Around Here

This post is going to kind of be a photo dump of sorts...but they are all pretty cute photos of 

Max...so who can really complain?  Certainly not me.  This kid has been giving us a run for 

our money lately...meaning I guess that this whole parenting thing just got a little more real. 

He's not a tiny ball of mush anymore...I actually have to discipline and teach him

how to be a good person (which as it turns out is kind of hard). He's as stubborn

as he is sweet...and once he makes he makes his mind up about something...

he's hard to convince otherwise. 

Bath time happens here every night.  I know not

everyone does this...but for us, it's just part of his

routine.  Papa Rob almost exclusively handles bath time. 

And I just rush around and put away laundry, straighten up

downstairs, or load up his diffuser with oils. Max almost

always wants me to "wrap him up" though...and then I 

carry him into his room while he giggles and giggles. 

Try to ignore the paci in this picture and just focus

on that wicked part Papa Rob gave him. He looked

like a little business man.  His business would be

something where he can negotiate (of course) because

that's what he's good at.  Just one more show mommy...

Just a little more juice mommy...  I need two suckers mommy...

You get the idea.  

My awesome parents brought me a Cinnabon

to eat for breakfast last week.  It's safe to say 

that everyone at work was jealous. 

And man, those things are delish!

Max LOVES making forts....like

all day every day. He made the above

fort with Grandpa and then when I got home

he said, "Grandpa makes his fort a little different mommy". 

And I of course assured him that different is awesome!

He uses literally every pillow off the couch and chairs

and drapes that huge Costco fleece blanket over

everything and it does end up being pretty cozy. 

I met Max and my parents at Canes for lunch 

last week.  They are promoting "Buddy the elf"

and naturally Max just wanted to put his head in the hole

for a picture. I'll take it. Max loves the garlic bread at Canes

and the fries.  He probably ate one bite of chicken for every five fries. 

Who can blame him...they are yummy. 

We finally bought some dry erase markers for his easel

and he can usually be found drawing circles

and practicing his "name" (which as it turns out

is just a lot of up and down scribbles that look like mountains). 

This morning he ate a whole bagel...

with cream cheese that he insisted on spreading himself

(i just waved the white flag of surrender on that)...

and then he ate one whole banana and yogurt. 

Growing much?

With Thanksgiving approaching it was necessary

to make hand print turkeys.  Max was pretty into this...

wanting to paint his hand "all by himself"... and we

had a few good turkeys turn out. 

Lately while Max naps, I have been enjoying hot chocolate

with half the cup full of marshmallows and just a splash

of peppermint creamer. Try it.  You'll like it. 

When I got tired of playing "fort" - I suggested we make 

a tunnel instead for all his cars to go through. Max jumped on this 

idea and then we lined up all the cars and had a giant traffic jam. 

We went back to COSI this past weekend.... I'm all 

about whatever is going to wear him out. Running around, 

jumping, and pounding pegs will do just that. 

COSI was also having their "model train weekend" - and Max

was in heaven. Literally we sat and watched the trains for like twenty minutes 

(which is something of a record for a toddler I think). We also completed

a train floor puzzle, got a train tattoo, drew on the giant train coloring page, 

and then watched the hard core garden railway society train set ups some more. 

Auntie Stacy came over for dinner on Sunday! She brought Max 

a new book that he has since requested ever night and a new

winter water bottle that is also in heavy use rotation around 

the Hauck's nest. Can I just say how awesome it is to have a 

sister?  Thanks mom and dad. 

(But, also don't use that against me when Max remains 

an only child :) 

Max's two and half year well check (30 months if you're still counting)

was yesterday.  He has suddenly decided the doctor's office 

is "scary" and basically wanted nothing to do with the whole thing. 

I bribed him with a sucker to get on the scale and get measured. 

(Rest assured I'm not above bribery). 

He is 34 pounds and 38 inches tall. 

When the nurse said 38 inches it felt like someone punched me in the gut

a little bit - where is my baby?  How are you over three feet in height??

The rest of the appointment went okay - he let

the doctor look in his ears and put on the flouride treatment. 

But was NOT pleased about his flu shot. Like, pissed as hell is a more

accurate description. Let's hope some time passes before

we have to go back to the doctor because I feel that's all he will remember. 

And finally, we had our "turkey of the year" luncheon yesterday. 

It's a time where we gather everyone in our education department

and nominate our co-workers for all the stupid crap that they may 

have been a part of during the year. Thankfully I had zero nominations (this year)

and everyone loved my macaroni and cheese! Also, we found

a selfie stick and kind of went crazy with it. 

I got zero work done yesterday but I had tons of fun...

sometimes you just need those days. 

till next time...

xoxo