Spending time with Max

My son makes me smile many times each day, no matter how I'm feeling. The boy just loves laughing and if he can make someone laugh, he goes into repeat cycle. It's usually very funny!

Sometimes he says something mistakenly funny. He is not sure what it means, and I laugh out loud. Then, he will just repeat it and laugh at himself. I wish I could remember a good example, but I can not.

We went to the basement the other evening and Max decided we would dance. He started dancing and I started copying him. He loved it! He asked me to keep doing it over and over again for over 5 minutes, until I distracted him with something else. The whole time was about trying to get a good reaction out of me.

The bedtime routine provides Max lots of opportunity to try to laugh and make more laughs. Even down to giving me a hug (he calls Squeezers). He withholds them for me to cry, the runs to me laughing and squeezes me tight. It's hilariousness.

Talking Crazy

Ellie's just turned 5. Here's the conversation/ argument we had as she was going upstairs for her bath tonight.

Me: Ellie, focus and go get your bath.
Ellie: Mommy, I found my beads in my hair.
Me: Ellie, stop arguing and go do as I requested.
Ellie: (With serious attitude) Mommy, I am, it's just you keep stopping me to tell me things and are talking crazy!
Me: Ellie, watch your tone and go get your bath now.

Why is this starting already?

I want to sit by Mommy

Everytime we go out to eat Ellie makes a big deal about sitting next to me, even when her cousins are around.

This trend was finally broken the other day when we had lunch with Ethan Govar. She wanted to sit by him! It was great!

She really enjoys playing with him.

Gaps

I have not been good at blogging my fun stories of the kids the past month. It's not that they haven't amused me greatly and made me smile regularly, because they do. The problem is my wrist is acting up and typing is bad. Hopefully this dry spell won't last long, because I like keeping this journal to remember the fantastic amazing life of parenting Max and Ellie!

Ellie's Five

Ellie's fifth birthday fell on a Wednesday, just like the day she was born. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. I took the morning off and hung out with them. We had a donut and some time at the library. Otherwise, it was just a chilled out morning.

Ellie was very interested in knowing the moment she was five. She was disappointed she wasn't quite five when she woke up. I explained that we celebrated the whole birth - day, not just the birth moment.

She was most excited when I got her up from her nap and told her she was five!

We asked what she wanted to do for her birthday dinner. Her request was simple, dinner and playing at Aunt Katie's. So, when Aunt Katie heard that, she obliged Ellie. We spent a relaxing evening at their house having cheesy queasidilia and cake!

The kids played well together and Ellie had fun. I can't believe she's five already!

Thankful Turkey

Today at daycare Ellie made a turkey that has all the things she's thankful for written on the feathers. It was cute. It gave me the idea to do one for the family. We did this as part of family drawing time at the kitchen table. It was cute.

A week later...

and the kids still think Raamba will eat their toys if they are left of the floor! It's brillant! Cleanest week since Max could walk.

Time with Ellie

This morning I decided to let Ellie accompany me to the doctor's apt. She was really good as gold. Afterwards the doctor even said she's see her next time and that she barely knew she was there. I am proud of Ellie for being so grown up sometimes. Granted, she was playing the infamous cookie game on my phone, but none the less, she was well behaved.

After the doctors we went to the store to order her Birthday Cake for her big party next weekend. She was cute there. She was more interested in the pre-made cakes that were sitting in the fridge then selecting one to be baked. Immediate gratification still rules when you are four, nearly five!

Baby

Max regularly asks about having a baby in his belly. I don't want to crush him by saying he can't, so we just joke about it.

Tonight when getting dressed in his footy PJs, he asked again about having a baby in his belly. So I decided to zip spots up inside his PJs. He thought that was fantastic He ran around for at least a half hour repeatedly telling us all about his "Baby in my belly."

Sharing

Today at lunch I sat down at the table with two oranges. I intended to split them with the kids. I started peeling and sectioning them and laying some on Max's plate, since he was done lunch already. A few minutes later my little two year old says, "Good job sharing your oranges with me Mommy."

He was so sincere. I was proud. Someone is encouraging him and teaching him nice words sometimes.

I look like you!

This morning when I dropped Ellie off at daycare this morning, from the car with a smile on her face Ellie says, "I look most like you Mommy. Don't I?"

She made me smile and I told her yes, you do!

