We'll just see how long I stay! :-) It's been over a year since my last post, and I've been so horrible about not documenting those little moments that happen so frequently around here that I would like to remember. Finally decided to go ahead and post some of our fun times here so I can remember them. I can' believe how fast this summer (well, this year) has gone! It's September!!!! My favorite time of the year since my birthday is a week away and fall is just around the corner!!! I love everything about fall! It's such a sensory wonder! It's beautiful canvas of color, the crispness of the leaves under my feet and the wind on my skin, the tastes and smells of apple cider and roasted veggies! YUM! I can't wait to break out my long sleeved t-shirts and jeans!
As much as I love everything about the fall, I also am really, really enjoying experiencing all of these things (and many others) in the eyes of my sons! I can't believe Zach is 3 1/2 already. He's already asking for snow and if it's Christmas yet, because he knows he'll turn 4 after Christmas!!! And Max will be 11 months soon. I can't believe that one at all. Some days I feel like I was just pregnant! But he is such a happy kid and I love seeing him experience new things!
Where was I again? I'm already going off subject! Didn't I start this post with the intent to remember what was happening in the day to day life of our family? All I've done so far is look toward the future!!! While that's good and all, I'll get to some things I'd like to remember some day when I'm out frolicking in the leaves with my boys!!!
Zach is such a good little guy and such a great big brother!!! He is so caring, helpful, protective, and loving to Max. It's funny that he'll let Max play with his toys, but he's actually pretty good at knowing which of his toys are too small for Max to play with. If he sees Max playing with a small toy or trying to get a cord from a lamp, Zach will redirect him or call out for me to move him. Not usually in a mean way, but it's just so cute. Although, he does sometimes say, "No, Max. Bad, bad, bad." That always makes me chuckle! This week Zach has mastered pedaling his tricycle! We were able to ride to and from his preschool today (it's 3 houses away from ours!). It helped that Papa put his Spider Man horn on for him this week. And let me tell you, I think the whole cul-de-sac knew we were coming! Next week, Zach is starting preschool. WOW! We went and dropped off our supplies today and got to see the classroom. When we entered the classroom, his teacher made a comment and Zach said his famous phrase, "Don't say me that." Translation is, don't say that - but you somehow lose the rolling of the eyes with the translation! Apparently, that phrase is spoken by his teacher's daughters often as they imitate Zach at their house - how funny!! Zach's favorite things these days: going to the pool, SuperHeroes of any kind (he got a Wolverine figure from McDonald's the other day and he's never heard of him or seen him before -- so he named him "Buster." Cracked me up - what a great super hero name!!), he loves reading, and has recently started making the letter "Z" and is very proud of himself (as are we)!!! He's a great little kid and even though he's only quiet when he sleeps these days, I love him so much!!!
Max is such a hoot! He's quiet and happy. He's mastering all kinds of new things each day. His FAVORITE thing is Cheerios! I'm pretty sure he could eat a box every 2 days if I let him! He gets so excited when he sees that yellow box come out of the pantry! I feel kind of bad as I've been trying to plan his 1st birthday party in October. I can't really think of anything he really likes or has favorites of (rather than Cheerios). And I don't think a Cheerios themed 1st birthday would be all that much fun, well maybe. But he is just so easy going. He is crawling everywhere. And his poor knees from our hard wood floors must be hurting because he does a funny crawl half the time where one foot is on the floor and the other knee is on the floor. Crazy, but he can move fast. And he's so quiet that I joke that we lose him several times a day! He'll entertain himself and be playing in a corner and we won't even know he's there. He now has 5 of the sharpest teeth ever. I'm sure the 6th one will be out soon, but I think we've gone through 7-12 bibs a day for the last 2 months. Luckily teething doesn't seem to bother him, too much. Generally Max will talk (babble) throughout the day and loves to imitate me when I hum to him at bedtime. He loves playing peek-a-boo and doing "so big!" He can sign "more" and we're working on "all done" which I think he'll get soon. We've just introduced sippy cups and he's doing pretty well with them. It's hard to tell because he's been refusing bottles lately, too. He has a lot of fun sitting on his butt and spinning in circles and will eat anything you put in front of him! Although, pureed baby food is getting turned down more and more lately. Guess that's a good thing though. He's such a kind and happy spirited little guy. I love every little inch of that kid!!!
Anyway, I've rambled on and on long enough tonight. Hopefully I'll be back here again sometime soon with a more cohesive thought process. For now, these are the things that make me smile!
:-)
Getting ready to go outside Sunday night, just after it began to snow. Good thing Grandma bought lots of snow gear "just in case"!!!
Outside in the cul-de-sac playing with and watching the neighbor girls! 
Enjoying his first real Virginia snow!!!
He even had to go down the icy slide! He had a blast!!!
He got so impatient waiting for me to bring the peel down to eat the rest of the banana, he decided to try the peel. Good news is that he didn't actually bite it off! Crazy little guy!!!