A Revival

I abandoned my blog long ago, but I think it's time to revive it. I don't know how often I'll post but I think I will like having an outlet for my thoughts.

This was taken on Mother's Day after Mass. It is impossible to get a picture with everyone looking and smiling at the same time these days!

Sweet Max is 1!

So Max turned one almost a month ago, and is definitely a toddler now. He started walking about a week before his birthday, and is starting to say a few words. He climbs on everything, and leaves a trail of destruction in his wake. 

He is such a sweet little boy. He adores his older siblings, as well as all four of his grandparents. 

Arianna holds a special place in his heart. A few weeks ago, the girls were singing in the choir at Mass. When they came down to receive the Eucharist, Max saw Arianna and got very excited, only to become very upset when she didn't stop for him, but turned around and walked away. His little heart was broken that one of his favorite people could just leave him like that. Frequently he is cranky and ready for a nap in the afternoon when Arianna gets home from school. It is so cute (and a little obnoxious) when she gets exasperated with me for allowing him to get cranky and overtired, then she takes him and rocks him to sleep.

The week after his birthday, Max received his first haircut. I hated to cut his wispy curls, but the mullet was getting a little ridiculous. I put his little blond curls in a bag, and they are sitting on my desk. I didn't save any of my other kids' first hair trimmings, so I feel a little silly hanging on to his. I think that I am getting more sentimental as I see how quickly the older kids grew and how much I don't remember about their early years.

One of Max's favorite activities is dumping out the dog dishes and throwing dog food around the kitchen. He also likes to cram his mouth full of dog food and laughs gleefully when I attempt to dig it out.

Max has discovered books, and likes to carry one over to Kevin, and then sit on his lap and look at the pictures and give his opinion in gibberish and growls.

Max's current vocabulary consists of "uh oh", "mama" and "no". He can sign "more" and "all done", and is fluent in gibberish.

Max shares a bedroom with Isaac and Joseph, but still occasionally wakes up during the night for some snuggles and nursing, usually when he has a cold or is cutting teeth. I try not to be cranky about it, because, as my mom always says, "this too shall pass" and soon enough this season will be a distant memory. Don't grow up too quickly!

Happy first birthday, Max. We love you to pieces.

7 Quick Takes

 

1.

We have been trying to make the most out of summer before we start our school year. The last 2 weeks have included trips to the museum, amusement park, play-dates with friends at the playground and a few trips to the beach. The kids have been having a blast, and I am hoping they will be ready to settle into a more regular routine (with an earlier bedtime!) in the next week.

2.

My garden is pretty much hopeless this summer. Between rabbits and pure neglect, I will be lucky if I get a couple of bell peppers and a dozen or so tomatoes. The cucumbers are doing ok, and I have plenty of herbs. The beans didn't really grow at all- I think the rabbits got them as they were just popping up through the soil. Even the zucchini have pretty much quit producing. I guess I will just try again next year.

3.

I think I want to learn to knit. For real. I can do a basic cast on and knit stitch, but I have no idea how to follow a pattern or anything else. I believe that there is a local shop that has classes- I will have to investigate. Chloe actually started me down the knitting path- She wanted knitting items for Christmas last year. She received some needles, yarn, and a book and a video. Unfortunately, fine motor skills are not Chloe's strongest area, and so far she has only mastered casting on. Arianna, on the other hand, picked it up very quickly and made a cute ball. Hopefully if I learn, I can teach them more.

4.

Max is definitely the worst sleeper I have had. He takes 10-20 minute naps a few times a day. He has slept through the night twice in his 11 months of life. I am hoping this will pass, and that when the 4 teeth that are trying to appear make it through his gums, he will sleep better. I hope.

5.

When Arianna's Dad left for work a few weeks ago, he left a garden in peak production. We have been going over there about every 5 days to pick what is ready. Right now, it is mostly cucumbers, so we decided to make pickles. The big girls helped me wash and cut them, and then I spend much of my evening packing and canning them. We used a pre-packaged seasoning mix that only needed 24 hours to process, so the next morning we put a jar in the fridge, and when the time came, we opened it with much anticipation. The results were nasty. The pickles where mushy. We ended up dumping 16 quarts of pickles into the compost. I am not sure what went wrong, but after talking with some friends, I think it may be that these cukes weren't the right variety for pickle making. Live and learn.

6.

 I love this pic of Max and me that Kevin took a few weeks ago. Notice the rainbow in the top left corner. Notice my overgrown garden. Also, notice that Max wants nothing to do with having his picture taken, and just want to get down and play.

7.

Joseph fell asleep at the dinner table today. He doesn't nap all the time anymore, and when he does, it is because he fell asleep during whatever activity he was doing, out of pure exhaustion.

                                       

Head on over to visit Jen at Conversion Diary for more 7 Quick Takes!