Max turns 5

Neighborhood friends party.

Georgie (top) adopted from St Petersburg.

Too many presents (second).

Trevor and Logan (third).

Max chasing best friend Izzy.


Pics from Family Party.

Maxim Noah William Block turned 5 on Monday. He had his first birthday party, actually 2. One with just family on the weekend and then a "kid party" on Monday. He did really well until all the kids started screaming for him to "open my present." That was a little overwhelming for my busy, into everything, try and explore every space boy. The candles on the cake were a bit of a mystery but as all good siblings, his brothers were more than happy to show him how to blow them out. His favorite presents.......... a football and a bug catcher. Ahhh, the all-american boy. Jesse and his friend Ryan, a typical teen from the neighborhood, took Max outside to throw the ball and more to Max's liking, taught him to place the ball and kick. He is so precious, what a new experience; he tries over and over to kick, alas it goes a few inches. To Max this is tremendous and his smile soars and he high-fives everyone. Now we have a several times a day routine where he has to go out to the street, thank God we live on a quiet, inner neighborhood street, and he sets up the ball and kicks. He does this over and over and over. He is determined. So when Jesse's friends came by this morning, he was ready to show them his great kicking skills. Ryan and Josh joked that maybe he would be the "first kid with Down syndrome in the NFL, that would be cool." Gotta love those boys. One never knows what God has in store for our lives.

Priceless Together

Max and Alexi have become fast and furious friends. Alexi has learned to trust this new "whirlwind" of a brother and they, now, really play together. They play outside together with sidewalk chalk, they splash each other in the pool, they roll around together on the bed at naptime, they answer the door together (oh, goody), they make a HUGH mess with their cars and trucks together, they pick it all up together, they potty together, they get into mischief together.

They help each other. 

They like hangin with each other.

THIS IS PRICELESS.

Oh the Intrigue.

The Sounds Max finds Intriguing and Exciting.

So exciting he can't stay away from them......

The front door opening and closing.

The back door opening and closing.

The garage door opening and closing.

The sliding pool doors opening and closing.

The bathroom doors opening and closing.

Bedroom doors opening and closing.

The pantry door opening and closing.

Any cabinet door opening and closing.

The dishwasher opening and closing.

The washer and dryer opening and closing.

OK, any and all doors opening and closing.

Other sounds of equal or Greater value to Max.....

The cats food bowls being placed on the floor.

The front door bell.

The microwave alarm.

The TELEPHONE, even better a cellphone. (So beware if you call and a wee voice speaks.)

The dryer chime.

I'm not sure what it is about these things, but they thrill Max to no end. He can be on the other side of the house, but if I open the dishwasher or set the cat bowls on the floor, it's every man, woman, child, and Abyssinian for himself. Other than the door bell or phones, I haven't figured out how he can hear these sounds from so far away (even outside). It's as if they have silent alarms at a pitch only Max can hear. He comes running at lightening speed with an expression of mischievous joy on his face, looking as if he is inwardly chanting "must cause trouble in the pantry...must cause trouble...must cause."

Yes, Max loves and gravitates to these but also..........to any music or musical instrument or anything he can turn into an instrument. Some days I cannot find a pot or pan in the cabinet. But the site and sound of Max, Alexi, and Niky all giggling and "singing," while banging away on pots and pans is truly heavenly.

Ahh, gotta love little boys.

Diaper changing a time to play

Niky finds diaper changes to be a time for peek-a-boo and LOTS of giggles.

Hey how about that toe agility?

