The Bennett's Tall Tales and True Stories

Look at my boys!

2011-07-01T15:07:00.003-04:00

Yup, this is them. Aren't they cute?! Such fun! Liam is 18 months and Max is 4.5 yrs and we're expecting baby #3 in December!

A new year!

2011-01-02T14:03:00.006-05:00

I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog...so here's my quarterly report. ha!

Liam: turned 11 months Christmas day and will be one (1) January 25th. He is in the 100th percentile for height and 75th percentile for weight...big boy! He's happy, easy, full of laughter and brings great joy and calm to our home.

Max: Will be four (4) January 10th. He's still very tall and very thin...getting him to eat anything is a huge challenge and I fear he will soon be overtaken by his brother. ha! He's full of energy, stories, ideas, and loves to solve problems and work! He's a fabulous big brother; always protective and loving. He brings creativity and a new vision to our lives!

Liam is walking! He started walking about 2-3 weeks ago and over Christmas has really taken off. He loves being able to get places on his own and "explore" more of the house and his brother's room. Max, although thrilled with Liam's progress, has been more protective over his prized possessions. We've had to come up with a "safe space" for Max to use things that he doesn't want Liam to play with.

Liam has loved Christmas, the tree, the decorations, and mostly the gift wrapping and boxes. He's become obsessed with getting in and out of boxes lately. So funny! He was great with the tree and after the small one we had in our living room toppled over on him he really didn't grab the ornaments any more. He learned to touch them gently and say, "Oooooo!" because they were so pretty.

Walking with a gift from Aunt Sarah in Cali. Such a great push toy! He loves the chopin' gators but tries to sit on it more than push it, which would be a great idea if it still worked with him sitting on it, but it doesn't. The gators can't chomp with his booty crushing their heads!

Max was super excited that Santa brought him the Bat Cave this year! He's been playing with it non-stop. That and his pirate costume which came with a treasure chest, sword, and dragon to slay...or train!

Max and daddy fighting the dragon!

Liam playing the triangle...he's really quite good!

Christmas Eve at Aunt Courtney's house...she had a great little program about Christ and the meaning of Christmas.

So...someone took out our mailbox a few weeks ago and we hadn't been receiving our mail, obviously. I called the Post Office to see how I could go about getting my mail and they told me to put my mailbox back up. I asked how I was suppose to dig a hole in the frozen ground and they suggested I purchase an auger. Well, that didn't happen. Instead, Isaac and Max took our trash can and filled it with snow....our mail has come every day since!

Getting ready to go out and play in the snow. Liam wasn't quite sure about his coat and snow pants...he's not a fan of the hat either. But, after he was outside he realized its purpose and stopped taking it off, however, he never really got into the whole snow thing. He just wanted to be held and then go back in and admire the snow from the window.

Max's gingerbread house....he did all the decorating himself!

Liam learned to give kisses and loves to give them to Max especially! So cute!

First snowfall. So gorgeous!

Merry Christmas!

Max outside the window. Super cold! Building a sledding hill in the front yard with Isaac and throwing snowballs at the window where Liam and I were watching. I'm so not a fan of the cold! I can endure it and enjoy it for a few days but then I'm ready for the warm weather...we have a ways to go!

Fall Fun

2010-10-25T14:40:00.002-04:00

So, Isaac was laid off in the middle of September and although it was a scary time, we were also able to create some fun fall memories that wouldn't have happened otherwise. We visited the Yates Cider Mill in Rochester Hills which is 2 miles from where my grandparents use to live. I went there as a little girl and it was so much fun going back with my family.

Then, we went to Hess-Hathaway Park in Waterford which had a petting farm, pumpkin patch, playground, and a hayride (on the weekends only...boo!), but we had a blast!

These are just a few picks of us hanging out at home. Max always squeezing or poking or pinching Liam, and Liam enduring or trying to escape.

Ha, ha! Liam finally tackled him! Actually, Max asked me to set him on his belly. This was one of the nicer moments.

Enjoying the last days of warm weather outside.

no words needed

2010-07-20T20:59:00.005-04:00

It's difficult for me to make the time to collect my thoughts enough so I can write something meaningful, thoughtful, with correct grammar, and somewhat interesting. But, I do need to continue to record the events along with photographs so I have memory of the months that pass so quickly. It's amazing that Liam is going to be 6 months at the end of July...how did that happen? Meanwhile, Max is growing and changing into a boy right before my eyes. It's exciting and heartbreaking.

Here he is helping Isaac cut up some trees in our front yard. He spent most of the day pulling his wagon around collecting branches and pine cones to put in the chipper. Because mommy told him that he couldn't help unless he wore the goggles, there they sit on his head! ha!

A few pics of Lucas's 7th birthday party. Uncle Chad created an obstacle course for them and was their sergent! He started yelling at the "recruits" and Max broke down into tears and went running into the house. He never did complete the course.

Right before the tears spilled out of his eyes....

Getting ready to be an army dude!

We also spent a day at the Detroit Zoo with one of my good friends, Becky, and her daughter, Caroline. SO fun! Here we are before getting on the train.

Becky and Caroline watching the polar bears.

Max watching the polar bears.

Cool pics with the blue water background...

Max and Liam in the backyard.

Liam and daddy being cute!

more....

Liam laughing!

He started sitting up at about 4 1/2 months! He wants to move so bad. If he can just figure out how to crawl, he'd be all set. He loves playing with Max's toys, making sounds, laughing, catching your eye and giving a big smile, and just being sweet. Plus, he started eating at 5 months and boy does he love his food!

With grandpa Ford enjoying the summer weather.

With aunt Lo-lo!

Max on mi-mi and papa's boat....fishing.

With Mi-mi Ford.

Max flying his planes!

My boys

2010-06-02T21:29:00.003-04:00

I haven't posted in a while...so here are a few pictures of Max and Liam. Liam just turned 4 months last week and is 15 lbs and 25 inches long. He's doing great and Max is an amazing big brother. Liam is rolling over, sitting up, babbling, eating his fingers and laughing. Max is doing much of the same...ha! Max is growing and developing so much each month too. He's finally counting and recognizing letters, his creativity and imagination are becoming more specific, and he's amazing at problem solving. Plus, his sense of humor is awesome! Very dark and very sophisticated...much like his father.

