Goodbye Summer

The summer has just flown by for our family, between graduations, new  jobs and weddings, there was little down time for the Burnham clan! And as the days grow shorter there is only one thing on Max’s mind…school!  He loves, loves, loves, school and would go year round if he could.  School supplies are purchased and the outfit for the first day is ready and waiting.   But, before he embarks on the adventure of seventh grade, I thought I would share a couple of “highlight” stories of sixth grade.

Story number one.  Back in March, Ohio was experiencing usually unseasonably warm weather.  The school decided to overlook their policy of no shorts until May.  Somehow the message never made it home to Mom.  The next morning when Max was getting dressed for school he kept trying to put on a pair of shorts and Mom insisted that he wasn’t allowed.  After a lengthy battle Max finally agreed to wear pants and Mom went downstairs to make his breakfast leaving him alone to finish getting dressed.  A few minutes later he wandered in the kitchen wearing the pants, but Mom noticed that there was some very usual bunching going on around his thighs.  Smart little guy that he is, he had decided that he would wear shorts under his pants and then just take the pants off at school so that everyone would be happy.  While Mom was amused she still made him take the shorts off before leaving.  Never one to be defeated, Max made sure to get a note from the teacher explaining the dress code policy change so that he could wear shorts the next day!

Every year the sixth grade class at Max’s school gets to spend a few days at a summer camp.  They get to hike, fish, canoe, and even go horse back riding.  Max was giddy with anticipation and in typical Max fashion was counting down the days on the calendar until the day for camp arrived.  While he loved every activity, getting to ride a horse was the highlight of his camp experience! When it was his turn he proudly sat in the saddle and began to shout like any respectable cowboy “Ye’haw!”  and “Ride’em cowboy!”  Each student was supposed to get one trip around the corral on the horse, but the counselors were having such a blast with Max that they led him around a few extra times!

I’ll leave you with one last story.  Max and his sweet little heart was called to the principal’s office for a talk, because he kept telling all his teachers that he loves them.  The principal explained that while this is nice, it isn’t appropriate ( I should also mention that back when he was in elementary school he got in trouble for calling his teachers “honey” and “sweetie pie”)  He suggested that instead of saying ” I love you” Max instead should just say ” I like you.”  A few days later when Dad was dropping him off in the morning, Max decided to put the new plan into action.  Seeing the principal greeting students as they entered the school Max shouted “Hey! Hey, Mr. B I LIKE YOU!” Max then turned around to my Dad, still sitting in the car and gave him two thumbs up as if to say “see I’m following the rules” and sauntered into the building with a big smile on his face.

This year will also see the return of Max’s favorite teacher Mrs. P!  Mrs. P was his intervention specialist all through grade school and he just absolutely adores her! She recently transferred to the middle school and as if Max needed another reason to be totally pumped to go back to school, Mrs. P is certainly at the top of the list!

Bring on seventh grade!

~ Leigh

Max is ready to “jump” out of summer and back into school

Big Black Brothers

If you know our family at all, you know that we are a family of movie-lovers. It started when we were little. We didn’t have cable, so if we wanted to watch TV movies were our only option. We got multiple VHS’ every time we went to the library (which during the summer, was pretty much everyday). We finally got a DISH when I was 9 years old, but the satellite has yet to replace our love for the magic of a movie. This love is a love that we have also passed on to Max. Although he’s always had the option to turn on the DISH, going to the library to borrow movies and going to the movie theatre are two of his absolute favorite things to do.

One of those movies that Max got to see in theatres (and now owns on DVD) is “The Blind Side”

For those of you who haven’t seen it, it’s based on the true story of Baltimore Raven’s player, Michael Oher. Sandra Bullock stars as Leigh Anne Tuohy, an interior designer whose husband Sean owns over 85 fast food franchises. When her son SJ (Sean Jr.) befriends  “Big Mike,” the new black kid at their nearly all-white Christian school, Leigh Anne also becomes attentive. The Tuochy’s bring Michael into their home on a cold, autumn night when they see him walking around with no place to go. The rest of the story is a real heart-warming transformation story. To see how it turns out- rent the movie!  You can also check out this link to the trailer. I found this on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1hG_mjQojw

“The Blind Side” is not only one of Max’s favorite movies, but also mine. Max and I exchange lines from this movie often (sidenote: the Burnham children have a weird talent. We can all quote movies, just about line for line, after seeing it once or twice. My dad often gets annoyed with us at the dinner table because every other sentence is some movie quote. Sometimes I feel like Gus from “My Big Fat Greek Wedding”- the father who was always saying, “Give me a word-any word- and I will show you that the root of that word is Greek.” Well I could say, “Give me a word-any word- and I will think of a movie quote that uses it.”) If Max is in my car, he’ll put his feet up on my dashboard and look at me with his rascally grin until I say, “Get your feet off my dash!” a line that Leigh Anne Tuohy directs at SJ when he climbs in the car after school one day. But that’s just one example of how much Max loves that movie. Because of the movie, Max’s love also extends to the person that is Michael Oher. Max was so excited the Ravens were playing in the Superbowl this past year merely because of his idol.

