Good Tidings

Happy Easter!

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail

It was a hoppin' Easter weekend for Max and Co.......

Laura and John Eifler hopped into town for a quick overnight visit. It was a crazy time with broom chasing, steam shovels, tickles, and the creation of this season's hottest new look - pelt on head! 

On Saturday, Max hippity-hopped to an Easter Egg Hunt. By the end, Max finally got into the thrill of the chase, but unfortunately he was hunting other children's baskets instead of eggs! 

Then, it was hop-hop-hop to Furman for some spring pictures with the blooming tulips. However, my little bunny was not in a cooperative mood!

On the Homefront

Home, sweet home! Mommy, Grammy, and Aunt Stephanie have returned from our Italian Adventure, but I think Max was so busy while we were gone that he didn't have time to miss us! He got Nana all to himself for the first week, two fun days with Aunt Deanna, loads of special Daddy time, Easter egg hunts, train rides, and even extra school. A HUGE thank you to Nana, Deanna, and Jason for allowing me the opportunity to participate in such a special trip. I am extraordinarily grateful! And I know all of you are extraordinarily tired.

It was definitely difficult to be away from Max for 8 1/2 days and the only reason I felt remotely comfortable doing so was because I knew he was being well taken care of (i.e. spoiled) by other loving family members. Jason emailed me pictures of Max (and even a few of Frank) each day to help make the separation a little easier. However, it wasn't all fun and games. I did get one email from my dedicated husband that read, "While we were playing in his kitchen today, Max hit me in the face with his frying pan. I think he is ready for a different caretaker. Come home." It's nice to be appreciated! 

We had a wonderful trip, but I am so glad to be reunited with my boys and get my daily quota of Max hugs!

Color of the Week: Red

Red is for Louisville

While planning our upcoming trip to Italy, I made sure to consult all the pertinent schedules - work, school, and personal calendars for myself, Jason, my mother, his mother, my sisters, and so on. However, there was one schedule I forgot to check. I accidently planned to be gone during the Final Four. And of course, the University of Louisville is ranked the overall number one seed this year. And of course, they are going to end up at the championship in Detroit. And of course, I (and our babysitter) will be overseas, leaving Jason on baby duty and unable to attend. I believe this may cause a small rupture in our marriage. Actually, I've been told (by my husband) that it could cause a deep and permanent rupture. In fact, I have been instructed not to come home from Italy if Louisville does indeed make it to the Final Four. Thus, Max and I are torn - should we root for Louisville to win this weekend or to lose so that Daddy doesn't feel that he missed out? Oh well, Go Cards! 

Red is for Painting

On the paper. On the table. On his hands. On his nose. On his tongue. On his face. On his pelt. On Mommy. Get the picture?

Red is for Elmo

Maybe it was William whispering to Max about his favorite character or maybe it was the marketing saturation, but Max has recently discovered Elmo. I thought we were safe because Max doesn't watch tv yet, but somehow Elmo manages to permeate the entire child culture. For his birthday, Max received a box of Elmo books to which he gave absolutely no attention. Yet, suddenly they  have become his favorite stories and he is constantly bringing them to us to read. He even danced a little jig and started laughing hysterically when he found an Elmo book this morning. It's Elmo mania! Personally, I was rooting for Cookie Monster, but I guess that Elmo isn't so bad...for a red guy.

Shalom

Max partied like a Jew at ShalomFest '09! The annual festival promotes understanding and relationships between Greenville's Jewish community and other faiths. What better way to introduce Max to the Jewish religion? He loaded up on goodies including Hanukah cookie cutters and a dreidel, and even had his name written in Hebrew! Unfortunately, he was a little young to stay for the "Jesus was a Jew" lecture, but greatly enjoyed the music and dancing.

No doubt Max will be spiritually confused with a Catholic-Baptist background and a mother who is obsessed with Jewish history, but I hope he will internalize the lessons of ShalomFest and strive in his own way for peace between all religions. Although one must wonder: is it wrong to take your child to church and temple in the same day? 

Shalom and Peace be with you.

The Bachelor

Max has been surrounded by scores of beautiful women lately. At a loss on how to choose the right girl, he embarked on a series of dates to help him make up his mind.

Max escorted the lovely Howle twins out for a romantic dinner on the town. He decided to take them both at once in order to form a comparison.

Naturally, the girls were closely chaperoned by their older brother Major to ensure that Max did not overstep his boundaries.

Max's table manners are going to need some work if he wants to get any second dates. So gauche.

Female celebrities add a particular air of excitement to the dating world. While joining Max for a drink, Maddie attempted to keep the paparazzi at bay with her disguise.

Max also took a sunset stroll with his newest admirer, Abby. She may be young now, but in a few years she'll be a knockout (and probably the same size as Max). 

However, the only lady who could hold Max's undivided attention was the graceful swan of the lake. Keep trying, girls, and one day you too can snatch his heart.

Sweet Sixteen Months

Dear Max,

I truly believed you would be the kid who would take 2 naps until you were in kindergarten - you really love to sleep. Alas, the joke's on Mommy! After five consecutive days of skipping your afternoon nap (not the way to go), I admitted that you were ready to be a big boy. However, you picked the worst possible time to transition. The "Week of No Napping" occurred right before the last minute relocation of an engagement party to our house and only a few weeks before Mommy and Grammy leave for Italy. Not the ideal time for changes. You have actually adjusted to one-a-days more easily than Mommy....it's a work in progress.

The most expressive part of you is your eyebrows. You can convey all sorts of emotions with the tilt of your brows - mischievous, happy, angry, judgmental, scorn, approval, and so on. However, we are proud to report some success on the other communication front! Max, you are making progress on saying new words, although consistency has not yet arrived. Your biggest achievements: "Tiger" (although we aren't sure if you were referring to Frank or the pelt because they were both present), "Duck", "Broom", "Together", "Thank you" (according to Grammy's interpretation). There are the old standbys as well, including the ever important "cat". That one you definitely have down! Is it so you can report Frank's misbehavior? 

Max, you love drinking from a straw and trying to use a fork to eat (i.e. play). Your eating habits vary wildly - one day you will gorge on so much food I wonder how your body can store it all and on other days you will barely nibble at your meals. Not eating oranges (your favorite fruit) seems to signal that you are getting sick. Yo-Baby yogurt, bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, turkey, cheese, bread, and lots of milk are your daily staples. A girl would kill for your metabolism because no matter how much you eat, the pounds do not come! Of course, you probably walk 6 miles a day just circling the house non-stop.

Although the snow was fun, we are ready for spring flowers and outdoor time! Thank you for keeping us entertained every minute of every day!

Love, Mommy