Max's Books

While I was working James took Max to the bookstore and came home with this little stuffed dog...

and this book.

Two days earlier at another trip to the bookstore he bought these.

Max will never want for books.

Self Control

I have been thinking about self-control a lot lately. I feel like I should break out singing Safety Kids...

"Self Control
You got to have a little Self Control
I am the boss of what I do and say
Try Self Control Today!"

I stay up late reading and boy do I pay for it the next day. I eat what I want and I pay for it. I put off work and I get chewed out or have to stay up late. And many other examples. I know there are consequences. I just want to do what I want at the moment so I do it. And I pay for it. And I know I will pay for it. And I do it anyway. Isn't that dumb! I do these things to myself. I in fact punish myself by doing what I want.

I know that if I do what is best then next day will be better, my body will feel and look better, my finances will be better, etc., etc., etc.

So I am practicing. I am working on thinking through things before or as I am doing them. I think carefully about what I am eating and how it will make me feel. I think about why I want to stay up rather than go to bed and how it will affect the next day. I think about need vs. want as I make purchases.

Max is a great motivator. I don't want to do these things just for him. But I know that he will be affected as well. If I am cranky because I stayed up late he is the one who has to spend all day with me being cranky.

I, of course, mess up. But I am also working on not kicking myself. Instead simply examining the point at which I should have done something different and how I can better approach it the next time.

Fall Family BBQ

We went to James' Moms for the family BBQ. We spent a couple of hours there and it was very enjoyable. I had meant to put the camera in as I am trying to get more pictures with the extended family. Unfortunately I took it out of the diaper bag and forgot to put it back in. It was fine other than I missed a cute photo opportunity with Grandma K (James' Dad) holding Max.

I had a realization watching Max and the other cousins. I still think of them as James' family; just as I am sure he thinks of my family as my family. But where I married into the family, Max is apart of both sides of the family. It won't take long until the age difference no longer matters and he is able to play with his cousins. He has cousins close on both sides of the family and I hope he will be able to know all of them.

Roll Over

I went in to get Max out of bed this morning and this is what I found.

He had turned himself in the bed and rolled himself over.

He was very cheerful considering he doesn't like to be on his tummy.

Max's New Discovery

Cleaning

I mopped the floor for the first time in...I am too embarrassed to say so I won't. I like it so much when it is clean! Over the weekend we moved some things. We moved the hutch out of the kitchen where it has been gathering dust. The kitchen feels so much more open. I need to find a nice picture to hang on the wall above the table. I think I want to paint it also. In all of my spare time. :)

We got rid of the crappy table that was in the garage. James actually had to tear it apart in order to get it out. Then we put the hutch in its place.

We have more room in the garage and the hutch is nicely organized.

Haircut

Saturday I had my hair cut and highlighted.

I really love it!

I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my head. The stylist was amazed at the thickness of my hair. She thinned and thinned it and said that she could keep thinning it for two hours and I would still have a head of hair. It is so nice to have the weight and heat off my neck. I also like the hint of lightness the color added. My hair isn't so drab anymore.