Charlie prefers skin!

"Charlie stop eating the paint!"
"Mommy, I am not eating the paint! I am just painting my mouth."


I keep trying to get Charlie to use paper, but she thinks it is more fun to paint her face!

Play date...Take two!

Last week I was all excited because I had this stellar playgroup put together where I would be able to visit with all the moms and see all their beautiful children. One main thing I forgot to consider was that we all went out Friday night and seeing as we are apparently not 21 anymore, we can not function two days in a row!!! SO...I am trying again! Charlie went to Snowville (EdVenture) last weekend and loved it, so I am taking her again on Friday while we are in town (I already had my mom check and yes they are open.) I will probably go between 10 & 11, so if anyone is interested, meet us there. I figure all the little ones might be climbing the walls and would enjoy the running around. Not to mention the big kids might benefit the running around after a bid day of indulgence. Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and we hope to run into a few people on Friday!!!

Tagged

I am: slack...and very content with that
I have: everything I need
Iwish: I would stop wanting more
I hate: when other people unload my dishwasher (sorry, I know people are trying to be nice and helpful, but I hate having to search for my measuring cup)
I miss: my washing machine
I hear: absoulte silence
I wonder: what life was like before Charlie
I regret: nothing...to regret is just time wasted
I am not: imperfect
I dance: All the time with Charlie (she leads)
I sing: More than I should apparently because Charlie always tell me to be quiet!
I cry: a lot more since I've had Charlie
I am not always: on time
I make with my hands: anything I can
I write: letters to Charlie in her journal that I hope to give her one day
I confuse: my left from my right more than a 29 year old should!
I need: to get together with old friends more often
I should: exercise more
I start: talking and
I finish: a few days later!!!

I was tagged by Leslie; I tag Claudia, & Meredith (you have to cut and paste it!)

Peek a Boo

Charlie and I were out in the yard for most of the morning enjoying the great weather. I actually got a picture of her face (well half of it) and she is smiling!!!

Playing in the dark!

Charlie decided she wanted to play outside last night, so I decided if she could keep her coat and hat on she could. She had the best time. I, as always, could not get a straight shot of her, but I wanted to get a pic of her in that hat (it is so cute). For any of you who have not been to my house at night, we have about 30 spotlights around our fence that make the backyard completely lit (it was like that when we moved in and we thought it was the oddest thing...now we think it is the greatest and swear we will do it to the next house we live in!! Great for Kids and Dogs!) I just wanted to clarify that I did not throw my child in the pitch black and make her guess at what step to take next!!!

These pictures have no great importance except that she was still long enough for me to take them and her hairbow was still in her hair. I don't understand why she always takes her hairbow out. It seems like it would be the better alternative to the hair in her face! I am tempted to cut bangs again, but Carson wants her hair to grow out, so I am restraining myself!!

I am always amazed by what (and where) my child picks up on. This weekend we went to Jumpin Jacks and there was a little baby there. So naturally my child instantly stops what she was doing and runs over to the baby and tries to give it a kiss and a hug. After a few minutes of trying to explain to a two year old that you can not kiss every baby you see we resumed our jumping. We get in the jumper, she gives me a kiss and says "Mommy, I want brother or sister!" Honestly it could have been brother AND sister I am not sure I was in a state of shock that she even asked me that (I am afraid that she thinks they come that way since Sheri had the twins!!) Oh well, I guess I can use this as a lesson the you don't always get what you want (seeing that I usually give in to giving her M&M's!!)

So this slide show is a work in progress!! I started with the old and I am making my way through all the pictures. It is hard to believe how much she has grown!

Congratulations Kelley and Luke!!! We can not wait to meet your beautiful little girl (Girls Rule!!!!)

Mr. and Mrs. Barker!!!!!!!!

Congratulations Laura and Chris!!! We all had so much fun at your wedding!!

Halloween night

Charlie had fun trick or treating. We only went to a couple of houses (I decided Halloween should be "doors per age"...two houses was about all I could take!) We will have to work on her technique for next year. After numerous times of telling her to say trick or treat when they opened the door we went to the first house rang the bell, she stared at the lady for a few seconds before I said "what do you say Charlie?" and then I hear the three words come out in her tiniest voice "I want candy!" Not as cute as trick or treat, but it got the job done.

"Fish or Treat"

Last night was the aquariums annual Fish or Treat! It was our first time and unfortunately our camera malfunctioned, so we did not get too many pictures (hopefully tonight I will get one!) Anyway, it was the first time Charlie has ever looked at someone and they gave her candy...even better, chocolate. There was one table where a pumkin head (with real hands) was throwing candy at the kids, most of the children were scared of it, Charlie looked at the pumkin head and said "I want two candies please!" I think we finally ripped her away 40 candies later. ~ The first picture is our little ladybug kissing an alligator (or most likely licking) and the next is her sitting by some fish. I hate that I don't have any pictures of her waving at the ghost in the giant fish tank. We are hoping some of Brad's pics turn out. The other pictures are of her when we got home. We gave in and let her eat some of her sucker...if you can't tell, she enjoyed it! I will hopefully post more pics tomorrow from tonight. Happy Halloween everybody!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LESLIE!

Charlie at the Pumkin Patch!

It was just the two of us at the Pumkin Patch, so it was hard to get her to smile and stay still. I think I am going to make Carson go with us before Halloween and see if I can get one of her looking at the camera and smiling.

