Max and I took it easy for most of the morning, and Daddy polished our van. When he was done we all headed out for a fun afternoon at the pool. Today was the first day the pool opened for the summer. We went to the Collins Hill Aquatic Center. They have a great outdoor pool. It has slides, tunnels, and a lazy river. Max had a lot of other kids to play with, which was nice. When we left we were all hungry. Max asked to go to Granny’s, but Daddy and I were eager to get home.

Max I enjoyed a nap together this afternoon. I could’ve slept longer, but Max got me up. When we came downstairs we all had popsicles.

As I write this the fellows are upstairs and I’m about to join them for the night.

I got a few hours of quiet time and appreciate Granny’s keeping my little buddy so I could have that time.

When Max came home he played with his trains for a short while before heading upstairs with me to watch Caillou and take his nap.

He awoke around 9:00 tonight when I went into the bathroom to get a shower and has been coloring with Mama, having dinner, and playing with his trains and cars. As I write this he and Mama just went upstairs to get their baths, and we’ll be in bed in about twenty minutes.

Max played with his trains mostly by himself this morning, and at Granny’s he played with some toys in the dirt by himself for a few minutes. I don’t want my little buddy to play by himself all of the time, but it’s nice to see him fly solo occasionally.

As I write this he’s playing with is trains by himself and is ad-libbing a dialog among some of his engines. I’m impressed by his creativity.

He’s been a real joy to be with lately. He’s melted down when he didn’t want to end an activity he was enjoying or shift from one activity to another, but other than those instances, he’s been happy, enthusiastic, and affectionate.

He took a decent nap this afternoon and was glad to know Granny would be here when he awoke. Granny came to our house so we could all go out for dinner. Max had a lot of fun and the four of us enjoyed one another’s company.

Tonight we’re going to bed much earlier than we have for the past few nights.

I ran an errand for Granny and was a little late in getting back, and by the time Max and I were ready to go, Mama was leaving school and opted to go with us. It was fun, but Max is about the shortest height (forty inches) they’ll let on the regular trampolines. He had to learn not to jump in others’ squares, and it took him most of his playtime to learn. We opted to let him jump for just a half-hour because it was already far past his naptime, and that was a good decision. He melted down as we left, but he recovered within about five minutes. He didn’t want to leave but was deliriously tired.

On our way home we got dinner to go for Mama. Our little buddy said he was hungry Mama was about to have dinner, so she shared with him. Right after dinner they got their baths and took a nap. Mama thought she’d slip out of our bedroom without the little fellow in tow, but she was wrong. Max was on her heels down the steps and has been enjoying Cheez-Its, PediaSure, Thomas & Friends, and Caillou for the last couple of hours.

Now we’re about to lie down together and call it a day.

I took Max to Granny’s this morning so he could stay with her while I ran an errand. When I returned, I finished his leftover breakfast and then carried him to Catch Air, where he had a grand ol’ time.

When we returned from Catch Air, Max had some Cheez-Its and PediaSure while watching Caillou and a Blue Angels documentary over Netflix. Then we went upstairs to watch more Caillou from our bed, and Baybay asked for two more bottles of PediaSure. So he had two-and-a-half bottles of PediaSure before his nap. I put him down around 3:50 this afternoon and he slept right through a big thunderstorm, awaking past 7:00 this evening.

Then the three of us went out for dinner and then came home to get our baths and shower and head to bed.

Mimi and Grandpa went to South Georgia today and got a bunch of furniture and a new refrigerator moved into their remodeled home down there. Max said he wanted to go see them.

I have something new planned for Max tomorrow, and I’m looking forward to spending the day with my favorite little fellow.

He and Grandpa went to Bojangles for breakfast and after stopping by Walmart Grandpa brought him home. The little fellow played for a while and then said he was hungry and wanted some Cheez-Its. He sat in his highchair and watched Cars on his iPad.

I showed him a picture of a special treat Mama’s student Jayce brought for Max. It was a Toby (a Thomas & Friends character) Pez candy dispenser. Mama sent the picture to me in a text message. Max said he wanted to go to Mama’s school to get it, so I sent Mama a text to ask her if we could. She invited us to meet her students and we went to her school around noon.

