The Journey of Parenthood…

Tess Monthly Summary: May 2017

This is Tess’s summary of May:

Tess is my first summer baby and because of that it never even crossed my mind about celebrating her birthday at school. Her teacher let me know they’d be celebrating all the summer birthdays during the last week of the school year. Which was great (and super cute b/c TONS of kids had summer birthdays!). But it also caused Tess to be SUPER confused about when her birthday actually is. Since her class celebration anytime we celebrate anyone else’s birthday she insists it’s HERS. ha! This has been advantageous though b/c I think she’s more pumped about her birthday party than any of my kids ever have been before 🙂 

She got a special birthday sticker and crown and is so sweet when saying her prayers (here’s a video)

And everyone sang! (video)

She was SO PROUD!

Got that snack hook up!

It was so fun celebrating my sweet girl, a couple months early 🙂

I will discuss this more in her school work review but she has done SO WELL the second half of the year. Her evaluation was SO much better. My favorite part though? When asked her name she said “Tessie” 😉

She had SO much fun at Water Day! I didn’t attend this year but Aunt Casey sent me this cutie pic!

The big exciting thing for Mommy this month was that G-Mama got the ball rolling on poop training with Tess. BRING IT ON!

Tess is much more girly than Britt was at the same age and I’m sure it’s because she does have that older sister influence. I love that she enjoys dress up and it’s such a great thing about having a third kid. I’m much more appreciative of each little stage and phase and want to savor each moment. So when she wanted to wear her Tinkerbelle costume in public? We went for it! Seeing all the smiles from others was so fun and I don’t want her to grow out of this dress up phase 🙂


Tess is very independent (my most independent child, by far) and loves to HELP. If others are doing something, then she’s right there doing it too. The big kids enjoy helping pick up the juice cups after services and Tess is a great helper too!

The independence is WONDERFUL and I encourage it like crazy…but it has it’s negatives too. Because she does want to do everything on her own it takes longer and she may get frustrated when she simply can’t do something. She also can be stubborn when she does something HER way and wants to keep it the way SHE did it. Like her shoes. She likes to wear them on the wrong feet and just sticks with it even when it has to be super uncomfortable!

Tess still very much loves animals and it amazes me how she’ll hear a bird chirp in an area surrounded by loud cars and how she’ll spot a small lizard in a large bush. She just has a special way with all things animal. This video is so cute when she was talking to the birds and asking them to come over to her! Here’s a video!

I’ve never been one to be all about my kids doing a sport but MAN Tess really needs to be in gymnastics. After seeing her do some awesome stuff for her age at Friday Frolic I looked into it and they offer a class in her age group at the same time Britt has her class so it’d work out great. BUT it’s $55 a month AND it goes against our whole thing about waiting until our kids ask to do something. At the same time she just really loves gymnastics and is good at it! She will go across the beam by herself and even pose at the end, totally untaught. She is brave and has great balance and tons of upper body strength. I’m torn b/c on the one hand I don’t want to spend the money or sign her up for something when she’s not asked to do it and on the other hand I hate for her to be missing out on something she could have real talent with. I know we probably won’t enroll her. I feel very much the same way when it comes to Britt and swim. And Kye and golf. They have natural talents but I don’t want to push them into things. Guess I will just cross fingers that Tess chooses gymnastics when the time comes 😉 

Speaking of gymnastics she’s so funny when we take Britt as she just LOVES the water fountain!

Tess is my slllloweeest eater evvvver. Not in the way that Britt was slow. She’s not complaining and refusing to eat. She’s just a SLOW eater. Even things she enjoys eating, she takes a long time to do so! It’s tough in our rush-rush-rush sort of lifestyle and she’s learning to hurry up when it is a more rushed situation! 

Tess loves to play dr! She also loves to wake up around 6:45 every morning. Even in summer. I’m in a sweet spot with the older two because their lamps come on and they know to play quietly, but Tess is another story. I’m considering putting a lamp on a timer in her room and letting her get up too? Am I crazy?

All wrapped up and no where to go 😉 

Tess loves games! We pulled out some of our preschool level games this month and she’s really enjoying them! I know at this age Kye and Britt had baby siblings so pretty soon we’ll probably start including Tess in on game time as a family!

Tess loves to craft and color and use stamps and stickers

She also loves loves loves reading! We moved all of our favorite family books into our living room not long ago and I’m glad for the switch. Tess will often be found in the living room just reading away!

Tess is also very sneaky about her siblings things and as soon as they aren’t looking she’ll snatch ’em up! 

“Say Cheese Mommy”

These are the kind of moments that remind us we have three kids haha! Tess slid one of her books into the thin area between the fridge and the cabinet casing. It was quite the adventure! 

My sweet girl! She adores her mama. She is the most clingy to me out of all three kids (and always has been). She insists on me tucking her in every night and always calls out for me to come back and sing one more time. I love it 😉 

Videos:

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