Punk Rock Max

He has been growing a natural mohawk, so we went with it. His attitude at the moment is totally punk rock as well.

We will outsmart you (or at least we will try!)

This is where Harry is supposed to be at 10 p.m. only he is supposed to be sleeping. Ever since he discovered that he could reach the lightswitch, Rob and I have been in a battle of wits with this almost-3-year-old. After we put him to bed, he quietly turns on his closet light, then stays up to read ALL of his books.
This photo is taken after he's been caught midway through.

Once he mastered the closet light trick, he became more bold and just started turning on the main light in his room. We would walk in and he would look up guiltily (That's a good sign, right? he knows he shouldn't be awake?) and say "I read all my books!" And, all of his books would be piled up around him. One of us would say: "Why are you awake?"

And he would look at us and say: "Because I can't listen!"

I felt very smart once I figured out that I could keep him from turning on the light in his room by turning it off from the chain handle on the ceiling instead of the lightswitch.

Rob spent much time this evening figuring out how to tape down the lightswitch in Harry's closet so he can't turn it on. We'll see who wins!

The Race Begins

"He'll never catch me!"
On the run (via Army crawl) from big brother.

"He caught me, but I'm getting faster everyday!"


I do cut Harry's hair, but I swear I did not give him a bowl cut. Not sure what is up with that. This was a snowy, cold day and I left the boys in their cozy footed jammies all day. So cozy and cute I just wanted to snuggle them all day. They don't so much allow for snuggling these days. They're very busy. Evidence:
Max can wave hi and bye-bye. He does this every time someone new walks into the room or leaves, or if he suddenly notices you. When he waves, it's like you can actually see him having the thought, and directing his arm to move.
Harry has discovered the word "because." This has led to some hilarious reasoning.
Why are you awake?
"Because I can't sleep!"
Why are you in Time Out?
"Because I can't play!"
Harry has discovered that he can reach the light switch. Therefore, I am writing this in the dark. Several times a day, you will suddenly find yourself in the dark then hear little footsteps rushing away.
Max is eating more solid food. He sticks his tongue out at you when he's hungry for solid food. It's pretty cute.
Harry is obsessed with skeletons and skulls. Weird but true. He loves to get out our giant world history books, turn to the pages about ancient cultures and read about the skeletons and skulls that have been dug up.
Max is showing a definite interest in cars and trains. He is even playing with them in the correct way, setting a train onto the train track and pushing it along, and sending Matchbox cars down the ramps of our play garage. He has learned from the master.
Max is getting up on his hands and knees and rocking. Oh no! We're thinking he's going to figure out this crawling thing anyday now. And we are not ready for that!

An Order

Dear readers, go immediately to Georgia's blog to see a hilarious and accurate video depiction of Harry's soccer class. Sam and Georgia are also part of the class.

(It's the posting titled "I Need A Water Break." You can find Georgia's blog at http://turnthiscararound.blogspot.com. A link is also on the side of our blog)

A Day in the Life of Max

We have approximately 450 toys. But everyday, this is what Max likes to do:

1) Play with age-appropriate toys that Mom has put in front of me for exactly 25 seconds.

2) Check to see if Mom is looking. If not, book it as quickly as possible via army crawl maneuver to the Christmas tree. Swat at low Lightning McQueen and Elmo ornaments. If have time, pull Christmas tree skirt over face and play peek-a-boo.

3) Mom will ruin this fun, so act interested in a block until she is distracted, then go straight for the cat scratch mat. Once that becomes boring, move on to the stainless steel garbage can, where you can try to touch the cute baby in the reflection. Man! Mom is ruining it again and pulling us away.

4) This next step is a tricky move. You have to wait until Harry is crying or has done something bad and she is really distracted, then you have to race across the kitchen floor to the cat water bowl! Yeah! Then splash around in that! Although you will be lucky if you get one splash in before Mom freaks out.

