Charlie Comes to Visit

We had a special visitor today!  I haven't seen Ami's family for so long.  Little Charlie isn't so little anymore.  He out-weighs Lula easily!

They look related.

Lula, who already has to deal with competition from another baby, had to share me with her nephew.  She wasn't too happy and spent a lot of time frowning at him.

Kissy kissy kissy! Giggle giggle giggle!

Charlie is a sweet boy!  He wasn't used to SO MUCH stimulation and other small people.  After an initial shock, he melted right in with the group. 

Three generations

Now that he has experienced and survived the madness of his grandparent's house, I'm hoping Ami will bring him down to play more often....

Eight out of Nine again...someday, someday, we will get all nine at once...

Next Christmas, I'm going to ask Santa to reunite all the Downen kids under one roof, just for one night... Hey, I can dream, can't I?

Santa Picture

Can you believe that Christmas is only...EIGHT days away? Oh my goodness, I have so much to do!  One thing I can check off my list is the annual Santa picture.  The best part about homeschooling during December is bypassing long weekend lines to visit Santa.  There were only a handful of preschoolers in front of us.  When it was our turn, the photographer had to get creative to fit all seven kids in the frame (it looks like there is room for one more):

Mark and I think this picture really captures the unique personalities of each of the kids.  Ian, growing out of visiting Santa, is putting up with our request to smile-for-the-camera to the best of his ability.  He did, however, ask Santa what kind of cookies he would like left out for him on Christmas Eve.  Shane wants to follow Ian's lead, but is still hoping a telescope will magically appear under the tree.  Evie, loving her baby sister, is still experiencing magic and asked for a new (old) video game and controller for our aging Nintendo 64.  Fiona, wearing her prettiest dress, asked for a remote control car in purple and a new hair ribbon already tied into a bow.  She experienced a major disappointment last year: she asked for lipstick and only received chapstick!  Daniel was prompted by a sibling to ask for a lump of coal; the sibling responsible will remain unknown as they won't 'fess up (Ian insists Daniel thought of asking for coal all on his own).  Ian especially was disappointed when he found out that I wasn't going to let Daniel ask for coal-although he probably does deserve it.  Daniel actually asked for a video game and smiled his best smile for the camera although we were trying to get him to at least say, "cheese."  Lula just wanted another candy cane after I bribed her with one to sit on The Stranger's lap.

The kids' picture is great, but the Best Santa Picture Award for 2013 goes to Charlie, our grandson:

You just can't get any better than that!!!

Charlie

My (okay, our) little grandson is so adorable.  Mark brought Evie and Fiona to Ami's house to visit them all last week:

Grandude

Sweet Smiles!

Expert Baby Holder

Aunties

...which was great, but Charlie and company came HERE for a few days!  I haven't seen him (in real life) since he was three days old. 

Play nice, Auntie Lula!

Lula was funny.  She has never acted jealous of her siblings, but she did not like me holding Charlie!  She even crawled across the couch and sat in the spot Ami and Charlie had just vacated like she had to "own" the couch too.

I was happy to shoo Ami and Kris out the door for a walk in the sunshine while Charlie was sleeping.  "I'll holler for you when he wakes up!" I reassured the new mother.

Watching Baby Einstein

Of course I didn't.  Ami had already told me that Charlie is happiest and full of smiles when he first wakes up.  I hogged that sweetness all to myself!  If he had shown any little tiny sign of distress, I would have called Ami back right away because I know what it is like to worry over a baby who loves his mama.

Its helps that I'm a Nanna that still remembers how to hold a 3 month old and what songs they like to sing. Charlie was very content to sit with me.

We are so very thankful the weather cooperated and Charlie could go experience his first trip to Twin Firs outside!

But by the time he had his first "pond picture" he was ready to go inside for a meal.  And a nap, which he didn't really get.  He just isn't used to the constant noise that six other kids make-even when they are outside.

Boy do I love that lip.  And that baby.  I can't wait to see him again!

Grandude