Out of the Mouth of Charlie

Dave: Charlie, please finish your cereal.
Charlie: I'm just done. My tummy says it's full.

(2 minutes later, after Dave has cleaned up breakfast)

Charlie: (pointing to the chocolate candy Sultan gave him yesterday) Daddy, can I have a treat?
Dave: You just told me your tummy is full.
Charlie: But that will help my tummy get un-full!

Open Bar

This weekend Dave's sister Stephanie got married.  It was a beautiful day filled with fun family times.  Sadly to say, I didn't take any pictures of the beautiful bride.  Though when the photographer posts the pictures I will post some here. 

The reception was held at the Tijeras Creek Golf Club in Rancho Santa Margarita.  The flowers were beautiful, the setting was nice and personal and there was an open bar (no alcoholic beverages of course, but all of the Shirley Temples you can down in a 3 hour period and survive).  At the beginning of the night all of the parents were ordering drinks for the kids... until one of them realized you could just go up and ask the nice man for a drink, and then guess what, he gave you one!  Holy cow, the news just spread.  I saw all my nieces and nephews head up many times during the night.  Thankfully Charlie didn't catch on until later in the evening.  But when he did, he must have gone to get 3 or 4 drinks on his own.  The poor boy, I had to cut off his drink supply so we would have a nice dry night.

My lesson has been learned.  Charlie now knows the joys of an open bar.  Next time I will be watching him more closely.

Little Boys + Fire Engines = Cute Pictures

On December 23rd, Dave took the boys over to the Fire Station so that Charlie could give a toy to the firemen for Toys for Tots. Sadly, they left right as they got to the fire station, but noticed the fire truck turn in at a neighboring business park.  Upon investigation, they found a party.  What a Christmas party... fire engine, pony rides, food... who could ask for more?  The toy got turned in to the firemen (Dave accidentally did it and Charlie didn't notice) and Dave got cute pictures of the boys.  It looks like they were both pretty out of it, but super cute anyways.  The last three pictures are of Christopher attempting to climb out of the stroller since he had not been strapped in.  

Charlieism

Charlie: (pointing at the Cold Stone coupon on the cork board) Daddy, it's time to go to the ice cream store.

Dave: What?!

Charlie: We need to go to the ice cream store right now.
Dave: Why?

Charlie: Because we have that ice cream paper. We need to go to the ice cream store.
Dave: Who is it for?

Charlie: Daddy and Charlie and Chris and Mama!

Walkin', walkin', walkin'

Christopher officially started walking at the end of June.  These videos are from the 30th, though he had started earlier than that.  There is a surprise appearance by Charlie in on of the videos that you will definitely enjoy watching.

 

Charlieism

We went for a walk as a family today. We are currently in Vienna, VA for my sister's wedding so we had the privilege of walking through some beautiful wooded lands. While walking Dave was playing with Charlie. This is how the conversation went...

Dave: Chachee!
Charlie: No, I Charee!
Dave: Charchee?
Charlie: No, I Charee!
Dave: Chachlee?
Charlie: Never mind. :|

It's hard to convey Charlie's tone of voice and his body language. But, it is the same as most people's when they give up in frustration and say never mind!

The woods.

My handsome husband!

My cute little Christopher.

Chachee! No? Ok, Charlee!

My boys!

Just 5 more minutes...PLEASE!!

Poor Charlie came home from the Father's and Sons camp out yesterday with a stuffy nose and a fever. He has been napping for a few hours now and being that I want him to sleep the rest of the night I tried to wake him up. (Well, it is 6pm now.) I got him to open his eyes and look at me and I told him it was time to wake up while pulling off his blanket. What does he tell me? Not yet. He doesn't want to get up yet. Aren't they supposed to wait until they start school before they start saying that? Oh, well. I guess he is an over achiever. :)

Sneaky

Dave and I were working with Grammie in the weed patch, oh I mean the "Garden". Grandpa was upstairs working in his office. Charlie was unsupervised. The way he likes to be. :) Dave and I realized this and were discussing how even though he was alone he wasn't the type of kid to make a bunch of trouble. I commented that I thought he would be more likely to get into the cookie jar than do anything destructive. Soon after Grammie volunteers to go check on him. When she goes in she finds him sitting on the floor with his hands over his mouth chewing frantically. She looks into the kitchen to see one of the bar stools pulled up to the counter where the cookie jar is.

Let's just say I know my son!

If you want to check out the cookies he got into go here. We made the oatmeal scotchies variation found at the bottom.

My little man

Our little Charlie is growing up so fast. We bought him his first suit for my brother Nate's wedding and conveniently for my sister Amy's wedding too. He is such a dashing little man!







Yes, that is a purple shirt. My dress is lavender and all of my boys will be sporting purple shirts. Pictures will of course follow after the big day.

Two Lip

This morning Grammie was redoing one of her flower arrangements. She was getting ready to put some tulips in. Charlie was holding two tulips and I told him that the flower he had was a tulip. Grammie picked up a third tulip to put in the arrangement and Charlie said "Grammie, you have three lip?" He then had to give up his one of his tulips and then later when Grammie wanted the last he said "No, my one lip!"

Kids say the darndest things.

