Just a few hours old.
We got to babysit. Charlie is sleeping in the same cradle his mommy slept in - the one that my dad built for her.
Christmas 2007 - his new swing.
On the carousel at Seaport Village
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Time is certainly flying by! I really wanted to post a little more often on this site. So much happens, and it is so easy to forget the details.
Charlie had a wonderful first birthday. He had his party here at Grandma & Grandpa's house. There were lots of people here ... Grandma & Grandpa Sump, Aunt Jessica (Sump), Jose (roommate), Brandon (roommate), Jose's mother - Sherry, Travis (Billy & Becca's friend), Travis's mother, Justin (B & B's friend), Justin's mother, Jeanne Milton, Cambria Clark, Chatele Clark, Jason Beard, and more that I can't remember. The theme for his party was Jungle/Zoo Animals. He had one of those big "jumpers" in our front yard. The kids loved it ... so did the adults! He received so many nice presents. And, of course, he kept us all entertained with his charm and sweet disposition.
Right after his birthday, we went straight into planning for the Thanksgiving holiday. We decided not to go to Bishop to be with Randy & Leslie. Since Billy would have to work early on the morning after Thanksgiving, Billy and Becca couldn't go with us and I didn't want to face a holiday without them. So, we invited Charlie's Grandma & Grandpa Sump and Aunt Jessica to our dinner. Everything went off without a hitch. Dinner was great (even if I do say so, myself!) and everyone had a great time. After dinner, Billy set up "Guitar Hero" and we all took turns playing in the band or singing. Bill (Sr) and Dave played together and got to know each other better. Charlie had fun being with his whole family!
Rebecca and I were worried about how Charlie would react to Santa Claus. We took him shopping one day and decided to introduce him to the Santa at the Hemet Mall. I figured he would be ... like so many children his age ... afraid of Santa. WRONG!!!!! He went right to him and posed for pictures like a pro.
Becca and I baked ... and baked ... and baked. She decorated a gingerbread house from a kit we had stored for a year or two. It smelled like stale, rancid oil, so I sprinkled some cinnamon on it to cover up the foul odor. It worked! She did a wonderful job of decorating it and it became the centerpiece for a "tabletop" in our dining room. We laughed and giggled and had so much fun making all of the baked goods we would package as gifts for friends and neighbors.
Dave decorated the outside of the house with lights and moving figures ... and of course, his train. Our electric bill soared out of sight, but it was worth it to see the look on Charlie's face every time he went outside.
Billy, Becca and Charlie went to the Sump's house for a Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. After the gift exchange, they all came over to our house and slept here so that Charlie (and his mommy) could wake up and be here early on Christmas morning. Santa Claus was very good to all of us. We had lots of gifts, but most importantly, we shared Christmas together. Charlie liked all of the toys and books he was given, but I think he would have liked empty boxes with ribbons and paper to tear off.
Next, it was time to celebrate Rebecca's 21st birthday! We went to her favorite restaurant - The Olive Garden - and invited Bill & Jeannette Sump to come along. We had a great time and then took Becca back to her house to celebrate with her friends. The next day ... Sunday ... Rebecca and I went to Soboba Casino. She took some nickles my mom had brought back from Las Vegas and a few dollars from her daddy - around $11, I think. We played the slot machines for about two hours - winning some, then losing some. It was a fun experience for us both and it cost under $20. You can't beat that!
Now, here we are, waiting to usher in the year 2009. So much has happened in this past year. We will have a lot to remember, to celebrate, and even a few things to shed some tears over. All-in-all, 2008 has been very good to us - the good things far outweigh the bad. We have each other, we are all fairly healthy, and Charlie can make even the worst day seem like heaven on earth. What's coming in 2009?
Charlie had a wonderful first birthday. He had his party here at Grandma & Grandpa's house. There were lots of people here ... Grandma & Grandpa Sump, Aunt Jessica (Sump), Jose (roommate), Brandon (roommate), Jose's mother - Sherry, Travis (Billy & Becca's friend), Travis's mother, Justin (B & B's friend), Justin's mother, Jeanne Milton, Cambria Clark, Chatele Clark, Jason Beard, and more that I can't remember. The theme for his party was Jungle/Zoo Animals. He had one of those big "jumpers" in our front yard. The kids loved it ... so did the adults! He received so many nice presents. And, of course, he kept us all entertained with his charm and sweet disposition.
