As it should be

Charlie, Mommy and Grandma are sprawled in the bow of the boat, cruising down the Cooper River towards the harbor, wind blowing in our hair, Charlie grinning from ear to ear.

Mommy: Charlie-bear, you are awesome.
Charlie: (Grin gets even bigger) Just like my Daddy.

Mommy, Charlie and Grandma all break into belly laughs, while Daddy obliviously captains the boat. 

Despite the fact that I know better, I climb back to the helm and recount the story...  Biggest grin of the day.

Family

It's amazing how easy it is to take for granted a loving, caring, fun extended family -- even when you've seen your fair share of reality shows and news stories.  I am fully aware that Jason's and my families are a tremendous blessing to us, but I definitely don't appreciate them as much as I should.

This weekend we capped off a summer of family fun with a visit from Grandma.  Any distance or unfamiliarity Charlie may have felt when Mom and I picked him up from school Wednesday, was completely erased by the time we pulled into the driveway.  He quickly claimed Grandma as his visitor for the weekend and whisked her off to read and play and build and run and laugh and eat popsicles and just enjoy everything about being Charlie.  Needless to say, Grandma had a ball, and Charlie was thrilled to have a captive audience who doted on his every word, gesture and smile.

And despite Charlie's belief that Grandma came purely to see him, she and I managed to slip away a couple times for some good, old-fashioned Mother-Daughter fun at Accent on Wine in Summerville on Friday night, then perusing the shops in Downtown Charleston Saturday afternoon.  Of course, Charlie having Daddy all to himself during our outings, didn't hurt.

Then Charlie had the chance to take Grandma to his favorite beach and give her a dolphin tour through the Harbor (with a little help from Captain Daddy) on Sunday afternoon.  It was an ideal weekend, despite the threat of Hurricane Irene.

In fact, Charlie was so thrilled with Grandma over the weekend, that I was pretty nervous when I picked him up from school Monday, especially when he told me he wanted to "go get Grandma" as soon as he climbed into the car, and didn't even acknowledge my explanation that she had flown home to Texas to see Grandpa...uh-oh...

But that's where the rest of our family comes in!  Just imagine Charlie's delight and my relief when we open the mailbox to find both a letter and a package addressed to him!  Sweet cousin Ellie colored him a picture of dolphins and crabs and fish, and Uncle Chris, Aunt Chrissy, Carter, Cole, Cade and Camden sent him a new Boston Terrier t-shirt (just in time, as his old one has been washed so many times it's fraying!).  So not only, did we have wonderful surprises, but excuses to call our cousins on the phone and say thank you...I can't tell you how far that went in getting us over the "where's Grandma" hump.

So today, we are grateful for our wonderful, extended family...and their absolutely perfect timing!

Making Jigglers

Jigglers!

Grandma helping with chores

A man's work is never done...

Shower Time

Movie Night

Browsing...

Our Little Dolphin Whisperer

First Fish

August 23, 2011 will go down in the history books.  Charlie caught his first fish with the help of Daddy and Mr. Bob.  Amazingly, Miss Donna and I both wandered out of our kitchens just in time to see them reel it in. 

After some futile attempts in the past few weeks, it is clear that worms are the bait of choice for our resident Blue Gill, the boys had 2 catches in less than 5 minutes, but the second one got away.

As I type this, Charlie should be giving a play-by-play of his adventure (complete with pictures) to his friends during Circle Time at school.  Is it odd that we're even more excited about this than we were his first step???

Getting the feel for his rod and reel

About to hold his fish for the first time

Ewwww!  (a bit like Mama, after all...)

Coerced into touching it again

Showing Miss Donna "how big" it was

Ready for another

Reaction to the fact that it's bedtime

Begging Daddy for "just couple more minutes!"

A Thin Line

This parenting stuff is hard!  I know, I know, everyone told me it would be, but I have to admit, I didn't really appreciate the insight.  After all, everyone tells you how hard the sleepless nights, self-sacrifice, lack of free time, first days of kindergarten, college, etc, are...no one tells you how hard it is to make a simple decision.

Take discipline for example...half the time I feel like we let Charlie get away with murder; the other half the time I feel like our expectations are way too high for a two year old.  Unsure what to do, Jason and I decided that maybe this means we're striking a happy medium and are right on track...maybe?

