Hop on Pop and Current Obsessions

I constantly forget that Tatum isn't two yet. He sings the alphabet song, he counts the steps as we go downstairs each morning (up to 13!) and his language skills make me smile. (Ahem, brag much mommy?! I can't seem to help myself!) He's currently into asking "What are you doing?" and if he's across the room and I'm having a conversation with Sarah or Bruce, he'll run over and ask, "What are you saying?" His big catch phrase right now is "something else"--I'll be singing him a song and he'll interrupt and ask for "something else," or we'll be eating breakfast and mid-bowl-of-oatmeal, he'll start insisting on "something else!" I hope it's a passing phase.

He's absolutely OBSESSED with match box and hot wheel cars. He plays with them first thing in the morning and often falls asleep clutching one or two at night. I love hearing the names he comes up with for them: "flame truck, little delivery van, big kahuna, racer race car, shiny tires" etc. There's some construction happening near where we live (a retirement living community) and we walk over to watch the trucks at least once a day. He knows them all: dump truck, forklift, backhoe loader, excavator, bulldozer. Sometimes I hear him repeating the names of the trucks to himself as he falls asleep at night. I foresee a car- or truck-themed 2nd birthday in our future!

He recently got his first big shiner--a black eye that's been there for over a week now! I can't even say exactly how it happened. I think he may have walked into the corner of our table; I was cleaning out one of the cabinets in the kitchen at the time and didn't see him when it happened. :(

I tried to get a picture of it the next morning, but it's fainter than I thought in this one (I think it got darker over the next day or so, poor kiddo):

Isn't this how everyone watches football?

Helping mommy work.

(Notice there's a car clutched in his hand in every single picture! Seriously, if we go to the park, he tries to climb the playground equipment while holding a car. Music class? We take a car. Bathtime? Car. OBSESSED! At least it doesn't have to be one specific car or truck--his favorites seem to alternate.)

Fall Fun

We've had some big happenings this fall! For one, Tatum started SCHOOL! Okay, so it's a gathering of two-year-olds that takes place one day a week from 9:30 - 11 AM, and parents are included. So not exactly school...but he calls it "class" and he's so excited about it!

We start each class with some play time downstairs at the church. The kids pick between riding in cars, climbing on equipment, playing at the train table, and so on.

(The age range is actually something like 18 months to 3+, in case you're wondering about the size variation of some of these kiddos! The other little boy in this picture attends with his little brother, and I think he's closer to 4.)

Then the class lines up and heads upstairs for snack and story time. They wash their hands and sit around a table. It's so sweet and grown-up!

In addition to "school", we've visited a local farm for hayrides, apple picking, and lots of climbing, jumping and exploring.

There were even "corn boxes" filled with corn instead of sand! So cool.

It's hard to beat a beautiful fall day on the farm--especially when it's spent with good friends (Stephanie and the beautiful Miss Lucy).

And you can't beat a giant slide that goes from the top of the hill all the way down to the orchard below!



Later, pardners.