We've been adoring our little Charlie all week.
This is what he looks like while pooping. Yep, had to be documented for posterity.
But usually, he's asleep, or just looking cute.
Grace and Charlie time on Sunday.
On Monday, Paul and Grace danced to Christmas music before he took her to school. He worked from home in the morning so he could also pick Grace up after school.
We got a rocking horse from the free pile in the laundry room. Charlie can't quite use it yet.
But Alice LOVES it! They named him Bronco, and he sings a song when you squeeze his ear, complete with moving mouth! We've had fun trying to figure out the words - the possibilities are endless!
Alice has been wanting to eat dry cereal in the mornings so she can carry it around with her. It usually ends in a mess on the chair.
She's so cute though, it's hard to get mad at her.
Charlie slept a lot, so I was able to work on the Flake family yearbook.
Yep, bowl on her head, cereal in her lap. Awesome.
But, again, how do you get mad at that face?
And she's so sweet with Charlie! I did a craft with Grace that afternoon during Alice's nap and while Paul was at the newspaper office. She also made a super cute book about the symbols of Christmas. When Alice woke up, she and Grace made pretend clubs, complete with clubhouses. I took the opportunity to work on the yearbook. Grace asked if I'd be in her club. "What do I have to do to be in your club?" "Work on the yearbook." "Okay, I'll be in your club!"
For dinner, I turned leftover turkey into turkey salad wraps. To encourage Grace to eat, Paul said he would eat a green olive if she would eat her dinner. Grace loves green olives and Paul hates them. The following scene ensued:
Grace is so pleased with herself.
Poor Paul. I wouldn't have done it. Yuck!
Paul taught FHE on Jesus Christmas versus Santa Christmas, then we gave Charlie his very first bath in the baby bathtub. What a modest little fellow!
Poor cold baby. That night I worked on the yearbook more while Paul did homework.
On Tuesday, Paul had class, so I had to do the school run for the first time with 3 kids. It was hard. It's a long walk from the church parking lot to the classroom, and Charlie is heavy to carry, and Alice doesn't like to hold hands. Grace's class LOVED Charlie, and of course Grace loves showing him off. Then I took Alice and Charlie to library story time. Again, it was hard. Charlie cried a lot on the car rides, I had to feed him as soon as we got to the library, he pooped as I fed him, and Alice screamed bloody murder when I went to change him, then she colored on the table. When we checked out, we had trouble with the computer system. Luckily, Paul got home in time to pick up Grace so I didn't have to deal with that whole fiasco again. And after all of her wickedness, look how cute Alice is!
That afternoon, I fell asleep with Charlie in my arms. Nice nap! We made bacon bits pizza for dinner, then bathed the girls. They love their cute giraffe and hippo towels from Mom/Dad Gabe.
Our 3 kids in brown footy pajamas.
Father and son chillin' on the floor.
Bedtime story.
Mini tree in the girls' room.
Paul read them a banana slug book that night. Ha! I worked on the yearbook while Paul did homework, then we did online Christmas shopping.
On Wednesday, Paul and Grace left early for the elementary school science club. Grace didn't want to join because it's so early, but Paul took her this one time so he could write an article on it. They learned all about squid, and touched a dead one - gross! Then Grace went on her field trip to Natural Bridges State Park. They were supposed to see the monarchs, but it was pouring rain and windy (like most of the week), so they just saw the museum. Paul went into work in the afternoon, and I worked on the yearbook during Alice's SHORT nap.
My Moby wrap came in the mail that day!! We own 4 types of wearable baby carriers, but I bought this because I can put it on by myself, and get him in/out of it by myself. I LOVE IT! We heated up Dad Gabe's chili for dinner and made cornbread with it. Grace wanted the meal to be all about monarch butterflies - we drank "milkweed" milk, and had cornbread with "monarch" butter and "nectar" honey.
Then we had some family hang out time.
Everybody Charlie Brown!
Sweet, Grace, totally sweet.
Paul likes the Moby too. It's so comfortable!
It works up to 35 lbs!
On Thursday, I took Grace to and from school again. Everyone is always so surprised to see me doing well and out and about. It's been almost 4 weeks, folks. It was cold and rainy again, and the girls were cute with Charlie. I did more yearbook work all day, then made potato soup from leftover mashed potatoes for dinner. That night, I went back to work on the yearbook, and IT WAS GONE. I burst into tears. I'd spent HOURS AND HOURS on it over the past few weeks. The photobook company doesn't have a phone number, so we emailed back and forth with a guy, and finally went to bed with the problem still unresolved. I emailed the family to pray for us, and we prayed hard too.
The rain was intense on Friday. Paul and Alice did the school runs. I checked the computer a few times that morning, but no yearbook. We kept praying, and so did Grace and the family. Then, I refreshed the screen again, and it was there! Like magic! I said a prayer of thanks on the spot. What a relief and a blessing.
Rainy day nymph.
Sweet Alice warmed up under a Christmas blanket to watch a movie so I could finally finish the yearbook. I didn't get ready until 5 pm, but it's done!
Charlie was happy for me. I did days worth of dishes to celebrate the end of neglecting all my other responsibilities. Then I made paper snowflakes with Grace. That evening, we watched Snow White (Faerie Tale Theatre) while eating pizza, then I went grocery shopping.
It was rainy again on Saturday. We took the girls to Toys R Us, Target, and to see Santa at the mall. Alice was scared of him, but Grace and Charlie liked him. No pictures allowed unless you want to pay big bucks!
Charlie was pretty good on our shopping trip.
Paul took the kids to the playplace at the mall so I could Christmas shop.
Check out that cool oyster! Paul said 3 other dads from the ward were there too, watching their kids so their wives could Christmas shop. Nice!
When we got home, we did laundry, Paul did homework, and I wrapped presents. Grace was my little elf, in charge of the tags and bows. It may be a little hard to read the tags this year.
I made turkey rolls for dinner, then we had family time in the living room. Can you see the light of the tree in Charlie's eye? He can't stop staring at it!
Grace's interpretation of "Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one horse open sleigh".
These girls love their daddy! So do I! Paul and I had a date that night watching the rain and watching parts of about 5 different Netflix movies in the light of the tree. Romantic!
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