The Many Faces of Max

A Piece of Paper

We finally got something we've been working on for a year and a half...our foster license! Within in a week of our agency saying it was on its way, they called 3 times about 3 kids they're submitting us for as potential adoptive placements. All 3 fit our criteria almost perfectly, and we'll hear in a few weeks if we were selected for any of them. We're definitely prepared for more waiting but it's exciting to know that it could be a shorter wait than we were anticipating...and also a little scary! I guess I had the same thoughts when I was pregnant - the "what were we thinking?!" kind of thoughts. For now, we're just happy that we finally got this piece of paper and things are moving!

Beach Vacation

Guess where we went?!

Beautiful beach right over the sand dunes

Pool right outside our door

Who gives a kid in a white shirt chocolate ice cream?

Seaside

One of the highlights for Max - go karts!

Dolphins!

Waiting for the 4th of July parade

So tired

Bye beach!!

Summer So Far

Max and I are enjoying our time off. We've been staying pretty busy but enjoying the freedom of not having to be too many places at set times. Max started the summer with swimming lessons every day for 2 weeks. We decided to continue with that once a week since he really likes it. We've also been doing a series of classes together that includes 2 art classes, 2 cooking classes and 2 music classes, and Max also just started Soccer Tots. We spent some time in Bay City - Aunt Ellen made a quick visit so it was fun to see her, and then my aunt and uncle and cousin also came through the same week so we stayed to see them too. We've had outings to the "bouncy place" and swimming pool and spent a Saturday morning at the zoo. We've gone to 2 Skeeters games, the new Sugar Land minor league baseball team. We also went to the beach with Aunt Ninny and the cousins and Mawmaw and Aunt Tooty (Delila, Matt's aunt, visiting from Georgia). Yep, I think that about covers it. Our other days have been filled with much playing with cars, trains and Legos, not as much playing outside, refereeing between Max and Lizzie, cooking myself delicious lunches that no one else likes, cleaning out and organizing room by room (which I need to do more of), library time...

Some things I'd like to do before the summer is over - go to a movie, finger paint, get the house painted,  reorganize some things in the kitchen, rearrange the living room, possibly some planning for the school year, make homemade play dough, catch bugs, go to Splashway, go to the Noah's Ark pool, go to...I just lost my train of thought because Max is sitting beside me on the couch putting little pieces of paper in his nose but I think he just learned his lesson because that last one didn't come out so easily...

So on to some pictures...

The Skeeter mascot

Waiting for the train after the zoo

Floating by himself at swimming lessons

Memorial Day=Busy Weekend

I don't think we could've crammed anything else into this weekend if we wanted to! Friday night we went to Conner's baseball game. It was a last minute thing because his team was playing for 1st place in his league! Unfortunately they lost but they still got 2nd. Saturday was Conner's birthday party so we headed back over there. But before that we went to a local fire station open house. Max had fun climbing in all the trucks and he got to use a real fire hose too - I'm pretty sure that was his favorite part! I thought it was cool to see the inside of the station - the kitchen, game room and bedrooms. Conner's party was fun too. It's hard to believe he's 8! After the party he went to swim at the neighborhood pool with his friends so Caitlyn and Max went to play at the splash pad. They had a great time. I guess that was Max's first splash pad trip of the summer. We went straight from there to church and then Max got to go play at a playground with his good friend Kherington. Sunday was cleaning and grocery shopping and I had to volunteer at church. Then we went over to our friends' house for supper. Max was excited to play with more friends - Miles and Gisele - and they set up their little pool in the backyard. The kids played really well together! We had a great supper, ending with the best strawberry pie. And then today we went to the beach!

Last week of school

This past week was Max's last of his first year of school. So hard to believe another school year is over! I think he had a really good year at school. He had a couple weeks in the middle of the year where he was having a hard time being too much of a follower to another boy who wasn't being a very good friend but I think we worked through that. I know he had a lot of fun, made some good friends, and loved his teachers. He'll be going back in the fall. I think he might miss it over the summer and wonder about seeing his friends. I'm glad we decided to put him in school this year. And now a couple comparison pictures...

First day

Last day

Summer!

It's not quite summer, I realize, but since it's been hot since January it might as well be. So to celebrate the heat...Max's first sprinkler playing of the season

and my first tomato!

Happy summer!