My boy child

Isn't it sad how fast they grow? I love watching a little one's new milestones and learn new things - but really - this little boy can't be two already!
Max is my mischievous little man. He's really good at sneaking outside, and he's so quiet about it. At Grandma Kate's he's gone faster than I can count to 3, and he always wants to go "side" with the big kids. But he wont' stay with the big kids, he likes the road, rocks and dirt. He also loves the swings. At home he's learned he can open my front door and my back sliding door. Since I live next to the train this scares me so bad! I've made an effort to keep these doors locked - but he checks them all the time. One time at my moms he was riding the gator with his cousin Ty, he must have fallen out at some point because his elbow was bleeding, but there was no way he was coming inside over a little blood.

Max also likes to dig in the garden and his sister is teaching him how to make pig mud. (Pig mud is dirt with water in it, duh!)

Max likes going to nursery with the other kids and toys but his teachers tell me his favorite time is snack time - a boy after my own heart!

Max likes to color, but no so much on paper, so far he's hit my wall, Grace's sheets and my nightstand. I caught him trying to put glue on my couch no matter how often I clean my bathroom mirror he thinks it's his job to goober it! He can find and reach anything - and I mean anything. One day I had a pot on my back burner of the stove and he was standing on his tip toes stirring it with a long handled spoon - it's unreal. More than once he's brought me scissors and said "no no touch" when he hands them to me. He's been able to open child proof cupboards for a long time now and just recently learned if he puts his leg over the crib railing he can get out.

Max laughs and teases all the time - I didn't realize teasing was a born trait, but he's changed my mind. He wants what his sister wants, knows I don't want him to touch my computer, and loves hiding from me. It's the look on his face when he's caught that makes it so hard to get mad at him. But, my very favorite thing about Max is when he wakes up in the morning he almost always wakes up happy. He's full of smiles and when I bring him chocolate milk I get a huge grin. He pats me on the back and gives me a hug when I change his diaper and occasionally he plants a big fat wet kiss on my cheek.

Amazing Grace

It could just be a mothers love, but I think this is the cutest thing ever! The other day Grace ran into the kitchen and told us to watch what she could do - she proceeded to pick up a goldfish cracker with her toes and put it in her mouth. What a proud mommy I was! I laughed and told her she was tricky! Then one day last week I found her sitting on the coach coloring with her toes, she's so proud of herself!

She also told me she was showing her Grandma Ruth that she could eat with her toes and then she said "Mom, grandma doesn't think nothings funny!" Really? Eating with your feet, from something on the floor isn't funny? LOL!

You may have to use your imagination for this one - so I finally let Grace go to town on her chocolate bunny from Easter. She ate the ears and the head and when I looked down I totally thought it was a well endowed rabbit. I laughed so hard, then Grace started laughing because she thought I thought her eating the head was funny - but nope, that picture looks like the sweet Bunny's got chestels..... when really it's just his arms, Mike can't see it - but every time I look at this sweet thing I get a good chuckle!

Boondocks

For the record, I had this post created and then I went to copy it for a letter to my little brother and bam! it was gone, no undo option...Yuck! So, the new version will not be as long, detailed, and thus probably much more interesting!

Mike and I took the kids to Boondocks on Friday night. We had never been, and Grace kept saying she wanted to go bowling. I thought Mike was crazy for going there on a Friday night, but when we walked in there had open lanes. This surprised me as the parking lot was FULL. We walked right up to the bowling counter and I ordered one game for 2 adults and 2 small kids. Our total was $38! I asked why (after gasping) and the girl said Friday and Saturday nights are "prime time" and you pay one price total for the lane. After seeing my shocked face she said she'd see what she could do, and came back with a discounted total of $32. Isn't that nice?

I told her no and she said we could take the kids to the other side and have them go roller bowling. It's 1/2 the size of normal lanes and the balls are much smaller, only $3 per child. Sweet! Grace and Max had fun, Max kept rolling as many balls as he could down the lane and even stole another families ball. I had to retrieve a few of Grace's mid lane because she was a little slow (I had this image of the person who gets laughed at on the Price Is Right for not getting the wheel all the way around....) Any how, after 3 frames Grace proclaimed she was done and wanted to go play some games. I'm so glad I paid $6 for 3 frames and not $38!

Aren't these balls so cute? Grace had amazing accuracy, just no speed!Cute little bums...Max patiently waiting. This was the only time he waited patiently, after that it was find every ball I can and keep em coming! He kept putting his hands, arms and head in the ball return, I can't believe he didn't get smacked! I often (everywhere we go) find Mike like this. Analyzing what lights they used, what they should have used, sometimes what it cost them...I usually hear blah blah blah when he talks about lighting. It's a hazard of his trade, and yet I still love him!

