Color Me Happy

Greetings from the Crayola Factory!!

Last week Mommy and I drove up to Easton to spend the day at the Crayola Factory with my BFF Avery, my future husband Evan and their mommy, Amy.

Before we got into any serious artwork, we played in the preschool play area. We loved hanging out in the tunnel together.

After the play area, we decided to get to work. First stop was the coloring station. You can't visit the Crayola Factory and NOT create a masterpiece with the millions of crayons at your fingertips!!

When we'd had our fill of crayons, we were off to the painting station to make treasure maps! I once again displayed my freakish ability to stay clean - not one drop of paint landed on my cute outfit!!

Move over, Picasso!

Once our treasure maps were dry and rolled up, we made our way to the clay area. It was difficult choosing which tool to use - there were so many!

Let me get this straight - we're ALLOWED to write on the floor with chalk?!

We have permission to write on the WALLS, too??!! This place is dreamy!!

Do you like my puppet?

We created enough masterpieces that day to fill our own gallery!!

We finally made it to our favorite part of the factory. We danced around the dance floor, and a video camera took our images, distorted the images with all sorts of splashy colors and displayed them on the big screen. Welcome to Kiddie Disco!!!

We danced so long that they started to clean up and close down the other stations while we boogied...

Thanks for driving out to meet us at the Crayola Factory, Avery, Evan and Amy. Mommy and I had a blast!!! We'll definitely have to bring my little sister here when she is older!!

Birthday Boy

Happy Birthday to the greatest daddy in the world - MINE!!

I hope you liked the cupcakes I made for you, Daddy. I loved bringing you a balloon at work and taking you out for lunch - I didn't want to go home!!

I love you, Daddy!

Pink Ladies

Doesn't Trixie look ready for more pink?! She needs to get used to more - my little sister is scheduled to arrive via c-section on St. Patrick's Day!!!!

Unless she decides to come early on her own, Mommy's doctor is going to take my sister out on March 17th. They have to take her out surgically because it was discovered during an ultrasound last week that my li'l sis is already 7lbs 14oz (and that was 4 weeks away from her due date!!) The doc said that is just too big for Mommy, so they scheduled my sister's birthday for St Patty's Day!


I've been practicing everything I learned in my Big Sister class at home. I love giving bottles to my Baby Chou Chou.


I've been doing a really good job supporting her head, too!















I've also been working on my sharing techniques. I VERY rarely share my blankie or Ninney with anyone, but Trixie looked cold recently.


Then Trixie had to practice her sharing technique!


On another note, last week Mommy and I participated in the fantastic Lancaster County tradition of Fasnacht Day. It is customary around here to eat a yummy, lard-y doughnut on the day before Lent begins.

I could get used to this tradition!!!

Big Sister Day Camp

OK, baby sister, I'm ready!!!

Last Saturday I took a class on how to be a great big sister. It was the "Big Sibling Day Camp" class at the hospital where my little sister will be born.


I learned all sorts of important lessons. My teacher taught me how to hold my sister - it's very important to support her head!! I also learned how to put on a diaper (I was a pro at this because I put diapers on my dolls everyday!) My teacher also showed us what my sister looks like in her 'baby house' (aka the 'uterus') right now - can you believe that she's upside down?!?

My favorite part of the class was when we took a walk down to the nursery and saw a REAL baby girl!! She was SO cute!!

When class was finished, I got a certificate that declared that

"Charlotte has fulfilled all the class requirements and is hereby granted full sibling privileges and the title of BIG SISTER."

You can come out whenever you want to now, little sis. I'm officially ready for you!!

You Snooze, You Lose

Sorry, Trix. Your bed turned out to be a great place to play with my Leapster. You snooze, you lose!

Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow

Oh, the weather outside is frightful,

but playing in it is so delightful

And since all the roads are closed,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

It doesn't seem like it's staying,

So let's pick up some snow for tasting

The taste is really kind of gross

But let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

When we finally get to work,

I'll stop to make an angel of snow,

Then I'll ride down the icy cold slide

Then in a while to sleep I will go!

The storm it is slowly dying,

And hot chocolate I soon will be trying

But as long as I keep myself warm,

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Big Girl Bed!!

Tonight is my first night in my brand new big girl bed. Even though my new room isn't completely finished yet, I was so excited when Daddy put my bed together that I knew it was time to leave the crib.

Mommy cuddled with me in bed for a few minutes after my nighttime story. I kissed her goodnight and told her that is was OK for her to leave. After she left I read another book or two on my own before I fell asleep.

I think I just heard Mommy and Daddy check up on me. I'm sure they were delighted to see that I was sleeping smack in the middle of the bed - no rolling off the side, yet! I was too tired to tell them not to worry, so I went right back to sleep.

As I always say to Mommy,

Sweet Dreams!!

Pug Love

My good pal Trixie has had a rough few weeks. She has a corneal ulcer in her left eye, which is a very painful injury for a dog. It's basically like a hole in her cornea. These ulcers can spread rapidly and cause blindness. Luckily we were able to get Trix to the vet quickly, and her wonderful doc put her on a regimen of strong drops and antibiotics. She goes back to the vet for her third eye visit tomorrow, and hopefully we'll learn that her sight in that eye can be saved.