Surf Boy

Jesse Ray's newest athletic pursuit is surfing. He's been riding horses since age 2 and plays polo, water skis, snow skis, rock climbs, loves zip lines, bungee jumps, plays soccer (went an entire year with no yellow card) and is great at basketball. He got up on his knees on his board third try. Jesse-Ray is in a class with a friend this week... just honing their skills. The water is a little chilly even though the sun and beach are warm, so wet suits required. I am so proud of him. Jesse has never been in Special Olympics, tried a couple different sports(bocce in FL but hated the game itself), he has always been on YMCA, community or community unified teams. It is so hard for him where we live now because there are no unified teams and the Parks and Rec are less than enthusiastic about having him play on a regular team. The community soccer association just merged with another nearby org and they seem both willing and enthusiastic about him playing. Yeah.
PLEASE don't send hate email... Special Olympics has it's place and Andy has done several sports thru SP. However, for a kid who really understands teams and competitiveness, has great gross motor skills and ability, I think being part of a community team can't be beat. Afterall, these are kids he sees at school, the movies, neighborhood, etc. They will be his employers, respite providers, circle when we as parents are not here or cannot be. He's not going to live in an all DS community.
OMG, did I ever digress. Just meant to say Jesse is having a great time on vacation. :)

Bad Mom?

What do you think Max?

Max climbed up into the desk chair and opened my laptop. "Da" (Russian for yes) he says looking at me with those pleading blue eyes. He's wearing the t-shirt, my friend from Paris thought so clever, "mes blogs de maman ma vie et toutes que j'obtiens est cette chemise de pièce en t" which translates something like "my mommy blogs about my life but all I get is a t-shirt." Max bangs on the keys, thank God the screen saver has a lock, and frowns at the screen in angry concentration. Da, Da, Da Mama. The Mama was perfectly articulated. :)

Some moms might think "Hmmm...Perhaps this is a sign that I'm spending too much time on the computer."

Me, I think "Kodak moment, perfect for the blog!"

So, do you think I am a bad mom, Max?

A task conquered

This week we are on a sort off mini vacation with friends, you know the kind where you travel for vacationing (of course) and maybe you just happen to run into a doctor or two. Wow, who knew this could happen.

My girlfriend and I took all the kids to the park today.. that's my 5 and her 3. It was one of those drizzly days but if you wait for the sun to shine here, you'd wait till August.

Myself and my older kids are big fan of swings. Alexi is a slider. At 24 lbs, yes 4 yrs old chronologically, he doesn't walk independently but he is unafraid of any slide. Alexi has many other fears BUT NOT SLIDES. It's kind of my job to be a worrier as a mommy, right.

He scooted as fast as his little bottom would take him, across the cedar chips and pebbles, all the while looking up at the non-threatening toddler slide, an enclosed plastic tube so he couldn't fall out, with a lip at the bottom to catch him. He couldn't get there fast enough. I thought...Ok , my little man, here we go.

I helped him climb up the stairs and he jumped into the slide and slid down to the bottom, laughing all the way. I saw him poke his head out of the bottom of the slide...giggling with abundant delight. He did this about nine thousand times and the nine-thousand-and-first time he poked his head around the end of the slide, gave me a mischievous look...and then it happened.............He jump-scooted down on his own, fell forward and did a belushi-esque face-plant right into the ground.

He was on all fours, the therapists would be proud, screaming furiously. He had dirt and woodchips all over his face and up his nose, pieces of bark were lodged in his teeth. A small pinprick of blood appeared on his nose as I wiped away the mud and tried not cry myself. "Oh baby, mommy is so sorry! We won't slide anymore.

He pushed me away angrily and started scooting toward the car, with Andy and Jesse (as concerned brothers) trying to help him and pick him up. I followed, feeling like the worst mom in the world. Then I realized that he wasn't going toward the car.
He was scooting back to the slide.

He was still angry and crying and as he got to the stairs gave me a look like "Well? Are you going to help me or not?" Should I stop him and save him from himself? He climbed up the stairs, with NO help, and I watched him with a feeling of dread like I was watching an execution. He climbed into the slide tube, I asked if he wanted Andy to go with him. He hesitated for a second and looked at me so seriously; then he pushed my hands away and slid - this time with no giggling. This was all business. As soon as he hit the bottom he looked up again to make sure I was watching...and jump-scooted off that damn lip again, landing perfectly.

He smiled proudly to himself and scooted off to the rocking critters, still spitting out dirt, having conquered the toddler slide once and for all.