Charlie turns two

I can hardly believe that my sweet baby girl is two!  Happy birthday Charlotte.  What a sweet girl you are.  You are very independent and strong-willed but also the most charming, hilarious, fun little thing.  You crack us up on a daily basis.  You talk nonstop.  You are a very tidy little girl and love to clean up your dinner plate and you like things to be put back exactly where they go.  You adore your daddy and are always dragging him around the house by one finger to show him something.  You love your sister Ava and copy her nonstop.  Some fun things that you say: "Mmmmmm Dats nummy" when something tastes good.  "Ahwan bass" (I want a bath), "ahwah-ee" (I don't want it when you are finished with something and want me to take it)  "Ta-da!" (Several times a day when you have done something you are proud of)  "Ava go?" (Where did Ava go?)  "Ahwan hode zoo" (I wanna hold you a.k.a. pick me up)   You have started saying the prayers over dinner with help.  You love to do things yourself and love any kind of chasing, tickling, or peek-a-boo game. Our life hasn't been the same since you came along and we love you little bug.  Happy day to you.

Dog pound

Just a couple cute pics of Charlotte chillin in a box with her stuffed puppy dogs.  

The Holidays

We were able to spend Thanksgiving at Rob's parents house.  It was a special treat because we got to meet our new nephew Samuel for the first time.  What a little cutie pie.  Ava was in heaven and was constantly asking Aunt Lauri if she could hold him.  The girls got in a lot of play time with their other Tag & Lucy too which they always love.

Christmas was spent in Texas this year though we were able to make a quick pre-Christmas trip to Oklahoma to celebrate there.  This was the first year that Charlotte really understood the concept of ripping paper and having a surprise inside.  She was apparently satisfied after two presents because we couldn't even get her to open her third one because she was too busy playing with the first two.  The girls loved all their gifts and, per Roberts family tradition, we had tacos for Christmas dinner.  A couple weeks before Christmas I told Ava that when I was growing up, a couple times on Christmas morning (maybe always, I'm not sure) my dad made us fresh squeezed orange juice before we opened presents.  So a couple days before Christmas, Ava spotted a little manual juicer in the produce section of the grocery store and begged to get it "so you can make juice like Poppy did mom."  And she loved it.

Ava with her gingerbread house

Maya - our elf with the ornament she colored and the ones she left for the girls

Maya

Ava singing at her Christmas concert (middle in green)

Cousins Tag & Lucy with Charlie and Ava singing to Grandma Vincent

Papa (Raymond), Rob, Charlotte & Ava with Grandma Vincent

And the stockings were laying on the fireplace with care (because I don't have hangers)

The tents I made for the girls on Christmas Eve.

Charlotte holding up one of her gifts

Ava very excited about her M&M's

Ava likes the tent

Charlotte with the froggy Grandma Kathee sent.

Rob and I had to laugh this year because his gift from me was a new quilt and my gift from him was a miter saw.  We were both thrilled.  I have long lists in my head of all the projects I can do now that I have my saw and Rob no longer has to snuggle up with a girly blanket every night just because its the softest, warmest one in the house. :)  By far my favorite gift this year was from my parents.  In lieu of gifts for my brothers and sisters and I, they donated enough money to Smile Train to give 6 children operations.  They sent a sweet letter explaining their decision which mostly had to do with the fact that we are so blessed and none of us are really in need of anything.  It was nice to open the letter on Christmas day and have it bring back what the season is really all about.

What we've been up to..............

Having daddy pull us in the wagon

Deciding we're big enough to pull the wagon ourselves

Catching little sister on the slide

Making funny faces

Striking funny poses

Feigning terror

Swinging in the baby swing when we aren't a baby

Hitching a ride to bed

Creating masterpieces

and messes

And masterpieces

Taking a picture with the gourd that Ava's music teacher Ms. Alice gave her (before it completely rotted).

Gettin in on the gourd photo shoot.

Trip to the ER

So today while I was in another room, I heard a door slam and Charlotte scream. Then Ava came running in to me saying "mom! Charlotte and I have red all over us!" Red? Yeah, she meant blood. Charlie must have gotten her finger slammed in the hinge side of the door because she ended up with a big gash in the tip of her pinky and we were off to the ER.

X-rays showed that she cracked the tip of the bone but the Dr. said that would heal itself. 4 stitches (and a whole lot of tears) later, we were on our way to get ice cream. Frozen dairy makes everything better.

Charlotte was a trooper and is so sweet. She even said thank you and waved bye bye to the guy who held her arm down and wrapped her finger in gauze while she loudly protested. A little motrin for the pain and she's back to her sweet, silly self.