Hooray for Max!!

One of the lesser known jobs of a parent is to document as many things that will mortally embarrass the children as possible and some day show to girlfriends/boyfriends and spouses. This falls into that category. We have been in intensive potty training mode for the past week and Max has been quite successful in using the potty! Hip, hip, hooray for Max! He now only wears a diaper at night and big boy briefs during the day. Whew. Only 2-1/2 months until his 4th birthday! ;) Way to go, Bubba. I knew you could do it.

The Sunny Weather Wear

Many months ago, Grandma & Grandpa Nutmeg went to Hawaii and brought back some quite cute outfits for the kids. It has taken until the past week for it to be warm enough for them to wear them! Above, Char and Cliffy found a sunny spot on the warm tile.

Doesn't Char look like a little model in this pose?
Adorable!!!

With the way Max has been growing, he likely won't be able to wear his outfit for too much longer. Who said he was allowed to grow like this?!?

A Little Monkey Trouble

The first one to break the new rule of no throwing stuff in the water was Char. She had a couple of warnings but continued so Dada put her in time out.

Max is not used to having someone other than himself getting a time out, so he thought he had to sit down too!

Char getting big on the dramatics. We would like to think that she is dwelling on what she did wrong so she doesn't get in trouble again... but you know, that probably isn't the case. She is pretty good at wrapping us around her little pinky finger.

Everything is rosy again when Dada talks to her and lets her get down.

Water Weather Finally!

Aaaaaah, we had some wonderfully sunny weather last week. The kids finally got to break out their wading pool and hop in. We had to make a new rule for the kids that no sand, dirt, wood chips, grass, or leaves get put in the water (to make 'soup', as Max calls it) so that others can also enjoy the water.

Look at those thighs on Char! I love it.

After nap time, we got to get back in the pool.

How Dada enjoys pool time.

Dada, Let's Talk

Dada and the kids were goofing around the other day, and when Dada sat down on the floor to talk with them, they each pulled up a little red chair to continue their chat.

Then we realized that we were all wearing our house slippers (aka crocs)

Kids Love Sunny Weather

Wow is it ever nice to be able to have the kids in the back yard again. They play in the sandbox, push carts and pull wagons around the yard, and of course, have juice breaks.

Char loves going around and smelling all of the flowers. I have been only half successful in my attempt to teach her that flowers are for looking at and smelling only - no touching (though she thinks there is some sort of a loophole with licking).

The pink tulips (or too-tips as Max calls them)

Cousins

Last weekend we went down to my parents house to celebrate my Mom's (Grandma Kody) and Aunt Susan's (Aunt Grandma) birthday. Quite a few of the grandkids were there - 8 of my parents and 2 of Aunt Susan's. When you add in 6 dogs, the place was pretty crazy. Dada took the older kids outside to play and got some pretty good pictures. Above is Max as King of the Hill.

Here is Max and cousins Maiya, Sophie, Cassidy, and Benny.

A good action shot of Max, Maiya and Cassidy on the swing.

Elmo & Crew

So many pictures to upload, so little time. This morning Max and I went to see the Sesame Street Live show (wif all of da monsters! as Max would say) Here is a self portrait - notice Max shoving popcorn in his mouth - he did that the entire show! And still ate lunch when we got home. Another growth spurt must be on the horizon!

We had pretty good seats (this was taken during intermission so there are a lot of people standing,) but we weren't too far back and Max could see pretty well sitting on my lap.
My kids aren't too good at sitting for very long, and Max probably would have been completely happy to have left at intermission,but we stayed until the last number (what was I thinking?!?) Regardless, we had fun and he clapped his little hands off and laughed and laughed, when his mouth and hands weren't full of popcorn. Seriously. He ate almost an entire large tub.