WORDS!!!!

I know that I talk about Tucker in pretty much every entry but he's just at such a funny stage and I want him to have a written journal of what he puts me through. HAHA! Someday he's going to have kids of his own and will wonder where the behavior came from:-)
Anyway, Darrin and I try relentlessly to teach him the difference between 'appropriate' words and 'inappropriate' words. This has forced us as parents to really watch what we say. The word, 'stupid' tends to be said a little too often and Tucker knows that this is a bad word. It seems that we all slip......me, Darrin, my mom, my dad........it's really hard to not say it. Everytime Tucker hears it......"Don't say dat! Dat's a bad wood!" He's corrected us all more than a few times.
I have also started using the common parenting technique of 'spelling' words out in order to avoid the nonstop questions. Last night, we were all over at my parents house. The kids had spent the day over there. I asked my mom if they had gotten in the "P-O-O-L". I did this because of course had I said the word outright, Tucker wouldn't give it up and would want to get in instead of getting ready to go home. As soon I spelled it out, he says and shakes his finger at me, "Don't say dat, Mom". I guess he's getting tired of being left out of the loop.

MY LIFE..............

Those of you that wonder what the luxurious life of Dina consists of........ this would be it -- putting out one fire after another;-) -- Like I've said before, I'd have it no other way:-) I can't even tell you what they are fighting over. LIFE IS GOOD.

OK, let me explain.......Tucker's most favorite'accessory' is his "work boots".........yes, those are my snow boots but.........play along........I walk into the room and, of course, I find him 'workin' on a project. Should a (almost) 3 year old be standing on a chair?.........no.........but come on, it is pretty funny:-)

Job well done!

The Power of Words........

OK, so I screwed up today....... Sawyer goes in later this morning for her 14 month well check-up. This is of course the 'yucky' appointment because it's the one where she will get a series of 4 different shots. Dumb me -- I began to tell Tucker that Mommy was taking Sawyer to the Dr. this morning and that 'Button' was coming over to play with him while we were gone. In the same conversation, I, not knowingly, divulge that Sawyer would be getting shots. Sometime during the last couple of weeks, Tucker has figured out guns and shooting and getting shot......none of which I'm very happy about. Well, he hears that Sawyer is getting shots and he breaks down in a total meltdown. I guess he thinks I'm letting her get 'shot'. Why did I even use that word?!? At least I know he genuinely cares about her;-)

Funny, Funny Tucker!...and Oh, so smart....

OK, so we're driving home from my parent's house tonight when Tucker claims that he wants to go to Best Buy to go shopping. Where this came from, we don't know.......Home Depot has always been his favorite hang-out. I asked him, "Where is your favorite place to go shopping, Tucker?" He waits a few seconds -- I'm thinking Home Depot will soon be the answer -- instead, being Little Mr. Random, he says, "Mommy not go shopping anymore. Mommy stays home." The stinker is a GENIUS!

Time.......

I spent this last week in Grand Island, NE helping with my grandmother's sale. She now lives in an independent retirement community and does not have room for all of her 'pretties'. It's very hard to go through her home and mark memories with a price tag. As my dad and I were driving home, I was thinking how amazing it was that that house was such an important part of my childhood. I think I remember more about my summers spent there than my life spent in my own home..........crazy.

Tucker and Sawyer spent the week with my mom. -- God Bless Her!!!! The kids love it there. I was only gone for 5 days but it seems like they each grew a couple of inches.

Tucker's birthday is coming up and they must have had a few conversations about it. I asked him what he wanted and his top items were, "a chainsaw, not 1, 2", and an "antweeder" -- translation: weed eater.

He also has a great memory. Mom had some pictures of my grandmother's 90th birthday party. He pointed out great 'button' (great grandma...all grandma's are 'button'...we don't know why) and Steve, my cousin who he hasn't seen in a couple of months. He also had quite a few funny things to say about my uncle:-)

A few pics of Summer '07 adventures

The kids at swim lessons with Ms. Linda



Sawyer and Papa driving the pontoon on Table Rock Lake.


Tucker taking over.

This is a picture of our completed kitchen. To see where we came from, scroll down a few entries and take a look at the 'demolition' phase. This is such an improvement!

I need to get better at posting more often!

As I'm looking at the blog, I realized the last post was on June 10th! So much has happened since then. Sawyer celebrated her 1st birthday on June 15th. She now has 2 TEETH! She's walking all over the place. I hate to say it, but she's starting to realize how easy it is for her to get away with things because she's the baby of the family. Whenever I leave the room I hear her give out a series of screams, I go running - thinking of course Tucker has hit, slapped, pinched, shoved, pulled her hair, etc. I go running in the room to find she is doing it just to get my attencion in hopes that Tucker will get in trouble for something. .......the baby of the family. The above pictures are her one year pics. The one on the right is Sawyer with her "Birthday" Tree and the one on the left was taken at her birthday party at Big Cedar in Branson.

Tucker is changing so much. He now talks NONSTOP. He literally does not stop from the time he wakes up to the time he falls asleep. Whatever happened to the days of a nice relaxing evening watching a show with no distractions........KIDS! But we'd have it no other way. We do find that we don't want to miss one word --- He's sooo funny. He was riding in Papa Willey's truck with Papa and Darrin one day. My dad and Darrin were having a conversation when Tucker kept trying to get their attencion. Pretty soon, "Hey, hey, listen up. I'm talking to you". How do you not laugh at that? What came next?......"Papa, you need to get a new pool." My dad's response, "You've been talking to your mom".

Another day Tucker kept persisting that it was his turn to fix supper. Of course, if he wasn't a 2 year old I would TOTALLY consider it. Darrin finally asked him what he was going to make. "I'm thinkin' chicken". .....too cute to hear it come out of a little curly blonde headed boy!

I will try to get more pics on. I need to talk to my good friend Jimmy and figure out how to position them differently.