My Morning with Char

 Char, playing with play-dough yesterday evening.

Nearly every day begins with Charlie climbing in bed with me for some snuggle time. James is generally gone by this point (he leaves around 5 or 6am) and brothers are still in snoozeville so it is just the two of us. Each day I try my best to keep still just in case he has a little more sleep in him, but nine out of ten times he's too awake and there is no turning back. This morning was one of those days. Moments after our snuggle began, he was off again to find his trusty rope (A blue rope from the garage that he loves playing with) and returned a minute later to proudly show me how he wants to lasso a cow. After my fifth smack in the head by the flailing rope, I finally gave up on the thought of more sleep. I don't always appreciate these early starts to my day but today it was a treat (probably because he let me sleep in till 7). While the house was quiet around us, Charlie told me about his favorite animals (today it's a squirell, a cow, and an owl), what he wants to be for Halloween (a Temple), and what he wants for his birthday (whatever was in the Pottery Barn magazine that he dragged in bed with us). As he jabbered, I couldn't help but think about what a wonderful little man he is.

While we were still chatting away in bed, Poppy surprised us by coming home to shower after being out at the farm. Charlie is certainly a momma's boy, but Poppy can balance and lift Char like nobody else can. Every now and then James says Charlie's name in a high-pitched and drawn out way that makes Char giggle with delight. And every time James does, Char happily repeats it and then says, "He calls me Charrrrlleee!" in such a way that you know his love bucket is about to pop. It is the sweetest thing in the whole world!

I love seeing my boys play with each other, but there certainly is something extra nice about special time.

The picture on the right was taken just as James came home through the backdoor and said "Charrrleee" name in his own special way.