I always help Mommy take Trix to these visits, and I have been very concerned about my pug pal. This injury has made me realize how much I love both of my puggies and how lucky I am to have such loving, loyal pups in my life.

For once, Emmet isn't the one with an eye problem. He had his eye surgery three years ago, and has been looking in an east-west direction with clarity ever since! Well, when his eyes are open, that is...

Just to prove how much I love my puggies...I let Emmet sleep with my beloved Blankie and Ninny recently. NOBODY gets to sleep with Blankie and Ninny, but Emmet looked like he could use some cuddly friends that day!
I used to be very protective of my Elmo chair, too, until I realized that Trixie found it to by comfy for her old bones.

Mommy hopes that I share my favorite things with my baby sister as well as I do with my puggies.

Feel better soon, Trix. I love you!!!

Guitar Hero

Daddy and I are real Guitar Heroes - not the fake kind with the videogame. Every so often we'll rock out to some music on the radio. I love playing Daddy's big guitar.

Someday I'll be the first guitar playing ballerina the world has ever known!!

Everything I Need to Know About Life...

...I learned in preschool!
I am proud to announce that I am now officially a school girl :) Last Monday I started class at a great preschool. My new classroom is in the same building as my former daycare, so I still get to see my old friends and teachers - how lucky am I?!?

What I learned at preschool:

1. Stick with your fashion instincts. Even when Mommy wants to take a photo of you wearing your backpack on the first day of school, ignore her pleas if the backpack does not match your outfit!


2. Obey your Mommy. When you arrive and your new teacher shows you where the dollhouse is, humor your Mommy and smile for a photo (even though you really want her to leave so that you can play in your new classroom.)

3. Be thankful. If there are two other girls in your new class, and you're used to being the only girl, give thanks. (I loved my boys in daycare, but was SO happy to play with my new girlfriends Nora and Evie!)


4. Be patient and wait for your turn to speak. It will be difficult to hold in all of the exciting things about school that you WANT to tell your mommy when she picks you up, but it will be a few minutes before she is finished speaking with your teacher about your first day. When she is finished, though, try to speak slowly even though you are bursting with excitement.


5. Demostrate your new knowledge.

We learned about shapes in class on the first day, so what better way to apply new learning in a real life situation than by going to "Old McDonald's" for lunch! My cheeseburger was a circle shape, my drink box was a rectangle...


6. Play nicely with others. I dropped my "boys have cooties" act and played very well with Drewbie at Old McDonald's.


7. Always be gentle.

I guess my mind was wandering during that lesson!

The 12 Joys of Christmas

The 1st thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...Drew and I admiring the Nativity

The 2nd thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...pumpkin pie after Christmas Eve mass

The 3rd thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...butt flap personalized jammies from Aunt Amy

The 4th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...a posh hat like Fancy Nancy's

The 5th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...a Leapster 2 under the Christmas tree

The 6th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...a cottage to pretend to be a mommy

The 7th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...a freaky, life-like pet call "Fur Real Kitty"

The 8th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...Uncle Mar giving pizza-making lessons to me

The 9th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...quality time with far-away family

The 10th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...

...showing JoePa how to play WWE

Mommy did a poor job of keeping the camera battery charged - the last two will have to do without photos. Sorry!!

The 11th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me...spending the day at Grandma Betsy's

The 12th thing at Christmas that's such a joy to me... spending New Year's with my friends Evan and Avery (although the Rose Bowl was NOT a joy to me!)

Thank you all SOOOOO much for a wonderful holiday season. I am so happy that I was able to visit so many family and friends, and I feel so special to have received so much love (and so many great gifts!!)

I had a wonderful 2008, I can't wait to see what 2009 has to bring!

Dear Santa

Dear Santa,

I know that I haven't actually spoken to you this year. I don't really know why I won't sit on your lap - maybe it's the long beard.

Anyway, I just wanted you to know that I've tried really hard to be a good girl this year. If you get a chance and are flying around my neighborhood, I'd be very happy if you dropped by my house and left me a few gifts.

In case you do drop in, I left some chocolate chip cookies that I made for you. I also made some chicken and stars soup for your reindeer to help warm them up on this cold December night. I hope you all enjoy the goodies!

Have a safe trip, Santa.

Love,

Charlotte

Nuttin' For Christmas

The title, of course, is not referring to me. I have been a VERY good girl this year, so I'm sure Santa will be stopping by with lots of presents for me. The title refers to a Christmas song that I've been listening to almost as much as the Disney version of "Deck the Halls."

Mommy decided that since she has to listen to this song 20 times a day, she might as well share it with everyone else. Enjoy!!

Clarice

Meet my new favorite holiday obsession - Clarice the reindeer!! Yesterday Mommy bought me a Clarice doll, and today at Santa's Workshop I went to visit the big Clarice statue. I told Mommy that I want to change my name vote for my little sister from DeeDee to Clarice!!

Even with my friend Clarice by my side (cousin Drew, too!), I still wouldn't go near the big guy to tell him what I want for Christmas. Good thing he has email!!

Fa La La La La

Do you need some holiday spirit? I, Charlotte the Dancing Fairy Elf, can help you! Just come to my house. We play "Deck the Halls" nonstop! If that doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, nothing will...

I only stop dancing to check up on my little sister!