"I do nuffing"

The Pabst children pretty much get free reign over the house. We are pretty babyproofed and mostly if they are off playing quietly I am happy. Charly is really good at "independant" play. She will go off and just play pleasantly by herself for hours. She also happens to be the one that is good at finding anything she should not be playing with.

Yesterday I was putting on my make-up and Charly wanted to join in. We did that the day before and it didn't go so well. She ended up looking like she was beat up by a gang. I decided this time to "redirect" her out of my bathroom and off to some toys.

A few minutes later I see her back in the bathroom. Oh well..she is being quiet, right? I was right there and figured I could keep an eye on her. I kept peeking in and reminding her "no make-up right?" She of course replies "no make-up Mommy."

A minute later I see the door is shut. Does she think I am a rookie? She thinks she can shut the door and I am not going to be suspicious? Curious to hear her response I asked " Charly what are you doing in there?" She couldn't have sounded any more guilty "I just playin Mommy, ok." Of course I don't trust her so I open the door to find her with my eyeshadow in one hand and my RAZOR in the other hand. My drawer with all kinds of things I DON"T want them playing with was wide open. The best part was her face when she got busted. Well, her face and her quick defense.... "I do nuffing Mommy, I do nuffing." Ummm...you have a razor in your hand. Gotta give her credit. She managed to look so guilty, yet so confident in her answer all at once. I think she thought I was actually going to buy it. hahahaha

Still not ready to laugh about this....

Charly, Charly, Charly. You are bringing back some old memories with your horrid behavior. You have truly been a monster all the sudden.

Two nights ago Karl walked into the kitchen and gasped..."Leslie did you spill tomatoes all over the floor, they are everywhere." Ummm...no? We then both turn to Charly who is one by one picking the tomatoes out of her spaghetti and throwing them EVERYWHERE. "I don't wike these. I just throw them on the floor." I'll throw your little butt in time-out!!! "I sorry Mommy.".... as she bats her eyelashes. I really can't remember what happened next..but she ended up getting sent to bed a very sad little girl. Great, nipped that one in the bud. Pat on the back for Mom and Dad!

Ha! Next morning I peeled a nice orange and gave it to her on her little table. A few minutes later I hear Ava calling "MOM, MOM hurry. Charly is throwing oranges all over the floor." You have got to be kidding me! I was livid. I again don't really remember what happened next but I am *pretty sure* I didn't beat you.

This brings me to this morning. I am in the laundry room and I hear the sweetest, cutest voice yelling "scuse me, SCUSE meeeeee. MOMMY!" I ignored her for a minute as I tried to finish the laundry. Eventually I couldn't ignore her because that little voice just sounded so cute, and she clearly wasn't giving up. In I walk to the family room to see Charly, literally, jumping up and down on my lap top. When I say jumping.... I mean the lap top was on the couch and she was jumping and bouncing on it like a freakin' tramopline. As if I didn't see her, she felt the need to make sure I knew what she was doing. "Look mommy, I jumpin on your computer." .....All with a HUGE grin. Well, your Momma is still not grinning over this one. Charly welcome to Pabst bootcamp.

The first sandwich!

Something very exciting happened today. Ava, you ate your first sandwich! This is a huge deal because I have been packing lunch meat and crackers in your lunch bog forever. Years ago I attempted to get you to eat a sandwich. You would eat bread and turkey...yet acted horrified at mixing the two.

In typical Ava fashion...this is how it all went down.

Ava- "I'm hungry!"

Of course I offered you some options, one of which was a bagel.

It was like a little light when on in your head. I couldn't believe what I was about to hear.

Ava-"I have an idea. How about we take that bagel and break it down the middle. Then how about you take some lunch meat and put it in the middle and put it back together!"

Of course I am cracking up. It was as if you thought you just invented the "sandwich." I was more than elated to make you your first bagel sandwich.

When I was making it I said ..."You know I bet this would be really good with bread to."

I got a typical Ava reply...

Ava- "I was going to ask for it with bread, but we don't have any. Thats why I said bagel."

Well, DUH. How silly of me.

I think this whole sandwich thing is the highlight of my month.

Jackie

It's about time I had something bad to say about you! The last week you have been a little crankypot. You are showing all the signs of teething but I just can't imagine that teething would make you this miserable. Okay...so you are not that miserable. Just so different from your normal cute happy self. I even took you back to the Dr. yesterday to rule out an ear infection. It was one of those times I was praying he would say ear infection so we would have an answer...and a solution. Nope, I am left clueless. You are so much happier when we give you tylenol, but I hate to drug you around the clock. I don't know, hope it's just a short lived phase. You are getting so heavy it is making it hard to carry you around. You were 16 1/2 lbs at the Dr's office. WOW. I didn't realize how big that was until I just typed it out. 16 1/2lbs?!? How did this happen and how can we make it stop?

Funny thing about this cranky phase. Your bad week would have been comparable to Charly's happiest week.

And one more thing. I guess you are now being referred to as Jackie. I caught Charly saying it and wondered where she got it from. Ahhh..then I caught myself "Jackie, what's the matter? What's wrong Jackie poo?" Oops...I really didn't want to start that one.

ava's first trip to the salon

I usually cut your hair and occasionally I will have Gina do it at her house. Right before Christmas you really needed a haircut so we went to the salon to see Gina. You were very patient and thoroughly enjoyed staring at yourself in the mirror for the 45 minute hair cut. This was a for real haircut! It came out super cute. These aren't the best pictures, I took them with my phone. But they will have to do!

Charly being a sweetheart this morning (sarcasm)

This morning by the time I got downstairs you and Ava were already awake, watching tv on the couch. I never really know what kind of mood you will be in. It's 75% good mood and about 25% of the time you are cranky and MEAN. This is an improvement from a year ago when you were 100% mean in the morning:) So this is how it went this morning....

Charly- why are you HERE?( insert very annoyed tone)

Me- because I woke up and came downstairs to see you!

Charly- I don't want you here. I want you to go somewhere.

Me- Really, like where?

Charly- I don't know... I want you to go to the store or somefing. I fink you should go to Target.

Me- Do you want to come with?

Charly- (still annoyed)Ugh......(long pause as her complete tone turns happy and sweet)......sure! I get some pizza at TARGET!

Me- ya...were not going to Target. Hahahahaha.

That first giggle....

So apparently you giggle Jack. I figured it was about time, I *thought* I might have heard an attempt at a giggle about a week ago, but I had yet to hear a true belly giggle. Until. Until we took a day trip up to see our dear friend Courtney and her babies. I handed you off to Courtney for a moment so I could get situated and I *thought* I heard you laughing. Of course I had a normal reaction as I ran over to see for myself. "what the hell are you doing to my baby?!" Courtney continues on with her baby giggling techniques...."Oh...he's just laughing." I know he's laughing, but he doesn't laugh yet. So...she handed you back and gave me some simple instructions on how to make a baby giggle, and you did. And it was soooooo stinkin cute.