Afternoon Smile: Chivalry is Not Dead

What would you think if someone said to you, "Your son is such a gentleman."

"Huh?" Well that's what I thought. I even did a little double-take just to make sure that Max's aid was talking to me and not another hovering momma.

Here's the story:

Max was sitting at the top of the slide about to push off but noticed someone behind him. Turned out to be his little girlfriend, so what'd he do? He stood up and let her go first! And if that wasn't enough, he did it again a little bit later!

Can you imagine?

Sean's response when I told him:

"Oh, I like that. Hope it was me that taught him."

Friday Laugh--A Better Way to Eat Peanut Butter

I'm sitting in a Starbucks, having just come from visiting a friend's little boy at Boston Children's Hospital,  only to find that the battery in my car is as dead as a door nail. Long story short,  I'm waiting for the battery charger to charge so I can jump my car so I can get to my friend's surprise 30th which begins in five minutes. 

Ugh.

And yes, I realize it's Saturday,  but wanted to make sure I got in this week's Friday Laugh and this seemed as good a time as any.

Here goes:

Have I mentioned Max's low muscle tone before?  He's a real life Gumby and regularly does things with his body that make us cringe. So it was no surprise the other day when he inexplicably got peanut butter all over the bottom of his foot and started to lick it off. Surprising, no. Funny,  yes. 

Yummy!

Friday Laugh--What's the Best Use for a Mylar Balloon?

Chancellor's got an idea:

And then there's this:

I swear, Daddy, it wasn't me!

Have your kids made any crazy messes lately? Tell me about them in the comments.

Midweek Check-in: The Evil Twins

Today marks day 11 of my upper respiratory revolt and my mattress is beckoning, but I thought it important to quickly ask:

Does the full moon transform your children into beasts?

Yesterday (full moon, I believe), the roles of my children were played by imposters bent on making me hate them with every fiber of my being. To say I was exhausted, disappointed, discouraged, frustrated, insert adjective of your choice here, at bedtime is an understatement.

To my extreme pleasure the universe saw fit to return my children today and we had a lovely afternoon. They were reasonably well-behaved, very giggly, ate well and went to sleep easily. What a relief.

And while I didn't feel in the mood to snap pics today, I've got a few recent ones to share.

Enjoy.

One of many pics of Maximus the Sleepy.

Waiting for Daddy to take him to opening day at Fenway Park.

Attempted baby selfie.

Clown car.

Peek-a-boo.

Friday Laugh: Suction and the Shirtless Model

Tonight's laugh is twofold. First, quickly scroll to the bottom. Check out that pose. How cute is that? Nonnie bought that hat for Max at last week's Red Sox game and he's been obsessed ever since. I think a Men's Health cover is in our future.

Second, Max loves the shower. He's plops himself down over the drain and kicks the water that accumulates around his legs. It's great fun and often ends with toddler protests as he fights my efforts to get him out. On Monday, between my attempts to hoist a slippery boy out of the tub, he laid down on his belly with his head turned to the side. Like a suction cup his ear suck to the tub bottom. Again, and again, and again, and again. It's now his favorite bath time game.

And yes, it makes me laugh.

Morning Smile: Sick

Title seems like an oxymoron, I know. (Quick aside: I just learned that oxymoron is itself an oxymoron. Neat.) Sick doesn't usually play nice with smile, but with Max around, anything is possible.

I came down with a killer cold last night. Painful sore throat, swollen tonsils, stuffy nose, plugged ears, headache, dizziness, joint pain. Sleeping was more of a battle with my pillow than it was restful and now I'm the grownup for two little ones. Sean is working.

Max and I are both seated on the couch. I've been looking through recipes while he plays a game on the iPad. Every few minutes I start to cry (I know, it's silly) cuz I just don't feel good, and every time Max pats my arm and puts his head on my shoulder. How cute is that? It doesn't make my cold go away, but it sure does make me feel a little better, if only for a moment.

Friday Laugh: Fenway Opening Day 2014

Today was Opening Day at Fenway. Max is three years old and has been four times. Sean and I took him when he was barely five months old. It was cold, windy and really loud, and he slept like a baby (yes, pun intended). Sean has taken him every year since, and every time it's cold, windy and really loud and yet he still sleeps like a baby.

There was a woman there that said to Sean, "Your son is soooo cute. Mine's 24." Kind of a weird thing to say, only it isn't. When Sean told me this just a few minutes ago, I filled in the blank right away. Has that ever happened to you? "Your son is soooo cute. Mine has Down syndrome too. He's 24." We belong to the club. We didn't choose it, but we're so happy to be here. And today it made me laugh, twice.