Charlie's blog

This year's Halloween festivities have definitely proven that such holidays are a lot more fun and active when you have kids. We have participated in 3 Halloween events - usually Neal and I just sit at home and watch Halloween (the original with the screaming Jamie Lee Curtis) and eat candy. This year, we went to Zoo Boo at the Memphis Zoo, went to the Halloween themed Rock N Romp and actually participated (a little) on the eve of Halloween. But we still watched the first 45 minutes of Halloween after Charlie went to bed. We were too tired and sleepy to get through the entire movie before going to bed ourselves. How lame.



The Zoo Boo was fun for the brief moment that we were actually there. Charlie had a bit of a trying day - he was committed to staying awake ALL day! We decided we would risk it and go anyway. We hoped that his cute lion costume would keep him snug and he would fall asleep in the stroller. Well, let's just say that things did not go as planned. He screamed all the way to the zoo. "Well," we thought, "he's probably just hungry. We'll feed him when we get there." We fed him once we found my family, and he was somewhat happy for about 30 minutes. After dinner, we decided to walk around and trick-or-treat with my neices, Taylor and Morgan. Charlie screamed. We started our trek across the zoo and he continued to scream. Neal and I decided to separate from our family in hopes that we could keep a continual motion going with the stroller. That didn't work either, so we swiftly made our way directly to the car. Charlie continued to scream the entire drive home. Finally, once home in his pj's and on his favorite spot on the sofa, he slept. I wondered if all that screaming had something to do with trying to scare all the other children in honor of Halloween.

Breakfast at Brother Junipers (I just like this picture of us).

Our next fun outing was the Rock N Romp. Rock N Romp in Memphis is a "family friendly concert series showcasing fantastic local-area musicians and bands. Shows are held during the day in a relaxed, kid-safe environment. The volume might be low, but the music is designed for parents and kids both in mind. Kids enjoy the music, experiment with instruments, dance, or just enjoy the other activities available to them, and parents get the ever-so-rare opportunity to listen to great live music and enjoy a beer with other parents. Romps give parents who miss their social life a chance to get out, enjoy some music that might be new to them, and expose their kids to great bands in a safe, friendly environment. " The weather was gorgeous, the music was entertaining, and the beer tasted great!

Can I just say that our son was a complete angel for the entire 2 1/2 hours that we were there? That's not just the beer talking either! He was in awe of all of the kids running around in their costumes. He seemed to love listening to the live music. I really think he had a great time! He got a quick nap in on my shoulder for part of the event and actually woke up happy - even with all the noise! Charlie also made a new friend, Dominic, the son of Neal's co-worker, Paul. Charlie and Dominic seemed to enjoy spending long moments simply staring at each other. It was great! Sadly, the October 28 Rock N Romp was the last one of the season. But we definitely look forward to attending future romps in the spring!

More October pictures just for fun

Posted by Cathy at 8:25 AM | Permalink | Comments

On Saturday, we had high hopes of going on a hike. We planned to make a day of it and even hoped to head out of town, possibly to the Ozarks. In my mind, we would pack a lunch and a couple of bottles and diapers for Charlie. We would gather up the dogs and head off to the mountains for a nice long hike in the crisp fall air. We would find a nice steep and winding trail alongside a stream and spend hours listening to the crunching leaves below our feet. We would see wildlife, breathe fresh air, and enjoy the day outdoors. In my mind, I hoped to introduce Charlie to the beauty of the natural world as I love to experience it. My dream of a truly granola day, however, did not turn into my reality.
Instead, we got distracted in the morning by actually getting to sleep a little later than expected (not a single complaint here!), feedings, laundry, groceries, etc. We weren't even ready to think about leaving the house until almost 2:00. By the time 3:00 rolled around, we decided that the only kind of hike we would be able to make that day was either in our neighborhood or at Shelby Farms. We opted for Shelby Farms.
While it's not the most environmentally appealling place, we were able to have a nice time. Neal and I took turns carrying Charlie in the Bjorn (you get a nice little workout with an extra 15+ pounds strapped to your gut!). Instead of the long, winding, leafy trail, we settled for the paved path around the park. Instead of the sound of a trickling stream nearby, we settled for the traffic on Raleigh LaGrange. We were, however, able to find a few meandering side trails that actually went through the small wooded area from time to time. Instead of scoping out a nice cool spot to have lunch, we found an empty table in a small picnic area where a large Mexican family was having a family reunion of sorts. And sadly, instead of being able to let the dogs run miles around us free of leashes, we had to keep them harnessed the entire time. Poor old Maggie is probably better off for that one, though.
So, my dream of a hike that we would of been able to pull off on a moment's notice a year ago was slightly splintered by our more immediate needs and lack of free time. Of course having Charlie has changed everything and makes it difficult for us to do some of the things we love and miss doing. But would I change it? Nope.

Posted by Cathy at 2:40 PM | Permalink | Comments

We took Charlie to a pumpkin patch on Sunday. It was a great fall day - perfect for picking out some pumpkins! While Neal and I love carving Halloween pumpkins, we were just excited about getting to take some pictures of Charlie for his first Halloween event. He seemed to enjoy the excitement - so much so that he spit up all down my arm! I sure hope that Charlie doesn't get a complex about the fact that he has to have on a bib in EVERY single picture we take of him. It's just as important as a diaper and is part of his uniform. I kid you not, we change bibs more frequently than diapers.
We took full advantage of the photo op and got several good shots of the boy. We were even able to prop him up and make it appear as if he can sit up on his own! We're not there yet, but close!

Charlie at home with his very own pumpkin!

Posted by Cathy at 2:34 PM | Permalink | Comments