Ellie Drama

I have to admit, Ellie and I have been in a bit of a rough patch. She is so full of drama and I have no patience for it. I sure hope it improves. I fear it will be the downfall of the way she idolizes me. She clearly loves me so much and wants my approval. But she wants to do things her way, on her own time. She's 4 going on 5, and I can't always let things happen at her pace. Actually, in our busy life, I can't let things happen at her pace most of the time. She always wants more time for things and when I move her along, she gets so mad at me.

I want to have a good relationship with Ellie forever. I fear the tough times to come. I love my Ellie Bean so very much, and I find the drama so hard to handle. Hopefully we find a way through this that's amicable in the end.

Max's personality is shining

Max's personality is really coming to light. He loves to make people laugh. He loves music. And, he generally just likes to have a smile on his face. I think he's the most handsome little boy ever, but then again, every mom thinks that about her children, as she should. So, I love when I'm out in public and people stop me to tell me how precious he is. It happens quite often really. Tonight at dinner a different person came by the take just to tell me how gorgeous he was. He was sitting there beside David in his little blue button up shirt with his new spike hair just smiling away, dancing to the music and enjoying eating some fries with his Daddy. A lovely little imagine in my head!

This is his silly camera face!

Disappointing Mommy

One good thing, my kids don't like to disappoint me.

Tonight we couldn't find Max. I was calling him a bit frantically when I heard a little voice and saw him sitting in the back of Ellie's princess castle with his blankey bear. I sit down to find him and look in. What do I see, a clown face. He had grabbed Ellie's chapstick and put it on - all OVER his face.

I just looked at him and gave him a bit of a dismayed looked. I said, "Maxxxx."

Max's little face turns quickly to a break down, tears start, and he screams "Mommmmmyyyyyyy."

I felt bad for him, but was also happy he didn't want me upset. I decided in that moment, not to smile, although I wanted too. I picked him up and held him. I told him it was okay. I wasn't made. He just needed to remember not to take things that wasn't his. I cleaned him up and cuddled him and we moved on with the night.

He's such a cutie!

The excitement of i Ramba

I finally decided to order the automatic crumb vacuum - i Ramba. I'm not sure who is most excited by it's arrival - me or Max. Friday afternoon I set it on it's merry way to clean up, then went up to get Max from his nap. When I saw him I told him we had a new vacuum downstairs and asked him if he wanted to go see it. His face lit up like a light bulb. He couldn't wait to go downstairs.

When we got down there we pretty much all stood around and watched it make it's crazy circles and zigzags. I was able to convince them toys have to stay off the floor or it will eat them. So, they manically cleaned.

It was great fun.

When we got home Friday night and Ramba had docked after completing it's sweep, apparently Max didn't like that. He tried pushing buttons and quickly called to Daddy when it started wiggling around and making noised.

Ellie hugs and love

Ellie's not a snugly, touchy feely. She doesn't like lots of snuggles either. But over the past few days, there have been a few random moments where she's just crawled into my lap and given me the best hugs. They make all the arguments we've been having worth it.

First, we were playing the Princess Matching game. Usually one wins and the other loses. I've been trying to help her understand that's okay. Well, yesterday, we tied. That was the perfect outcome to her. She jumped across the board and into my lap and give me the biggest hug and kiss. She was thrilled that we tied and could both win! It was adorable.

Tonight, when I was putting her to bed, (usually she lies on her pillow and enjoys prayers and songs) she laid on my lap for prayers and then before songs started and crawled into my lap and just laid her head on my shoulders. She snuggled with me like my little baby girl while I sang her song. Tonight's choice was Silent Night. I enjoy these special moments. I love my Ellie Bean!

Playing with Baby

I enjoy talking to Max about the baby that's coming. He's sweet about it. He clearly wants a baby. He will tell you that regularly. He loves certain babies especially - Colby, Ben and Scarlett.

Tonight we were playing around before bedtime. I told him he could snuggle the baby (aka Me). He looked at me. Then he decided to lay spots on my belly and say the baby could hold Spots! (Spots - his favorite all time blankey bear.) It was adorable. Baby got to hold spots for nearly 5 minutes - even babysit while Max went to get his teeth brushed.

I asked Max if he wanted a baby brother. He said No. I then asked if he wanted a baby sister. He said No. I said what do you want. He said, "A baby!"

Too cute!