Weekend Rush

Our weekend was over before we knew it and we barely had time to sit down!  Friday night Max was invited to Hayden's birthday party, so we spent the night eating pizza and cake and playing with friends before heading home late.  I am pretty sure they each spent about $10 on "winning" little rubber bouncy balls in the vending machines at Campioni's.  Where am I gonna put them all? 

Saturday morning brought soccer pictures and Max's second game.  He's not as aggressive on this team (it's all boys, which is new, and we are  playing him up a year so most kids you can tell are just older and more into it...) but he's doing great and really loving it this season!  ps- he'd probably want you to know that they are lime green and dubbed the Green Slimers (thank you Nickelodeon). 

On Saturday afternoon Chris and I took Max and Drew to see the Shriner's Circus at UD Arena.  Tickets were generously offered to us by Mr. Robbins and we were quick to jump on them!  I think I went to a circus when I was younger; Chris never remembers going.  Max has never been but thought the idea of it was dreamy!  We had the greatest seats, 8 rows up!  Max had a fun, fun, FUN time!  His three favorite things were 1) the trapeze family, 2) the show horse and 3) the monkey routine.  He genuinely cracked up at the monkeys when they would "trick" the trainer and slap him in the face, or pinch his butt, etc.  Some of those acts are seriously amazing!  It was a great show!

Here come the tigers... and Max's excitement!

Cotton candy for all!

With a clown

Face painting

Amazed by the trapeze!

Finally on Sunday, Nicole and I ran our 5th consecutive March for Babies run for the March of Dimes.  The last few years we have chosen the Cincinnati run only because it's more organized and it's twice as long, but we've always been frustrated that at times (running over a bridge, going through Great American Ballpark, etc.) you inevitably get caught in single file line behind walkers because there are just so many people... we wanna run!  This year we were smart!  We got way up in front of the starters and took off... so we were only behind a few people... and we got to run, run, RUN!  I am proud to announce to all my sponsors that I ran all 6.2 miles in 44 minutes!  I have never timed myself on a 10K before so I didn't know what to expect.  I want to take a minute to personally thank everyone who kindly and generously contributed to this fundraiser for me.  I almost doubled my goal this year thanks to...

Mom, Grandma, Billie, Jeanene, Amy, Carrie, Mary, Kristi, Patti and Kara.

It is an important cause and it means a lot to me that you would help!  xoxo

Finally on Sunday we took Max to Sycamore to register for swim team.  Oh my.  You should see this swim suit we had to buy.  I mean, talk about a tight Speedo!  At least it comes to his knees but still... DANG!  He tried on a few sizes and we opted for the bigger, even though the reps said "it will collect more water if it's bigger and hinder his swim."  Good grief, he's 5, I am pretty sure they won't be RACING!  Plus, this way maybe we can get 2 years out of it... they are pricey little things!  Max also got to enjoy 2 dishes of ice cream and see his friends while we were there for the social. 

Now it's time to wind down and get ready for a new week.  We have a packed one ahead as well!  Kindergarten screening, dentists appointments, play dates, soccer practices and more!!!  Only one month of school left, too....  :( 

Field Trip!

Max's class took a field trip to Cox Arboretum today... I was one of 5 mothers who chaperoned and drove some of the kids in my car.  I didn't know what to expect but it was so fun!  The class split into two groups and the kids had a wonderful guide teaching them about native Ohio plants and trees and flowers!  We all learned why most flowers are purple or pink (because those colors attract bees most), that the Buckeye Tree actually has flowers on it in the spring, before the buckeyes grow (who knew?) and I learned that I MUST get some lamb's ears (I'm sure that is not their official name) to plant in my flower beds; they are just as the name suggests,  lamb's ear-shaped leaves that are super soft to the touch.  The kids voted that lilacs smell delicious and geraniums stink,  (I concur) ran through a maze of bushes, saw lots of bees and ducks, and had their snack and a picture taken before we headed back to school.