Mama’s students loved ol’ Maxipoo. They overwhelmed him but he adjusted to it much better than he did last year. He was the star of the show and that seemed to suit him just fine. He once told Mama, “Be quiet now!” in front of her students. I bet they wondered why they can’t get away with stuff like that. Of course I took lots of pictures and will share those here in the next millennium.

From Mama’s school we went to Granny’s, where Mimi and Grandpa met me to help them load a refrigerator and furniture they had stored at Granny’s and are taking to South Georgia with them tomorrow. Grandpa and I were straining with the furniture and Max, from his Cozy Coupe, asked if he could help us. And when we first arrived at Granny’s, Max had to pick her a flower and present it to her as a surprise. Oh, bless his little heart.

He ran Granny pretty hard while Grandpa and I loaded stuff into his truck and trailer, and he was tired and cranky later in the afternoon but demanded to stay with Granny. Mama picked him up around 4:35 this afternoon, and I bet Granny was glad to be able to sit down and rest. She cleaned up two dirty diapers herself and I fielded one. I left Granny’s around 3:30 to come home and get a shower.

Mama and Max went to Walmart and then met Mimi and Grandpa for dinner. A strong afternoon thunderstorm set in and Mimi and Grandpa had to dart from dinner to home to cover the home furnishings they’re carrying to South Georgia.

Max was asleep when he and Mama arrived, and Mama and I are about to scoop him up and put him in bed with us.

Gee, when I first began writing today’s entry it was sounding like a woe-is-me piece in my head, but now that I’ve recounted the day’s events, I reckon it was a pretty good day for all of us.

We stayed for a good while at Granny’s. While there Max rode in his Cozy Coupe, played ball, and followed Daddy around.

When we got home Mimi called to ask if Max would like to go to the park when she got done with her errand. Max was so excited but got too tired before she got done. They decided they would go to the park after his nap. Max never made it to the park today. When he got down to Mimi and Grandpa’s, he decided he would rather play in his new sandbox. Mimi said he spent a long time there.

When we called to check on him, he was drawing Grandpa a picture with a new giant pen Mimi had bought him.

Lil’ fellow is spending the night with them tonight and we already miss him bunches.

We tried to put Max down early for his nap since we had a graduation party to go to this evening. We thought he was in his bed when he had an extremely bad bathroom accident in our bedroom. This accident required two loads of laundry, a bath for Max, and cleaning carpet. Jaddie and I certainly needed a break when everything was clean and Max was napping.

Max was very excited about the graduation party, so he called for me when he woke up. Max had a great time at the party. He ran around in the hosts’ backyard, played with the other kids, and ate some of their yummy cookie cake. To make me feel old, a boy at the party who’s also graduating this year was in my second grade class. That’s hard to believe!

We three are about to hit the hay.

I had to go into Atlanta for work and Max said he wanted to go to Granny’s, so that’s where I took him. Poor Granny didn’t know she was going to have the little fellow for the afternoon, but she adjusted her schedule to accommodate us.

Mama picked up our little buddy at Granny’s around 3:45 pm and took him back to school with her so he could play with Bella, a girl who’s within a few days of Max’s age and daughter of Mama’s friend Angela.

Baybay went to Mimi and Grandpa’s after playing with Bella and that’s where he’s hanging his hat tonight. Because he didn’t have a nap today, he went to bed early this evening.

I’m looking forward to seeing our little buddy in the morning.

I got him a bottle of PediaSure and we headed back upstairs to watch Caillou. Max said he didn’t want to go to school today, but he seemed encouraged by my telling him that today was his last day of school and that it’d be an exciting day. I don’t think his objection to going to school stems from anything about school itself. I believe it stems from his not wanting to separate from his mother or me. When I was telling him later today that he’d go to school with his mother one day, he asked if she was going to leave him.

He was excited in car riders line because his beloved Hannah was in the vehicle in front of us. He also pointed out Carter’s grandmother’s car and kept careful tabs on my movement in the line.

When I picked him up, I waved goodbye to Mrs Eileen and she waved goodbye to us. I was sadder than Baybay because I saw today as the conclusion of an important stage in his development. For The Baybay Man, it was just another exciting day. Honestly, if you look at our previous entries you’ll see that he leads a pretty exciting life.