Then you have the life and death decisions that we suffered through yesterday:
1 - What do you do when your 2 year old needs to be soothed to sleep for the 4th time at 3:30 in the morning?
     - Sleep deprived decision: Scoop him up and bring him into your bed without consulting your sleeping husband, resulting in three lost hours of sleep, but the bliss of cuddling in bed with your favorite boys
     - Verdict: So-so decision, no real decision making process to speak of

2 - What do you do when your 2 year old has no temperature but just isn't himself?
     - Selfish decision: Check your calendar, realize that your Monday is meeting-free and you finished your reports on Friday, so keep him home for the day -- during which he barely leaves the couch and spikes a fever in the evening...
     - Verdict: Right decision; seriously questionable decision making process

3 - What do you do when your 2 year old who never has a fever spikes a fever of 103 at 7:00 in the evening?
     - Lack of decision: Consult the internet which tells you that at 103 you should call the doctor if the child is exhibiting any other strange symptoms (i.e. coughing, nausea, diarrhea, lack of appetite).  Consult the Daddy to determine whether sleepiness at almost bedtime on a sick day is "strange" and whether or not refusal to eat dinner is "strange" or merely a result of too many orange slice candies...  Agree to see if he'll eat anything else and take his temperature in 30 minutes, at which time it is down a full degree (likely due to the additional orange slices he agreed to eat).
     - Verdict: Right decision; lucky decision making process (because had it been the wrong decision his fever could have continued going up causing brain damage or worse...yes, I spent too much time on the internet on this particular topic...)

4 - What do you do when your 2 year old who was very sick Monday greets Tuesday morning by jumping up and down in his crib and telling you that he wants to stay home and "rest" while chasing Louie up and down the sofa?
     - Self-preservation decision: Send him to school to burn off some energy while you complete a little bit of house, church and work-work, but let the teachers know they can call you if he takes a turn for the worse.  Five hours later: flower beds are weeded, sheets are in the dryer, Ladies Event communication is out, competitive report is started and naps are in full swing at school.
     - Verdict: Right decision; decision making process? who knows...

So, overall I have determined that more often than not Jason and I seem to luck and/or default into the right decision, but while our overall decision making process may not be perfect, we definitley do our best, and to date, Charlie seems none the worse for wear.

Feeling Crummy...

Daddy makes everything better!

Such a Helper

Setting: In car en route to town for a haircut, passing Summerville Baptist Church.

Charlie: What that, Mommy?
Mommy: That's a church, Buddy.
Charlie: No. It a barn. 
Mommy: No, Sweetie, it's Summerville Baptist Church.
Charlie: No. It a barn. It had a tractor.
Mommy: Oh, I see.
Charlie: What color the tractor, Mommy?
Mommy: I'm not sure, Buddy. I didn't see it.
Charlie: (in a whisper) Say "Blue", Mommy. Say "Blue".
Mommy: Blue?
Charlie: Yay, Mommy!  You got it!

So, is he helping me cheat or wanting to see me succeed....hmmmm????

To Train or not To Train...

Since Charlie was approximately two weeks old and really got the hang of nursing, the biggest anxiety in my life has been the knowledge that someday I would have to potty train him.  While nearly everyone I know over the age of 5 is an unequivocable success story, the thought of it terrified me.

So, I was thrilled when I realized that his daycare would start having him sit on the potty every couple of hours in the midst of all his friends, believing that repetition, peer pressure and his desire to be a big boy would do the trick and Voila! Charlie would be potty trained with little or no effort on my part.

I was wrong.  Charlie happily sits on the potty many times a day at school, and is thrilled to receive high-fives and praise when he tells people he used it.  He can't wait to get to flush the potty himself and loves the  idea of wearing the little boxer briefs I got him that look just like Daddy's.  He even enjoys reading books about other kids potty training (quick aside...there are many better options out there than Once Upon a Potty which is way too graphic and downright weird in my opinion).

But, despite the fact that Charlie is a poster child for the "Ready to Potty" set, he sees absolutely no reason to actually use the potty.  The kids loves his diapers, and I believe would be quite content to wear Pull-Ups through college.

Never one to back down from a challenge (at least one I can't justifiably ignore), I decided it was time.  This weekend would be Potty Training Weekend at the House.  All of the signs pointed to it being perfect:
1 - I have nursery at church on Sunday, so I wouldn't be asking some other poor soul to run him to the bathroom 4 times in 90 minutes.
2 - A lady at church recommended a great book by the BabyWise guy that she used to train her son in 2 days.
3 - Walmart had the special Pull-Ups with the potty watch on sale!

Clearly, we were meant to potty train this weekend, so I ordered the book, stocked up on supplies and even informed his teachers of our grand plans.  Then, I got to thinking about it and realized that assuming it worked, as of Monday I would have to be interrupt virtually every activity for the rest of my life to find a potty... ummm....

Well, and you see, then I remembered that we have a playdate on Saturday morning, a birthday party on Sunday afternoon, another birthday party (this one at a Jump place!) next weekend, and that Grandma is coming in less than 2 weeks, then my friend Rebekah just a week later....  Plus, despite the free 2 day shipping, our book isn't here yet.  Clearly, I was wrong about all the signs.  This would be a horrible weekend to potty train!

