Category: Totally Tatum

He always goes above and beyond! Every Sunday, he makes our bed with fresh linens, folds the laundry (he’s an engineer, so guess how perfect it’s creased and folded?)

Also, he always is paying attention to the beautification of the outside of our home. The roses, the lemons, the banana trees…even the organization of the garage.

I am so grateful for him and all he does for us!!!

When I taught 7th and 8th grade, I taught an easy graphic organizer to help plan a 5-paragraph essay.

I taught it to Tatum! It was like all of that work I did as a teacher came back around to give me a little gift to help my daughter. LOVE IT!

Here it is. I had her write on WHY EVERYONE SHOULD OWN A PET.

3/15/24

Why you should own a pet!

By Tatum Isabella Hay

Kids need a buddy: someone to hold and play with. A dog is furry, cats are lazy, birds are adorable and fun, and there are so many other pets for your child. But most importantly, all kids should own a pet because they bring joy to the family, they can play with kids, and they teach responsibility. 

I will never forget the day I got my pet bird Amarillo. He was so active and gave me tons of kisses. He was so tweety that I was going to name him Tweety, but my mom said that since he was yellow, I should name him Amarillo. He is a cute bundle of joy. He says pretty bird, RB hee, kiss kiss, make a Kissy noise, baby, and Copper. He always makes me smile. Birds like him can bring so much joy to any family. 

Another reason you should own a pet is they can be so playful. For instance, Amarillo will play nonstop for about an hour straight every single day. He will give kisses to you in a humorous way and try to kiss our dog Cooper. He will play with himself in the mirror and sing to his disco ball and other fun toys. You should get a parakeet just for fun and laughs.

Finally, the third reason you should have a pet is because it teaches you responsibility. Are your kids always leaving their toys out? Well, if you get them a pet, they will have to learn to take care of themselves and their pet. For example, you want to make sure that they have fresh food, water, and a clean habitat. Also, if you own a dog, you might have to take them on walk. All in all, you will learn to become responsible with owning a pet.

In conclusion, pets are great to bring joy to your family. They are great playmates, and they teach responsibility. So go out and buy a pet. 

SO proud of her efforts!

Tatum agreed to sponsor him for $60/month.

She wrote him an intro letter.

She insisted she will pay. Now, this has motivated her to start her own business. TATUM’S TERRIFIC TREATS.

She got to work in her “office.”

Then she approached me with some “business ideas,” and we took notes.

Products: Dog treats, bookmarks, lemonade, cookies. Hours of operation as you can see.

Prices? bookmarks: $1 and Dog treats: $5/big dog; $3/small dog; Lemonade/cookies $5. (or separately $2)

She’s got her goals and her plans.

Now to work! First step, book marks.

We got a nice start on a few so far. Stay tuned!

She’s adding to her story. I love her venue for writing! It’s 70 degrees and perfect out.

CONTINUTATION OF CHAPTER TWO

That night as I was putting my pajamas on my mom walked in. “Hey bud?” She asked planting herself on my bed. “Yeah?” She shifted, as if she was nervous about telling me. “How….no.” she was obviously not getting anywhere so I changed the subject. “Hey mom can Scooter come over tomorrow?” She stood up and grasped my hands. “No. We are….no you are going to have a brother.” My heart stopped. “You mean you’re pregnant?” “No.” Mom hesitated. “He’s adopted.” She motioned toward the door right as it opened. In walked a black kid around 12 years old. I stood there barely breathing. He had short thick curly black hair that was so short you could just see it on his neck and his head. But what made me gag was the fact that he had the same pajamas on as me. 

I stared at the tree feeling tears roll down my cheeks. “Do hate me?” I turned to see Thomas standing there with tears rolling down his cheeks too. “No. I think you’re a cool guy.” He stared at me. “Me to.” 

CHAPTER THREE

“There needs to be a world separate from siblings and fights and most importantly away from parents and rules.” I looked up. “Mom do really expect me to believe this junk?” “Yes.”  I glanced at Thomas who was still typing away at ‘my’ computer. “What else does it say?” Thomas asked, looking up. “Uh…that’s it.” “You mean that’s all he could write was that!” Thomas asked looking at me. “Yeah I guess so.” “Who is it?” “Who is who?” “The author.” “Uh…” I could feel my cheeks get hot. “Well?” This time mom asked it with a tone of annoyance . “Uh…me.” I said my cheeks burning. “You!?” They both yelled in unison. “Yep.” I went to my room. 

Her writing keeps getting better. We are doing “GRAMMAR” through her writing! I love this way to teach grammar. This is the UNEDITED version. LOL

Today, I got this text:

MELT. She is so good to me and I feel so honored to be her mommy.

We also just joined a HOMESCHOOL GROUP!! And Tatum led the Book Club. We are reading Mysterious Benedict Society, and Tatum led the 5 girls in a talk. First time! SO proud of her.

Later on, she helps Daddy with the yard.

I love having her home!!!

She even mows the lawn!?

Go TATIE TOT!

What will Daddy do now on Saturdays? Has he been displaced!?

He works so hard behind the scenes to make sure the space station and all its equipment work. How can anyone know? There’s no fanfare or celebration for this. UNLESS IT DOESN’T WORK! HA!
Well, Doug works at leading this charge, and today, one of our country’s astronauts visited Honeywell to meet the crew led by my honey.

I’m so proud of you honey!
xo

On her breaks, she loves to imagine as she walks outside. Along with basketball hooping, she is constantly thinking, imagining, pretending, and creating!
I LOVE IT!

And when she comes in from her breaks, I’ll have some lunch ready for her. Today, I wanted her to know how proud I was of her efforts with some “bubbly!”

And then there are sometimes friends that pop by for playdates. Felicity is so special to us (And her little sister)

And every morning, we gather for our lessons. We just started a new book called WINGLESS> It’s an honor to be part of a HOMESCHOOL group for the pre-launch of this book. Stay tuned for more!

She and Daddy made it all come alive with some fresh basil to begin. Oh, the joy!

I cannot wait to see all the goodies that come out of the hard work that is put in. I know the effort that goes into planting seeds and then waiting. It’s truly the best way to learn. We don’t see our efforts right away, and yet, we reap the joy later on.

They reaped the joy immediately after with shooting some hoops. Daddy and Tot are pretty tough competitors!

I love seeing these two together; bonding, playing; laughing.

I love you both to pieces.