Sarah and Marco visit

2010-04-11T22:18:00.005-04:00

My sister and her boyfriend vistited from California in March and we had a great time spending time with them. Max loved the attention and I loved that there were people around to entertain him. :) The visits are always too short but I love seeing them!

Me and my baby at the Ann Arbor Hands on Museum.

My sister, Sarah, and I.

Isaac, Liam and I in downtown Lansing.

Sarah and I in an arcade.

Sarah, Marco, Max, and Liam. So cute.

Max lovin' on Marco.

Sarah and Isaac.

Me and my hubby.

Outside Clara's in Lansing.

Sarah and Marco in downtown Lansing.

Getting ready to take the dogs and Max on a walk in the woods.

Grandma Ford and baby Liam.

Sarah and Liam.

We loved having Sarah and Marco visit last month. They came primarily to meet baby Liam and they chose a great week do visit...gorgeous weather! Wish they lived closer because having an aunt with no kids around to spoil Max and Liam with love and time would be awesome! It was so sad to see them go but wonderful to have them here for an entire week.

Liam - two months

2010-04-01T22:56:00.002-04:00

Here are a few quick pics from the last month...Liam is now 13.5 lbs and 23.5 inches long! He's so sweet and easy going yet loves attention from all of us.

Sweet brothers.

St. Patty's Day!

Concentrating.

Max loves being a big brother.

Sweet, sweet Liam.

Liam growing strong!

2010-03-14T10:23:00.003-04:00

Liam is now 6 weeks old and growing like crazy! He weighed in at 11.5 lbs when he was just over a month old so he's eating very well. He is a pretty calm baby for the most part, but he doesn't care to be held or cuddled unless he's tired, and he definitely does not like loud noises which makes it interesting with a 3 yr old around.

Max is still enjoying being a big brother and is very proud when we are out-n-about to show off Liam. But, when at home it is sometimes a different story. He hasn't quite mastered the art of "being gentle" with Liam, but he's improving. The hardest times for him to be gentle are when he's tired or hasn't eaten for a while, seems obvious. Overall Max is a great big brother who can't wait for Liam to get old enough to play with him.

Isaac and I are still adjusting to having two kids. While I was pregnant I kept thinking it would be a change, but didn't seem like it would be that big of a deal. However, since giving birth I've been proven wrong. Days are filled with laughter, tears, playful banter, tantrums, deep breathing, and also many joyful moments while my nights are mostly exhausting. I'm not a very good sleep-deprived person and these last six weeks have been trying. I know there is a light but I'm still trying desperately to seek it.

Max is improving behavior wise but he's had a very hard time sharing our attention especially because I've been breast feeding which is consuming. Isaac and I don't get much "quiet"time together but we, too, are learning and adjusting. I know that in the next 6 weeks things will again change dramatically so I'm trying to appreciate each day that we get through and be thankful for the new life that's been given to us. "This to shall pass."

Liam - two weeks old

Two weeks old trying to ignore all the noise.

Liam, Max and my cousin, Lori when she was in for a visit from Boston, MA.

Liam and his Mi-mi Ford. Isn't she beautiful?

Mi-mi Ford with her two grandsons. How lucky!

Welcome Liam Isaac Bennett!

2010-01-31T13:52:00.003-05:00

Our family has grown by one new human in the last week. Liam Isaac Bennett was born on Monday, January 25, 2010. He was 7lbs 6oz and 20 inches long! We arrived at the hospital around 12:30pm and he was born at 2:47pm. It was a quick delivery (only 15 minutes of pushing) and has been a speedy recovery.

We now have two boys...one with red hair and one with what seems to be light-brown. Max is a very proud big-brother who loves to help mommy with everything baby related. He's very gentle and loving and has already offered Liam his "B" (Max's special blanket) and offered to share his bath toys. :) So sweet.

I also want to note that I had a wonderful nursing staff caring for me for my two days at Beaumont Royal Oak. This experience has been so much more pleasant than my first stay after giving birth to Max three years ago. The labor and delivery were much easier, my recovery has been easier, and the hospital staff were so understanding, kind, and thoughtful.

And, the extra bonus was that one of the nurses who helped care for me and Liam right after his birth was Irish! She had the most beautiful accent and of course felt a very special bond with him due to his very-Irish name. We took it as a sign that we'd named him correctly.

2009-12-28T14:11:00.002-05:00

Oh man! Max and Isaac were so cute playing guns, chasing monsters, and then shooting at me! They kept jumping in this box and using it as their hideout. This was a classic pic!

Merry Christmas! We've had a very big year and there is more to come in 2010 beginning with the birth of our second son....due January 24th! We like to start things off with a bang, that's for sure. With the move to our new home in September and the expectation of a new baby things have not been dull. Max is growing and developing like a weed! Sometimes I think he's a 10 year-old trapped in a toddler's body. He's a very independent child who is an amazing problem solver. He has an engineering mind, is a great critical thinker, and typically very thoughtful. We can't wait to see what this next little boy will be like, but we know that Max will be an awesome big brother.

Hope you all had a very merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Two months to go and Merry Christmas!

2009-12-08T15:45:00.002-05:00

This tree was my grandmother's favorite tree. It's very old and very cool! I'm so happy that I inherited it. Max and I put it up about two weeks ago and he's been so excited about Christmas ever since. He found several of my Christmas boxes that are decorative and began filling them with his toys. Then he'd come and grab mine or Isaac's hand and pull us over to the boxes telling us he has a surprise for us! So cute!

Here are a few pics of my 7-month pregnant belly. ha!

Max and Mi-mi (Ford) fishin'

2009-12-03T19:41:00.002-05:00

So sweet. My mom took Max down by the lake on one of the nice warm days we had in October to fish, which is one of Max's favorite things to do. Eventhough there was no hook or worm, he and my mom "fished" for almost an hour. No, they didn't catch anything, but man did they have a great time casting. And, Max really was able to throw it in by himself. So cute to watch.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-23T08:25:00.004-05:00

Here are a few pics from Halloween this year....a little late, but at least I'm getting around to it. ha!

