For the past two months, Max has been counting down the days to Thanksgiving break and updating me randomly with phone calls: “Guess what Grace? You come home in six weeks!” Or sometimes I’d talk to Mary who would tell me that Max had been updating her on my pending arrival: “Mary- Grace is coming home in two weeks!!” Then on my drive to Ohio to celebrate Thanksgiving with the family, I got another phone call from Max: “YOU COME HOME TOMORROW!” He yelled into the receiver with such excitement he almost popped my ear drum. Needless to say- this kid knows how to make a girl feel loved.
Max gives particular care, attention and extended amounts of time to the siblings who come home to visit. This particular trip was no different– except this time I was resolved to pay particular attention to what he said and did in order to update this blog. I have a wonderful friend who called us out on our weakness: “I’m a faithful reader,” she said, “you, however, are not faithful writers!” Dang. Caught red-handed (hope you enjoyed your shout-out by the way 🙂 [Yes- you. You know who you are {extra parenthesis just for you}}). The truth is, everything this kid says and does is hilarious, so it becomes relatively normal to those of us who get to spend time with him and we kind of forget to share it with you. I honestly started writing the things he said down on my phone in order to keep track of it all because it was all gold.
As I said before, Max is a hoot. Each of these moments that I’m about to share with you could absolutely be stretched out and used as a single post. However, I’d rather spend more time with him and less time writing (no offense). I think I’ll give you a timeline of the past 36 hours.
Wednesday:
1:30pm–> I arrive home and Max comes running out the door to greet me with hugs and kisses.
1:45pm–> Max and I watch a movie together. I leave briefly to go pick up a prescription. While I’m out I realize that I haven’t eaten and I’m starving. I grab some Subway on my way home. I sit back down on the couch to watch the movie and eat my meatball sub and Max says, “What’s that? Is it for me? Thank you!”
2:22pm–> Max begins his usual request to play Apples to Apples. He’s turned down by everyone.
4:00pm–> Max: “Grace- I got your favorite. Toy Story 2- let’s watch it.” Me: “That’s not my favorite…” Max: “Oh… oh well.” and proceeds to put it on.
5:23pm–> credits roll while Randy Newman (accompanied by Max) sings “You’ve got a friend in me.” I turn to Max and say: “Hey Max- you’ve got a friend in me.” Max: I love you
Me: (kissing his head) I love you too- ew! But you smell! When was the last time you washed your hair?”
Max: a couple years…
6:00pm–> Mary and I get changed to go out with friends. Max gets all depressed to discover that we won’t be spending every waking moment with him this week.
Thursday: Thanksgiving Day
9:00am–> Max serves at Mass in the morning. He’s dressed up underneath– but these are what he chose to wear to keep himself warm.
10:30am–> Leigh arrives home. Max greets her with the same amount of hugs and kisses as he gave to me.
10:35ff–> Max watches the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade and is entertained by all his favorite things (NINJA TURTLES). He then followed that up with the Dog Show until we made him help us peel the potatoes.
1:00pm–> Max stuffs his face with Turkey and mashed potatoes- his favorite dishes. Not to mention of course, rolls and all the other carbs available.
4:59pm–>Uncle Dan: Irish girls are great
Max: yeah
Uncle Dan: (poking fun at his wife) they’re better than German girls right?
Max: no
Uncle Dan: what about Italian girls? You like Italian girls?
Max: yeah I like Italian girls
Uncle Dan: are there any girls you don’t like?
Max: yes- Lady Gaga.
6:00pm–> Everyone concedes to Max’s request and we all play Apples to Apples. Max is bummed when Mary wins.
6:44pm–> Max shows off his “twerk” dance moves in the kitchen… he’s soon joined by Therese and Mary… and his godmother (unfortunately the godmother escaped when I started to record a video).
7:43pm–> While playing “The Greatest Game in the World” Max’s instructions are to draw a picture of Grammie looking adorable. He proceeds to draw a picture of a fox. Next to it are the words, “what does the fox say?”
9:00pm–> Makes the whole family watch Duck Dynasty
10:30pm–>The sisters make plans for Black Friday shopping excursions. Max begs to be included. “Max- you won’t like it” I say, “You hate shopping.” Max: “Not uh. I like it. Please let me come”
10:35pm–6:30am–> Max sleeps on the floor of his sisters’ room, passing gas all night.
Friday:
7:00am–> Max tries to wake me up whispering, “This is not a dream… This is a nightmare.”
7:05am–> Max: “Please, please may I come shopping with you guys?!” Leigh: “Max, I don’t think you’ll like it.” Max: “PLEASE! I will carry all of your bags for you!!” (That of course, won us over. He obviously wanted to come.) Without any prompting he put on his weightlifting gloves to protect his hands from all of our bags.
7:23am–> (Max comes running up the stairs to the attic bedroom) “I hit the jackpot! I found $4!”
7:57am–> Max talks to Miss Jenny, a family friend, on the phone and tries to convince her to come over for dinner: “We’ll have a party and we’ll twerk.”
8:31am–> We arrive at the mall and are walking around the first store. Max dances to the store music; the clerk compliments his talent. Max smirks and thanks her- then hams it up even more.
9:13am–> Max and I go looking for a present for Brandon (the sibling Max got for the gift exchange this year). Max tries to pick out things for himself.
9:58am–> (Preface for this one; every Friday after school, Max goes with his friend Emma to get milkshakes.) Max: “What day is it?” Leigh: “Friday.” Max: “Yes! Milkshake Friday!” Leigh: “No- you don’t get milkshakes on Fridays that you don’t go to school.” Max: “C’mon- it’s a Black Friday deal!”
10:20am–> I’m standing in line at a store waiting to pay. Max: “Here- let me take your bags. I’ll carry them for you.”
10:40am–> Max starts to loose stamina. Therese and Max take pictures in a photo booth for entertainment.
11:00am–> We eat lunch. Max and I share a combo from “Stirfry88.” He finishes his half way faster than me and eyes my chicken. I dip some into my rice. Max: “That’s a great idea! (reaches across the table with his fork and takes a piece of my chicken)” Me: “That’s my chicken.” Max: “I know.” Me: “Max- that’s my chicken.” Max: “I know. (Dips my chicken into the rice [gets absolutely no rice on the chicken] and pops it into his mouth)”
11:30am–> Maneuvering through the traffic and someone cuts me off. Max yells at me: “Honk your horn woman!”
1:15pm–> We get in the car to go home. Max is nodding off and looks tired. “I’m not sleepy.” Five minutes later he passed out asleep.
4:00pm–> After returning home, Max skypes with Ben who is studying abroad in Austria. The conversation consists of insults including “Chicken Breath” “Giraffe Ears” “Dragon Eyes” and “Rhino Butt.” Ben also shares a story of how he almost missed his train back to Austria from the Czech Republic because he was buying a present for Max. He ran from the store to the train and the doors closed right behind him. Max is the only sibling Ben would do that for.
4:22pm–> Max looks up at Dad and says, “Are we done talking now?”
Apparently Max has had enough for one day. He and I are done talking 🙂
Loving Max 