The cousin convention continues

I don't think any captions are necessary here -- each one would be some variation on "aren't they CUTE?!?!?!"

Charlie Jo meets the Mighty Quinn

Today, Charlotte and I took a couple of plane rides up to Minnesota to see Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Don. Most importantly, we came to meet Quinn!



Charlotte had very little use for Quinn at first. She was much more enthralled with the sippy cup full of water.



Later, she interacted with her sweet cousin a little while he lounged on his playmat. I know it's just the angle from which I took the photo, but doesn't Charlotte look like a huge ogre compared to little Quinn?



Quinn sure is a cute little smiley guy!



Come over and see your cousin...



WHOAH! I said SEE your cousin, not STOMP your cousin!



Will Charlotte figure out that Quinn is more fun than her pink baby doll? Will Quinn survive it if she does? Stay tuned!

Should I be offended?

Should I be offended that my husband refused to let me leave for the airport this morning without this note in Charlotte's pocket? [Yes, I smeared out our phone numbers. Click on the image to make it bigger.]



Did he think I wouldn't notice if Charlie Jo ran off while we waited for our flight? Did he think I would be so enthralled with little keychains in the shape of guitars and shirts that say "Viva Nashvegas!" in the gift shop that I might forget to keep an eye on our newly-mobile daughter? Most importantly, did he really think anyone could read his handwriting in the unlikely event they found CJ wandering alone AND thought to themselves "I think I'll check in this ridiculously tiny pocket on the screaming baby's capri jeans to see if there is a note that includes contact information for not one, but both parents"?!?!?

In Corey's defense, CJ is becoming a little speed demon if given a wide open space and sufficient motivation. Yes, a breath of air can knock her over and into fits of consternation, but she is pretty little and easily lost behind things like acorns and gumdrops. I suppose I shouldn't be too offended, but I reserve the right to make fun of him.

P.S. I love that he (1) used my real name instead of my nickname -- why???, and (2) dated the memo because he such a lawyer.

All play and no work...

The weather today is GORGEOUS! We had a playdate at the park with the playgroup this morning before music class (no, Nicole and Keith didn't come today, unfortunately) to take advantage of it. Other than a slight obsession with eating the rubber bark chips on the playground (which led to mini tantrums when I dug them out of her mouth), Charlotte had a terrific time. There's nothing cuter than a baby in overalls.

High-tech story time

Charlie Jo is lucky enough to have two very talented grandmothers. One (Grandma Jo) is an algebra teacher who will be able to help her with all her math homework when Corey and I reach the limits of our knowledge. The other (NanaB) is a children's services librarian who will be able to help Charlie Jo with early literacy skills and book reports. (Her grandfathers are a little less helpful until CJ gets quite a bit older -- Grandpa Spike can help her create computer programs and Granddad will help her when she falls in love with a foreign national and wants to know how to get him a green card.)

Anyway, NanaB has already started her campaign to get Charlie Jo literate. She has been reading picture books to CJ via Skype (video conferencing over the internet), and CJ is really liking it! I can't believe how still she will sit, and it's funny to see. Today, I sat her in her spare highchair (aka "Zoey's highchair") seat to see if she would sit still on her own (meaning not in my lap). She did! She only took her eyes off the screen to make sure I was still nearby and to reach for a toy to hold during the story.





Corey thinks NanaB should start a subscription service for Skype story times. I told him that's what people think TV is.

Now she's a REAL cowgirl!

Tonight, Dan brought over Charlotte's birthday present (in addition to the awesome book the Marshalls gave her at the party) -- a gorgeous, hand-made rocking horse! We put Charlotte on it and she loved it. Isn't it beautiful?!?!? Thank you so much, Dan (and the rest of the Marshalls)!!

Lunch with the Vandy Aunties

After having coffee with the moms' group, we trekked up to Nashville for lunch with Daddy and the Vandy Aunties (my old coworkers). I miss them so much! We had a good time after lunch back at the office. CJ showed off her walking skills by taking a self-guided tour all over the building. We started with a dance party in Kathryn's office.



CJ loves her Auntie Angela!



Too bad CJ covered up Auntie Kathryn's face with the letterhead she stole.



We need to make it up there more often. It's nice to reconnect with my pre-mommy life!

Ready for action

In our ongoing quest to raise Charlotte as a human rather than a barnyard animal, we have previously introduced the spoon to mealtimes. That was a passing fad, and a new lack of interest in her beloved yogurt has given CJ very little use for utensils. The next step was to see how CJ did with dishes. She has thrown bowls on the floor in the past, so I bought one of the kind that sticks to the highchair tray with a suction cup. This one is also shaped so that the food that doesn't quite make it to the kid's mouth is funneled back into the bowl.



This was all fine and dandy for a while, but once CJ got tired of the pasta she (1) emptied the bowl by hand (throwing the pasta onto the tray, floor, and even the dog), (2) used brute force to tear the bowl off the tray, and (3) proceeded to fling the bowl onto the nearby table.

Sigh. We have a long way to go.

Oh! But I forgot about Chuck E. Cheese! CJ did eat her pizza pieces nicely off a paper plate at Chuck E. Cheese yesterday. It wasn't until she had consumed about three large pizzas all by herself that she tired of the plate and flung it away. That kid LOVES pizza. Just like her daddy and Uncle Don.

Ride 'em, cowgirl

We had lunch with the playgroup today at Chuck E. Cheese. Despite the obnoxiousness and lousy pizza, it's really fun to watch Charlotte enjoy herself there. Please ignore my screechy voice trying to get CJ's attention in this video, but please enjoy watching CJ prepare for her upcoming bull riding competition.

Birthday party weekend with NanaB & Granddad

Trying to convince Charlie Jo to wear something on her head is like trying to get the ocean to stand still.



NanaB & Granddad gave her this cool outfit to wear for her birthday party.



The cakes Alicia made for the party were gorgeous AND delicious!



We had pizza for lunch at the party. Demetri fed Zoey some yummy veggies, too.



CJ got a great book from the Marshalls with lots of bright pictures in it.



Zoey helped decorate CJ's present! CJ tried to eat the envelope the card came in.



Granddad is so proud of his one-year-old.



Ready for CAKE!



Scarily enough, CJ ate almost all of that cake.



CJ looks dazed by the chocolate. The Marshalls all look cute though!



Joslyne & Zoey checked out the cool new play tunnel they gave CJ for her birthday.



CJ loves her tunnel!!



Watching the instant replay of the cake-on-the-floor debacle.



BAROO?



The next morning, we tested out CJ's new birthday suit (well, the bathing suit Corey and I gave her for her birthday, anyway) in the hot tub. CJ is going to spend a lot of time in that tub this summer, I suspect! We have grand plans to make it a "luke-warm tub" for the dog days of summer.



In her new outfit from NanaB & Granddad -- CJ looks like a little mannequin, doesn't she?



Cuddling with Mommy after a terrific lunch at Monell's in downtown Franklin. We discovered that CJ loves cornbread.



CJ tried to stow away in NanaB's suitcase, but she was discovered when it was time to pack.



NanaB & Granddad - thank you so much for coming to help us celebrate CJ's first birthday!!