So...the current plan is to block off the second weekend in September (my next nursery weekend) for intense potty training...unless of course something important comes up...

Lesson Learned

First of all, feel free to roll your eyes at my thoroughly negligent parenting...but honestly I do have fairly valid reasons, if not viable excuses.

You see, Charlie is a library fanatic.  Wait three weeks to return our first bounty of books?  Heavens, no!  We shuttled back across town Saturday morning for Story Time and a new book hunt, much to his delight.

I'd give Story Time itself about a C.  Charlie was super excited, but really struggled to sit still.  I was somewhat surprised, because he does so well at Circle Time at school.  I honestly think it might have been because I was there, so I'm considering hiding in the stacks next time.   Anyway, Charlie only made it through introductions and one story before I felt like he was a bit too disruptive and convinced him it was time for our book hunt.

Thankfully, he agreed, and we slipped away (somewhat quietly) in search of books about fish.  This is where the problem started.  We have been encouraging Charlie to select a topic for at least some of the books we pick each week, but I have failed to figure out the library computer system and the only authors/books I'm familiar with are the ones we have at home (surprisingly enough, virtually the same ones I had as a kid....hmmmm....). 

So, the effort of trying to reign in 30 lbs of slightly hungry, slightly sleepy, far too noisy 2 year old while frantically scanning the covers of the display books had me sweating. 

Determined to track down at least one fish book, I was a bit distracted when Charlie handed me the book Changes, so I just read the first page which said, "When I was born, my family looked like this.  I was the biggest thing in my mom and dad's life." 

While I found the illustrations a bit odd and ugly, I assumed the book was about a second child coming into a family, and while it's not imminent in our house, we do still hope that it will happen someday, so I added it to the stack.

Eventually we tracked down Rainbow Fish, checked out our books and headed back home for lunch and nap.  Thanks to a stormy afternoon, we then settled onto the couch to read our books and Charlie handed me Changes. 

Imagine my shock when I turned to the second page and read, "Then things changed!  My mom and dad got a divorce..."  Ummmm....oops?  Sadly, I know that Charlie will learn about divorce long before 9 years old, which is when my first friend's parents split up, but I definitely see no need to introduce the topic now.  So I immediately, closed the book, told Charlie it "wasn't entertaining" (really?!?) and moved on. 

Thankfully, he believed me, even telling Daddy "We don't like this book" when he got home later that evening.  If only Charlie was always so agreeable... 

Anyway, I guess I really do need to preview all the books, along with the TV shows and movies that Charlie picks out and be prepared to address and/or veto any questionable or premature topics.  While it sounds pretty obvious, I have to admit I didn't realize it would start so soon...  Lesson learned.

Book Worm

It all started with Big Bird...as Charlie is finally starting to pay attention to TV (more than just Tropicana commercials, that is), I wonder how many times I'm going to type those 6 words, but anyway... It all started with Big Bird getting a library card last Monday. 

After insisting that I put on Sesame Street, Charlie actually watched rather than coming into the kitchen and begging for candy, and he was fascinated when Big Bird got a library card.  So much so, that he wanted to know all about the library, and once he heard that it was a huge building full of books, he was hooked and I was elated.  Having spent the majority of my formative years locked in my room gobbling up novels, I would dearly love for Charlie to be a little book worm -- and since he clearly inherited his Dad's social butterfly tendencies and charm, I think there is little risk of him crossing over into "nerd" territory as his mom did...

So we set a date, and Saturday morning Charlie and I set off for the library.  First, we applied for our library cards (yes, I'm embarassed to admit that we've lived here five years and this was my first time to step foot in the library...despite the facts that I'm incredibly cheap and never reread anything other than the Bible and Jane Austen, I like to own my books). 

Once the forms were filled out, we ventured into the children's book section and picked out 4 dinosaur books and "Diapers Aren't Forever".  Then, hoping to maximize both Charlie's library experience and his interest in the knight costume I just bought for the upcoming Fairy Tale Ball at school, we went back up to the counter to ask about any knight related story books.  While the librarian checked the computer, Charlie actually sat down in the middle of the floor to start reading...I couldn't have been more proud.

Finally, we added "The Kiss that Missed" to the pile, checked out our treasures and concluded our first trip to the library.  I'm fairly sure that we read each of our six books 15 or so times over the weekend, and when I wondered aloud to Jason what made these books so neat, Charlie immediately piped in, "They're from the library!"

Now, assuming that I remember to return and/or recheck our books by August 20, the entire experience will be a rousing success!

Filling out the application

Ready to Read!