This is my new life (and I'm a little salty about it)

For Mom...

My New Year's resolutions have four major points: prayer, parenting, running, blogging. I'm trying to work out my beef with God and I realize we should have gone to church today, but we were so very tired. And the kids were up early. I promise, lots more church this year. I know you are not judging and didn't used to like organized religion, but I suspect you know more now....at any rate, we did do our usual Sunday family outing together. If we don't go to church, we spend time together which I feel like puts us closer to God. You tell me.

Parenting. I want to be a better parent. I took the kids on a run today. Charlotte was The Flash and Sadie would run run really fast and then get out of breath and sit down and say "I'm so tired" and then run run run again. It was fun. Then we came home and "baked" cookies in the Easy Bake Oven. I say that loosely because those cookies were just slightly warmed cookie dough. I mean, obviously we would have loved it. The problem is that after we did all that, I let them play on their Kindle Fires and they were fine, but when I am not playing with them or they are not in their technology, they are insane. I just don't know what to do. 

I ran with the kids. I ran for a bit after I escaped and left them inside. I like doing it and I need something that makes me feel good. A bikini is something I would also like to own again. I promise, no weights to make me buff and manly. Whatever that used to mean. Haha.

I'll try and blog as much as I can. It helps me process. Plus I need to talk to you. I know you see us, but this is concrete. I just wish you would talk back.

Oh yeah, David made us black eyed peas and collards, so don't worry, we ate that and even Charlotte tried the black eyed peas. We didn't get "my babies" black eyed peas because David says it takes forever to make them. Really? You did it and they tasted fine. Who knows? 

WOW! Look at those amazing cookies!

Charlotte helping Daddy clean the collards

My Chick-a-dee

Charlotte was a Chicken for her second Halloween. She didn't go Trick or Treating but she did go to the Fall Festival at Ocean Lakes High School where all of my students oohed and aahed about her. Everyone else did too. I mean, come on, that chick is ADORABLE!! She got to play games and see lots of other teacher's kids roaming around. She really enjoyed playing with the older kids and ran after many of them. Right across the football field. 

Can't catch me Mama and Daddy!

Melmo and MOUSE!!

I always wondered how one year olds chose their "favorite" toys. Now I know. Charlotte has many, many books, but there are only two that she wants to read. One is called "It's Not Easy Being Big" about Big Bird and Small Elmo. The other is a book about Elmo getting caught on a kite and flying back to Sesame Street. She LOVES Elmo and she refers to him as "Melmo" whenever she sees any image of him.

Charlotte's favorite book!!

Charlotte has also discovered The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. She now screams MOUSE at the top of her lungs anytime she sees Mickey Mouse. Grandma said she did that the other day in Barnes and Noble when she saw the Mickey Mouse book so that was what she got!! She will also dance to the "Hot Dog Hot Dog Hot Diggity Dog" song whenever it comes on.

Hot DAWG!

She loves dancing!!!

Birthday Girl!

Charlotte celebrated her birthday twice this year. Once on September 11, 2011 with lots of family and friends and once on her real birthday on September 15, 2011 with Mommy, Daddy, Grandma Judy, and Grandma and Grandpa Styron. She enjoyed herself both days! She got lots of great presents and had a little bit of cake. She wasn't really sure what to think about it at first. Then she started poking at the icing. Yummy! It ended up looking like hot pink lipstick though!

Hey you! I am one!

She loved her new baby dolls, toys and her new clothes. Her grandma gave her the carriage her mother used, and she used, and I used and now she will use to push around our old baby doll "Judy."

Baby!!

On her real birthday she had a photo session, of course, and grandma got some gorgeous shots!

Yes, I am a fairy princess!

Walk this Way

She stands and delivers...and now she walks!! Charlotte began standing pretty proficiently a few weeks ago and now she is walking! She took a few steps here and there and then I dropped her off at the babysitter on Thursday. When I picked her up she told me that she had been walking all over! How rude of Charlotte to do that without me there! But she soon walked for me and Daddy and Grandma and now she toddles all over and then lands on her behind and gets up and does it again.

Step One

Step Two

And we're off...

My Baby Can Read

Charlotte spent no less than 30 minutes today engrossed in a book. Happy Birthday Little Witch was a personal favorite of mine when I was young and Charlotte took it off the shelf the other day and slid it into the living room. Her daddy read it to her last week and we giggled over the fact that the Little Witch was upset about her Aunt Grouchy "making it rain" during her party. At any rate, today she took it out of her toybox and stared at it for a long time. She turned the pages, turned it over, talked to it, and I think she even smelled it a little bit (like I do). She got very upset when I tried to read it to her so I just left her alone to read it to herself. I was so enjoying watching her read that I didn't get a picture until she moved on to her ABC book.

Little Witch is in the Background

She is reading it to me

Now on to Looney Tunes...

New Tooth!

While we were examining the four teeth up top that have been bothering Charlotte for months (but have not bothered to pop through yet), another bottom tooth poked through!! So the count is at three. Three bottom teefies. She refuses to let us take a picture of her teeth. She just sticks her hand in her mouth when we try and look so we get to take a peek when she is grinning and laughing (and we have no camera). So I have no pictures of Charlotte's new tooth. I will add one when we can sneak a peek!!