Right after his birthday, we went straight into planning for the Thanksgiving holiday. We decided not to go to Bishop to be with Randy & Leslie. Since Billy would have to work early on the morning after Thanksgiving, Billy and Becca couldn't go with us and I didn't want to face a holiday without them. So, we invited Charlie's Grandma & Grandpa Sump and Aunt Jessica to our dinner. Everything went off without a hitch. Dinner was great (even if I do say so, myself!) and everyone had a great time. After dinner, Billy set up "Guitar Hero" and we all took turns playing in the band or singing. Bill (Sr) and Dave played together and got to know each other better. Charlie had fun being with his whole family!
Rebecca and I were worried about how Charlie would react to Santa Claus. We took him shopping one day and decided to introduce him to the Santa at the Hemet Mall. I figured he would be ... like so many children his age ... afraid of Santa. WRONG!!!!! He went right to him and posed for pictures like a pro.
Becca and I baked ... and baked ... and baked. She decorated a gingerbread house from a kit we had stored for a year or two. It smelled like stale, rancid oil, so I sprinkled some cinnamon on it to cover up the foul odor. It worked! She did a wonderful job of decorating it and it became the centerpiece for a "tabletop" in our dining room. We laughed and giggled and had so much fun making all of the baked goods we would package as gifts for friends and neighbors.
Dave decorated the outside of the house with lights and moving figures ... and of course, his train. Our electric bill soared out of sight, but it was worth it to see the look on Charlie's face every time he went outside.
Billy, Becca and Charlie went to the Sump's house for a Christmas celebration on Christmas Eve. After the gift exchange, they all came over to our house and slept here so that Charlie (and his mommy) could wake up and be here early on Christmas morning. Santa Claus was very good to all of us. We had lots of gifts, but most importantly, we shared Christmas together. Charlie liked all of the toys and books he was given, but I think he would have liked empty boxes with ribbons and paper to tear off.
Next, it was time to celebrate Rebecca's 21st birthday! We went to her favorite restaurant - The Olive Garden - and invited Bill & Jeannette Sump to come along. We had a great time and then took Becca back to her house to celebrate with her friends. The next day ... Sunday ... Rebecca and I went to Soboba Casino. She took some nickles my mom had brought back from Las Vegas and a few dollars from her daddy - around $11, I think. We played the slot machines for about two hours - winning some, then losing some. It was a fun experience for us both and it cost under $20. You can't beat that!
Now, here we are, waiting to usher in the year 2009. So much has happened in this past year. We will have a lot to remember, to celebrate, and even a few things to shed some tears over. All-in-all, 2008 has been very good to us - the good things far outweigh the bad. We have each other, we are all fairly healthy, and Charlie can make even the worst day seem like heaven on earth. What's coming in 2009?
- A murder trial - anticipated for 36 years - will finally happen (Dave's brother, Billy, was murdered 36 years ago last September)
- Dave will retire and devote all of his time to his new business
- We - Dave & I - will go on a cruise to the Bahamas
- We will have a year of amazing adventures with each new development in Charlie's growth
- My best friend, Pat, will be battling cancer (remember to pray for her)
- The world will do its best to recover from financial disaster
- And ... please, Dear God, may we see peace?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Charlie can ...
It is just a little more than 24 hours until Charlie will have his first birthday. I can't believe a whole year has gone by since this tiny bundle entered our lives. It is difficult to remember a life without Charlie in it.
Here are just some of the things he impresses us with ...
*He waves bye-bye and says, "Buh bye"
*He blows kisses
*He says, "Hi!"
*He puts his finger in the hole in his nose and says, "Nuh." (He had discovered the hole in his nose and had his finger in it all the time, so we decided to teach him that he was touching his nose. He won't finish the word, but he gets it started with, "Nuh".)
*He says, "dog".
*He says, "papa" and "Mom-mom" and "Dad-dad". No "grandma" yet, but I keep trying!
*He crawls quite well, but isn't too interested in trying to walk yet.
*He loves to stand behind the steering wheel of the car and "drive" while he makes a motor sound.
*He calls his bottle or sippie cup his "baba". (Rebecca is weaning him from the bottle - cups only!)
*He loves to take Grandpa's glasses and hat off of him.
All he really has to do to melt my heart is give me one of his big grins. He's got Grandma wrapped around his little finger ... and I have no intention of changing that!!
