Pop Ice Fight

Charlotte is in a fight with Pop Ice and Pop Ice is winning. We've got Pop Ice everywhere. You know summer is coming when Wal-Mart pulls out the bags of 500 Pop Ice for $2.50.

We are outside and Charlotte is toddling around with her frozen colored sugar water. She shared with Eloise.

We played at the park earlier. Charlotte said hello to just about everyone and got to meet a beagle. She was a great big girl, and held out her hand. The man that belonged to the beagle was quite impressed with her 'dogginess' (she held out her hand to meet the dog).

It was a good day. The telephone line is finally fixed. Charlotte ate well today, she napped well and played hard. We made brownies yesterday and she thinks they're delicious.

We've been practicing body parts. Charlotte knows: eyes, ears, cheeks, mouth, teeth, nose, knees, belly button, toes, hienie and glasses (mommy's glasses, might as well be a body part for me). She knows alot of words too but none that she's saying really...she says mama, about the only thing consistently...

Last week Popi invited Charlotte to 'Take Your Daughters to Work Day' and since we were headed that way, we stopped by Noni's office as well. Charty was a stinker. She didn't want to go in her stroller and was overwhelmed by everything at first - all the cars and people and buildings of downtown Atlanta but she started warming up pretty fast. She hadn't seen her umbrella stroller in weeks and weeks and as soon as I pulled her out of it, she wanted nothing more than to blindly push in all over Noni's office. We ate lunch in a library-quiet federal building. I pretty much let Charty do whatever she wanted because I was so afraid of a hissy fit in that cafeteria with judges and lawyers and cops.

She did much better by the time we made it to Popi's office. She was friendly and cute and had a ball showing off her new squeaky shoes her Noni bought her. She loved them so much in fact that when she opened the gift she immediately tried to put them on and then fell asleep with the shoes still on her feet. The next morning, first thing, she looked around till she found them, pointed them out to me and said, mama?

Not to be braggy but she's also saying ball and elmo with regular certainty. I know her friend Allison had a vocabulary of, what, 75 words at this point, but you know what? That's OKAY! Actually, remembering all Allison was saying at this point helps me realize how many words Charlotte understands.

We had dinner with Charlotte's Gigi - barbecue. Charty wasn't a huge fun of the sauce but she had a ball taking our napkins to the garbage for us. New favorite game - throwing things away.

Daddy went fishing with PJ and made it back that Saturday so we got to visit with him for a bit - not long enough though! And we can't wait to make it up to Rome to visit PJ and Kiki soon!

Sorry Ya'll -

I apologize for being so inconsistent with the blog here lately. We've been super-busy and I've hardly even take out my camera.

We're getting moved in, slowly, I guess. The biggest hang-up has been the telephone. We have had 8 different technicians out to the house and the phone still isn't working.

Charlotte loves her new house, and yard and park and room. She's napping in her big girl bed in her room (hallelujah!). Her room has turned out super-cute! I know ya'll don't believe me about the napping by herself...I'm going to have to take a picture.

She's eating bunches of new things and only nurses, for the most part, at night. Hopefully, I'll have her weaned by the time she's two (yeah, no, I wish I was being sarcastic...this child is no where near ready to give up 'milk mommy')

She loves ketchup. We were at Zaxby's a couple of days ago, and she was dipping her fries and her chicken in her little cup of ketchup. Then decided to skip the dipping, picked up the paper ketchup cup and shoved it in her mouth.

Charlotte loves Home Depot, it's her FAVORITE store, forget putting her in the cart. She wants to explore...

She loves her books and her fun backyard and wagon rides in the park, most especially wagon rides to the playground that's just her size.

Charty's quickly becoming a rambunctious toddler. She's got scraped knees and elbows, bumps and bruises. She is into everything. oh, and corn on the cob. We realized at Jeanne's a couple of weeks ago that the girl loves some corn on the cob with handles.

I'll do better about posting! I miss it!

I never want to forget...

