A couple of things I learned today

The first thing I learned today is; You have to set your child free to do things on their own and they will surprise you. Also, when your hovering over them they will always use you as a crutch when they really don't need to.

I came to this conclusion today while Max and I where at the park. We've been going a lot to a certain park that we love. It's shaded and secluded. Which helps with what Max likes to do. He loves to climb up the stairs and up the slide. Then slide down the slide with a huge smile on his face and he even lets out a few giggles. This has worried me because he could easily fall over the side. There's not a lot of protection from the side of the slide or the side of the stairs. Because of this, I have been helping him here and there or standing next to him as he makes his way up the stairs or slide.

He had a hard time getting all the way up the slide a couple times. He would slip and slide back down, or seeing me there next to the slide, he would reach for me to help him. After he had some practice he was able to go all the way up by himself.

I still would stand next to him because I didn't feel like he was all the way staple and I wanted to be there just in case.

Well, because I was always standing right next to him. He would start to reach for me to help him the rest of the way. Even though I had seen him do it by himself many times. so today, I sat in the chair that I brought and I decided I was going to let him do it all by himself. This was hard to do at first. I was watching him like a hawk and practically sitting on the edge of my chair ready to pounce at any sign of wobbling on Max's part.

To my surprise, He climbed up the stairs and the slide over and over again without any hesitation, very stable and sure of himself. He then would slide down the slide over and over again. All by himself. I still couldn't keep my eyes off him and every muscle in my body was at the ready to jump up and save him if need be. It was so fun to see him climb up to the top and then turn and look at me for admiration as if to say, "look what I did mom!"

Then he would go down the slide on his tummy with his feet first and his knees bent up under him. It was so cute to watch. It was a great accomplishment.

I also learned today that I have an evil side. That's right people. Let me explain. When we go to the park I bring some fun sand toys for Max to play with. Other kids always want to play with them too. Which is fine and I have no problem with them doing so. It's good for Max to learn to share his things.

Today there was just Max and another little boy. This boy wanted to take all of Max's toys and then not let Max play with any of them. He would yell at Max if he tried to play with the toys. His mom would tell him to share and to stop it. Well, the boy kept on doing this. Then he would throw sand at Max. I was very calm and realize kids will be kids.

Then the other mom pulled out a brand new motorcycle for the little boy. While she tried to get it out of the box. The little boy kept grabbing all of Max toys and throwing them around angrily.

The other mom gave him his new toy and he buried it somewhere and then couldn't find it. The mom tried to help him and they couldn't find it. When it was time for them to leave the boy started throwing a fit and started throwing sand everywhere and getting it all over Max and in his eyes, then grabbing Max's toys and throwing them everywhere.

Then the mom told him they would go get him another toy. What?! after he's been acting like this!? Now, I'm pretty understanding when it comes to kids. Max has his naughty moments. but this kid was being really mean and nasty the whole time he was there.

They left with the mom having to bribe the kid with more toys.

Here's where the story gets good. I decided that I would try to look for the toy motorcycle. I looked with no success. Then as we were about to leave I decided to look one last time. Wall-la! I found it! So you know what I did? I put it in our bag and brought it home! We got that kid in the end! (insert evil witch laugh) I know it was wrong but I found a little pleasure in it. Naughty me! good thing Max is too young to know of my evil doings!

Max is now the new owner of a green and gold motorcycle. It's about 6 inches long and 2 1/2 inches high and can easily get lost in the sand. ;)

It's a Birthday/Holiday thing

My Birthday is May 31st. Which happens to land this year on Memorial Day. Now and again it falls on this day, or somewhere during the Memorial Day weekend. Although we are remembering all those who died to protect this wonderful FREE country. I'm happy to share by Birthday with them!
Shaun's Birthday is Sept. 4th. Which occasionally lands on the Labor Day Holiday. Or is within that Holiday weekend.
Max's Birthday is April 10th. He was born on Good Friday. Which is the Friday before Easter. I'm sure his Birthday will occasionally land on Good Friday, Easter, or the Easter weekend.


I get to kick off the summer with my Birthday. Then we end summer with Shaun's Birthday. (in most places, Arizona not so much. ;) And Max started a whole new and improved kick off to our lives. :)
I do love Birthdays and I do love Holidays! Shaun also asked me to marry him on New Year's. Right after the ball dropped on New Year's Eve.
Now the pressure is on for the next person to join our family. Will they also fall on a Holiday weekend? Here's some Holidays that would be good and some that would be not so good, and some maybes.


The good:
Presidents Day (celebrating with good company)
St. Patricks Day (how lucky)
The 4th of July (you would think the fireworks were especially for you!)
July 24th (Utah Holiday, Pioneer Day) Karl Malone who played for the Utah Jazz. His Birthday was July 24th. When he first came to Utah he thought the parade was for him! Funny.
New Years Day (What a great day to start the year)




The bad:
Valentine's Day
Halloween (now I do love Halloween! But to share your Birthday with witches, vampires, ghost and ghouls? I could do some really fun Halloween/Birthday parties. I do get into Halloween)
Christmas (You just can't compete with Christmas)


The Maybes:
Thanksgiving (This is debatable)


Can you think of anymore?
No matter when the Birthday of the next person to join our family is. It will be like our own family Holiday and we will be celebrating it!! :)

We have a Birthday/Holiday thing going.

picture less

So I have some things I want to blog about. But, I can't seem to add any of my new pictures I download to my blog! It's really annoying! So if I'm picture less then I'm post less. For now. Until I call Mac support and asked them what's going on?!

