Master of his Domain

I figured before Tate turned three, I better get another update on what he's been up to this past month.  Tate is such a funny boy he really keeps us laughing all the time.  Tate is slowly learning how to be a "good" big brother.  Now that Blake crawls and has access to the toys, we are going through some serious "mine-itis."  Everything is Tate's.  Nothing is Blake's (even Blake's toys).  Tate is trying to share more and if Blake is playing with something Tate wants, Tate asks Blake first to use it before just pushing him out of the way.  Tate is a great cheerleader for Blake though.  When Blake crawls or eats a fish cracker by himself Tate exclaims (while clapping), "he did it mom.  Blake ate it!"  Tate is also really good at being silly for Blake and making him laugh.

Funny Smiles Boys.

 Tate continues to have a love affair with balloons.  I think currently we have about 3 helium filled balloons floating around the house and about 5 or 6 being kicked around on the ground.  I had a Valentine's Day stash of red balloons and he found those and kept insisting "one more.  Blow up one more."  Every couple days the "balloon-deflater-fairy" visits our house at night:)

Learning how to jump in bed.

 Tate also loves dancing.  He has a basket full of all his favorite CD's and he'll carry around his CD player to all the different rooms in the house; plugs it in and wants everyone to dance.  He found one of John's old Creed CD's and loved it.  I would try getting him to switch CD's and he wouldn't.  I'm not sure who he gets this from because Pelton's don't dance and the Krohn I married certainly doesn't either.

I LOVE to dance!

This was another picture I got off Tate's camera.  Obviously, it is about 6 months old or so.  Brothers who love Sesame Street!  Tate still loves getting out the baby stuff and playing with it.  I think he fits in the Bumbo seat better than Blakey does.  Not as often now, but Tate will occasionally want to be carried like a baby to bed and wrapped up in his blankets like Blake.  Tate even has this play binkie that he'll want in his mouth for fun.  It just seems so wrong to me to see Tate with a binkie.   

What a nice brother I am using Blake like a foot rest.

I asked Tate what kind of birthday party he wanted and he thought diggers would be good.  We live in an area that seems to have some kind of construction going on all the time.  One of our favorite things to "spy" in the car is dozers, diggers, and bobcats.  Stay tuned to see how well I can make a digger cake?! 

"I want a digger cake."

Tate loves grandma!  She teaches him all kinds of things-like how to lace up the cow not just put a leash on him and walk him around the house.  Now that I'm not teaching up in Kirkland that much anymore (just an occasional sub job), Tate doesn't get his "grandma dates" as often-to all of our detriments.  I still try and give grandma as many opportunities as she'd like to have Tate dates (anytime grandma!).  The last time Tate went to grandma's he came home with his own custom-pillowtop for his mattress, a game, and a homemade parachute!  Seriously, grandma is the greatest:)

We love grandma!

Tate loves reading.  He is getting good at reading his favorite books back to John and me.  He's got "Brown Bear Brown Bear" down really well.  That's what he was reading to Blake way back when . . . We've also started reading the Family addition of the Book of Mormom each night and he always wants to see the picture of Jesus that's in the front. 

I can read.

I think Tate's love of cooking comes from both sides of the family.  John's mom is a great cook and I think being in the kitchen just runs in my mom's veins:)  Most of the time I love having Tate as my little helper.  This particular time he was helping me make Blake's Elmo cake.  He's especially good at licking the beaters.  Lately, he's taken an interest in knives and cutting.  He moves his stool over to the knife block and gets one, a cutting board and asks for something to cut.  We've been practicing keeps his fingers back so he doesn't lose them and we don't have to make a trip to the ER!  He's good at cutting bananas and playdough. 

Next Top Chef in the making.

We took advantage of the one day we got sun last week and headed out for a walk.  It's always nice to have company and we were glad Spencer invited us out!  Tate, Mr. Independent, brought his own stroller.  He did pretty well pushing it the entire walk until the last couple blocks.  Luckily, that one folders up and fits underneath the bigger stroller I was pushing Blake in.  It only took me a couple times of trying to maneuver two strollers home until I figured that trick out (I'm quick I know).  Tate does the cutest thing when he hears something like airplanes when we're outside.  He'll put his hand up to his ear like he's trying to hear something, stop,  and say "what's that sound?"    

Me and my buddy Spencer.



Tate is a goofy boy.  He says the funniest thing these days.  Here are some of the most common phrases:

-"Poop it out!"  (Guess how much I like that one)

-"Okay, my dear."  (He says that when he asks me for something he can't have.  It makes me laugh every time because he says it in his best mom impression)

-After turning out all the lights "now you can see better."

-"Nothing to be afraid of."

-"Kidding me Toots."

-"Put Blake down!" 

-"That's a T for Tate."

-"That's disgusting."

-"Hummus is good for us.  Makes my penis grow strong."  (Um, I have NO idea where this came from.  I couldn't believe it when he said that tonight.  John was halfway down the stairs when he heard that and asked if that's what Tate really said.  Yup.  Tate said it so matter-of-factly.  Cracked me up. . .

Let me know if that was inappropriate to include.)