Home Run Readers

We are participating in our Library's summer reading program this year. We read Max stories before naptime and before bedtime (2 a day), so I figured...we may as well get some fun prizes for doing so! My friend Peach is doing the same thing, and she posted some of her and her son's favorite stories on her blog. Click here to see her stash of fav's. I'm always in the mood to try a new book, and always looking for more really fun picture books to read, and to add to my collection! Anyway, thought I'd share some of our favorites for anybody that wants to try! Happy Reading!Just got this one (thanks S&B) and it's sooooo stinkin' cute!

Fun for me to read...hee hee

yes, this is a Halloween/Thanksgiving book, but we read it year-round

Read this at story time and Max lo-oved it!

Classic... but what little boy wouldn't like a book with trucks and planes, and snorts?

Again, a Halloween book that is read weekly at our house...soooo awesome!

Such a cute rhyme-y story!

Jeff's favorite when he was little...really cute story, but Grandma reads it the best! We need to get a recording of her reading it...on a CD...hint, hint! I had this book when I was little...I loved it, and now Max does, too...again, trucks, backhoes, bulldozers...of course little boys would like it!

We don't have this one, but Max Loved it when I borrowed it from a friend!

Post some of your favorites, so we can get some more ideas!

Thity-one, thirty-two

Day 31:
Crescent Bay Tide Pools
Jeff came home early, so I took advantage of having two extra hands, and we headed down to Laguna Beach to the fun tide pools. we held hermit crabs, and touched sea anenome's, and saw a TON of crabs. It totally reminded me of growing up and playing at Hood Canal, my Grandparent's house that was right on the Water in the Puget Sound. We used to love going out to 'the island' and poking anenomes, catching crabs, and sea cucumbers and digging for clams. I was so excited for Max to get to experience, in a small way, what I had so much fun doing when I was little. I hope to go back again and spend more time there, in swimming suits digging around!

Day 32:

Free Movie @ South Coast Plaza

"We saw The Pirates who don't do anything" with Jen, Berkleigh, Merrick and their friends, Lisa, Lauren and Emily. the 6 little kiddos sat right in a row...so cute! Max likes Veggie Tales: this wasn't my favorite one ever, but Max sat on his bum, in his seat the whole time. Ivy did great as well. Plus, we love freeeee! Here's a pirated picture from Jen's blog, of Ivy(way in the background) watching a movie about pirates!

Target Special

First of all, just a fun picture of Maxer enjoying his Watermelon Smiles...the first thing he said when he woke up from his nap was: 'i think i need some watermelon.' We had a fun time today! And now on to the Target special:

Walking into Target, right in front of the door was a little, wounded Monarch Butterfly!

We picked it up and ran in to get a clear cup from Starbucks so we could look at it without damaging it more. The poor thing was barely moving, but so pretty!

We carried it around in its new cup-home while we looked at trucks, etc, and Max really wanted to bring it home and show his friends before it died.


so we brought it home to show the twins and Annalena...
(I realize you're not supposed to touch a butterflies wings, but the thing was half-dead...i figured it didn't matter anymore).

so pretty, huh? I loved that Max had the opportunity to see a butterfly up-close: we've seen butterflies at the zoo (when we went to the butterfly exhibit) and of course in books, but you're not supposed to touch them, and they are so delicate...so, how awesome that he got to touch one and see sort of how it worked. Awesome for a little kiddo--esp. one who lo-oves bugs!

It did have a tragic end to it's life, I'll leave it to your imagination: I'll just tell you that it involved two little boys eager to give the pretty thing some love...sad. Like I said, though, it was on it's way out.

26,27,28,29,30

Day 26:

Road Trip home, this time WITH Jeffer (woo hoo). We stopped in the famous Cabazon to get the oh-so delicious Banana-Date Shake. Holy Yum, batman...I know some of you put it off when you're drivin' by..but, really...stop next time. So good. Max was diggin' it too, as you can see. Day 27:

Beach Beach Beach...Steve and Becky and their girls came from AZ yesterday to party at the beach for 2 days...so, we partied right along with them...don't have pictures yet, but I'll post them here when I get 'em! Ivy touched the waves for the first time...and I attempted the beach for the first time without Jeff...still had family to help, which was awesome, but I was a brave little toaster, and Max was fabulous!

Day 28:

South Coast Plaza Disney Store had a Super Sleuth Honey Pot Hunt (like on playhouse disney). Max was put on a hunt for the honey pots that were hidden throughout the store, and after he found them all and identified what was in each pot,

he was given this: certificate of honorary super-sleuth-dom. so fun. We even got to take the mask home. hee hee. I had to wear it around the store, because Max didn't want to at first.

