and more importantly he didn't want to pick up poop. I worked on him. He gave in. We began looking for a dog. Boxer rescues were our choice - where you actually do not get a choice. 

Six years ago I filled out the 50 line item application. Had a phone interview. Our references were called. The program director visited our house with a dog. Then, only then, did she say, "We've got a dog that I think would be a great fit for you - her name is Sheba."

Six years ago we drove to New Hampshire to meet Sheba. She was sweet. A bit timid and seemed confused. She won our hearts.

Six years ago we packed Sheba into our car. Drove her home and into our lives.

Six years ago today Sheba became Eames. It was the best choice we never made.

Official Auntie Alli Birthday Proclamation

M: Hey Tate, it's Auntie's birthday today.

T: Can we have a cake for Auntie's birthday?

M: Well, she's not going to be here. She's in New York.

T: New York City?

M: Yup, New York City.

T: But can we have cake for her birthday?

M: Ummmm...sure why not!!

Happy Birthday!!

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

M: eating Auntie Alli's birthday cake

T: hey, that's my favorite part of the day too

D: coming home from work

Weekend Round-up

Chocolate chip pancakes.

Saturday morning cartoons.

Sleepover at Ama & Papa's.

Productive trip to pottery studio.

Peaceful shopping at Whole Foods.

Dinner date with Dave.

Sleeping in until 9:30am.

Brunch at CAV for ED's 40th Brithday!!

Pick up Tate (who is pretty cranky having gone for 2 days without a nap.)

Playing trumpet. *see above photo

Nice cuddle time after books and tubbies.

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

T: sleepover at Ama & Papa's

M: brunch out with friends

D: playing airplanes with Tate

Bandage Boy

With every teeny, tiny little cut, scrape or bump there can sometimes be lots of drama... fake drama... that emits from the mouth, heart and soul of one usually calm, sweet, happy Tate. Upon such occasions Dave and I say, "I think we need the giant bandage!!" Which immediately stops all the fuss and begins a new fuss, "NOOOOOOOO....... not the giant bandage!!!!" Imagine our surprise the other night when he ran around the little table wrapping himself up in the dreaded giant bandage. And I wasted money on a fireman costume for Halloween. He could have just worn this.

A day out with friends.

Tuesday was a busy day. We had a phone conference with Tate's teacher (she said he is as sweet as can be - tell me something I don't already know!) Then we voted, hit the library and helped rescue a stray dog. We went to the cat's vet to get food and medicine for the little buggers and Tate fed the fish. Lunch was at Stanley's and then finally it was time to meet Aidan, Coleman and Auntie Stacie at the Children's Museum for the Annual Election Day Outing. 

They had a great time with the old stuff and the new. And Stacie and I even had a chance to talk! I took a very tired boy and a very tired me home that evening!!

It's a beautiful day.

It's 67 degrees out with a light breeze. 

It's a relaxing day for Tate and I.

It's heavenly to play "walk chalk chalk" in November.

It's finally time to say... President-Elect Obama!!!

Vote 08

Tate and I voted this morning at 10am. While we waited in the long line we were surrounded by neighbors and therefore had fun and caught up on the happenings. For the first time in any election I've voted in, I was moved, proud and genuinely excited to vote for the candidate of my choice. Today I, along with many others, made history by voting for the first African-American presidential candidate and I couldn't have been happier to have Tate by side to witness this event. 

My greatest hope is that Tate is always as excited to vote as I was today.

My greatest fear is that he will vote Republican... or become a priest... or like country music.

Leaf Burning

Dave and Tate raked the yard. Hard working boys were rewarded with leaf pile jumping and KitKat's.

I read the Sunday paper. Relaxing mom was rewarded with rakuing firing and cake at Charlene's!!!!

Cooker Lesson #2

Tonight for dinner we made butternut squash soup and cheesy cayenne biscuits. Tate helped make biscuits and made his own dough too...  there was water, milk, flour, salt, way too much pepper and fresh sage. He measured, mixed, poured, stirred and tasted declaring it was good! He then ate four bites of the real biscuits and forced down one spoon of soup for dinner. Maybe mine wasn't as good as his??

Beam me up... Tatey!

After the finish of Saturday morning cartoons, NBC aired a episode of Star Trek. Conversation ensues....

T: Mom, what's that?

M: It's Star Trek, honey.

T: Is that a boy show?

