We had such a nice weekend! The weather in our area was glorious - sunny and warm during the day, but no humidity, and cool enough for sweaters in the mornings and evenings. I think summer is my favorite season because of Michigan and vacation and swimming - but fall is a very close second. I love the crisp clean air and all the colors.
On Saturday, Charlie took a good morning nap and then we headed out in the afternoon, first to baby Jack's post-baptism party. Jack's family, the LaMonicas, are great friends of ours, and it was wonderful to get to see all of them. There were lots of pretty girls there, and Charlie loves pretty girls, so he had a blast flirting and batting his eyelashes. He ate a slice of delicious cake and cracked everyone up with his antics around the keg. It was the perfect height for him to pull up on, so he spent a lot of time there. Like father, like son. Charlie also liked seeing baby Jack - when we brought him over to say hi, he got a big grin on his face and reached out to give Jack a gentle touch.
After party #1, we got back in the car and headed south, to Orange, VA. Our friend Morgan's family has a farm in Orange, and were having their annual farm party. We had such a good time enjoying the beautiful day and scenery there, playing with all the dogs, watching the cows, and letting Charlie practice walking with his push toy in the grass. The toy was a huge hit amongst the rug rat population, and Charlie made friends with some of the other kids. As dusk settled in, Morgan and friends lit a bonfire, and we got to keep warm by the fire as the sky went dark. There was a beautiful full moon, much more striking in the dark sky of the country. So pretty!
As you can see, Charlie was the best dressed at the party, since we outfitted him in his Osh Kosh overalls and a onesie covered with dogs and horses. Love theme dressing!
On Sunday, we started the morning with a little good-natured rough-housing. 
Charlie loves to wrestle and roll around, and I love Sunday mornings spent in pajamas! Once Charlie went down for his morning nap, though, we hit the yard - I mowed and edged and weeded, and finally feel like it's as presentable as it's going to be for now. Sorry, neighbors - it had been too long since we'd mowed last, and I can't figure out how to get the clover and dandelions to stay out of our grass! Oh well. If you had told me as a teenager that I'd be mowing and weeding on a regular basis, by choice no less, I never would have believed you...
Charlie slept for more than 3 hours, which was great, because we had a busy afternoon at the zoo planned for him! We saw a sleeping panda, the rear ends of a couple of zebras (would have been more exciting if they would have turned around!), a yawning tiger, two lions racing for food, a couple of orangutans and two playful sea lions! 
Charlie's still a little young for the zoo; I think he was more interested in the hundreds of people around us. The zoo attracts ALL kinds. But the nice thing about the DC Zoo is that it is free! So we can stop in now and then for a quick visit, and not feel like we have to stay all day to get our money's worth.
After the zoo, we headed over to Mixtec, one of our favorite Adams Morgan restaurants. We hadn't been since we moved to the 'burbs, so it was great to get back there for an early dinner. And Charlie still loves mexican food - he shared nachos, refried black beans, some steak, and some of a chicken enchilada with us. Oh, and enjoyed flirting with the waitresses, who gave him lots of attention. It was a great end to a lovely weekend!
Today, we're in the car on the road to New Bern, NC, where we'll spend the week with Pop. Charlie is excited to see him, as are we - and it is nice to have another week as a family without the hustle and bustle of the work day. Pre-road trip this morning, we stopped by the eye doctor for Charlie's check-up. He has to go every 9 months (for now) so we hadn't been since January. Because of his prematurity, the retinopathy he experienced in the NICU, and his inter-ventricular hemmorages, Charlie is at high risk for eye issues, everything from standard poor vision (which he would probably have anyway, considering his parents' eyes) to things like wandering and/or crossing. But he aced his appointment - no signs of anything out of the ordinary at this point. He tracks movement well and the doctor didn't see anything worrisome. It's neat to see how they test kids as little as Charlie, since they can't just tell them to cover an eye and read the eye chart. They have an assortment of little toys that move, and they loosely block one eye while catching his attention with a toy while they test the other. Charlie kept trying to yank the toys out of the doctor's hands and bat away the hand covering his eye, but the doctor is so soft spoken and kind and kept him calm the whole time. It was a far cry from the horrible eye-clamps and testing they used to have to do with him. All in all, it was an easy appointment, and great to hear everything looks good. And we don't have to go back until July!
After his busy morning, Charlie is konked out in the car seat at the moment. Doesn't he look cozy? Thanks to our good friends the Yoders for loaning us such a nice car seat! A forward-facing car seat was next on my shopping list - but as it turns out, I can skip the trip to BabiesRUs. Thanks Beth!! Charlie loves it.
Have a good week, everyone!
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