Charlie's First Halloween
Celebrating Halloween with costumes and trick-or-treating is not so popular these days. However, I still remember how great it felt to get dressed up in a costume and have fun, so I'm glad Rebecca and Billy are okay with dressing Charlie in a cute little costume and take him around to a few friends, neighbors, and family for a little harmless fun.
Rebecca and I took Charlie to the Pumpkin Patch in Murrieta to get a couple of pumpkins. They had a hughe air-filled slide that Rebecca rode on with Charlie. There was a petting zoo and some other rides, but it was hot and time was slipping away so we chose our pumpkins and headed out. Billy and Becca came over with Charlie to carve pumpkins. Brandon, their housemate, came with them. While Rebecca decorated a little pumpkin for Charlie and Dave and Billy carved pumpkin masterpieces, I made chili (Rebecca's favorite!). Brandon handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters that came to the door while we got Charlie dressed in his costume. I had purchased a "Squirt" costume at Downtown Disney. (In case you don't know ... Squirt is the turtle from the animated movie, Finding Nemo.) He was too cute for words!!!!!
We took him to a couple of houses where we knew the people and then it was time for him to go to Grandpa & Grandma Sump's for some more fun.
We're already planning next year's Halloween fun!
Rebecca and I took Charlie to the Pumpkin Patch in Murrieta to get a couple of pumpkins. They had a hughe air-filled slide that Rebecca rode on with Charlie. There was a petting zoo and some other rides, but it was hot and time was slipping away so we chose our pumpkins and headed out. Billy and Becca came over with Charlie to carve pumpkins. Brandon, their housemate, came with them. While Rebecca decorated a little pumpkin for Charlie and Dave and Billy carved pumpkin masterpieces, I made chili (Rebecca's favorite!). Brandon handed out candy to the trick-or-treaters that came to the door while we got Charlie dressed in his costume. I had purchased a "Squirt" costume at Downtown Disney. (In case you don't know ... Squirt is the turtle from the animated movie, Finding Nemo.) He was too cute for words!!!!!
We took him to a couple of houses where we knew the people and then it was time for him to go to Grandpa & Grandma Sump's for some more fun.
We're already planning next year's Halloween fun!
Monday, November 3, 2008
Memories - Wedding & Seaport Village
In May we were invited to a wedding in San Diego. I was anxious to show off my perfect little grandson. Rebecca and Billy couldn't go to the wedding but they were delighted to have us take Charlie with us. They wanted everyone to meet Charlie, even if they couldn't be there. They agreed to meet us the day after the wedding to go to the San Diego Zoo.
We had a great time at the wedding and Charlie was his usual charming self. We went back to the hotel after the wedding and Charlie entertained us. Dave was feeding Charlie - who was propped up in the corner of an overstuffed chair. At one point Dave got a little "frog in his throat" and turned his head away to give a little cough. Charlie thought that was the funniest thing he had ever seen! Every time Dave would turn his head and "fake cough" Charlie would laugh with that beautiful belly-laughter of a baby. He laughed so much and so hard that he got hiccups. This went on for about half an hour. Later, all we had to do to get Charlie to laugh was to have Dave fake cough. I'll never forget the sight and sound of him that night.
The next morning we got ready for our first trip to the zoo with our grandson. Billy and Rebecca had some things come up and weren't able to meet us, after all. I told Rebecca that I would understand if they wanted to be there for Charlie's first zoo trip, and we would not go to the zoo. Through tears, she told me that she really wanted to be there ... so we changed our plans and took him to Seaport Village instead. We took him on the carousel. He grabbed the pole and held on just like he knew all about riding a carousel. He smiled and cooed and had almost as good a time as Grandma and Grandpa!
We had a great time at the wedding and Charlie was his usual charming self. We went back to the hotel after the wedding and Charlie entertained us. Dave was feeding Charlie - who was propped up in the corner of an overstuffed chair. At one point Dave got a little "frog in his throat" and turned his head away to give a little cough. Charlie thought that was the funniest thing he had ever seen! Every time Dave would turn his head and "fake cough" Charlie would laugh with that beautiful belly-laughter of a baby. He laughed so much and so hard that he got hiccups. This went on for about half an hour. Later, all we had to do to get Charlie to laugh was to have Dave fake cough. I'll never forget the sight and sound of him that night.
The next morning we got ready for our first trip to the zoo with our grandson. Billy and Rebecca had some things come up and weren't able to meet us, after all. I told Rebecca that I would understand if they wanted to be there for Charlie's first zoo trip, and we would not go to the zoo. Through tears, she told me that she really wanted to be there ... so we changed our plans and took him to Seaport Village instead. We took him on the carousel. He grabbed the pole and held on just like he knew all about riding a carousel. He smiled and cooed and had almost as good a time as Grandma and Grandpa!