After school we headed to Granny’s, and as we approached her front door, he froze mid-step and said he wanted to pick a flower for Granny. The little yellow flowers that he’d been picking for her were mowed down last week and were replaced by dandelions. I told him they’d grow back and he could pick one for her then.

We headed into the house and had some lunch, and then we headed outside for Max to ride his tricycle and bicycle. He’s not comfortable with his bicycle yet. Even though it has training wheels, they don’t support him as well as his sturdy Radio Flyer trike.

Max and I headed home so he could take a nap. We watched Caillou and then I put him down for his nap. It wasn’t long before he was calling for me from his bed, so I went in to check on him. It’s a good thing I heard him, too, because he’d had a pretty bad accident and needed serious attention. I cleaned up what I could with wipes and then we both got a shower to complete our cleanup. Mama came home as we were finishing and put the little fellow back into his bed. I believe he napped for nearly three hours.

We went to Chuck E. Cheese at the Mall of Georgia this evening and had a great time. Max could do so many more things than he could when we took him about six months ago. Getting him to leave wasn’t too bad, either. Mama and her favorite little fellow got baths when we got home, and then Mama read some stories to him and they watched a Berenstain Bears video.

Now they’re downstairs with me and we’re all about to call it a night.

Baybay had big fun doing most everything available, especially the inflatable jumper. He bumped into his beloved Hannah a few times and had to serve two timeouts for doing so. Poor Miss Hannah tolerated Max’s roughhousing more than she should have.

When Baybay and I left the party, he wanted to go to Mimi and Grandpa’s to play in his new sand boat. It was Mimi and Grandpa who played with him today. He didn’t get to play with any kids today, so I guess it was Mimi and Grandpa who played with him. Mimi said the little fellow played by himself for a long time, which is a first.

Mama brought our tired little buddy home for his nap, and when he awoke, he got to wish our friend and neighbor Teresa a happy birthday. Teresa and her son Eric came over for senior portraits. Mama remembers when Eric was in second grade at my alma mater, nearby Harmony Elementary. She was a teacher at the time, so now I feel really old to be making Eric’s senior pictures.

Teresa took Max back to Mimi and Grandpa’s while we photographed Eric, and Mama went back to get him after our shoot. They’ve just finished getting their baths and Mama’s reading to her favorite little fellow.

I’m about to head upstairs to join them.

So I gave him a bottle of chocolate milk and we headed upstairs to watch Thomas & Friends and Caillou. He was so tired but stayed awake to watch his two favorite shows. I got him dressed for school and away we went. On our way to school he said he wanted to play miniature golf today. I told him that we might go play on Friday and he objected vociferously.

But after school today we didn’t go to Granny’s or to play miniature golf. We went to check on our furniture that had been repaired. Luckily La-Z-Boy has a warehouse and repair center less than two miles from our home. After Baybay and I verified that our sofa and chair-and-a-half were in good working order, we headed up to the front desk to pay for the repairs. That’s when Grandpa walked in and Max greeted him with a hearty “Grandpa!”

Max and I rushed off to Walmart while our furniture was loaded into Grandpa’s truck. We had to get dipes, wipes, and goo (PediaSure). I quickly grabbed a bunch of goo, the biggest box of dipes, and the biggest box of wipes I could find and flew to the checkout counter. I was shocked to see we had over US$100 worth of stuff. We hadn’t been in Walmart for three minutes. Baybay can be quite an expensive little booger.

When we got home Grandpa was waiting for us. He and I unloaded our furniture and then Max went into the yard to build a sandcastle. He kept asking me, “Do you want to play with me?” I said I did and the perspiration dripped. I loosened some dirt so he could shovel it into a big mound that he called a castle.

We both got showers and watched more Caillou until I put the little fellow down for his nap around 4:25 pm.

