Self portraits

Picture taken by mommy:

 Picture taken by Charlie:

 Picture taken by mommy, but looks like could have been taken by Tom. This one is us waiting for burgers on Capitol Hill. We returned to our old stomping grounds for a morning at Volunteer Park and burgers on Broadway. Good times. 

Easter Weekend

I decided to return to work on a Thursday. It happened to be right before Easter. As Kaarin was already going to be here for a social gathering, my parents decided to come from Spokane for Easter and to watch the boys those two days. We were really appreciative for the help. I'm not sure if they were ready for what happened. Gabriel decided he really didn't want to take the bottle. At the same time, they witnessed an almost three year-old who doesn't like to sit down and play with his grandparents. They earned their keep with those two! I'd love to say that Gabriel has improved with his bottle taking. However, this is a slow process for him. Luckily, I have witnessed this once before. I know that eventually he will learn. I feel really bad for those trying to teach him how to take the bottle.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from Easter Weekend:

 Out to breakfast with Jack Kirkman, Judy Carr, Nonnie & Boppa, GG and Aunt Beth. Charlie decided one drink wasn't enough. He liked drinking milk and orange juice at the same time. Charlie has a bit of a crush on Judy. He had lots of fun watching the man make the juice with Judy. He has told that story a few times since this morning.

 After breakfast, we went to Jack and Judy's home for a little while. Jack brought out their tractor to give Charlie a ride. Here he is just after getting on. His eyes were huge when the tractor first came out. The tractor his grandpa Bud took him on didn't have this scooper on the front. I don't think he knew what to think at first.

 As you can see from this picture, he quickly got used to the scoop. Tom also took a turn driving the tractor. It was quite a thrill to be able to scoop dirt!

 The last time Judy offered to let Charlie water her plants, she came inside soaked. Charlie got a little carried away with the hose. This time she wisely chose plants that are outside.

 In looking for a picture to post of the two boys, I realized I didn't take any pictures of just the two of them in their Easter outfits. This is as close as I got. Not even a really good picture, but it has both of them.

 This was also Aunt Beth's first time to meet Gabriel. Silly me, I did not take a photo of these two that isn't with bed head for Bop. Sorry Bop. But, I needed to mark your first meeting of Gabriel.

 This year we had an Easter egg hunt in our yard. Charlie sure enjoyed searching for eggs. He was able to shake each egg and let us know what was in the eggs each time. Charlie was very much into Easter this year. He was certainly interested in the Easter Bunny. He had all kinds of questions: Is the Easter Bunny a boy or a girl? Where is the Easter Bunny's mom and dad? Where does the Easter Bunny sleep? All good questions. It made us realize that we didn't know too much about the Easter Bunny. So, we attempted to find some kids books on the religious meaning of Easter as well as the Easter Bunny. That helped us out.

Boppa indulged Charlie on some outdoor play while waiting for Easter dinner. It is too bad I caught the branch in this picture. It is obscuring Charlie's little smile.

Random Pictures

Gabriel looks good in blue. It must be those blue eyes he inherited from his parents. Gabriel is a much fairer boy than Charlie. He also seems to have inherited some long eye lashes. They just are a little tougher to see because of how blond they are. 

Our little musician was to enthralled at this violin shop. We attempted to take our violin to get fixed. I found out that the one we have is two sizes too big for Charlie. They allowed him to try this one out. As you can see from this picture, he enjoyed this experience immensely. He was able to witness a man playing the bass, which he loved. Then, she allowed Charlie to play the cello, harpsichord and piano. For a music lover, this was paradise.

 I continue to snap shots of Gabriel on his changing table. He makes some great faces here.

 On a recent sunny day we headed down to Des Moines beach. Charlie fell in the water this time. I'm not sure if you can see in this picture, but he is soaked from about the waist down.

 This is what he was doing to get himself wet. It didn't help that he also tripped and fell in at some point.

Bainbridge Island

A couple weekends ago, we decided to take the ferry over to Bainbridge Island. Although it was rainy, it didn't stop the Wagner's from having fun. This picture is before Charlie began eating pancakes with jam. He was one happy, messy kid. 

 After breakfast, we took the boys to the local Children's Museum. Tom and Charlie played for over 20 minutes in this play area. Charlie could have filled this dump truck for hours. I think Tom thought the 200th time was one too many. I was very impressed with how many times he obliged Charlie. The routine was fill up the truck, pat it down and then a big dump.

 This is a photo of Gabriel on his first ferry boat ride. It was really cold and windy out, so we opted for a photo inside the car to mark the occasion.

Maternity time is coming to an end

I write this post with a sad heart and tears shimmering in my eyes. Today is my last day of maternity leave. These past almost 15 weeks have been a true blessing to me. I have loved learning about Gabriel and spending time with Charlie. We have laughed much, cried a bit, had excellent adventures and really enjoyed each other. It has been great to be able to see family and friends during this time as well. 

I will greatly miss you two little guys! I can't imagine life without either of you. What a joy you are to your mommy. I'm so excited to witness the boys and men that you are to become!!

The picture below is one that I took yesterday of the three of us. My lap is quite full. Although we tried, we couldn't get Gabriel to smile for the picture. 

Golf

Last week, we were at a toy store playing, when Charlie saw a child sized set of metal golf clubs. These really, really intrigued him. Although I didn't allow him to bring them home, he was very interested. I explained that his Grandpa Bud and his Daddy could teach him how to play someday. This stuck in his head. He can't wait for that day! Then, later in the week, we went to another store that sold this learner plastic club and ball. Seeing that the price was right (I now understand why. It is already breaking.) I let him bring this one home. These are some pictures from his practice. He loves golf. 

 This picture is from far away because I had a particular spot that I was supposed to stand. I was off on the driveway, not on the lawn.

 After about 20 minutes, I was allowed to play with him. When it was my turn, Charlie went to sit down by this tree. He informed me that he was sitting in the front seat in this location.

This location is now the back seat. In the back were other kids that he sat by. Imaginary of course. I'm sure getting a kick out of watching his imagination take off.