Pictures help make the posts so much better. This is so annoying!

crafty

OK, So I'm way behind on posting my crafts from my monthly craft day. Here's the catch up post.

We made these cute little photo albums out of toilet paper rolls. Some really thrifty person was looking at her old toilet paper rolls and decided to make something out of them.

We painted shirts. I made these 3 shirts for Max. I had to do a Halloween and Christmas one. I'm such a holiday person.

I decorated some more cans. I wanted to make some to go on these sconces.

before

plain and boring

Much better.

Or do I like this one better. I can't decide.

I have them hanging here in my dining area. I've had the two different ones up for awhile. I might just leave them both. Adds character. ;)

With the other can that was supposed to go up to match the other sconce.

I put it here on the desk. It makes a great pen holder. or whatever I end up shoving in it to get it out of the way.

Then we decorated picture frames.

before

plain and boring

much better. Although I'm still not done with this. I have some more decorating to do.

I made this one for my mom for Mother's Day. It's a picture of Max with the blanket my grandmother made. (my mom's mother) who has past away.

I also like the words, inspire, love and strength, extraordinary on it. It reminds me of my mom. she is so wonderful! I love her very much!

Mother's Day

I had a wonderful Mother's Day. It's now Wednesday and I think I'm still trying to get back into the grove after being spoiled by Shaun all day. I got to sleep in (7:00am) This is sleeping in at our house. We have an early morning baby. (5:00am) blah!

I got breakfast made for me. I got to relax and do what I wanted. Shaun took care of the rest.

I think it's really funny how on Mother's Day. The reason that makes me a mother is all the care and nurturing I do for Max. So on Mother's Day I don't have to do my normal duties of being a mother. I find it so funny. It's not called Me day. ;) Believe me, I'm not complaining. I just think it's so funny. I love Mother's Day!

I'm also thankful for my wonderful Mother. Who is amazing! I think it's a great day to celebrate all women who care and nurture others. I feel so blessed to be a mother. I like this quote, "It's like having your heart walking around outside your body." My little Max defiantly has my heart.

really? What's not to love about being his mom. :)

First hair cut

It has to be written somewhere in the mommy handbook. That you have to take pictures of the first hair cut. So that's what I did. Even though, I'm a picture person. So you know this was going to be a photo opportunity for me anyway. :)

Before

unruly, long, wispy hair.

getting things warmed up. Having Max touch the clippers so he wont be scared.

Keeping Max happy during the cut

Time for gel

TOTALLY SYLIN!

motivating me the wrong way

My team at work is in a competition with another team this month. The two supervisors from each team will have to wear something that the other supervisor/team wants them to wear. If their team loses.

My supervisor is really awesome. He's really easy going and always so accommodating with me and my schedule. I'm able to work only 10 hours a week. Whenever I have to switch those 10 hours around to different days then my original day. He always let's me with no problem. I'm really lucky to have a job where I can do that. It's such a wonderful blessing.

My supervisor is also a big, happy, black man with a great personality. The other supervisor said that if our team lost, my supervisor would have to wear a Tu-tu. So my supervisor sent out an e-mail to all of us with the picture below.......

ha ha ha! With this picture he wrote, "Come on team! You don't want to see me in this. I even have a bigger stomach." haha!

I had to then reply to his e-mail with, "I now want our team to lose. Is this bad? because lets face it. This would be great fun for all to see. ;)"

If we do lose and he has to wear a Tu-tu. I really hope it's on a day that I work. If not, I'm sure there will be plenty of pictures taken. This is so motivating me the wrong way. ;) ha ha ha!

I have such a great boss!

A must do for all moms

Kids love toys. Kids love to spread their toys everywhere. Mom gets sick of having such a big mess of toys everywhere. Here's something that will help. I have loved this system and you will too. It's called organizing. ;)

Instead of having a couple big totes filled with all of Max's toys. I have separated them into separate bins by categories.

TA-DA!!!

This has been so wonderful! I give Max one tote to play with at a time. When I think he's done playing with a certain tote. I clean up all the toys and put them back into the tote and pull out another one. This has worked out so well for us! Max loves to play with the tote themselves too! He loves to take the toys out and then put them back in. He plays great with this new system.

This makes things so much nicer. Now I don't have so many toys everywhere. Max still likes to spread them out everywhere but it's not as bad and clean-up is easy. It also makes it a lot easier to sanitize everything. I just do one individual tote at a time. It helps me to not feel so overwhelmed by toys!

Now Max plays with one thing at a time. I love it! It also makes it easier to see what he actually likes to play with. I just keep rotated the bins through out the day for him to play with.

He still has one big tote for his bigger items. This is still easy to clean-up. I'm able to keep track of everything so much better. Things don't get lost so easily now. This is a must do for all moms. I promise you will love it! It will also help to establish that you must clean up what you have been playing with before you get to play with something else. :)

Anything that helps us moms from going completely insane is a good thing! ;)

Even daddy is loving this new system. All though, yesterday, he did mix up a few of the toys and put them in the wrong tote. I then had to yell a lot and hopefully, he wont be doing that anymore. ;) lol!