Delight #3, Won't U Be Mine?

I'm not sure when Valentines Day became a family holiday, but, love was in the air in our house this year. We had our first dinner by candlelight and then enjoyed the thrill of doorbell ditching a neighbor or two. In Activity Days, Lizzy made a "Love Box" which we have been filling with love notes to each other for the past few weeks. It was fun to open it and read why we love one another. It was nice to hear that I'm loved by Rosie because I am "pridy". Daddy and daughter had way too much fun creating Lizzy's Valentines box this year...it's amazing what you can do with casting material. Max declared his love to his "girlfriend" Brooke, by singing her a song he learned in Preschool. The lyrics are very simple: Valentine, Valentine, Won't you be my Valentine? Valentine, Valentine won't you be my Valentine? Valentine, Valentine....you get the picture. Luckily for us, he sang it to her on their families Voice Mail, so the song can be replayed over and over and over again. He may not appreciate that fact in a couple of years, but for now, it's simply adorable, just like him.

Super Max

Back on November 18th, our very own Superman turned 4! He has proven to be super at many things, here are just a few:

Super treat sneaker

Super fast runner
Super smart

Super mischievous

Super preschool goer
Super toy hider

Super big brother
Super screamer

Super friendly

Super enthusiastic

Super LOUD voice

We celebrated our supermax by becoming a family of pirates for a superfun all boy birthday party. I continue to be amazed at Max's "Go Big or Go Home" attitude for life and have appreciated his outgoing, fun nature (most days). During his fourth year of life, he has made some serious life decisions; he wants to pursuit a cage fighting career, while playing in the NBA and trying his hand at the half pipe. He is fun to be around, most of the time, and we get our workout in trying to keep up with him. Of all of my little kiddos, he tries my patience the most, but, then says the sweetest things (example, he told Kelly: "Daddy, I love your wife") to make up for his strong will. Happy Birthday to the Max, thank you for teaching me how to mother a son, for all of your sweet kisses and for sharing your vivid imagination with me.

Going Three Times...

Lastly was Max, off to his first year of Preschool. He's been waiting for his turn for quite some time. A few notable comments after day one-

"First we Learn-ded, then we played" and "I miss-head you Mommy, and Baby Drewy too" and "Tan I have a snack...ice cream?".

Happy Cheers

Each time we prepare to bring a new baby into our family, I go through a period of mourning. Not mourning because I'm sad to have a baby, but mourning because I'll miss my youngest being "my baby". Max has been my little one for 3 1/2 years now, the longest of any of our children. How I've enjoyed him. I've relished in the time we've shared together, just Max and Mommy. He has been my back-seat buddy, my entertainment while running errands, my snuggle pal for afternoon naps, my excuse to buy soft serve ice cream and drinks from McDonald's and my right hand man who helps me with my day to day jobs with his "strong muscles". He has made me love parenting a little boy, I appreciate so much more as I pause to see things from his perspective. I admit that I dote on my little Max, and have done so intentionally. Will it change with baby #4? Perhaps. It will no longer be Max and Mommy, Mommy and Max. We will have a new addition to our club, Max seems completely fine with the idea, excited really. I know this baby will add nothing but love into our home; but just for a moment I want to focus on what was. I want to pause, remember, and feel thankful for the few years of Max and me. May they live forever in my memory.........in the words of our third child...."HAPPY CHEERS" for Mommy and Max!

All Body

Mom- Max, are you excited to be a Sunbeam in Primary? You are so Big!

Max- Yea, "ZZY" goes.

Mom- Yep, Lizzy goes to Primary.

Max- Ro-zie goes there.

Mom- That's right, so does Rosie.

Max- You go in the Pie-mary, huh Mommy.

Mom- I know Max, I'm so excited to have you come.

Max- All Body's go to Primary, not Nurchee, Primary.

Mom-Yes, Everybody goes to Primary, not Nursery!

Needless to say, Max has been a fun addition to Primary. He is the youngest sunbeam and the LOUDEST, but I can't help but love his boisterous comments and enthusiastic singing in a place where "All Body" is welcome.

