Jan 22, 2010

Hammer Golf

So Tuesday I was relaxing on the couch after a long day at work when I heard a familiar sound: WHACK!
Next I heard what sounded like a ball rolling across the floor before crashing into the wall, then there was a giggle.
Tate had been playing in his room, but wandered into the living room. As he rounded the corner I spotted a toy hammer in his right hand.
Just as I suspected, Hammer Golf.
Hammer Golf is a game that one might say was born of necessity. Last spring Tate got a toy golf club set as an Easter gift. It didn't take long for my little bruiser to break 2 of the 3 clubs that came with the set. The third was hidden after Tate invented another game we call Whack the Dog.
With no clubs left my little innovator had to come up with something to hit those little plastic golf clubs with.


Future Farmer of America

The other day we were all hanging out at the house when I noticed it was awfully quiet. The two of them had quietly retired to the study. The door was slightly cracked so I peeked in to see what was going on. Tate was sitting in Chuck's lap, both engrossed in something on the computer screen. What are they looking at? I just had to know!
I let myself in and asked, "what are you guys doing?"
The answer: "farming."
My little guy was helping his dad on the farm, the Farmville farm that is. OMG! I think farming is dumb, but Tate seemed to enjoy clicking the mouse and occasionally "play typing."
"It's working," Tate squealed at one point while the guys clicking the mouse to plow a field (I think?).
Honestly, I'm not sure who was having more fun. Plus, it did my heart good too to see my guys genuinely enjoying some quality time together... even if they were farmin'.





Jan 7, 2010

Snow Day

So today was the first, and hopefully the last, snow day of 2010. Tate and I enjoyed some cartoons in our PJs until mid-morning before wandering outside to play in the snow. Once outside Tate was mesmerized.
"It's snowing!"
"No baby, it already snowed," I explained.
We roamed around the backyard for a minute before deciding to head around front where the wind was not at fierce.
On the front side of the house Tate kept pointing at my car and saying "machine." (I guess he took in a few too many episodes of Scooby Doo, complete with the Mystery Machine, on Christmas Break.)
The little man is lingering around my car so I show him how, because the snow was so powdery, you can wipe it right off.
Oops!
He took it upon himself to remove all the snow from the molding above the wheel wells, back bumper and hitch on the back half of my car.


Eventually he lost interest in the snow removal project.
Walking along the driveway in his rain boots he noticed he was making tracks. So... he starts to stomp, stomp, stomp...


and then takes a moment to admire his work.


After the stomping we ventured out into the road, mainly because I was curious if there was any ice under the snow. There was. But just a tinsy, winsy bit.
We kind of slipped and slid a little, but never went crashing down.



Once safely inside Tate immediately ripped his hat off and began the task of peeling off the layers I had carefully dressed him in in an effort to keep him warm. Shaking off the cold myself, I caught a glimpse of Tate and I couldn't help myself. Even though he said he needed to go potty, I had to snap a few pictures of his hat hair.


Even with crazy hair he's still cute as a bug!

Jan 2, 2010

Fish update

As we were getting ready to turn in for the evening Chuck spotted it -- the first fish to swim belly up in Tate's aquarium. Flipper, we'll call him Flipper because know one should be laid to rest without a name. So Flipper was buried at sea, or at least in the greater Jonesboro sewer system.
Tate doesn't know yet. I'm not sure how he'll take it. He actually helped Chuck feed them this afternoon. He's a tough kid. It probably won't even phase him. No condolence cards, please.

Jan 1, 2010

Tate's first pet

For Christmas Tate got an aquarium (among other things). Chuck set it up on Christmas day with the promise that Tate would get a fish very, very soon. Well Chuck left the day after Christmas on a scuba diving trip in Florida. Chuck and I talked about it and decided to wait until we were all together before buying a fish. Today was the big day!
After a late lunch we headed to Petco for what I suspect will be the first of many trips in the name of one of Tate's pets.


Tate was super excited about picking out a fish. Chuck and I both asked Tate several times, 'which one do you want?"
He kept going from tank to tank saying "that one... that one!"
Eventually, after Chuck talked with Jeff, the fish expert at the pet store, we decided on guppies. Obviously not my first pick, but apparently they are hard to kill. Instead they will reproduce, and if we need to thin out our fish population we can take them to Petco.



All settled in their new home are 2 male and 2 female guppies. For now. We don't have names for any of them yet. I'm sure there will be updates!