The {So, So Soft and Dangerous} World According to Mr. Chuckle Pants

Hellooooo Friday!! Steve took the boys to a farm show today, so I'm just hanging out here with Joseph staring cross-eyed at my long "to do" list, which has resulted instead in me prioritizing a post for your weekend reading pleasure, just until I'm overwhelmed with enough motivation to tackle the kitchen bomb.

But....before the story, I want to say hello and welcome those of you who are new here!  My followers continue to increase bit by bit each week, which is amazing to me! Even though it really isn't possible for me to post every day, I find it truly wonderful that so many of you take precious time out of your busy days to check in with me each week, so thank you, thank you for being patient and loyal!!

Today's post is all about our 3 year old son, Charlie, whom we also humorously address with great affection as Chuckle Pants, Char-Char, Larlie, and Sugar Bear.  One of the things I absolutely love about being able to stay home with our kids is that I get to experience and enjoy each one of their individual personalities as they grow. I'll admit that sometimes their personalities are, let's just say, a bit of a challenge to embrace, but most of the time, they bring us so much joy we just can't imagine the world our our home without these wonderful people in it!

I spend a lot of time writing about the older boys' accomplishments and experiences with their various projects and activities, but I often fail to include the many special milestones of Charlie in my writing. Like the fact that he potty trained himself.  That's like winning the lottery, folks! Why did I not post that on my virtual scrapbook?? Somehow I don't think he'll let me forget about that lil' surprise gift...especially when he's a teenager and needs money or wants to borrow the car keys.

Chuckle Pants is in a particularly adorable phase, and even the older brothers admit to being smitten with his cuteness.  We get awfully distracted from our chores, school work and projects, because observing Charlie's silly mannerisms or listening to him tell us his very important stories is so much more important than mastering multiplication tables or scrubbing boogers off the walls and other interior objects that aren't a Kleenex.

Danger is Charlie's current favorite word.  Everything, everyone, and every place is either very dangerous or not dangerous at all, and he's very passionate about communicating with us on this matter.  Riding his tricycle in the street is not dangerous (so he tries to convince me), but taking a bath is (of course!).

Homemade wooden swords are also not dangerous, but taking a nap is. Boy-Moms, you know how this game is played!

Among his many slight phonetic alterations, tops on Char-Char vocabulary re-mixes are:

Pupcake (cupcake)

Chinchiladas (enchiladas)

Flick-Flocks (flip-flops)

Kimeapple (pineapple)

Topsicle (popsicle)

And the very, very best one of all?? Jophis (Joseph)

Jophis, you are going to be so dangerous when you grow up!

Like many 3 year olds, he likes to impress everyone with his independence by secretly going #2 alone (in the dark) and wiping himself, which really grosses mommy out.  However, he kind of makes up for that disgusting little maneuver by dressing himself, which he does quite well, aside from putting his underwear on backwards. But hey, I've got some older boys who also find the same approach to undergarments equally comfy, so no biggie there.

In the area of positive habits, he's given me great hope that he will be the one son who actually finds being neat and tidy a good thing. Indicators that lead me to this hope are: he puts his dirty clothes in the hamper, washes his hands (major brownie points) and he likes to place all of his fruit in a straight line before snarfing it down. I believe that skill will one day transfer to actually putting clothes on hangers or folding them up before stacking neatly in a drawer.  Too ambitious? I don't think so.  Nope.  I'm also visualizing an organized back-pack and dishwasher loading skillz that would make Martha Stewart blush in domestic embarrassment.

Before I wrap up this dedication to Larlie, I mustn't forget to mention just a few of his very important current affections:
:: Pajamas 24/7 (Raise your hand if you are also that happy to be wearing your pj's at 3:00 p.m.!):

:: Anything so, so soft - which may include the backs of my arms and my post-baby tummy which are both extra fluffy these days:

:: Snuggling and teasing with daddy:

No, you're hilarious!

No, you are!!

:: Taking his brothers' Lego creations apart (No photo evidence taken yet of this epic toddler travesty.)

:: Playing with his Hot Wheels anywhere and everywhere (note preferred attire):

:: Smuggling crackers from the pantry (or, if he's feeling reeeally dangerous, a bag of BBQ chips):

:: Playing in the sandbox at Granny's:

:: And, above and beyond all of life's pleasures are Rose's puppies:

Pure JOY!!

"Mommy, they are just so, so soft!"

Rose is very protective of her babies, but Charlie always reassures her, Don't worry Rosie, I won't drop them!

Gather 'round friends, I'm going to tell you a little story about how I potty trained myself!

We love you, Sugar Bear!