Memorial Day Memories

We'll be lucky to remember anything about Memorial Day, considering that our brains are being fried day by day due to extreme intolerable heat...so I will now attempt to document what we did over the long Memorial Day Weekend of 2011.

Saturday we were invited to a cookout at Paul and Lympi's. I don't know if it was what Paul and Lympi had in mind when they invited all of their friends with kids ...but we enjoyed it. It was the first of many non-diet-approved meals of the weekend, and boy did I love that hotdog and pasta salad and cornbread casserole.

Before dinner the kids wreaked havoc in the backyard. Max enjoyed relaxing on their hammock:


Meanwhile, Natey relaxed on the cornhole board...I'm sure Paul Eddy loved this!



Sam tried to show Nathanael the proper way to play cornhole. In fact, I think Sam is the "best cornhole player in the WORLD."


Although, frankly, Sam, I would have to say that it looks like Max scored all the points here. Maybe he can give you some pointers next time.


Chris and Max watched from the sidelines. And I FINALLY was able to see the resemblance that everyone has talked about between these two since the day Max was born (Chris just needs a matching goose egg and these two would look like complete mirror images.)


There were also several football games being played simultaneously in the backyard. Tyler was a super cute quarterback. Look how cute he is.



Meanwhile, the quarterback for Paul Rogers's team was apparently tossing up ridiculously uncatchable Hail Marys. Run, Napolean! (If you're smart, you WILL click on this picture to get an up-close look at Paul's "game face").


Max was getting pretty hungry, as it was well past his usual dinner time, so he had some car appetizers. Hey, you take what you can get.



And then, back to the hammock for one more pre-dinner swing. (The Rogers are very smiley people. The Ludwigs...not so much, apparently).


I guess once the food came out, I got distracted (sounds about right) because there are no more photos from that point forward. Oh well.

So Sunday we were scheduled to attend another cookout, at Jack and Janet Eddy's at 5 pm. What to do to fill the VERY HOT day until then? Swim! In the puffer fish pool! And be terrorized by said puffer fish.


Luckily, by 5:00 the temperature was a pleasantly temperate 97 degrees for our cookout. You might call this "extreme grilling" - only an Eddy would attempt this:


Meanwhile, everyone else chills in the shade, where it's a much-more-reasonable 95 degrees. "Haha, look at Jack slaving by the grill while we sit in the shade!"


Of course, the TRULY smart individuals were in the house, with the air conditioning, making some calls, apparently. "Hey, Acme Ice Company, can you please deliver one large ice block to Mimi and Pop Pop's house. Yes, correct, just dump it in their pool so that it will be a comfortable temperature for my swim tomorrow. Charge it to Hamilton Maxwell III. Thanks."


Later on (I'm going to guess that it was around 6:39), Max and Pop Pop enjoyed some bonding time after dinner. Pop Pop had, in Max's opinion, just saved Max's life as Max was almost overtaken by a large green UFO.


And of course, it wouldn't be Memorial Day without balloons.






So on Monday, Memorial Day, Chris was due to leave for Charleston for work (or so he claims) but we were able to convince him to come for a swim with us before he left (can't waste that ice-block delivery, after all). It was a relaxing end to a long Memorial Day weekend.

You can be ANYTHING you want to be, baby! **

I like to expose my kid to lots of experiences and activities, so that he can get a little taste of all aspects of life. This weekend was a good example of the wide array of experiences that I like to provide for him.

Friday: "Things like this only happen on really hot days."
I had the day all planned out, with a quick trip to Costco nestled into the midday, to be followed by some cleaning and other activities at home. Max and I stayed on schedule in Costco, making good time in the store even though it was slam packed (as usual, because clearly nobody in Greenville works and yet they all have tons of disposable income to spend on bulk packages of chips and life-sized teddy bears). So, we got all of our bulk packages loaded in the car and were on our way when I remembered that, Oh yeah! I need gas! So, after a quick fill-up at the Costco gas station, we were on our way. Except we weren't. Because the Kia would not start. How embarassing. A very nice gentleman offered to give it a try (because I apparently look like some ditzy girl who doesn't always remember the proper steps involved in starting a car) and he confirmed that, yep, it would not start. He then, along with his friend, pushed the car away from the pump for me. Luckily, Chris answered his phone when I called and was quickly on his way to our rescue, but I had about 35 minutes to kill in the Costo gas station parking lot with a hungry baby, a broken down car, and a close to 90 degree day. (A friend pointed out that all I needed was a cigarette to complete this lovely scene.)

Max used this as a learning opportunity. Maybe he'd like to be a mechanic.

(Please note the chicken, cooling it's heels - or should I say thighs or breasts - in the relative coolness of the shade under the driver's seat)

Anyway, Max certainly was happy to be hot and sweaty around a dirty car...which is certainly a requirement for a mechanic. This might have potential.


We are not going to discuss how much it cost to get the Kia back to driving condition, because it gives me heart palpitations...but thanks to Chris for taking care of getting her back in working order for me!

Saturday: "You can be Greek for a day"
Saturday we headed to Greenville, I mean Greekville, for the Greek festival. I'm pretty sure my sole intention for going to the Greek festival was to eat a gyro...I'm on a constant quest to eat anything that is even somewhat close to a doener. So Max got to be Greek for the day.

Look how thrilled he was to be Greek for the day! I think he was scared we were going to make him wear a skirt and dance. Like me, he was really only interested in the gyros. And he had his first taste of meat, which was not white sausage as I had predicted, but was, in fact....well, whatever it is that's in gyros. Perhaps lamb...whatever it was, he liked it. And I think everything tastes better with the proper music playing in the background. Max even busted out a few moves. He's a natural Greek!


