Max's sunflowers

Early in the summer Max got some sunflower seeds in a party favor bag from Lucas' birthday. I decided it would be a good exercise for him to learn about how things grow so we carefully set about planting them. Max at first wanted to eat the seeds, or "teeds", like daddy does but eventually accepted the fact that we were burying them in durt. He overwatered them and then set them aside. Much to my disappointment he showed very little interest as they began to sprout. Eventually they got much too big for the pots they were in and we took them and planted them in the ground. They started to grow much faster and Max became much more concerned with their well-being. We would always call them Max's sunflowers and tell him that they were going to grow into big flowers and then give us lots of seeds like the ones he and daddy eats. Here they are in their full glory - not quite the 7 foot towering beauties I had seen in my mind but pretty nevertheless. And Max was very proud. Sam took the photo-op as just another opportunity to show off his tummy.

We eventually harvested and roasted the seeds, which were very good. All that was left were the tall stalks which started to go brown. One afternoon while we were all outside Matt decided to mow them down while he was cutting the grass. All of a sudden we hear this death scream and frantic running. Max comes flying over to the mower crying and shouting "NOOOOOOOOO, MY SUNFLOWERS". It was so heartbreaking. Daddy had to apologize and replant the stalks in the ground. He eventually calmed down and now apparently remembers the incident with some fondness. The other day we were pulling out of the garage in the car and Max giggling said "Daddy mow sunflowers.............. Cheeky Daddy".

The history of Max's hair

Maxwell James Lassen was born with a small amount of straight dark hair.
Over the first month or so of life it fell out leaving a tiny amount of blond fuzz.

At 8 months of age Max still had very little hair on his head except for a strange rat's tail at the back. Before our trip to Utah for Christmas 2007 I chopped it off incase it was rumoured that we were taking the Kentucky lifestyle a little far. I called that his first haircut.

Max remained mostly bald up until about the time Sam was born (17 months) and then his hair started to grow in.

By Christmas 2008 he had a descent amount of straight blondish hair.

Once 2009 came around he started to develop a little wave in his hair which gradually turned into a curl.

He came back from England in April looking like he'd had a perm.

It went even more blond in the sun as his skin went darker and we couldn't bear to cut it ...


until it just got plain out of control and we had to do it.

I took Max to a special hair salon for kids where they get to sit in a little car and watch a movie of their choice. He cried - but mostly because the boy next to him was wailing and he thought that was what you were supposed to do.

Then he got to play on the slide

Don't worry, it still has plenty of curl and is growing back rapidly.

Birthday parties

This has been the summer of parties for Max and Sam. It's funny when your two-year-old has a busier schedule than you. Max loves birthdays and wishing people happy birthday. He loves to go to peoples' birthday parties and take presents. Every time he gets a little present he asks "my birthday???". Poor kid, he still has a long way to wait until it will be his big day but in the mean time seems happy to celebrate other peoples' birthdays. Sam is just happy for any time to get together with people and eat cake, or chalk.

Parker Weinberger's 1st birthday

I love the expression on Sam's face in this picture - it is so typically Sam

McKay Cox's 1st birthday

Caleb Nicholls' 4th birthday. Note the amazing Buzz Lightyear cake that Caleb's mom Kauty made.

Max with the big kids

A big bag of lollypops from the pinata

Calor Hicks' 1st birthday

Ava Minx Hamilton and Lulu White's 5th bithday - a wonderful princess party

Max decorating crowns with the girls

Than jumping on the trampoline with his brother and a big metal dumptruck that he kept sneaking on there.

They have also been to Axl Hamilton's 1st birthday party and this weekend have Rylee Romney's 3rd birthday party and Sara Darby's 2nd birthay party to attend. Oh what it's like to be under three and popular.