This is the McLife!

Sucker Stealer

2012-02-11T20:42:00.002-06:00

Last Wednesday night the preschool kids got a special heart sucker to take home with them. Well, one of the little boys set his down on the table. Bad move. Max had that thing in his hand, out of the wrapper, and in his mouth in no time!

Toy Space

2012-02-09T12:30:00.004-06:00

When we first moved to Mississippi, we were so excited that our new house had what is called a "hearth room." I don't know if I lived under a rock in Texas, if it's a (more) southern thing, or if I'm just crazy, but I had never heard that phrase. For lack of a better explanation, it's a den. A den that is right off your kitchen.

Our hearth room has evolved quite a bit in the past two years. I used to go for pretty and tidy, but these days I'm going for comfortable and fun. I'm learning to embrace the fact that my hearth room now resembles a daycare. They're only young once, right? Mike reminds me often that a house is to be lived in, not admired, and I'm getting there. I will say that when I see how much fun Max has in here, I could care less that the space isn't as "pretty" as it once was!

I have a slight obsession with these cubicle shelves. I have the darker ones in almost every room in my house. They are just so affordable and functional. These particular ones are the Circo brand from Target. My favorite part is the open bin shelves you can add at the bottom.

I had to take these pictures during naptime...because it sure doesn't look like this the rest of the day. The wall decor is a find from Chi Omega Marketplace in Dallas this past Christmas. They are actually old magnetic ceiling tiles. I think it will be a fun place for kid's artwork someday soon!

These Are The Days

2012-02-07T20:43:00.005-06:00

This kid cracks me up every single day. I love seeing his mind work, and even when he drives me crazy, I just have to laugh. I just wanted to record a few funny things that he's doing right now so I'll remember them someday. The pictures have nothing to do with the stories. I just like them.

We have two remotes in our living room that are identical. I took the batteries out of one for Max to play with, but he can't be fooled. The other day he brought me both, waited to see which one I used, and then he took that one away from me. Rascal.

Max has always liked his bath, but he is hit or miss on whether or not he likes getting his hair washed. Now, he has decided to take matters into his own hands. He will get the rinse cup, fill it with water, and dump it over his head. The funny part is that he makes the worst face while he does it. It's like he's torturing himself, but he's determined to do it.

Whenever he wants a snack, he goes and gets a toy bowl, puts it on the counter, and then pulls and pulls at the refrigerator door. And when he doesn't get it open he comes and gets me. This kid is obsessed with grapes.

While I was gone, he climbed out of his crib. Twice. It was total parent error. We moved it down once when he started standing, but I didn't move it all the way to the bottom in time. When Mike found him, he was trying to turn off his monitor. Stinker.
(The crib is now all the way down).

Max has always liked to dance, but he's been adding some new moves. "Fast feet" is a new fave, and he gets really into spinning. He also likes to growl, play chase, play outside, play with bigger kids, play with cars, chew on his blankets, read, play with puzzles, tear things up, and (ahem) watch Chuggington.

Sometimes a mom just has to get ready for church.

Cereal Puzzles

2012-02-06T20:30:00.007-06:00

Back in my teaching days, a friend shared with me a fun (and cheap!) activity for my classroom. I collected cereal boxes from friends, cut the front of the box off, laminated it, and cut it into pieces. Instant puzzles!

When Max started showing an interest in his wooden puzzles I thought of these cereal puzzles again. They could definitely be made for a younger audience. They are very customizable!

Now, I am not saying I have a genius 16-month-old who is putting together these puzzles by himself. But we can definitely play with them together, and it won't be too long before he can play with them alone!

I Want to be a Cowboy Baby

2012-02-05T14:49:00.005-06:00

Just hanging out eating my cheese.

And yes, those are Santa diapers. I don't care what they have on them if they're on clearance...and Mimi's buying...

Mother's Day Out

2012-02-03T22:01:00.005-06:00

While I was gone, Max went to Mother's Day Out two days. Although Mike probably thought it was ridiculous, he took a few pictures for me. And although Max looks a bit distressed in some of these, Mike said he did really well. He's not a fan of us leaving him in the church nursery at first, but he stops before we make it down the hall.

Ready to Go!