Day 29:

played hookie from church because Max and mommy were sick...grrr. But, we had Rodney over for dinner, and while I was cooking, Max played Dunkin' Ducks in the sink next to me. He was soaked by the time dinner was ready, but he was occupied for about 30 minutes. (squirting floaty ducks around in a couple inches of water with a squirt bottle. (anybody recognize the squirt bottle? hee hee...bragging rights to anyone who guesses what it is.)

Day 30:

Tanaka Farms! We were planning on taking Grandma to this a couple of weeks ago, but weren't able to go, so we went today! the Watermelon Tour was sooo fun! We went with Amanda, Kali and Tatum. We got to ride on a tractor and sample fresh fruits and veggies right off the plant. Carrots, onions, corn, string beans, Honey Orange Melons, cucumbers (two kinds) tomatoes, zucchini and watermelon...

The corn was AMAZING...tasted just like candy, loved the onions(weird) and Max totally loved the carrots...

the brood on the tractor ride...

Amanda and her cute girls then we got to walk around the watermelon patch and choose our own watermelon to bring home...the one we had there was soooo good, I'm anxious to see it Max likes the one he picked! Such a fun day!

Fun Beach Pics

Steve and Becky are so fun to have come visit...Steve is awesome with his camera, and always takes fun pictures of our kids...thanks!

Thought I'd post some of my favs. Max played in the water by himself for the first time...he did awesome, which relieves my stress a little bit about going to the beach by myself...one day I will do it!
I love back shots!

daddy and max digging a huge hole.

Ivy and Max in the huge hole

again, another back shot...

please excuse the chub that hasn't yet decided to leave since I've had Ivy...sick-nast!

This guy is crazy about this girl:

Ivy's 3 Month Pics

While in AZ, my cousin, Michele, took Ivy's pictures for me. Michele is amazing, and if you live in AZ or UT, I'd for sure call her! Little P.I. wasn't in the mood for smiling much and wanted nothing more than to put her hands in her mouth, but Michele got some cuties...here are some of my favorites!

ps...this is the turquoise skirt that Tara, Brooke and I made while crafternooning one afternoon in Maricopa, AZ! soooooo cute!

We can't believe she's 3 months old already!

Such a fun trip!

So, we had waaaay too much fun in Arizona, and I couldn't keep track of the days, but here are days 21-25 (or something)

Ivy had her first hair cut...what am I going to do about this growing out thing? {before}
{ after}

Ivy had her first dip in the pool at Uncle Steve's house...she had no expression to tell us whether she liked it or not...Max looooves swimming at Steve's pool!

we played with the AZ cousins: brett, jacob, lexi, aimee, ivy, julie, bubba, kaite, max, ali little rascal +garden house =pure joy

Max got an early birthday present from Grandma...he had so much fun scooting around the joint...

More Garden hose...When given some other ideas, he wanted to do NOTHING but play with the hose and water Grandma's plants...whatever makes you happy, dude!

I made Max this shark fin, and he enjoyed shark attacking Daddy and Grandpa...don't be scared!

I also crafted a few times with my girl Tara... we made these stinkin' cute smock dresses for our girls...and the other skirt we made earlier will be shown in a later post! Aren't these rad???

We fed the ducks at Kiwanis Park, where we used to go all the time!

We went to the Arizona Museum for Youth with Tara, Keola, Henry and Stella...this is the black light room, one of Max's favorite parts...

trying to take a blacklight picture...still don't know how to work my camera!

We had a BBQ and swim party with some friends...Max loved to jump off the diving board. It was so fun to see some of our friends that we love and miss soooo much!

Black Light Scorpion Hunt...something I've wanted to do for FOREVER...Did you know that scorpions glow when you hold a black light up to them? After the swim party and BBQ, we broke out a black light, and in the pitch black, went out to find the crazy scary creatures (Max is obsessed with bugs). Daddy found one right away. It was glowing BRIGHT NEON YELLOW! Soooo fun to see it. again, sorry I don't know how to work my camera to take a picture of it glowing...man!

We went to Tempe Beach Park Splash Pad with the Coles...Ivy even got in on the action to keep her cool in the 112 degree heat...sheesh!

such a fun splash pad with slides and water guns, etc...and for freee: loved it! Wish we had more time, we would have gone back every day!

Max and Rylee...cute little kids! Then we fed the horses with Rylee...so fun!

We had such a great time, wish we could have stayed longer...but I must admit, that 80 and breezy is sooo much nicer! Fun thing is: Steve and Becky and their girls are here for a couple days, so the fun doesn't stop! woo hoo! We love AZ! Thanks for the fun time Grandma!! come over quick!