She does a mother proud

What are Charlie Jo's new favorite toys? Poker chips! Vegas, here we come!! We keep ours in a basket my Grandpa Chuck wove for me almost 20 years ago. The basket is especially handy for putting the poker chips into, and then, of course, dumping them back out again.

Evil geniuses?

I'm still laughing like an idiot after reading this post on Joslyne's blog.

We're in trouble when those two actually learn how to communicate with each other...

Two interesting milestones

Lately, we have been hitting some interesting milestones. These are not milestones like walking, teething, etc. They're more like "wow! CJ is becoming a little person!" kind of milestones.

Sometime around Easter, CJ began bringing books to people, handing the story to her chosen reader, and then smacking herself on the chest as if to say "read to ME! ME!" It's very cute, and it works every time. No one can resist, even if he or she has read that same inane book (why does she ALWAYS want to read Giggles with Daddy???) to her 40 times already that afternoon.

The milestone event I was really impressed with happened yesterday while we were Skyping with NanaB. NanaB had just finished reading CJ a story (which CJ sat very still through and seemed to really enjoy), and CJ climbed down from her big blue chair and toddled away. She quickly returned with one of her favorite Sandra Boynton books (Moo, Baa, La La La) and held it up to NanaB's image on the computer and smacked herself in the chest with the free hand. That's when it finally hit us that she really is making a connection between the books NanaB reads to her and the books she has strewn about her own playroom! CJ then either figured out that she couldn't actually give the book to NanaB or decided that Mommy was the next best option since NanaB hadn't taken the book yet, so she handed it to me instead and climbed into my lap. As luck would have it, NanaB does have that identical book up in Michigan, so she ran and got it and read it to CJ while I helped CJ follow along with her own copy. It was ridiculously adorable.

The next milestone was goofier. The big joke on TV shows is the little kid getting a hold of the family telephone and somehow calling Japan. Well, CJ may not have been able to make an international call, but she did manage to somehow dial up Daddy at work by hitting one of the saved numbers (or, now that I think about it, probably by hitting "redial" since I most likely called Corey at work on that phone last). I hung up the phone when I realized what the little goofball was doing, but Corey called right back and asked if I had just called him. Busted by called ID! At least it wasn't Japan...

Picnic at the Park

Zoey (sporting the lovely pillowcase dress I made her!) invited CJ for a picnic at Pinkerton Park (doesn't that sound like a song from a Rogers & Hammerstein musical?). Despite the festivities being cut short by a surprise thunderstorm, we had a terrific time!

Long week

This past week was long but somehow not filled with much picture-taking. Luckily, a responsible person (not me) actually remembered her camera for Charlie and Zoey's picnic on Thursday, and I'll post some photos of that adventure later. For now, here is some documentation of the fun we had this morning watching the Country Music Marathon. We were there to cheer on Joslyne and her friend, Kate, as they ran the half-marathon.

Charlie Jo kept an eagle eye out for our runners.



She paced the sidewalk, worrying that we might have missed them.



She actually kept a hat on for more than half of a second!



But then her hair looked a little wacky after we took it off.



We didn't miss them! We were stationed near the sixth mile marker, but they still looked in good spirits as they cruised by!

Fun with Grandma Jo & Grandpa Spike

Charlie Jo had such a great time seeing her Grandma Jo and Grandpa Spike last week! They were amazed by her new walking skills and they agreed that she had changed a lot since they last saw her at Christmas. Here are some of the fun things we did:

We took Connie for walks (thank goodness it warmed up after our first evening there).



Grandpa Spike introduced CJ to the joy of grape popsicles.



YUM!!!



The fact that no drips landed on CJ's shirt is a testament to Grandpa Spike's fastidious nature.



We had a minor melt-down every time the popsicle went away though.



I didn't get any pictures of him, but my cousin, Jordan, came over for dinner with a birthday gift for CJ. Yes, CJ, that diaper does make your butt look a tad big.



CJ is always happy to have Italian for dinner.



She's not such a big fan of clean-up though.



CJ showed Grandma and Grandpa how much she loves Connie.



She helped us load the dishwasher.



And assisted with sorting through clothes to hand down to Baby Sonia. Love the static in the hair!



She demonstrated her runway skills and modeled some new clothes Grandma Jo bought her.



She took everyone to a BBQ joint for dinner.



And of course, the little bookworm demanded that Grandma Jo and Grandpa Spike read her every book she owned about 50 times each. Again, her grandparents showed legendary patience!

Reunification

After Zoey returned from vacation in South Carolina and Charlie Jo ended her Great Midwest Tour, we were finally able to get the girls back together for a playdate last Thursday morning. My parents were in town and were dying to meet CJ's famous BFF. The playdate began with lots of CJ poking Zozo in the face and Zozo making annoyed faces and swatting away CJ's hands, but then the girls got engrossed in CJ's new tool bench toy that Great Granny & Great Grandpa Taylor got her for her birthday.



Then CJ showed off her mad dancing skills with an impromptu disco exhibition (to the tunes of her bear activity center).



I love this photo -- Zoey looks like she's explaining a plan of action that involves the penguin somehow.



Now that CJ has a super snotty nose (for the sixth time this winter/spring), the girls are again quarantined from each other. WHEN WILL COLD SEASON END?!?!?!?

Quick stop in Chicago

The morning after Easter, CJ and I flew to Chicago (Corey had to return to Nashville to work). Auntie Ernie soon found the way to CJ's heart (other than reading her books)...



Grandma Jo and Auntie Ernie tried to teach CJ to color.



CJ laughed and laughed whenever they told her not to put the crayons in her mouth.



Grandpa Spike can get CJ tanked up like no other.



Bath hairdo courtesy of Auntie Ernie.



Uncle Andrew and Margie kept CJ entertained.

More Easter fun

That's one big chocolate bunny you got there, CJ.



CJ the fashion model wasn't being particularly cooperative and liked to play more with the layers of her dress rather than pose prettily.



CJ loves her Easter Bunny, which was a present from the Easter Bunny!



CJ must have made Great Granny Taylor read her this book about 42 times. Great Grandpa Stringer kept watch over everyone.



Great Aunt Lisa, Great Uncle Dave, and cousin Ellie wanted to teach CJ how to do ring around the rosie.



CJ got a little freaked out when everyone fell down though. We'll have to work on that one.



We quickly learned that the way to get CJ to sit in anyone's lap was to set her up with a book. She is a fool for the books.



Lisa, Dave & Ellie brought CJ a neat little bunny cake, and CJ wasted no time diving right in. It was a replay of her birthday party, only without the part where she threw it on the ground.



CJ had a great time playing with the Taylors!



Three generations of Stringer men.



Thank you for reading each book 4,000 times, NanaB! Your patience is legendary.