This is from Max's "school." We're part of a Mom and Tot program at Mayfair Co-Op in Farmington Hills and all the kiddos dressed in their costumes the Monday before Halloween. Max had worn his costume for the entire week beforehand and suddenly didn't want to put on his hat or coat! I did convince him to put his Fireman coat on, but not the hat for the picture. And, as you can tell he's trying to figure out what he's suppose to be doing....he was a little weirded out by everyone being dressed up.
We went to the Franklin Cider Mill in Farmington with a few friends and Max HAD to wear his Fireman outfit. It was so warm that day and his jacket was made out of plastic...he was sweating! But he refused to take it off. ha!

Yes, we did dress up! Who can resist? I love Halloween! I was a witch and Isaac was a pirate...a sexy one I might add! ha! We had fun. We lost power the night before when a transformer blew in the backyard from all the wind storms we had so instead of trick-or-treating in our new neighborhood for the first time we drove to Courtney's for some Halloween fun! We were just glad they took us in!

The boys had a blast trick-or-treating. This was Max's first year and he was energized about it. At first he didn't understand that he was going to get treats from people and was a little nervous to walk up to the doors, but after the first handful of candy he got the idea! He was running from house to house screaming "Trick-or-treat!" The boys were all so cute and Connor does such an amazing job taking care of the little ones! He's awesome.

Pics for Heidi!!!

2009-11-15T10:42:00.001-05:00

Finally, they're here! I'll send them to you another way also...but here are a few so that you know I'm not lying. I did take pics of you and your girls, I did!

Kensington Farm

2009-11-15T10:26:00.004-05:00

Yes, I realize that summer has passed. This is an example of how busy things have been the last two months. We've moved, we've dealt with (and are still dealing with) "home ownership joy," we've had broken bones and sickness, and many guests visiting. So....I'm finally posting several pictures dating back to August!

We went to Kensington Park to visit the farm with several friends....here are a few moments from that trip.

A horse.

Sasha and Max holding tight to a tree.

Sasha observing a calf that was only a few days old. The calf is not pictured.

Max in a wagon.

Max standing next to his favorite cow.

Max and Sasha climbing fences.

Playing around.

The Fire House!

2009-08-12T19:07:00.003-04:00

Max and I visited the Farmington Hills Fire Department with the Moms' Club I'm a part of a few weeks ago. We got a tour of the fire house, saw a fireman put on his protective gear, and got to walk through a fire truck. Below is a picture of several of the boys checking out the front of the fire engine, Max is on the far end.

Max posed for me (kind of) near the wheel of the fire engine to show how big the wheel is...it's about the same size he is.

Here he is by the back of the fire engine after he walked through and was totally freaked out by the fireman waiting on the other side to help him off. He started crying and screaming, "NO!" because he didn't want that strange man to help him. After we got off I asked him why he didn't want the fireman to help him down and he replied, "I didn't want that man touching me mama." Ha! Smart kid but I sure hope he doesn't do that if he's trapped in a fire!

And, this is a picture of Max covering his ears at the beginning of the fireman's talk about the history of the Farmington Hills Fire Station. It was loud in the garage and they kept making announcements over the speakers and there were a ton of people there to take the tour. I think he was a bit overwhelmed by all the sounds. I also think he was a bit freaked out that he sirens would go off at any minute.

We had a great time visiting the fire house. Max has stated several times that when he grows up he wants to be a fireman! It obvioulsy had quite an impression on him.

Yes, I can.

2009-08-10T20:48:00.003-04:00

Lately Max has been answering all my questions with, "Yes, I can." Or.....

"Max, did you wash your hands?" "Yes, I did."
"Max, will you bring me my car keys?" "Yes, I will."
"Max, do you know how to go pee-pee?" "Yes, I do."
"Max, did you eat the dog food?" "No, I did not."
"Max, were you driving my car?" "No, I can't. I not old enough."

I love how matter-of-fact he is and honest. I asked him how something got broken the other day and suggested that it was an accident, or that the dog had done it and he said, "No, mommy. I did it. I broke it. It was me!" He was insistent that he did it.

He's also becoming more and more headstrong each day. He's always been strong-willed and stubborn, but lately he's testing everything all over again with new will power, stamina, and manipulative technique. I'm quite impressed most days and then on the days I have no patience to deal with another question or suggestion or complaint, well, I'm sure you can guess. Bed time has become an increasingly frustrating time in our household for this very reason. By the end of the day I'm tired and he tells me he's hungry, he's thirsty, he has to pee, he needs a stuffed animal, he wants to watch a movie, he needs one more book, he wants to sleep in our bed, it's not night-time, he's not tired, blah, blah blah. Until we leave with him screaming in his bed. It's awful. Last night I got so frustrated because I was trying to help him get comfortable and he told me to stop touching his blanket, then he wanted his bear next to him so I picked it up and put it next to him and he told me to stop touching his bear. So, I was so ticked I left. That's just how it goes these days. Sigh.

One last Maxism is, "Don't want you to talk at me please." He says this when he gets angry or frustrated or hurt and doesn't want you to pay attention to the situation at hand. In other words it's his way of avoiding the current situation. He use to just say "Don't talk at me!" But I told him that was rude and he should say, "Please don't talk to me right now" and it turned in to "Don't talk at me please." ha!

And, his latest is that he'll run up to me and sit in my lap, throw his arm around my neck and say, "We love each other." I'll agree and then he'll add, "Let's give hugs!" I love it!

The masked man and his horse!

2009-08-03T19:56:00.005-04:00

So, the other day Max decided he wanted to be a superhero. Being the ever-so-crafty person that I am (not) I pulled out some fabric I had from a bookmaking workshop long ago and managed to pull together a not-so-bad looking cape and mask. Max spent the next 30 minutes running around the house yelling, "I will save the day!" ha!

My friend Jamie gives us the coolest stuff! Her latest give was a horse just like we use to have growing up. Max loves this horse! He rides it almost every day, feeds it, gives it water, and has named it 5-9. Here are a few pics.....

My New Cousins!