Checking out his new backpack.

Wait! You forgot me!

End of the day. I had fun, but I'm still mad at you!

Back to Reality

2012-01-31T20:22:00.002-06:00

I'm back from a fabulous vacation with my mom and sister, and I'm not going to lie. I miss seeing this everyday:

But, then again, this is pretty amazing too:

Bubble Wrap...

2012-01-27T07:00:00.003-06:00

...It's not just for packing.

Something shiny that makes a loud noise...what's not for a little boy to love?!

{Hope For the Home}

2012-01-23T07:00:00.003-06:00

I'm guest posting on my friend Erin's blog, Worthy of the Prize, today! Come check out my installment in her series, Hope for the Home. It may look a little familiar if you read my blog often, but come check it out anyway. The series will have some great ideas for moms and families in coming months so stay tuned!

One Cool Dude

2012-01-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

Getting Ready to Go

2012-01-19T22:31:00.005-06:00

I'm getting ready to leave for a Girls Extravaganza with my mom and sister. We're going to live it up in the Caribbean, and I am super excited. But I'm also pretty nervous. Because Max is not invited. And while I am leaving him in very capable hands, it can be hard to leave someone who you hang out with pretty much 24 hours a day. Plus he's pretty small and cute.

Like I said, I know Mike is more than capable. However, combine the fact that I usually run Max's life with my crazy, and you get...well...

Lists

And schedules...

And bags of food with more lists...

(Yes, I made food bags. I made a menu for each day, and then I put everything that didn't need to be in the fridge in a bag with the menu. That way meal time is as easy as possible!)

And labels...

And more labels.

In defense of my crazy, Mike asked for it. He is all about me doing as much as I can to help him out ahead of time! I'm not going to tell you that there are more labels and baskets around the house, because that would make me look crazier. But you can imagine.

Max doesn't normally go to Mother's Day Out, but he will next week. What better way to arrive at MDO in style than with elephant bags? I just think they are so so cute!

Teepee Time

2012-01-17T21:49:00.004-06:00

Thanks for my teepee Mimi!

Label Love

2012-01-16T22:12:00.003-06:00

I have a problem. I am addicted to baskets. I love how they can make a space look instantly organized, and they can hide some pretty big messes. (Like toys. Okay... and crafting stuff).

In an effort to keep our house organized, the baskets are pretty much taking over my life. So, it was time to take action. And how do you fight basket chaos? Labels of course.

The top row of the toy shelves came first. Doesn't everybody have a basket for puppets??
Some cute digital scrapbook paper, Scotch Laminating Pockets, and ribbon did the trick.

Labels make me so so happy. Yes, I know I have issues.

Six baskets down...lots and lots to go.

Life's a Musical

2012-01-14T23:13:00.006-06:00

This guy loves music. He has to dance anytime he hears music, and if he hears anyone singing a line of a song he knows he asks to hear it on my iPhone immediately. We may be creating a musical monster, but watching him break it down today in the middle of the shoe store was the funniest thing I've ever seen.

I bought these headphones a few months back for our last plane ride, and Max wanted nothing to do with them. But then his daddy got a pair for Christmas. And if daddy wears headphones, Max wears headphones.

Adoption Update

2012-01-13T21:36:00.003-06:00

If you read our blog often, you may have seen the note in the sidebar about beginning the adoption of our second child in the fall of 2011. Well, as you know, fall 2011 has come and gone with no word on the adoption front. The reason for this is two-fold.

1. When we first went "inactive" with our adoption agency, we were given until Max turned 18 months old to get back into the process. At the time, we thought we would want no more than a year. But then we had a baby. And guess what? It's kind of hard. Fabulous and wonderful...but hard, too. Not only that, but Max just still seemed so little! Once we become eligible to adopt again, it could happen really quickly (it could also take a long time). So...we were definitely going back and forth on what to do.

2. Then, it became clear this fall that my dad wasn't doing very well. With Max and I spending so much time in Texas with family, the decision was pretty much made for us. We would wait the full 18 months.

So, this week we made the call to get the ball rolling on the adoption of our second child! Although we are still inactive until March when Max turns 18 months old, we have lots of paperwork and things to get done in the next couple of months. We would appreciate your prayers as we prepare to become a family of four!