We also played a little on the games, and truthfully there were several the kids could even play. They stayed entertained for about $5 and we got enough tickets for them each a sucker. They both loved pretending they were driving the car and squirting fish.

All in all, I'd take the kids back. They have a soft play area that we didn't try and we really did have a fun time. Grace has started saving her money for the carousel at the mall. It costs a dollar (she came up with this on her own... I guess she was done saving for Disneyland!) But the carousel at Boondocks only costs a quarter, wait till she finds out she can ride it 4 times for the same price, and it's not in the middle of the food court.

I love my family so much, it's nice to get out and does fun things!

Boondocks

Bathtub Beach Party!

I bought these little pails and shovels at Target for a dollar - on our way home Grace said now I needed to take them to the beach - yeah right, in April? So we improvised and let them have some fun in the bathtub.

Grace HATES water on her face, she freaks out so every time Max splashed she had to have her face wiped off. Then she started saying "Max is ready to get out!" Because she certainly was having too much fun! Its amazing how happy a bathtub beach party turned out!

The Curious George Party

We had our families of for Max's birthday on Sunday for cake and ice cream. I love the way Max's cupcake Curious George cake came out! (Say that 5 times fast!) Max loves Curious George, it's one of the only shows on TV that will hold is interest - so we had a monkey cake for my little monkey.

3 months ago when Grace turned 3 she was so mean to Max about her new presents. She wanted me to put them on the high dresser so Max couldn't get to them, even when she wasn't playing with them. I know she is only 3, and they were her brand new presents but she was over the top about them. I remember thinking, "I can't wait until Max's birthday and you won't get to play with his presents." Needless to say, Grace had a hard time. She thinks they are either hers, or that Max can share. And Max is so easy going that she gets away with playing with most of it!I got Max a dinosaur castle, and he got some other fun things for his birthday. He was so stinking funny anytime he opened clothes he would shake his whole body and say "NO! No!" and go back to the toys. I love the picture of Grace hovering over him just checkin it out - isn't that so nice of her?
Just a little note, my children always have clothes on when we start eating, but I pretty much strip them down to eat anything too messy. I'd rather them not stain their shirts....

What a good boy using his fork to eat those messy, yummy treats! And yes, his hand was stained green the next day.

As a parent do you ever buy things and wonder why? I about died when we opened the dinosaur castle, it had so many pieces. The instructions were not labeled and it wasn't the funnest thing we've ever put together, but Max (and Grace) like playing with it so I guess we'll call it a win.

Easter Fun

I've been meaning to get these posted for a while....but I'm addicted to Farmville on facebook and that takes up my free time!

Ok seriously - Grace was the cutest thing while we dyed Easter Eggs. She was so serious about it. I knew we would decorate eggs with the cousins at my moms so I only hard boiled a dozen.

"Don't bug me mom, I'm working, but I suppose I can spare a quick look at the camera, but no smile."

She also surprised me at how patiently she would wait for the egg to get dark enough. That is so unlike my unpatient daughter.

I think she's trying to dry the egg here, but then she puts it back in the dye.

Oh yeah, Max was there too. He didn't really care for the whole dye-ing thing, he preferred to drink the colorful mixture and I'm no fun at all. No drinking, mixing colors and as little of stained fingers as possible.

We always go up the Hyrum Easter Egg hunt on the Saturday before Easter. When I left Layton it had rained a bit and was cloudy, but 1/2 way through Sardine Canyon I got a lovely surprise, at least 4 inches of snow over a pure ice sheet. It was the worst drive I've ever had, and we barely made it to the hunt. But do you think they canceled it, no way! Lucky for my kids, 3 and under hunted in the pavilion this year, but all of the older kids traipsed through 4 inches of snow for their colorful bounty!

Sadly, my camera battery died so you can't see Max's loot - but lets just say Grandma Kate helped Max hunt and his basket runeth over, literally.

Such a cute picture of my little sister Cassie, too bad the boy child's eyes are closed! Grace managed to stay warm. She even picked up a few eggs this year - and then the Easter Bunny came to our house.

Max loved his truck so much he had to sleep with it for several nights afterwards.


We love Easter time, and this year I really struggled with trying to teach my kids why we have Easter. Christmas seems so easy, to celebrate the birth of Jesus. It's something I think they can grasp, but how do you teach the ultimate sacrifice and resurrection to a 3 & 2 year old?

I thought long and hard and all I came up with was we are celebrating Jesus, because he loves us more than we can know. Maybe next year we will get into some details.