Mama woke our little prince around 7:00 pm so he could go to Mimi and Grandpa’s and see their wonderful surprise for him: a large wooden sand boat. It’s set up in their backyard and two of the neighborhood kids were waiting for him to come and play. Oh, he loved that box! Grandpa wasn’t there to see Max see it for the first time, but when Grandpa arrived, Max made a big deal of Grandpa to the two girls. He said, “That’s my grandpa. That’s my grandpa. He works in South Georgia. He builds houses.” (Actually, Grandpa is retired but is just as busy now as he was in his heyday, and he’s been remodeling a house for him and Mimi in South Georgia, which is where he and Mimi grew up.)

Mama and I left Max in his new box playing with his two new friends, Lindsey and Hannah. I took some pictures but only goodness knows when I’ll ever get to post them here.

I believe Max is going to spend the night with Mimi and Grandpa tonight. The little fellow isn’t keen on sleeping away from home without his mommy and daddy, but we made Mimi and Grandpa promise to bring him home if he wanted to come home. Shoot, Mama and I haven’t slept without the little fellow’s being between us in about three weeks, and we’re already missing him. Our bed isn’t quite as cozy without our little buddy to snuggle with.

When we awoke we watched Caillou and Thomas & Friends. Then we played with Max’s HO trains for a good while until he rediscovered a toy he received a couple of Christmases ago, a spiraling car-racing set. We also played “golf” with a soft baseball.

Baybay said he was hungry and asked for Cheez-Its, so we sat down in the kitchen for a snack. He asked to see “1 Car,” which is how he refers to the original Cars movie, so that’s what he watched on his iPad.

We’d planned to go to Catch Air today but never made it. Max was having too much fun at home. He asked to go at 2:00 pm, but I said it was too late for us to go today.

We played a little more golf and then went upstairs to watch Caillou and settle down for Max’s nap. A client phoned me for support and after my favorite little fellow begged for more Caillou time he went down for his nap at 4:25 pm.

Very surprisingly he got out of his bed on his own at 6:50 pm. His crib has a canopy that I zippered shut when I put him down for his nap. Mama and I call it “baby jail.” Apparently it wasn’t too secure today. The little fellow said he had to peepee, and that’s just what he did—he came downstairs, announced that he had to go, and he went to the potty and took care of his business.

And then he was ready to rock and roll. Mama took him to see Mimi and Grandpa, who’d just returned from being out of town for twelve days. While he was in their backyard, he spotted a six-year-old neighbor and they began shouting back and forth about playing together. Lindsey’s mother let her come over to Mimi and Grandpa’s for a short while and she and Max had fun building sandcastles and running around.

Mama brought our little buddy home, gave him a bath, and now they’re upstairs watching something on our media player and waiting for me to join them.

Granny made a thin-layer chocolate cake as a surprise for Becky today. I’ll have to get Becky to take that to Mimi and Grandpa’s before I inhale the whole thing myself. That was mighty sweet of Granny.

For some fun together time, Max and I went to the movies to see Chimpanzee. We really enjoyed the movie. After the movie we did a little shopping and got some lunch. Then we picked Daddy up to go shoe shopping for him.

Max and I took a nice nap this afternoon. The slow and steady rain was perfect weather for napping. After getting up, Daddy and Max went to get me a special dinner at the Outback. Unfortunately, they lost my online order so it caused a long wait. They had a great attitude about the wait.

After dinner Max and I got a bath. Max and Daddy both bought me the sweetest cards! I also got a spa gift card for a massage. I can’t wait to go get it!

We’re all about to hit the hay! It has been a great Mother’s Day!

When Max and Daddy got home, Max and I got ready to go to Bogan Park. Max had a great time at the park. He did very well on the monkey bars. He also really enjoyed the swing today. He swung for nearly an hour, and he would have for a lot longer, but I got tired. Max had many kids to play with at the park.

From the park we went to the grocery store. Max was a good boy at the grocery store and picked out chicken for his lunch. When we got home Daddy was finishing washing the van.

Max took a four-hour nap this afternoon. After his nap he helped me move some furniture in our living room. He thought that was fun.

We three are turning in early tonight. Jaddie and I both have headaches.

When I returned to Granny’s I had some lunch and then cut the styrofoam sheeting for Max’s model railroad. Max “helped” me and rode his tricycle in Granny’s basement.

Max never would’ve left Granny’s if I hadn’t made him. That boy loves Granny. We came home, watched more Caillou, and then I put the little fellow into his bed for a nap. I believe he slept for about three-and-a-half hours.