5) If you are still allowed on the floor after all this, go for the bar stools. Try to pull them over on yourself. It is hilarious. Mom does not like it. She will return you to the starting line in the middle of the toys again, but hey, what is that I see? A Christmas tree? Let's go check that out!

Have a Holly Jolly Christmas

In the days leading up to Christmas, Harry would sing himself to sleep each night singing 4 Christmas songs in this order:
1) Jingle Bells
2) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
3) Santa Claus is Comin' To Town
4) Have a Holly Jolly Christmas
Only after finishing this song list each night IN THIS ORDER would he put his head down on the pillow and go to sleep.
Let's just say we've all enjoyed the holiday season this year. Some evidence:
Grammy came to visit!


Daddy and Harry making some holiday goodies in their matching aprons :)


Should we eat the presents?


The holiday festivities begin. I convince Stephanie to be my assistant for our annual Christmas cookie bake-off ;)


Not sure who is more excited in this photo -- Nana and Papa to give the present or Harry to open it.

Very exciting! After months of coveting Sam's garbage truck -- oh glorious thing that it is -- Harry gets his very own! Pa must point out how to play with the truck correctly. It is THAT cool! (I even wanted to play with it, and I've had my fill of trucks recently.)

Max, James and Harry could not be bothered to participate in this family photo.


But now they all have their Christmas jammies on! Look at all those chubby cheeks! Don't you just want to squeeze them?

James: "Are you serious that we are getting some more presents tomorrow?"

Max!

Christmas morning. Pre-6 a.m. Harry appears. "Should we wake up and go downstairs now?" he asks. All adults involved try to cajole him back to sleep. Some offer cash. But he's not having it. Finally, we open presents in the morning darkness. It was worth it.

Harry: "I've waited for you for so long, Racecar."

You may not know this about Rob, but after he has a glass of Christmas wine, he likes to do things like this.

Harry spent most of Christmas morning like this:

After Christmas morning, onward to Indy for more aunts, uncles, cousins, an amazing Bobby-Flay inspired Christmas dinner and lots of fun!

Max: "This is my mommy and I control her every move because I won't sleep or take a bottle!"

But I make up for it all with my total all around adorableness.

Harry loves nothing more than getting his grandpas on the floor to play cars. "I want Grandpa Bob to play cars!"


And later: the Kent-Knurek crew go to town on some Beatles Rock Band.

Silly Free Santa...Max is not a Girl!

Approximately 75 percent of the conversations in our house these days have to do with Santa, Rudolph or Frosty. The other 25 percent are about Lightning McQueen, of course. Sometimes the two worlds collide when I am asked to make Lightning McQueen talk to Santa, and I'm at a loss for what the two might talk about.

We wake up in the morning hearing Harry singing "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" over the monitor. We hear him singing "Jingle Bells" or "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" over the monitor at bedtime.

So when Rob told him we were going to see Santa, Harry said: "I go to the North Pole?"

Logical thinking based on the songs we had been singing, but we explained that we were going to wait in line to see Santa at the zoo. When we got to the front of the line and Harry laid his eyes on Santa for the first time, just a mere 12 feet away, he said, very earnestly: "I AM A GOOD BOY!"

This is Santa. SANTA! You can tell my nervousness by the way I am holding my hands. So exciting.

Baby Max, umm, he just doesn't care at all. Give me all his trucks. I definitely get it, Santa.

In this video, you can see Harry's nervousness kicking in, as he refuses to look directly at Santa for awhile, until it is possible that he will lose out on the opportunity to tell Santa what he wants for Christmas. Then, he is entirely focused. You may not be surprised to hear what Harry asks Santa to bring him for Christmas ;) Also, free Santa at the zoo got a lot of stuff wrong. He initially thought Harry was Cary, and also thought Max was a girl. Baby boys can wear cute animal hoodies too!

Zoo lights at Lincoln Park Zoo is one of my very favorite holiday traditions. It looks like you've stepped into Whoville or some other magical land. Take a look:

Daddy and the boys.

And Mommy.