September has become a crazy month in the Tate household. It starts with Taylor's birthday, then there's the beginning of football season, and the month tops off with our wedding anniversary. I'd have to say it's a pretty awesome month. And with the Utes doing awesome it's just the sugar on top!
As Dustin best put it in his letter to Taylor, she is honestly night and day to the child she was a year ago. She is energetic, fiery, independent, curious, with loads of personality that can run circles around me all day long. But every once in a while she'll shed another side. Here are two quick stories. Probably more for me than anyone else. One for me to go awww and one to remind me of my frustration. But through it all, when I think my love for her can't grow anymore, somehow it does. Love is truly amazing in that way.
As Dustin best put it in his letter to Taylor, she is honestly night and day to the child she was a year ago. She is energetic, fiery, independent, curious, with loads of personality that can run circles around me all day long. But every once in a while she'll shed another side. Here are two quick stories. Probably more for me than anyone else. One for me to go awww and one to remind me of my frustration. But through it all, when I think my love for her can't grow anymore, somehow it does. Love is truly amazing in that way.
Story #1
One of Taylor's favorite things is climbing up on the counter chairs in the kitchen. Another frustration because she loves to climb on the counter and get into everything let alone scare me to death. Anyway Taylor was just sitting on the chair. Apparently she has also turned into a people watcher at an early age as well. Taylor was watching her friend Lilly (who is just a few months older) play in the front yard across the street. I was in the vicinity, but not watching every move. Taylor refers to Lilly as La La.
Taylor: "Hi La La"...."Oh La La" (giggling) At this point Lilly is playing with her dog and apparently Taylor thinks this is funny. Pause for a little bit. "La La... ok?" Taylor is on the verge of crying...when I go over to her, she has tears in her eyes.
I look outside and Lilly is laid out face first in the front yard and within seconds she jumps up and she's running off to play with the dog again. I had to console Taylor and let her know that Lilly was okay and to show her that Lilly was playing with Cooper (the dog) and that she was just fine.
It's hard to explain in a blog, but for those of you that know Taylor, you don't really see those tender moments so when you do, it just makes your heart melt as a mom. She gets concerned for me when I stub my toe and yell out in pain or she sees tears when I cry in one of her Disney movies (yes I'm a sap for those of you who know me well). But I've never seen her show concern for a friend like that which was so sweet. And to be honest, she's a rough and tough girl so those moments are few and far between anyway, so it was a precious moment.
Story #2
I've been trying to work on Taylor with her letters so last week I decided to take just one letter and work on it a little throughout the day. I had a little white board that we wrote the letter on. The letter was D. So we put a picture of Daddy and we had a doggy and a duck and talked about the letter D and things that started with the letter D. It seemed she kind of grasped it the first day. So the next day I was pointing to the letter D on the white board and asking her what letter it was. Of course in her usual Taylor manner she completely ignored me. So I started telling her again about how it was the letter D. I did my whole spiel again. I probably said the phrase "the letter D" 20 plus times. So I asked her again.
Me: "Taylor what letter is this?" repeated a few times because again she ignored me
Taylor: "Two"
Are you kidding me? Have we really even talked about numbers? I mean we count things and she has some number magnets but we really haven't looked at the number 2 much except when I asked her how old she is and I haven't done that for weeks. And maybe if that was the only time that was her response, I would have been okay but I repeated the whole scenario above multiple times on that day and the next and guess what her response was..... TWO!!!!
Taylor is either totally messing with me (which is totally doubtful because she's two), I'm a horrible teacher or we have a VERY long way to go. I'm thinking it's a combo of the last two scenarios. My mom of course got a huge kick out of it. But then Taylor laughs or does one of her adorable things and how can I get frustrated when she does something like that?
So, moving on, here are just a few random pics from the past couple of weeks. The first one Tay was playing in her room. When I went to check on her, I couldn't find her. I started calling to her and then I heard some shuffling. When I opened the blinds, this is what I found...
Luckily, we haven't updated the blinds in her room yet...
Nice try... I can see you now...
Taylor thinks she's starting a new trend...
Our little Ute all dressed up for the first game, although we didn't take her. I have since taken her to one game and I don't think that will be happening again this season. Sorry Tay. I think it's better for all of us and the fans that sit near us. :) Maybe next season...