He was in a great mood when he awoke. He played with his trains, ate dinner, and returned to his train tables. Surprisingly, when I went upstairs to take a shower, he followed me and got a shower with me.

Mama read a book or two to him and they watched Caillou together. Now we’re all about to go to bed together.

His latest phrase is “Everything is under control.” I don’t know where he picked up that phrase, but hardly anything is under control if he’s in the middle of it.

As I write this he and Mama are upstairs looking at our pictures from Chattanooga and Day Out with Thomas.

We’ve all enjoyed a better day today than the past couple of days, though when I visited Max at his school yesterday, his genuine and hyper-enthusiastic response to seeing me walk into his classroom warmed my heart.

Mama went to school with Max this morning for Muffins with Mom. She and her favorite little fellow had muffins with the other kids and mothers before the schoolday began. Mama said Max was happy to have her there and that he began to tear up when she and the other mothers had to leave.

He had a good day at school, though, and we went to Granny’s afterward. Even though she spanked him yesterday, that’s where he said he wanted to go when we pulled away from his preschool. Baybay put Granny to work when he arrived. He got her to play hide-and-go-seek and “soccer” (just kicking a ball back and forth) with him.

Granny told me something special the little fellow said to her when I wasn’t with them. Max heard me coughing, and Granny told him that I had a sinus infection. Max said, “No, he just got a cold. I cheer him up.” He also apologized to Granny all on his own for hitting her yesterday.

That’s good stuff.

He and I came home a little earlier than we usually do because he had to have a nap. He and Mama went to Mama’s school this evening for a Junior Beta Club meeting, and Max got to stay in Mama’s classroom with Danielle and Lilianna, who are daughters of our friends Eddy and Jodi. Danielle, Lilianna, and Max had a good time together and the little fellow was in a great mood when he got home.

He got a shower with me tonight and then hopped into the tub with Mama to get the soap off. Now they’re upstairs watching Caillou and I’m about to join them.

But when they left school things went south. Max lost his trains for today and tomorrow. He jumped in puddles after being told not to and lost trains today. Then he scratched Daddy and lost train privileges for tomorrow.

After school Max went to Granny’s for the afternoon. Daddy has a cold, so he came home to rest. Max was too rough with Granny and hit her across her nose and eye with a vacuum cleaner attachment. Granny spanked him and after that his behavior improved. I picked up Max for Granny’s right after school, and I’m sure he was glad. We really talked to him about his behavior while at Granny’s. He called Granny tonight to apologize to her.

Tonight Max has been mostly good but a little wild at times. We’re all about to go to bed, and we hope tomorrow will be a better day.

When Daddy and Max got home from school they carried out the trash before heading to Granny’s for lunch. Again today, Max surprised Granny with a flower from her yard. Pretty soon Granny won’t have any flowers in her yard but, boy ol’ boy that sure is a sweet gesture.

When Maxipoo got up from his nap he and I went to Chick fil A for kids’ night. Bless his heart! We thought he would have a lot of kids to play with, but that wasn’t the case. Finally, he found a lil’ girl and they played for a short while.

We’re all heading to bed. Daddy has a sinus infection, and we all could use a little extra rest after our big weekend.

When Max got to Granny’s he picked her a flower and gave it to her as a surprise by telling her to close her eyes first. Granny thought that was super-sweet!

While at Granny’s Max rode his tricycle in the basement while Daddy worked on their model railroad. He’s really getting great at pedaling.

On a happy note Max has been going to bathroom on his own today and even tried to do number two on his own. Daddy said he would be in the middle of a conversation and say, “Hold on. I’ll be right back,” and run to the bathroom.

This weekend’s events must’ve tired out our lil’ engineer out because he took a four-hour nap. Jaddie and I could’ve used one, too!

The three of us washed the van tonight. Max kept saying, “I’m a big helper.” But Daddy and I noticed that Max got more water on himself than on the van.

We’re all about to call it a day. Max goes back to school tomorrow.

Today is Great Grand’s eighty-sixth birthday! We called to wish her a great one and look forward to visiting her next month.

