Talking Tanner

 

Tanner has been speaking up a storm! As a baby and toddler, he's always been vocal and good with his words (and signs). I think between April and July, we witnessed a huge growth spurt of vocabulary and streaming words into sentences. I love this age! It's so fascinating how literally overnight they just start talking like a real person! By his birthday, he was speaking 4 and 5 word sentences on a very regular basis. This past month we've heard lots of 6 and 7 word sentences and sometimes are graced with even longer ones. It's so fun to get a better sense of his feelings, opinions, ideas and even his imagination. Here's just a few that I've written down over the past couple of months. 

(The pictures are recent random shots, not related to the quotes)

SL: Where did Dada go?

T: He's sad. Dada sad.

SL: Why is he sad?

T: Sleep. Wanna go sleep.

Tanner was right. Earlier, Jeremy had been complaining about being tired.

T: Sorry, Mama. No poh-blem.

T: Don't fall, Me. Don't fall!

T: (after he had a sneeze) Bless you, Me.

In May, before Dallin was born, Tanner made his first dirty joke:
Yucky poopy! (laughing) Yuuucky pooooopieeee! (more laughs) YuMMmy poopy, Dada. Yummy!! (laugh and tons of giggles)

 

 SL: What did you learn about in nursery today?
T: I go nuhsey.
SL: Yes, you went to nursery today. Did you learn about Jesus?
T: Yes.
SL: Who is Jesus?
T: Umm. God.

July 5
T: I want a lot of orange juice, Mama, please?
(whoah! Nine words!)

We saw a deer on our lawn a few days after 4th of July. Jeremy videoed for a while and then the deer ran off.
T: I see mama deer! I see dada deer.
J: Hey, where did our flag go?
SL: It disappeared yesterday.
J: Maybe the deer ate it, haha.
-A few minutes later-
T: Oh no! Mama deer ate flag. Dada deer ate flag... choking, choking! Mama deer ate flag!
SL: That's right, if the deer ate the flag, he would be choking on it.
T: Choking, choking, CHOKING! Oh no!
SL: But you don't need to worry, Tanner. The deer didn't really eat the flag.
T: Dada deer, mama deer, baby deer eat flag. Choking! Choking! Choking!
SL: No, sweetie. They didn't really eat the flag... Jeremy! Tell Tanner that the deer didn't eat the flag!
Tanner still brings this up every now and then. It's amazing to me that he was able to imagine the deer eating the flag and then realize that they would choke!

T: Mama's two boys crying!
(but it sounds more like "kwy-ing")

 Adult in grocery store: What's your name?
T: ME!
Adult: How old are you?
T: ME!
It took him about two weeks to figure out that the correct answer to "how old are you" is "2." But he still doesn't tell his name. In fact, I've never heard him say his own name.

SL: Tanner, you seem extra cranky today. Or maybe, are you normally this ornary?
T: (cheerfully) YYYes!

T: I need my hammah! I need my shoe-dgivah. (screwdriver)
T: I'm fixing table. I wanna fix another table!
Except that Tanner can't pronounce "ix" very well yet. He says "uk" instead. So it really sounds like he is saying...
T: I'm f@!#ing table. I wana f@#! another table.
One night he said it over and over again! It was so hilarious, especially because Jeremy kept trying to correct him.
J: Oh, you mean your fiXxxing the table?
T: NO! I'm f@!#ing the table!!
I was rolling with laughter. Haven't laughed that much in a long time!

T: I'm coming....toy!

T: Mmm. Nice and fruity!

 J: What do you think about girls, Tanner?
T: Loud.
J: Ya. They are loud. What do girls sound like when they scream?
T: Elephant.

 T: Fiya-wuhk up in sky! Up high in sky! Ah moon!

T: I'm cooking in my pot. HOT, mama. Don't touch it! Get burn on finguh.
SL: Okay, I won't touch it.
T: Don't touch it, Hot, HOT.

T: DINNER READY! (Except it sounds more like dinnuh weddy!! He screams it really loud to Jeremy)

T: I'm writing. Look it, aMMMazing! Amazing pay-puh!

 T: I'm washing fishie. Get the eyes... now mouth... now nose... all clean fishie!

SL: Heavenly Father is watching over you all the time, Tanner.
T: Faduh in sky.
SL: Yep, he kind of is in the sky, watching from heaven.

J: Lets do some counting. One, two...
T: One, two, three, pancake!
J: What? Okay, let's start over. One two three four...
T: No! one, two, three PANCAKE!
J: We don't have any pancakes. Let's start again. One...
T: two three, pancake! (giggles and laughter).

(While reading alphabet book)
SL: A says "a." A-a-apple.
T: a-a-apple. a-a-ant. (turn the page) a-a-baby! a-a-car!

SL: Tanner, who do we talk to when we pray?
T: Jesus.
SL: Yes, we talk to God, and we pray in Jesus' name.
SL: Where is God?
T: Scriptures.
J: Yes, that's where we read about God!

T: I'm working hard, Mama.

T: I want back in shower. I want Dada.
SL: Are you jealous that Dallin gets a turn with Dada? Are you jealous?
T: No, I'm BOY!

Tanner, like all kids this age, is quite the little parrot and we have to be careful what we say! The other day, I couldn't find my bra. Tanner was paying attention and soon was screaming at the top of his lungs.
T: Jeremy!!! I can't find my BRA!!

This Boy has HAIR

Independence Day!

In the morning, the boys washed our cars.

Dallin and I made 4th of July food.

Fruit Platter

Fruit Pizza- strawberries, blueberries, kiwi and pineapple.

Taco Salad

We went to a party with friends from church. We got some good pics of Tanner being Mr. Observant. In new situations, he always observes for about 20 minutes before getting out and socializing. He is quite the observer (which I think is great because as a teacher I notice the observant kids end up being more successful in reading, writing, science, sports, dancing, singing, and creative play).

On our way to the firework show at the park.

At the playground with hundreds of kids.

A bunch of people from our ward (church) sat together. They all bring glow sticks and the kids like for everyone to wear them. I brought bubbles for Tanner, and soon a huge flock of kids were chasing bubbles with us. I also brought sparklers, and surprisingly, most of the kids from church had not played with them ever before, so they loved it! I spent the week training Tanner at home on how to hold the sparklers without getting burned. He is really good at holding them and for some reason likes to make the sparklers touch grass, bushes and trees. Don't worry, we've had way too much rain here for anything to catch fire from his sparklers.

Jeremy and Dallin rested while I took Tanner to go catch fireflies. It was our first time really being outside late enough to see them. He loved them and now he looks out his bedroom window at night and can spot them down in our yard and across the street.

Here is the band shell where the symphony played during the firework show. The fireworks shoot up right above the shell! Tanner LOVED the fireworks. (We talked with him about it lots and lots to prepare him). Throughout the 30+ minute show, he shouted, "Wow! Loud! Yay! Loud, loud! Big fiyawuk! Up in sky! Loud, loud! BIG one, dada! Pretty!" I covered Dallin's ears while he laid in the carseat. He only flinched a little at the end during the finale.

To sum it all up, our fourth of July was AWESOME. It's my favorite holiday (other than Easter). The best part about it this year was being with all 3 of my boys! I felt a lot of joy because I realized that without American freedoms, I wouldn't be able to enjoy my family as much as I do. America allows our family to live peacefully, to own our own land, to seek our own wealth and happiness. These blessings mean a lot more to me now that we have our own little family on our own little land with a new job and new adventures ahead of us. We are so blessed and proud to be American!!