1 year, 16 days...

Not exactly a standard anniversary, but I guess that's what makes it so surprising.  Charlie started daycare (aka "school") June 11 of last year -- and we've made it an entire 381 days!

That might not sound like much, but let me provide a bit of context.  Back in the pre-Charlie days I swore up and down that if God ever blessed me with a child (and for a couple of years it seemed quite unlikely), I would under no circumstances ever send my child to daycare.  In fact, I was known to ramble on and on about how I would sell everything I owned and live in a trailer if that's what it took, blah, blah, blah...

Well, fast forward past 3 1/2 years of infertility during which time Jason and I purchased a home immediately prior to the housing crash, to a surprise (best surprise in history, I might add) baby -- and we were a bit stuck. 

Immediately after finding out I was pregnant I started to worry about finances, childcare, trailers, winning the lottery, being chosen by Oprah to have my house paid off (who knows!?), etc.  Realizing that we could sell our house, live in a trailer and I would still have to work, due to the almost triple digit decrease in our home's value, I finally started researching daycares at about 12 weeks. 

Based on many phone calls, a detailed spreadsheet and basic geographic desirability, our first visit was to ToyBox daycare, just 7 minutes from the house.  I walked in fully expecting to despise everything about the people, the facility, the other kids, etc -- after all, it was daycare!  It actually came as something as a disappointment to me that I liked the two sisters that ran the facility, was impressed by the staff and enjoyed the cozy, family atmosphere.

Nonetheless, I was overjoyed when I ran into our beloved Donna in the yard later that day and upon hearing about our visit and my reluctance to stop hating daycare, she offered to watch Charlie for the first year.  It was like a dream come true. 

After some further discussion and a bit of negotiation (we finally just had to insist that she allow us to pay her or refuse to let Charlie come over!), Charlie spent months 3 through 14 immediately next door while I worked.  I was able to visit for lunch and watch him play in the yard as he got older.  It was absolutely perfect.

In late June of last year, we neared the one year mark and it became quite clear that Charlie was ready for more: more kids, more running, more activities, and most importantly, more social interaction.  Admittedly, I was too close to the situation and too anti-daycare to admit it, but loving Charlie as much as she does, Donna gently told me that it was time. 

I have to admit that I felt like throwing up for about two days.  The guilt of having a nice home and not having saved more money for the baby we didn't think we could have and even worse, for enjoying the fact that I had some adult time and purpose to my day was almost overwhelming. 

Finally though, I called ToyBox and asked to get on the waiting list for the toddler room, fully expecting to have 2 to 3 months to get used to the idea...not so much.  With it being the start of summer, they had an opening for Charlie in 11 days!  It was June 3 -- he could start June 14.  I was stunned, and I when I told Donna I think she wanted to reconsider, but we all pushed forward, and on June 14 I dressed Charlie in his navy blue keds, took pictures on the porch and shuttled him off to school.

We walked into his classroom room around 9:00, and I was back by 2:15...having spent the entire day watching the clock (my boss had been warned, though, so it was ok).  Day two he stayed a little longer, and eventually we were on a regular schedule of 8:45 to 3:30 (I would have preferred 3:00, but somebody got upset if I came during snack...shocking!)

And you know what?  It's been fabulous.  Charlie loves his teachers and friends and all of the songs and crafts and activities.  I love knowing that he is learning and growing and being adored all day long (as he so clearly deserves), and especially that  he gets to spend his days socializing with other kids.  We hope and pray that Charlie will not remain an only child forever, but unless and until God decides to give him a sibling, a childless environment is just not a good solution for our little social butterfly -- and even then, who knows? 

I've realized that my attitude towards daycare was founded on my own desire not to work, an extremely limited understanding of the daycare options and way too much Dateline.  While daycare is definitely not the right solution for all kids and not all daycares are as wonderful as ours, ToyBox is perfect for my Charlie (thanks to Jo-Jo, Amanda, Brenda, Janet, Britanny B, Brittany P, Jessiray, Nikita, Linda and Chelsea!).

So I guess the big surprise of our one year anniversary at daycare is that it was a complete non-event -- it fits so well that the big day went completely unnoticed. For that, I am extremely grateful.

