Eat your heart out, Brett Michaels. (Thanks, Elke, for the fun hand-me-downs!)
Archive for May, 2009
Cowgirl
Sunday, May 31st, 2009Farmer Flora
Saturday, May 30th, 2009
Dad and I let a single strawberry plant from last year overtake the entire flower bed this year, and BOY do we have lots and lots of strawberries. We outsmarted the bunnies and put a net over the bed early on, so we’ve already got sweet, red, and juicy strawberries for the picking … and eating … right off the vine.
And Mom transplanted just a few peony plants from the back yard to the front yard, and this year we’ve got a plethora of peonies, too! There must have been some magic formula during the winter weather to make everything in the yard go so gangbusters this spring.
If We Were The Simpsons
Saturday, May 30th, 2009
(Not) Sitting Pretty
Tuesday, May 26th, 2009
Why just sit and relax when there are so many other fun things to do in a chair?
Memorial Day Weekend
Sunday, May 24th, 2009
On Sunday we went to a cookout at Oliver’s house to celebrate Memorial Day. That’s me, Seneca, and Batman … I mean Oliver … pictured above. Hotdogs? Yah, whatever. Watermelon? Hmmm, pretty good. Chocolate Ice Cream Cones with Rainbow Sprinkles? Oh yah, now you’re talking!
On Monday, Mom and I went on a special date to the playground in Stoneham Center when Charley was napping, where we caught the tail-end of the Memorial Day parade before playing, then grabbed lunch at Mother’s Pizza. I really like their french fries dipped in mayonnaise.
Later when I was napping, Mom and Charley got to hang out in the yard together and enjoy the rest of the afternoon, before we cooked out for dinner and got soft serve ice cream cones at Dairy Dome for dessert.
“Look at Me!”
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
Flora is expanding her physical abilities this summer and showing no fear by climbing up tricky ladders, climbing up high, hanging upside down, and flipping.
Watermelon
Friday, May 22nd, 2009
My first watermelon of the season. Oh how I missed thee.
Just Ducky
Thursday, May 21st, 2009
With temperatures reaching 90+ degrees today, we busted out the kiddie pool for some much needed heat relief. Tough guy Charley thought the water was too cold, so he was content to just sit poolside and sun his physique.
11 Months Old
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009
Somehow Charley turned 11 months old today — it hardly seems possible. He’s been busy exploring his surroundings and working on communicating. He uses the signs for “all done” and “more” regularly, shakes his head “yes” and “no,” says “mama” and “dada,” and I think he’s even said “bye-bye” while waiving a time or two. And he seems to understand everything you say to him. He’s cruising along furniture well, and will even “leap” between items while letting go completely for a few seconds. And he’s been letting go for brief periods while standing, too. He’s proficient at walking behind the walker, but hasn’t braved a first step on his own just yet. He also likes to hang upside down and will throw himself backwards to do so. Charley is really starting to enjoy books and will choose to look at them on his own. The other day when I was reading Baby Faces and pretended to cry, he took his binky out, tried to put it in my mouth, and leaned in to give me a hug. Although he is a busy, busy boy, he is very sweet and snuggly.
Cardinal Family
Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
A family of cardinals set up shop in the bush outside our living room window. Here the mother bird just got done feeding the babies. Marty said, “The Mommy bird feeds the babies worms and bugs.” Flora replied, “And the Daddy bird drinks beer.”
Never Leave Your Child Unattended
Friday, May 15th, 2009
I knew Charley was being just a little too quiet, so when I walked in the living room to see what he was up to, this is what I found. How fun it must have been to pull out a seemingly never-ending supply of Kleenex one by one by one by one … Trying to stuff them back in one by one wasn’t so much fun for me. But even when he’s down with croup, he doesn’t slow all the way down. Thank goodness he is feeling better today — I’m sure gonna miss all the extra sick snuggles, cuddles, kisses, and hugs.
John Deere
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
See, in these parts, I’m what you call a corn-fed, midwestern boy.
Pippi Longstockings
Tuesday, May 12th, 2009
Director’s Cut
Monday, May 11th, 2009
Ruby G’s Third Birthday
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
Flora’s pal from preschool, Ruby G (top), turned three in April, but they celebrated this weekend with a cookout complete with Flora’s favorite, cake and ice cream, and of course, party hats! If you look close at Charley’s smiling photos in the link below, you may just spot another tooth that snuck through — his top, left incisor.
A Few of Mom’s Favorite Things
Saturday, May 9th, 2009
This year for Mother’s Day, we surprised Mommy with one of those little blue boxes that Mommies seem to like so much. This time it held a double teardrop bangle bracelet that Mommy wanted to remind her of Charley, since he is a Gemini — the sign of the twin (and probably also because he caused — and cried — so many tears when he was first born!). We’re going to make Mommy “breakfast in bed” for dinner later. Or maybe we’ll just cookout, Dad said. Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms, Grandmoms, and Great Grandmoms out there — I hope you have a relaxing day!
First Words?
Thursday, May 7th, 2009Charley has been babbling quite a bit, and really trying to communicate with sounds and signs (unfortunately, his sign for “more” and “all done” is the exact same flailing of his hands, so we just have to guess which he means). But this week he’s actually talked with meaning. At first I wasn’t sure when one day he crawled over to me and said, “mama.” But since then, he’s said “mama” a couple more times in a very deliberate way. And this morning, when we all walked down the stairs, Charley saw our cat, Sepia, and said “kit.” Flora and I both looked at each other in surprise. Of course her first word was “cah” for cat, so she was extra excited for Charley. I think I’m officially going on the baby books with “mama” being Charley’s first word. And with him being such a Mama’s boy, there’s no surprise there.
Bubbles
Monday, May 4th, 2009
Mommy had to work an extra day this week, so I got to hang out with Charley and his sitter, Diane, today. Diane brought us new bubbles to play with, and I had a great time experimenting with all the different wands and spinning around and around making bubbles.
My Pals
Saturday, May 2nd, 2009
My old pal Maggie, her Mom Suzanne, and her little sister Kalista, visited from Chicago this weekend. We’re were planning on going to the zoo, but the weather seemed iffy, so we just hung out in my backyard and played. It ended up being a really nice day, and a very nice visit with my pals (clockwise) Raessler, Mackenzie, and Maggie. You already know Charley — the one eating sand. “And when there was no meat, we ate fowl, and when there was no fowl, we ate crawdad, and when there was no crawdad to be found, we ate sand. You ate what? We ate sand. You ate SAND? That’s right!” — Raising Arizona