M: That is undeniably, positively, totally a boy show.

T: Oh. 

T: I need my space ship!!!

{Finds a car, rips off wheels, flies chassis around house while "shooting" the decapitated tires at all the furniture}

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

T: eating a giant candy bar

M: sleeping in late

Happy Halloween - Finale

7:47 - "I'm all done!" Costume, shoes and socks are off. Candy consumption has begun in earnest!!

The loot: 3 muskateers, sour patch kids, lollipops, kit kats, m&m's, reese's peanut butter cups, a gummy finger tip {yeecccch}...even a full-size candy bar! Not bad for a few houses. Maybe next year we'll get him to the other side of the street. Maybe?

Happy Halloween - Part 3

7:37 - Tate back. He made less houses than last year! But he did get Swedish Fish for him, me and daddy! How thoughtful.

Happy Halloween - Part 2

7:29 - Tate not back yet!! Already doing better than last year.

On a side note as I man the house and pass out candy, I'd like to point out how grabby and greedy some kids are! At least say "trick-or-treat" you sugar-crazed little demons!!!

Happy Halloween - Part 1

6:20 - Pre-trick-or-treating dinner (chicken nuggets and apples)

6:30 - Attempt to get Tate back to the table to finish eating dinner and not candy

6:40 - Dinner done? Not really, but it's all we'll get in him.

6:42 - Transform Tate into Fire Chief Rizzolo

6:50 - Practice run at our door

6:52 - Head out with Dad for the real-deal, trick-or-treat neighborhood blast

* Post trick-or-treating update to follow.

Open Letter to Daddy

Hi Daddy,

I miss you. Hope you are having fun in the Bahamas. Wish I was there to go swimming. I LOVE to swim. Anyway, I ate a terrible dinner. Well, I know I'm supposed to eat a good dinner, but really... there was candy in the house. How does mom expect me to eat real food when there is chocolate and lollipops staring me down? I don't know about her sometimes! Today me and Ama made paper airplanes and I asked mommy to help me decorate one. I told her what to draw and she drew it... 

See there you are on the plane working on your laptop. And Auntie Alli, Unkie Dan and Tia Adrian are all with you and they are all working on their laptops too! I don't know how I think of these things... I just do!! So have fun, get your work done and see you in a few days. I'll try to save you some candy, but I'm not promising anything.

Love, Tate

Let's go get messy!!

I needed to finish some vases today in time to get them bisqued for this weekends upcoming raku firing. So Tate and I headed to the studio this morning. He's been to the studio many time before, but never to play with the clay. I figured he was old enough now to not eat the clay, get too crazy in the studio or commit any other heinous acts with my sharp studio tools. 

We made fish. Then I let him make whatever he wanted while I finished my vases. He cut, stamped, slapped, mushed, rounded, mounded, pressed and watered his clay and then said...

T: Ta da!!!!! A cop.

M: A cup?

T: No, a cop.

M: Like a police officer?

T: No, not a police officer. I told you. A cop.

M: A cop.

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

M: playing clay with Tate

T: I don't have one

Weekend Round-up

Saturday morning cartoons...all morning long.

Party at Aidan and Coleman's... playing, cake, dancing by the light of the bonfire.

Muffins for breakfast.

Baseball and soccer in the front yard.

Playground fun after lunch.

Candy!

Smiles, laughing and fun, fun, fun!

Self Aware

"Mom can you shut the door all the way so that I don't sneak out?"

Was what he said to me this afternoon a half hour into his nap and after he already snuck out of his room once where I found him sitting on the sofa looking out the window. 

He knows his limits and when temptation is too big!! Pretty big stuff for a such a little guy.

I admire that in a 3-year-old!

Four Bridges & a Pony

Bridge #1: Mount Hope Bridge

A day in Tate's life is only complete when he can say he's been over the "Bristol Bridge" or well...he's even happy if he can see it from our beach. Columbus Day began with a ride over this much loved bridge on our way to meet Stacie, Aiden and Coleman at Grandma Pat's in Jamestown.

Bridge #2: Newport Bridge 

Closer, we are now closer to the first of the day's destinations.... but oh no!!!! What is that pack of cyclists doing?? Why are there so many of them?? Why are they going so fast and heading in the same direction that I'm going to turn?? Oh sh#t... f*%k... they are going to get right in front of me!!! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! Can I pull out in front of them???? Can I make it????

