Squeaky clean smile

Happily clean

Afternoon bath

Watching Elmo's potty video early this morning

DIY diaper...Inspired by the potty video

Kira could teach her brother a thing or two about sleeping

Max likes to play like "the boys" (on daddy's team) and coach like daddy.  Tonight he took his imitation a step further and wore (requested during dinner) a tie, because as he said, "I have to go to work!"

Short story

Max's obsession with shorts has rapidly become as intense as his sleep refusal.  Combine the two together and you have Max dressed in basketball clothes, ready to shoot hoops, in the middle of the night.  Should mommy try to hide the shorts and you have a loud, livid Max.  Technical fouls are undoubtedly in his future.  

To prevent the disappearance of his apparel necessity, Max has taken to toting around, the one pair of shorts he found, everywhere he goes.  Tonight they went to the barber shop.  In the earliest hour of this morning, while dribbling downstairs, Max screamed, "oh no it fell down".  Naturally we thought his hoop fell.  Nope.  Max was upset that his hair fell on his face.  Hence his emergency haircut after school today.  

Maybe someone in the barber shop will want to play a pick up game of basketball.

Kira will not be needing a haircut anytime soon, but she had no problem posing in front of the barber's Christmas tree with her freshly groomed brother.  

Prettiest Brooks 

Six week smirk

Kira is 6 weeks old today and relaxing on mommy's blanket from her freshman dorm room.  

"I want that one", Max said.  Although he is in no position to be requesting presents this evening. 

The only way Max would leave the house in pants this morning was to bring his shorts to school.  Apparently he wore them under his pants all day.  He tore off the seasonally appropriate clothes that had been weighing him down all day as soon as he walked through the door.  Surprisingly, he did not even want to go to daddy's game tonight; he wanted to come home and play on his court.  And more importantly, wear short sleeves and shorts, so he can "see the hair on my arms".  Until recently he thought his arms, and daddy's arms, were "dirty".

Max woke up at 3:13am and wanted to play basketball.  He dressed himself and refused to sleep until his body gave out at 7:00am for a power nap.  Powerful it was, because Max was full of energy all day and even asked mommy if they could do the exercise video after school.  

Short sleeve jackpot

Max regained custody of his short sleeve shirts and than could not decide what to wear.  Never mind that it is in the 30s today.  He commanded mommy, "Don't take my short sleeves away again!".  Mommy decided to give into the short sleeve battle in exchange for a few extra minutes of sleep in the wee hours of the morning, when if left to his own devices, Max will dress himself and play basketball.

"I'm so tired," Max whined as he squeezed himself into Kira's bassinet.  Luckily she was not in it at the time of his takeover. 

Morning dance party

Kira is not quite sure about this huge bow on her head, but mommy sure loves the head the bow is on.

Max and mommy had an after dinner workout session.  Max did the whole video, preferring the role of "trainer " and trying to show mommy how to position her feet just like the man was showing the woman in the video.

Peek-a-boo!

Tummy time for two

Max was a big encouragement for Kira and applauded her efforts to strengthen her upper body.  She can use all the muscles she can get with Max around.

The shirt says it all

This one loves to be tickled and giggle.  Also, day three of this outfit was cut short (under much, much, duress).  It will undoubted reappear tomorrow. 

So busy on Saturday

Tot Shabbat, bagels with Ben, Kira's first ride on the train, Sadie's 3rd birthday party, and to round out the day, daddy's basketball game.  

What a good big brother!

What a nutty big brother!

Choo-choo ride for two (plus mommy)

Santa was waving at Max, but he kept asking, "Where is Mrs. Clause?".  Max said that he does not like the white stuff on Santa's face, because it might get his shirt dirty.  Kira took a good nap in her half of their new [super good deal off Craig's List] double stroller.

Real men eat pink bagels

Oh dreidel, dreidel, I made it out of...pretzels, marshmallows, and a Hershey kiss

Happy Birthday, Sadie!

Max has loved Sadie for THREE years!

They both love chocolate icing a lot, too!

Sadie was so good at feeding Kira.  She did not even try the bottle herself, unlike her BFF.

Halftime show 

"I have to coach!", Max insisted

Pawley sighting!

Merry in the morning

Max and Kira are in the holiday spirit, but with both of them waking up all night long, how is Santa ever going to sneak any gifts in their house?

Staying hydrated at daddy's game.  Max's water bottle got left in the car; luckily someone is related to the coach, so he can tap into the team's water cooler.

Overtime = an extra slice of pizza.   And an insanely late bedtime.  Of course, Max was not the least bit sleepy when we got home at 8:45pm.  In fact, he was eager to show off some new moves he picked up at the game, on his home court.

Max likes to watch daddy coach as much as he likes to watch the players play.

Is Kira watching?  Nope.  She slept the entire (one hour!) car ride to the game until we got home.  Max was the opposite.  Not only was he awake the whole time, but he talked the whole car ride there and back.  He also kept asking mommy to, "go faster!" When he was told we would be at the game in "six minutes", he thought mommy said a bad word.  After being assured that "six" is just a number, he said, "oh, there it is!," and pointed to a random street sign marked "600".  There it is, indeed.

Two halves

One half for Max and one half for Max.

Breaking in the swing 

Max is too fast for the camera on his court.  It is a good thing he has two Oakton t-shirts because he now must wear one everyday.  If, on the off chance, that his laundry has not been done, he can be coaxed out of the house in a substitute shirt, with the contingency that he can change into his grey basketball shirt as soon as he gets home from school.

Pawley carrier

Ingenuity at its finest!  Who needs a Baby Bjorn when you can use an apron to carry your offspring around?  Max thought this up himself, which is surprising because Kira has only been in the baby carrier once, a few weeks back.

"Kira wants Pawley!", Max said as he slammed his beloved pet in his sisters face.  Considering Pawley is much softer than other objects Max thinks that Kira "wants", mommy let the positive sharing  moment continue.  

It took Max .5 seconds to notice his new art work had been hung up. Can't get anything by the General.  He is especially proud of his red rooster and orange turkey.  "Look what I made!" he said with pride as he stood on his tiptoes to point  them out.

Kira went to visit Norma and came home with a beautiful quilt.  Time to start decorating a nursey! 

Die hard fans

A cold, rainy night could not keep Max and Kira away from another Oakton basketball game.  Max finally met Logan, his favorite member of David's team, who he pretends to play with on his court at home.  He also played for real in the hallway with one of mommy's former students, named Max, too.

You're supposed to steal the ball, not the paci from your poor sister's mouth!

Today the playmat, tomorrow the basketball court

Big eyes, big headband

Sadie, Max, their babies, and a doll

Tessa has the best posture.  Kira may be smaller than the doll.

Gearing up for tomorrow's game against Madison