A Duet

This picture was so cute I just had to share it immediately. I'll try to post more of a narrative later, but I wanted to get this out first. We visited Auntie Sis in Los Gatos over the weekend, and the kids had some fun playing on her piano. I have a few small videos of Max playing by himself, but I have yet to get them off the camera. Life has still been quite the whirlwind lately! More to follow, as soon as I have some of that precious "free" time...

The Little Comedienne

You'll have to forgive me, for lately life has been a whirlwind of change and busy times. However, I have a quick quote to share with you.

Last week, we had the living room carpet cleaned.

Mind you, when we moved in, it was brand new and beige. A shade chosen by the previous owners. Not the carpet we would have chosen to work well with two small children, but that's how it was when we got here. We knew from the get-go that it would get dirty. We were very liberal with bringing drinks in the living room, letting the kids walk around with juice boxes, pretty much anything. So of course, within a few months, juice spilled and we would sop it up with a towel. But of course the sugars would attract dirt and it would dry into an ugly mess.

Then we couldn't take it any more so we called Chem Dry. The guy came in and did a deep clean and used really hot water and carbonation to break down the sugars so that not only would the stains disappear but they would not attract dirt again and have the same spots reappear weeks later.

After the Chem Dry guy was done, I left the house to give the carpet some time to dry. Max and I had lunch on Willie's lunch break at a delicious vegetarian restaurant in Fountain Valley. After we took Daddy back to work, Max and I went to pick up Zahra from school. I explained to her that the living room carpet had been cleaned and that we couldn't bring drinks in there any more. Unless it was something that would just leave vacummable (did I just invent a word?!) crumbs, it would have to be consumed on the tile floor in the kitchen or dining area.

Her response was classic, comical Zahra: "Awesome! That means we can just mess it all up again!" She was totally joking but it was pretty funny how she came up with that response so quickly.

Ah... my dear little comedienne.

Wagon Walk

Just before I took Auntie Sis to the airport, we all needed to get out and go for a walk outside. It's fun that Zahra and Max can still fit in the wagon, and for the most part, get along.

Zahra loves her little brother!

I love to see the two of them together, when they hold on to each other and just look like they're having a great time.

This shot is kind of blurry because I'm pulling the wagon as it's racing down a hill and trying to take a picture at the same time. Not an easy task! They thought going down the hill was so much fun...

A little while later, after walking around our complex for awhile, it seemed like a good idea to let the kids get out and walk around a little. I wanted to take a picture of them in the trunks of this olive tree, but it was almost impossible to get them both to stay there...

It's funny how much Max looks like a baby here. (Yes, I know he's almost 15 months old so it's not like he's very old yet, but you know what I mean, right?) Sometimes it seems like he's growing up to be a little boy, but every once in awhile, the baby-face pops through.

Of course Zahra wanted a turn to pull her brother around for awhile....

Then we decided to sit down and I was trying to have Auntie Sis get a group shot, but getting all three of us to look at the camera at once truly was impossible. Plus, Zahra wouldn't stop being silly. She kept putting that little pillow over her face and head because the sun was shining in our eyes. (Do you think we could all fit in that Smart Car back there?)

Wake up, Little Z

On some school mornings, Max wakes up before Zahra. This day, we went in together to try and wake the Sleeping Beauty. For a couple weeks now, Zahra has been sleeping on the floor, technically underneath where her bed should be. I moved the mattress from the top, where it should be, and put it on the floor, so at least it would be cushioned. She likes having the sheet hang down to make a little enclosed space where she feels more safe. Max was ready to find his big sister and wake her up.

But she was sound asleep. Notice the little purple flashlight (one of the presents we gave her for her birthday). I wonder if she ever finds it in the middle of the night and turns it on to see if she can see anything. For this little one, you have to hold down the button to keep the light on, which is nice so the battery doesn't run out since it can't be left on.