Fun Time with Max

2012-01-11T22:05:00.003-06:00

Max turned 16 months old today. Goodness gracious. This is such a fun time, but it's what I consider a very "in between" time when it comes to a lot of activities. He's too old to just hang out on a blanket and play with some toys, but he's too young to bust out the coloring books and fingerpaints. Not that he wouldn't enjoy those things. We're just struggling with the whole "crafting materials aren't food" thing.

I have been searching (Pinterest) for younger toddler activities, and when I saw an idea about sticking pipe cleaners through a colander it sounded like fun. And after I realized he was having a ton of fun with his straw and milk box I thought it may be time to try it. Unfortunately, my colander had long slits instead of holes. Too hard for little fingers.

BUT. The laundry basket was sitting right there, so I grabbed it, turned it upside down, and we had a ton of fun putting the pipe cleaners through the holes. I ended up cutting them in half to make them go through easier. Now every time he sees the laundry basket he thinks it's playtime! It's a very simple activity, but it's something different for these long winter days. And I mean long.

I have lots of other activities I've seen and want to try, so I'll let you know how they go!

Card Love

2012-01-09T21:50:00.009-06:00

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Pinterest? Yes? I thought so. There are just so many good ideas on there. Ideas that make you think, of course! Why didn't I think of that??

I have had piles of Christmas cards tucked in a drawer for a few years, and when I saw this

Source: allendesigns.typepad.com via Amanda on Pinterest

it was definitely an "aha" moment. (Oh yes I did). I finally got around to putting my 2011 cards together today, and I added one of these

Source: eighteen25.blogspot.com via Amanda on Pinterest

from the ladies at eighteen25. It took me a hot forever to punch all those holes, but I think it turned out pretty fun! Seriously...I love Pinterest.

PS: Mike saw a super idea on the CentriKid blog about saving your Christmas cards and praying for a family from one of your cards each day. These books would be a great way to organize and keep up with this!

Christmas

2012-01-07T21:41:00.009-06:00

Our Christmas started on the evening of the 25th when Mike arrived back in Texas from Mississippi. We headed over to his family's house, and it didn't take long for Max to get the present opening underway. He had had a little instruction from my cousin's kids earlier in the week, so he was ready to go. He would open a present, look at it, and then toss it aside and start going after the next one. At one point, he got so excited that he would finish opening one and sign "more" right away. Not exactly admirable behavior for an adult gift opener, but it was pretty funny on a 15-month-old!

By the time we got to my family's house to open presents on the 27th, Max was an old pro. Every time he ripped a piece of paper off the present he would yell, "HIYAH!" I'm not exactly sure where he learned that one, but it was hysterical. Our own little Christmas Ninja.

Too Cool for School

2012-01-04T22:15:00.002-06:00

2012

2012-01-02T22:32:00.003-06:00

Happy 2012 everyone! I am going to go on record and say that I would like this year to go ahead and be a little better than last year. That is all.

(PS: I definitely had some big blessings in 2011. But a lot of it I could have done without. Now, that is all.)

I had big blogging plans the past few days, but then reality set in. We got home from Texas on Saturday night, and ever since then we’ve been digging ourselves out from under a massive pile of stuff. It looks a little like this (except way worse):

But true to my OCD tendencies, we have gone into major organization mode. There are things afoot. Like this:

I promise to get a few pictures of our Christmas ninja enjoying his second Christmas up very soon. You heard me right. Ninja.

The Good Stuff

2011-12-26T22:39:00.002-06:00

Is that a chocolate milk mustache I see?
And a toddler frantically signing "more"?

That's what I thought.
Someone has been hanging out with his Mimi...

Merry and Bright

2011-12-24T10:10:00.003-06:00

Ready for Christmas

2011-12-23T13:00:00.000-06:00

Favorite Things

2011-12-22T21:06:00.007-06:00

Last Saturday my sister-in-law Amy hosted a Favorite Things party, and it was so much fun! Everyone picked one favorite thing under $6 and brought 5 of them to share. We wrote our name on 5 slips of paper, and then each person picked 5 slips from the bowl. After we shared about why our favorite thing was, well, our favorite thing, we got to give them away to the 5 people whose names we drew. Are you still with me??

