Happy Independence Day! I must have been excited because I was up and on the road by 7:00, headed to Mankato, MN to see Ben's family at his in-law's home. It was a beautiful morning and not much traffic - a 5-hour job to get there.
Charlotte recognized me right away and gave me big kisses and hugs. We played in the back yard (she calls it Granny's garden) and she is testing the boundaries, as she tries to go into the neighbors yards. She didn't like being barefoot in the grass at first, then later on, she thought it was ok. She loves going up and down the steps now and is quite agile doing it. Her conversation has improved since I saw her in April and she is stringing words together a lot more now. I also saw a side of her that I've not seen before, the terrible two tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants - mostly at meal time. For the most part, she has been able to be distracted and gets out of it quickly.
Jill's belly is expanding with the twins and her energy level has decreased a lot. She thinks her size is comparable now at 24 weeks to what it was just before Charlotte was born at about 40 weeks - no wonder she is tired.
We had a great dinner of grilled spareribs, potato salad, baked beans, and melon-perfect 4th of July feast. It was Charlotte's first time eating the meat right off the bone - she liked it!
We spent Friday just hanging out and being entertained by Charlotte. We took walks, bike rides, played in the swimming pool, blew bubbles, and spent time at the park. The park was farm themed and included a small petting zoo. Charlotte's favorites were the peacocks and the horse, but she really has a love for all animals.
We got to enjoy the fruits of Dennis' recent fishing trip and had Walleye for dinner tonight. Needless to say, it beat Toby's by a long shot.
