Maxwell turns 9!!!

Watching my babies grow up is very bittersweet. 

This month Maxwell turned nine.  In another couple weeks he starts 4th grade.  I still think of him as one of the little kids, but maybe it's time to change the way I see him.  He is growing up very fast, and is showing tons of signs of maturity.  

Lily had a fun idea to make posters to hang up all over the house.  Glenn loved the idea, and helped her out with a few of them.  The night before his birthday, after he went to bed, Glenn and Lily hung them up all over.  They had worked on them for days. 

I decided a long time ago that I would share the Good, the Bad and the Ugly on this blog.  I am not, a perfect mother, and we do not have a perfect family.  Someday I want to be able to look back, and have my children look back, and remember the good and the bad.  That way we can continue to do better.

Now that I have said that.... Did you notice that the blue, yellow and green "Birthday Poster" in the bottom right corner is ripped up, then taped?  That is because while I was making Max a special birthday breakfast, he and Lily had a big fight.  She said mean things to him, then he began to rip up the signs she had made for him.  It ended in a wrestling match, me pulling them apart, and sending them to "separate corners".

It wasn't funny then, but in twenty years that will hilarious!

On his birthday morning we had yummy Buttermilk Pancakes and fresh strawberries.  

That afternoon we went to Blue Lake to cool off, and have some fun.  Usually we go at least once a wee, but this was our first time this whole Summer!  That's how busy we've been.

Bennett doesn't remember it from last year.  He LOVED it!

Bennett met a little girlfriend who showed him how to do some really fun things with the water.

Big surprise - Lily and the boys didn't get along.

Maxwell, the goofball.

I took some self portraits of Theo and I.

When we got home, Max took a warm bubble bath, one of his favorite things on earth!

Then, he helped me make his ice cream sandwich cake.  He loves to help me in the kitchen, and he made me promise that he could make his cake.  He had requested the same cake my mom made for Glenn in Denver on his birthday.  This time we added some banana slices between the layers.  It was delish!

Happy Birthday to YOU!  Happy Birthday to YOU!  Happy birthday dear Maxwell!!!! 

Happy Birthday TO YOU!!!!

And many more....

It has become a tradition to take a picture of all the kids together with the birthday boy or girl, after singing to them.

As always, we take several.  It's hard to get them all looking at the same time. 

Lily was being so silly that she didn't even notice she had dipped Theo's foot into the cake. 

Their shocked faces are priceless.

YUMMY!

PRESENTS!!!!!

He got the Lorax!

Some school clothes.

You can tell he is thrilled by the box of new clothes.

This is what he was really waiting for.

Star Wars!

Maxwell is a truly wonderful, sweet, tenderhearted boy. 
I am so grateful to be his mother.