Flips

We made another road trip to Columbia this weekend. This time to celebrate our nieces fourth birthday. We headed to the town gymnastics center. We weren't too sure what to expect. Max had a great time! He loved jumping into the foam blocks. I was terrified he would end up head first and not be able to breath, but he did just fine.

He also practice climbing over and crawling under the balance beam. Max's favorite part was hanging from the bars. He was able to hang for a few seconds before falling to the mats while laughing like crazy. He kept standing up and asking us to list him for more and more. I think he just liked falling to the mats. It was too cute.

Max's New Hat

We have had a potty in the bathroom for Max for about a month now. At first he wouldn't look at it. Then he would take a peek. Now we are at the point where he will sit on it with his clothes on. Progress.

Tonight he was feeling like quite the ham. He took the potty part out of his chair and decided to sit down. Then the bowl became a hat. We cracked up and he just thought he was the funniest thing ever, which he was!

Mom's Deli

Mom's Deli is one of our favorites, and now it is one of Max's favorites too! We bought him a kid sandwich and he couldn't get enough of it. He loved it!

We also had Max's two year check up last Thursday. Max checked out well. He is 36 3/4 inches tall and 30 lbs 2oz. He is still in the 90th percentile for height and 75th for weight. He just keeps on growing! I swear sometimes I look at him and wonder when this little boy replaced my baby! He is just so much fun!

Happy Easter!

What a wonderful day we have had! We couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to celebrate. We headed out to Grandma and Grandpa's house for a delicious Easter lunch. Before lunch the kids had lots of fun hunting for eggs in the back yard. Max quickly got the hang of it - after all hide and seek is one of his favorite games. He marched through the grass and used his eagle eyes - and daddy's help - to find all eight of his eggs pretty quickly.

The best part of the holiday is seeing our family - and it doesn't get any cuter than watching Max with his cousins. Graham wasn't too into the picture taking, but Paisley and Max posed for a few. The kids had so much fun together. In fact, Max had so much fun that there was no way he was going to nap. After the festivities we ended up taking him home where he was out for two hours. Hunting for eggs and playing with cousins is tough work!

Road Trip

Doesn't Max look super cute in his little Mizzou shirt? Today Max, my mom and I took a short little road trip to Columbia. We visited my cousin Anna at Mizzou. Max was a trooper in the car, in fact he slept nearly the whole way there. However when we got there he wasn't being much of a trooper - he was cranky!! We walked around campus and Anna told us all about her home away from home. Towards the end of our visit Max finally perked up a bit and he was an angle on the drive home.

Party Day

We were lucky enough to celebrate Max's birthday this afternoon. The festivities began with the presentation of a pretzel in the shape of giant two. Since we love Gus' it seemed very fitting. The pretzel was hit with everyone, especially with a melted cheese dip to go with it.

Max had a great time playing with his cousins. One of his favorite games is hide and seek. I am always 'it' while Max hides around the house. I make a huge production of searching for him, although he always hides in the same places. Today I got a break from being 'it' while Max's cousins took over searching for him. His favorite hiding place today was in between the storm door and the real door.

Since the cupcake-cake went so well last year we decided to go for another one this year. Max wasn't too sure about the singing, but he sure loved digging into his cupcake.

After cake Max opened his presents, or more accurately we opened his presents while he played with other things - like Nonna's camera. He did wear his cool new Mizzou shirt and Cardinals hat for a few minutes - he looked like such a big boy!

Every time I look at our little man I am reminded of how much he is growing up. Before we know it he will be in pre-school and then kindergarten. I just want to enjoy every moment that we have together - he is such a little miracle!

Happy Birthday To Max!

I can't believe that our baby is two. Where has the last two years gone? As I rocked him tonight, I couldn't help but think of where we were two years ago. Time has flown by and I can't believe how much joy and laughter Max has brought to our lives. Every moment with him is a blessing and we feel so fortunate that we get to watch him grow and learn. Each day I learn much more from him than I ever thought possible. Here are just a few random thoughts I have had this year. . .

• Ear tubes are a good thing - no more ear infections!

• Learning to walk is a process. . . so is learning to talk.

• I can make some really great choo-choo sounds.

• Raffi and fridge dj make the car a fun place to be, at least for Max.

• You can find great deals on Craig's List - we love our train table!

• Lego's are really, really loud!Adjustable waist pants are one of the best inventions of all time - too bad they don't come in adult sizes.

• Gymboree Play and Music is worth the money, even if Brian thinks it is fluff.

Being a working mom is really, really hard - but then again, so is staying at home.

• Every toddler (or at least every parent) needs a steerable tricycle.

Footy PJ's are a bad thing - at least for a boy with sweaty feet.

• Seasame Street is like toddler crack.

• Sticking to a sleep schedule is easier on everyone.

• As Max gets older it is tougher, and tougher to get a good picture.

• Emptying silverware from the dishwasher is fun, if you are two.

• Every family should have a minivan - power sliding doors are up there with adjustable waist pants.

Little kid playgrounds are not nearly as appealing as the big kid part.

• Kids feet can grow crazy fast - Max's poor toes were smushed for a long time before I realized it.

Overnight diapers save on a lot of laundry - and a lot of cranky mornings.

• Sam's has the words best wipes - and they are cheap!

• Brian can make a great horse.




• We have the world's most laid back pets.

• Being a mom has made me a better teacher.



• I am still the luckiest girl alive!