Max seemed like he enjoyed what we were doing, but he was wound up so tightly and was difficult to contain. Instead of exhibiting affection and warmth, he was aggressive and selfish.

And there were a bazillion more just like that at Day Out with Thomas. Kids were lying down on the asphalt—kicking, crying, and screaming—while parents threatened going to their cars, leaving, and spankings.

I don’t even want to analyze why my little buddy behaved the way he did this weekend. I’m just glad its over.

If our Disney vacation is as intensely negative as this weekend’s overnight trip to Chattanooga, Mama and I won’t make it back.

On a positive note, Max recognized his name in a TitleMax sign on our way home and pointed it out to us.

To a better tomorrow…

Max has been so over-stimulated and irritable. He’s never good when his schedule changes. Jaddie and I have thought several times that we should head back to Buford.

When we got in our room Max picked up the phone and said, “Grandpa, I come see you. Then I go see Granny.” We thought that was cute.

We are staying in a Victorian passenger coach. We’re not sure what to think. It’s old-timey and a little rickey, but Max thinks it’s cool and that’s what matters.

One thing the Chattanooga Choo Choo has is a nice pool. We three enjoyed it. That was nice and refreshing.

Tonight we had dinner in a dining car. That was pretty cool. We had some yummy pizza. After dinner Max and I played in the gardens. They had a beautiful gazebo, a climb-on locomotive, and plenty of places for a three-year-old to run.

We’re all about to head to Sleepytown in our passenger coach and dream about riding Thomas tomorrow.

When Daddy got back he watched Max ride his tricycle. Daddy said he did a great job pedaling. Max is such a fast learner.

When Max got home from Granny’s he was tired and in dire need of a nap. Lil’ fellow took a four-hour nap and awoke in a great mood.

I fixed Max a picnic on our living room floor for dinner and he thought that was cool. Caillou has picnics and Max has been asking for one.

We’re all about to head to bed. We have a big day planned tomorrow.

After school Daddy and Max headed to the Granny’s for some lunch and to visit. Max wasn’t in the best mood and was quite destructive. When Max and Daddy left for home it was past time for Max’s nap.

Max went back to Granny’s while I went to PTA tonight and Daddy did a photoshoot. Max and Granny did some drawing during their visit. When I picked him up he was excited to show me what they had drawn.

When we got home Max asked for a snack and I also got us a popsicle. I showed Max how to push it up and he learned quickly. Then he said, “I’m a genius.” He’s not kidding—he really is!

We’re all about to get our baths and hit the hay. It’s been a very busy day.

Maxipoo had a good day at school and got a sticker for his good behavior. His teacher, Mrs Eileen, wasn’t there today, but Mrs Sarah was. According to Max Mrs Eileen is sick. If that’s the case we hope she feels better soon.

When Daddy picked Max up from school they went to Granny’s. Granny and Daddy had a really hard time getting Maxipoo to eat his lunch. We believe they celebrated classmate Mayzie’s birthday today and the lil’ fellow wasn’t hungry.

Max took a nice long four-and-a-half-hour nap today. While Max napped I did, too. I fell asleep on our hardwood floor, so I must have been tired.

When Max got up we asked him what he wanted for dinner, and his reply was “Cheez-Its.” Well, we didn’t go with his suggestion for the main course, but he did get a few. We were starting to get low on our Cheez-Its supply, so Daddy made a Walmart run and bought a box of each flavor of Cheez-Its except Pepper Jack. This made Maxipoo’s day!

We’re all about to call it a night.

It’s been a wide-open, nonstop day for Max and me. It’s been tons of fun for ol’ Maxiboy, though. He had fun at school but pulled a veggie, which is what he and his classmates must do when their behavior is unacceptable. He was talking even after Mrs Eileen, his teacher, told him and his classmates to be quiet and turned out the lights to get their attention.

When I picked him up from school I asked him where he wanted to go. He said he wanted to on an “adventure.” I asked him where was this adventure, and he said it was “over those trees.” I suggested that we go to Granny’s to work on his model railroad, and he said he wanted to go on his adventure first. I told him we’d have plenty of adventures at Granny’s.