A few minutes later, two happy kids. I have noticed that Zahra is much more amiable on mornings when Max is immediately there when she wakes up. When it's early and it's just-Mom, we can have quite the frustrating time with grumbles, eyes that refuse to open, hiding under the pillow, thrashing about, you name it. But sometimes Max is sleepy, too, and since he doesn't need to get ready for school like Zahra, I usually let him sleep until he wakes up (which, more often than not, happens just a few minutes later when we are downstairs). I think he senses that he's alone upstairs and so he sits up in bed and calls out, "Mawm?" (It sounds more like that than the rounded-O sound in mom.) I rush up to get him and he's just sitting there, with his legs crossed, rubbing his eyes and looking bewildered, then immediately happy to see me when I walk in the room. To witness that expression of joy, just because you walk in a room, is truly a wonderful feeling.

Hodge-Podge

When Auntie Sis was visiting us at the beginning of the month, we went out for breakfast at the Harbor House (on PCH). When Max smiled for this picture, the waitress happened to be walking by. She was so surprised that he would actually smile for the picture, although personally, I think it was a big happy coincidence. I think this actual moment in time must have been just before or just after he gave that big grin.

Max eating french toast and eggs. He must have been really hungry, because when the waitress put the food on the table, Max shrieked and almost jumped out of his booster seat. It seemed like he could hardly wait for me to cut up the bread and put some on his empty plate. He must have heard something from outside and was looking back to see what made some sound.

Later that day, after we picked up Zahra from school, we went to Target so that Auntie Sis could find some flip-flops. She had brought lots of cold weather shoes but wanted something lighter. While we were waiting for Auntie Sis to decide, Zahra tried on some adult-sized boots. It was hilarious to watch her try and walk in them.

Ever the clever little boy. Max kept putting this little bucket on his head and walking all over the house. If you got down on the ground close to him, he would try to put the bucket-hat on your head, too...

The under-the-table GIANT! Or wait, he's still just a toddler with a dirty shirt. He looks so big here. I guess that's what happens when you lay on the ground and take an upwards shot of a baby.

Yet Another Polliwog Award

Yesterday, there was another ceremony in Toad Hall for kindergarten awards. Zahra got another Polliwog Award for reading books with her mom (and grandma). This was what Max was doing while we were listening to names being called (notice his crazy hair). Since I had already posted a blog about this, I really wasn't going to do another one. Except yesterday the kids celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss. By wearing pajamas. To school. (I wish they had pajama day once a week! It was so easy to get Zahra ready in the morning.) So I thought it would be fun to take pictures of the kids in their PJs. Zahra's class even had on paper hats and bowties like the Cat in the Hat.

Here is Zahra, graciously accepting her award and shaking the principal's hand.

Thumbs up, Mom!

They counted. 67 kids got Polliwog awards. Then a select few got another award where they got to go to the principal's office and pick out a book to take home. The official award said that she read a goal of 4,000 pages, but this was something that Mrs. Dreifus had mumbled when announcing this particular award. How they calculated this for the kindergarteners, I'm not sure. In any case, Zahra went to the office and picked out another copy of a book we already own! ("Lola at the Library." When it was in regular rotation, Zahra used to always insist that I inserted "Zahra" every time it said "Lola" in the book. The girl in the book is little and black and has cute little pigtails. I wondered if Zahra kind of identified with her. She would even get mad if I would mistakenly read "Lola," as it clearly said on the page, and forgot to remember to add "Zahra" instead. It's hard to remember to read things that aren't actually on the page!)

Waiting as everyone got counted...

My favorite little reading buddy!

Maxwell Shoe-y Hands

Lots of times, Max will pick up shoes and bring them to you. Sometimes they belong to you. Sometimes they belong to him. Sometimes they belong to a guest. It doesn't matter. He likes to pick them up and carry them around. Sometimes I think when he brings me his shoes, it's his way of saying, "Hey, put these on me. Let's go outside." What he really means, who knows. Today, he put his little shoes on his hands and walked around the house. I was washing dishes in the kitchen and he walked up to me, put his hands in the air, and had a huge grin on his face. Like it was the coolest thing he'd ever done! He was so proud of himself. So I gave him a hug. And grabbed the camera.

He kept them on his hands for quite awhile, just walking around, banging on stuff, dropping them, picking them up and putting them on again. Great toddler fun!

It was like he kept trying to say, "Hey, Mom! Look what I can do! I've got shoes on my hands! Wow!"

My little happy Maxwell Shoe-y Hands.