Tap Tap & Twirl

"Dance Class!!" A common phrase now heard in our house... "Dance Class!" Yep - Charlotte has been enrolled in dance class! She has had two classes already and can't stop talking about it! The classes are one hour long and split up in 15 minute intervals (as to keep the attention). Ballet, Tap, Jazz and Tumbling! Ballet and tumbling have definitely been her favorites, but each class has been different. She is adjusting pretty well - sometimes she wants mommy in there to watch and sometimes she doesn't. She likes to twirl across the room during ballet and she likes the back bends in tumbling. But - the hit has been when they dance to The Little Mermaid song during Jazz. She loves that part!

Here she is on day one!

Who Cares How Cold It Is?!

Wes and MM were very excited to hear that Ashley (Wes's sister) gave us tickets to the Winter Classic hockey game in Boston on New Years Day as a Christmas present! We packed up our bags (not too many - so we didn't have to pay to check one!) and dropped Charlotte off at Magi and Poppos and we were off to Boston! Ashley and Perry (her NEW fiance!) joined us up there on New Years Eve and we rang in 2010 Boston style!

New Years Day was the game... and this just wasn't any ol' game. This was the Flyers and the Bruins on FENWAY! Yeah... they put an ice rink on Fenway Park! It was incredible! Drop Kick Murphys performed, James Taylor sang the National anthem, a stealth bomber did a fly-by, and the Bruins won in overtime!!! Crazy day of fun!





After the excitement of the game day festivities - we took in Boston for the next couple days as true tourists! Wes and MM's anniversary is January 3th, so we were lucky enough to stay through then and celebrate. We went to Cambridge - tooled around Harvard, went to the Sam Adams brewery, and did the whole Freedom trail on foot... just to mention a few things! We came home on the 4th and while we loved Boston we missed our little girl! I think she was happy to see us -- I think she grew while we were gone!

Wow, Slacker Mom.

Sorry about that... I seem to have forgotten how to post things on this blog! Good thing it wasn't my new years resolution to post more often. Fail! Back on board now though... just had to get through the holidays and get back to the real world.

Our holidays were great, but quite the whirlwind! We started off by an early Christmas celebration with Aunt Ashley in Alabama! Charlotte had a wonderful time - and loved knowing that Ashley would color with her any time she asked! Then the holidays were in full swing here in NC with Christmas Eve in Lenoir with the whole Sticklen clan! Then off to the Baker side for the final visit of the night. We had to get home and get ready for Santa! Charlotte really "got" the whole Santa thing this year... wanted to see him, left him cookies, tracked him on the computer, and even had an email from him! Good thing she was a good girl this year! Sure enough, Santa did show up and he was good to the whole family!! Christmas day was full of family as we hosted Christmas lunch at our house for Wes's family. A house full of out of town guests with a fried turkey in the driveway... can that get any better?!

The day after Christmas, the Jackson Family began their festivities! 26th at Magi and Poppo's house for Christmas brunch 9and more fried turkey!), 27th at Alan and Suzannes house, and the 28th at our house! There was an extra special treat this year since Brian and Laura were in NC from Oregon for the holidays! So fun to have them celebrate with us! I am especially glad they were here to witness my mad skills in the "item slashing" Wii competition! Undefeated!!!

Enjoy just a few of the favorite holiday pics...

Stuff to be Thankful for.

Turkey Lurkey!

Look who stopped by on Thanksgiving day at our house!

All I want for Christmas...

Just being a girl.

Well, there's not too much going on right now. We are staying busy -- work, play, family time -- but its about to be non-stop!! Its the Holiday season and the Bakers are always on the go! We'll be in Hickory/Newton/Lenoir for Thanksgiving then we go to Alabama for an early Christmas celebration and back to Hky/Newton/Lenoir for Christmas week festivities.

Since we don't have too much new stuff to show off, I thought I'd give up an update of Charlotte's favorite things... we haven't done that in a while!