Making Milk for Baby

Charlie is such a little helper. He helps make goodies with mama and dinner with Grammie. Today he decided he wanted to help make milk for Chris.

Bottle Time!

We have been trying to get Christopher to drink from a bottle or a cup. He does not want to have anything to do with them. The only person who has been able to get a bottle near him is Charlie. I am thinking of enrolling him in helping us out with Chris. :)

Color Time

A few days ago the boys and I had color time. We pulled out the old plans that Grandpa had given us and just had fun with crayons. What a way to recycle!

Best in Show

Tonight Grandpa was resting on the couch and watching a dog show. When I released Charlie from his high chair he wanted to watch TV with Grandpa. It is his new favorite past time, doing stuff with Grandpa. First he was just going to lie on the couch next to him, but he is two, that didn't last long. Then he was sitting, and before I knew it he was off running upstairs. He came down with Sprocket, his stuffed dog that he has just loved since almost the day he was born. That is when the Ludden Dog Show of 2010 began. He first put Sprocket up on the ottoman and checked his ears and under his tail, I even think he checked for Sprocket's bone structure. Then when he was done with the first part of the judging, he got down on the floor and started prancing Sprocket around. So darn cute. I ran and got the camera and tried to get him to repeat it for me. I did get some cute footage that I will post tomorrow, but it is not as cute as his original dog show appearance.

President's Day Fun

For President's day we took it easy. Our main activity of the day was going to the park. We had a lot of fun. Chris got to play in the sand for the first time and Charlie got to play outside.

First experience with a shovel. He seems to like them bigger than he is.

Sand! Shovel! Yeah!!

Charlie flying through the air on the swing. Up, Up, he goes!

My boys... digging holes.

Trying to fill in the other hole that daddy dug.

Trying to steal the camera. Stinker.

Brothers!

It looks like Charlie found something on the back of Chris' head. Hope it wasn't anything too serious.

You Crack Me Up

Apparently we tell Charlie that he cracks us up a little too often. He has now started using the phrase himself. Except that when he says it, he is speaking about his new legos/blocks that he got for Christmas.




He only makes tall skinny towers at this point and then uses them as an assortment of different things. Some of the things the tower has been used as: Microphone with stand, broom, vacuum, sword, gun, and other things that I could not guess at. Well since it is long and skinny it breaks. Every time it breaks in half Charlie says "Crack me up". Different context than what we normally say it as, but it still works. Love this kid.

Sad Weekend, Sad Weather

Today is a very sad day. We start moving out of our home today. The skies are feeling the sadness. They have started crying before me. I just hope they don't start bawling until tomorrow afternoon. We really can't deal with all of the drama while loading the truck. :)

In preparation of moving I had to copy down all of Charlie's measurements off of the back of the door in his room. So as everyone knows how moving is, I am putting this important information in a very safe place.... here on the blog. Won't be able to loose them here. :) So here we go!

August 21, 2008 30 inches
September 19, 2008 30 3/4 inches
October 17, 2008 31 5/8 inches
December 13, 2008 32 5/8 inches
January 2, 2009 32 7/8 inches
January 20, 2009 33 1/8 inches
February 6, 2009 33 3/8 inches
March 20, 2009 33 7/8 inches
April 20, 2009 34 1/2 inches
May 20, 2009 34 7/8 inches
August 27, 2009 36 inches
September 18, 2009 36 5/8 inches
October 19, 2009 36 7/8 inches
March 26, 2010 38 3/4 inches
May 11, 2010 38 3/4 inches
July 26, 2010 39 5/8 inches

October 2, 2010 40 inches

January 2, 2011 41 1/2 inches

February 18, 2011 41 1/2 inches

Christopher's Heights:
March 26, 2010 28 3/4 inches
May 13, 2010 29 1/2 inches
July 26, 2010 30 3/16 inches

October 2, 2010 31 inches

January 2, 201132 1/2 inches

February 18, 2011 33 1/2 inches

Would you like fries with that? Or cream cheese?

This morning, Denise got out a couple slices of french bread for herself. Charlie saw them, and began insisting that he wanted them instead ("Chachie eat Mama's bread!"). So I went to cut him a slice or two for himself.

Me: "Charlie, do you want me to toast your bread?"

Charlie: "No! Butter!"

Me: "Um... we don't have any more, Charlie. The butter's all gone."

Charlie: "Cream cheese!"

Me: "No Charlie, the cream cheese is all gone. We don't have any more."

Charlie: "Buy more cream cheese!"

Hiding

Charlie loves playing hide and seek. He decided that baby needed to play too. This is how Charlie helped him hide.

I just love the look on his face. :)

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Since Charlie has fallen in love with the Cookin' Cookies game Dave and I have been craving peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. Why you ask? Well, there are 4 recipe card choices: Chocolate Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal and Raisins, and first flavor (what ever flavor card you get first). Well we tend to play just two of us at a time so Charlie takes the Chocolate Chip and gives the PB to whoever is playing with him. As we are playing we are thinking cookies and how super yummy PB and chocolate are together. So I went to AllRecipes.com and found a recipe. Charlie and I then played the real Cookin' Cookies game. :)



















The cookies were eaten before I remembered to take a picture. :) They were good. A little dry, but we will see what we can tweak to make them better next time. I sure love my Charlie time!!