2009-07-21T14:50:00.005-04:00

The Bennett fam from California drove all the way to Michigan to hang out with us (and the rest of the family, ha!) this summer. They stayed with us for two days and then we all drove to Muskegon where we met up with the Yi fam who flew from Utah, the Bennett's from Tennessee, and the Burnette fam who also lives in MI, for some camping.
Max was SO excited to spend so much time with his cousins...he calls them is "new" cousins. He continues to talk about all of them almost every day. He'll tell me, "Mom, I'm going to call my cousins." Or, "Mom, let's go see my cousins today." The funniest was when he woke up from his nap, came running to me with something in his hands. He handed me the invisible people and told me that they were his cousins. I asked, "Which cousins are here?" He then went on to name almost all of them! Then he took them back from me and went and put them in his room.
And yesterday after he went poop in the toilet he ran to the door to go tell his cousins and friends about the excitement of it all! ha!
We had fun and we wish we all lived closer. Once every two years is not nearly enough time to spend especially once you realize that time steadily increases with each passing year. Ugh.

Moments, sweet moments

2009-06-12T14:15:00.001-04:00

Max replied to my question, "Do you have to poop?" as he trotted down the driveway stating, "No mom, I don't have to go poop. I just tooting."

Ah, do moments get any more precious?

Poo poo in the potty!

2009-06-11T12:47:00.003-04:00

Max has finally decided that pooping in the potty is much better than pooping in his diaper. Hurray! Every morning we leave his diaper off and let him run around until he feels the urge to poo and then he goes running into the bathroom, closes the door, asks to be left alone, and does his dirty deed. Afterward we all dance and shout and hug and then place a sticker on his potty chart. So far he's pooed the last five mornings and peed on almost every one too! It's all very exciting. Now I just need to work up the courage to let him wear his underwear out in public....yikes! Does anyone have any good ideas for training boys when they aren't naked???

Shiawassee Park

2009-05-29T14:49:00.006-04:00

I had to put up a few pictures from today at the park because the kiddos were so dang cute! We had so much fun. The kids just ran their hearts out. Max totally passed out 30 seconds after we got in the car to go home and took an amazing nap. We must do this again!

Chandra and Carla showing off their little ones!

Max and Sasha riding the rocket ship to the moon!

Laith observing the ducks.

All these boys....ha! They were watching the ducks.

Poor Maya was out of sorts, she couldn't find enough little girls to play with. So sad.

Gavin and Ayden riding the truck.

Max and Sasha again!

Cranbrook and the Zoo

2009-05-29T09:10:00.002-04:00

These pictures are from last week...Max and I went to Cranbrook Museum with Benjamin and Michelle to see the dinosaur exhibit. These uploaded in the wrong order but I don't have patience to do it over, plus I'm running late! Alch!

The end of the morning...tuckered out and sleeping peacefully. And, yes, for those of you wondering, this was Max's "afternoon nap." He woke up rested and ready for the rest of the day!

Building the arch! Cool!

Michelle was the architect.

They were the destroyers!

Mommy? Is this going to eat me?

Max, eye to eye with is first dino.

Max and the train at the zoo...looking a bit more than just excited.

At the fountain.

All smiles on the train.

Max and mommy on the train!

Musings

2009-05-26T15:51:00.003-04:00

Max on the topic of love:
Mommy: Max, do you know who loves you?
Max: nods and points to himself
Mommy: Do you know who else loves you?
Max: smiles and points his thumb at me
Mommy: Do you know how much I love you?
Max: nods and says 2-9!

Musings on growing older:
Mom, when I get older I'm going to eat bad guys!

Max on his butt:
As we were changing his diaper Max decided he wanted to look behind him and see his butt. He would twist and turn and strain his neck to try to look behind and down to his bottom, but had no luck. He said, "Mommy, I really need to see my butt."
I told him to turn his neck and look down.
He tried and tried again with no luck.
"Mommy," he said with a sigh, "I really heart broken."
"What?" I asked.
"I really heartbroken," he said again.
"Why? I asked.
"Cause I can't see my butt."

Nothin' but the wind and my Radio Flyer

2009-05-20T18:58:00.005-04:00

Max learned how to ride his tricycle last Saturday! We'd been telling him and telling him how to use the pedals, showing him and showing him how to push the pedals, and urging him and urging him to just try the pedals. Finally, he did! Isaac finally got Max to pedal his little tricycle down the street all by himself and now he insists on doing it all on his own, even when he's stuck. He's had several "crashes," has quite a few scrapes, and has had many close calls with the pavement, but so far he's managing quite well. Yay Max!

Sam and Max

2009-05-10T20:33:00.004-04:00

My friend, Angie, and I got together with our two little boys. Sam is 18 months and Max is 28 months and they got along like life-long friends!

Max squeezing the life out of his mommy!

Max and Sam at their photo shoot. They loved posing for the camera.

Playing with toys from my childhood...the Fisher-Price Little People set.

Doing what boys do best, crashing trucks!

Smiley boys!

Sam and Angie got to my moms' before Max woke up from his nap and was a bit confused when he saw Sam at the table eating. I sat Max down to have a snack with Sam and he kept looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Finally, Sam got out of his seat and stood in front of Max touching his leg slightly. Max scrunched his nose and frowned his eyes and pulled away. Then Sam got closer to Max smiling and talking his toddler talk. Max started warming up to Sam and called me over. I said, "Isn't Sam so nice Max? He's a really nice friend." Max replies, "Yes, so nice. Not a monster mommy." Ha! I love what comes out of his mouth these days.

On the Farm

2009-05-02T20:25:00.006-04:00

My friend Jamie invited Max and I to spend an afternoon on her grandma's farm in Laingsburg. It was so much fun! We fed the pigs, had lunch by the pond, fed the fish (which never came to visit, but oh well!), sat on a bunch of huge tractors and made some new friends. Thanks for a great afternoon Jamie, Curtis, and Joy!

Here is Max running down the long dirt path to the pond at the back of the farm. The Lee Farm is 150 years old! So cool!

Joy pulling the wagon with our lunches and Max leading the way! They were a good team.

