Speed Bump

Staying in a hotel close to the Anaheim convention center turned out to be a challenge with a little one. With weather too cool for swimming and a baby too little for Disney, Gram had to be creative every day. Lucky for us we had this floor to ceiling window in our hotel room that Charlie loved to look out at the cars and people on the busy street below. The curtains also made for great games of peek-a-boo! Without a patch of green grass or a playground in sight, Charlie made the best of his surroundings and found things to play on, like these statues in the outdoor mall nearby. Fountains were a big hit and Charlie is pointing at the water, wishing he could dive in... Charlie didn't get to see Mickey himself, but there were some other characters around to watch Charlie watched the shrimp from Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. with curiosity... Charlie was a great travel companion. He slept like a rock in the hotel room pack-n-play through the night and took good naps during the day. He ma...

Paige, Charlie and Gram are in Anaheim , California this week. Besides being home to Disney World, the real purpose of the trip is a work conference Paige is attending. In lieu of staying home and “baching” it with Dad, Charlie decided to take to the friendly skies and see what California has to offer. Don’t let that worried face fool you. He is merely concerned about the safety protocols and general condition of the plane. It was reported he did great on the three hour flight. From the pictures that have been filtering in, it appears Charlie is relaxing, taking in the California sun, and having fun.... Well, at least most of the time. I'll have to be honest though, it's pictures like this that start to worry me. I am afraid there needs to be a little more "male influence" on this trip. There may be a little too much, lounging around with the girls.

Well, the land of Disney anyway. I'm going to the Experimental Biology meeting in Anaheim and Charlie is coming with me. Charlie's Gram is coming with us and they will play in sunny California while I'm meeting with other scientists (I hope to play some, too). I'm a bit nervous about our 3 hour flight. Charlie has flown before but he was really small and not yet mobile. This will be a different story. I polled my friends that travel with little ones on a regular basis and got lots of good suggestions to keep Charlie entertained. I'm hoping for the best. It will be an adventure either way. If Charlie has as much fun on the trip as he had helping me pack, we'll be in good shape.

Charlie was ready to run! It was a beautiful Saturday in Lawrence. We went to check out the KU Relays and Charlie got to spend some time with Grandaddy Geiger. They watched the sprinters closely. Charlie liked to hear the starting gun go off. Of course, Charlie didn't sit still for long. Grandaddy tried to keep up as Charlie crawled up and down the concrete steps, and walked back and forth along the rows of bleachers.. Charlie did a great job picking up trash in the aisles... and he kept trying to pull himself up from one bench to the next. Grandaddy and our friend Allison encouraged him along. Once again I managed to catch Charlie without his happy face. But I love this picture with his Grandaddy. It was a perfect spring day on the hill.

Charlie was fascinated watching Ryan and I use chopsticks the other day, so we let him have at it. He thought they made good drum sticks and they entertained him for a long time (much like straws do, but these are less destructable). Charlie watched Ryan (to Charlie's right out of view) as he showed him how to use the chopsticks Charlie studied his own chopsticks... And I was amazed (always!) that by watching Ryan, Charlie figured out that he needed to get them both in one hand. Ta da! Seriously brilliant this time, right? I'm going to sign him up for space camp this very minute. Getting food to his mouth is still a chore with a fork and spoon so it will be awhile before these are useful. But they sure are fun in the meantime!

So much has happened in just 2 years...Every day only gets better and better and I wouldn't change a thing about our life together. Love you Ryan!

Small child + dirt + sharp heavy tools = perfect Saturday afternoon activity. Charlie seemed to catch on to this digging in the dirt pretty quickly. Hmmm, this could be bordering on child labor... and too much of that can lead to rebellion... As for the photographer, I was enjoying a nice afternoon in the yard watching my boys hard at work...

Charlie has a very good eye. He notices everything. In the house, he will find the tiniest piece of lint on the floor and hand it to me (Thank you, Charlie). Outside, he picks up every acorn and pebble he finds along the sidewalk. These always go straight in his mouth. He has figured out that if he turns his back to me (or if I have my camera out!) I am less likely to stop him before he puts some new find in his mouth. But Charlie surprised me the other day and did something different. While sitting on the sidewalk, he spotted some very small green leaves that had fallen from the hedges in front of our house. He picked up the tiny leaves one at a time and placed them back in the bush. Perhaps I am at that stage where all parents think their children are geniuses. Because I thought this was very clever. He didn't pick up the pieces of acorn shells or bits of sticks around him and place them in the bush too, just the few green leaves he found close by. He knew that was where they ...