The end of August 2014

I have volunteered to be on Hospitality Committee for our HOA.  I know that when I moved into the neighborhood it would have been nice to be welcomed so I figured I should get involved and make sure others get a different experience.  I give it a couple hours at most each month.  I took a break after having the baby but I'm trying to help out more again now.

Video - Getting some sweet baby giggles is so much fun!

My little swimmer ready for his lessons.  Think those goggles are a little tight?

He is such a great swimmer.  He is working at not opening his mouth when he rolls over so he doesn't get water in it but that's the last thing he needs to get down in order to move up to level 5.  He's already accomplished everything in the 4 weeks that he's been in level 4.  But again we are hearing that he's too young to move up.  UGH!!! I'm grateful that his Coach continues to push him regardless of the class curriculum.

We've been enjoying going to the city rec center to go swimming (and Peter works out).  Well this week, I put Emmalyn in the kids club and it wasn't long after we started swimming when I got called back to the kid club.  Emmalyn was FREAKING OUT.  She was crying so hard that she was gasping for breath.  I have never seen her so upset.  Poor girl and poor Momma - It stinks that she's that upset when I leave her.

One day at work I pumped 11 oz in one sitting.  I was so excited, I had to take a picture!  This is the most I've pumped at once for Emmalyn.  To give you an idea, I usually give her 4 oz bottles so this is almost enough for 3 bottles!  The most frustrating thing about pumping is that you can't control what you get.  Your body does it's thing without you.  It's great when I get more than enough because if things go like they did with Maxwell, I will have to make up for the time when there won't be enough.

Silly faces at work for Maxwell.

Hanging out with the neighbors and these two cute girls were checking each other out.  Sydney and Emmalyn are about 2 months apart and hopefully will be sweet friends one day!

We enjoyed hanging out one evening next door and Maxwell enjoyed swimming in the hot tub.

Having some dinner at sunset

Mary Ann getting some baby time

This was Maxwell the previous weekend.  We went to our neighbor Jared's soccer game.  He was so cute and into it (as always).

Weekend breakfast

Video - Emmalyn blowing raspberries

Video - Emmalyn can roll from her belly to her back!

A little bit of sibling interaction

Emmalyn giving kisses

Momma giving kisses

We were hanging out at Andrea and Jeff's and Maxwell slid down the stairs on his belly - scared the daylights out of Andrea.  :)  She's not used to a shortie who can't reach the railing.

Video - Theatrical Sadie rubbed off on Maxwell and he put on his first "show" ever.  Cracked me up how into it he was.

Sweet Maxwellisms - - 

• I love when he says "I love you soooo much"
• The other day, Peter and I were arguing in the car and Maxwell goes, "Why are you arguing?" So I explained why we were arguing and he goes, "Find another way to say it.  Use different words."  Uh, thanks my peacemaker son.  Sure put a stop to our argument.  We were both stunned with what he said.   Smart kid.
• He still self soothes by rubbing his nipples.
• He wants me to hold him like a baby sometimes.
• At dinner one day, he asked if he could have something else when he finished his spaghetti.  I told him we could talk about it when he was done.  He then said, "Can you give me some options when I'm done?"  He has such mature communications sometimes!

Emmalyn is sticking out her tongue all the time now, we are finally getting some giggles.  She has found her toes and has started reaching for your face.

Happy birthday Peter!

Besides celebrating Max's first day of preschool, we also celebrated Peter's 34th birthday!

Max helped Daddy get the presents out of the bag

Maxwell read the card that he picked out for his dad

There's an "m" and "a" and an "x" on the left side of the card, not all together but if you look hard you can find them (don't look for perfectly formed letters.  Hint - they are on the right side of that side with the X towards the top, M in the middle, and A on the bottom.

Peter got new torch lighters for lighting candles on a cake, some mini m&ms, headphones for when he's running, a grill brush, and some flip flops.

Peter and his kids 

A little love for sister

Smiles all around.  What a cute family!

Oh look, I was there too

Max enjoying the birthday cake before he had to go to bed

Emmalyn was posed and ready to attack the cake if she got a chance

Typical Peter not going to give me a nice picture

Overdoing the smile since I complained

Finally, a nice normal picture

Happy birthday Peter!

Maxwell's first day of preschool

Maxwell started school on Monday August 25 (also Peter's birthday!).  We have signed him up for preschool from 8:30 - 3:30 on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday normally.  However, we worked with the school director to get permission for him switch and to go on Monday instead of Thursday for this first week.  I figured I didn't want him to miss the "first day of school" by having his first day be Tuesday.  Most of the rest of the children would have had their first day on Monday and so there wouldn't be the same celebration/specialness for him if his first day was on Tuesday.  

