Max: 2 1/2 (almost)

Max is 2 1/2  and I need a reminder of this pretty much on a daily basis. He is always included in everything and he is almost as big as Anderson is, so I tend to forget that he is actually still very much a toddler.

Things I love about him at 2: his obsession with being a Ninja Turtle (not the show, just the actual existence as a reptile,) his little hands when he rests his face in them, that I might be his favorite person ever, how he chants "festival....festival" when we are heading to one,  his voice when he gets excited about something, his re-telling a million times a day about how Anderson fell in the frog pond at Ijams (it was in June; he's obsessed,) how he thinks that monsters live in the pipes in our house, his unconditional love for his monkey, the fact that he occasionally watches TV (I literally had no idea that a 2 year old would actually watch TV-he loves Blaze) and, really everything about his precious face.

In addition to the NTs, Max is also in the fireman phase, which I sort of love because it is an easy, go-to boy thing. He was SO proud of making this and actually slept with it for about a week. 

*true story: one day he just came waltzing past us, wearing his fire hat & boots and carrying the real fire extinguisher from the TOP of the cabinet. He somehow managed to climb up there & get it and his nonchalant approach about the whole thing was hilarious/alarming. 

It is staying upside down because of laziness. Or, maybe exhaustion. 

This is a perfect example of Max-the truth hiding behind that adorable little face. This picture was  taken at about  9:15 pm because he is generally still awake at that time on the nights that he goes to school because of the dreaded nap. To be fair, I would trade many, many things to have a 2 year old who still naps, but he is just tired at night if he takes one and I really need him asleep before 9 because I have way too many evening chores to complete. On the weekends, he occasionally falls asleep in the car & it is helpful because he is not SO GRUMPY the rest of the day and because I cap it at 20 minutes, he generally is in the bed before 9, too. He might not be asleep before 9 EVER, but Brandon is "Dad of the Year" and can keep him in his bed. 

He also still wakes up multiple times at night. I would say this in a negative way, but I am usually up anyway because Anderson comes downstairs multiple times each night, too. Whatever. I am so used to sleeping 6 hours of interrupted sleep that I am actually ok with it. Every kid is 100 and my kids make up for their terrible, awful, no good sleeping habits in other ways. 

Another nighttime picture. I could really take one every night of all of the stuff that ends up in his bed as he falls asleep. One night he got all of the cooking stuff out and was making pretend cookies. He honestly does not need a lot of sleep...just like his brother. Sigh. 

This is also a perfect example of Max. I have few pictures of the actual climbing because most of the time he is on top of the dresser or fridge & I have to actually get him down before I can find my phone. It is rare, but  parenting does occasionally trump my need to document. 

Also...

and, this. 

Some questions for Max:

Favorite color: Green

Construction: Digger

Truck: Fire truck

Person: Fireman

Dog: A firedog (Possibly he thinks the girls are actually his sisters?)

NT: Mikey

Anderson for comparison. 

I've mentioned a time or 2, but I am madly in love with this sweet face and his school pics did not lessen that obsession-look how cute he is!!!

 The hands in his pocket. Love.

Oh, wait....That looks different. Where is my sweet angel?

Real life for the win the other 98% of the time. 

Real life= pajamas as clothes, so much crying/whining, refusing to do what I need him to do/being 2. 

Brandon. Glover. 

A few videos: (I think some of these are almost 6 months old, but still so cute)

Max found a bug

Ninja Turtles-family

Max going to his office