Charlie's Very First "Daycare Provider"

With Miss Donna

First Day of School

At his "desk"

Weekend Redux!

So, what do you do when you've just had an absolutely amazing weekend?  Why do it all over again 5 days later, of course!

We just finished round 2 of our "all boat, all weekend" plan, but this time we added "Tom's & Abby's Mom", formerly known as Emily, to the mix!

I picked up my longest and dearest friend from the airport just in time for lunch on Friday, but we were distracted by the outlet mall and didn't end up eating until about 4:00 -- we had a ball shopping though, it felt like we were 16 again...it's crazy how sometimes nothing changes!

After a brief stop at home, we caravaned with Jason and Charlie to town for a yummy dinner at Mustard Seed then Emily and I headed off to Accent on Wine while the boys went home.  All I can say is bliss!

Post Saturday Morning Pancakes, we loaded up and headed to the boat to relax.  We copied last weekends course exactly with Capers on Saturday and the sandbar on Sunday (though we did squeeze in church this week...), and it was just as fabulous, actually even moreso, because we got to share it with a good friend.

Just like the Old Days

Zoom-zoom

Happy Birthday, "Emiwee"!

Morning Chat

Shirtless Charlie sits on the couch next to Mommy.

"What this, Mommy?"
Pause, while Mommy tries to figure out the correct terminology...Ummmmm....
"That is your booby, Buddy."
Clearly Mommy needs a complete cup of coffee to hold her own in these conversations.
Poking at his chest, "It doesn't hurt."
Laughing, "No, it really shouldn't hurt."
"This one, too? Just like Daddy's?"
"Yes, Buddy, just like Daddy's"
"Can I touch them?"
"Ummm....sure?"
"Ok."

Presents

While I like to think that Jason and I are unique in some ways, in reality I know that we're like most other people out there -- especially people who had kids a bit later in life.  Before having any kids to call our own, we had all sorts of ideas on what we absolutely would and would not do -- from discipline to family time to rewards to menus...and like most other people, once we got a taste of what parenting was really all about, a lot of it went right out the window. 

I think a lot of those absolutes come from a few misconceptions: 1 - A failure to realize that you will be running behind for the rest of your life, 2 - An underestimation of just how cute (aka manipulative) small children can be and 3 - A lack of understanding of just how much fun it is to make your child smile and how hard it is to let him cry.

Nevertheless, Jason and I have managed to maintain at least a slight hold on some of our pre-Charlie resolutions.  Among them: we eat dinner together as a family at least 90% of the time, we follow through on threats, even if it means leaving a restaurant mid-meal and we limit the amount of presents/gifts/rewards/prizes that Charlie receives.

Amazingly, the last one is probably the hardest -- it is just so much fun to see Charlie's little face light up when we give him something new and even more fun to pick out neat things that we think he'll enjoy.  What's even more amazing is that despite the fact that our various locations require them to grandparent from afar, Jason's and my parents cooperate fully with our wishes.  Obviously, Christmas and birthdays bring some serious (but well-considered) gifts, but we don't have to worry about packages arriving on a weekly basis, and figuring when/if to give them to him.

Clearly this "stinginess" (as I'm sure he'll see it when he's about 10 -- I certainly did as a child) ensures that Charlie gets a lot more use out of his current toys, but what's more, it is developing within him a huge appreciation for random presents when they do arrive.

Just yesterday, a box full of camping gear arrived from Grandma and Grandpa to accessorize the teepee Grandma made for Charlie's birthday.  From the moment I told Charlie there was a package on the porch, through the wait for Daddy to get home to open it, he was an excited mess.  Then when he and Jason got to tear into the boxes and assemble all his gear, Charlie was absolutely beside himself.  He's been cooking pancakes and coffee on his camp stove and bringing us into the powder room with his lantern ever since.

His joy and appreciation of the gifts from Grandma and Grandpa are such a blessing to us, and I definitely think that our "hard line" contributes to the excitement.  I would absolutely love for Charlie to grow up feeling truly grateful each time that he receives a gift from someone -- to value the generosity and the love that comes with it, to cherish the element of surprise and of course, to just adore the fact that he has a present to open!

