Happy New Year!

Or, more accurately, "Happy Hmmm Hmmm!"

Cheering Section

Lately Charlie has become my own personal cheering section.

For instance, at dinner this evening as I was eating asparagus:

CHARLIE: "Yaaay! Good job Momma! You eating you veggies!"

Or after dinner when we were coloring together:

"Good job, Mama! You draw horsey! Good job!!"

This morning he even applauded me for putting my coat on. All the praise is getting a little daunting. Hopefully it won't go to my head.

Blame Family Ties

for my lack of blogging over the weekend. I purchased the first two seasons on dvd and have been working my way through all 44 episodes at record pace... I should re-surface by the end of the week...

After Christmas Letdown

Or, more likely, really short memory:

CHARLIE: (while playing with his train table) "Where Santa Claus?"
ME: "He's back home at the North Pole. He delivered all his presents yesterday and now he's resting."
CHARLIE: (looking around, baffled) "Where my presents?"

Christmas Pictures

Christmas Morning

Santa's Helpers

were hard at work this evening!

Vendetta

Charlie woke up yesterday morning with an apparent vendetta against one of his classmates.

"Teddy* hurt me," he announced as I picked him up out of his crib.

"I think you probably had a bad dream," I told him as I carried him over to his changing table to get him dressed.

Unfazed, Charlie continued: "Teddy pushed me. Teddy took my leggos. Teddy spilled my cheerios."

He then squeezed his fist tight so his fingernails were digging into his palm. "Teddy did that," he announced, opening up his hand to reveal the red marks he had just made.

"Tell his teachers to keep him away from Teddy today," I warned Mike as we left the house.

*Teddy's name has been changed to protect the innocent.

Ice

After the 20+ inches of snow that got dumped on us over the weekend we have something new and exciting to deal with, thanks to the rain late yesterday and near zeron temperatures today: Ice. I managed to stay on my feet all day until coming out of the mall this evening carrying Charlie, when I slipped. Charlie was unhurt, as Mike observed "Mama broke your fall."

Upon hearing this Charlie proceeded to yell: "Mama broke my balls! Mama broke my balls!"

Early Christmas At The Robinsons'

Here are some pics from our Christmas get-together at Phil & Sue's today. For some reason Charlie has a deer-in-the-headlights look in all of them, honestly not sure why...

Heading to Phil & Sue's in a blizzard (this was taken on the highway at 11am):


Charlie apparently fearing for his life while heading to Phil & Sue's in a blizzard:


Snuggled up on the couch but apparently still traumatized:

Opening presents:

Mmmm this popcorn is a hit (but for some reason I still don't look that happy):

Ill Fated Mall Trip

We attempted to go to the mall this afternoon for last minute christmas shopping and dinner. Not so successful. The normally ten minute trip took us 45 minutes because of the snow, broken traffic lights and various idiots on the roadways. Then when we got to the mall we had been there maybe 3 minutes -- literally hadn't even finished walking through Sears to the mall proper -- when the power went out in the entire mall and we had to evacuate. It then took us 40 minutes just to get out of the mall parkinglot in the mayhem of every person at the mall attempting to leave at once.

No, not a good trip at all.

Still Snowing...

Here are a couple pictures from my mangled camera:
Snow baby:

Still snowing:

We've only managed to go out once so far today, to the grocery store, as we are the only people alive who do a big shop *after* a snowstorm... If we make it out again today I will take a few more pics.

Blizzard & Santa Claus

It is currently snowing between 1 and 2 inches an hour with ridiculous winds but you will have to take my word for it because when I attempted to take a picture for this post, the front door blew open and in my attempt to grab it and pull it closed I crunched my camera in the hinges of the door and broke the flash. So you will have to wait till tomorrow morning for after the blizzard pics.

On an unrelated side note, Charlie was completely traumatized by his Christmas party's Santa Claus this morning and is still muttering "No sit in my lap! No sit in my lap!"

Let It Snow

We are supposed to get a foot of snow tomorrow, starting late morning and continuing through into the evening. Charlie will be happy -- he was asking for snowballs this morning. Tomorrow is his christmas party at daycare, but thankfully the party is in the morning. Mike is working from home and then going to pick Charlie up at 12:30, hopefully before the roads are too completely terrible.

In honor of our first real snow storm I ordered these for Charlie. They won't arrive in time for this storm, or the next one (sunday night) but maybe by the next one...

Christmas Shopping

For myself, of course.

Since my presents aren't going to be a surprise to myself, they might as well not be a surprise to anyone else either.