We were able to pick exactly which days we wanted him to go to school regularly and we picked Tu, W, and Th so that he could be in the routine of going to school without having to skip days (like going M, W, F) and plus most holidays or days off are on M/F and so this would limit the number of days he'd miss and also give us flexibility to take long weekends for vacations or something like that.  

We chose to have him go all day instead of half days because it was recommended by the school.  If he only went half days, since he is in a regular classroom with kids ages 3 - 5, he would miss part of the curriculum for the day.  I figure it's okay for a 3 year to go for that long, especially since part of the day is a mandatory nap time.  Next year we'll have him go full days every day.

Peter and I both took today off work so that we could drop him off at school together and pick him up.  Normally one of us will drop him off (mostly me) and then Brittany will pick him up after she picks up Hayden from Elementary school.

Maxwell's first school lunch

Sliced deli turkey, pretzel chips, string cheese, strawberries, and cucumbers

(I am planning on always packing a lunch.  I'm not interested in spending 3.00/day for him to have lunch provided by the school caterers!)

My handsome boy in his uniform, all ready to go!

Walking into school

Peter is holding the house plant we had to bring (still not sure why).  Boy, was it a hassle finding a houseplant to take that wasn't poisonous, per their instructions.

Maxwell's cubby in Miss Cynthia's room with 2 changes of clothes, and his hook with his nap mat bag and backpack

He walked over and sort of sat by the rug.  (he's the boy without the book)

After we left the classroom, we stayed in the lobby watching the cameras for a LONG time.  I didn't want to stop watching.  (He's sitting with his legs out in front of him in the above picture.)  Poor Peter was ready for us to go but he was kind and let me stay as long as I wanted.  I think I watched for about 30 minutes.  I seriously would have watched all day if I wouldn't have looked crazy.

Since we weren't working, we did some shopping and went to see a movie.  It was fun to hang out together and a good way to celebrate Peter's birthday too.  I had a hard time relaxing though and just kept thinking about Maxwell and hoping he was okay, happy, and having fun.  I tried to get Peter to let us go back halfway through the day and watch Maxwell via the cameras again but he wouldn't go for it.

Even though we were having fun hanging out together, the day dragged on for me.  I just wanted it to be 3:30 so we could go pick Max up and ask him about his first day!

Finally it was time to pick him up!  We got there a little early so I could watch Max on the cameras before we went into his classroom to get him (I know, I'm crazy).  He was so happy to see us.

To celebrate his first day, we went to get snow cones after school.  We let him pick his flavor - he picked "purple".

We quizzed him about his first day.  It was hard to get much out of him!  He said he did puzzles, numbers, and matching.  They had a snack pretzels and carrots.  He doesn't like carrots and said that they were yucky and that he didn't dip them in ranch.  He said he didn't take a nap because he was scared.  And that's about all we got.  He seemed to have liked it.

That night after we did presents, we went back out again to the grocery store to pick up a cake for Peter's birthday.

He started zoning out on the way home...

...then the yawns started

...and his head and eyes started drooping...

...and he's out!

He was fast asleep by the time we got home at around 6:30

He had a long, busy day and pair that with no nap and this sweet boy was exhausted from his first day at school.

The end of freedom...for decades!

This was it.  Our last weekend before Maxwell started preschool.  Once this weekend was over, we would be on the school path and that path wouldn't end for over 20 years.  Did you hear that - - OVER 20 YEARS!?  In a few days we will now have to plan our lives around school.  We won't be able to take a vacation at any time during the year with thought only to missing work.  While I'm excited for Maxwell to have the new experience and be challenged and learn more, it stinks to have to think about "school" already.  :(

Good morning sunshine!

We went to Sonic to use up a coupon he got in the city's summer reading program - Ice Cream Cone! 

Peter is now playing paintball with a bunch of men once a month.  They take it pretty seriously.  This stuff didn't happen back in Utah.  

Kisses from daddy

Serious face

Kisses for daddy

Huh, momma?

Sweet girl is starting to feel better after being congested and having her ears other her.

Maxwell hanging out in his Maxwell sized chair.

Silly daddy

Getting some good sleep the night before school.

My heart broke when I put him down.  I just wanted to hold him and cuddle forever.  I'm not ready to start taking steps like him going to school.  That makes him seem so old.  He's not that old, right?  I snuck back into his room a few hours later to just touch his face (and cry) and wish all the good things I possibly could on my sweet boy.  I'm such a lucky Momma and am so grateful I get to have Maxwell in my life.