Max is Five

Getting these birthday pictures taken is tricky in Colorado.  It gets so much colder, so much sooner here. I have to wait and hope that a fair weather day will overlap with a day that Dan's home and can keep the other kids.  

Today at about 1pm, I made the split decision that was now or....another day.  And now sounded good. The sun sets at 4:30pm and we got snapping at about 4 pm.  Daylight was fading fast and I had my doubts.  But thankfully we will not need another day and I'd say that I have way too many pictures of this boy, but in my opinion, that's impossible.

Inside Max, the most stubborn, hard to deal with, button-pusher personality cozies right up next to the sweetest, most loving and affectionate little soul.

I can go from wanting to string him up in the backyard as he incites fights and cries too loud to melting with mother-swoons watching him hug each member of the family and hearing him say things like, "Mom, you're the sweetest mom I ever had."

His imagination is alive and well.

His car singing cannot be matched.  I hope he sings for the rest of his life and that he never loses that 5 year old enthusiasm.  His favorite song right now is "Made For Ending" by Jukebox the Ghost.

  He doesn't like to be away from me, but goes to school and Primary without much fuss as long as I draw hearts on the palms of his hands to remind him that I love him.

     

He would cry at the same volume whether he stubbed a toe or got a compound fracture in his leg: LOUD.  Like, so loud I think the neighbors hear him through the walls of our house and might suspect abuse.  So loud, my brain shakes in my head and I feel like I'm being abused.  

But I do not exaggerate when I say that not a day goes by when he doesn't express his love for each person in the family many times and in many ways.

One of my favorite things right now, is when Jack is crying and Max stands over him whispering, "It's ok, you're a sweet baby, you're a sweet baby.  It's ok, you're a sweet baby, you're a sweet baby,"  over and over, until I can get to him.

After five years I think it is safe to assume that his dimple is not going anywhere, thank goodness.

His smile makes me smile, 

and his laugh makes me laugh, 

and being his mom makes me really, really happy.