Our good friends came back across th pond from Australia for their birthday party. (High rollers, for sure!) It has been great to spend some time with them again...

Isaiah (2 year old now) and Charlie....

Just a few pictures of general summer fun and from Tim's wedding...

"Thank you Mr Irwin!"

Paige in her non-optional work shirt. I thought it really was her color...


sprinkler fun

Summer day in Rock Creek Park

Here is Charlie taking his stuffed animals for a ride in the stroller.

The stroller also functions as a drink holder.

Here he is taking a water break.

Update on Baby Boy #2

We had a 30 week ultrasound today. In summary: he is breech, big, and in the words of our sonographer, "bucking like a bronco." Oh, boy. He is measuring 2 weeks ahead of schedule in size (approximately 4 pounds already), which is complete opposite of Charlie. So, little Charlie might be looking up to his little brother someday :)

That's all for now. Will try to post pictures soon.

Need suggestions...

At the young age of 21 months, Charlie has developed an addiction to a particular baby music CD. At first it was cute when he danced to his favorite tunes of nursery rhymes put to music. Now, he can't get enough. He is constantly running over to the stereo and asking for more.

It would be ok if it was cool, adult friendly music like TMBG, Jack Johnson, Philadelphia Chickens to name a few. But, this music is not cool and somewhat annoying after the 50th time. Nat and I have both caught ourselves sitting in meetings quietly humming about 3 little kittens who lost their mittens...not cool at all. So, I am casting the net for suggestions of music that is pleasing to the ears of parents and approved by toddlers.

Please help :)

"Fizz Keeper"

One day this week, I noticed a strange thing in our kitchen - a Coke bottle with a clamp crushing its midsection. Hmm...Did Charlie do this? No, he isn't that coordinated yet. Alas, it must be one of Nat's new ideas. I didn't mention anything about it until it it began to startle me every time I looked at it.

So, I asked, what is that? I then heard a long explanation about how Coke loses its "fizz" unless you force as much air out of the bottle as possible and close it quickly. Ok. Apparently, the gadgets that are sold in the stores do not hold a candle to the DIY clamp method.

Then, I asked the same question I have asked about a hundred times in the last ten years, "Do you know anyone else that does this?" Same answer with the same clever smile, "What does that have to do with anything?"

As of now, the Coke bottle is still clamped and in our kitchen. Who knows. Maybe the idea will catch on, reach a tipping point, and proceed to make us rich. Or, it could give all of our friends the same recurring nightmare of being clamped in the abdomen. Only time will tell.

Charlie is becoming quite the expert at going up and down stairs on his own. Our front yard is very small but the stairs provide hours of entertainment and exercise for him. We love sitting outside, visiting with neighbors, and watching all the "trucks" go by (which includes everything from an actual truck to a car, motorcycle, bike, ambulance, etc. at this point). After a week of long work hours and pregnancy back pain, this is just what the doctor ordered.

Visit to Mt Vernon: a tale of increasing mobility.

So Charlie is really moving these days. So when his Aunt Dana and Uncle Andy visited, we went to Mt. Vernon where there should be plenty of room to roam. It was a great day and Charlie spent some time in the backpack (thanks so much, Stuarts, we use it all the time).

We found that GW had alot of goats, and Charlie, having always loved animals (see here - courtesy of Stavlunds), so he enjoyed watching the big bulls.

and he really got into the baby goats.

Notice in the last picture he is no longer in the backpack? Well in the next picture, I think you will sense the glint in his eye, the glint of a convict who is about to break out of his chains...

...and he is off first crossing GW's cabbage field.

And then up the hill...

He pauses for a photo op...

Overall a fun time was had by all!

Uncle Andy and Aunt Dana are up for a visit.
Charlie and Andy got along well at first, but then had a little tiff which led to out and out fighting on the couch. Lets watch as our hero tries to defeat his visiting villain uncle:

"Our hero starts by using pillow camouflage to stalk his victim...



But he us uncertain how to react to the same tactic from his uncle.

So he attacks...

and is clobbered...

and buried...

He rests. Strategizing.

Rising from the chaos he feigns confusion.

Using his victims softness against him, Charlie turns and, smiling, attacks!

but outweighed by a factor of 5 or 6, against an opponent with a

ridiculous reach advantage there is little hope as our hero is pummeled.

Defeated at last he says...

Lets do that again."