A momentous occassion

Charlotte climbed out of her crib today. There is NOTHING like the shock of seeing your child open her own door and walk out when you thought she was sound asleep. It's like seeing a ghost or something! She definitely scared herself with the landing though, so hopefully we can keep her in there long enough for her toddler bed rail to come in. Too bad they didn't sell us the right one with her crib before she was born....we tried to convert her crib over Christmas break and much to our dismay we had the wrong railing for her bed. I was hoping to switch her over without her ever realizing she could actually climb out!

Conversations with Charlotte

Me: "Charlotte, what do you want to drink"
C: "Gator Juice"
Me: "I don't know what that is". "What color is Gator Juice?"
C: "Orange. Yellow. Green."
Me: "Ok, well.....who drinks Gator Juice?"
C: "Daddy"
Me: "Ok, show me where it is"
-----we both go to the fridge and open the door
C: "See, Mommy, Gator Juice".....as she points to the bottle of GATORade in the fridge. Duh!
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Me: "Charlotte, don't put your fingernails in that balloon, it will pop"
C: "Oh, that right mommy, it's fragile"
Me: "Wow, where did you learn the word fragile?!"
C: "You know, Mommy, like a birdies egg"
-----me standing dumbfounded at how brilliant my kid is. I still have no idea where she learned the word fragile

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Me: "Charlotte, where are your shoes?"
C: "I can't know Mommy"
Me: "You can't know, or you don't know?"
C: "I CAN'T know Mommy, you had them"

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C: "Mommy, you a girl?"
Me: "Yes, Charlotte, I'm a girl"
C: "And I a girl?"
Me: "Yes, you're a girl too"
C: "Mommy your favorite color green?"
Me: "Yes"
C: "And my favorite color o-range?"
Me: "Yup"
C: "Mommy loves Charlotte?"
Me: "Yes, Charlotte, I love you with all my heart"
C: "Me a girl, mommy a girl, me like orange, mommy like green, mommy loves me, me loves mommy"

It was like she had to remind herself one more time to keep it all straight. Geez I love that kid!

Backpack, Backpack

Grandma Monk got Charlotte a backpack for Christmas, and Charlotte feels like Dora the Explorer every time she puts it on. In fact, she sings "backpack, backpack" just like Dora does. She has been itching to wear her backpack out on the town, so we filled it up with a couple changes of clothes and some big girl underwear for Mrs D's house. Charlotte is still wearing pull ups for the most part, but there is a two hour window around lunch time until nap time that she can wear real underwear with no problems. She usually puts them back on after dinner and can make it until bath time too. She loves wearing them, and showing them off!

Last lazy day

So the winter storm resulted in a whopping FIVE canceled school days! If we had known we'd have an impromptu ten day vacation I think we would have jumped in the car and headed to a beach somewhere! Today is our last lazy day, school will resume tomorrow. Sigh. I have really enjoyed spending all this time with Bryce and Charlotte with no place to be, no errands to run, and really no where to go!

To end our last day, we:


We had a movie day


Used our first water color paints




and just laid around enjoying our last lazy day!

Sunshine readings

We are finally seeing the sun again, after about a week of dark dreary days filled with ice and snow. Charlotte decided that the doggies need to read a book, so she sat down with them in the sunshine to read.

Ice Skating

This is a two year old's version of ice skating: find a patch of ice on the drive way, find your Daddy's hands, and hold on tight!

More Snow

We've had a winter storm alright! We started the weekend with reports that Sunday night was going to bring a winter storm to Georgia and we sat around waiting to see if school would be canceled. We waited and waited because every time we looked outside we had NOTHING yet so we really weren't sure what was going to happen. It feels like the minute the news said our county was canceling all classes we looked outside and it was literally a DOWNPOUR of snow. We went from none at all to completely covered in about 30 minutes. We had six inches of snow within two hours. It was crazy how fast and turbulent the weather was. I have no recollection of seeing this much snow at once, though my Dad assures me that I've lived through a blizzard before. So, we got a white christmas and a winter storm here in Georgia within three weeks of each other.

The last thirty minutes of wetness came down as sleet, so this snow wasn't as much to play in. We definitely did have fun using our make shift sled again but the snow was so tall that Charlotte could barely walk in it. It comes all the way up to the top of her wellies!

Fresh out of bed, still in her PJs, she just HAD to go see the snow!


Wow, it is really deep!


Dressed nice and warm now, but not really sure how to move in all this! See how tall?!


I measured the snow on the top of this table and it was over 6 inches.


Checking out the cul de sac, an ice rink now!

I'm not sure why, but Charlotte was obsessed with eating the snow. Every time I turned around she had more in her hands and mouth and was begging for a popsicle when we got back in.

It's electric!

Bryce was having some fun with Charlotte by wrapping her up in a blanket and making her find her own way out.....the results were electrifying!

Ballerina Princess

Amber got Charlotte some princess clothes for Christmas, and I am not sure if I will ever see my child dressed in a normal outfit again! As soon as we come home it is a strip of whatever she can get off by herself and a run to her "princess chest" usually followed by the words "I must be a ballerina princess!".








Of course, no ballerina princess is complete without her shoes!

Looking Back

I was just looking back at my blog from last year, and decided I was so nostalgic for 2010 that I needed a re-cap. Time is flying by so fast! So, here are some of my favorite pictures from the year:

January 2010:

"Who, me?!"


"I hate snow!"


February 2010:


So serious

Valentine's Day


Being Silly

March 2010:

She was SO happy to be back outside in the sunshine after a long, cold winter inside


Meeting Ms. Kaymen for the first time. What a blessing.


Gorgeous. That's all I can say.

April 2010, a good month:


Pants off, planting flowers. She was so happy!


Now who's being silly?!


Petting the bunnies at Yellow River Game Ranch


Quacking at the ducks


Too cool for school


Loving on Baxter

May 2010:


Underwater with the instructor at Swim Atlanta


Shaking her booty outside


Oh, the infamous Popsicles


Facing forward in the car for the first time

June 2010:


Loving life in the pool


Life of the party


First taste of a "beach", Lake Lanier Islands


Take my breath away beautiful. In Blue Ridge.

July 2010:





The sweetest smile I've ever seen


Turning point for me. She's really not a little baby any more.

August 2010:


Full on toddler. Ready to take on the world.


Amazing.


God, how I love that laugh.

September 2010:


Our first picture at the Zoo on her birthday. Pure excitement.


Enjoying every minute of her birthday present.


Me and my baby. A special moment because she was playing and I went to sit in the shade and she insisted on sitting with me.

October 2010:


Professional photos with Trina Riggott. I can feel the love.


Our hot visit to Burts, but she loved it.


A girl on a mission for some candy.

November 2010:



Being sweet at my Mom's

December 2010:

The official cross over. I don't even feel like she is a toddler now. She is officially a pre-schooler.


Hanging out under the Christmas tree.


When I compare this to the little girl we started out with in January, I am shocked.

With my new year's resolution in mind, I did notice that most of my favorite pictures are moments as they were happening. Not posed pictures, but life being enjoyed.