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.

Easter morning!

The Nakayoshi House

We hadn't been in Michigan long (only long enough to eat lunch) when Charlie Jo discovered her new favorite toy. NanaB & Granddad won this little playhouse at a luncheon they attend every year put on by a local Japanese business council of some sort. According to Uncle Don and his amazing Googling skills, "Nakayoshi" means "friendship".



CJ wasted no time climbing in and flinging the balls (they came with the house) all over the place.



Later, Aunt Lisa, Uncle Dave, Ellie, Granny, & Grandpa came over for dinner and CJ had some new visitors in the Nakayoshi house!



That evening after CJ got ready for bed, another intruder showed up. (That's Granddad's hindquarters!)



Oh well - if you can't beat 'em, might as well join 'em!

Gone, baby, gone

Bright and early tomorrow morning, Corey, CJ and I are flying to the Motor City for Easter with the Stringers. While we are still recovering from our chocolate comas on Monday morning, Corey will fly back to Nashvegas while CJ and I continue on to Chicago to meet up with CJ's Grandma Jo and Grandpa Spike, who will be visiting Erin and Andrew. We should be back in Tennessee by Wednesday (with Jo & Spike in tow). Expect lots of photos of CJ toddling all over the midwest with a piece of candy grasped tightly in each fist.

Can you FEEL the excitement?

Off-roading

It's tough for one who has been walking for only about a month to walk downhill in grass while holding a sippy cup. She also picks up an abandoned shoe at one point. And then she tells you ALL about it!

I know there's an inappropriate joke in there somewhere...

Charlotte likes to hide (and find!) her own Easter eggs.

Motherhood Tip #42

After you have fished a vanilla wafer out of the bathtub, make sure you don't throw it away in an empty trash can or else it will CEMENT ITSELF to the bottom of said trash can. Scrubbing a trash can is not how I prefer to spend my afternoon.

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

Now I think Uncle Jerry's just making fun of me... ; ) (click on the image to make it larger)



Let's just hope he didn't read the post about Charlotte as Nick Nolte...

More Easter egg hunt cuteness

Another mom, Karyn, took these great shots at the Easter egg hunt playdate last week. Before we went outside, the kids played inside for a while. Charlie Jo parked herself in the little ball pit and apparently decided THOSE were the eggs to find. When Karyn's daughter, Hailey, joined her, they happily passed the balls back and forth for a while.




CJ took a little break in the middle of the hunt and Karyn captured this rare quiet moment.



Great shots, Karyn!