Max's 1st Haircut

It's so crazy that this time last year Max was rocking a pretty intense chrome dome.

Did you forget?  Let me remind you.

 

(poor thing ... the light is reflecting off his bald head)

 

You see - although he was born with a full head of dark hair...by about week four it

started falling out (especially on the top and up front). 

 

(starting to grow a little peach fuzz on top)

 

Thankfully this phase didn't last too long and in a matter of a month or two he was starting to re-grow it. And it kept growing....and growing! When we went to Florida in November of 2013, we joked that the humidity was turning it curly.  

(the curly hair starts to emerge!)

 

But, the joke was actually on us - because around month 10 we really began to see the curls!  And lots of them.  And I not so secretyly LOVED them.

You see - people had been telling me forever how he just looked like a mini Rob. 

And, while it was true and adorable...when the curly hair showed up,

it was like I had passed on a little piece of me!

(But, hopefully with less hair products and years of angst

trying to figure out the best way to manage the curls).

(another side note:  everyone also says his eyes look so much like mine...)

 

Fast forward to about a month ago and I really began to notice how big his hair was getting.

But, I couldn't even bare to think about getting it cut. I love it so much. I worry (probably too much) that it won't be curly forever. Rob always brushes it flat in the bath and then I do my best to rough it back up when I'm drying him off. And, I'm elated when I get him from the crib in the morning and the curls are back in full force!

 

Then, I started noticing how the curls had started to crop up over his ears and sometimes he would play with them.  Maybe they annoyed him? And, then when we were in Oregon I began to notice that at times his hair would be a little Bozo clown looking.

 

All this to say - last Saturday found Mr.Max at Salon Lofts in Dublin in the chair of my stylist.

Everyone had warned me that I would cry.  (I didn't). And also to save some of the locks (I did). They also warned that he would no longer look like my baby...but a big boy.  I had prepared myself for all of these things.  But, when the time came - I didn't have chance to really worry.  It was all over in a matter of about 10 minutes.

 

 

I sat on the chair - Halley put the cape on and Max sat in my lap. Halley sprayed him down (which went suprisingly well because he doesn't like getting his hair wet in the bath).

 

 

 

We quickly talked about how we just wanted a trim. 

She happily agreed and that's just what we got. 

 

 

His hair has more of a blended look now (instead of looking just "big").

But, the best news - it's STILL CURLY! 

and, I think that helps him still look like my baby. And less like a growing toddler.

Which is fine by me.

 

p.s. the suggestion ice cream afterward (by Papa Rob) didn't hurt either!

 

(two peas in a pod...I swear)

Xoxo 



Franklin Park Conservatory

In a perfect world, I would be on top of all things bloggin' related but alas...I am not.

Does this picture make up for it?

My excuses are as follows: 

1.) my toddler had hand, foot, and mouth and it was like living in hades

2.)  I watch a lot of television at night

3.) I was especially tired last week

4.) someone else's kid at daycare got hand, foot, and mouth

and I spent a great deal of time googling the crap out of the phrase

"can you get hand foot and mouth again"

(turns out you can - depends on the strain you got the first time)

4.) my computer is 10 years old and on it's last leg

(anyone want to send me a Christmas in July present? I will love you forever. But, chances are, if you already read this blog - I'm going to love you forever anyway).  Are computers cheap? I don't know.

I digress...

The Hauck family left the nest last weekend...and it was so, SO fun!

Perhaps becuase we had spent a week previous inside and going no where because

we wanted to keep our germs to ourself.

Or maybe, because we got to eat lunch at DiBella's subs (in Columbus!!)

but mostly because we went to Franklin Park Conservatory.

The main attraction here is all of the beautiful flowers organized in their respective habitats but for a couple months they also play host to lots of beautiful butterflies!

(This little lady is called a blue morph - because when it opens those

drab brown wings, you see the most beautiful, shimmery wings!)

And - they have also added a "maze" to help teach you about the

butterfly's life cycle and challenges it faces in the wild.

Max was loving walking all over the place.

And, there was something to climb on, spin, stick your face in etc. at every turn

so it really kept him quite interested.

(Max started out as a tiny caterpillar, then made a chrysallis,

and then turned into a beautiful butterfly!!)

(Spin the wheel to find out your butterfly fate!)

We actually spent wayyyy more time here than I thought we would.

Max comandeered his stroller and wanted to "drive" it all over the place.

And then we decided to stay for the butterfly release at 1:30!

Of course, the later we stayed - the more we gambled with afternoon nap time.

So, in the end - we saw one butterfly get released, and you know what?

It was pretty cool.

(This is Max's "where are all the butterflies?" face)

Anyway ... it was a fantastic morning/afternoon and made me more inclined to be a little more adventurous when planning activities and forgo our predictable walks to our neighbor playgrounds and branch out. A little bit. In fact, we bought a family membership...so it's pretty much a guarantee.

