The beginning of September - Normal times but fun times

Sometimes I feel like life just flies by in a series of routines and we don't do anything special or fun (unless you include going to Costco on Sundays).  However, as I was prepping this post I was reminded that we DO have memorable moments each week and sometimes they are big exciting things and sometimes they are small but they are still memorable and special.

So here's some memorable moments from the beginning of September.

I had taken Emmalyn out of her swaddle and went to go do something quickly and came back and this is what I found.  Baby girl was on her belly (and that wasn't how I left her).  Uh oh.  No more leaving her in one spot and knowing she'll just stay in that one spot.

Max came to talk to her

I love this picture

On Labor Day, I took Maxwell to the pool...just us two...no screaming baby left in the kids care center to interrupt our fun 10 minutes later with a page over the intercom.

We swam a little with the swim vest and a little without it.  He's gotten to be such a good swimming for a 3 year old over the summer.  He really loves going in the lazy river but I make him have the swim vest on in there.  In the big pool he enjoys jumping off the side and swimming to me (about 15 away) and then swimming back.  We get lots of looks from people when he does that because he's so little.  They are impressed.  :)

Snack break

After swimming we hung out next door and enjoyed our neighbors.  Emmalyn was passed around but Mary Ann had her most of the time.  Now that Labor Day is over, summer is over.  :(

Emmalyn out on a walk with Brittany and Landen while Hayden and Maxwell were in school.

My pre-schooler!  

I wanted to get this picture with the chalkboard on the first day of school and didn't.

So I figured I'd get it another day during that first week of school and didn't.

So I finally got it during the second week. Oh well, that's life.  I'm still trying to adjust to getting myself ready for work and Maxwell ready for school and getting us both out of the house on time.

I snapped a pic of Maxwell on circle time after I dropped him off.  I still stay and watch the cameras for a bit.  He's the boy on the top left.

We try to get information out of him about his days at school and he usually says "I don't know".  Landen has been cute and asks him every day if he made any new friends and he finally said "yes"!  Dylan and Joshua.  That make me happy.  

I was feeling like we were doing well and then this week I went and dropped him off and he starting walking towards the circle rug, just fine.  Well, bad move on my part, I called to him and asked about my hug and a kiss.  Well, that was all it took to upset the careful balance and he started crying and didn't want me to leave him.  It was awful.  I felt so bad.  Why did I have to say anything?  Why couldn't I just have walked out of the room!

At orientation I had signed up to read to the kids during their library time once a month (So I'd leave work during my lunch break and come and read).   Unfortunately, today was that time for September.  I had prepped Max that I was going to come and read to his class but he must have forgotten because when I got there they were finishing lunch and he immediately jumped up, shut his lunch box, and said that his mom was here to get him.  I explained no, that I was here to read to his class.  He was upset about that and wanted to go home with me.  We worked through it and I read to the class but then when it was time for me to go, he lost it again.  Full on lost it.  I couldn't calm him down and eventually just had to leave him with his teacher, still crying.  Not quite the fun experience I had envisioned when I signed up to read.

Holding onto both feet with one hand

Love those toes

Brittany sent me this pic.  She's holding her own bottle! (This is something I wouldn't know unless Britt told me because of course she never gets a bottle when I'm around.)

Maxwell put on a cowboy hat and was riding the broom around as a horse

Maxwell letting his sister grab his face.  I love any interaction between them (until they start fighting!)

Emmalyn has only woken up once between midnight and 7 am the last two nights.  Dare I think this might be the new norm?!  She is so funny and falls asleep blowing raspberries.  The last couple weeks she has been congested and it's just not going away.  I can hear her congested breathing while she sleeps.  We've tried using essential oils and a humidified and nothing is working.  

Aren't those cheeks the best?

Reading books at the library on the weekend

This is what my bathroom sink looks like nearly all the time.  I don't even get to use it to brush my teeth in - I use Peter's.  There are always multiple pieces of pooped on clothing/blankets soaking in here.  The trick I've learned with this baby is that if you can quickly soak the clothing for like a day and then poor some Oxyclean right onto the stain while the garment is still in the water and let it sit for another day, nearly all stains will be gone.  It's so much better than scrubbing at all the stains like I did last time.

Video - She is a talker!

Peter making homemade cinnamon rolls with Maxwell.  He helped like the beater from the icing.

Don't they look great?  Peter does an awesome job making them.

Always a fan of play-doh and now he's got a bunch of his own stuff thanks to birthday presents.

Video - It's amazing how quickly she becomes a pro at rolling over.  It's like it takes zero effort now.

We went out for ice cream

This is what you look like after you indulge a little too much :(  Messy and sad with a tummy ache

We celebrated Brittany's birthday a little early.  We surprised her with an ice cream cake.

One night this week, I took a blanket outside and so Max and I had a picnic dinner outside on the blanket to enjoy the lovely weather.  At one point Max came and whispered in my ear that I was his favorite Momma.  It was so sweet and my heart just melted.  This is what I want, these simple, special moments where I create things that my children and I love.  It doesn't take a big activity.  I need to remember that.