Sunday Snapshot

This week's Sunday Snapshot is all about my sweet, funny, crazy Charlie! You can join in over at Ni Hao Y'all . Grab the button and go!!!



I should have known from the get go that Charlie was going to be a handful! He came FAST and furious and wasn't going to wait, no matter what!! He was ready to start his life and has lived every single moment to the fullest, since then!! At the beginning, however, he was living every moment to the fullest but not very happy about it!



From the first few days of his life, until the day Charlie turned 5 years old, my sweet boy cried and cried and cried!! He was always my sweet, funny, active and loving child but he cried, oh how he cried! I have always said that on that day, the day Charlie turned 5, it was as if the clouds parted and the sun began to shine on my baby boy and since then, he has not stopped laughing and making all those around him smile! Looking back, I believe Charlie suffered from reflux and we just did not know about reflux in kids back then, but he overcame and LOVES life! He is a wonderful brother, both big and little and has a heart of gold. He and his big brother, Christian are attached at the hip and are tight. They are always together and always have fun.





He is a great big brother as well and while quite the entertainer, Charlie can also tend to be the mediator between his siblings and sometimes the instigator as well, but always a caring, loving big bro!!





He, like his brothers and probably his sisters, is a natural athlete. He is all boy and loves swimming, biking, ripsticking, boogie boarding, football and the sport of choice (most of the time), soccer. He is at times, my laid back surfer dude...



and at times, my very intense soccer star.



He plays hard and I am thankful (most of the time) for his hard head.



Parenting Charlie can be challenging, but it is always rewarding and I think most people just smile when they think about Charlie. He is fun loving, easy going and loves to make you laugh. Part of his appeal is his ability to laugh at himself which was either born in him (thank you hubby) or simply a side effect of life in a large and loud family.



And speaking of loud... Charlie has only ONE volume setting and it is MAX, baby!!! You definitely know when Charlie is here and when he isn't! Hehe!!



But as loud and wild and crazy as my Charlie is, he is also sweet and caring and loving and gentle.



He is like his father in that he can just go with the flow and enjoy the moment and he is like me in that he feels intensely and cares deeply for those (people or animals) that are in need and wants to make a difference. Like the time he begged me to take him around the neighborhood so he could collect money for a charity for those less fortunate. He ended up raising $36 and was so excited about what he had done and what that money could provide for a child in need.



So when I think about my Charlie, this is what comes to mind..

The perfect combo of cute little boyness



and little boy impness.



Throw in a lot of little boy outrageousness



and big boy sweetness



add a dash of "cool man"



and you have got yourself a Charlie!!!



Next week, my old soul, Caleb!!! See ya then!