Max enjoying his lunch and his new haircut.
Max is really getting into feeding himself. I once told Paul's sister Adrianne that I didn't know if I could let my child get this messy. Well...We are getting into our routine. Max still loves going to Day Care. He never wants to leave. I don't know if that is good or bad :) They do a great job of letting him do as much as he can. They have sent home pictures that he has painted and keep us posted on what books he is having read to him, song sung, what he is eating, how long he is sleeping, and what activities he did. It really is a good program. I think most of all he really enjoys playing with other kids his own age.
Paul is really getting into the groove of teaching. I think that he is finding what works and what doesn't. He is also realizing how time consuming Max is when they are home together. Paul loves to teach Max new things and is always showing me what they are doing together.
Max has discovered the computer and there are some online "games" that he really likes. One is the alphabet and another is shapes. Max only has to press a button and the next letter or shape appears. He claps for himself all the time.
I decided that Max needed a better hair cut. I have been just trimming up the edges, but this time I got out the clippers. Oops, a little more that i wanted but it looks cute spiked.
Max has also learned how to blow kisses, show his muscles, gives high five and gives kisses to mommy and daddy. There is nothing sweeter than when putting him to bed, he blows us kisses. Great ending to a sometimes very hectic day.
I am getting into my job. I heard from my old job that they are still looking for a part timer to help replace me. They are so busy and I wish I could be there for them. I really miss them and miss knowing the patients by name. That is something that I am struggling with here, but I will get it.
My new Dentist is really nice and very patient. Most of the team is new. The Hygienist Sarah and I started about the same time, the front office has been there 2 1/2 years and the Business manager has been there 16 years. It makes is both challenging and exciting. Sarah and I are able to make changes without much of a problem. We are getting along really well.
This week the weather has been really dreary. It has been cloudy and rainy almost all week. I have really treasured any sunshine that I have seen this week. Dr. Holtgrieve said that it is pretty typical of Michigan this time of year.
Paul, Max and I finally when camping together for the first time. We when to Warren Dunes state park that is on Lake Michigan. It is really beautiful. The only bad thing was that it was right by the interstate and the mosquitoes where everywhere. Our camp was in the trees. We hiked a ways and then we hit the dunes. Neither Paul nor I really knew what to expect so se put Max in the backpack on Paul's back and off we went for a 3 mile hike. The first mile was flat easy and beautiful. Then we started up and over the hill and on the other side was the dunes. The foliage changed from trees to sand grass in one step is was almost as if someone had drawn a line. As soon as we were over the hill we had a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. It was so beautiful. It was early enough in the morning that there was mist on the horizon.
The next 1/2 mile or so got us both worried. Paul was really starting to feel the weight of Max in the backpack and we wondered what the trail was going to be like to get back to the car. The sand was soft and the dunes were steep. We finally made it to the beach. WOW. I never knew that lake beaches could be so beautiful. Better than any ocean that I've been on (which isn't saying a lot).
We spent so time letting Max run around and picking up rocks for Paul to fling into the lake. Then we got to the end where the trail was suppose to pick up and go back to camp, and we couldn't find the next trail head. We finally had to ask. After trudging through the sand, hot, hungry and tired, Paul was sure that this was another "Gerke death March". We found the trail head and it was Paul's worst dream come true. It was steep right away, lots of loose sand and full sun. By this time Max really wants down and is also hungry. So we marched on. I felt like we were climbing the sand hill outside of Moab. We finally made it to the top and the other side was so steep that I couldn't even see the slop looking down. We started down and realize this was the pay off. It was a lot of fun. The sand was so loose from everyone else going up and down that we were mid-calf in the sand. We reached that bottom and right there was our car.
Over all a successful trip. We came home with lots of sand everywhere and mosquito bites everywhere else.
