I love you Infinity

I can't figure out if Max's innate ability to ask profound questions at bedtime is true curiosity, stall tactic, or both.  Why does the Earth turn?  How is it light out when the sun doesn't shine?  And his latest, what is the biggest number?  "Max, there is no biggest number.  Numbers just keep going." "No, mommy.  But what number is the biggest?"  So I attempted to explain infinity to Max.  Last night he told me he loved me "infinity + 100." Tonight I told him I loved him.  He asked me how much and I said (I thought cleverly) "Infinity +200!"  Max said, "well I love you infinity + infinity!" In all my fumbling, I guess he grasped the concept of what it meant.    There is nothing better at the end of the say than to hear that someone loves you that much. 

xo~M

Bringing Zoey Home

Today Ella and I picked up Zoey's ashes.  Ella stood next to me rubbing my back and squeezing my hand.  I picked up the box and we walked to the car.  It was heavier than I thought.  I guess I thought ashes would be lighter some how.  I don't know why.  I sat in the car and cried for a minute trying to wrap my head around it all (again).  The vet sent a sweet poem too and reading it made me cry again.  It was awful.  But a friend said to me that he bet it was the only bad memory I had of her.  Thinking about that, he was right.  She was such a good girl and all of my memories of her are wonderful ones.  

xo, M

Jam, crossed

Max wants to learn how to box.  Santa brought him a little blow up punching bag.  Max just wants to beat the crap out of it, but Josh is trying to teach him control and the correct technique etc.  Hands up, jab with the left (that's a fast punch, mommy) and cross with your right ( that is when you punch hard, mom!) Max called me into the garage to see what he has been doing..."cuz you have to see my jam crossed mom!" Priceless.....

xo~M

 

Slow Motion

Ella got a basketball hoop for Christmas.  This morning right after breakfast she went upstairs changed and ran out to play.  Max did not change but ran out in his jammies with my Olympus.  First asking what button turned it on and what button take the picture.  He said he wanted to get "shots" of Ella.  So while I am telling the story today, Max is the guest photographer.  We heard him say, "ooh got that one, didn't get that one." But the best comment we heard from him was when he directed Ella to "go in slow motion, so I can get it!"  Slow motion...if only life moved like that so you could catch everything.  So you could line up the perfect shot, never miss a thing. 

xo~M

these were some of my favorites that Max "shot"

Oh My Soul

I love music.  I relate parts of my life and people in it to music.  I hear a song and it puts me back in high school or college.  I hear Joy and Pain and I remember dancing on the bleachers at a track meet in high school.  I hear anything by Van Morrison and it reminds me of Josh.  I hear Crash by Dave Matthews and I remember being pregnant with Keelin and driving down Main Street in Buffalo to a client's house.  I had the windows down and was singing really loudly...she started kicking.  So either she liked Dave or hated my singing voice?? After she was born, I rocked her to Dave cds.  Our whole family enjoys music.  Keelin sings.  We have Unger Dance Party.  Ella falls asleep each night to the soundtrack of the Empire Strikes Back.  Max falls asleep to Coldplay's Viva la Vida album.  I carry my head phones with me to work so I can listen to pandora while working on IEPs or paperwork.  I went to church this morning.  The music is Christian rock-type.  I love Amazing Grace...any way that it is sung.  I am not particularly a huge fan of Christian music.  And today every song made me feel sad...whether it be the lyrics or the melody or both.  It was the first time in a long time I just did not want to listen at all.  Then the last song they sang really hit me.  I picked up on it and sang too and by the time we finished, I did have tears in my eyes, but not so much sadness this time.  I looked up the lyrics when I got home: (I hi lighted the parts that I really liked)
The song is called 10,000 Reasons

Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

CHORUS

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

CHORUS

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

xo~M

Who's on First

We were at my sister's today and Max wanted to put a puzzle together with his cousin, Evelyn.  Ev got a new one for Christmas of the solar system.  Evelyn decided after about a piece, she needed to do some solo dancing instead so I helped Max start it.  We completed the Sun, Mercury, pieces of Earth and Saturn.  Max started the moon.  Then we picked up pieces of Uranus.  I put one in and Max found another.  "Max, that's Uranus.  It goes right here."
So then he said, "Myanus is connected!"
"Max, the planet is called Uranus."
"No it's Myanus!"
"Max look it's URanus"
"It's MYanus!"
"No, Max look at the word.  It starts with a URanus" and I showed him the word and helped him sound it out. 
"Oh, he said.  URANUS!"
Oh My God....I thought Josh and my mom were going to wet their pants laughing so hard.  He was so adamant about the MYanus part.  It was truly a Who's on first conversation.  My mom said, you need to write this stuff down.  So here I did....

xo~M

 The aforementioned puzzle piece!

 

Ta Da!!!!!!

Random Moments 3- 2012 in Review

 Ella's 8th Birthday-January

 Keelin singing in the talent show-February

 March

 Max's 4th Birthday-March

 My kiddos at Fowler Park-April

 Keelin's 5th grade graduation-May

 Keelin and Bean in Myrtle Beach-June

 My boys in OBX-July

 One of Max's loofah flowers-August

 Ella teaching Max how to be a quarterback-September

 Keelin's 12th birthday-October

 Guest photographer, Max!  At the horse farm in FL-November

The Unger Squad, Christmas Day -December

Stay tuned for more in 2013.

xo~M

Good-bye 2012

It was a good year.  Josh and I both have jobs.  We have a house.  Our kids are loud, healthy, and I think, happy.  We are lucky.  We are blessed.  Looking forward to a new year. 

xo~M

This picture is a complete disaster as far as focus and clarity, but I love it because it is the last one I took in 2012 and it is of the kids laughing.