Beautiful Day

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day outside. It was in the 7o's and breezy all day. My college roommate was supposed to visit today but her daughter got sick so we'll have to reschedule for another time. So, we decided to head to Adventure playground to play and Kyle had a great time as usual! We ran into a friend and her boys from MOPS and had a great time playing and talking. In the afternoon we decided to make chocolate chip cookies and Kyle discovered that he loves cookie dough! It turned out to be a nice, relaxing day even though our plans changed.

Yummy

We got some fresh from the garden squash and zucchini this week and tonight Jason made Summer Squash Pancakes for dinner. They were the most delicious pancakes I've ever tasted so I thought I'd share the recipe. Jason wanted me to be sure to add that you can't possibly recreate what he did, though, because he added a secret ingredient! :)

Summer Squash Pancakes

3 cups grated yellow summer squash
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 medium clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 cup biscuit mix
dash pepper
milk, as needed

Enjoy!

Daddy's work picnic

Daddy's work picnic was this afternoon/evening. Every year this is a big hit with Kyle! They had lots of fun games like mini-golf, horseshoes, ping-pong and basketball. Kyle LOVED the moon bounce and spent most of his time jumping in there! They also had a little playground and lots of yummy food! Kyle's favorite part of the meal was his orange popsicle for dessert! Max enjoyed watching everything and laughing at his big brother!

Tot Lot Playgroup

Today we went to Jasper's house. It was a good size group today. We saw Jasper (of course), Yael, Alexander and Jack, Brennan and Clayton, and Micah and Sara. We played inside for awhile and then headed outside for a picnic lunch and some outdoor fun! The big hit of the day was the rocket stomper. You stomp on it and the rockets fly into the air or the tree or the roof or wherever they happen to land! :) Everyone brought yummy food to share and we had a great time!

Playdate

Today we went to visit our friends Lana, Lauren, and Carmen. Lauren and Kyle had a blast playing together! They played lots of games - Hi Ho Cherry-O, Little Bear Game, and several card games. They also acted out 5 Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed (only this time it was the couch)! And in general just had fun being silly together. We enjoyed lunch together and Kyle loved the fudge pops for dessert! It was nice to talk with Lana. It's hard for her to get out much with Carmen (the little girl with Tay Sachs) so we come to her as often as we can. Carmen is not doing well - her doctors and nurses don't think she has much time left. It's so sad and yet so sweet to see the relationship between Lauren and Carmen. Lauren loves her little sister so much. While we were there she went up to her numerous times and just hugged her - so cute!

The words of a 3 year old

Here are some funny things Kyle has said recently . . .

"I wish I could eat pizza and pasta and macaroni and cheese all the time!"

"Is that worm dead? Did someone dead it outside?"

"This blue ice cream is refreshing!"

"When I'm a fish can I hide under a rock?"

"Is that a picture of Max when he's bigger?" (referring to a picture of one of our cousins)

"When I'm a people can I have soda?" (He still insists he's not a person yet, just a kid)

"Is this my mustache?" (pointing above his lip)

"Is it tomorrow?"

Fair Fun

Today we went to the Montgomery County Agricultural Fair. Jason came home from work early and we went after Max's afternoon nap and spent about 3 hours at the fair. It was a lot of fun! We saw lots of animals - sheep, cows, goats, pigs, chickens, and rabbits. Kyle got to pet a rabbit and a cow and told all the animals that he loved them. He also got to feed a sheep. The whole family rode the ferris wheel - Kyle has been talking about this for quite some time and loved it! Kyle also rode on a big slide twice with Daddy and the carousel and dragon roller coaster with me. We got cotton candy and lemonade for a treat! Kyle also played two games. He went fishing in a pond and won a toy car and he played a water gun game and won a stuffed monkey. Max was great and fascinated with all the spinning rides, especially the carousel. He was exhausted by the time we got home and went right to sleep! It was a great day!

Max 9 months

Today was Max's 9 month well baby check up. He's doing great! He now weighs 18lbs. 12oz. (25th percentile) and is 28 1/2 inches long (50th percentile). Fortunately he only had to get one shot today, instead of the 4 he got the last several times, so it wasn't quite as traumatic for him. He smiled and charmed the nurse and the doctor while we were there. We're going to try to wean him of the prevacid that he's been taking for his reflux. I've been a bit concerned about his slow physical development, but the doctor is not worried. He said he is a bit behind, but he's developing on the slow side of NORMAL - he emphasized this point to reassure me, I'm sure. He's right on track with intellectual and social development. I'm so grateful that he's finally on a schedule as well. He sleeps through the night (or sometimes wakes up once) and takes 2 naps a day at predictable times. He also eats 3 meals a day. He's more interested in solid food than bottles now, however not at all interested in finger foods, so we'll just keep trying. He's a healthy, happy little guy and we're enjoying every minute with him!

Baby Dedication

Today we had Max dedicated to the Lord at our church, Church of the Redeemer. It's similar to a baptism, but it is our prayer and statement of faith that we will raise Max in a Christian home until he is of the age to make the choice for himself, at which time he would be baptized. Our whole family stood in front of the entire congregation as we prayed for Max. I was a little nervous to see how both boys would do, but they both did great! Kyle was very good and stood quietly the whole time and carried Max's bible and certificate that he received for him like a good big brother. Max was quite fascinated with our pastor, Pastor Dale. It was very cute the way he stared up at him the whole time mouth open and all. And he was quite fascinated with the high ceilings, lights, and television monitors in our church. Kyle was excited that he finally got to sit through part of our service with us. He always wanted to see where Pastor Dale talks and now he knows! After the dedication we took both boys to their classes and enjoyed the rest of the service.

Visiting Ma and Pa

Today we went to Ma and Pa's house for a visit. We also saw Uncle Mike and his new girlfriend, Jane. It was a nice, relaxing day. Kyle had fun playing with all the toys that Ma and Pa now have at their house for him - trains, games, coloring books, and balls. He got a couple presents - metal Rosie and Lego Gordon - which he was quite excited about! They set up the Cars swimming pool for him to play in as well. We had lots of yummy food as always! And Max was fascinated by the high ceilings and fans at their house. It was a beautiful day outside so we were all able to spend some time out there. Kyle told us on the way home "I like going to Ma and Pa's house - it's so fun there!"

Brotherly Love: Part 2

Playdate

Today our friends Liz, Micah, and Sarah invited us to play at Micah's preschool playground. It's a very spacious playground with shade and lots of fun things to do! There were slides, climbing structures, tire swings, regular swings, sandboxes, and other "rides" unique to the playground. It was a fairly hot morning, but we managed to get cooled off by the brief, passing thunderstorm in the middle of our time there. Some of us took cover, while Micah and Kyle had fun running around in the rain getting drenched! Most of the time was spent playing, but they did take a break for a quick snack. Max enjoyed watching and even ate his lunch while we were there. It was a very nice morning!

Brotherly Love

Just thought I'd post a few cute pictures of the boys! Max has adored his big brother for quite some time now and Kyle is now returning his affection. He's been giving him lots of hugs and kisses and tells him "I love you Max" quite often. It's very sweet!