I chose to take something I use almost every day: Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day Basil Countertop Spray. It smells SO good, and it does a great job cleaning my counters. Add in a cute dish towel, and you definitely have one of my favorite things!

Just in case you are curious, I came home with a cute cookie scoop, a Tervis tumbler, truffles, white chocolate peanut butter (yum!), and some fun lip gloss. Amy told me she got the idea on Pinterest, and it looks like this may have been the party she was talking about. Check it out!

Source: angbrimwil.blogspot.com via Gerry on Pinterest

Must Be Santa

2011-12-21T09:38:00.003-06:00

This year, Max decided Santa is not very jolly at all. It was bound to happen, I suppose, but I still wanted a picture for the record books. We tried a couple of times, and in the end, I think they turned out pretty cute (with minimal crying).

Attempt 1 at North Park. This is right before he completely lost it.

Attempt 2 in Arlington. Blissfully unaware.
We thought this was a nice way for them to get a
cute picture without completely flipping him out.

Santa tried to be nice and say hi.
Max was not a fan.

He sat here just long enough to snap this picture.
As soon as I grabbed him he was fine.
And he was all about the coloring book Santa gave him...

Thank You

2011-12-20T18:52:00.004-06:00

I have a lot of blogging and life to catch up on, but first I just wanted to say a quick thank you. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to send prayers and messages our way. It means so much to know that we are surrounded by wonderful family and friends while we learn what it means to live without our dad.

It goes without saying that we wish it hadn't ended this way. But ultimately, it is not up to us. Our purpose on this earth is to bring glory to God. And although sometimes we don't understand, we trust that the way my dad's story ended will bring glory to God in ways that we cannot comprehend. And in the end, that's all we can ask for.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Acts 20:24

Saying Goodbye

2011-12-11T21:04:00.004-06:00

Gregory Marshall
aka "Grumps"

December 30, 1957 - December 10, 2011

We love you. We'll miss you.
We are so grateful that we will see you again.

Sick Day

2011-12-09T14:57:00.002-06:00

Hanging out getting a breathing treatment.
Hoping for a happier baby real soon!

Some Early Snow

2011-12-08T21:23:00.009-06:00

It is still pretty early in December, and we have already had two pretty good snows here in Mississippi. That may be no big deal to my Northern friends, but here in the south we're not as used to it. It may shape up to be an interesting winter around here...

I planted these less than a week ago. I knew they weren't going to last long, but I wasn't counting on this. I hope they can hold on!

Bookworm

2011-12-06T14:45:00.003-06:00

Although I am now a "stay-at-home" librarian, when I saw this shirt in Dallas a few months ago I obviously had to get it. Mike rolls his eyes every time he sees it, but I think it's pretty awesome. Added benefit? You can wear it to the library for quick reference. Score.

Hanging Out

2011-12-06T14:29:00.004-06:00

We are back in Mississippi for the time being, but here are a few iPhone (thus the red eye) pictures I took of Max and me with my dad right before we came home.

Baylor Proud

2011-12-06T12:36:00.004-06:00

Someone doesn't exactly stop and pose for pictures anymore, but I had to snap a few pictures of our Baylor pride! As I've said before, we live in SEC country now, but we still have to show our support for our bears. Sic 'em!

Black Friday

2011-12-05T11:20:00.006-06:00

What I am about to say is very controversial. Ready? I love Black Friday. It is seriously one of my favorite days of the year. And no, it's not because I am crazy materialistic and hate being thankful for the blessings in my life. It's because I love the waking up early, getting out there, seeing crazy people, being a little crazy myself, and mostly, spending the day with my mom and family. It's just fun. It's a tradition. And I really like saving money. I'm a fan.

Now this year, things were a little different. First of all, the stores have all gone a little nutso and started opening at midnight. You know who is more likely to get out at midnight than at 4:00 in the morning? Everyone. And their babies. So, I have to admit it was a lot crazier this year. A lot. And it messed with our tried and true perfected schedule of stops. But...it was still fun. And we got some great deals. And I got to wear a fun headband. Overall? A success.