How do you want your pancakes?

I did it!

Coffee?

Utterly and completely spoiled...

Sometimes life is just so good that it doesn't seem fair!  From shutting down my computer Friday evening to Louie allowing us to sleep until 7:00 this morning (!!!!!), it was a happily ever after kind of weekend.

Charlie got to spend Friday evening swinging, playing and eating Macaroni & Cheese with Bob & Donna, while Jason and I strolled through downtown Charleston, sipped a glass of wine at a rooftop bar, and enjoyed an absolutely perfect dinner at The Library at Vendue Inn -- you know it's my kind of restaurant when they bring you a glass of champagne for your birthday rather than a dessert!

The crazy thing is that that whole evening pales in comparison to the rest of the weekend -- 2 full days on the boat with my boys!  Sadly (I suppose), Jason's Saturday fishing trip was cancelled due to 3 to 4 foot waves at 4 second intervals (even the thought nauseates me a little), so I suggested that we just go out as a family.  Two hours, two dogs and one two year old later, we were motoring away from the dock. 

We eventually beached way up at the top of IOP, where Charlie enjoyed a somewhat sandy picnic on the beach, and all of the digging and splashing he could handle.  He was so excited to be at the beach that he was literally hopping!

We capped off the day with a yummy dinner at La Hacienda for Corrisa's birthday, and most importantly according to Charlie, with pink cake!

As Father's Day dawned, we fully planned to go to church then head out for a short afternoon boat ride, but being the slackers that we are, we had come up with all sorts of reasons to skip church and go straight to the boat before the cinnamon rolls were even out of the oven. 

A bit wiser than Saturday, we enjoyed our sandwiches on the boat this time, then motored over to California Dreaming where we picked up Chad, Corrisa, Michelle and Vicki, and headed up the Wappoo cut to the sandbar, where we floated and laughed and splashed and sizzled before pulling up anchor and cruising back down to the harbor for an impromptu dolphin show.

All I can say, is that being spoiled gets a bad rap...I see nothing wrong with it!

Best Naps in the World

"I plash you, Daddy!"

Dog Day Afternoon

Chocolate Chip Cookies on the boat?

Not Mom's best idea...

Ready, Aim...

Father's Day Delivery!

New Favorite Spot

Zoom-zoom!

Bliss!

The Best Laid Plans...

I have a bit of a problem...well, really more of an obsession than a problem. I LOVE birthdays...and more than just random birthdays, I absolutely ADORE my birthday.  I'm not into parties or a big hoopla, I just really like knowing it's my birthday and spending the whole day doing pretty much nothing other than enjoying the fact that it is, in fact, my birthday.

So, my plan for this year was  to do nothing more interesting/taxing than change my age in my Blogger "About Me", and bask in birthdayness until my fabulous husband and son took me out to dinner.   That all changed Sunday morning, though....

You see, our church is doing "Mission Charleston" this week, which is a week of service in the Summerville area.  Folks have been building sheds at a boys' ranch, serving breakfast at a homeless shelter, putting on a VBS at an underpriveleged apartment complex, and so much more.  Originally, I had volunteered to help for a couple hours at the boys' ranch early in the week, but found out last weekend that that event was just for men...but that there would be a group of folks going to the Connie Maxwell Children's Home in Orangeburg on Wednesday.

Well, on Sunday I discovered that rather than Wednesday, the activities in Orangeburg would be Thursday, and in fact, they needed someone to coordinate the activities for a group of 14 kids from age 4 to 16.  Absolutely nothing about this is up my alley...but something told me to offer to help, so I did, and immediately was terrified.

Today was quite likely the best birthday of my life -- and that's saying something!  I just spent the last 5 hours tie-dying t-shirts, painting pictures, dodging water balloons and talking about God's promises to  His children -- all with 14 absolutely amazing kids, my dear friend Corrisa and 17 volunteers from NC, FL and Summerville. 

