Why I shouldn't do crafty projects

The last few days before Christmas were pretty busy.

Emmalyn has started climbing on chairs and getting into drawers.  She likes to get out her own silverware.

Maxwell received and envelope in the mail

It was a Christmas card *just for him* from Grandma Donna!  He was so excited and immediately wanted to put it on his door so he could see it all the time.

I visited Max at school during lunch (can't remember why anymore now)

Gas was so low I couldn't help but take a picture.  It's crazy to see it drop this low when it was up around 3.50/gallon!

Look how cute Emmalyn's hair is, thanks to Britt!  This is her most elaborate hair style yet.

We took the kids to look at the lights in downtown Frisco.  Max was really into them and enjoyed it (Emmalyn enjoyed it too).

Peek...

...a boo!

So, I decided to take on a project.  I've taken a couple Friday's off work in December to work on my to-do list so it was the perfect time for a project.  Max is going to get the below lego table from Santa for Christmas.  I am not in love with the color or characters on the table so I figured I would use chalk paint and paint over it.  I have multiple friends who have been singing the praises of chalk paint and how easy it is to use.  So I went to Home Depot, got everything I needed and was ready to start when I sent pictures of the table to Peter and he said that he liked it the way it was.

...Well... Darn!

I spent some time on cleaning up the flower beds and laying down mulch for the rest of winter.  Here's the before...

...and the after.   I love how clean it looks.

While Momma worked at home, Emmalyn was working out with Brittany and Joe.

Here's the chalk paint.  Since I wasn't going to paint the lego table, I decided to find something else to paint.  I already had the supplies, the time, the motivation...got to put it to use!

Here's my new project.  This kids table I was given by one of my employees.

Everything was going well and I was having a great time.  Until I lifted one part of the table up to get to part of it but had totally forgotten that I had the paint can sitting on the top of the table.

It totally spilled on the floor.  And of course right on the garage floor and not on the drop cloth I had on the ground.  Sheesh!

I scraped up most of it

And then scrubbed at the rest.  I got most of it up but wasn't able to get it all up. ugh.

So then I'm walking around and step right on the lid of the can and get paint on my foot.

And THEN I freaking get paint on my pants AND shirt.

I just am so clumsy.  This is why I shouldn't do crafty projects.  It's a disaster where I'm certain to ruin something.

Here's the finished product all painted and just waiting to dry.  I'm happy with it.  

I tried to get a picture of the two of them together but it just turned silly...

Max ended up being the only kid in his swim class so Coach Katie challenged him to swim the whole length of the pool.  He did great and did it a few times!  Since he was the only one in the class, that meant he was swimming the whole time.  He was certainly worn out that night.

Max has been enjoying listening to Aunt Jules Christmas album.  Feliz Navidad is one of his favorites to listen too.

Maxwell has loved doing the countdown to Christmas this year.  It's fun seeing him really getting into more of Christmas.

Gasp - - I started wrapping presents a day BEFORE Christmas Eve!  Go me!

It's May! (Mom's favorite month)

May is a great month.  Spring is in full swing.  The weather turns solidly into swimming weather.  I get to celebrate my anniversary with Peter, my birthday, and mother's day.  It's a great month!

My little ray of sunshine

I had a diet coke with lemon at work - in honor of my mom (it was her soda of choice)

Uh oh.  It's amazing how quickly this can happen.

Video - Her cute "bye" along with the perfect wave

Lucky Maxwell got the rare treat of some Cheetos's.  Look at those messy fingers.

We were invited to Avery (Maxwell's friend in the neighborhood)'s birthday party.  It was a gymnastics party.  Maxwell was too timid to do anything.  His little sister on the other hand, she found something pretty quickly that she loved to do.

After like an hour, we finally got Maxwell to do something.  He refused earlier, even with Peter and I offering to help him do stuff.  So eventually we got him to talk to one of the "coaches" and she was really good at engaging him while the rest of the kids were enjoying some food.  That warmed him up a little and he at least sort of participated after that.  Peter thinks he just needed to feel comfortable with the adults/coaches and also didn't want to be embarrassed because it was stuff he's never done before and didn't feel confident he could do it.  

