May 2011 Tidbits

Another Tess mispronunciation that is too cute to correct: "3, 2, 1---Blast star!"

Today Tess and I spotted a box turtle hiding in the ivy in our backyard. While watching it crawl, I mused, "I wonder what kind of turtle it is." Tess replied: "Maybe a fun turtle." {RKH}

Words Tess can read: Tess, no, off, stop, Toyota, mom, dad.

Today Tess decided she wants to be a "tractor worker" when she grows up. She was very impressed with some utility workers operating heavy machinery on the side of the road. When she asked me if the workers get beds to sleep in, I told her they just buy their own houses and beds. She told me she would just sleep in her tractor. Now that's dedication for you.

I was putting out a few flags out for Memorial Day. Tess' observation: "Hey, I see Obama have a flag like that!"

A new Tess phrase: "I can't believe it!"

I set the sprinkler up for Tess on our first 9o degree day of the year. She started running through the waterdrops when she put out her hands and said, "Oh no, Mom! We gotta go inside! It's raining! Oh, that's the sprinkles. I forgot!"

Tess: "I like to snuggle with Mommy."

Dad: "How come?"

Tess: "Because she's soft."

Tess: "Dad, know what kind of water is my favorite?"

Dad: "I'm not sure."

Tess: "HOTTTTT. I like to take a bath. It's comfty."

On Sunday, a little boy whose family Ryan used to home teach came up to him and said: "Oh, I remember you! Are you off your mission now? Did you have a good mission?" "Is it nice to be alone?" Ryan told him, yes, he was now off his mission and he had a good mission.

Tess was laughing and talking crazy-nonsense to Drew in the car. (That's the best way I can describe it. I'll have to tape it sometime. She's very loud.) Then she started saying something about goldfish. "No, Drew! That's not a goldfish! Mom, Drew thinks that car is a GOLDFISH!"

This (mostly-one-sided) Tess conversation was inspired by an episode of Curious George: "I love snow time because I can have a house of snow. I LOVE igloos! You know I can sleep good? At night I no come inside cuz I just sleep in my igloo so cozy. I not cold cuz I wear my coat to bed. I LOVE snow time! That time after your birthday, Mom? Yes or no? I don't know how to do an igloo. You can help me, Mom? You just watch that show Curious George and you know how to do it. OK? Yes or no? Mom, if you get sick then it SNOWS! That happens. 'Member that, Mom? 'Member last time I get sick in my bed and I come downstairs and it SNOWED! That happened. It do."

Tess has been talking a lot about space lately. A while ago she told me, "You know Dad and I go on walks and we walk on the Earth." This morning she told Ryan: "You know we live on the perfect planet? One planet too cold and one planet too hot. Earth is perfect planet." She must have heard this on TV, but I can't tell you what show it was. I'm pretty good at tuning them out.

I got both kids out the door, into the car and buckled into their seats. Just as I was ready to pull away from the house, Tess announced: "Yeah! We're home! We made it!"

Disappointed with the holiday offerings between now and 4th of July, Tess has started creating her own holidays, including: Pony Day, Curious George Day, Valentine's Happy Day, and Birdfeeder Day.

Drew has been saying lots of new words like "ba, ba, ma, ma, blah, blah." Tess' interpretation of Drew's incantations: "He's making the room magic."

Today for lunch, Tess told me she wanted a "girled cheese sandwich" because she's a girl. (Another Tess word that could use some pronunciation work.)

Ryan's comment after putting Tess to bed tonight: "How did I get such a zany child?"

Completely random Tess comment: "I'm so get-cited I get baptized!"

After Tess spotted yet another Toyota, I asked Tess why she likes Toyota's: "I like Toyota cuz it has a TOY!"

We switched our TV service over to Verizon FIOS. When Tess saw our new remote control she said, "It just like Nana & Papa's!" She's right--they also have FIOS. I'm sometimes stunned by the things she notices.

I love how Tess calls yogurt, "yo-grit." It's her self-declared favorite snack.

Tess came over to me while I was sitting on the couch. "You know why I come here Mom? I come here for just a little kiss."

"Mom, I three? I still three?" [Big sigh.] "You know I been waiting for four!"

