Play Time is SERIOUS BUSINESS

Building Towers with Blocks

Very Serious

New Activity

Painting on a rainy day

Painting FUN

New Sport

Our friend Jasmine wanted to take Max on his first surf lesson ever. He had a blast and she was so good teaching him some basics

Our friend Jasmine teaching him how to lay on his tummy

Practicing on his tummy

Stopping to tell us something very important

Practicing on his tummy some more

I think he has it!

Practicing jumping up

Testing out the waters

Surfer Kid

Fun with Dad

Having a walk with daddy on this not so summery day

Relaxin' after the bath with his puffs watching vegi tales

Oops...surfing on his car didn't work out so well. Surf lessons on a board are coming soon! Then maybe he will stop surfing on everything else!

Big Kid

Max FINALLY weighs enough to face forward in his car seat. I put him in thinking it was going to be SO fun. I was SO wrong. He HATED IT! Screamed in panic and terror. Turned Red. Sobbed. And we only went less than a mile down the road. Sam came for a run and met us where we were to drive home and the same thing happened. My boy doesn't like change when he is not in control of it. I wonder where he gets that? HIS MOMMA! We now are much better after a few distracting techniques and daddy riding with us to the store one day. He thinks he is a big kid and enjoys it so much more! I love discovering all that Max is everyday!



He also is LOVING music class. He tromps around with his hat on while I help out up front. He just loves that hat and always has it on. Max also loves getting to have a snack with the big kids this year.

Surfer Boy

So tonight Sam sent me these while I was at work.

Max is ready for his first surf lessons.

He was supposed to have one Friday but it was awful weather.

Tonight he surfed on the ironing board.

Next week the real thing!

15 Months

Well 15 months for Max has come and gone. It's amazing to think back and see how much Maximilian has changed and become his own person. He is FULL of joy. Laughs all the time. LOVES people and having people come to his house. Plays in his kitchen and loves playing pretend. Still absolutely loves music and dancing. Thinks the beach is his backyard. He is loving and affectionate. He is STRONG, in personality, will and physical strength. He is a delight and we love just hanging out with him. Some days I feel beyond lucky that he is my kid I get to spend time with. Lest you think I am delusional or lying....we have our moments and tantrums and whining and hitting and lots of redirecting. In all of that I feel like I am trying to memorize each moment and stage of this awesome little kid!

"Boards" Max is always and forever pointing out the surf boards.

Just yesterday Max figured out how to throw the bread to the birds. He was very proud of himself and I was EXTREMELY PROUD of my little man.

Playing with his little friend Noah who is exactly 3 years older than him.

Ice Cream with Momma at the Surf Competition at the beach

Beach with Daddy

Books with Daddy

"A Day with Dad" Momma had an all day conference. This was the picture I got while at the conference.

Bath Time Fun!!

He still LOVES wearing his hat...sometimes even after the bath.

Watching Uncle Banning Live in Redding at a Jesus Culture Event

Showing everyone Mom's cool new beads from Haiti that Auntie Stacie sent!

More Beach Time with Daddy.

I did a high ropes course for some team training at work. I was SO scared but loved doing it.

DATE NIGHT!

Happy Valentines Day to us!!

A picnic on the beach while Max had Courtney to play with, cuddle with, and give him as many snacks as he could handle. He had a great night and so did we!

Same Blog Different Day

Our days blur together sometimes in such a fun and good way. Beach. Starbucks. Playing. Visiting. More Beach. Work. Naps. More Beach. I barely have time, or more accurately energy to write blogs but I love putting pictures up when I can for my family (Mom these are mostly for you!) and so I have a record of this time of our lives. So on that note...here come the pictures!

Max hanging out at the beach in the morning looking for shells.

We go to Starbucks on our way - God's gift to this momma that there is one between our house and the beach! And God's gift to Max that these girls SPOIL him. This particular morning Courtney decided he NEEDED a cookie. AYE YA YAE. Said cookie was later almost confiscated by the seagulls at the beach, to which the aforementioned momma went screaming after the birds to drop the cookie in the baggie. Momma - 1 Seagulls - 0

Momma is often tired in the mornings after working a late night. This might be the biggest airhead moment to date for this momma. I put both legs in one side of Max's shorts. Not air head enough? I didn't even notice when I put him down and he was walking around funny. Morgan, one of our favorite Starbuck's girls, said, "Um...max's legs are both in one side." Of course I had to take a picture before I let him free!

Max's friends are HOME!! after 6 weeks the girls from the dairy have returned. Max was SOOOO happy to see them. He squealed and then proceeded to take them all around the store never letting go of their hands.

After they drop me off at work, Sam and Max often go back to the beach for some play time. Max found puddles after high tide and loved splashing in them!

Max is just plain funny! I LOVE this stage. I realized that I am definitely not a babby momma but love these toddler years. This week he has decided, like all good Kiwi kids that his hat HAS TO be on when he goes outside, but now he also makes us get it for him all the time in the house. The other night he would not go to bed until Sam got his hat. As soon as his hat was on he laid down without a peep. CRACK UP!

Our weather has been anything but summer, but that hasn't stopped us! We still go to the beach most mornings. This morning Max played with rocks and shells all morning!

While I thought I would be a "domestic goddess" momma I AM NOT! I am a working Momma that doesn't care if her house is clean, loves quick easy meals with some nutrients, and always finds an excuse to go to the beach. But today I played "domestic goddess" KIND OF. I spent the morning making meat balls and hamburgers, for the sole purpose of freezing them so that our meals this week were again, quick and easy and full of some nutrients. Then I decided that I would try making salsa for the first time ever. The salsa is VERY expensive here and not good. I hoped for some chili peppers at the store but rarely see them, low and behold there was some there this week! I don't really follow recipes but I do look at them intending too. This was no different. I just kept putting things in hoping that it would soon transport me to Redding and/or LA with it's taste and smell. Salsa = EPIC SUCCESS. A little too hot for Sam and Max but I felt like I was sitting in Redding (or LA) eating salsa for free - which is not the case at Mexican restaurants here - and enjoying yummy chips while my mouth slightly burned with joy.

Said Salsa. YUM.