Curtis pulling and Max pushing the wagon...and boy was it a windy day! They worked hard.

Jamie, Curtis, and Joy feeding the fish at the pond. Unfortunately none came to eat our treats. I think it was too windy for them.

The kids posing for a picture...notice Max's blue mouth....from a blue cookie...he always seems to have a dirty mouth in every picture I take. ha! Joy and Curtis look adorable and clean as can be!

I loved this picture of Joy and Curtis feeding the fish. So sweet.

Curtis decided to go walking in the pond because he had his rain boots on and his feet couldn't get wet, but he didn't factor in the mud and almost got stuck coming out!

Here are the pigs we fed cobs of corn. They were huge!

Curtis sitting on one big tractor. He looks like a little man doesn't he?

Here is Max thrilled to be on the tractor all by himself. It took a bit of convincing, but once he was up there he didn't want to come down. He was king of the world!

Notice the HUGE tires!

Joy and Max driving together.

All three of the little ones at the top of one of the more modern tractors. So much fun!

Easter 2009

2009-04-20T13:39:00.008-04:00

We arrived at Angie's house in Nashville, TN on Good Friday and spent an hour running off our pent up energy from the drive down. Connor, Lucas, and Max could have explored Angie's back yard for hours. Connor and Lucas living it up inside Puck's dog house. ha! He almost has it better than we do!

Angie's tool shed...the boys couldn't keep out of it, and I just love the red door.

Lucas showing off his talents on the side of Angie's house...a cute little path takes you to the front yard.

Of course they all had to climb the electric green concrete blocks and hang from them in some "cool" way. This was my favorite shot.

Max poking a worm.

The next day we spent time outside enjoying the gorgeous sunshine and then painted some Easter eggs. Here Aunt Angie helps Max dye eggs for the 30 seconds he remained interested. ha!

Connor working hard at perfecting his dye job.

Lucas very proud of his very yellow egg.

Lucas showing off three of his eggs. I love how bold each of the eggs is.

A sure sign of spring.

The hunt for Easter eggs was on! Here Max and I discovered two chocolate eggs stuffed in a little tree...we quickly gobbled them up!

Connor found 14 eggs all filled with delicious candy.

Grandpa helping Max find a few more eggs....I think there was one behind the chicken coop.

Max peeking through the tree after discovering a purple egg hidden within.

Connor and Max

Grandma and two of her grandsons.

Aunt Courtney helping Lucas open a few of his eggs and see what's hidden inside.

Connor's Baptism

2009-03-10T15:44:00.003-04:00

Connor's baptism was this past Saturday and Courtney did and AMAZING job organizing it! She should be a party planner because this was a hit! The flower arrangements were gorgeous and the food was out of this world! Everyone who attended had smiles on their faces and food in their belly!

Connor and Chad looked so sweet standing there together in their baptism clothes. Chad did a great job baptising Connor and all the kids enjoyed watching...they all went and sat so close to the glass so they could see the whole thing. Connor came out of the water with a huge smile and several of the kids wanted to start clapping...I felt like clapping too!

Congratulations Connor! What a proud day!

Playful puppets

2009-02-16T21:50:00.003-05:00

Last week Max spent some time with his friend Benjamin, and they "performed" a puppet show! Here is an adorable picture of them. Thanks Michelle!

The Talking Toes

2009-02-09T14:12:00.002-05:00

Two-year-olds are SO funny! And, thank goodness because otherwise I wouldn't survive the tantrums, kicking, screaming, "I need to do it myself" attitude, and myriad of other unpleasant behaviors. Here's a cute story:
Yesterday we were driving to church and I heard Max talking so I turned around to see what he was saying. He had both of his shoes off, his feet propped up on his car seat, and was pretending that his feet were conversing with one another. Each foot took its own turn speaking and responding...for the entire ride to church. There was giggling, serious conversation, and some tickling going on with those little feet!
Then, this afternoon after we ate lunch Max went to the living room and propped his legs up on his little table. He looked just like a man relaxing after a very satisfying meal. Then his little feet starting talking again. Same program...laughter, conversation, taking turns speaking, and then his feet started playing with his trains. Soon, the little feet made their way over to me on the couch and asked me if I was happy. "Yes," I replied. The little feet took off their little socks and revealed ten little toes who promptly began tickling me! The little toes were laughing and so was I! I've never had such fun with toes in all my life!!!

You Deserve To Be Loved

2009-02-04T16:57:00.000-05:00

Convince yourself of that!

My Own Worst Enemy

2009-02-03T14:46:00.003-05:00

It's true. You are not your own best friend. You should be, but you're not. Neither am I, so you shouldn't feel that bad. But, we should work on changing the relationship we have with ourselves because it's vital to our happiness and our survival.

Today, my sister-in-law gave me one of the greatest gifts, she gave me permission to breathe. Thank you, Sarah, for sending me to the shower to sit in the tub with hot water beating against my body while Max napped and telling me to just breathe. Don't think. Don't judge. Don't suggest. Don't ask. Don't hope. Don't share. Just sit, breathe, visualize, and listen. I did, and something amazing happened. Answers to questions I've been asking for many, many months were shared in a few short moments. I was able to finally relax, to let go, and go forward with some direction. I feel more at peace at this moment than I have in a long time.

Why are we so hard on ourselves? Why do we expect perfection all the time and when we fall short, instead of being supportive and encouraging, as we would a friend, we punish, we condemn, we refuse to forgive? It's not a healthy or loving way to communicate with our self, and I vow to change it so that I can continue growing, loving, and supporting myself, my family, and my friends.

I'm tired of being my own worst enemy. It's time I start caring about and caring for the person I spend the most time with, me.

Max's Second Birthday..the BIG TWO!

2009-02-01T10:54:00.016-05:00

Max was so excited that it was HIS birthday. He kept singing, "Happy, happy, happy, happy!" and jumping around the room. He continued singing and clapping after the cake was brought out and insisted that I keep lighting the candles so he can blow them out over and over. He sang his "Happy Birthday" song for days afterward.
I'm just glad I was able to take some pictures because my mom let me borrow hers for a few weeks after our camera died on Christmas Eve. And, last year on Max's FIRST BIRTHDAY I forgot my camera when we celebrated at my mom's house, so my sister took pictures which she burned on a CD for me, and then the CD disappeared! Yep, no pictures of his first birthday. Bummer.
Happy number two Maxwell!!! We love you!!!