Now to the funny part. This past weekend was an eventful one for our family: Kelsey married her fiance Brandon. The wedding took place a little sooner than expected because our new brother-in-law, a Lieutenant in the Marine Corp, is about to be deployed to Afghanistan. Though we’ve talked to Brandon via phone and internet, this was everyone’s first meeting in person. Unfortunately, I was unable to go to the wedding. It conflicted with my first day of work at a new job. But I was texted pictures and filled in with phone calls all weekend. My favorite was on Saturday when Dad told me about Max’s first encounter with his new brother. Brandon- a super friendly guy introduced himself to Max, asking him how he was doing and said, “I’m gonna be your new brother- your big black brother!” And Max got excited and said, “Like Michael Oher?!”

Needless to say, I laughed so hard when my dad told me that story. I think from now on I’ll call Max “SJ.” Maybe I’ll wait to see how Brandon feels before I change his name and start calling him “Michael.” 🙂

~Grace

Max and his brothers

God is that you?

There are certain things that Max will do or say that make you wonder if he has a sixth sense or divine connection, that makes him more attuned to peoples needs, even when they are miles away.

Last week I got a phone call from Kelsey who wanted to share one such instance. She has been having a tough time at work recently and the stress had really started to get to her. She woke up one morning very anxious about everything the day held when her phone started to ring. When she saw that it was our Dad’s number and because of the early hour she feared it was bad news.

Instead it was Max and he had a special message just for her. ” Hi Kelsey I just wanted to tell you that God loves you and will protect you. He won’t let the devil hurt you.”

Kelsey was overwhelmed “Did Dad tell you to call me and say that?”

“Nope! God did!

She still was not convinced that he hadn’t been coached to call her. But Dad, who had been searching the house high and low for his cellphone, assured her that Max had taken his phone and had acted entirely on his own.

Greatful and inspired by Max’s words, Kelsey was able to tackle the challenges of the day.

Max pinning on Kelsey’s Lieutenant Bars

Dressed To Kill

Max has always had a very unique sense of style.  In fact he used to change is clothes three or four times a day….which resulted in  Mom having to hide all his clean clothes and putting locks on Ben’s dresser in an effort to slow him down.  Never one to give up, if he can’t get his hands onto his clothes he will happily raid the dress up bin in the basement and doesn’t mind that majority of the contents are better suited for a tea party than for an epic adventure.

It’s very colorful, that’s all I have to say!

I think that is actually a fur muff on his head, but what can I say? He’s a trend setter!

I’m afraid that the inspiring fashionista running around the house is the result of too much time watching TV with his older sisters.  He loves What Not To Wear and has grand plans of one day shopping with Stacy and Clinton in New York.  He is always asking “Can kids go on this show?”  And then there is the fact (much to Dad’s horror) that Max has sat through several America’s Next Top Model marathons. He can now pose like the fiercest of all models, has perfected the catwalk pivot, and uses the moving sidewalks in airports as his own personal runway!  It’s a hysterical sight to see him confidently sashay up and down, complete with hand on hip!

Here is a sampling from one of his impromptu photo shoots….

Work it Max, Work it!

The camera loves you!

I’m loving the head over the shoulder!

If I was Tyra Banks, there would be no doubt in my mind who deserved the title of America’s Next Top Model!  I’d also probably end the show right then and there…..becasue I’d know no one else could ever compare!

-Leigh

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 I wanted to thank everyone that is reading, we have been getting some great feedback on the blog!  We are so happy that we can share Max with all of you!  If you are enjoying the blog then please consider becoming a follower.  Just click on the link in the bottom right hand corner and enter your email address.  They will then send you a confirmation email,  click the link inside, and you’re done!  You will then receive an email every time the blog is updated!

Also March 21st is Word Down Syndrome Day.  They chose the 21st day of the third month to symbolize the third copy of the 21st chromosome that people with Down Syndrome have.  Check out the National Down Syndrome Society web page for ways to get involved and/or to purchase some really cute T-shirts.  http://www.ndss.org/

Happy Weekend!