Mommy's Day Off

No more math class........mommy has a day off! Charlie is at daycare so I am at home for a rare free day trying to clean the office and write my novel and make casseroles and stuff.

I have been so busy today:

# of entertainment news shows watched: 2
# of entertainment news websites discovered while procrastinating on internet: 5 (actually more but I am too ashamed to list)
# of bathtubs scrubbed: 2 (this is really true although it sounds like fiction)

As long as I am procrastinating, I might as well blog:

Charlie the magnificent is really communicating. Just last week Kimberly remarked on how exciting it would be when he started pointing, and what do you know? He is doing just that! Maybe he heard her say it and thought, "yeah, I'll try that in exactly 2 days." Anyway, he points and babbles in perfect consonants and says uh oh and da_ _ y (for daddy). He stares at objects and places and tries to figure stuff out. He is delighted by the microwave as it beeps away. He laughs at this tiny Chihuahua in the neighborhood who has a yippy little bark. The dog looks like a cartoon but thinks he is so tough. Charlie laughs and laughs at him.

He opens his mouth wide for applesauce but pushes away spoonfuls of green peas, broccoli and spinach. What's a mom to do? I try to hide the veggies in rice or ground turkey or potatoes but he figures it out.

Must go and do stuff and work on messy office. Momala and Grandpa are coming for a visit soon!

Babies in the Garden

We had a busy weekend catching up with friends! Todays' post is about our Sunday outing to the Garfield Park Conservatory. So much fun. We met up with Kimberly and Lance and Noah (born a day before Charlie, down the hall at Swedish Cov.) for plant life and big mosaic sculptures--part of the Niki in the Garden exhibit.

First of all, Garfield Park is the gorgeous green gem in the middle of the West Side. Beautiful indoor and outdoor landscapes, exotic flowers in vibrant colors and pleasant smells (think orchids and lilacs and stuff like that that smells nice).

Second.....the Niki exhibit is wonderful--big, dancing, tiled scupltures of people and creatures and skulls and things. some for climbing, some for sitting (see the boys, above), some just for "enjoying."

The whole thing was perfect for the babies who sat, looked, climbed, touched, looked at their reflections, made noises. It's especially cool to see Charlie and Noah together--interacting and "talking" to each other. Playing together and then moving on to their own independent projects. Check out the last picture which shows each in his preferred mode of transportation.

And check out the outfit on Charlie. Lets just say that it was called into question (and yes, I questioned it myself) after three different people referred to Charlie as a "she." Here is my defense:

I grabbed it rather quickly when I couldn't find the Skynnrd/ACDC/John Deere shirt that I had PLANNED to put on him.

I kind of like these sleeveless, legless numbers for the hot weather.

I think it's rather cute (it has buttons in the shape of little teddies!!)

And yes, his hair has gotten rather long and pretty and I have yet to do anything about it. Maybe it's time.

But whatever.......Gender distinction doesn't come super easy at this age so it's not that big a deal. He's a cute baby, is all.

As for that outfit, though............


I will definitely accessorize it with a shrug and barrettes next time.

Uh Oh!

So I think we can officially mention Charlie's first word right here on old Tummy Time!

On Tuesday when we dropped Charlie off at daycare, one of the other babies was walking around and dropped her bottle and said "Uh oh." That evening when we fed Charlie he said "Uh oh" everytime one of us dropped something. Okay, it's very primitive sounding at this point but you can definitely hear the short u and the long O and his mouth makes a perfect O which is so unbelieveably cute.

He says it a lot after we say it. Someone drops something and says "Uh Oh, " and then he says it and looks for the object.

He also says MAma and Dada but with no real connections. Although I think he has figured out that Rob is Dada.

Enjoy the picture--little man loves carbs just like his mama!

Festival time

Here we are at the Old Town School of Music Folk and Roots Fest in Welles Park. We went on sunday after Church to meet with friends and eat and hear music.
The pics above are:
First balloon--a big hit!
Charlie and Claire--drinking out of each other's sippy cups and chewing)
Baby Eddie chilling in his Graco
Rob and Charlie looking adorable

What fun! We met up with Amy and baby Claire for a picnic and then with Peter and Julie and baby Eddie at the Wiggleworms tent for music. When we got there it was kid dance time so I enjoyed a little blast from my past. I was glad to sit back and relax and watch someone else teach the tiny dancers. She was very good.

Summer has been fun but the busy times are kicking in with me back at work this month. I'm teaching dance to teens at a musical theatre camp downtown and these kids are great! Funny, hardworking, talented, nice kids. they are humoring me and my musical tastes--I think they rather enjoy the Stevie wonder and the Michael Jackson and the Bossa Nova.

Math class has taken a bit of a back seat to being prepared for work (as evidenced in too recently returned homeworks--arghhhhhhhhh). Not to worry, though, this mama will get her groove back.

Also new in my world is boot camp. That's right, that 3 day a week--wake up at the crack of dawn--go outside and do push ups and squat thrusts kind of exercise program. I am trying to pair my tendency to snack with aggressive exercise that I would never attempt on my own time. I'm hoping it will result in, well, results. I'll let you know. BY the way, I heart pizza.

Charlie is doing new things all the time!!!!

There's aquababies......floating and splashing and kicking.

And holding the sippy cup on his own, almost.

and eating spaghetti

and Swedish pancakes (that's our little Viking)


Still as cute as can be!

Still busting out of his clothes, Hulk-style

Still crawling on that belly, super fast


He's our tiny genius.

Before I go:

Welcome Baby Max!

Happy Belated Birthdays to Oscar and Sam!!

One other thing!

Oh I forgot to add to today's post: a new top tooth poking through. Barely visible but definitely there. Should be fully in by December, just in time for Swedish meatballs.

Pincer

I am a busy mommy these days and so very far behind in writing. Must keep up because the baby book is way way behind.

New things:

Charlie seems to have this pincer grasp stuff down. Well, he's not an expert but he does it. I'd say we started to see him pick things up and feed himself about two weeks ago. It is so cool. So each meal he gets a few bite-sized snacks: cheerios, cheese, bread, fruit, pasta, etc.

Today is the 4th of July and we celebrated with a whole day of all three of us together. An early afternoon attempt to go to the lakefront with the other 299 million Chicago residents was thwarted by parking issues and Osco needs. We will try again on another, not so busy day.

Instead we had lunch on our deck! with Charlie! It was lovely and relaxing to eat together as a family. So....we did it again for dinner. Rob and I are so used to eating after Charlie's nighttime dinner-bath-bed routine. It is so nice when we get to enjoy dinner at the same time. So we had hot dogs and cole slaw and corn and Charlie snacked on hot dog bun and leftover chicken (very tiny pieces!) from last night.

It was a great, beautiful, easy day. I have to learn that holidays don't always have to involve outings. I worry so much that I don't take Charlie out to see the world enough. But actually, he sees and does a lot.

A great new thing in our life is aquababies at the gym.Charlie and I put on our swimsuits and get in the pool with about 25 other families. I hold him while he kicks and splashes and laughs and cries and drinks pool water when I'm not paying attention. (He's fast!) It's a scene! All these babies in tiny little swimsuits, draped over foam noodles and splashing and laughing. Lots of fun.

We love it. We have to eat after because we are so hungry and then we have to take a serious Saturday nap!

So, in a nutshell:
pincer grasp!
swimming!
babyproofing (Rob is the MAN at this)
friends

Me: I'm back in dance class (jazz) or, as a fellow dancer put it: "on the comeback trail"; still taking college math, still logging WW points, and gearing up to go back to work next week (a four week theatre camp).


got to go.......probability theory awaits!