Labor Day 2015

My birthday was part of labor day weekend, which rarely happens.  We had planned on doing fun stuff in the sun on labor day, but the weather had different plans.

We stayed inside and played with stamps

Emmalyn and her messy face

It started pouring, so I had Maxwell run out in it to grab the toys on the lawn

You can't really tell in the pic, but he was quickly getting wet

Shopping for supplies for dinner and Maxwell wanted to try to use his watch to pay, like he has seen daddy do with his Apple Watch.  Unfortunately, it didn't work.

Emmalyn loves this book and pushing the numbers, which make noises

It was a downpour, the so-loud-you-can-hear-it-beating-on-the-windows kind of downpour with loud lightening too.  One hit when I was outside and the thunder was so loud that I screamed without meaning to.

The boys toughed it out to make sure that we at least had grilled burgers

Our yummy spread.  I love grilling and summer picnic food!

So, no fun playing in the sun for us this year.  :(  Picnic inside!

Learning his letters and numbers

Max is such a little smartie.  We have been working with him on learning his letters and numbers and he is doing a GREAT job.  We use a book with the number 1-10 and pictures of kids (You'll see it in one of the videos below).  And then we have been reading Dr. Seuss's ABCs to him every night.  I hated this book.  Seriously, I thought it was the dumbest book ever but Peter started reading it to him and Max has started learning his alphabet!  The below videos are from 3-9-13.


Video - Reading his number book with Daddy.  I'm proud of him!!  Watch him recognize some of his numbers and letters. (He calls "x" "max" because I have been writing M-A-X and then saying "Max" right after I say the X. I didn't mean for him to think that "x" was "max", but it's pretty cute.)

Another thing that Max says ... when he wants help, he says "help you" rather than saying "help me".


Video - Reading "Bubbles, Bubbles" with Daddy.  Peter is really good at turning books into interactive experiences.

This is how Max snuggles with us at night before bedtime.  He rolls from being snuggled up to his dad over to snuggling with me.

We took Max to dinner and it was NOT a relaxing experience.  He didn't want to sit still.  He didn't want to focus on the distractions we had for him - even the book that I don't usually bring in with us!

So then we played with the phone.  He likes touching our noses when his face is by ours.

We finally caved and let him hold and play with the phone.  He captured this self-portrait.

And took this picture of me...pretty good considering most of the time he doesn't hold the phone still enough for anything to be in focus.

Laying on the bench playing with Peter's phone.

He is starting to look so long to me! He's big enough that we finally moved from size 3 diapers unto the size 4.

Assume the sleep position - arms tucked under, bum in the air

Landen climbed into the pack-n-play to play with Max.  Max wasn't happy about sharing his blanket.

Of course, he still wanted to play in the swing.

At the park

Our last class at the kids gym.  Max played in the ball pit.

Climbed all over

Played some basketball

And had fun swinging.

Even though he had fun, I have decided not to continue.  It's just too hectic to be enjoyable.  There are SOOOO many kids there, I don't really like the structure to the classes or the way the teachers baby-talk when the toddlers are circled around them.  Plus, I have to prod Max to do things OR he wants to do things that make me nervous and take extreme diligence (and thus I stress over them) to ensure he doesn't fall off the ladder bridge or something like that.  AND it is 20 min away.  All in all, I am glad we did it for 8 weeks, but 8 weeks is enough.

Playing with his cousins

Valentines Day 2013

Happy Valentines Day!!!  It was a pretty low-key holiday for us.  We are taking it easy on holidays because we want to go on a nice vacation for our upcoming 10 yr anniversary.

For Valentine's Day, I picked up a special dinner for Peter made up of many of his favorite foods...

Lettuce Wraps, Wonton Soup, and Fried Rice from Pei Wei

Heart-shaped Pizza and a dessert pizza from Papa Johns

Max enjoyed the iPad

For Valentine's Day I gave Max a new booked called "Snuggle Puppy"

Beating Dad up with the book

Reading nursery rhymes with Dad

Pat-a-cake

I'm a little teapot

Round and round the garden...went the teddy bear...one step...two steps...tickle you under there!