I feel so blessed to have discovered that places like the Connie Maxwell house exist, and grateful for the amazing work that they are doing for children whose families have fallen on hard times.  It is wonderful to see that there are regular people among the rest of us who have chosen to dedicate their lives to making a joyful, loving, Christian home for kids who dearly need it.  It was truly an honor to play alongside them for a day, and see the blessings God rains down on those who seek Him.

So, as I sit here at 34 years of age, anxiously awaiting my dinner out with my boys, rather than bask in my birthdayness, I would rather count my many many blessings -- and while there are far too many to mention, here are a few:

• Being the child of a God who not only loves me, but knows what is best for me and offers me opportunities to grow and develop into a better person
• Being the child of two wonderful parents who raised me to laugh and work hard and love
• Being the mother of the most delightful child ever born
• Being the wife of my best friend who still sends me flowers

We Have a Winner!!!!

That's right, Charlie won the first official competition of his life.... The Ugly Bug Contest!!! 

It's bug week at school and each child was assigned with bringing in the "ugliest" bug he could find, then all the kids (or maybe teachers...I"m not really sure...) voted, and my Charlie won!

Yes, I'm inordinately proud -- especially since I'm the one who found the crazy bug climbing the screened porch.  Charlie is actually kind of ambivalent about the whole thing, but a huge fan of his prize --- CANDY!  As the winner he receieved a huge bag of sour gummy worms (yum!) and his very own bug box.

We celebrated the big win by calling Daddy and Grandma to brag then taking our candy and bug box over to Miss Donna's to show them off.

Of course, Charlie's biggest concern with the bug box is whether or not the bug can bit him through the plastic -- we're not sure how/why, but this is a recent obsession.  The risk is low now, though -- Daddy "freed" our winning specimen last night, fairly convinced that it was actually a stink-bug and would make us all miserable should it meet it's end in our house.

Today the Ugly Bug Contest, tomorrow anything's possible!

We actually submitted 2 bugs...

we didn't find the winner until we were heading out the door

Tah-Dah -- The Ugliest Bug in the Two Year Old Room!

Wearing our Winner to Miss Donna's

Need More Daddy!

Poor Jason... I'm not really sure what happened this weekend, but it was very bad and required him to be on a conference call from 10 AM Saturday until 2 AM Sunday, then again from 8:30 AM Sunday until 8:30 PM Sunday.  Thankfully, they did resolve the issue by the end of the call, but it was rough going -- just imagine five straight meals behind the desk in the study with breaks only to go to the bathroom and take Charlie up to bed.

Now imagine being Charlie!  He was an absolute trouper, but it was understandably harder for him to have Daddy at home but off-limits than it is when Daddy is away.  He just didn't understand why he couldn't play the piano, sit on Daddy's lap, play with all of the scissors and staplers, etc, in the desk drawer.  After all, if Daddy was in the study, why on earth would Charlie want to be anywhere else?

That said, Charlie did exceptionally well over the weekend, but we may have some side-effects to our Daddy withdrawal  Obviously, I do my best, but you really shouldn't underestimate the importance of a Father's influence...

Hmmmm...  Tie-dye as a fashion choice?

Of course, there's always Semi-Nude Golfing

"I need put my hair up to change baby diaper"

Little Chat

8:35 PM; Charlie's Room
Charlie is crying after being put to bed, a relatively rare occurence these days.  Daddy has just left to look at a neighbor's car that is acting up, so Mommy goes upstairs to see if she can help Charlie relax and settle down for sleep...

