Toddler pandemonium with guest star, Sonia

My sister, Erin, and her 21-month-old daughter, Sonia, came to visit this week!  The three kiddos got along like three peas in a toddler-sized pod.  The kids are finally old enough to really play together without super close parental supervision/direction, so we got a glimpse into the future where Erin and I can hang out and relax while our herd of kids roams around together.  

It was especially fun to see them pretending together, like when Charlotte and Sonia put themselves "night-night" on the couch together not long after Erin and Sonia arrived.

The rescue center slide was a big hit with all three kids.  It was surprising how well they (usually) took turns.

We did lots of exploring outside.  Sonia has been cooped up inside for a long, snowy winter, so she loved romping around in the grass.  The temperature got into the low 60s one of the days, so she was in heaven!  She especially adored following Connie the dog around outside.

Charlotte and Sonia conquered the mall playground together.

Sonia got to hold her first ice cream cone!  I think she liked it.

Then again, she also seemed to enjoy eating Peter's shoe.

Sonia tried dressing up as a fairy and decided she kind of liked it.

We must have gone outside to romp around at least once a day.  Such a nice treat after the cold winter we had!

Sonia met Charlotte's friend, Madison too!

While Charlotte was at school, we took the two little ones to Peek-a-boo Playtown.  Shhhh -- Charlotte still doesn't know we went without her.

Kids always put firefighter hats on backward!

At one point, Sonia grabbed a big plastic T-Rex and announced "snuggle!"  She then carried him around for quite a while and took him on several adventures.

Hey!  Does anyone notice that I'm drowning in a sea of plastic balls?

Such a sweet little smile on that girl!

If Peter could talk, he would have said "me too!" about a million times this week.  He was always about two steps behind the girls and desperate to join in on whatever they were doing.  Like here, during pants-free story time on Charlotte's bed before bath time.  Poor little guy.

We had such a wonderful time with you, Erin and Sonia!  We promise to come visit sometime very soon.

Peter as Dark Helmet from "Spaceballs"

My son has yet again been exploited for comedic purposes.  This time, it was my friend, Lauren, who assisted me.  Once Peter sees all of these goofy pictures (when he's old enough to care, that is), I'm in big trouble.  Remember the 1987 movie "Spaceballs"?  If not, this should jog your memory:

Too bad we didn't have any little glasses handy or else Peter's transformation into Rick Moranis would have been complete!

How NOT to sled on a snowdrift

More Michigan shenanigans

The great deer rescue

Last weekend in Michigan, GrandDad took Charlotte on another adventure.  This time, they were following a map to help a mommy and daddy deer find their baby deer in the woods.  We brought some new resin figurines to help add some authenticity to the hunt.

As they were studying the map, Charlotte told us that she was "Diego" and that GrandDad was her "helper".  Charlotte started the journey by trooping through the deep snow like a champ with the assistance of her "helper".

The intrepid explorer was thrilled when she found the baby deer sleeping in an area where she and NanaB had discovered some deer beds the day before.

They celebrated their success by sledding down the hill a few hundred times.  We had to practically drag Charlotte inside for lunch.  She is turning into quite the little snow bunny.

GrandDad and Charlotte make a great adventure team!

Snowy adventures in Michigan

Happy Valentine's Day jig by Charlotte

Yeah, that's totally my daughter.

Peter's new love

We just got back from a great weekend in Michigan at NanaB and GrandDad's house, but I haven't downloaded the pictures just yet.  Instead, I needed to report on Peter's new obsession -- Sonny & Cher.

You see, it all started with a magnet on NanaB's fridge that plays a snippet of "I Got You Babe".  Peter begged for it to be played over and over again.  Yesterday, Peter was having a rough time for some unknown reason and wouldn't quit fussing.  We tried everything (including his beloved monkey blanket), and finally I suggested playing "I Got You Babe".  It worked!  When we got tired of holding him so he could press the button, I put him on the floor and moved the magnet down low.  He must have played it 40 times in a row.

Was it annoying?  Yes, but not as annoying as a 14-month-old whining and fussing.  Plus, I kind of like the song.  Peter again just couldn't cheer up a little bit ago, so I downloaded the song for him.  He's happy now!  He really liked looking at the photos I pulled up of Sonny & Cher to show Charlotte.  Hey, whatever it takes to keep him happy, right?

Here's for you, Petey!

Snuggles

Chilly day blues

This morning, we made a quick trip to the library before Peter's nap.  When even new books weren't cheering up my kids on this bleak, chilly day, I knew we needed to get outside to run around.  After lunch, I bundled us up and set the kids loose.  Peter REALLY doesn't like to walk on grass yet though.  Once Charlotte got over her disappointment that we couldn't roam around in the backyard, we all had a good time walking up and down the sidewalk.

It's always a good time to dance in Charlotte's world.

And it's always a good time to stagger around aimlessly if you're Peter.

Charlotte takes her role as big sister very seriously.  Here, she was protecting him from the dirty trash cans.

Yes, I know Peter's coat looks ridiculously large on him.  His 12-month coat was nearly impossible to get on him, but he's swimming in this 18-month one.  I renew my demand for an industry-wide baby clothing revolution and insist that companies begin to sell 15-month clothes!

Wait up!

Charlotte was telling Peter all about the (pretend) baby puppy that we were hunting for on our journey.  Peter was just trying not to fall flat on his face.  

And that's the end of our winter walking adventure!