All dressed up!

Charlie is very in to dressing up in all of mommy's clothes now a days. She has pretty much mastered walking in heels witch is more than I can say for myself. I have also realized that I am in trouble because Charlie is obsessed with girls in wedding dresses (yikes, she is only 2)...save for college, ha!, more like save for a wedding.

Ya-Ya and Patrick's wedding!

What a day Charlie had. I use to think she was non stop until I saw her this past Saturday...now I really know what non stop is. I guess the money I am spending on dance class is not going to waste, because I have never seen a kid dance so much. At one point she actually said to me "momma, I gotta go dance!" Towards the end of a very long day someone told me not to waste money on toys, all she needed was a DJ! That will be Charlie's last wedding until she is about 20. There is nothing harder than running up and down hills in heels. Here are some of the very few pictures I was able to take. Anyway, the day could not have been better and Lauren made a beautiful bride.
(And just in case anybody was wondering...that is Lauren's dad in the first picture, not Patrick;)!!!)

I have no pictures, just some cute toddler stories. A lot of you have already heard them, but for the ones who have not...
Last week Charlie got a stuffy nose which caused her to not to sleep to well. There were a couple of days when she would wake up around 4 am and keep me up for an hour or so. Yes, it sounds bad, but for any of you who have toddlers or have been around a toddler know that pretty funny stuff comes out of there mouths normally, so add a little sleep deprivation and you have one REALLY funny kid. Anyway, she puts her Winnie the Pooh head on the refrigerator with the letter H and the letter I magnets. The "I " happened to be turned so it looked the the "H", and Charlie says "Ohhh Mama, look at that! They look just alike...HOW CUTE IS THAT!!!" OK, so typing it out does not sound as funny as when she said it, but when your two year old is using the phrase how cute is that I find it amusing! Needless to say when I did get to go back to bed I woke Carson up and said "How cute is this, Charlie just said how cute is that!!" Wonder where she gets it from;)
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We were in Wal-Mart the other day and little miss independent did not want to hold my hand or ride in the buggy, so I let her walk next to the buggy if she held on to the side of it. She did, and the whole time we were walking she was watching her feet. We squeezed by one buggy coming in the other direction. Charlie did say "excuse me buggy" as she walked by it, but she still does not understand that just because you say excuse me to someone, or something in this case, they always get out of your way. So, naturally I said "Charlie, why don't you look up so you can see where you are going." She said "OK mommy" and went from looking straight down at her feet to looking straight up at the ceiling!!! ~~~I give her an "A" on listening and following directions. I guess I need to work on more specific instructions!!!
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How can anybody call this The Terrible Two's? (Throws a fit for no apparent reason is more like it!!)

She looks so sweet and innocent and then you scroll down to the next entry!!

The little boss!

She is ordering Lake to get on his chair. Poor dog, it is hard to work for a two year old!!

Just call her Elton!

I wish I had taken my camera on the little walk we took shortly after. She wanted to take her baby for a walk in her baby stroller, so I decided to let her. Charlie insisted on wearing her "sunglasses" on the walk. Nothing funnier than a 2 year old at top speed going down the street with her hot pink Cinderella stroller and naked baby wearing big yellow glasses and her mom behind her yelling for her to walk. ..If only I had a camera!!!

Charlie's first dance class.

Charlie had her first class and the teacher said she did a good job! No crying!! This was after class and she was not real happy about taking pictures, but how could I resist! How cute is that outfit...what a big girl! I will let everyone know about the recital which will take place in May, that should be good!

Watch out Ansel Adams (sadly I can't think of any other photographers to threaten!!)

Charlie has seen me take 1000 pictures, so it was only a matter of time before she wanted to photograph her little babies! I think she did a pretty good job. She set this up, held the camera and pushed the button all by herself. Which is amazing because on my camera you actually have to look through the view finder on Carson's small digital camera you look at the screen...well Charlie smashed that small digital camera over BOTH her eyes and takes the picture. So I think considering all her pictures ar taken "blind" she does a really good job. ~ On another note ~ For those of you who do not know, Charlie starts her ballet class tomorrow. We bought her ballet slippers yesterday and she would not take them off. She took a nap in them, went to the store in them etc. I have been trying to prep her this last week by telling her that she was going to start ballet classes to try to get her pumped up. She has been acting excited and getting the shoes yesterday sealed the deal. Although when she realizes that mommy is really not staying I have a feeling she may change her mind about the whole thing. I may too, it will be the first time I have left her at a school! Oh well, tune in tomorrow for some pics in her little uniform. I will take them before class, while she is happy...Wish us luck (I hope she does not cry too bad!)

OK, so here are some pictures where you can at least see her face!! I have given up on trying to get her to pose.

Happy Birthday Caroline!!!!

So, I lied...

Ok , so I said the next picture would be a cute one, but I laughed so hard when I opened this picture I figured I would post it. This is Charlie at her grandparents house. My father-in-law likes to collect dead things, and Charlie apparently likes to act like she is killing them. Don't get any ideas Poppie...she is not going to be a hunter.

A little pick-me-up!!!

She is picking up all my bad habits. Don't worry folks it is just chocolate milk in the cup!!!! I am working on getting a "cute" picture of Charlie on this page. One where she looks like a sweet little girl...without her morning coffee or thumbs up or sticking her finger in pancake batter (although I think she looks cute in all her pics!!!)