Mommy:  Hey Buddy, what's wrong?
Charlie:  [Hiccup]  Don't want door cracked! [Hiccup, Hiccup]
Mommy:  What? Do you want the door open more?
Charlie: [Hiccup] I don't knooooowwww! [Hiccup, Hiccup, Sob]
Mommy:  Come here, let's sit in your chair and calm down.
Charlie: I need my airplane blankie and my green blankie!
Mommy: I know, I have them.
Charlie: Don't hold me.
Mommy: Ok. You just sit here next to me.
Charlie: Where's Daddy?
Mommy: Daddy is at Mr. John's helping him with his car.
Charlie: Where's Daddy?
Mommy: He's just across the street at Mr. John's house.  Daddy's helping Mr. John look at his car, because Daddy likes to help people.
Charlie: He help Mr. John?
Mommy: Yes.  Daddy is helping Mr. John because helping people is good.  God likes us to help people.  God likes it when you help Mommy and Daddy. 
Charlie: He does?
Mommy: Yes, and you help us and other people all the time.  Do you know how?
Charlie: Blank Look
Mommy: You help us by making us smile.  That is a big help.  In fact, you're helping Mommy right now.
Charlie: I am?
Mommy: Yes, you are.  When you grow up and you're a Daddy, you'll help just like him.
Charlie: No.  I be a Mommy.
Mommy: No, sweetie.  You'll be a Daddy, and I bet you'll be just like your Daddy.
Charlie: No!  I be a Mommy and I have pink toes!
Mommy: Long Pause How about you be a Daddy with pink toes?
Charlie: Even Longer Pause Ok.
Mommy: Ready to go to bed?
Charlie: Yes, but don't leave door cracked!
Mommy: How about we leave it half open?
Charlie: Ok.
Mommy:  Night-night, Buddy.  See you in a couple hours.
Charlie: See you in couple hours...

Mommy creeps downstairs to laugh uproariously and wait for Daddy to come home and learn of Charlie's plans for the future!

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!

Ready to take off!

My very own seat!

Peek-a-boo!

Fire Captain, Charlie!

Tractor Time

Family Fun at the Luau!

Cruising Winnebago with the Daniels and Allens

Biker Boys

Let's go, already!

Snow Cones with BaBa

First Bass Boat Ride

Yardwork with Tom

Flirting with Abby

Hard Working Men

Running Errands

Fun with Great Aunt Jan & Great Uncle Sam

Blow Bubble, Mommy!

And so it begins...

It all started with a stick obsession.  About two weeks ago, Charlie added sticks to his required hunting/gathering routine on the way out of school each day.  First it was pine straw, then "flowers" (aka weeds), now sticks...all to go with the woodchips he gathers in his shoes, diaper, neck creases, etc.

At first the sticks were multi-purpose -- accompanied with a "psh, psh, psh" sound, he was putting sunscreen on me; struck together, he was a musician, etc...  Then out of the blue one day he held them up and asked "I go fish in pond?"  When I say "out of the blue," it's not as if he doesn't see the pond and people fishing in it daily, or as if our garage isn't stocked full of fishing poles and gear, but he's just never shown much of an interest, until now.

Of course, my immediate response was, "Ask your Daddy when he gets home."  Due to a runny nose/sore throat epidemic which resulted in a VERY grumpy little boy, a fabulous weekend with Lakely & family and other activities, Charlie didn't ask again until Sunday when Mommy was upstairs in bed, convinced that she was dying of her sore throat and congestion.  (I've said it before and I'll say it again, I am nowhere near as resilient as Charlie!)

The boys spent about 30 minutes by the pond, which is approximately 12 hours in 2 year old time.  Jason was thrilled with Charlie's ability to sit and watch the bobber (aka "ball"), keep his balance by the shore, and most importantly, thoroughly enjoy the experience despite the lack of action.  Overall, it was a perfect experience.

Later that evening, Jason told me that he had promised himself to wait until Charlie asked to fish, rather than encourage or coerce him into the hobby.   As much as he dearly hopes to have his first mate living down the hall, the last thing he wants is to force it, but from the look on his face, it was a long two year wait.  I am so proud of him and thrilled for them both. 

Quick warning to friends and family: within a few years I am going to be free just about every Saturday and looking for people to entertain me, while my boys are off fishing the gulf stream...

 Practicing for "the big one"

Working on his form

Proud Papa

Lakely, Lakely, Lakely

Really, the title says it all.  Charlie had so much fun with Lakely this past weekend...despite being a grumpy, disobedient mess part of the time.  All he could talk about before she and her Mommy arrived was Lakely, and all he's done since they left is ask "Where Mrs. Lea?  Where Mr. Tony?" and remind us that "Lakely borrow my book!"

