This kid

I had a whole series of pictures on my phone to go with this post...but Max found them and erased them.  So this one will have to do. 

Last week Ian and I started to go through this blog from the beginning.  There were so many funny stories and quotes regarding Max.  And the coolest thing is that he's the same..only bigger.  And smarter.  He amazes me every day.  He is sarcastic.  Clever.  Inquisitive.  Smart.  Competitive.  With a temper like nobody's business.

A few weeks ago we were driving up to the cabin and Max and Evan were fighting in the back.  Ian yelled, "Stop being a moron Max!"  To which Max replied, "Oh, look who's talking.  It's master moron.  Who do you think I learned my moves from?  You, sen-say moran."  Max always has a come back and he will always get the last word.

He questions EVERYTHING.  If I ask him to do something it's always, "Why?"  and he really wants an answer.  Even if it's something he has to do every day.  He wants to know why???  It's frustrating..yet I think that's part of the reason he's so smart.  He questions everything. 

He's at the top of his class in every subject.  Last year his teacher told me that it's uncommon for a kid to be strong in all subjects.  Usually if they are strong in reading and writing, then they struggle  bit in math.  Max excels at everything.  It's rare for him to bring a paper home that isn't 95% or above.  I'm not bragging (ok..maybe a little) it's just I'm in awe.  He's alot like my brother Jared is in that respect.  Book smarts come easy.

Max also has a kind side to him.

He is so sweet with his cousins - especially Ruby.  She loves him and follows him around and he's so awesome with her.  One night when she was leaving our house she whispered to me, "Can we take Max?".  I love that she loves him so much. 

I love that there are so many sides to Max.  And I love that he always surprises me.  And can always make me laugh.  He's an awesome kid. 

P.S.  when he read the post from Tuesday about Ben, Max said, "If Ben is your hero...what does that make me...your villian???" 

Perseverance

 Ben had the opportunity to play tackle football this year but he passed because he wanted to play flag at school with his friends.  The tryouts were a week every day for 1 hour after school in 110 degree heat.  Ben sprained his ankle the second day of practice but that didn't stop him.  He still practiced every day and would ice his ankle every night.  His perseverance paid off!  He made the team a long with his best friend Ian.  It was an awesome day for both boys.

The next week Ben went to practice every day but sat out to give his ankle a chance to heal.  The week after that he was ready to play!  That Tuesday was their first game and while Ben was rushing to pull a flag, a player from the other team pushed him from behind causing him to land on his left hand.  He said he heard a pop.

The next day after school he said it hurt worse and I could see it was swollen so we went the Urgent Care.  The day after that they called and told us it was broken - he goes to a ortho specialist tomorrow.  The radiologist at Urgent Care thought it had a buckle break on his wrist in his growth plate.

The other day in the car Xander asked Ben why he didn't just quit football since he has spent a lot of the season on the bench because of injuries.  Ben replied, "I worked hard to make the team, I'm not quitting."

I love Ben's perseverance.  When he puts his mind to something he doesn't give up.  I am so proud of him.

He's my hero.

I.R.C.

I like to eat.  In the past I haven't been very adventurous - I've frequented the same few chain restaurants.  While these places are good, in the past few months I have gotten a bee in my bonnet and wanted to branch out. 

It all started with the Food Network.  I was watching Diners and Drive-Ins and Guy spotlighted a tiny Italian restaurant in Phoenix called Guiseppes.  Fast forward a few weeks - a group of us were attending a friend's art show and wanted to go out to eat afterwards.  We decided to try Guiseppes.  It was delicious!  The Independent Restaurant Club was born. 

I started a private group on facebook - inviting close friends and fellow foodies to join.  Once a month we get together and go to an independent restaurant.  We take turns deciding where to go.  My brother in law Brian was in charge this month and picked The Grind - a small burger joint in Phoenix.  I was particularly excited about The Grind because I had heard all about their donuts.  Warm donuts served with a salted butterscotch sauce.  Yum!!

16 of us showed up!   We had so much fun - and I'm thankful that my friends are all kind enough to let me try their food.  I might have eaten something off of almost everyone's plate.  To my credit I shared my donuts - which was not an easy thing to do! 

Sometimes I feel like my life is a little like Groundhog Day - same thing, different day.  It is so much fun to go out with friends and eat!  It was a great night.  I can't wait for next month!

Grateful

In light of recent events, I've had to change my work schedule drastically.  It's amazing to me how Heavenly Father works.  For the last little while I have felt overwhelmed, tired and like I had nothing left to give when I got home from work.  Many nights Ian or Xander would cook dinner.  While there is nothing wrong with that, I felt like I was more of a zombie than a wife and mother.  I wanted to change things but didn't know how.  Or maybe I was just afraid to because if I changed something I wasn't sure how that would effect my big picture. 

After Saturday I knew I had to change something.  I texted my co-worker and told him that I thought I needed to not work afternoons anymore.  This isn't something I did lightly.  Afternoons are hectic (and quite frankly insane) at my work.  I felt like if I stopped working afternoons I would be letting a lot of people down and maybe even put my job in jeopardy.  Also there was the whole money aspect of the situation but to me, it took backseat to finding a way to be there more often for my children.  So this week I met with two of my co workers and my manager and we found a way where I could have every afternoon but one off.  And I could still keep my hours full-time.

