Happy Thanksgiving!

Well, it's the day before Thanksgiving and Mommy and I are heading out to do some last-minute errands and shopping.  I've promised that I will be a big help today as I know there is lots to do to prepare for our turkey feast!

Daddy is presenting the bird that mommy cooked and he carved, a real team effort!  Our menu included herb-roasted turkey, cornbread sausage stuffing, mashed potatoes, broccoli-cheddar casserole, cranberries, hot rolls and a few pies, even a sweet potato pie that mom made from scratch.  Daddy loves Thanksgiving so mommy went all out!

Here I am "eating" my turkey, which actually means throwing it on the floor...and mom and dad were not amused.  Let me explain: I was diagnosed the day before with yet another ear infection and just haven't been myself these last two days.  Nonetheless, our family had a great day together!

It is the day after Thanksgiving and the whole family is eager to get out of the house after a day of food and relaxation.  Though still a bit cranky (probably due to my 5AM wake-up time), I'm definitely feeling much better today.  Maybe I'll even consider having some lunch?...

We've finished our errands and are now back at home.  As you can see, I've started smiling again and even ate most of my lunch at Ginger Man.  I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!  I know I'm thankful for my mom and dad, for Gryffin and Bucky, for all my wonderful friends and for our home and family...what more could a girl need?  Love, Charlotte

Camera Conundrum

My mom apologizes for the recent lack of activity on the Blog front...we are having some issues with our Sony CyberShot camera and my mom is fed up.  We are going to try to replace the memory card in our old Canon camera to see if that does the trick.  Otherwise, all is well here and not much to report: I successfully survived my 15-month appointment at Willows.  Naturally I protested the exam (poor Dr. Marks!) and the shots, but was quickly back on track the same afternoon.  I measured 32 and 1/2 inches (still off the charts in terms of height) and weighed in at just under 25 pounds.  Happy Early Thanksgiving to all and we hope to have a holiday post before the weekend.  XOXO, Charlotte

Rainy Day Adventure

Yesterday Mom, Dad and I had a great rainy day adventure at Stepping Stones Museum.  I'd been there once before (this summer with Marie) but I wasn't quite walking yet and couldn't fully appreciate all they had to offer.  Below I am enjoying the water area...definitely my favorite activity of the day!

Here I am with Mommy hanging out in the playhouse in the toddler area.  The playhouse was filled with puzzles, books and other toys, though I was definitely anxious to explore.

Daddy and I are enjoying the supermarket area below, which was filled with pretend groceries and even had shopping bags like my mom uses.  

Check out the live action of me at the water table...what a FUN day!  I can't wait to go back again soon with some of my friends.

Boots and Smiles

Well, these boots might be made for walkin' but I'm not going anywhere in them.  Daddy thought it would be fun to see me standing in his boots so here I am.  And Mommy had this cowgirl hat that I wore for a more authentic look...

I'm thinking that I might want to try to go somewhere but Daddy's feet are so big that I am literally frozen here while Mommy and Daddy enjoy the moment.

Here is a photo of me in my high chair taken a couple of days ago.  I have this really cute look on my face so that mommy will perhaps prepare just one more thing so that I might actually eat dinner.  I think I have already refused several of mommy's "suggestions"...and she is probably now counting the minutes until daddy comes home!  More soon.  Love, Charlotte

Trick or Treat!

It is Halloween night and we are definitely prepared for the onslaught of trick-or-treaters.  Here I am inspecting our candy...my mom sure did buy a lot!  Last year we had over 100 visitors and mom wants to be sure that we are prepared this year.

I have now put on my monster costume and am ready to hit the road with daddy.  We have our wagon, my pumpkin and daddy is ready to show me the ropes (so to speak) of trick-or-treating.  Mommy is going to stay home for our visitors...we'll be back soon, Mom!   OK, dad - let's go!

Sitting in my wagon with my bag of candy...  I am quite cozy in my costume and mom has also given me a blanket just in case.  We enjoyed very mild temperatures for Halloween this year so I'm very comfortable being outdoors, even at night.

I've definitely mastered the art of trick-or-treating and have really enjoyed picking out my candy and putting it into my pumpkin.  At first I was a bit unsure about asking my neighbors for treats, but it seems totally appropriate to roam the streets begging for candy on Halloween night.

OK, I'm starting to get tired and am ready to head home.  Daddy and I have had so much fun out in the neighborhood while mommy has remained at home handing out candy.  My pumpkin is almost full of M&M's, Snickers, lollipops and other treats.  Too bad my mom won't let me taste any of it... Happy Halloween!  Love, Charlotte

Hayley and I have a Halloween Party!!

On Thursday, my mom and Hayley's mom planned a really great Halloween Party for us and all our friends.  We had the opportunity to show off our costumes and to run around inside of Cedar Point.  Here I am with Chandler, who is dressed like a lion today.  I think his mom had 3 costumes for him this year!!

And speaking of lions, here is Luke dressed up in his lion costume.  He was a great lion and had a really impressive "ROAR!" to go along with his attire.

I think Olivia is trying to figure out what the lobster is supposed to do!  I'm not really sure myself, but she was certainly very cute in this costume.

Jessica is posing with her mom Shelley, who is dressed as a cowgirl; Jessica was a beautiful princess with a tiara, wand, shiny pink dress and even earrings!!  I can't wait until I can dress up like a princess in a few years.  :o)

Aidan was very, very cute in his cow costume, which had a few bells attached to the tail.  He seemed to really enjoy running around the club (I think his mom wasn't as excited to chase him), smiling all the while.

Here is the lovely Hayley, dressed as a fairy with a pink tutu and pink wings.  In this photo she is about to begin riding the Fropper, which was her preferred activity of the party.  The Fropper was a huge hit... 

My new friend Alex is showing off her flexibility as an '80's aerobic instructor, by far the most fun and creative costume at the party.  She dazzled us with her moves and we are all looking forward to getting together with her soon for toddler yoga!

We were so excited that Kate and her mom were able to make the party!  I can still remember my first Halloween (OK, not really but let's pretend) where we all gathered at Willows for a Halloween Party.  Kate and I were dressed in the same cow costume...ah, memories!

Caroline and her mom are posing here for a quick photo before Caroline is off and running once more.  Caroline had a really great time running around the party, playing with all the toys (and balloons) and socializing with all of our friends.

And finally, our favorite cowgirl Mia is finishing off her pizza lunch...YUM!  We had a lot of great things to eat at the party including homemade muffins, yogurt, fruit, salad, sandwiches and, of course, pizza.  I think all our friends had a really nice time and we sure did, too.  I hope we can have a Halloween Party every year!