Ma Ma's 80th Birthday

In August, we made a trip to St. Louis for my grandmother's 80th birthday.  It was wonderful to see my extended family again but I remember thinking that it would be a LONG time before was took the kids on a plane and stayed in a hotel with them again.  The details are blurry now but I remember one now INFAMOUS incident with TSA.  At the time, Charlie was in a phase where he wore his shoes everywhere.  He loved his shoes and never went barefoot (funny enough, Eliza is doing something similar right now).  He would get up from bed and immediately request his shoes.  So, when TSA required him to remove his shoes for security, he went utterly ballistic...total 2 year old MELTDOWN.  He didn't understand why this strange man was stealing his shoes and no amount of parental assurance, hugs, bribes, etc would console him.  The entire security line was a buzz talking about my son and his shoes.  Poor Charlie.  Wait, poor us.  The hotel was another story.  Hotels no longer offer cribs, only pack n' plays.  Charlie wasn't quite 2 1/2 and wasn't in a big boy bed so we had no choice but to put him in a pack n' play.  Poor baby was too tall and didn't sleep well.  Thus, none of us slept well which made for a crabby trip.  Hence my resolution for no more trips!!  Lucky for us, time heals all wounds and I am now beginning to think about where we might go on vacation this year....Hmmm.

My grandmother had a lovely birthday party filled with friends and family.  We all love her dearly.  At 80, she is still sharp as a tack and a total spitfire.

Eliza Rose with her great grandmother, Gloria Rose

Pa Pa and Charlie

Aunt Chris, Mom, Ma Ma, Aunt Jane and Aunt Ellen

Ma Ma kept bringing Charlie more cupcakes

Blowing out candles

Eliza with my cousins kids, Genna and Gregg

Gregg, Genna, Charlie, Colin, and Eliza (can you tell they are related??)