I am so thankful for the support and love of co workers who said to me, "If you prayed about it, and know that's what you should do then we will support you 100%".  Even though it was going to make things more challenging for them, they agreed to it.  And made me feel good about it.  This is huge people!

Through every thing that's going on I can see the blessings.  Both my sisters and I are closer than we have ever been.  It makes me so happy to have them as sisters and as friends.  It's so funny how life works.  It is filled with heartaches, disappointments and challenges...but each storm brings sunshine.  It illuminates the blessings I have in my life.

and for this I am truly grateful

Just Breathe

These past few days have been challenging.  At times I've felt like while I have a smile on my face, my thoughts are racing in every direction in my head.  I've felt like I've barely had a moment to breathe.

I am so lucky to have calm, level headed people in my life.  People like my husband, my mother, Nancy, Chris...Tender mercies for sure. 

Parenting is hard.  My sister once told me that it's so much harder when they are teenagers then when they are young.  At the time I had three young boys so it was unfathomable that it would get any harder.  But it does.  It has.

Something happened today that has left me reeling.  Wondering if I have made the right choices and done my best where this child is concerned.  It's magnified to me that each of my children are so different and I can't parent all of them the same.  I wish I were stronger.  A better example.  A better person.  I wish I didn't make so many mistakes. 

I've always told my boys that I am human and will make mistakes.  And that I will always own up to my mistakes.  I hope that this boy can learn that too.  Even though sometimes it's so hard and so painful to admit it when you've done wrong.  I love Xander so much.  He is a great boy in so many ways but he is a work in progress. 

He isn't perfect.  No one is.  As I struggle with what decisions to make and what to do I am so thankful for my Savior.  For the perfect example he is to me.  I'm thankful that we've been reading our scriptures as a family.  Even though I am heartbroken...I am thankful.

Breakthrough

Sometimes I look at this boy and can't believe he's getting so old.  And so big.  When Evan was little he threw a lot of fits - some of my "friends" would talk about it behind my back.  It was hurtful and for a long time I wondered if it was a reflection of me as a parent.  It's so easy to judge someone when you have never gone through that situation yourself.  I wondered for a long time if he'd always throw a fit when he didn't get his way or something made him upset.  Luckily, his fits are now fewer and far between - and usually as a result of him being tired or hungry. 

Evan is a quiet, shy boy with a quirky streak.  He is inquistive, creative and has an awesome sense of humor.  He brings so much happiness and joy to our home.  Last year he started kindergarten and it broke my heart.  I think it was harder on me than him.  He liked school, had friends...but never played with anyone at recess.  His teacher and I both thought of creative ways to try and get him to talk to other kids or play with others.  But he was content just keeping to himself and playing his own games at recess.  He went the whole year never engaging or playing with anyone at recess.

This was hard for me because it again felt like I was failing as a parent.  Maybe I didn't have enough play dates or introduce him to enough kids his age.  He loves his cousins Josh and Rowan (who are his age) but I still worried I did something wrong. 

This year started out the same.  Every day I ask him what he did at recess and every day he'd say, "Play my game by myself".  The other day I told him "Your goal for today is to talk to a friend and play with him at recess."  Evan replied, "Uhhh...not gonna happen"

Yesterday when I got home Evan said, "Ask me what I did at recess today."  So I asked...and he said, "Played with my friend Adam.  We played on the slide and the best part is he sits at my table in class."  It made my day.  Heck it made my week.  And today when I picked him up he told me all about the game him and Adam played at recess today. 

I don't who this Adam is...but I already love him.

First Day

 July 22 was these boys first day of school.  It should've been Xander's first day too but he likes to be different so he didn't actually start until the 25th.  I want to document that I spent the whole week before school started getting the boys ready.  This included buying Ben real shorts.  Like NOT exercise shorts.  Yet here he is on the first day in a pair of old exercise shorts.  Sigh.  I asked Evan how excited he was for the first day and he said "This much" (see picture below)

 And speaking of Evan...how crazy is it that he started 1st grade!  Seriously crazy.  And sad.  All at the same time.  Where does the time go?  Ben started 8th grade and Max is now a 4th grader - which is the top grade at their school.  So Max rules the school :)  His teacher is the same teacher that Ben and Xander had for 4th grade.  At first he wasn't too excited but after being in her class for 2 weeks he is really enjoying her sense of humor.  Max can do and understand sarcasm like nobody's business.

We are already into the 3rd week and all of the boys are doing well (so far).  Evan loves his teacher and likes school (sort of - we still have to drag him out of bed in the morning).  Max likes school and loves playing football with his friends at recess.  Ben and his friend Ian both made the Bogle football team.  Ben loves his social studies teacher, Mr. Daniels and likes being a 8th grader much better than a 7th grader.

As for Xander..he started Chandler High School, his mother's alma mater.  He likes it so far.  What he likes most is going to school with Joe and Michael.  I must say that I like that too.  His favorite classes are choir (which he has with Joe and Michael) and Seminary.  He also likes culinary - I'm hoping this means he will cooks dinner every once in a while.

I'm hopeful that I'm going to be a much better blogger.  Let's get this party started!!!