Charlie in Fulton

After leaving Elizabeth, we drove straight to Fulton to leave Jack and Max with How and Pop for a few days. Kristie, Charlie and I spent the night Aug. 7 and stayed through dinner the next night. In that time, I was able to get some excellent pictures of Charlie, who really grew into a wonderful comfort zone at How's house — which really paid off when we returned a bout a month later for Labor Day.

It was a Wednesday when we drove home, How and Pop brought Jack and Max back to Gurnee the next Saturday. It wasn't as long of a stay as Jack would have liked, but family circumstances dictated a shift. To his credit, he accepted the change of plans as well as any kid his age possibly could, which means he far exceed my expectations. Perhaps some of his graciousness came from me telling him Kristie and I would leave him alone while we were there, but no matter the reason, I was thrilled to see him display such uncharacteristic maturity.

And now, what you came for: adorable toddler pictures.

A happy guy after a long day. From How's House

Mother and son smiles.<//b> From How's House

Yes, sometimes we feed our child like a dog. From How's House

That's a sweet smile. From How's House

A hug for How. From How's House

Hitching a ride with Jack. From How's House

This was Charlie's first ride in the Jeep. Jack was an excellent chauffeur, taking great care to use his free hand to secure his tiny passenger. The little man's smiles are absolutely priceless, and his big brother is a pretty smooth operator behind the wheel.