Getting so big...but still my babies!

We have been running like crazy lately!  But we finally had a few days at home.  While hanging out at home I am able to get more pictures of my sweet children.  Here are just a few of my handsome son...he is getting SO
 big!

Lexi didn't think he quite understood what the rocket was for, so she decided to show him.  Lucky for me he is pretty easy going about her bossiness!

Here is my 2 year old trying to get her own snack ready.  She thought if she got a snack bowl out then I would complete her mission.

She is getting so big.  But just when I think she is really acting grown up she sees Max doing something and she reverts:

I love her toes in that top pic!  Max was really trying to climb my leg...until she pushed him right out of the way!
Just a couple more of my big happy guy:

Max is such a great helper.  Here he is trying to run my old school dishwasher!
Enjoying my blessed life,
M

My Beautiful Children

It is hard to believe that my babies are getting so old!  My baby boy will be 1 year old on May 7th.  Here are some quick pictures of him...such a happy boy:

Even caged he is a happy little guy!  I can't wait to see what a kind and energetic man you will become.

Lexi is approaching 2 1/2 years going on 12!  She now sits through full episodes of her favorite cartoons:

She picks her own clothes:

And unfortunately, she acts just like her mommy (whom she refers to as Honey at all times):

Lexi says to me as I am helping her finish in the bathroom:
"You a weally good wipa, Honey"
Me: I am a really good wiper?
"Yes!"
Me (with a chuckle): Thanks, Lex.
"Welcome, Honey"
She can work my last nerve but she can crack me up faster than anyone else!

Love my babes!

A little of this a little of that.

Easter was a LOT of fun.  This is Lexi showing everyone her CANDY!

Here is Max checking out his basket.  He loved his Easter book!

All of this loot  was preceded with a WHOLE lot of fun.

We colored eggs with "the cousins" and then with my family.

We also enjoyed some time off from work and the stresses of starting a new business:

Lexi and I were showing Aunt Lowey our dance moves.
Max just scooted around...

We also celebrated Lyla's 2nd birthday.  Lexi and Max love parties.  They both love Lyla, too!  We really enjoyed her party.  It has been a great spring so far.

Really bad at this.

I am really bad at blogging.  I have friends and relatives who are just wonderful at recording their lives in their blogs.  I wish I was more like that, but I am not.  I dread loading pictures on to my computer...I don't know why, I just do.

So, here is a pictureless blog.

We have been pretty busy around here.  My husband and I have started our own business. 

OTTO MAX TRUCKING & EXCAVATING, LLC.

While this very exciting, it is very time consuming and a tad on the stressful side.  But I think we have successfully navigated our way so far.  I know the Lord is with us and that makes it all easier.  I am so proud of my husband.  He is so driven and committed.  He felt the Lord guiding him in a different direction and he followed, even though the stakes were high.  And here we are...
I will post pictures of our new truck as soon as I feel up to downloading pictures!


Max will be turning 1 in less than a month!  I cannot believe this.  He has really been such a sweet, loving, and lovable baby.  He has had a rough go for the last couple of months with his top teeth, but I think we are on the down hill slide with those.  I am so excited for his birthday party!  He is going to love it.  Both my kids really enjoy social gatherings, so it should be a lot of fun for both of them.

Lexi is just amazing.  Everyday she is putting longer more clever sentences together.  Everyday I am amazed at how brilliant she is.  Both of my babies are astonishing in that capacity. I am bragging now, but they are both so smart and cute...I can't help it.



OK, that is it for now.  Pictures in the next post, I PROMISE!
Enjoying every day,

Mick

Spring Break

This past weekend we took a little family "Spring Break" to St. Louis.  It was so much fun.  Above is a picture of Lexi at the Magic House, Children's Museum.  She is IN LOVE with water and anything that involves water, so the water table exhibit was perfect for her.           

Lexi measured 3 feet tall, she is getting so big!

 Daddy & Max in the construction exhibit.

Daddy, Max & Lexi in the construction exhibit.

This is our family portrait in the construction exhibit.  Lexi was trying to get out by herself, you can see right up my nose, but boy are Kevin and Max sure having a good time.

Lexi was sooo excited to have her own "big" bed.  At home she sleeps in a toddler bed, but this was  queen sized bed with all the trimmings!

Swimming is all Lexi talks about.  It was the highlight of her vacation, and she keeps asking when we can go again.  She picked out this cute little bikini all by herself.  Yellow is her favorite color of the moment.  She doesn't quite know how to express that she loves yellow, but EVERYthing she picks out is yellow!

Here are my two little cuties checking themselves out in the mirror.  A couple of real bathing beauties:

And here is our handsome little fella' all ready to "fwim," as Lex would say.

And after 1/2 an hour of preparation the "fwimmin'" began!

We also visited the Science Center.  It was pretty cool.  We didn't do any of the extras there, such as the OmniMax theater or special exhibits.  But the basic stuff was pretty cool!  They had a dinosaur display that was unbelievable.  Lexi loved it from afar, but up close was not so keen on the giant moving creatures.  Max just wanted to take a nap, he didn't care where we were.

After the Science Center, we visited the Museum of Transportation.  I think it would have been really fun if it were a little later in the season.  They weren't fully open so we had to do a self tour!  Either way the trains were really cool, and you could even blow some of their train whistles!  Lexi is really in to trains right now, and again, Max just wanted to take a nap.  Poor Max, it is going to look like he hardly did anything fun on this trip!!

I am so thankful for my little family.  My husband is such an amazing husband and father.  How lucky were we to get such a fun vacation?

Oh, my Goodness!!

Those are the words I hear quite often out of my little Lexi's mouth.  She says EVERYTHING I say, with the same inflection and the same face...sometimes it infuriates me, sometimes it makes me roll on the floor with laughter. 
I heard her telling Max, "Don't you DARE!  NO NO!"  I walked in to the room to see what he was doing...it was nothing major, just something she didn't want him to do. 
"OH, my GOODNESS"  That is a big one, I must say it 100 times a day with a look of sheer shock and surprise, because that is what I see in her face when she says 100 times a day.  It could be for any reason, she put her sock on the wrong way or she got some yummy candy.  I just love it!  Here is the kicker, though.  Last night at dinner I told her, "I said NO."  Her reply, with her lips pursed and brows lowered, and in a low voice "I tell you YES"  I had to turn my head and let Kevin do the reprimanding on that one...I was almost choking on my laughter.  I am laughing to myself as I write this. 

God, help me.  I am going to need it!

Frog Prince

When Lexi was born a friend of mine with 2 older sons gave me a little bag of toys that they no longer played with.  One of these toys was a frog.  This frog has been in Lexi's toy box since then.  A month or so ago, she was digging through her toy box and just about lost it!  She would NOT touch that frog, started to cry, and begged Kevin and me to get it out!!!  After much teasing, and watching Max chew on if for the last month she has been getting braver and braver regarding this frog.

Today, because she wanted to have her picture taken, she decided she would touch it.
The pictures are as follows:

 

  

  

I couldn't really get her to kiss the frog...but she would pretend!  

I have to say, I HATE frogs, so Lexi must get this frog fear from me...poor thing.  Love her!

And here is a picture of our little prince:

 

Isn't he just the funniest little boy!  Love him!