4th week of October, 2017

It was a FULL week!

I did a craft with the kids - like for real...  I did a craft with the kids!  (I feel like I don't do enough of that.)  they each made their own beaded pumpkin.  Even Emmalyn was able to participate.

All done!

Maxwell had his turn at the pumpkin patch after Kindermusik.

Lots of pumpkins to choose from

The special one

Go Cubs!  So excited to wear the shirt I got at Wrigley field.  They are going to take it all the way!

Emmalyn doing a great job riding her trike.  She's got the pedaling down.

Look at that mess of hair!

The only time it goes straight is on a slide with tons of static.   :)

Costa Vida finally opened!  We were excited to go try it out for free on their practice night.  I was in heaven with the pork salad.  :)

We went to the annual Halloween party at our next door neighbor's.  This year we went as hippies.

Tyne and me

The decorations were fantastic!  (Katherine and me)

Group picture

She was so sweetly sleeping when I got home that I tried to get a pic, but whoops, the flash bothered her.

I painted the kids' fingernails.  Maxwell was really excited about his orange/black fingernails

Maxwell's wall still has his poster and maps from preschool.  He worked hard on finishing up the maps when he was there this summer.

I had a work trip to California and stayed at Julianne's house.  This was my first time going to her new house.  It was a gorgeous home up in the hills with an amazing view.  I went out on Sunday so I could spent a little more time with her.  We spent the whole day just talking.  At one point, Derek joined in for a few hours.  It was so relaxing and enjoyable.

We cooked dinner!

Lemon, basil, asparagus chicken pasta

The next day after work, I hung out with Jules on set at her show, where she's a judge.  

All dressed up for the show.  I was feeling going about my weightloss so far and felt really pretty in this dress (with some serious heels, you can't tell how high they are in this pic)

I got to sit pretty close to her so we were able to talk a little during breaks.  I was coughing at one point and she kindly got up and gave me her water.  We were also naughty and texted a few times.

After the show

Jules, Kristy, and me enjoying some amazing Greek food after the show

It was nice spending a little time with Derek during this trip

The next morning we had time to go to breakfast before I had to go to work.  It was a really great visit with Julianne.  We had tons of deep, meaningful conversations.  I love her tremendously and I always leave her feeling uplifted and inspired.

I got home pretty late from LA.  While I was waiting for my luggage, I looked through my purse to find my car key... except it weren't there.  I started to panic a little bit but figured it must just be in my luggage.  I got my luggage and tore through it multiple times and couldn't find the key.  I had driven Peter's car and we only have 1 car key (we think Maxwell may have thrown the other one away when he was little).  

So, long story short... Peter had to drive all the way to the airport to get me.  I tried to get a locksmith out there but no one was able to come out that late and make me a new key.  They could let me into the car but every I called didn't have the specific type of key on hand to be able to make me a key.  Poor Peter was a trooper because at one point he had left the house and I called him and told him to turn around because I had found a lock smith who would be able to help me.  Well, then 10 minutes later I get a call from the lock smith saying they couldn't do it until the next day so now Peter had to leave AGAIN to come get me.  I really appreciated that he had a good attitude about it because I felt so awful.

The stinking key!!!  Julianne ended up finding it in her bag that I had borrowed and the next morning she overnighted it to me.  Peter and I decided to still have the lock smith come to the airport because it would be tough being down a car for two days plus it would be good to have two keys again.

So the next morning, I drove Peter to work and then continued to the airport to meet the locksmith.  That was an ordeal!!  He worked for like an hour on my car and then told me he needed to go back to his shop to get a certain machine.  So, I ate lunch at the airport while I waited.  Finally he finished and so I drove back to Peter's work that afternoon in my car and then we went back to the airport so that he could drive his car.  It was such a hassle.

The locksmith

Unfortunately the locksmith ended up taking basically my whole day and that night I was hosting a craft party, which I had planned on spending my afternoon prepping for.  So instead I scrambled to get everything together.

The spread turned out okay than to everyone bringing stuff too

We all did Thanksgiving/Holiday themes on either canvas or chalkboard

My friend Andrea does this as her business and was a great teacher!  It was fun to have both neighborhood and work friends there.

The finished products

Maxwell came home with his first reported card from school.  They don't get letter grades at this point.  He was meeting all expectations on the report card.  For math, he had achieved all parts of the kinder curriculum (which I thought was great but a little ridiculous since it's October and he already knows everything he's supposed to learn this year and they aren't going to challenge him to go beyond that).

