The Chuckster from 2-2 1/2 (most pictures are from iphone and are not as clear)

This little boy is pretty much all boy. He is found in most dirt piles, mud puddles, tail pipes, looking for bugs, digging in sand, climbing, running, throwing, kicking, flipping, and anything else dirty or active. Thankfully there are moments he rests, and man does he need the rest. With how much energy is expended from his small frame, even while he sits at the dinner table, it's no wonder why he still needs his daily 2-3 hour naps.
He is full of personality, smiles, entertainment, and is keeping me company all day long by telling me what is on his mind.

Charlie is constantly telling me that he wants to go to school and that he'll need a backpack. Finally I enrolled him in a mommy and me tumbling class, which we call school. Every time we are heading to "school" he reminds me that he needs a backpack to fill with his wallet, food, and Lightening McQueen cars. In his tumbling class he listens really well to his Coach Ava. She shows them a small routine, that consists of: jumping from the spring board into a hula hoop, crawling through tunnels, walking on a balance beam over stuffed animals, hanging from the bars and rings, and doing summersaults and cartwheels. They have to patiently wait until the coach calls them up for their turn. He is doing so well waiting for his turn. We come home and practice all of his new routines and Coach Ava is impressed with his progress. We'll see how long he enjoys gymnastics. We think it's a great fit for his energetic, muscular, and small frame.

The grandpas grandmas, cousins, aunts and uncles have sure made a big fan out of Charlie. EVERY day he asks when we can go and visit so and so (it rotates every day, he asks for each of his cousins, and most often he is asking to see Grandpa Randy (Grandy, is what occasionally comes out of his mouth) and Grandpa Bruce. He wants to visit Grandma Laura at work and pick Grandma Joanie up from the airplane (airport). We are lucky to have family that enjoys coming to visit or having us visit often. We can't wait to live closer to family! One day....

Here is what this little man has been up to recently.

Stake Conference, in March, started out a bit rough with the two little ones. We found a room that had it broadcast through the speakers. We were able to listen, Charlie was able to run around and play, and Audri was able to stretch out on the floor. It was a miraculous compromise. I see many of these situations in our future.

Charlie's favorite things: Audri and trains.

Blowing out his two candles. 

Poor boy ran into a pole at the mall. He hit it so hard that the goose egg immediately popped out. This was taken a few days after the accident and it lost it's purple/blue mound. Being a parent is scary.

Charlie and Grayson all bundled up and ready to go on the office Easter egg hunt at the Martin's home. They got way too many yummy treats!

Hunting eggs with Micah, Eve, Ethan, Ivy, Ryder, Eli, Shannon, Matt, Grandpa Randy and Grandma Laura. I don't think he cared about the eggs as much as he cared to run around and scream with his cousins.

Playdoh with Lacey Lou

Glued to the back window with excitement as a garage was being built in our back yard. He was SO excited the cement mixer was there!

He puts rocks and sticks down any grate he can find. One day we saw a snake slither down into a grate, so he sometimes will say he's feeding the snakes.

Playing with Koby at Grandpa and Grandma D's house.

Collecting sand shrimp with Grandpa Randy for the sturgeon fishing trip Sean and his friend, Nate, were going on.

Playing with Lincoln at Iverson Beach. It was freezing with the wind chill.

Grandpa Randy was helping Charlie get through a time out. 

One of Charlie's favorite friends. Grayson.

Teaching Grandpa Bruce how to throw rocks in the water. Grandpa B drove all the way from Utah to come and play with us. Charlie asked for him for days following his departure. He still asks when he can go see him again.

If I am not watching my phone little hands find it and run off to take pictures and watch movies-- home videos. Charlie enjoys replaying the same home videos over and over. I have to make sure I download them often in case they accidentally get deleted. 

I can't wait to see the canal when it's drained. There will be so many rocks in the same spot. We walked to this spot at least four times a week and threw at least 20 rocks each time.

Silly kids

Reading bedtime stories with daddy. Charlie comes up with any excuses to stay up a bit later to hang out.

This is the one time that this has happened. He usually will not just fall asleep around the house. It's tricky to get him to go down. I turned around and loved seeing this. Poor guy was sick though, so that explains the behavior.

Washing their cars.

Our cute little gardener. I think I want to garden this way from now on!

He's all boy until a headband is in front of him.

crowding Audri

Climbing in the trees across the street at the cemetery

A healthy diet consists of croutons. Yum!

No longer wanting to be a passenger in Mom's car. Dad's new truck is too much fun to ride around in. Sometimes Dad even lets him drive...

Cousins in the clothes Grandpa Bruce picked out. 

I truly enjoy snuggling these little ones. I feel my Charlie snuggles are very near an end.

In his happy place. We love puddle jumping in the cemetery!

Getting the cows to chase him. I didn't realize how many perks there were to living in the country.

Safety first! Insisting on wearing Sean's helmet.

Another favorite friend, Tucker (5), is always such a good helper and plays so well with the younger kids.

Our hot little cowboy got to ride his first horse in 105* weather. Grandma Joanie stood by him while Sean and I were picking  65 lbs of cherries and blueberries.

Fishing lessons with Grandpa R. 

Mowing the lawn (Michael Jackson style) with dad. They both would walk back and forth across the lawn with their mowers and one glove. It was too cute!

In touch with his feminine side-- I was dressing Audri in photo shoot clothes. Charlie didn't want to be left out.

Always requesting Audri's blanket. He held onto Woody to help feel more masculine.

Some friends and I walk a few times each week. We are lucky to walk down this road full of vineyards, orchards and cows. There is very little traffic, so the boys get to run run run! We finish the walk/run with rock throwing at the canal.

Good buddies from the first week we moved here. Joseph and Charlie (three months apart)

Learning to swim with dad at Suncadia.

Finger painting is the best!

I can't believe how quickly he is growing up. As I look at these pictures I am starting to miss him. He has definitely taught us how to be parents. Poor kid, he has to be our guinea pig. We sure love our Charlie man!