Nope.

So we follow the pack of riders slowly up the road. The long road. All the way to where I finally turn into, greet friends and say "What the f*#k was that??"

Annual island road race.

Stacie and I set up boys with lunch, kiss them all goodbye leaving them in the very capable hands of Grandma Pat and go have a peaceful lunch by ourselves overlooking the docks downtown. Ahhhh.

Bridge #3: Jamestown Bridge

Pack up boys. Head to horse stables. Knock on door. Get pony rides!!!

Pony #1: Duke

Since seeing the saddled at the ready, happy horses at Chena Hot Springs in Alaska, all Tate could talk about was going for a "pony-tail" ride. We obliged. He looked serious and told the lady leading Duke through the trail that she could NOT talk to him. Sometimes he does that. She obliged. They boys had fun. Stacie and I had many laughs. We were all much obliged.

Bridge #4: Providence River Bridge

We managed to make a complete circle around the state by going home via Providence. Tate was excited to know that we were hitting yet another bridge that day. However, he was so plum tuckered from the day that he only experienced it from slumberland.

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY

M: peaceful lunch and coming home to a clean house thanks to Dave... thanks!

T: finally a pony-tail ride!

*see more photos here

It's the Great Pumpkin

Oh pumpkins, pumpkins, pumpkins!! You could buy them, paint them, walk among them, see giant ones weighed in (over 1600 lbs.) and you could see them lift one 30 feet in the air and drop it to ground and watch it smash in a rather grand manner. Tate only enjoyed the mazes!

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY
M: seeing the giant pumkin smash
T: the corn maze

Hike

Yesterday was Friday. It was hike day. Well hike may be a stretch, it's more of a walk around nicely kept paths through the scrub brush and meadows along the shore. Sachuest Point in Middletown. There are 2 loops, we did the 1.5 mile Ocean View loop. Before leaving the house Tate loaded up on chocolate chip pancakes...10 to be exact. I ate 5! So I thought he'd have some good energy. Nope. We weren't 100 feet into the trail when he promptly asked "Mommy can you pick me?" To which I said, "Nope!" Another 200 feet in and he said he was tired... oh boy this is going to be a looooong 1.5 miles.

We made it through with lots of stops for rests, a few lie downs in the middle of the trail, and only about 200 feet me of carrying him. It was warm, beautiful, peaceful (when he wasn't complaining). We saw lots of butterflies, crickets and bees. However, I committed the worst crime in the blogging world. I had my camera with me, but left the memory card in the computer at home after completing that's morning's post. Arghhhhh. So I have only words, no pictures.

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY
T: I don't know
M: Chasing butterflies and crickets
D: I don't have one
T: I SAID.... I don't know!!!!

I might be the only one that had a good day yesterday.

Run Eat

Tate demonstrating a "run eat" for his Ama. He starts at the front door, gets in his "starter blocks", says GO and runs at top speed toward the holder of food, stopping just short of edible item and then chomps down! He promptly turns around and goes back to the start for another run eat!!

Dangerous...probably. Funny...definitely. Effective in getting him to eat...oh yeah!!

FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY
M: Picking Tate up at preschool
T: Being picked up at preschool
D: Us visiting him at work (complete with dog) after preschool

Conversation in a Restaurant Bathroom

{pointing in the toilet}
T: Mom, what's that?
M: Toilet paper
T: What called toilet paper is it?
M: White toilet paper
T: Oh.
{pauses and begins to pee}
T: And I'm turning it yellow with my pee-pee!!

Tater Stewert

Dinner last night was lasagna with homemade sauce. Tate decided that he needed to cook too. So ensues conversation...

T: Mommy can I have my cooker stuff?

M: Sure, honey. Do you want some sauce in your pan?

T: No saucy. 

M: OK

{pause}

T: Yes, I want saucy. 

M: OK

{pause}

T: No, I don't want any saucy.

M: OK

{pause}

T: Yes, saucy. I want the saucy!

M: OK

T: I need shaky salt and pepper.

M: OK

{shakes in LOTS of pepper}

M: Careful Tate. Don't use all mommy's pepper.

T: Can I taste it?

M: Sure!

{tastes his concoction}

M: Well, what do you think?

T: BLEECHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! PLECHHHHHH!!!!!! PLECHHHHHH!!!!!