End of March, Beginning of April 2016

These cookies are my favorites - They are a banana, oatmeal, chocolate chip.  They are delicious.  The texture is so chewy almost like the top of a muffin.  YUMMMMM

Humidity = curls

It's crazy how curly she is

Video - Emmalyn singing the Jeopardy Theme Song.  We watch it each night so she's a pro!

Since coming home from Seattle, Maxwell keeps score just like Uncle Clay w/ everyone's initials.  This is the score sheet he put together for playing baseball. (Maxwell and Peter)

When Maxwell does Math that doesn't come quickly (like 9 plus 7) he will use this method - "9 in your head and 7 on your fingers" and then counts on his fingers to get the number. When he says the head part he hits his head.

He's reading his new chapter book - I love this series called "Hey Jack".  It's perfect for just starting to read chapter books.

Playing together

Maxwell dancing in his room while he watches the "whip n nae nae" song and learns the dance.  He's pretty cute when he does it.

Not happy to be in daddy's car because she has to still be in the rear facing infant seat.  At nearly 2, she's ready to be out of it.

He's all into reading right now.  I loved walking in and finding him like this on his bed.

A rare thing - Maxwell actually sitting in a swing instead of laying on it with his belly?!

We had a playdate with a few of Maxwell's friends from pre-school.  Joshua, Preston, and Lucas.  Maxwell played with them a little but more spend time playing by himself.  It's still good to see him engaging with friends a little though.

Sweet sleeping baby.  Note her hand tucked into her shirt?  Just like Maxwell used to do.

Peeking over our neighbor's fence.  We have a picture of Maxwell doing the same thing.

The weather is changing and swimming weather is getting closer.  Maxwell got into the hot tub next door for the first time this year.

Part of spring means it's time to plant flowers.  I had a great helper who not only helped me pick out the flowers but plant them too.  He loved his superman gloves.

Look at how long that hair is getting!

Spring days = time at the park

My little dare devil

So much personality and spunk

Our regular picture spot at school - I tried to get him to smile

He tickled himself in order to give me a genuine smile.

This week I registered Maxwell for Kindergarten.  Peter and I have really been struggling with deciding whether to send Maxwell to Kindergarten in the fall or hold him back.  Since he turns 5 so close to the cut off date, it wouldn't be uncommon to hold him back.  If he were to go to school, he'd turn 5 only 3 days before school starts.  He's already little for his age, he will certainly be little in his class because there will be kids in there that are already 6!  Here in Texas, you will find parents holding back their kids that turn 5 in May and June just so they will be bigger and do better in sports.

I worry though that if we hold Maxwell back it won't be fair to him intellectually since he's already so far ahead in that area.  It's hard to know what to do!  Sometimes I wonder if he's mature enough to move on (like when he barely plays with the other kids at the playdate.

Anyway, it's hard and we don't know what to do.  So, we registered him knowing that we can always change our mind and he doesn't have to go.  Then, at least, he can go if we want him to.  I can't believe he's old enough to go to school!

Video - Peter gets the best giggles out of Emmalyn.  She is so fun to play with.

Maxwell put together this course for him to practice his soccer skills with.

Watching Maxwell and the other kids in the pool.  I think I'm going to need to sign her up for lessons soon.  I don't want to have to get in the pool with her but it's clear she wants to be swimming too.

 

She is certainly starting to look more like toddler and less like baby.

She calls all her fingers "thumbs".  Her two bottom two-year molars are barely popping through.  She says "yes" with the cutest lisp so it sounds like "yeth".  She has crazy tantrums and is scratching now.  She will just SCREAM.  She purposely does things that she knows will upset Maxwell.  She won't let her "piggytails" stay in.  I even tried a trick that Ashlee taught me about twisting her hair around and that didn't stop her.  It's so frustrating because it is just a wild mess if it's not put up.

When she gets in her car seat, she HAS to buckle her chest strap by herself.  She can now JUMP! for real. :)

I got some new tennis shoes.  I went and got shoes fitted to my feet at a nice store in hopes that good shoes will help keep my pinched nerve from coming back.  It's been many many months since I've focused on walking/running and I feel like my foot is finally healed (which is good because at one point I was feeling like surgery would be my only option).  I will give these shoes a shot and start moving, hopefully with no pain!  These babies are a size 7.5!!  I was wearing like a 6 before I had kids.