Max at 17 months

It is driving me absolutely insane that I cannot locate the proper parts I need to get either of my two cameras to work! I am sure that they are somewhere extremely obvious and I will kick myself forever once I find them. But for now, my two cameras sit in front of me on the kitchen table with dead batteries and full photo cards. Boo. The above fuzzy photo from my computer will have to suffice. This is Max this morning, ready for breakfast.

I wanted to get on here and type out a few things that Mr. Max is up to these days, as he has been awfully cute...

• Playing with empty plastic juice/milk bottles from the recycle trash. Basically, anything on the recycle trash can is pretty thrilling.
• Still a little book lover. He has no attachment or draw to tv/movie watching which is a surprise... :) But BOOKS are very happy things. Especially books that have pages that have peekaboos--where animals hide behind. A favorite lately that he brings for me to read several times a day is "Hop on Pop," by Dr. Seuss.
• Taking off his shirt. On more than a few occasions, I have gone in to get Max out of bed to find he has no shirt on. I ask, "Maaaaxers, where is your shirt?" To which he responds, "Digga?" "Where is your shirt, silly?"... He bends down and fishes around in his bed covers to pull out said missing item with gusto, "Ehhh, digga!" Big smile.
• Wrestling with daddy. It is one of their morning routines-rolling around on the living room floor. Max has gotten pretty good at this, and especially likes to pummel daddy in the stomach. Joaquin may regret teaching him these moves :).
• Dancing. Dance parties have become more frequent these days. Max will recognize songs that Joaquin plays at home, when we are out in the car. He starts flailing all limbs around with great joy while strapped into his carseat. It cracks us up how dancing gives him such unbridled happiness, he giggles and laughs as he stomps his feet and spins his arms in the air.
• Rearranging furniture continues to be a favorite hobby. Several times when I go to the childcare classrooms at church after MOPS or Bible study, the teacher tells me that Max enjoyed pulling out all chairs, pushing them around the room and stacking them together. We think this is because since he was Mr. Itty Bitty, he has been watching us every Sunday morning as we set up the uptown church campus for service. Max used to watch us, so intently, from his perch in his stroller, but now, he is right in the middle, "helping." And by helping I mean pushing all chairs out of order and out of their rows...
• Being in the center of things. We do not have a shy child on our hands. When our house is full of people, or we are at church, Max is so happy to be engaging whoever cares to bend down and listen to his babble, or play with his toys. It is precious for this momma to watch.
• Drawing. Mr. Max loves to be given a ball point pen and a fresh piece of paper.
• His actual words are few, but I watch how daily he seems to understand more and more of the instructions I give him. So far he says: Joooo for juice, Cheee for cheese, momma, dadda, Baaa for bath, Ni-Ni for his snuggie (comfort blankie), Boo for book, Beh for Bear, D-deh for dog.
• This month marks the concerted effort on both of Joaquin and my part to discipline this child. He now clearly understands what is off limits and what is not. So we are holding him to that. Max does receive much grace with a warning or two, as many times he does things without thinking. But boy, is he an easy read. When I see those furrowed brows of defiance, I sigh inwardly, and work on thanking God for a strong willed child. That determination and strong will shall be a strength someday. It is our "joyful" duty to direct him and grow him in these things. Lord, give us patience (me, especially).