I am so blessed to have two such fantastic boys as my valentines.  There is a lot of love in our home.  My little family has exceeded my expectations. 

Labor Day Weekend

Labor day weekend started out so much fun and ended with not so much fun.

On Saturday, my cousin Lindsey, her husband Brandon, and their son J were in town from Austin.  Brandon had some work up in Dallas so we had the "chore" of keeping Lindsay and J company!  I hope he has more work up here because it's fun to have them visit. 

Brittany came over to enjoy the visitors as well.  All the moms and boys went to a splash park since it was a hot day.  This was Max and J's first time at a splash park.  They were both pretty hesitant.  Max eventually got over some of his hesitation and even J played for a couple minutes in the water.  J is only about 1 month younger than Max.  Next year I imagine both boys will be much more brave and interested in playing in the water.

Max (with Landen and Hayden in the background)

Crawling a little bit into the spraying water

The short water fountains were his favorite but they turned on and off too much to play there for very long.

On Sunday we did our normal Sunday thing and went to Costco for groceries and then hung out.  Max discovered the stair and climbed up them with no problem the very first time.  Now, to teach him how to come down them!  He has a new "trick" and puts our phone to his ear when he's playing with it.  :)

Monday late morning we went over to Jessica and John's pool for a swim.  I didn't take any pictures of Max in the pool but he had a good time and even interacted with C (their daughter, 3 months younger than Max) a little bit.

Maxwell - my stylin' boy (Thanks Aunt Kimi for the duds!)

After the pool we went to lunch at a new place - Rusty Taco. 

It was YUMMMMMMMMY!

After our fun afternoon we came home and Max opened up his birthday presents that had been shipped from Aunt Tawny, Uncle Alex, and his cousins.  Each of his cousins (Lola, Jaxton, and Payton) had picked out a book for Max and written a note to him in the front of it.  It was such a thoughtful gift - we are very grateful to them for that.  Tawny is such a great aunt - even from a long distance.  She always thinks of things I never would that are so heartfelt. 

I would like to be more like her and be a better long distance Aunt to all my neices and nephews far away.  Peter and I make goals each year around that but you know how it goes, life gets in the way...we get busy...and our good intentions don't turn into action.

He was a little more into tearing the wrapping paper this time.

He was immediately interested in reading the books.

More presents to unwrap!

We were hanging out that evening just watching tv and talking when Peter noticed that he had missed a bunch of calls on his cell phone from his family.  We called his brothers back and ended up learning that his Grandmother had passed away that evening in Utah.  Peter was partially raised by his grandmother and was really close to her.  We knew that she was starting to have some more intense health struggles but didn't think that she was at a point that she would pass.  Instead we had talked about maybe it being time to put her in a nursing home.  So while it wasn't a complete surprise, the timing was unexpected and a sad note to end our holiday weekend on.  So the rest of the night was spent supporting the family back in Utah and making plans to fly to Utah.

Just a week prior, I had been thinking, "Man, life is so good right now!" and then had that little nagging sensation that was like, "Don't enjoy it too much, the other shoe is bound to drop..."  Isn't that sad when I can't let myself enjoy the good times because there always seems to be something that comes and changes things?  In these brief thoughts I remember wondering what could possibly happen that would disrupt how good life was.  I guess I should have knocked on wood!

2 of our last 3 trips to Utah have been for funerals.  This is not a trend I like!

Bedtime Stories

Each night as part of our bedtime routine, Max and I read a few books together.  He has helped me with turning the pages for a long time now.  Sometimes I let him choose which books we read.  He loves it (and I love that he loves it)!

(always sitting with the crossed legs)

Sleep tight little guy, tomorrow you turn 1!!!