I wish I knew exactly what his barriers were because it's so hard as a parent to see things that you know your child would enjoy and yet they won't even try them.  Maxwell is such a great kid and there are some really outstanding things about him.  I know my parenting can make an imprint on who he ends up being as an adult and I don't want him to jump into anything but I also don't want him to be scared of trying new things or be scared of failing.  I really hope I can help him learn to overcome this.

Getting ready for the "snowball" fight (Maxwell is sort of with the group)

Look - he's doing it!

He was good to go with the parachute, but he'd played with a parachute before at Kindermusik

Birthday girl and Maxwell

This is his "cheese" face

We wrapped up the day with a swim in the hot tub at Mary Ann's.  Maxwell was excited to swim and I also let him wear a pair of flippers we'd been given.  He had fun!

Want to try it out, Emmalyn?

Noooooooooo!

She loves playing with this playset

Peter made Maxwell a "car" he could drive.  He had a lot of fun playing with it.

Our regular Sunday trip to Costco.  

Hi momma!

Sometimes I have to pinch myself because it seems so crazy that these two cute kids are mine ...I'm someone's mom!

Emmalyn got to take her first big girl bath!  She loved splashing but kept trying to stand up which just stresses me out.

Maxwell was chosen as the star student for his class so that meant he had to bring a poster with pictures of himself.  I had seen other posters outside the classrooms at the school.  There were some where the child clearly didn't do anything to put it together and then there were those that didn't look a perfect but you could tell the child had a hand in creating it.  My thought process is, who is this poster really for?  THE KIDS.  So who cares if it's perfect.  I wanted Maxwell to create the poster and then have pride in what he did.  

He did a great job of putting stickers on it, glitter glue, letters, and choosing where to put each picture.

Glitter glue hand print

It worked!

He did a great job on his poster

(not sure where his other shoe is)

He was so proud - way to go buddy!   (Next time I need to start working on the poster much earlier than the day before it's due.  Sheesh - - it's like I was in school all over again.  I clearly didn't learn my lesson about procrastinating.)

Maxwell's sleep routine now has to include socks.  He doesn't like to sleep without socks on.  He gets ready with his 3 P's - Potty, Pull-up, and Pajamas.  Then we brush his teeth.  He gets to play the iPad for a few minutes and then we read some books followed by cuddling and singing songs and turning on the sound machine.  When I turnout the light and go to leave, he says, "Good night, don't let the bed bugs bite, I'll see you in the morning light, don't let the super heroes get you."  

Maxwell definitely wants a partner lately.  He wants someone to shower with him, play with him,  and he wants to help me.  He loves to brush his teeth.  

The other day he asked to workout with Brittany because he "needed exercise".

At swimming lessons, he has a great backstroke with good arms. His front stroke is improving but there's still lots of room to grow.  It used to be that when he was doing his front stroke he would roll onto his back when he needed a breath and now lifts his head back so far ends up going vertical and losing all momentum. 

Maxwell, like everyone, has some bad habits.  His bad habits are saying "oh my gosh" a lot, wiping his hands on his shirt, picking his nose in bed, and playing with himself when he's pooping.  Hopefully he will grow out of these bad habits.

Emmalyn sorta says the following words - more, diaper, Leah, banana, yea, yes, max, dad.  She says "Momma" a lot - to get my attention and to communicate.  She sweetly gives me kisses a lot, loves Brittany and Joe.  If I had her to someone else, she will scream so hard she will start to shake.  She's a little drama Momma.  She's learned her first body part - her belly! (She sometimes will get "hair and "toes" but not all the time.)

Emmalyn is very chatty and talkative especially in the car lately. If someone is in the shower she will stay outside the shower, begging to join.  Diaper changes are tough right now due to so much squirming and fighting.  She also fights taking her vitamins.

Emmalyn has not been wanting to nurse for very long lately.  I don't know if that's because she quickly is able to get the little amount that's there or if it it because she's not interested in nursing anymore.  It more seems like the second option unless she's using me as a binky to go to sleep,, which she has been doing in the morning once I bring her into our bed.  She doesn't always want her 4 oz bottle of breast milk anymore but loves drinking water out of a sippy cup. I gave her some cow's milk this week and she tried it but didn't like it.

Both kids like asparagus which I think is pretty awesome!