REGRESSION!!! Tess has started wetting her pants all the time now. Even when I make her take regular potty breaks, she's still wet. It doesn't bother her a bit. "It be OK, Mom. It just a little wet, it be OK." I don't have enough pants and underwear and patience to change her 4 times a day.

Tess sidled up to me this morning while I was eating an English muffin for breakfast. She asked for a bite, so I broke her off some pieces. "That OK, Mom? We can share? We can share like the sacrament!"

Tess' response to the television news coverage of Osama bin Laden's death: "Why they keep talking about that guy? Huh. I don't know why."

Last night Tess shared a new expression with me (Ryan): "You can say that again."

We were in the car, and Tess was waving her hands around and mouthing words. "Mom, why that lady at church do this and no sound come out of her mouth?" I guess she's noticed the sign language interpreter during Sacrament meeting.

Tess runs around in circles, hops up and down, and jumps from side to side for 15 minutes before she'll go potty on her own. "Um, Tess, do you need to go potty?" "I sink I'm fine." Drives me crazy!"

"Drewsie, you a little baby doll! You a little baby doll, yes you are!"

Tess spent an hour tonight running around on the deck singing a song of her own creation: "Anything is possible! Anything is possible! Anything is possible!" When Ryan asked her about the song, she said it was a "Tess and Drewsie" song.

Tess' description of the large bubbles that I (Ryan) was blowing this afternoon: "I call these watermelon bubbles."

Ryan: "Tess, did you know that when Daddy was your age, he didn't have videos to watch on TV?"

Tess: "Oh."

Ryan: "Tess, did you also know that when Daddy was your age, he didn't have a computer?"

Tess: "Oh. [Pause] That's sad."

I love how Tess calls her little brother "Drewz."

Some of the Summertimes

Summer has been a busy time and it seems to be flying by.  Here are a few of the highlights:

My 35th Birthday!  

Happy birthday to me!  Other than the getting-that-much-closer-to-40 part, it was great!  Ry & Tess made me waffles for breakfast and Ry surprised me with a crabcake dinner with chocolate cake for dessert.  You can't go wrong with that combination!  Tess loved the balloon decorations and insisted that I make a pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey game for us to play.  (As she called it:  "Pin Around the Donkey.")  She actually won that game.  I was surprised many times over with a iPod Touch from Mom & Dad, a new CAMERA (woo hoo!) from Ry, sweet cards from Tessie, the cutest baby blanket from Maur, spending moolah from Keith & Wendy, and car tunes from Mer.

Puppet Show

I've been dying to take Tess to a Bob Brown Puppet Show.  He's been doing these old-school marionette shows around here since Ryan was a kid!  The low-tech show didn't impress the rest of the hardened day-care audience, but boy was Tess tickled by it!  (For some reason Tess insisted on wearing this pink scarf to the show.  Recognize it Mom?  It's from your blanket wrapping.)

 

Drewie's Teething

Drew now has two darling little teeth poking through his bottom gums.  He loves chewing on everything, so I think some more will soon appear.  

Newseum

Not a highly successful outing, and not one that I'd recommend for young children, unless you enjoy explaining genocide, starvation, war, militant regimes and devastating natural disasters to your 3-year-old.

Home Time

I've been keeping Tessie occupied with lots of art projects and "craps" this summer.  We raided Michael's clearance section and even put together a trillion-piece castle model.  Tess still loves coloring, drawing and coming up with her own creative projects.

Fourth of July

Tess had been waiting a long time for this holiday!  We started the day with a parade and pancake breakfast at the church.  We decorated her bike for FHE, and it was fun to see all the kids in their patriotic colors.

Tess with her Sunbeam teacher, Sister Darlene Smith.  

Tess is acting shy, as if she didn't just see her in church the day before.

Danielle James with her sisters and Taryn Pomeroy.

Cade Austin (in the middle).

We headed over to Nana and Papa's that afternoon for dinner and fireworks.  Tess was SO excited for fireworks.  Unfortunately that enthusiasm didn't make it past the first sparkler, which gave her a nasty burn on her finger.  Very sad.  She cried hysterically for an hour while we set off the rest of the fireworks.  I have a feeling 4th of July is not going to be her favorite holiday.

Some more summertimes to come--summer's not over yet!