Max blowing out his two candles. I can't believe he's two already!

After he blew out the candles on the entire cake, then he wanted to blow them out on his individual piece. He's so satisfied here.

Looking sweet as can be with a wad of brownie in his mouth.

Max blowing out one of his candles for the fifteenth time. ha!

Who doesn't love to lick the frosting off of the candles??? It's one of his favorite things to do!

Max kept asking me to relight the candles over and over, and his piece of brownie kept getting smaller and smaller because every time he blew out the candle he'd eat a piece of brownie. This is the last little bit.

The end of many long months

2009-01-30T14:50:00.004-05:00

Sometimes I think that if we had the means to adopt I wouldn't be so obsessive about getting pregnant. But, for us right now, the only way to grow our little family is the "old fashion" way and it's not working! I'm frustrated. I typically wouldn't write about such a personal struggle, but I need to purge myself of my frustrations so that I can move forward (hopefully) somewhat more centered and peaceful. I get angry every month because every month, try as we might, there is never a positive sign. And, for so many, it seems so easy, so effortless, so unexpected. While for us it's aggravating, angering, and heartbreaking.
I know that we were blessed with one wonderful little boy, so I should be grateful and shut up! But I can't. I can't imagine Max being an only child. That doesn't feel right to me. And, I'm impatient so I want him to have a sibling now, not later. And, I'd love to adopt!!! But, it costs too much money. What's a family to do?
I have such unrealistic thoughts about why we can't get pregnant and it's beginning to make me feel a bit crazy. I need to find a way to let go of my desire to get pregnant, and be at peace with where I'm at and what's happening in my life at this exact moment. But how? The more you try to put it out of your mind, the more it creeps in and nags at you. I'm just tired of trying and failing. I'm tired of trying to make this happen with NO results. It's like running in place. I'm frustrated and tired and sad.

Word(s) of the day and I Had A Dream!

2009-01-28T13:27:00.002-05:00

Sea shells.
Sea horse.
blue paint.
paint eggs. (yes, we colored eggs today!)
Mama funny.
I want play mall.
Sasha's house.
No, me this!
Wow mamma.
Watch mamma, watch me this.
Get away!
Joke! (laughing) Me joke funny.
Eat else peese. No, me eat else!
Ummmm, no.
neat.
Happy feet.
Me in this.
Push mamma. Push me this.

At approximately 6am this morning I heard Max yelling from his bed, "Cho-cho broke! Cho-cho broke! No Nanny (our dog Anna)! Cho-cho broke!" So, I asked him after we woke up a bit if he was dreaming this morning. Max said, "Yes."
"What were you dreaming about?" I asked.
"Nanny me on cho-cho. Cho-cho broke." he replied.
"Wow," I said, "were you scared?"
"No," Max said and looked at me cautiously.
"I heard you yelling, 'Cho-cho broke,' this morning and was wondering what you were dreaming. Were you and Nanny okay?"
"Yes. Nanny cho-cho broke." Then he went back to eating his eggs.

So interesting that he even knew he was dreaming and that he could then recall a piece of it, the piece I had heard him yelling about. Crazy! I thought for sure he wouldn't know what I was asking him because the idea of a 'dream' is so abstract, but he got it. And, the other night he woke up screaming his head off and neither Isaac nor I could calm him down. He was rolling on the floor, yelling, crying, hitting us, and this went on for a good 15 minutes until Isaac came out and picked him up. I thought he was possessed he was so crazy out of control. It was kinda scary and he's done this a few times. I think he's in a really bad dream and has a hard time coming out of it.
So, the next morning I asked him if he remembered being so upset last night. (yes) Then I asked if he remembered what he was so upset about. (I was mad at mommy.) Ouch. I asked him why he was mad at me. (no response) So, I asked if he was still angry this morning. (no) Then he turned and hugged me. So cute and amazing that he could recall what he was feeling at that moment several hours before in his fit of rage. Wow.

So many things...

2009-01-26T15:35:00.002-05:00

There are so many things I want to rush to the computer to type so that I won't forget them knowing that if I wait until after Max is in bed, these cute happenings will have escaped my memory forever. And, that's exactly what's happened for many, many things.
But, this morning Max invited himself over to his friend, Sasha's house when we were playing with them at the library.
We rented the movie Happy Feet and he's been tap dancin' around the house saying, "Happy Feet, happy feet!"
He picks up so many words and phrases and movements on a moment to moment basis that it overwhelms me. I mean this morning I was explaining to him what we were going to do, and I would say one word, pause, then he'd say it, then I'd say another word, pause, and he'd copy that word. Amazing! It's so cool to see him learn so much so quickly. Then it got me to thinking about how I learn things...and, it blows me away, because I can't really figure out how I learn stuff anymore. I've been so shaped, molded, formed that I sometimes can't think outside of what's in front of me. I hope I can protect him from that for as long as possible.
He's very much in to answering, "Yes," to things right now, which is so much better than the alternative, "no."
He wanted to take Elmo into the bath with him last night and was so sad when I wouldn't let him. But instead of screaming he just hung his head and stuck out his lip and walked away.

OBAMA!!!