There are no Food Network shows in his immediate future. Although maybe some lessons from Chef Karel are in order.

Airstream Redux

Vacation made Dave realize that he NEEDED a laptop computer. He'd been hinting around for awhile to me that he wanted one and - oh how great life would be with a laptop! We had one years ago. It broke. We fixed it. It broke again. We fixed it again. It broke again. We stopped fixing it. But when it worked it was nice to sit on the couch and surf the web, as opposed to at a desk to surf the web. 

So on vacation, Dave sat in his brother's house on the couch, next to the fire, with a beer in his hand in the evening or a coffee in his hand in the morning and using Dan's laptop checked his email, his flickr site and any other regular-ritual sites that he goes to each day (like this one, right Dave?) and he enjoyed himself greatly!

Flash to this weekend, where he toted us to the store to purchase the new family laptop. He brought it home, set it up, used it on the couch, tried to fit it in all of his carry bags and then said..."It's too big. We're taking it back." It was too big! The 17inch monitor was nice, but unwieldy to manage while relaxing on the sofa and utterly unportable as it did not fit in any of our bags. So back to the store and we now own, Laptop II.

Everyday will be like vacation!

Fairbanks - Day Five (sunday)

Sunday we went to the wedding site (well we thought it was the wedding site, but then there was some more ideas. I believe they have now decided, but we don't know yet what the final decision is...hmmmm). It's beautiful and rustic and very Alaskan. The view is spectacular and if chosen be a great place to get hitched!! We explored the buildings, the rock outcrops, the bathrooms (only heated place we could get into - it was chilly)....

and the ski lift area. Tate performed his amazing balance beam routine complete with back flips off the end. It was quite magnificent. 

There was also an impromptu photoshoot for Dan and Adrian. Photos to be used for wedding website and save the dates, and also I believe because there just weren't many recent photos of them together. It was goofy and funny and even evoked a sense of art history with a re-enactment of Grant Wood's "American Gothic" - ski pole, no pitchfork - after all we were at a ski resort! Tate got in on that one... "stone-face Tate, stone-face!!"

Next we went to an old gold dredge, ate the last of the sugar kettle corn and Dave, Dan and Adrian explored the dredger while Tate and I stayed on higher, safer ground to plunk rocks and watch the very large, very burly Alaskan man with the shotgun attached to the front of his 4-wheeler give rides to the middle-aged Japanese tourist women to the barge from the roadside cafe. These women looked rather satisfied on the back of that 4-wheeler and if I had to guess would say that that was their "favorite part of the day!"

We had a great dinner that night at the Pump House (a possible site for rehearsal dinner) very nice, great food and fun stuff for Tate to look at. Then to Hot Licks the great homemade ice cream place for an end-of-the-season last cone. We were bundled up and eating ice cream. I wore my gloves - it was a site to behold!

Fairbanks - Day Four (saturday)

Saturday began with a trip to the farmer's market and subsequently eating our way through the market with the purchase of 3 vanilla cream horns, one almond cake, one rhubarb cake and one reindeer hotdog for Dan. Then it was the large bag of sugar kettle corn for sharing... imagine a large steaming kettle in which popcorn, sugar and a bit of salt are dumped and stirred into an amazing confection of light, airy, just-sweet-enough, with a bit of saltiness, warm popcorn!!

After snacking on all things good at the Alaska Farmer's Market, we went to the Alaska Bird Observatory for some owl fun!! Observe our observations....

After that it was lunch at the Chowder House!! Very good smoked salmon chowder and build-yer-own sandwiches. Tate had nothing except a cookie! And then was subjected to the photography show. Here's how he enjoyed it...

Since Adrian and I were going out that night by ourselves and leaving the boys to fend for themselves I decided that a nap was not needed for Tate (hahahaha) and we proceeded to the Large Animal Research Center on the UAF campus. We saw the cool musk ox and caribou through the fences and hiked around the property with Inai.

There was lots of hiding in the woods and Tate finding us. And lots of running!! We got home and like I said Adrian and I were off to a girl's night out party with some crazy, funny, very wonderful Alaska-living women, complete with fabulous fish tacos, wine and fancy bejeweled, flowered, toe-polishing. I haven't been to something so girly since I was... well... a girl!! Adrian said it was over-compensation for living in such rough climates - I can believe it!! So I have pretty blue toenails with white flowers painted on them - because... when in Rome!!!!