I got these and these (the leopard pair at the top right) as well as a black hoodie with a white embroidered dove on it and two long sleeved tee shirts from Lucky Brand Jeans Co that I could not find on-line to show you. All will be wrapped and put under the tree so it will be almost like being surprised...

Obsessively Geeky Carseat Post

After obsessing for hours (no actually months) about Charlie's next carseat (The Britax Regent? The Britax Frontier? The Graco Nautilus? The weight limit? The height limit? The seated height limit? Does it come with a cup holder?) I finally purchased the Britax Regent after having been deemed certifiable by my co-workers due to the amount of time and energy I put into the decision.

Christmas Party

Yes, the girl writhing around on the bar would be my (former) boss, and yes I am hung over.

A Little Bit Confused...?

As I was putting Charlie to bed a few minutes ago, he noticed that I was wearing my hair down. This was apparantly unusual enough for him to comment on -- he grabbed a handful and said "Fix your hair, Mama!" Then he stopped, looked at me again, and said "Hi Mandy! Hi Mandy!" I actually had to correct him, as he was still calling me Mandy as I put him into his crib, and he still didn't seem entirely convinced when I turned out the light.

Weekend Plans

Because its never too early to think about the weekend.

Tomorrow after work we are going to head to the mall for dinner and some Christmas shopping.

Saturday we have my work Christmas party at a local Chinese restaurant which should be fun and will hopefully involve a lot of alcohol ;) Sue and Andrew and Kyle are coming over to babysit Charlie; he will enjoy spending some time with his aunt and cousins.

Sunday we are going to head up to New Hampshire to visit Grampy & Grampy Robinson.

Let the weekend begin!

Ring Around The...

CHARLIE: "I want to play Ring Around The Red Sox!"
ME: "You want to play Ring Around The what...?"
CHARLIE: "Red Sox!"
ME: "Rosie..?"
CHARLIE: "Rosie! I want to play Ring Around The Rosie!"

Oookay...

Messy Burp

Charlie threw up twice last night -- he woke up calling "Mama! I made messy burp in my cribby! I made messy burp!"

Wonderful mother that I am, when he woke up this morning and seemed his usual chipper self, I sent him to daycare.

He lasted an hour and a half before he threw up all over himself and I had to go get him and bring him home. In twenty degree weather with no shoes (those having been thoroughly barfed on.) Bad mommy.

O Christmas Tree

Charlie had a very fun time "helping" to decorate the Christmas tree this afternoon, with only one broken ornament to show for it. Here is the finished product:

First Snow

The Irony

Charlie slept until 8am this morning, after sleeping all through the night. Of course, he would do this on a saturday when I have to work, so I could not benefit from his sleeping late.

And now, what is he doing after Mike took him to FunLand and had him run around like a maniac all morning?

He is not napping.

A Shout Out

to Mandy for the updated look of my blog! Thanks!!

Lessons in Sharing

Charlie still has not quite gotten this concept down sometimes. Case in point: dinner this evening. After dinner Charlie asked for a treat, so I gave him a choice of either M&Ms or Oreos. He chose M&Ms and I settled down next to him with a handful of oreos, which of course was asking for trouble.
CHARLIE: (Immediately looking with interest at my oreos) "I have oreo, Mommy?"
ME: (handing him one) "Yes, if I can have an M&M."
CHARLIE: "No! No have M&Ms."
ME: "But I gave you an oreo so now it's your turn to give me an M&M."
CHARLIE: "No! You have plenty oreos, Mommy; eat your oreos."

Yeah, we'll keep trying...

Cousins Pictures -- Then & Now

Thanksgiving 2007:


Thanksgiving 2008:


Maybe we'll have better luck in 2009?

Frequent Flyer

I think with this last flight (Charlie's 5th) he has mastered the whole flying thing. He has finally figured out that the plane goes up in the sky as opposed to the water ("Plane go in the water! Plane in the water!" Umm no honey, not unless we are very unlucky...)He was also able to entertain himself (albeit with the the help of the dvd player)for the whole flight, leaving Mike and I free to play sudoku. This was with the exception of takeoff and landing when he needed to be in my lap ("Be careful! Be careful plane!") but who doesn't get a little nervous with takeoff?

Home From Charlotte

We had a wonderful time in Charlotte, complete with a delicious turkey dinner, lots of kids free shopping (atleast for myself and Mandy), a trip to the movies, and lots of fun watching the cousins play together. Charlie misses cousin Ben and the cat very much, it is arguable which he misses more.

Thanksgiving Pictures