2009-01-24T16:40:00.007-05:00

Wow! What an exciting new year. What an exciting new presidency. What an exciting Inaugural Speech! I feel hopeful despite the bleak economic outlook for 2009. Obama has inspired me. He has inspired millions of people to take a hard look at themselves and their communities and ask themselves if they like what they see. If the answer is "no," as it is and has been for so many of us, then he is encouraging us to do something positive about it. He's asking us to become unified as a people, as a community, as the United States, and as the world to change those things that embarrass us, horrify us, despise us, shame us, make us turn away. And, this is the first time in my adult life that I feel proud to support him, as our President, and all others who are striving to make those changes, in the effort to create a more perfect union; a more perfect world.
I am proud of these United States for electing an African American president. I am proud that that man is intelligent, confident, family oriented, and has our interests at heart. I am proud to be part of this historical election. And, I am proud, for the first time in a long time to call myself an American.
For a bit of the humorous....Max LOVES Obama because I always shout, "Obama" when I see him picture on TV or somewhere in the world. My energy about this man, our new president, has rubbed off on my son. So, Max shouts "Obama" every time he sees his picture on TV or in a magazine, or on a poster, or, well, anywhere.
So, we're driving home last Tuesday to see Obamas' Inaugural Address and stop at Wendy's to get lunch. Suddenly, Max is saying, "Obama" over and over again from teh back seat. I turn to look at what he's pointing at and it's the Wendy's girl on his french fry container. I say, "Max, that's not Obama."
He says, "Yes, Obama," and smiles at me.
I ask, "Are you pretending that that's Obama?"
He nods then points at Wendy and says, "Obama!" again.
So, the other day we're driving with Courtney when we stop at a stop light. Max starts pointing and yelling, "Obama, Obama!" We both look to see what he's talking about and realize that he's pointing to Wendy on the sign for Wendy's! I couldn't stop laughing, and Max was laughing too!
Strange.

Oh boy, what a holiday!

2009-01-07T22:11:00.004-05:00

Sorry, but these pictures are a bit out of order...as I uploaded them they flipped everything upside down...so this is the end of our 10-day holiday extravaganza! It started out when I picked my sister, Sarah, up from the Detroit airport on Dec. 23. It took me an hour to get there because there was a snow/ice storm. After I picked her up we had to drive to Lansing which took us almost 4 hours! Poor Max was in a terrible state after he sat in the car for almost 6 hours just to get to Lansing. Argh!

We spent Christmas at the Fords in Lansing with my two sisters, one of which I only see twice a year, and then left for Tennessee to visit with Isaac's parents, and two of his sisters and their families on December 28th. We had an amazing time in Tennessee with family and friends. So amazing in fact that I'm wishing we were still there...or better yet that we lived there again!

Here we are cute as can be at the Bennett home in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Courtney and Angela, Isaac's older sisters.

Max laughing at grandma Bennett's chickens...they laid five eggs while we were there!

Grandma Bennett, Celeste, Aiden, and Connor hanging out in the warm sunshine.

My dad gave Max a pair of slippers and when he put them on he became a Christmas quarterback! He was running wild everywhere throwing the football with the Santa had on! It was awesome!

Max on Christmas Day...picture perfect!

On Christmas Eve Max was watching 'Nemo' with his "friends" the snowmen. It was so cute!

Here we are decorating the tree at my parent's house. Max loved helping put ornaments on the tree even when it pricked him. And, he really began to understand the idea of Santa and presents, which was fun.

Old friends

2009-01-07T22:07:00.003-05:00

Holidays with old friends.....Angie, Carolyn, Jacqui, Danielle, Nicole and I all went to high school together, and although we lost touch for a few years, we reconnected and I couldn't be more grateful for their friendship!

Angie, Carolyn, me, Jacqui, and Danielle

Carolyn, me, and Jacqui

Me and Nicole

Angie and I

Angie, me, and Danielle

Santa!!!

2008-12-16T12:48:00.004-05:00

Yesterday morning we went to Jungle Java, an indoor play place near our house, to see Santa. Max's friend, Sasha, went too and they were both a bit nervous to meet "the big guy." So, they held hands to comfort and encourage one another...so cute! After much prompting and explaining that Santa is not a bad man, Max finally shook Santa's hand and said "hello." The rest of the time we were there, Max kept a stern eye on Santa, as he wandered around talking to the children.

I didn't get a "santa" picture, but I hope this will help him not be as frightful of the man in the big red suit. A few weeks ago Courtney and I took Max and Lucas to the mall and happened upon Santa. While Lucas went up to tell Santa what he wanted for Christmas, Max made sure not to closer than 50 ft! He walked in a very well-measured radius around the man in the beard waiting for Lucas to finish his conversation. So funny.

I STILL can't figure this out!

2008-12-12T12:21:00.003-05:00

I'm going to have to have a tutorial because for the life of me I can not figure out how to get my friends/family blog sites to appeare anywhere on my page! So frustrated! I followed the directions that Amy and Carlen gave me, it saved the addresses, but they don't show up. Where did they go? Where are they? Why can't I see them? Because I'm retarded! Yes, I know that's not a politically correct term, nor is it considerate, but I'm pissed!

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-12T06:53:00.003-05:00

Max hugging my Santas after I chased him all around the house trying to take a picture I could use for holiday cards. What a stinker!

No body's home

2008-12-10T22:50:00.004-05:00

The other day Max and I went to Courtney's (my sis-in-law) to hang out for the day, but when we knocked on the door no one answered. We knocked again, waited, nothing. So, I called her home phone, left a message. Then, I called her cell phone and left a message. With no luck finding Courtney or Lucas, I turned to Max and said, "No body's home. Guess we have to get back in the car."
He looked at me, smiled, and asked, "What?"
So, I told him again, "No body's home."
Once again he smiled, and then started walking to the car saying, "No body's home, no body's home."
"That's right!" I exclaimed. Happy to hear him learn another word and phrase.
There we sat in the car waiting to see if Aunt Courtney would come home before we had to drive back to Farmington.
While playing in the car I suddenly had a panicked thought that something could be wrong and Courtney and Lucas could be in trouble, or worse! dead lying in the house! So, I decided to try knocking again. I banged as hard as I could on the door, when, wait....what did I hear? Footsteps! Yes! She was coming down the stairs....she peeked out the window....ah, she opened the door! Freedom! We have arrived.
Later that night Max wanted to show Isaac his "new" toys that Aunt Courtney and Lucas had given him. I said, "Max, tell daddy who gave you those cars."
And, he proudly replied, "Nobody!" Stunned I crinkled my nose and asked, "What? Who gave you those cars?"
Max stated again, "Nobody cars mommy."
Ah, this time I realized what he meant. He was calling Aunt Courtney "nobody," not because he didn't think she was deserving of a name or of recognition, but because I had told him that we were at "No body's house" yesterday and that's who gave him his treasured cars, "nobody." Ha!
Since then we've been working on saying "Aunt Courtney."