- Princesses. Ariel (The Little Mermaid) to be specific. She can name all the Disney princesses, but the red-headed "Nernaid" is her favorite!
- Dresses. The girl wants to wear a "pretty dress" (as she calls it) all the time!
- stickers and band-aids. She like band-aids with pictures and sticker books where she moves the stickers from one page to the next!
- Daddy.
- dancing/singing/music
- Daddy.
- Daddy.

Happy To You!

Its been quite the busy week... Pumpkins, Halloween, Time Change and Mommy's Birthday!

We picked out some pumpkins at the patch... well, we played in the pumpkin patch, then took some home. Charlotte was a little upset hen we had to leave. I mean, who wouldn't be? I field of pumpkins? She ran the whole time saying, "punkins! punkins! punkins! punkins!"



As you can see - Charlotte was "Lil' Miss Baker" for Halloween... and was a hit! I kinda have a feeling this may be the last year we as parents actually get to pick her costume, so I took advantage of the opportunity. She has a little sweet tooth - so Halloween is right up her alley! Friday, we came to trick or treat at The Jackson Group and then hit up the Candy Crawl in downtown Hickory. Such a great option for kids... plus it rained cats & dogs Saturday, so going out would not have been a good option!





Sunday was MM's birthday -- and instead of greeting me with "Happy Birthday" she said it in true Charlotte style... "Happy To You Mommy!"

We are lucky there have been no sleep adjustments with the time change... knock on wood. Charlotte doesn't really like being woken up these days, as she will let you know by putting her face in the pillow and saying, "No Mommy! No!". She'd much rather get up by her own free will! That's my girl!

Enjoy!

Soldier Down!

We survived our first "toddler catastrophe" this past week! We have been very lucky to not have to experience ER's, stitches, casts, major illness or anything like that...*knock on wood*, however, this past Friday, Charlotte shut her finger in a door at school. I (MM) missed a call from Charlotte's school while I was at work. The call said she was standing in line and somehow stuck her finger in the hinge side of the door where someone was entering. They said it looks pretty bad and the door shut completely, and Charlotte is pretty upset -- you need to call us back asap. I called back not 2 minutes later and the lady answered and said, "Um, yeah - I thought Charlotte was pretty upset, but we gave her a band aid and a sucker and she seems fine". Faker.

They suggested we bring over some Motrin anyway in case the pain came on stronger. So, we did and she survived the day. When I picked her up that afternoon, I walked in the room and she said, "Mommy mommy look!" as she held her heavily bandaged finger in the air. I said, "I heard about that... what happened?" Charlotte said, "C'mon Mommy... look" as she pulled me in the hallway to show me the scene of the incident. She pointed out the exact door where it happened and held her finger up to the hinge. I said, "We don't put our fingers in the door do we? That hurts!" She replied... "Charlotte funny!!". "No - no, Charlotte not funny" I had to say as I giggled on the inside.

So, things are fine now. The finger is healing nicely. It did look pretty gnarly there for a while. A little black and blue + pinched at the nail, but daily care has paid off! She has been great with it and loves helping with the "boo boo medicine". Here are a couple shots of the "bandaged wound". As you can see - she doesn't look too upset. Sorry for the poor quality - these are on my camera phone.

Stay tuned for new Fall/Halloween pictures!!!!

LRU Homecoming 2009

Its that time of year again... Homecoming! Its not just getting together with friends from college -- its a family reunion! Check out Sara's blog for the LR Family Tree. The newest branch on the LR tree is Elizabeth, Wes's cousin. Her dad and grandparents went to LR as well - so we had family coming at us from both sides this year! It was great to see everyone and to have all the out-of-towners in Hickory! I didn't take that many pics this year - but here are a few from the fabulous weekend!

Wes, Charlotte and Wes's mom Nancy, aka - Nana.

Charlotte checking out the parade

Hanging out with the campus bear

climbing trees with all her cousins

Charlotte and her babysitter Kyra, who was crowned Homecoming Queen! Way to go Kyra!