I mean, how can we deny this little face??

ha! over and out.

xoxo



Zuchinni Lovers

I like to pretend that in a former life I was a legit pioneer woman.  Somewhere between Laura Ingalls and Dr. Quinn medicine woman (have I mentioned my love for those two lately?  If not, your welcome.).  But, this is not fantasy land...so the real truth is that we have been bumbling our way through gardening. How do the real gardners do it?  I can barely remember to water the three zuchinni plants we do have -all the while fighting off the dreaded blight that seems to have taken up residence on their leaves? Teach the commoners, please! 

 

Anyway, all the bumbling is totally worth it because as I dip my gardening gloves into the dirt and slowly figure out what the heck I'm doing..I actually have some zuchinni to show for it!  Here's how it went down.  I purchased three zuchinni plants from my beloved Oakland Nursery back in May. (Jokes on me though as one of them turned out to be a summer squash).  

Papa Rob planted them and then we crossed our fingers. 

Actually, I watered them, checked on them fourteen times once a day, and even googled "sqush blight"...all the while Max was not so secretly ripping off their leaves.

But, soon enough - we started to see baby zuchinnis (as evidenced below)!

 

Well, we waited and waited and waited some more. This zuchinni growing business is not easy people. And I'm not patient...so you know I was out there like #alldayerryday

But - they got bigger and bigger and bigger.

Then, I forgot to pick the one blight survivor before we left for Oregon. 

Imagine my surprise when we got back and it was even BIGGER! 

  (Below is Max - charging over and demanding me to pick the zuchinni...it was time!)

 



 

Then, Max was all "get in the kitchen Mama and make me some bread!"

Just kidding he was like, "buh bye-oh no no, mama mama mama"

But, I did get in the kitchen and turned to my favorite Pinterest app for a recipe :)

 

The zuchinni had gotten so big that everything I read said that it wouldn't

be very flavorful.  The best option was to grate it and use it in bread. 

I used all my muscles and grated that thing till there was four cups of zuchinni to show for it.

 

 

Grate, Mix, Pour, and Bake - Done!

As you can see from the image below - my tiniest culinary critic throughly enjoyed it.

In fact, he enjoyed it so much that it was gone in about three days! 

Silly boy!

 

 

We're hoping that the four baby zuchinni that are still growing will survive the blight

and more bread will be in our future.

 

If you need us - we'll be watching the zuchinni

xoxo

some of my favorite days

 

a few months ago, Papa Rob, Grandpa Jim and I started scheming about a trip to Oregon.
It was (and still is) important to me that Max get to see his grandparents

and the area where his dad grew up.
and all Max wanted was to see Grandpa Jim! (and maybe his pacifier).
so we went. and it was one of my most favorite times ever as a family.
I tried to lower my expectations since we were traveling with a toddler.

but, we managed to fit in everything!
it was perfect with all its imperfections.

 

 

 

 

we walked to the splash pad. 

we played in the spray!

I saw pure joy on Max's face.

He loved climbing on the rocks.

He loved the teeter totter at the playground.

 

 

 

 

turns out grandparents have lots of fun new toys.

Max loved the water table.

Especially the waterslides on the table.

And dumping water out of the table.

And having multiple outfit changes a day.

 

 

We drove the coast.

I got to walk on my beloved Cannon Beach and squish my sand between my toes.

Papa Rob found me a BIG starfish!

We showed Max lots of tidepools with green sea anemones.

We touched all the mussel shells.

We watched Papa Rob splash in the cold surf up to his knees.

We spied on puffins and common muirs (life birds for me!)

We ate at Moe's...yummy clam chowder for Papa Rob!

 

 

 

 

 

We explored the Oregon Zoo.

It was hot, hot hot.

Max fell in love with goats all over again.

We saw the Condor exhibit.

Of course we went to the photobooth.

 

 

 

We got to spend time in the Columbia employee store. 

Somehow I didn't buy a thing...but Papa Rob and Max got some great deals!

Lunched at Deschutes Brewery.

Walked a bit in the Pearl.

Hit up the Ducks store for some new Oregon gear!

Tried on a foam finger :)

Shopped the local farmers market.

Oregon Berries are so fresh and yummy!!

 

 

Got to shop at Bridgeport.

Spent twenty minutes alone in Anthropologie...just browsing..it was heaven.

Played around at the toy store.

Got free balloons...and hours of fun!

Ate frozen yogurt :)

 

 

 lots of cousin time.

Met new family and made new friends.

enjoyed coffee

and strolling.

 

 

 

 

 

we enjoyed each other.

we enjoyed fresh peas from the garden.

and special peanut butter.

And delicious ranch dressing (thanks for the recipe Grandma Sugar!)

Max discovered bean dip and tortilla chips and ate his weight in them.

 

 

we held hands

we drank

we laughed

we relaxed (Grandpa Jim and Grandma Sugar's deck is amazing!!)

we explored.

we loved with big hearts.

it was so hard to leave....

and I'm already dreaming of our next trip.

XOxo