Birthday Waffles!!!!

Miss Allison invited us over for birthday waffles this morning. It was a very special treat!!! Talk about a week of celebration. Man, oh man bring it on! ...no frozen waffles either...Miss Allison had a hot waffle iron, batter, and yummy toppings (choc chips, coconut, strawberries, blue berries) It was all so good.

We love Miss Allison!

Maxx got to meet Tito and Taco the cats, play on the porch, eat watermelon, choose what he wanted in his waffle, hunt for and play hide and seek with the cats, be in a 3 piece band, chase the birds, up and down stairs, race his cars on a side walk chalk race track, take a 15 minute walk, then look up at the trees and sky.






What a beautiful morning! So sweet, so thoughtful.
Thank you Allison!!

Poppa Lion is 40!

Happy Birthday, Kurt!
A true Leo

Traditional Leo Traits
Generous and warmhearted
Creative and enthusiastic
Broad-minded and expansive
Faithful and loving

On the dark side....
Pompous and patronizing
Bossy and interfering
Dogmatic and intolerant

Birthday cake...it's a process

I attempted to create some magic by having Maxx make Daddy's 4oth birthday cake. We had a blast and I think Maxx's first cake turned out AWESOME!!!


Day 1, Sunday, we mixed our ingredients and made the chocolate cake



Day 2, Monday, we cut the layers (4 (for 4 and 40 years) (and Daddy's lucky number)) and moistened it with Daddy's left over coffee in the pot...we added a bit of sugar. Then we made the filling: Marscapone Cheese with some maple syrup...Yummy to lick the spoon.
Day 3, Tuesday, we made icing and decorated the cake. Maxx wanted pink and green. Lucky natural food colorings are lighter and the pink came out perfect. Sprinkles are a must. So on with the confetti sprinkles...and then Maxx wanted me to write "Happy Birthday Daddy!" add some hearts and put "40" on it. When I was finished he said, "It is so pewrfect and beeauteeeful!" He was so proud of his AWESOME cake.






Maxx had 2 pieces...it was that yummy!!!!

Officially 4!!

It is official. We celebrated 4. I am posting a quick one...since we are in the middle of celebrating 40 today, with Poppa Lion. I will have more to add in the next post, but here are a crazy amount of photos...

Maxx woke up and the fairies, that bring birthday suprises had left a balloon on his bed that had a number 4 and stars on it.
Then on the table was a sweet birthday card from them wishing a happy birthday.

We opened gifts...and I made a big breakfast.
Mmmm...fresh warm cheesecake. When we asked Maxx what kind of cake he wanted..."Cheesecake, my favorite!!!" was the immediate answer.
Garnished it with some fresh summer berries and we sang happy birthday.

YUMMY! YUMMY! YUMMY!

Gifts arrived in the mail.
The greatest card!!!!..."Don't forget the mountain goat! Haaapeeey Birrrrrthday!" Too funny!!


We went to the park down the street to enjoy the sunshine and bumped into some kids we hadn't seen since the beginning of summer. They are 8,7, and almost 5. Right away they saw Maxx and wanted to play. Those boys were so sweet and played with him so well...being older. They have no idea how much that means to Maxx. They made a secrect club house.
Sat and talked about boy stuff...I tried to keep my distance. They played hide and seek, tag, and swung.
Maxx was pooped after the boys left. We were there for a good 3 hours.
He started pulling the wagon "Time to go, Momma!"
But not too tired for a treat from the ice cream cart.
At home and he fell asleep before one story was completely read.
When he woke up Grammy's gift had arrived...and Matrix fast!!!

Maxx and I packed a picnic supper, and headed to the beach for dinner. It was perfect! There was a guy flying kites and it wasn't crowded. Just perfect.A birthday picnic is not complete without the cake...mmmmmmmm! And I think cheesecake tastes better at the beach!!

The Grommy and Papah birthday call...he really enjoyed it.

Then I read the "Maxx's Birthday Story" (will post later). This is one of our new traditions and it was magic!!!!





Just before the bath we read his new book The Brothers Grimm The Breman Town Musicians and played with his beautiful new wooden animals.

Maxx and I also made Daddy's birthday cake...I will post in a later blog. We packed a lot in.
Happy 4th Birthday Maxx!

Birthday Verse:

Over the rainbow bridge and
from the seven kingdoms of light ,
Came our Maxx one summer night
With gifts from the stars

Down he came to Mother Earth
And found a place and house of birth.

Time has passed, and now can be told:
Today he sits here 4 years old.

Can it Be? This is the Last Day of Three?

So today is the last day of year three. We took a picture to remember this night. Maxx will be four tomorrow, entering a new year journey. The biggest thing for him this year will be starting school. He will do great, he is so ready. I am so happy and excited for what this year will unfold. I love you my sweet and funny Maxx.


Birthday Verse:

Over the rainbow bridge and
from the seven kingdoms of light ,
Came our Maxx one summer night
With gifts from the stars

Down he came to Mother Earth
And found a place and house of birth.

Time has passed, and now can be told:
Today he sits here 3 years old.
(tomorrow it will be 4 years old)

Beautiful

Beautiful by G. Love

I am in love with this song!
It is in my top 5 right now.
Enjoy my beautiful friends!!

Phone Home! Phone Home!

One thing I really love about Chicago is the amazing park district.
They put on activities all over the city, all day every day... somewhere. Last night we took advantage of movies @ the park. ...so, we popped some corn, put some drinks on ice, grabbed the picnic blanket, soaked our selves in swy flotter, and we went to the park to watch E.T.
Found out that Kurt only sprayed his exposed skin...those blood suckers found that tasty skin under his shirt. Itchy!!!



Maxx loves glow sticks, so the other day I got some glow necklaces and thought this would be a great event to bring them.

I was thrilled my friend Debbie joined us and Maxx gave her a glow necklace... then sat in her lap and talked her ear off. He asked her how babies are made (Whoa!), does she have any kids and why, if she has a baby in her belly, how come E.T. can't breath the air on Earth, what is that smoke (in the movie) to talking about her bike, and helmet. The little charmer...conned her out of her entire package of cookies. Debbie you are a good sport, Maxx loves you. Thank you for joining us.

The crowd clapped at all the right spots.

There is the star! I heart E.T.



Ell-iii-ot!! Oh I had a crush on Henry Thomas when I was a youngster!!! Dreamy Elliot! My Earthling hero!!!!

Out of this world fun!