Backyard Fun

We often go outside in the afternoon and since it has been a hot summer, I was thankful we bought this fun water toy.  Well, we don't have any shade for our south facing backyard, so it automatically is hot - especially for the preggo mama!

Charlie loves playing with his water toy - ummm, I mean drinking from it, dumping water out of it and not really playing with the toys anymore :)  BUT - he loves getting wet and having fun, so what more can I ask for!!!

I gave up trying to get him NOT to drink the water

See Mom - I'm watering the grass just like you asked me to!

At the beginning of the summer, he wasn't tall enough to reach the top of the palm tree and pour the water!

Ok - I guess I'll smile.

Mom - why isn't the water going in the bucket??

Loving the cold water!

Mom's Journal.....

A lot has been going on for us this past month.  As I already said, we were in Kelowna for a bit in August and we enjoyed the time to break with our regular routine and schedule to relax!  Doug has been busy at the hotel and I manage to keep us busy too.

Charlie has been doing some fun things lately!!!  He is talking in 4-7 word sentences - such as, "I'm all done sleeping," "green light go daddy," 'no like the music."  To my amazement, just last week he said the entire alphabet.....no kidding here.  We were playing/wrestling on the bed and I said, a,b,c,d, and he he continued on with the rest of the letters.  Then he did it a couple more times.  Other family members have heard him too - he just needs to be in the right mood to entertain us!  And what makes it more crazy is that we don't really know where he learned it!  We sing it once in a while and I don't think his Barney videos sing the alphabet - so we are kind of stumped with this one.

Speaking of Barney - he continues to love it.  He can say parts of the songs and today he was acting out the part where they crawl under the smoke - and he said it too.  Barney can get old for us parents, but he still usually watches it while I get ready in the morning and in the late afternoon.  But believe me, he wishes it were on all day long!

Charlie cut another tooth - so he has one more to go and then he's all done - until when????  Still didn't know that he was teething with this one either.  I'm hoping Charlie's brother or sister will be just as good as him!!!!  Charlie also loves his eyebrows - feeling them and other people's.  Its hilarious - he reaches for your brows and rubs them :) 

Charlie also has taken to having showers instead of baths.  In mid-July he started to refuse to sit down in the tub and we could tell he didn't like it.  So my sister said not to fight it and give him a shower.  So we do - and of course, he likes to fill up his water cup and dump it.  He does have baths again (willingly)  so we give him one or the other, depending on what time it is, etc.

AND finally, his favorite word!!!!  NO-KAAAY.  Not a real word, but Charlie says it all the time.  I will ask him something, "Charlie, do you want to go outside?" - No - KAY!  He starts by say no, and ends with Kay - for okay!  His automatic response is no (kind of frustrating) but often changes his mind immediately after saying no.  It is rather cute and definitely a good memory that couldn't be left off the blog.

So there you have it.  My update on Charlie's vocab and quirks!  He is definitely my little charmer, but he is also shy and quiet until he feels comfortable.  Only 10 more weeks until baby #2 arrives, so I am definitely cherishing this special time with Charlie before life changes for us again!!!!

Beach Fun

We were in Kelowna for a family wedding and of course, we had to go to the beach!!!  Some pictures will come from the wedding eventually :)  Charlie loves water and it only took him a few minutes to get used to the sand on his feet.  He loved dumping the sand and swimming in the water with Daddy.  He also loved watching the boats go by.  The next week, I told Charlie that he had to tell his Grandpa to get the boat out......and he did!  Unfortunately, no boat rides for Charlie this year - hopefully next year!

We need water for what Dad??  What is a sand castle???

Oh boy, Mom has her camera out again.

Who cares about sand castles, I just want to dump the sand!

Oh Dad - good sand castle!!!

I'm going to wreck it!

Nooooo!!!!  I don't want to go yet!

Somebody loves tractors

While at my parent's, Charlie and Grandpa went a tractor ride....Need I say more.  He takes tractors very seriously, you'll see!!!!

A little Stampeding

Yes, the Stampede was at the beginning of July, but you had to see a few of these pictures.   Since the hotel is full for Stampede, I went to my parent's house for a few days for some company.  And also to learn that Charlie really doesn't like his play pen.  He would shake his head and say, "don't want to".  NOT GOOD.  Two nights he ended up in a twin bed with me - and actually slept.  He has never slept in a bed with us.  When we've tried a few times, he would pop his head up and be wide awake.  So, at least he slept!!!!

Back to the Stampede.  We headed in for an afternoon.  I ask Charlie what we saw and he'll say 'horses' and 'band'.  He'll also say Calgary Stampede.....But he's been saying that since sometime in June.  We had a good time, but I think he'll enjoy it more next year - maybe some rides next year?

We saw the helicopter on our way back to the car - Charlie loved it.

See what I mean!

Grandpa - do you see what I see!!!!