Peter breaks out of jail!

Well, Peter sort of broke out of jail.  Okay, not really.  But he did participate in an obstacle race called Jail Break.  It's not really a race because it isn't timed but it's a 5k with a bunch of obstacles.  (Think the much easier version of Tough Mudder but rougher than a 5k.)

Joe, Britt, and Peter all did it together

Waiting to "break free"

They ran it with a bunch of our neighbors - Chris, Jake, Melissa and Clint

Peter talking to Max when he was at the start line

I had all the kids with me and walked around with Mary Ann, who was nursing an injured foot, while we tried to capture pics of them doing the obstacles.  She got some - I just haven't saved them on my computer so that I could upload them.  Sorry, you miss out.

It was hot, there was no shade when the sun came out from behind the clouds, and I stunk at keeping the kids entertained while we waited for everyone to finish.  Good times! :)

Video - Maxwell enjoying the music they played and having fun counting down the runners.

Emmalyn in our stroller for the very first time.  Such a big girl.  She was a happy camper for quite a while.

Maxwell wanted to take a picture of us.  Good job, bud!

I adore that tongue and those sweet crossed feet

My crew.  I was not fully prepared.  I ended up putting a shirt on the ground and sitting on it.

Part of the group (including the Ray's son and his friends)

These boys got DIRTY by choice.  The last obstacle was in the water and it was cleaning everyone off so these dorks rolled around in the mud so that they'd be dirty before they ran for the finish line.

Good job Peter!

Maxwell didn't want to touch daddy and get dirty

Here comes Brittany.  I am so proud of her!  She did the whole thing!  There's no way I could have done it in the shape I am currently in.

Goofballs

Cheers

We went to Costa Vida for lunch afterwards

My son hasn't met a pair of sunglasses he didn't love

HOOD-lums

We sure enjoyed the rest of our Thanksgiving weekend.

We headed outside to play:

Max worked on throwing the football (we start 'em young here in Texas!)

Peter is always cold since he got skinny and lost his "insulation" so he enjoyed laying in the sun and warming up.

Playing in the dirt

Yuck!  My hands are dirty!

Maneuvering down the slope

A little pat-a-cake (he won't do it on his own, we have to help him every time)

Peek a boo!

Cuddling on daddy

Uh oh, it's coming...

"eyes"

He just loves being outside

He pulled out all his toys and then climbed on them to get into the crate.

Silly Max.  Playing with an old dropper.

On the Sunday after Thanksgiving we put up the tree and the decorations.  This is the earliest we've ever done it.  It will be nice to enjoy it the entire season this year.  I didn't do as many light or ornaments as usual because I wanted to limit how much I enticed Max to mess with the tree.  :)  Glass stuff only up beyond Max's reach.

For the first time ever, our stockings have been hung by the chimney with care...

Video - Britt and her family came over to check out the decorations.  Here is Max saying goodbye to Landen.

Love my boys.

Proof that Max ate a vegetable.

Remember how around Halloween, we got "Boo'd"?  Well, we got "Elf-ed".  One of our neighbors left a bag of goodies on our porch.  And then we pass it along and leave goodies for someone else.  The annoying thing about being elfed is that you are suppossed to "elf" 2 homes, not just one.  I was super busy the next couple days after being "elf-ed", that I didn't get a chance to get to it.  I was suppossed to put this sign in a window so everyone would know our house and been hit and go elf someone else.  But I didn't put the sign up immediately because I wanted to leave it in the kitchen so I'd remember to copy it for the 2 bags I was going to create. 

A few days after being elfed, we were elfed again.  CRAP!  I should have put that stupid sign out.  Now I needed to elf 4 people?!  I didn't have time to do it to 2 people let alone 4.  Well, after the second elfing, I quickly took one of the signs and put it in a window.

The next night I hear Peter opening the front door and then he says "you are not going to believe this"...  We had been ELFED again!!  Someone clearly didn't see the sign in our window. 

I WAS NOT going to go elf 6 houses.  This was out of control.  I am happy to pass along this "fun" neighborly thing but 6 houses is extreme.  It took me like 2 1/2 weeks to ELF someone because I never got a chance to go to the store.  I eventually took a little bit from each of our 3 elf bags and combined with some crap I had in our "anytime presents" box and came up with two barely decent elf bag.  It was pathetic and most likely not exciting for the houses that I elfed, but at least I did it.  The tradition didn't stop at my house (even though clearly it was raging on just fine in the neighborhood with or without my participation).  Next time I will quickly get the sign up in my window!

Just another one of those moments when I am reminded what price I pay to be a working mom.  Don't get me wrong, I would choose all the benefits I get from working over having the time to put together a cutesy little treat bag for a neighbor.  I just get a little annoyed when I think of the little housewives in my neighborhood that stay home raising their kids, spending their husband's money, and perpetuating little neighborhood holiday activities that will require some of my precious time at home.  Grrr

First week of November

The first week of November was beautiful.  The weather was great, Max was great.  It's a fun time!

Max and Landen enjoying some snacks.

Here's my smiley happy boy.

Since the weather was so great, Brittany took the boys outside.  She sent me pics - clearly Max is enjoying himself!

He enjoyed playing in the dirt.

The next day he slept all through my lunch break so this is all I got to see of him.  :(  I let him sleep but I

 really wanted to wake him up.  Spending time with him makes my day go better!

He pulled this box out and really wanted to get inside of it.

He forced himself in there

So proud of himself!

My Maxwell.  He's got a few bruises on his head but that's what happens lately.  He gets banged up as he becomes more and more active/mobile/adventurous.

Video - Max is starting to sing with me.  Here's him helping out with Old McDonald.

Trying out his new hat while he plays with his favorite toy - his airplane.

Playing with the velcro on his shoes.  Who needs toys?

He looks so grown up from the back in this outfit.

I can tell he's in the middle of saying "hat?".

Still crosses his feet all the time.

Big kid carrying a BIG truck!

He happily hung out while Landen pushed him around.

The light is hitting his cheek perfectly to highlight that dimple.

Brittany took the boys outside again in the afternoon to enjoy the nice weather.  When she sent me the pic I noticed that Max was wearing socks in the dirt again.  Whoops - I forgot to send him with shoes in the morning.  It's a new thing, needing to send him with shoes! 

I just LOVE this picture.  It makes me so happy that Max gets to grow up living minutes away from the cousin that is closest in age to him.  I would have never guessed that would happen.  These two boys love each other. 

Video - Max talks, talks, talks in the car on the way home from Brittany's.  Today he must have been excited to get home to his dad.  Since it's dark when we drive home, there's nothing to watch.  Instead just listen.

I had a work dinner to attend so Peter had Max duty all by himself in the evening. 

He sent me this pic in a text.  Apparently Dad decided that Max should watch Tangled???  He probably gave him ice cream, too!

What Max has been up to this week:

1. After he wakes up in the morning and we take off the sleepsack, he loves to use it to play peekaboo by putting it over his head.
2. As you can tell by the video, he says "E-O-E-O-E-O" a lot, whether or not we are singing "Old McDonald."
3. He says "No" but usually says it in such a sweet voice that you can't help but laugh.
4. He doesn't want to take his second nap in the afternoon at Brittany's instead he's been taking a really long morning nap from 10 am to 1 pm.
5. We are not having luck getting him to take naps at all at home.  Regardless of what we try, he just cries and cries and won't go to sleep.
6. He talks a lot and will carry on conversations in his baby talk.
7. He "sings" more and more every day with me, not on pitch yet but it's a start!  I sing to him on the way to Brittany's, on the way home, while changing his diaper, and at bedtime.