Fabulous Fall Day

Well folks, it is official, I have joined the other side--I have ceased to be a morning person.

I used to pop out of bed and look forward to getting up, the day, breakfast....I knew from the moment I got up how I felt about the day, and usually I felt good about it!

For the past several months I have always thought it was going to be a terrible day first thing in the morning. Then, somehow, by the afternoon I could be enjoying myself. In fact it has taken me months of dragging out of bed with a bleak feeling to realize that I am not really ready to face my day until Charlie is down for his first nap, usually around 9am or so. Having been a morning person for so long just made me think every day was a horrible, no good, very bad day. So I've decided, when I get out of bed at 6:30 or 7, I will not let myself decide just yet, what kind of day it's going to be. That question is better off asked at 10am, while Charlie is sleeping.

So today, when I asked myself, the consensus came back with a glorious, "YES! It's a fabulous day! The air is cool and clean. The sun is bright. I have coffee in my cup and enthusiasm for living!" I'm glad I waited to ask....

Here's what Charlie and I have done with the last two fabulous Fall days.

We went to the park (Grandma M knit the blue berry hat)

Charlie explored the chain with his index finger...this took about 10 minutes!

Daddy came home from school and flew Charlie around the apartment

Charlie got a package in the mail...new shoes from Grandma M!

Of course the box was more interesting to Charlie....


And putting the shoes where they don't belong was more interesting to Daddy....

But he did eventually get them on his feet! This picture explains why he has us wrapped around his little finger!

Then to top off the fun and scrape off dinner, a bath! (look at his bottom teeth!)

Then Charlie went right to sleep after three stories and a lullaby!
What a fabulous day...sigh!

There's a
Sumo Wrestler in my tub!

His name is Charlie. He eats plastic cups for snacks.

And, he will splash you down and out of the bathroom any night of the week!

Be afraid....he's a crazy, Crazy, baby!!

Manila gets very wet...

As many of you know, my parents are missionaries in the Philippines. Manila has been hit by a storm that dumped over a month's worth of rain in 12 hours. The entire metropolitan area was flooded, and many neighborhoods were completely submerged. My parents safely evacuated to their second storey but others were not so fortunate. They have many friends and co-workers who lost everything except the clothes on their backs.

Here are a few news links:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8277018.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8276738.stm
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSvmEJ57ktsFxVCZq7aG_8T9rXpAD9AVRBN00

Please pray for those who are struggling to rebuild their lives.

If you'd like to contribute financially to my parents as they help those in need around them, post a comment or e-mail me. I would be happy to help you get the funds to them.

On Pointing, Scooting and Swinging

Charlie has discovered his index fingers and happily explores-touches-scratches things with this pointer before picking them up. Watching this is a crack-up since he looks so staid and proper (and very cute all at the same time). He tried exploring my face this way...let's just say I'll be keeping the fingernail clippers handy from now on!

He has also figured out how to scoot while sitting on the carpet. It involves roaring and a mad flapping of the arms which wiggles his bottom just enough to move if forward millimeters at a time. Its not really the fastest way to get somewhere, and would frustrate me, but if you look up after five minutes or so, he is definitely moving...and determined to make it work.

We went to the park today. Charlie loves loves LOVES the swing.

I caught these smiling pictures...


And just one more, just to prove to my Mom that though he is always drooling, he isn't always smiling...;)

Wibbly Wobbly Worm

Here's how crawling is going around here.

Charlie starts out on his stomach on the quilt, gets excited about his toys, pushes up with his arms which scoots him backwards.

Then he can't reach his toys and and gets frustrated. Whining turns into more pushing which means he might discover a new toy that was behind him.

Today he ended here....away from his toys and very ready for me to rescue him.

but....wiggling backwards is a start I guess!

ROAR

I left Charlie playing with these cups only to be drawn back by a weird sound I can only describe as a kind of hoarse roaring noise. He was feverishly banging the cups on each other and himself and randomly roaring!



(Look he has hair!)




ROAR!

First Taste of Watermelon

Do you think he liked it? (hint: yes, that is watermelon juice soaking his leg)

p...p...p...Potato!

Surest way to make us all laugh these days is to play the "silly p game" with Charlie.
Rules? Mom and Dad take their places on either side of Charlie. Taking turns, the adults repeat the "p" noise followed by a random p word into Charlies ear. Game ends when Charlie shrieks in laughter or adults run out of p words, which ever comes first.

Sounds like this: p...p...p...Parsley! (giggle) p...p...p...Pancake! (giggle giggle) p...p...p...Pronoun! (giggle giggle shriek) p...p...p...Peacock! (SHRIEK giggle giggle giggle)

Covenant Child

Charlie was baptized last Sunday. (Sorry the pictures are quite blurry, but it was the best we could do without a flash)

The promise of the covenant that Pastor Kurt used is found in Genesis 17:7 b "...I will be God to you and to your seed."

Wake up O sleeper'

rise from the dead.

And Christ will shine on you.

My favorite part was the blessing he spoke over Charlie:

"Little child (Charlie) for you God made the world.

For you he was born a baby in Bethlehem.

For you he died on a cross and for you he was raised from the dead.

For you he is coming again.

You can't know this now.

But we, your church, will tell you the story until you make it your own."

Then we went to Thai food afterward.

Charlie helped us order. (It was his first time in a restaurant high chair...he did really well!)

There is a tradition at our church that babies who are baptized take really long naps that afternoon. Charlie slept 2 and a half hours that afternoon and then woke up in enough time for us to join the other mothers and kids watching the church softball game. He even got to see his friend Nathan!

We were so glad that Jonathan's parents and brother could be there too!

We miss you Uncle Dave!

Last weekend Uncle Dave came to visit Charlie and to see him get baptized. Charlie thought he was great fun.

So did Charlie's dad.

We all went to the French down town district of St. Charles.

Charlie liked Uncle David's sunglasses....

We relaxed in RV for a little bit.

And Uncle David introduced Charlie to his first...

football game!

Thanks for coming to visit, Uncle Dave!