Big Dragon...

Tara's imagination doesn't stop just because it's lunchtime. At lunch today>Tara: "Whoa! It's big!" Me: "What's big?" Tara: "The dragon-it's a big DRAGON mommy!" (Referring to a piece of her burrito) Me: "It is big, Tara; just eat it honey." Tara: "Okay. He wasn't going to get me anyway..." lol That girl :)

"All done. Let's eat!"

So today, I took a nap when Tara did; because I was too exhausted to function. This whole growing a baby thing was getting the better of me...So she ended up napping for a good 2 and 1/2 hours, which meant-so did it :) When she woke up, she came into our room, and said she was ready for lunch. I told her that I'd get her lunch if she put her books back on the bookshelf. Before her nap, she had taken about every book she owned and strewn them all over the floor in the livingroom and hallway. So when I told her she had to put them back on the bookshelf before lunch, she got upset. She knows the rules though, that we clean up before any mealtime, and she knew she wouldn't get lunch until they were put away. So after whining for a couple minutes, she got to work. I ended up slipping back to sleep for a period of 3 minutes, after which she comes in to tell me she was done. You can see the bookshelf in the hallway from our open bedroom door, and I still saw books strewn all over the floor in the hallway. I told her she needed to put ALL the books away before I made lunch. She whined a bit more, then got to work. I looked at the clock, and fell back asleep for another 4 minutes. I woke up to her saying "All done-let's eat!" I got up and inspected the hallway and livingroom, and all the books were put away on the bookshelf this time. I was so proud of her! I thought it was so cute the way she said "All done-let's eat!" What a big girl...

"Dress?"

So last night Tara sure shocked us again into realizing that she is growing up, whether we're ready or not. I had been in the kitchen making blackberry syrup out of some of the fresh blackberries we had picked as a family. Tara and Sean were in the livingroom playing. I was focusing on what I was doing, but also recognized that for the past couple of minutes I'd heard her saying "Dress?" "Dress?" Then Sean says to me "Honey-she keeps asking for a dress! What should I do?" I said "Get her a dress, I suppose.." It was just minutes away from her bedtime, but I didn't see why I couldn't let her play dress up real quick while I finished the syrup. So I go into her closet, and retrieved one of her dresses. I walked into the livingroom and handed Tara the dress, and she said "Thank you!" Our bedroom isn't far from the livingroom, and she promptly walked over to our bedroom, opened the door, and walked in. She then turned around and said "I get dressed" and then shut the door! We started laughing at how cute she was. She opened the door a couple moments later, and said "Mommy help!" She was struggling with removing her shirt, and was a bit distraught. I motioned for her to come into the kitchen so I could help her-and she looked at me like I was crazy. She emphatically said "No...Daddy will see!" She was shy, and wanted her privacy! She'd never cared before! It was so darling, and it was so hard for Sean and I to stifle the laughter...I walked into our bedroom, and she ended up needing help turning on the light in the bedroom since she can't reach, and she also needed help removing her shirt. So after I turned on the light, and got her shirt off, I asked her if she wanted help getting the dress on; and she said "No. I got it." So I left. She came out a couple minutes later, and she had put the dress on...just not all the way. The sleeves to the dress were rolled under into the top of the dress, and because of that the dress wasn't hanging correctly on her body. Due to this all, she walked out looking like she was wearing a strapless dress, that only hit mid-thigh. But boy-she was SO incredibly proud of herself for doing it all by herself! We told her "Good job Tara!" She was so cute!!!


*sigh*


When did she grow up?

Miss Independent

So I haven't been allowed to buckle Tara into her high chair lately...SHE has to do it. She usually gets a bit agitated if I start to do it for her, but I usually step back in time to allow her a chance. Today for lunch, however-I set her in her high chair. As I was simply pulling the buckles out for her to reach, she grabs them from me and mutters "I'LL DO THIS!" while glaring at me. Too funny, and regretfully I didn't get it on camera. She was so proud of herself when she was done, and each time she says "I did it!" lol Funny girl...

Oh boy...

So sometimes Tara just cracks me up with her comebacks...Yeah-she has quick wit, and knows what's going on :) Last night she was playing with a toy she got for her birthday, one of those bead mazes. Anyway-she was playing with it, and moved some of the beads so quickly it made her laugh really hard. Sean was in the next room, and just heard her laughing. Being daddy, and to mess with her a little; he says to her "I don't know what you're laughing at, but it's not THAT funny..." (He had a huge grin on his face as he said it). She responds by looking at me, and rolling her eyes saying "It WAS funny! Tee hee hee..." And cracks up all over again! What a girl...



Then this morning, Sean and I were reminded that she's not a baby anymore. She acts more like a little girl with attitude :) Tara had waken up before Sean left for work; and wanted to sit in her high chair while I got Sean's lunch together for him. I had to reach in a cabinet just above her head for something, and we hear her say "S'cuse me!" as she's pushing me out of the way! lol I guess I invaded her bubble :) Then as I was assembling Sean's lunch-she points to one of the items and proclaims loudly "That's gross!" I laughed so hard...and said "It's a good thing then that it's for daddy, and not you!"


We can't believe how fast she's growing up!

Rip my heart out, why don't ya?