It is so exciting to see him start playing "with" other kids, not just alongside them -- and even better to watch his and Lakely's friendship grow -- she was after all, a charter member of Charlie's Angels!  And watching them together makes it obvious that no matter how tough Lakely is or how much Charlie loves pink, she is all girl and he is all boy and the differences are hilarious!

We're already excited about our trip to VA Beach in July!

Friendly Teamwork

"What does she think she's doing?"

Living it Up with the Good Friends

Very Best Friends

Breathe In, Breath Out, Repeat

I truly do adore the sound of Charlie's little voice.  So much so, in fact, that the only voicemail saved on my phone is one of him telling me he loves me.   Nevertheless, it is slowly becoming apparent that there is such a thing as too much of a good thing --- waaay too much.

Daddy had to go to a business dinner this evening, so tonight's walk around the neighborhood was just Charlie, Otis and me (there is no way I can handle the stroller and both dogs).  It went something like this:

"What's that, Mommy?"
"Where he going?"
"What's in Bob's hand?"
"Airplane!  I don't see it!  I see it!"
"Who's truck, Mommy?"
"What's the green girl doing?" (green shirt)
"Who pooped in that yard?"
"Where my Daddy?"
"Where that car going?"
"That's like Bob's mower!"
"Who lives there, Mommy?"
"Whose trashcan, Mommy?"
"Why trashcan open, Mommy?"
"Whose garage, Mommy?"
"I need my sunglasses."
"Where my book?"
"What's that, Mommy?"
"Where Miss Corrisa?"

So, that represents approximately 30 seconds of our 45 minute walk... Of course, it didn't help matters, that this followed the most frustrating conversation of both Charlie's 2 year old and my almost 34 year old lives. 

After willfully disobeying my instruction to bring me his water after he dumped out mine, then running down the driveway, Charlie found himself in time out.  Our strategy with time out is to get him to  understand why he's there before we release him. 

I could get Charlie to agree to the fact that he needs to obey Mommy and Daddy.  I could even get him to answer the question "What do you do when Mommy & Daddy tell you to do something?" with "I do it," but he stubbornly refused to add "right away" to the end of that statement, over and over and over again.  He can obviously say both of those words, but flat out refused.  So after a few deep breaths, a prayer for wisdom for me to communicate and for him to understand, and a few more tries, I gave up, half-heartedly convincing myself that Charlie is just too young to understand, not merely too stubborn to agree.

Rumor has it that as a small child, I, too, had a wide vocabulary, clear enunciation, the ability to speak in sentences, a voracious curiosity about the world, and a stubborn streak, but bottom line, I liked the sound of my own voice and thought I knew best. While I don't believe in karma, I do believe in DNA. 

Therefore, it will likely be a very long time before I hear that fabled "sound of silence" in the presence of my beloved son, and while I know that the me of 12 years from now will wish she could reach back in time and slap me upside the head for even thinking this, I have to admit that part of me is looking forward to the sullen teenage years when we have to plead with him to even acknowledge our presence, much less talk...a small part, but still a part.

P.S. Dad, I apologize if this made you laugh so hard that you spit coffee all over your computer, and I sincerely apologize for my childhood!


Update:  (15 minutes later)
Ok, I take it all back.  Well, not take it back, but I certainly just learned a lesson.  After a bedtime story and prayer, Charlie just asked me to sing "Jesus Loves Me" and chimed in on the chorus.  In my heart, I do truly pray that he is still doing this 12 years from now -- but I also pray for the patience and wisdom to get me from now to then!

Dedicated

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Dear Sweet Charlie,
Today was a big day for our family.  Today your Daddy and I stood up before the congregation at Grace Christian Fellowship and dedicated you to God.  In so doing, we promised you, ourselves, each other, our church family, and God, Himself, that we will strive to do absolutely everything possible to ensure that you fully understand the foundation of this world.

God created the world thousands of years ago and created man to live in it as His companion.  When man sinned, we were all painfully separated from God because He is perfectly just.  The only way back to Him is through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to live and to die for us, and pay the price for our sins.