Memories - Charlie's First Easter
In preparation for Easter, I found Charlie a little outfit with a necktie. How cute is that?
The Easter Bunny brought Charlie toys, books, and other things. Except for a chocolate bunny, there wasn't really any candy since he was too young to eat candy yet. Still, he made out like a bandit!
It is our tradition to color Easter eggs and hide them along with plastic eggs that contain money and/or candy inside. Rebecca and Billy searched for the hidden eggs that included the grand prize egg with $50 in it. Smaller denominations of bills were hidden inside the other eggs - ones, fives, and tens - but the search was really about finding the $50 prize. Dave and I sat on the front porch swing with Charlie while his mommy and daddy looked for eggs. The much-prized egg was nestled between Charlie and me!
At the end of the day, Charlie, his mommy, and his daddy took home huge Easter baskets and a cash prize totaling $100. Watch out ... next Easter Charlie will be finding his own eggs!
The Easter Bunny brought Charlie toys, books, and other things. Except for a chocolate bunny, there wasn't really any candy since he was too young to eat candy yet. Still, he made out like a bandit!
It is our tradition to color Easter eggs and hide them along with plastic eggs that contain money and/or candy inside. Rebecca and Billy searched for the hidden eggs that included the grand prize egg with $50 in it. Smaller denominations of bills were hidden inside the other eggs - ones, fives, and tens - but the search was really about finding the $50 prize. Dave and I sat on the front porch swing with Charlie while his mommy and daddy looked for eggs. The much-prized egg was nestled between Charlie and me!
At the end of the day, Charlie, his mommy, and his daddy took home huge Easter baskets and a cash prize totaling $100. Watch out ... next Easter Charlie will be finding his own eggs!
Memories - Valentine's Day & St Patrick's Day
In January, after getting permission from his mommy, we took Charlie to Sears for a photo session. The resulting pictures would be a birthday gift for his daddy. We bought him a new outfit, complete with pants, shirt, sweater, and shoes! The pictures could not have been cuter. The photographer turned out to be someone that knew us and she went the extra mile for the photographs.
Charlie had the cutest outfits for Valentine's Day and St Patrick's Day! I took lots of pictures.
Just before St Patrick's Day, Dave and I wanted to go to the Orange County Swapmeet. Since it was close to Cindy & Al Brady's house, we asked if Charlie could come with us. It would mean an overnight stay. Mommy and Daddy said it would be okay, so Grandma, Grandpa, and Charlie set out for a little adventure. At the swapmeet, we found some great things for our little grandson - some high-top Vans, some low-top Vans, shopping cart covers, and more. There were also a few things for us and some things for Billy & Rebecca, but who really cares about those ... it's really all about Charlie, you know!
While we were visiting with Cindy and Al, they received a phone call from Cindy's son, Matthew. He and his wife wanted to announce their pregnancy. It was very ironic that the call would come while we were there. Matthew had grown up calling me "Auntie Debra" and I had been there so often as he grew up ... until we moved to Hemet. Then, the visits were few and far between. Cindy and I would become grandmothers at almost the same time, even though there was almost fifteen years difference in the ages of our children! Isn't life amazing?
Charlie had the cutest outfits for Valentine's Day and St Patrick's Day! I took lots of pictures.
Just before St Patrick's Day, Dave and I wanted to go to the Orange County Swapmeet. Since it was close to Cindy & Al Brady's house, we asked if Charlie could come with us. It would mean an overnight stay. Mommy and Daddy said it would be okay, so Grandma, Grandpa, and Charlie set out for a little adventure. At the swapmeet, we found some great things for our little grandson - some high-top Vans, some low-top Vans, shopping cart covers, and more. There were also a few things for us and some things for Billy & Rebecca, but who really cares about those ... it's really all about Charlie, you know!
While we were visiting with Cindy and Al, they received a phone call from Cindy's son, Matthew. He and his wife wanted to announce their pregnancy. It was very ironic that the call would come while we were there. Matthew had grown up calling me "Auntie Debra" and I had been there so often as he grew up ... until we moved to Hemet. Then, the visits were few and far between. Cindy and I would become grandmothers at almost the same time, even though there was almost fifteen years difference in the ages of our children! Isn't life amazing?
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