Christmas at the Tatum house

"Is Santa coming to see us this Christmas?" asked Mady Kate. "Well, have you been a good girl this year?" I asked. " Most of the time!" she said. John and I laughed that night about how honest her answer was. If one added up all of the "good" things and then added up all of the "bad" things would Santa really not come. I know that this question has entered many children's minds over the years. I can see many lying in their beds on Christmas Eve and wondering, "will there be coal and switches in my stocking"or" Did Santa pass over our house". I will honestly say that as a child these thoughts came to my mind. Not that I was really "bad". But who knew. This year was particularly fun at our house. My parents, brother and grandmother were all there. Christmas Eve night Matt, John and Pappy went out of their way to excite the girls. They first went out to "feed" the reindeer, then we made Santa's plate along with his diet coke. For some reason Lucy thinks that Santa comes at midnight. She was frantic trying to get in the bed before "he" came. Every year I have a feeling of guilt on Christmas Eve. 1. We spent way too much money 2. Did we stress the true meaning of Christmas enough to the kids? 3. This is a big ole hoax!!!! We go through so much to keep the big secret( lie) from them. One of those big things we teach our sweet babies NOT to do. In 1985 I was in the first grade. Of course my parents had also gone out of their way to keep this from Matt and I. Santa would always eat his cookies and milk and then leave the nicest thank-you note on the napkin that we had left for him. Only thing was that I had picked up on my parents handwriting by then. I quickly went to my mom and asked her if I was right. She confirmed and I began to ball, not cry, ball. then asked if I could tell Matt. Mom said that he already knew. How sweet, he kept that to himself for how many years? See Matt, you do love me.

Lucy, Mady Kate and Jack were not the only children at our house this Christmas.

Jack was pretty sweet with that reindeer outfit on. It had reindeer on the feet too.

Even though the football was as big as he was, John thought that he would take to it right off. Go long...

This picture was one of many like this. There is a delay on the camera and Jack would turn and look at the tree every time.

Jack had so much fun playing with Gram, Pappy and Nana.

This was Christmas morning. Jack got a Jumperoo. He loves it. (not shown)

Lucy's favorite gift was her pug Webkin and Mady Kate's was her "chocolate baby" Cocoa.

This was taken about 2 minutes before they went into the living room to see their toys. All of the adults had to go to the bathroom, make the coffee and start the video camera.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas as well. Please keep us in your prayers as we have many big decisions ahead of us.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!

Merry Christmas

Merry CHRISTmas Y'all!!!!

Mady Kate is reading Jack the Christmas story. She told me that Jack didn't know about Jesus being born yet. She never looked at the pages so he could look at the pictures.

Picture of the Week

Jack finally realized it was himself looking back in the mirror. He was very serious about it all.

Wednesday night we were getting ready to go to church and Lucy asked. "Moma, what shoes do you want me to wear?" I said, "your white Keds" Lucy responded, " you're not supposed to wear white shoes after St. Patrick's Day" She is so interested in those kind of things, she just has not quite gotten it.

We have all been out in the stores alot lately, squeezing down isles, waiting in lines and searching for the best prices. One of my least favorite places to go during this time is Wal-Mart. It seems that everyone brings their whole family and doesn't mind standing in the isle blocking just the items that one needs. I always seem to grab the cart that cla-clunks down the isle and the handle is so sticky with who knows what that you want to steer with your elbows, but one wheel wants to do it's own thing, so elbows are not going to work. You are using so many muscles trying to keep it in the "road" that you leave the place sore. There are 500 checkout lanes and only about 4 actual checkers per side. Let's not forget the self-check lanes. It never fails, someone tries to check themselves out , using the self-checker, for the first time during Christmas!!!!! They stand there searching frantically for the bar code, the item usually scans twice and the lady asleep behind the desk with the best attitude has to come a clear it out. Back to scanning and the customer is now talking to themselves blaming the dumb machine for not "doing" it right. Finally time to pay, and the customer can't seem to find where to put their money. The customer grabs their receipt, dripping in sweat and storms off mad at the whole place for being slow. Leaving the store walking out of the EXIT side, I am met by at least 8-10 people ENTERING in through the EXIT. Can this many people in one group not read. You know it is not easy trying to get out with a full clunkity-clunk cart, a baby, two little girls and being met by a group of people so anxious to get in that they can't even walk a couple of more steps to enter through the ENTER doors. Folks, let's all make it a smidge easier for other shoppers this season and enter through the ENTER doors and exit out of the EXIT doors. I know that I am up on my soapbox and a little perturbed. I just needed to get that off my chest!!! It helped. Thank you. Good luck out there.

