Happy Halloween

I thought it would be fun to post a few pictures from Halloween last year and have a few giggles!!!

Maddox the Monkey!!

Maddox stuffed in the penguin costume that did not fit at all :)

And on this Halloween 2009, here is our handsome pirate!

Aye, Maddox the Pirate

Ahoy, hello thar, gar! This year for Halloween, Brad's mom made Maddox a pirate costume and he is by far the cutest, toughest pirate I have e'er seen in my life, gar, and what little boy doesn't enjoy playin' with a plastic sword!, gar!

Ahoy, these crackers be amazin', shiver me timbers! I think I have found my lucky treasure, shiver me timbers!

Arrr, me must protect this house, gar!

Getting Some Help from Maddox

Hello all from the chilly, windy, and currently quiet Kalivoda house (it is nap time, hence the quiet...you didn't really think I was able to blog while Maddox was awake did you....haha) It has been very chilly here the last few days; therefore, we have been staying inside for the most part and doing a lot of playing in the house. There was one day this week that was a "learning" day for Maddox as he decided he would NOT listen to Mommy and would stare her straight in the eyes and do the exact opposite of what was being told or asked; however, after what seemed like an entire day of disciplining, he has discovered that when Mommy asks you to do something, she is not playing a funny game and he has done so much better. I am so proud to watch him push the boundaries and learn from it...that's what little boys are supposed to do (sometimes I have to remind myself of that)

He has recently been helping me reorganize some of our things in the guest room and the hallway closets (those are our storage spaces and they have become ridiculously messy). This little boy loves to "help" and wants to be right in the middle of whatever you are doing at any given time. I try to soak all of this up because I know will be a short while before he does not want a whole lot to do with me, especially helping me clean!!!

Just in case you were curious on what it looks like to have Maddox help me sort through some ski clothes, here are a few pictures for your viewing pleasure......

And, just for giggles, here is a picture from this summer when Maddox helped me put away our rock band stuff....oh I just love this picture.

You Might be a Toddler if.....

Once again I am learning more and more by watching this little boy of ours explore and discover the world. I love that he finds pleasure in the simple things that I can so easily take for granted.

You Might be a Toddler if.....

You crack up laughing when you see a dog in the back of a pick up truck

You find complete joy from watching birds in a parking lot, on a back yard fence, in the front yard...anywhere...birds are funny creatures to watch hop around.

Any music is fun to dance to if you allow yourself.

A spare key can be used for fun all day....it can be used as a screw driver, to fix all sorts of thing and it is super fun to see if the key will fit in any door lock you come across.

When asked what color something is, the response is always "green" (even if you know the difference).

The neighbor's house that has Halloween decorations outside (orange lights on the roof, and pumpkins hanging down) is the coolest thing you have ever seen.

Drinking out of mom's cup is way better than drinking out of your own.

Watching someone mow the yard provides hours or entertainment (okay, well you know good and well NOTHING will provide hours of entertainment, but 10 minutes is great)

When seeing any motorcycle you must make the noise a motorcycle makes...it is a must!!!

It is very hard to understand why every animal you see (ducks, squires, dogs, cats...etc.) aren't okay to try to pick up...I mean come on who doesn't want to be "loved" on by a toddler???

Construction vehicles are not an inconvenience and slow mommy down from heading wherever we are needing to go, they are pure excitement and often provide meltdowns because you want to watch them dump rocks or tar more and more and more!!!

You are a big boy, very independent, but if you fall or get hurt you want your mommy to kiss it and make it better....followed by a little snuggle time, just to make sure everything is okay.

An afternoon spent with daddy is better than any jungle gym around!!

When is the last time you danced just because you were "feeling it???"

We also wanted to congratulate our Red Raiders on there big win this weekend!!! Way to go Red Raiders. We sure had fun watching you play this weekend on TV!!! Get your Guns up!!!

Laughter

I just walked into Maddox's room to check on him before I went to bed and he was laughing, a huge belly laugh, in his sleep. Ahhh....what a sweet way to end the day!!!

Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy; then they said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.” Psalm 126:2

Gentle Reminder

I can think of nothing sweeter than seeing my little one in his footed pjs,

smelling of Johnson and Johnson's bedtime lotion,

cuddling his beloved Raffie blanket,

snuggling close to me as we read a book,

then resting his head on my shoulder as we say our night time prayers and sing "You are My Sunshine."

Thank you Jesus for the gentle reminders of how amazing you are!

Attempting to Catch Up

I am back in the land of the living....Mr. Sickness read his eviction notice and promptly packed his bags (germs) and is kindly leaving me alone. I am so behind on blogging and just can't seem to find where to start to catch you and myself back up. So, I will just write some of the things that have been fun around here and try to get back in the grove of blogging.

We took Maddox to his very first Texas Tech football game a couple weekends ago, and we had a great time (of course, he was not at all interested in the actual game, but he wanted to know what everyone was doing and what he could find to get his hands on) It was a great memory for the 3 of us and I just sat there in awe as I took in the realization that I was at the University that holds so many fond memories, where I met my husband, fell in love, got engaged, and now am watching a football game with our son. It was a great feeling and I hope we can do it more often.

Maddox has turned 21 months since I posted last.....goodness, I cannot believe he is a few short months from being 2 years old. He is as active as ever and taking this world in at full force. He is definitely showing more and more of that independent personality of his and he gets super frustrated when you try to "limit" him or help him if he doesn't want it. Oh what great qualities these will eventually turn into (I might be bald by then because I have days where I feel like I have pulled every strand of hair out of my head, not knowing what he is attempting to communicate with me or simply trying to guide him in the right direction) I am attempting with all of my strength to guide him and not limit that glorious spirit of his and to show him the proper ways to show frustrations. I am so blessed to be this little man's mom and I try every day to be a better mommy than I was the day before.

You are Free to Leave

Dear Mr Sickness,
You have over stayed your welcome here in the Kalivoda house. You have held me captive for far too long. You are free to leave and take all your germy friends with you. You are not welcome in out house any longer and we would appreciate it if you never come back. You have trashed our house, left us with no food in the pantry, you have left the laundry piled high, you have made me sacrifice precious time with my son and sweet husband and for that I am very bitter. I appreciate that you have felt so passionately about me, but I do not feel the same in return, you make me feel icky all over and I am certainly ready to be rid of you. Thank you for taking all of your things with you as soon as possible and getting out of here. You, sir, are free to leave immediately.
Your Host,
Lacye Kalivoda

P.S. Thank you very much mom and Brad for all your help while I have tried to fight this nasty bug...I do not know what I would do without you guys. Love you both very much!! Also, thank you Mr. Maddox for being so patient with Mommy as she is trying to get better and make sure you do not catch this nasty bug. You are the best son a mommy could ask for! Love you all....well not YOU Mr. Sickness....you are indeed free to leave!!!