Tabitha Tooks. Addicted to the Rainbow Flavors.

Six month old Tabitha Tooks lives with Natalie Tooks, her single 18 year old mother, in the basement apartment at 34 Meadowlark Lane, Cloverdale. Natalie took this picture using her cell phone camera and submitted it, along with the baby’s resume, to the Harvest Festival and Fair’s Cutest Baby of Cloverdale Competition. Her nomination was accepted. Natalie is so excited and won’t talk about anything else while at work waitressing tables at the Hairy Lemon Pub.

“I tried using a pacifier but she wouldn’t take it.” Natalie wrote in a note attached to the photograph in Tabitha’s application. “Her screaming nearly drove me round the bend. Then one night she was screaming and I was watchng my shows. I picked her up and held her while I was eaten my Skittles I picked up on my way home from work where I waitress tables at The Hairy Lemon. She kept reaching for ‘em. I finished ‘em and gave her the empty bag. She took to it straight away. It went straight to her mouth and the screaming stopped. It was a miracle from God above to save my wits and I won’t hear anyone sayin anything different.”

Natalie was challenged once while strolling Tabitha through Cloverdale Park by the Lutheran Pastor’s wife about the safety of letting her daughter suck on a Skittles package.

“Only once did she get the end of the bag opened due to the fact that she slobbers alot while chewing on it. It was my mistake that I didn’t check to see if I’d eaten all them Skittles. One got left. I don’t know how but she got it in her mouth. I heard her choking from the front room while I was watching my shows. I was in there fast, held her up by the ankles and with one good swat to the back that orange Skittle flew across the room. Other than that, there’s been no problems.”

Natalie’s phone is full of pictures of Tabitha wearing the cutest clothes available at the Salvation Army Thrift Store on the High Street. The bunny sleeper is Tabitha’s favorite. She won’t go to bed wearing anything else.

“She's stubborn on what she wears. Always gotta look good. She takes after me on that.” Natalie said proudly to a neighbor she bumped into at the Piggly Wiggly. Her neighbor was surprised to see her and Tabitha out shopping at 1:30 A.M. Natalie says it is the best time to shop. The store is nearly empty and she feels less embarrassed to buy groceries with Confederacy Food Assistance Coupons issued by the Ministry of Social Welfare.

“It ain’t easy being a single mom,” Natalie said once to her landlady, “But with the help of them Skittles it sure has gotten easier!”