Hungry Jack

Hungry Jack

Lately Jack has been really hungry. I can feed him and 30 minutes later he is ready to eat again. I talked to his pediatrician about this and she suggested giving him rice cereal. She said because he is a preemie, that he might not eat well but to try anyway. So we tried last night...

Just as I thought. He loved it!!!!! His arms and legs were moving like he was riding a bike.

I thought he was going to eat the spoon out of my hand. I don't think that the fact that he is a preemie is going to bother Jack's eating. I wish you could have heard him smacking his lips.

Got Milk?

Jack really enjoyed his first "meal"

John's surgery went well today. We got home about 5:15 this afternoon. I couldn't believe that he insisted on walking out of the hospital. He is now in the bed and working on recovering soon. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers.

This summer before and after I had Jack, I had to really depend on John and my mom. They had to prepare meals, wait on me hand and foot, help me bathe among other things. I told them on several occasions that I appreciated their help so much. John said on more than one account that one day I could pay him back. Well, now I get my chance. John is having surgery Wednesday morning. I figure it will be Saturday before he will feel okay. I will have plenty of time to pamper him and make sure that he feels like every need is being met. Please remember him in your prayers. Actually, all of us. We all will be "displaced" tomorrow. I will let everyone know how it goes. Thanks you for your prayers.

All I want for Christmas

PICTURE OF THE WEEK

All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth!!!

I personally, have never known someone who was toothless at Christmas time. It just cracks me up. I took this picture right after she got out of the tub tonight. Her hair is quite beautiful in this picture I see. ha.

I have heard my mother say in the past that she has a"good smeller". I know exactly what she's talking about because I inherited that trait. She and I can smell really well. John has had to get up many times during the night to go see if the attic is on fire or if the dryer is about to blow. I can walk in a department store by the perfume counter and suddenly in my mind be sitting in my grandmother, Ammo's, living room just by the smell of "Estee". I can open a fresh box of band-aids and be at the "bo-bo house" in Jena in a snap. Matt called the Health Dept. the bo- bo house. Oh, and honeysuckle. I am riding bikes with Matt and our neighbor, Katie Wilson on the "Junior High trails" and with that overwhelming smell we had to stop and drink the honeysuckle. That was fun stuff. I say all of this because I came across a smell today that brought back a vivid memory...

Jack had his 4 month check-up with his pediatrician this morning. His doctor checked him out from head to toe and then he received 3 shots which he did not enjoy. He got a good report except for an ear infection and a cold. Bless his little bones, he couldn't even tell his mommy. That makes me sad, you know? Anyway, he was given an antibiotic called Cefzil. Not that it matters. Then we all traipsed into CVS and waited to have his prescription filled. While we were waiting we saw many people come and go through the "fancy" drugstore waiting room. Oh, and by the way, this is a side note. The lady behind the counter was quite distraught over all of the people waiting for her to call their name. She kept coming over to the little room and asking our names( the ones who were waiting). I heard Jones, Willis, Brown, me, Tatum and then from a man next to me, sdjfhdhjsonliu. Folks, this is what I heard and obviously what the kind lady heard but she was not going to admit it. Five minutes later the lady is back for Willis and then says," Can everyone give their names again". So, Jones, Brown, Tatum and iqkdirndk. Confused, she said Thank you. she returns to the "outbox" and thumbs through the bags of drugs. She comes back and says, "Ma'am, what is your name". I said, "Tatum", with a slightly raised voice so she would be sure to hear and remember me. "Okay" 3 minutes pass and she comes out to the man next to me and finally asks, "Sir, would you please spell your name"? Again, very hard to understand so she asks him to spell once more. He replies" Look lady, I only have 2 teeth can you give me a pen". Needless to say, it took alot for me not to die out laughing. Again, my memory, I'm sorry. When we got home from the drugstore I opened the bag and saw that his medicine had to be refrigerated. Before I put it up, I measured out his first dose. When I opened that bottle, it all started coming back. Matt and I had taken that same medicine when we were kids and I still remembered the smell. I have to admit that one day, as a child, I was looking in the refrigerator for something drink and could not find anything I wanted. I took that bottle of Cefzil and chugged it. Isn't that awful. But, you know, that stuff was good and cold. Someone didn't get all of their antibiotic because I was drinking it as if it were kool-aid. I'm sorry Mom for drinking the medicine. Just thought I would share.