Charlie's Mom: 06.06.2011

Monday, June 6, 2011

Goin' to Kansas City...

Amazingly, even I realize that it will be impossible to sum up 9 days in Kansas City in a single blog, so I won't even try. Instead, here are some of the best and/or most memorable moments, along with tons of pictures!

Sitting at the airport Friday afternoon and realizing we wouldn't have to take a dog out, chase a dog down, clean up after a dog or submit to vigorous licking for almost 10 days!
Witnessing Charlie sitting in his very own seat on the airplane, smoothing his blankie over his legs, saying "I on airplane!"
Giggling as the tower of whipcream PaPa created collapsed on Charlie's Saturday morning "awfuls"
Realizing that Charlie needed no ramp-up time at all, but could hit the ground running in the midst of the Kansas City clan and not miss a step
Laughing as Charlie hung on for dear life, thrilled to be racing around the luau on the Gator with Will
Relaxing on the porch at the Allens' enjoying a shrimp boil with some of our oldest and dearest friends while all of our kids played together in the yard
Enjoying Charlie's thrill as he got to sit on Uncle Jim's scooter and then watch Jim "race" away
Shouting to Willi, Rebecka, Sam & Georgie as Charlie, Brynn, Halley and Cooper ran laps through the Nelsons' house screaming and dragging the loudest choo-choo train toy I've ever heard in my life
Encouraging Charlie to check out the locust Kevin found "swimming" in Table Rock lake while preventing him from removing its legs -- then sharing in his awe as it still managed to fly away into the trees
Listening to Charlie and Landon "chat" in the car on the way back from the boat
Taking two naps on two consecutive days with my oh-so-grown-up two year old in the stearn bedroom of the boat (my personal favorite memory of the entire trip!)
Supervising as Charlie and Tom rough-housed with the ball, loving the boyishness of their play, while silently praying that neither got hurt
Watching as Charlie tried to recite his Months of the Year to Great Aunt Jan and Great Uncle Sam, but kept succumbing to stage fright in May
Hearing an exhausted little voice pipe up from the backseat of the truck on the way home from the aiport as soon as Jason hung up the phone, "I talk to BaBa, Daddy?"
Being told first thing this morning that without a doubt, "Louie bigger" than when we left 9 days ago

Of course, as with anything, the trip wasn't all sunshine and roses. The three of us passed around a nasty bug, and yet again Jason and I were reminded that Charlie is much more resilient than we could even pretend to be. He was down for about a half day on Saturday, while Jason and I were each practically comatose for 36 hours or more....we definitely know who the tough one is in this family!