Ah, remembering California

2008-11-23T21:43:00.023-05:00

Man, these were good times! I love California!!!

I love my sisters!

In Malibu....

Sarah and I got a tattoo on our last day together...what a great adventure!

Where Do All the Squirrels Go?

2008-11-23T21:23:00.004-05:00

So, there was a very intense, horrifying, and somewhat humorous moment that occurred last week that I kept meaning to get on here and blog about, but when I have a spare moment I never seem to make the computer a priority. Let's see.....last Monday, I think it was, Max, the dogs and I returned from our morning romp at the park. I let the dogs out of the car and they both took off to the side yard after a squirrel. I didn't react because this is a common occurrence and typically no blood is shed. How wrong I was to assume that they would kindly let this dear little black squirrel continue living in the peace of the woods next to our home, no!, instead Asya comes trotting up to me with IT IN HER MOUTH! I started stammering, "Oh my. Oh my gosh. Oh gross! Oh no! Oh, let it go! Oh, Asya gross! Oh no she got a squirrel." Asya sees me panicking and starts wagging her tail proud of what she's done. Then she takes a few steps toward me, "NO!" I scream, "Stay! Drop! Drop it! Drop that squirrel!" And, she did. Stunned I quickly said, "Good girl. Leave it and come here." Leary that I or someone else was going to snatch her prize, she cautiously began to walk toward me and that's when it moved! The squirrel got up and started to run away. Asya saw it, turned, and in one snap had it back in her grasp. "ACH! NO! DROP! AHHHHH! I screamed, and that's when I realize that Max is standing behind me watching the entire thing!

So, I somehow managed to coheres Asya into dropping the squirrel once again and come close enough to me so I could grab her collar. We all ran into the house and shut the doors as if someone was after US. How ludicrous! That poor squirrel was either dead or dying in my front lawn and here I was pulling my curtains closed and peeking out the window as if I was being hunted. My rational was that I didn't want my son witnessing such a violent act. Whatever.

Max kept reenacting the squirrel trying to run away after Asya dropped it the first time and it was making me crazy. So, a few minutes went by and we glanced out the window again. Still there. Still lying there motionless. Darn!

A few more minutes......we peek again. Nope. Nothing. Then...wait....I think I saw the leg moving....YES! It did move! He picked his head up, then sat up, and slowly began testing each leg to make sure it was still attached and moving. A MIRACLE! A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE! That squirrel got up and walked away unharmed! How was that possible? I have no idea, but I was so glad that that's how it ended, because it could have been so much worse. Whew.

Frustrated and tired. Please help me.

2008-11-15T23:07:00.011-05:00

(This is from last November. Wow, time sure does pass.)

I've been trying to figure out how to list the blog sites of friends/family on the side of my blog page and I CAN'T FIGURE IT OUT! I've gotten four hours of sleep the last two nights and my eyes feel like a colony of red ants are feasting on them, so if someone would be so kind as to please enlighten me, I'd really appreciate it. Thank you. Ugh

On a positive note, since I've been trying to raise my consciousness and change my circumstance through positive thinking, I had an AWESOME day today! Max and I were visiting my parents and he was the perfect child for the entire day. I'm not sure what inspired this reformed (if I can call it that) toddler, but he played with his trains and the Little People my mom has from when my sisters and I were kids, for almost the entire day. He happily entertained himself and I got to have adult conversations that weren't interrupted every 5 minutes. It was, to say the very least, awesome. Man. Totally awesome. Thanks Max!

Oh, and my mom and I did a little Christmas and birthday shopping for Max which was completely fun. We had to keep reminding each other that we not only still had about five weeks left in which we could find good deals and didn't need to buy everything we saw at that moment, but neither one of us could stop oohing, awing, and giggling by the simple fact that we were surrounded by some of the coolest and most fun toys we've seen for years! Being a kid is fabulous, but being a parent who gets to pick out the toys knowing that you too will be able to play with them is even better.In the words of Max, "night."

Also from last November....

Last December........

Sigh. The cold is upon us.

2008-11-13T13:03:00.000-05:00

Here's Max! He's almost two and since we had awesome weather last week, we played out in the backyard and built a fire! It was almost like camping!!

We had a great week last week with temperatures in the 70's!!! and, now we're down in the 40's. SO, I'm slowly beginning to give in to the idea that winter is here and with that comes cold weather, rain, sleet, snow, wind, gray skies, and did I mention the cold!!! No, I don't hate Michigan, I just despise the gray skies that hang around from November through April...it gets exhausting and depresses me. But, with my husband's prompting I'm trying a new approach to this looming problem. I'm going to try to focus on positive things that occur rather than just the things that cause me frustration and depression. Genius! My first attempt at this was this morning. I awoke to gray skies, rain, and, wait for it.....wait for it....somewhat warm weather! Ah, a reason to smile! It's not freezing cold outside. Yay! I'm so happy! I hope I can hold on to this feeling forever, or at least for today and maybe through tomorrow, or until the next peek of sunshine blesses me with a few moments of warmth and exhilaration and the hope of spring. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Now on to more serious matters. Blogging. Hmmmm. I haven't really given this a try not because I'm against it, but because it's one more thing to keep up with and I'm not very good at journaling or keeping track of my life. However, the idea of being able to publish my writing and photos in a book has motivated me, so here I am venturing into unknown territory and doing it as gracefully as possible, which is to say it's not at all.

Here are a few pictures to get me started...I hear my little monster waking from his nap, so I'll have to come back later to continue my "sharing."

I love this picture because he was trying so hard to put his hat back on and just couldn't get it to work. He gave up and asked for help, which sounds so sad and pathetic. He looks at you with these big blue eyes, puts on the best pout he can muster, and says, "Help me mommy," in the the cutest little whine you've ever heart. It causes my heart to melt and my laughter to jump from my throat....every time I laugh no matter how frustrated I am or how chaotic it is when he asks...it causes the same reaction every time. I love it!

And...here he is kicking the soccer ball and running with all his might. He's going to be a fierce athlete and competitor. He does not like to lose...even if it is to the dog!

Later!