Last week, Adam had to head back to Fort Stewart in Hinesville. I decided Charlotte and I needed a break from the painting, disaster and mayhem that has become our new home and we headed up to Hampton (luckily, it's a super-easy drive from Columbus). Noni came with, we met Indigo Photographers in the square in McDonough. Charlotte was feeling 'skunky' and not up to her usual cheery-cheesy self so I didn't think she gave them much to work with but apparently they don't need much! They took some fantastic shots! I'm just so thrilled (see post below). Again, I highly recommend.

We had a nice dinner with Noni & Popi in Hampton. The next day, Popi & I took Charlotte and we headed for Tennessee in visit Grandma & Pa for a couple of days.

Charlotte was an angel the whole 5 hour trip to Crossville, we hardly heard a peep out of her, so engrossed was she in Baby Einstein and Teletubbies. Only a mother would brag on her child's ability to watch television for extended periods but what an attention span that child has got!

She was thrilled, however, when we finally arrived and she was unleashed from the car. She warmed to Grandma immediately...Pa she wasn't so sure about! But he sure tried...

Grandma & Pa have an old dog, Dolly, that's maybe a mix between a dachshund and a golden retriever? I don't know, but that should give you an idea as to what it looks like. Well, Charlotte was taken with Dolly who spends all her time plopped down on the floor. Charlotte wanted nothing more than to ride that dog. We showed Charlotte how to be gentle and not to sit on Dolly, but to pet her and rub her belly but I kind of knew it was only a matter of time. Sure enough, as soon as I got on the phone with Adam that evening and she scooted out from under Popi's nose, she tried to ride Dolly and got nipped. Her first, and better be her last, dog bite. It still didn't discourage her. The next morning when she saw Dolly she took her pointer finger out and pointed right at Dolly and squinted her eyes. It's what she does when Moses and Eloise are in trouble and I'm telling them "no! stop barking!" she points her finger at them. But, apparently, she forgave the dog and wanted to pet her again. Dolly spent the remainder of our visit OUTSIDE. Which didn't really help because Charlotte wanted to spend all of her time outside too.

Grandma has bunches of ceramic pretties all over the house and fancy curtains. Charlotte wanted all of the pretties and for 2 days went under and out the curtains. She also played lots of peek-a-boo in the closet. She found a football that was so old, I think it belonged to Ginger (best dog ever, 3 dogs ago) that she carried around and played with. The only toy we brought with us was a pull along toy phone.

It was a great visit. I'm so glad Popi was able to come along with us! He made the trip, we had a great time together. We stopped at Cracker Barrel coming and going, and Charlotte was a big fan of the vegetable plate, especially the corn and the mac & cheese.

We beat Adam to Columbus last Friday. Charty and I were getting ready to sit down and have some sushi when I heard Adam tiptoe in. Charlotte was playing across the kitchen from where he entered. He called her name and she turned around. As soon as she saw her daddy was home she ran at him fully speed as fast as her little Puddle Jumper sandals could carry her into his arms for a BIG BIG hug! I didn't think she was ever going to let go and give me a turn! Charlotte would hug his neck, stop and look at him, then hug his neck again. I got all choked up. It was a moment I never want to forget.

Sunday we made a day trip up to see Noni & Popi and Gigi. It's great being so much closer to family. I can't believe Charlotte hasn't been to Rome yet...I can't wait for her to see all the horses when she goes to visit her PJ and Kiki!

Photo Session in McDonough

On April 7, 2008 Charlotte had a photo session in the square in McDonough with Indigo Photographers. The photographers did an outstanding job and worked really well together as a team. I highly recommend them. They are just launching their business and I have to say, that they have a gift and that we believe in them! If you are looking for a wedding photographer or family photographer, INDIGO PHOTOGRAPHERS is THE BEST!

Go to the website: http://www.indigophotographers.com/ and then go to Galleries:http://www.indigophotographers.com/index2.php?v=v1 and you can see Charlotte's. Also check out 'Thee I wed', also terrific!