So today, Tara went a little bit longer than usual before she went down for her afternoon nap. Which of course meant that she was more cranky and whiny beforehand. So as I was getting ready to put her down, she was crying, and yelling, and fighting me at every turn. She wanted me to read her a story before nap, but I knew she was way past the point of where she could handle being awake any more. So I told her I'd read her a story when she woke up. That of course made her cry even harder, and I laid her in her bed, stroked her hair, and started to sing to her; hoping she'd calm down. She did, and when she finally stopped crying she turns to me, looks me in the eyes and said "I was very sad." Wow! First time she's ever verbally expressed her emotions, and it ripped my heart out! I wasn't ready for that one...

Fast Learner

So while I was composing the last post, Sean and Tara were right next to me on the couch. While I was writing, she was playing with daddy. We were laughing really hard because she was putting her baby doll on time out for hitting daddy! She did what we did with her too-she went to the baby to take her off time out, but I guess the baby did the same thing a second time; and went right back on time out! haha Can't say Tara's not a quick learner...

"I swear..."

So this morning as we're all about to head out the door to church, I walk towards the bathroom to put on some lotion, and some earrings. I see Tara standing there, and she said "I want to go!". I responded by saying "I know you want to go honey, and we're GOING to go in just a moment here. Mommy needs to grab something first, and then we'll get going-okay?" I headed into the bathroom, and shut the door. I immediately hear Sean cracking up over something. I came out, and he said that after the exchange that Tara and I had, and after I shut the door, apparently Tara was wanting to go to church so bad that when I told her "just a moment" she had a look of utter frustration on her face, and said "I swear."

I couldn't believe it! What a gal...

My honey...

So there's a conversation that takes place quite often in our home now. I thought I'd share it with you...

Tara (upon wanting daddy for something): "Sean!!!"

Me: "That's daddy to you!"

Tara: "Oh honey!!!"

Me: "He's MY honey, and YOUR daddy."

Tara: "Daddy!!!"

Me: "That's better."




*Sigh*

"Mommy, I like it!"

So a moment ago, Tara was put on time-out because she wouldn't listen about a safety issue. We had been listening to the radio for the previous hour, and that song "Bleeding Love" by Leeona Lewis was playing. About 30 seconds into her time-out, I look over to see her still sitting; but she was rocking out to the song! (I have yet to take a video of the way she dances, so you guys can see-but she gets her little arms all into it and everything.) So there she was, sitting; but dancing to the song. All of a sudden she looked over at me, huge grin on her face, and said "Mommy! I like it!" And went back to dancing...*sigh* Why does she have to be so cute?

Do I know her, or what?

So yesterday morning as I was showering, and getting ready for the day; Sean and Tara were hanging out together. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I passed by Tara's room, and heard her playing with her blinds (which she knows is a "no no." I located Sean, not far away, and he was examining a piece of mail from the previous day. I smiled, and asked him if he knew what our daughter was up to, and he said "She's just playing in her room." I told him that her door was shut, and that she was playing with her blinds, and that he might want to check on her. He insisted she wasn't playing with her blinds, and that he would hear it if she was. I told him "Our little girl is indeed playing with her blinds. That's why her door is shut, so you wouldn't see. She has a good sense of what's okay to play with, and what's off limits. Guaranteed, she'll come running out of her bedroom any moment now, to TELL you that she was playing with her blinds. Trust me on this one!" Just as I said that, right on cue-Tara comes running out of her bedroom, and barrels right into my legs. She looks up and says "I was playing with my blinds." Sean and I busted up laughing, and there was no need to say "See?" It was too funny...That girl cracks me up!

Is it ever going to end...?

So I mentioned the other day that Tara has now learned how to open doors, including the refrigerator door. I went into the kitchen a couple days ago, and this is what I found...












She made an utter mess in there, and enjoyed every minute of it :)




*sigh*

"When one door closes, another one opens..."

And it hasn't stopped! That is the motto for our household right now :) Yesterday Tara learned how to open the door for the first time. Yay. So mommy had a very difficult day in keeping Tara out of things she shouldn't be into. This includes the refrigerator door. Fun stuff people...She's so proud of herself too! She walks away with this smug look on her face like "I just did something HUGE...didn't I?" It's funny, but frustrating. The biggest frustration was her opening the fridge door constantly while she was in the kitchen "helping" mommy make banana bread. I've seen people who have those huge honkin locks and bolts for their refrigerators, but that seems a little ridiculous to me. There's got to be another way...To all the mommies out there-any suggestions?

What's my name?

So...this last Saturday afternoon, we ran a few errands. At one point, we stopped home to grab a package of diapers that we had to return. We walk through the front door, I was first in the door. Sean follows behind with Tara, whom he sets on the floor so she can walk in all by herself. She runs up to me and as she's coming towards me, she says "Melissa" CLEAR AS A BELL! Sean starts laughing, and I'm speechless. We couldn't believe she had just called me that :) Fast-forward a few minutes later, when we're ready to head back down to the car again. Sean picks Tara up, and she points to the photos we have hanging on the wall off the kitchen, of the baby and I when she was ten months old. She points to the photos and says again, "Melissa!". We couldn't stop laughing! She's a smart one...