Max finds a flower

smelling stinky geraniums

Max and Kaylee HAD to be in the front with the guide

Max (his new buzz cut) and Kaylee

maze 

the whole class

I'm so glad I am able to go be part of Max's classroom experience like that!  It was a fun day for sure.  And after school, Max invited Carley Breehne over for 3 hours of playing.... I found them like this out on the trampoline after I had gone inside for a bathroom break... they said they were "hot".  (note, it's 65 outside-- not hot)

Easter 2010

Happy Easter!!!  We had a great one!  We started celebrating a week early with the YMCA Easter Egg Hunt; yes that is the one I vowed last year I would never do again.  I caved.  This year it was much more organized, THANK GOODNESS!  You can kinda pick out Max, Kenleigh and Hayden in this picture below...  in the middle, looking at the camera...

They had a great time!  There were 8000 eggs this year; needless to say they all got big baskets full!  No problem!  

The day before Easter we got to go to the club for an egg hunt and kids brunch with the Easter Bunny.  Max LOOOOOVED it.  Kids were divided by age and sent out.  For each age group there was one gold and one silver egg hidden.  If you found that egg you received a special gift from the Easter Bunny.  All of these kids are running around, baskets flopping, eggs falling out, etc. and then I look up and see Max running toward me with THE SILVER EGG!!!  I was so lucky to get a picture of him sprinting toward me... look at his face.  THAT is pride!  So funny!  His special prize was a fishing board game.  Yes, we had to play it about 4893423 times when we got home.  :)  He finished the egg hunt with a hug from the Easter Bunny and lunch... a big ol' hamburger shaped like a flower, fruit, cookies and mac-n-cheese.  

On Easter morning, I heard Max get up at 6am.  He is always the first one awake at our house but seriously?  6am?  He was content to sit on the couch and watch tv and "ignore" his Easter basket by the front door though... until I felt bad just lying there so we got up with him.  He asked the Easter Bunny at the mall for a new bike this Easter, so in his basket he found candy, Spongebob golf balls, a Power Rangers coloring book... and a toy bike.  It was a trick but  he was so happy to have it.  He had no idea what was waiting for him in the garage and even said "oh, this bike is perfect, just what I wanted".  Is that sweet or what?  He also said "This is the BEST Christmas ever!!!"... NO WONDER he woke up at 6am; he was as excited as if it were Christmas morning!  Anyway, I asked him to help me feed Gary in the garage so we went out; he didn't notice the bike at first but when he did he said "WHAT-IN-THE-WORLD?" and jumped on... 6:30 am now... outside riding in undies and a t shirt in the cold!  

On Sunday afternoon we had the whole family over to our house for lunch.  We don't all get together as a big group often and it's very rare that EVERYONE can be at the same place at the same time so it was our pleasure to have all 23 people over to eat and hunt for eggs and celebrate Easter.  Max loved having all his cousins here.  The weather cooperated perfectly!  It was 75º and it hadn't rained in days so our grass-straw-dirt lawn didn't turn to mud!  We ended up hiding 146 eggs filled with candy, toys and $ and sent the younger kids out!  They found every single one!  Miracle!!  

We had a wonderful  Easter!  We were reminded of God's love for us and got to celebrate with those we love most!  What a way to end an awesome spring break!  Today... it was back to school!  :)

Spring Breaaaaaaaaak!

Oh wow.  We couldn't have dreamed up better weather for spring break!  I mean, we are talking record-breaking heat with full-on sun!  WOO HOO!!!  Who's ready for summer?  (me!)

Max has had a great time this week... if he's not constantly with a friend or being entertained, he is "BOOOOORED".  So far he's enjoyed an egg hunt at the YMCA (pics to come with our Easter blog post later this weekend), having a friend sleep over, a trip to the Columbus zoo, aaaaaand... his first 9 holes at Sycamore Creek Country Club.  

Late on Wednesday we went to SCCC so Chris and Max could play 9 holes together.  Yes, I hit a few... maybe I should say "hit" in quotes cause even though they got off the ground, they sure didn't go far.  Max did great though!  He really really loves it!  He is very curious about the game; he wants to know who is winning, why the lowest score wins, why we have to be quiet, how the golf balls get cleaned, when he can hit his "big bad boy" (aka, driver), etc.  He LOVES that they have sno-cone cups near the water stations, too!  Bonus!  

He didn't play all 9, but he played most of them.  Next year he'll be old enough for the junior golf league, too!  He still says he wants to be a tennis player when he grows up, but seriously golf is the sport he seems to have the most genuine interest in... which is a great thing, as I see it.  Golf is a good "life-skill" to have!  Enjoy the pics I took with my phone!  Doesn't he look darling?