Could Piggle pull off a cowboy hat?

What do you think?

Making guacamole

I tried an experiment today -- what happens when you strip Charlotte down and set her up at the highchair with a tray full of little avocado pieces? Witness the result:

Why is getting splashed in the face so funny?

When Addie & Ella were here last weekend, we learned that Charlie Jo thinks it's HILARIOUS when you smack your hand on the surface of the water and splash her in the face a little. Addie was doing it in the hot tub, and Charlie laughed and laughed. We tried it tonight in the bath tub. Sure enough, Charlie giggled like a fool. Corey grabbed the camera and we caught a little bit of the fun in a video:

Time to head home

The Wagner crew drove home to Florida today, but not before we had lunch together at Noshville. We had an event to celebrate -- but propriety keeps me from disclosing the exact nature of Ella's accomplishment.

Addie was so sweet with Charlie. She tried to teach her that books are for reading, not eating.



Congratulations Ella! That cake was well-deserved.



Charlie was working on "chewing" on one of her peach puff snacks.



Addie created a masterpiece on her placemat.



I think I might have forgotten to count to three before I took this photo.


Thanks so much for coming to visit, everyone! We miss you already!!

From Iraq to Tennessee - Day 2

Today, we made pancakes for breakfast and had a quiet morning at home while Corey went to work. After he got back, we shopped for some baby shoes (but didn't find any in Ella's size). Finally, we found out way to the Adventure Science Center in Nashville.

Charlie was more enthralled with Ella than the exhibits.



Charlie liked to play the keyboard though.



Ella loved the hovering balls.



Say what now?



Addie went down the big tube slide with her Grandma Janet twice.



After dinner at the Loveless Cafe, we hit the hot tub again.



Now, all the girls are snoozing and the adults are recovering with beer and watching football.

From Iraq to Tennessee - Day 1

My cousin, Jake, just got back from Iraq. Since his mom and dad (my Aunt Janet and Uncle Bart) were in Florida to visit him and his family, they decided to drive up to stay the weekend with us in Tennessee. So Janet, Bart, Jake, his wife Lauren, and their two daughters Addie (age 5) & Ella (age 2) all piled into their SUV and drove the length of Alabama on Friday.

First thing this morning, before we even had breakfast, Addie and Ella took a dip in the hot tub. Their bathing suits had been left in Florida by accident, but that didn't stop them! After we goofed around for most of the morning, we headed out to Pinkerton Park to play on the Tinkerbell Playground.

Ella came down the slide like greased lightning.



Charlie had fun standing and watching the girls play.



Much to Corey's delight, there was a local British car club having a show at the park. We headed over to take a look.



Addie and Ella wanted this car.



Corey was thrilled to show Charlie an old Triumph (almost like the one he used to own).



After the park, we lunched at Mellow Mushroom in downtown Franklin. Addie loves playing hand games with her Grandma Janet and BeePaw (Grandpa Bart).



Charlie Jo, in her new Vandy onesie, watched with interest.



And then she chewed on Corey's nose.



Ella was confused about why Charlie would do such a thing.



Next we went to downtown Nashville and checked out the honky tonk scene. We met Elvis, but he tried to throttle Janet.



It was beautiful down by the Cumberland River.



Addie made a new friend at the Wildhorse Saloon.



Ella made a friend too! She fed him some hay.



After that, we returned home and ate some Bar-B-Cutie takeout before taking another dip in the hot tub. Bart, Jake and Lauren met up with a friend of Jake's who owns Stogie's Ale & Fine Cigars just a few miles from our house.

Giggle girls

Faith Carol had Charlie in stitches yesterday. Charlie is a fool for the tickle monster.

Visiting Cousin Sarah at Vandy

I took Charlie Jo to lunch with the Vandy Aunties today. We needed to go to the Vanderbilt bookstore afterward to get Charlie a new Vandy onesie for the game on Saturday, and when we were walking across campus I decided to check in with Sarah. She's my second cousin on my mom's side, and she's a senior at Vandy. We met her after her neuroscience class and she showed us her dorm room. Charlie helped Sarah check her e-mail and then hung out with Sarah's roommate, Becky. Here's Charlie with Harold Stirling Vanderbilt on campus and with Sarah in her dorm room.

Good taste in shoes

Charlie Jo loves her new shoes sent by Grandma Jo and Grandpa Spike. They have monkeys on them! I think she took me too literally when I told her she had good taste in shoes though...

Clothes horse

Charlie has been pulling herself up this week! She's getting oh so close to crawling also. I'm savoring my last moments with a relatively immobile child because everyone keeps telling me how much crazier it gets when a baby can move.

We went shopping for some fall/winter clothes this afternoon, because I when I went to dress Charlie for Stroller Strides this morning, I realized she had a distinct lack of them. She can still wear most of her summer clothes for a couple more months if we layer a long-sleeved onesie underneath, but I wanted her to also have some nice cozy outfits. I LOVE shopping for baby clothes, because they're pretty much guaranteed to fit, they look adorable, and they're really stinkin' cheap (compared to adult clothes, anyway). I got Charlie 4 outfits and a shirt for me for less than $40. Yea! They're all sort of the same style (a tunic top over pants), but two are fleece and two are knit.


All that shopping wore poor little Charlie out. We only actually went to one store, but Charlie spent most of the time trying to dive out of the cart to grab the clothes. There was a lot of wrestling involved as a result. We may need to fashion some sort of a straight jacket for Charlie next time. Anyway, when we were standing in line, several women behind us just couldn't get over (1) how cute Charlie was, (2) how well-behaved she was, and (3) how alert and good-natured she was. They also made a comment that I hear over and over -- that Charlie has such beautiful olive skin. I couldn't agree more. Here's the little beauty after her shopping bonanza:

Stroller Strides

Niki learned that her exercise program, Stroller Strides, allows husbands to attend for free on Saturdays. Niki asked me to go, and while I initially deferred on the grounds that I had to sit on my butt before watching MSU play IU at 11:00 AM, I eventually agreed to go. After all, how strenuous could it be?

After attending my first Stroller Strides class - holy cripes! Once the kiddos were strapped into the strollers, we took off, and for the entire next hour, either my muscles were burning or I was out of breath. While I have always been impressed with how dedicated Niki has been to regularly attend Stroller Strides all summer in the steamy Tennessee heat, I am even more in awe of her due to how strenuous the workout is! Wow.

Charlie is really a great kid. She has her fussy moments, but for the most part, she's a happy, healthy, bubbly, active child. She is free with a smile, happy to cuddle, easygoing, and willing to wrassle with dogs, stuffed animals, or Dad. She falls asleep easily in our arms (I know, I know - she's getting too old for us to rock her to sleep, but we like it and it works - quickly), and is delighted having a bath.

I have always known that Niki would be a great mother. I was absolutely right, but I had no idea she would be utterly fantastic! Charlie is truly a lucky kid to get to spend each day with her mother. Niki has struck a really nice balance of concentrating on Charlie every day by playing with her, helping her develop, comforting her, and entertaining her. In the meantime though, Niki has continued to be active with her friends (both new friends with kids and old friends without kids) and in the neighborhood. She has really spent a lot of time communicating with our families all about Charlie as she grows, which we think is very important. In addition, she no qualms about taking Charlie and cruising around town and doing "adult" activities which Niki enjoys. Finally, she does a great job taking care of me and the household. Niki's doing it all around here, and I am really impressed with how easily she does it . . .

Due to Niki, we're a pretty happy little family.

CJS

Where's Charlie?

Where's Charlie?


There she is!


Awww... I gotta get a better hiding place.