Charlie Bear, your Daddy and I have so many hopes and dreams for you.  We look forward to your first day of kindergarden, your first home run, your first fish, your graduations, your wedding, your own children, and everything in between.  We look forward to getting to know you even better as you grow, and laughing and loving all the way -- but all of that is meaningless without faith in God.  Everything good and beautiful in this world comes from God and everything good and beautiful in a person comes from His Spirit. 

We pray that you will come to understand and appreciate this truth as soon as possible, so you will know the security and hope and love that come only from Him, and whether you face peace or sorrows, you will know that it is "well with [your] soul".

You were dedicated alongside others whom we hope will be life long friends: Samuel Lanz (your beloved Philip's younger brother), Brendan and Seth Garlick, Ryleigh, Jacob, Carly and Mason Altman, and Alethea Hill, but today's ceremony did not complete or assure anything for any of you, it simply demonstrated that we, as parents, are commited to you and your spiritual welfare, and know that we will need help showing you and keeping you on the correct path.
 
You, Charlie, are blessed with an amazing family spread across this country, many of whom are already praying for these very same things, but now we also have your church family focused in the same direction. 

Your eternal security is the very most important thing in the world to Daddy and me, so we will continually ask for and expect help from other believers -- it is far too important to entrust to ourselves alone.

We know that your family and friends and church will support us in every way to show you what really matters in this world, but ultimately your relationship with God will be between you and Him.  Thankfully, He is the one person that doesn't need our help at all.

Charlie, you are a reward we do not deserve, a love we could not imagine and a joy we cannot contain.  We delight in you each and every day and are so grateful to call you Son.

Love,
Mommy & Daddy

So Blesses

Daddy presenting you to the church

Mommy trying reign in your need to be heard

                       It Is Well With My Soul
Words: Horatio Spafford, 1873. Music: Philip Bliss, 1876

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

It is well, it is well,
With my soul, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath she'd His own blood for my soul.

It is well, It is well,
With my soul, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
It was nailed trough his cross, and I bear it no more,
Bless the Lord, bless the Lord, O my soul!

It is well, It is well,
With my soul, with my soul
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

This could be trouble...

Around 4:00 this morning an absolutely huge thunderstorm hit Summerville, and the lightning was absolutely amazing.  Sadly, Charlie, Otis and Louie did not agree. 

First, Otis started whining and wandering around the bedroom, then soon after I heard Louie pipe in right before I heard Charlie "calling" me. (That's what he tells us when we go in his room lately, "I was calling you!")

Having vivid memories of racing down the hallway on Long Street to dive into my parents' waterbed, I plopped Otis in bed with Jason and rushed into Charlie's room.  We had a quick chat about the fact that thunder couldn't hurt him, a sip of water and I tucked Charlie back into his crib, making him a "fort" as he requested (i.e. putting the blanket over his head).

When I got back to our room, Jason was closing our shutters because the lightning was so bright it was hard to sleep, and as soon as he climbed into bed there was a simultaneous lightning strike/thunder boom, and I hopped up to go check on Charlie.  After all, it had kind of scared me.

Back in the nursery Charlie was completely silent, so I crept over to his bed and put my hand on his forehead to see if he was asleep.  My poor baby was cowering under his blankie trying to be tough, so obviously I scooped him up and brought him into our bed -- which is where the trouble begins.

Charlie cuddled into me and was perfectly silent for about five minutes, while I just basked in the feeling.  To date, he has spent two nights in our bed, once at about six days old with Jason and I cuddling either side of the Boppy that surrounded him to protect him from us, and once when the power went out during the Great Snowstorm of 2010 while Jason was at Daytona.

After a few minutes, Louie's incessant whining became more than we could bear, so Jason brought him into bed, too.  Thank goodness we have a King!  After about ten minutes of getting situated, talking to Louie, using Jason's face as a pillow and drinking about 16 oz of water, Charlie finally settled down and slept until 7:15 this morning when I hopped out of bed, shocked at how late I can sleep with the shutters closed.

I do appreciate the fact that Charlie is a good sleeper in his own bed...  I do understand that it is important for Jason and I to have our bed to ourselves...  I do fully realize that we all sleep more soundly in our own space... but it sure was fun...