3 Times the Charm!

This now 3 year old has worked a boyish charm spell in our home. We love him. He brightens my day, I love being the recipient of his attention and adore seeing the world through his eyes. On his birthday I had the pleasure of spending the entire day with him "Just Mommy and Max, Not ZeZe (Lizzy), Not Ro Ro (Rosie), Not Daddy (Daddy)......no". What fun it was to follow him around the children's museum and play, Max style. He proved to be a great date, giving me lots of hand squeezes and an occasional kiss or five.

At 3, Max has developed a uniform of sorts (any kind of "hoop ball" or sports outfit, the top picture is his most favorite), enjoys playing outside (even when freezing cold) and loves to sing and play his drums (a "gift" from a cousin and Aunt/Uncle.....hmmmmmm.....). Happy Birthday to Max, our little boy, our charmer.

PS- I know, I know, it's been awhile (to say the least) but, I promise to catch this neglected blogg up........sooner than later........I hope!

Firsts

This Easter marked a few firsts:

1- Rub ons! I'm talking about vinyl lettering people! Anyone who has been to my nest knows there's a lack of vinyl. I'm not saying I don't like it, I just have never used it before now. Let me just say personalizing the children's sand buckets (make-shift Easter baskets) brought me more joy than I ever anticipated. I now own a whole stack of monogram rub on letters, so, what will be next?

2- MAX! Never before in the history of raising our son, has he out-shined his beautiful older sisters when it came to Sunday finery. This year though, he did. And I mean he really did. His suit was more than I could handle, complete with a straw hat of course. I fell in love with our 'southern gent', he seemed completely confident in his attire and the attention it generated. A favorite Aunt & Uncle proudly predicted that Max will be voted best dressed someday, I mean, is there anything more important than that title in High School? Shoot for the stars Max, and hopefully K-mart will continue to provide stylish yet affordable clothing in the year 2024. Now, where's the kid's Easter candy?

Sweet Dreams

When you're so lonely lying in bed
Night's closed it's eyes but you can't rest your head

Everyone's sleeping all through the house

You wish you could dream but forgot to somehow

Sing this lullaby to yourself

Sing this lullaby to yourself (Jack Johnson)

MAX has always enjoyed co-sleeping. As a baby, he would fall asleep smiling if we were holding him. We understood each other, as one of my favorite things to do is to hold a sleeping baby. As he has transitioned into toddlerhood, it has been an "adjustment" for him to sleep in his own bed. He is now free to roam around at night, making visits to anyone who will accept. We have found him in strange places; the stairs leading to our bedroom is my personal favorite. Feeling like he would never learn to be happy in his own bed, I almost gave up. Lizzy gladly volunteered to let him sleep with her, which I actually started to consider. Then out of know where, Mr. Froggy came on scene. A soft cuddly frog prince, origins unknown, has been our hero. We know not where he came from, how long he will be with us, or who exactly he belongs to. It doesn't matter! All that matters is that his magic power has made it possible for Max to sleep in his own bed happily, with Mr. Foggy. Thank you Mr. Foggy, who ever you are!

To Everything...

"If you Give a Mouse a Cookie, He's going to ask for a glass of milk.
When you give him the glass of milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw." - Laura Joffe Numeroff

While we love all of Numeroff's books, I can't help but reflect on how my children are like the mouse, pig & moose. This week we have enjoyed wonderful spring weather. I've felt a need to be outside, enjoying the 'lamb' days of March. Yet, at the same time I have struggled with balance.

If I were to write a book about Max, it would go a little something like this:
If you take a Max to the park, he's going to ask you to push him on the swing.
When you push him on the swing (for 30 minutes) he'll want to get off the swing and roll down the hill (with Mommy). Once he rolls down the hill, and Mommy feels nauseous, he'll want to do it again (with Mommy) and again. When he rolls over a rock, he'll probably want to stop rolling and start sliding. When he climbs UP the slide and is very proud of himself, he will want you to clap for him (which you gladly do because you are so proud). When he slides down the slide, it reminds him of how he loved rolling down the hill, and he'll want to do that again (now that his head is better) with you. When you tell him you can't roll down the hill again (for fear you may loose your lunch) he cries and cries. To make him feel better, you push in on the swing. After he swings for awhile, he'll want to go down the slide. When you tell him it's time to go (because you have to pick up Rosie from Preschool) he’ll be very mad and will try and run away. When you run after him, he’ll think it's a fun game and will run around the park. Finally you will stop him on the top of the hill, where he will gladly roll down again.