And finally...just to make sure that Max's carnivorous tendency was not a fluke, we've been feeding him little bites of meat since Saturday. Chris shared some little pieces of hot dog with Max and today I shared something that's like gold around here - Chris's pork barbecue. Of course my little meat eater loved it, with a side of watermelon. Just what every good Southerner would eat. I really wanted to hook him up with some Sticky Fingers Carolina Classic Barbecue Sauce...maybe next time.


**This post is dedicated to Ben and Les. They know why.

9 Months Old.

Max had his 9 month check up today. Luckily, there were no shots involved, so it was a pretty easy visit. Here are the key points from our meeting with the doctor:

Weight - 19 lbs - 38.5% (YES!!! My baby weighs LESS than average!!!)
Height - 28 3/4" - 68% (but, he's slowing down on the height chart - could have predicted that one)
Head - 45 cm - 50.6% (you don't get a more average gourd than that!)

But, most importantly, we learned that we can feed Max pretty much whatever we want...including, that's right, white sausage. In fact, Chris asked specifically about white sausage, even going so far as to show the doc a picture of a white sausage. I predict that this weekend some white sausage will be consumed at Casa Ludwig. Just not by me.

Oh, and the doc also imparted this little nugget of wisdom that I think is worth repeating for everyone's benefit: "There is no such thing as a healthy tan, it's just a precancerous glow." I might be overly sensitive about my skin color, but I felt like he said this for my benefit.

As I walked out the door of the pediatrician's office, I discovered that I had 2 buttons of my shirt buttoned...and 3 unbuttoned. That's classy. I did sort of wonder why the doc was focusing most of his attention on Chris. Wonder no more. (Chris has also mentioned more than once today that he really likes this blouse.)



Since it was such a nice day and since Max was dressed so appropriately for it, we headed out for the zoo after lunch. Sam came with us. It was so much fun! And we got there at EXACTLY the perfect time, too...just as we pulled up, millions of little kiddies were loading up into their buses to go home. Score!! We had to do some swinging before heading in to see the animals. It was Max's first time, but Sam showed him how it was done and Max was definitely a BIG fan. (Please note the hat, for sun protection ... and he was also wearing several layers of sunscreen...GET OFF MY BACK, DOC!)






"Whoa, getting squirrely here!"


I really wanted to get some "different" pictures this time, since I take the same pictures all the time at the zoo. So, we tried a cousins shot with the vultures. Those guys don't get much attention I bet, but they are oddly friendly birds. As I set the boys up for the picture, the vultures all hopped over to be in the shot...that, or they thought the little one might be a good snack. (Yes, Sam does look slightly nervous about what's going on behind him)



And lucky us, the lion was being a sport today and was hanging out right beside the viewing window! I've never seen this guy so close! He was awesome!!





"Wow, that lion is big...but he seems pretty calm and sweet...nice kitty..."



"Oh my gosh, what's he doing????"


"PLEASE don't eat me! I'm just a defenseless baby!!!!!"




At this point, we had to take a mid-Zoo play-break at the playground. Someone in our party wanted to stay there until he "turns 268" but we finally moved on to the orangatans. I'm not sure who was more bored at this point:


Seriously, though, the troops were really starting to drag.
Max was really offended by something this pig did...


And minutes later I had two sleeping boys in my car. What a day!

Guys Gone Wild.

Last weekend was a huge first for me. I spent my first two nights away from Max since his birth and went to Isle of Palms for a girls' beach weekend. I was super excited to see my girlfriends, but also super nervous to leave my boy. I don't know what I was worried about; he was in the capable hands of his Dad. And I get the feeling they didn't even miss me. Thank heavens for this great little invention that we like to call "the Internets"...Chris sent me lots of pictures and videos of their boys' weekend, and I even got to Skype with Max and Chris on Saturday from the restaurant where I was having dinner. Ah, the modern age. So here is Max and Chris's weekend in pictures:

Friday, 6:00 PM
"Hey Mom, I'm not really missing you yet"


Saturday, 7:45 AM
"Breakfast tastes like it always does...even though you're gone"


Saturday, 11:00 AM
"Are you my Mommy?" and "Don't worry, Mommy, I'm shopping with coupons..."


Saturday, 2:21 PM
"Daddy's trying to wear me out so I'll take a nap...hahaha, I'll show him."


Saturday, 5:30 PM
"That is one HEAVY sock"


Sunday, 7:10 AM
"Have I been weaned?"


Sunday, 11:00 AM
"I'm feeling like a man after this boys' weekend...cribs are for babies"



And, ok, I had fun too...I hope for Max that he can find some friends like these when he's little that he'll still enjoy hanging out with 20-30 years later.

What do you know? It's Mother's Day and I'm a Mom!

Today is my first Mother's Day as a Mom. I have to say that there were times that I never thought I would actually get to be a Mom and therefore, today is pretty darn special. And not because I want (or expect) gifts, but because I am honored to be called "Mamamamamama" by the sweetest little munchkin.

That said, Max (with a little help from his Dad) was thoughtful enough to get me a sweet card and this yummy cookie, which I dove into face-first before even thinking to grab my camera. I'm pretty sure I had some help eating that portion that's missing though...and even if I didn't, we're going to say I did. Apparently Mother's Day is NOT a Weight-Watchers-endorsed holiday!!!!



So, first official Mother's Day was declared a success. I'm not going to lie though - I look SO forward to the future Mother's Days and the handmade cards and macaroni necklaces that are sure to come. For now, I'll just take more "mamamamamama" and sloppy kisses.







And, of course, Happy Mother's Day and thank you to the ones who taught us how to be parents in the first place. We love you, Omi and Mimi!