Summer Time = Swimming Time

Swimming is my favorite part of summer, and this year Tatum is just big enough to safely enjoy the pleasures of the local public pool.  The only way to enter in or out of a public pool is via the ladder (or jumping), there are no steps and the "shallow ends" starts at 3 feet.  She tends to hang out on the ladder, climbing up the ladder, stepping to the side and jumping into my arms from the side. 

A happy swimmer needs snacks on the return trip home!

Our first visit to the pool this summer was an experience in setting limits.  A month before Tatum received a towel as a birthday gift, which she adores.  We started our pool experience, as we do every time, by laying our towels out by the pool and then going over to the water and getting in.  Tatum developed a pleasured habit of getting out of the pool, going to her towel, straightening it or laying down on it, then returning to the pool.  At one point she insisted that I too join her on this back and forth adventure, so I did.  What I realized was that she was trying to get me out of the pool so that she could get in by herself.  Two is the age of fierce autonomy, and I try to support it as much as I can while remaining safe.  So, as Tatum insisted through her communication that I stay out of the pool, I squatted at the water's edge and watched her go down the ladder and jump in.  I must say that is quite brave, but a bad idea when you can't swim.  Immediately I was in the water and picked her up and out of the water.  Tatum was only under for a moment, but enough to experience that she needed her mom to swim.  I held her as she cried and wiped and the water from her eyes explaining that babies need their mommas in the water so that we can keep our little ones safe.  She agrees.

This happened in June, but we've continued to return to the pool at least once a week when it is hot. 

Expecting Good News...

Our trip home in May resulted in more surprises than we could have ever asked for - on Tatum's birthday we found out that we were going to give her the best present of all, a new sibling!  That is right, we are pregnant and expecting our second child in January 2011.

So Tatum was our Belly Bean, and this new little life's in utero name is Tummy Nut.  We are parents who plan, so we expect to find out if Tummy Nut is a boy or girl in the next few months. We also expect to find out if it is a singleton or twin in two weeks... but we're just going to assume now there is only one.    In the mean time, I thought it would be fun to post a poll on Tatum's new sibling... brother or sister? 

Tatum has already taken to the idea of momma having a baby.  She knows the babe is in my tummy, growing every day.  At night sometimes she will lean over, pull up my shirt and kiss my belly saying "hi brother" - so yes, Tatum is thinking it's a boy; but we think sister is just too hard to say.

Preschool Adventures

Tatum turning two has brought many changes, and the biggest of all is her enrollment in preschool.  Tatum has been in a home day care since she was 3 months old, cared and loved for by the wonderful Salazar family.  We have greatly appreciated the security the Salazar family provided Tatum, but our social butterfly needed to spread her wings and fly into a new social situation. 

After searching for a few months, I finally looked to our neighboring city of Glendale and found Glendale Preschool and Kindergarten.  We scheduled a visit and were instantly on-board for enrollment.  They provide Tatum snacks in the morning and afternoon, a hot lunch every day, and a two hour nap.  Kids mostly play in their outdoor space, but also spend scheduled time inside reading, playing, and creating art.   The website posts all the information, so interested grandparents, I encourage you to visit the link.  Then you can know what Tatum is having for lunch everyday!

   

Tatum has her own cubbie, were kids store their backpacks.  Granted, the backpacks are mostly empty tokens of maturity; used for transporting a change of clothes, snacks, and an occasional piece of art.  But girl was I excited to purchase a backpack for Tatum.  "Back Pack" - she loves the gesture of wearing in the morning and returning with it at the end of day. 

She has done an excellent job in the transition.  Her teachers, Ms. Ingrid, Ms. Wendy, and Ms. Allison love her and said she is "just super easy.  easy to sleep, easy to eat, easy to play."   That's our girl!

Two Cool

Tatum celebrated her 2nd birthday in Princess Style!

Homeward Bound

This year for Tatum's second birthday we decided to spend it in North Carolina with our family.  Since Tatum was turning two, she had her own seat of the plane.  YAHOO!  For us parents if felt like we were rolling in first class.

We spent the first weekend at my sister's new home in Davidson.  Did you know that snuggies are great for creating magic carpet rides?  Well, there is no photo to prove it, but these cousins had a ball of a time together.

We then traveled to the coast of NC where my folks rented a house on the beach of Oak Island.  We choose Oak Island because it is near Southport where Mimi and Boo live on their boat.  GiGi (Grandma Great) came down from Michigan to celebrate this time with us and my brother's graduation from ECU with a MBA.   We enjoyed four days of relaxing on the serene coast and eating lots of Carolina grub. 

The trip ended with a party at Tatum's cousins' house in Mt. Holly.  Our niece Sophia turned 3 on May 17th, so the families came together to celebrate a royal event with a princess theme. 

Thank you Mimi and Boo and Lala A for helping us come home to celebrate!