The same could be said about each of our children. I love having fun with them. I hate telling them the fun must end. Frustrated by all the tears when a particularly fun day had to end, I turned to Nana. "Am I not spending enough time with them Mom?" I asked. "No!" she replied. "That’s just the nature of children. They don't understand balance" she explained. "It's up to you to teach them that there is a time for everything."

I think she's right. But, when I explain to them about time, will they then want a new watch to go with it? Just wondering.

C E L E B R A T I O N!

When Max looked like this, I feared he would never be able to play like this:
Now we celebrate the fact that he is a very healthy, energetic, mischievous & SWEET
2 year old boy!

A boy who loves trains, so much, that my dear, dear Kelly created a completely edible train cake,just for him! Complete with Jr. Mints (just for Mommy right?). Max loved it and his ear to ear grin was thanks enough to Kel for a job very well done.

Delighted by his presents, Max lovingly thanked each person with a hug & a kiss.

One last shot at the cake.....sorry.....I'm just so proud of Kelly, I can't help it!

My heart is full with thankfulness to a loving Father in Heaven who heard my desperate prayers 2 years ago. I must continue to remind myself that Max's zeal and endless energy is exactly what I wanted and exactly what I got. I enjoy being his Mother for so many reasons. At times I feel overwhelmed by the amount of attention that Max demands; but relish in the love our boy has for his Mother. Tonight I celebrate answers to prayers, sweet little boy chatter, love of life, trains, cars, balls, hoops, running, jumping, swimming, swinging, laughing. Tonight, I celebrate our Son. Happy Birthday Max!!

My Bright Sides:

Sometimes in life you have to look on the bright side of things right? Here are some bright moments in the past few bleak winter weather weeks:

Max is now saying "MaMa" like he really cares! He will call my name and look for me. Yes, he has been making the "M" sound for awhile but, I never felt like he made that connection until now. It is one of my most favorite things: hearing our baby say our names (especially mine). We love this little guy and all of the funny, sweet, messy things he does in all of his 15 month glory.
Lizzy went on a Daddy daughter ski trip and was thrilled beyond belief. She did amazingly well under the direction of her very patient and loving Daddy. She loved it and can't wait to go with both Mommy and Daddy again soon. I wasn't at all surprised to hear her favorite part was the hot chocolate breaks.....that's my girl!

Having a husband who loves our kids and enjoys spending time with our family is one of the greatest blessings in my life. I realize more and more how lucky I was that he wanted to marry me. When Daddy comes home is the best time of the day. Am I right or what?

And last but certainly not least, little Rose LOVES SUNBEAMS! Rosie is a sunbeam in every sense of the word. She brings such warmth and light hearted fun to our family. Young Rosie didn't care for nursery a whole lot, she always wanted to go with her Sis to Primary. When her chance FINALLY came she rose to the challenge with much enthusiasm. She has already learned some new songs and stories to entertain and "teach" us, and she has been blessed with two of the greatest teachers ever.

So, there you have it! All is well with our family. Now if I could just get the office organized I would really be doing some high kicks!

A 1-derful Birthday

Max's First Costume.
And is name shall be MAX (10 pounds 2 ounces)

A scary week spent in the NICU, one day following his birth,
he has come so far!

A Pumpkin Cake, which he loved!

Max is one! I can't believe it. He is such a blessing in our lives, we can't imagine life without our little boy. The timing of his birth could not be more fitting; especially reflecting on his first week of life:

We are thankful for the health and strength he now has. We are thankful for the darling smile he so freely shares. We are thankful for his enthusiasm for life. We are thankful for his adventurous side. We are thankful for his patience with his Sisters. We are thankful for MAX! Happy Birthday Max, our sweet baby boy.