I had lunch at Granny’s while Baybay ignored the grilled cheese Granny made for him. He was ready to play ball and didn’t want to hear about eating.

I left Max with Granny while I came back to our neighborhood and got Grandpa’s truck so I could go to Home Depot and get some two-inch-thick insulated sheathing. I took a bunch of other model railroad-building supplies with me, too.

When I arrived at Granny’s I unloaded it all and took it to her basement. I was soaked with perspiration and was tired, but Baybay was all excited and ready to get started building his model railroad. I told him I was calling it quits for the day and he complained loudly. But he eventually accepted it and continued on being his hyper, high-strung self.

I showed Granny the pictures of Max from last week’s Pajama Jam, Mama arrived to pick up Max, and the three of us headed home.

Baybay watched Caillou for a short while after we got home, and then he was back to full-blast. Mimi and Grandpa stopped by to see him because they’re going out of town tomorrow and won’t be back for about twelve days.

After Mimi and Grandpa left, Max and Mama went upstairs to get their baths and to lie down. Max went to sleep and in just a few minutes Mama and I will join him.

Then we watched three episodes of Caillou and I put him down for his nap. He begged not to take a nap today, but I insisted on his taking one because of his extremely busy weekend. He must’ve been tired, because he slept for about four hours.

When he awoke we assembled his Polar Express train set and played with it. Then he and Mama went to Mimi and Grandpa’s for dinner, and he and Mama went to Staples. They got their baths shortly after getting home, and Mama read a few books to her favorite little fellow.

He came downstairs to see me and asked to see some videos from Disney World and our upcoming Disney cruise, so we watched a few of those. He was most intrigued by Space Mountain, but he won’t get to ride Space Mountain because of the minimum-height requirement of forty-four inches. I took a quick measurement of our little fellow’s height and it was close to thirty-nine inches.

We’re all ready to go to bed.

Max didn’t want to leave, but we could tell he was exhausted. We tried to appease him with ice cream, but he only melted down further when we took him to Baskin Robbins. We had to get him down for a nap because Mimi and Grandpa were taking him to a church picnic at Bogan Park at 5:00 this afternoon. Max certainly wasn’t fit for company before his nap.

He and Mama went upstairs, watched Caillou, and both of them lay down for a nap. While they napped a friend and client came over for some help with his iPhone, and Max got to see him before heading to the picnic with Mimi and Grandpa. Max was in a much better mood than before his nap.

Mama and I went out for dinner and have enjoyed a quiet evening at home. We miss our little buddy and look forward to having him home tomorrow.

A lot of other people had the same plan for the day. There were so many people there. Uncle Jack, Aunt Jean, and Cousin Linda met us there. The Strawberry Festival had so many fun things to do, especially for kids. Max got to ride a cow train, jump on jump pillow, go down farm slides, and ride on a hayride, just to name a few. Thinking of all we did today makes me tired.

Uncle Jack was super-sweet and bought Max an airplane on a stick made out of soda cans. Max and Uncle Jack played and played with it until Max could longer stand up. He was so excited about his airplane. Thanks, Uncle Jack and Aunt Jean!

The highlight of the Strawberry Festival was picking our own strawberries. Max was a very good strawberry picker. Together we picked an entire bucket. I have to say, picking all those strawberries nearly did me in. It was super-hot and I was carrying a bucket, a big and heavy camera, and wearing high heel flip-flops. I was so glad to finally fill our bucket. The strawberries were so yummy, so it was worth it.

When we made it to Granny’s it wasn’t long before Daddy and Grandpa came over. They brought the ping-pong table from our basement to Granny’s basement to use to build Max’s model railroad. Granny also gave Grandpa a haircut while he was there.

We carried Mimi some of our freshly picked strawberries and Max stayed with her and Grandpa. He’s spending the night with them. Jaddie and I plan to sleep late in the morning.

Baybay saw other young ones at the church and wanted to go check out what they were doing. He got a little upset when I wouldn’t let him follow the class back into their classroom. I eventually got him out of there, though, and from there we headed to Granny’s. The little fellow and I had lunch at Granny’s and I made a Walmart run for her. I played “soccer” (just kicking a ball back and forth) with him for a short while upon my return, and then I left him with Granny.

Mama picked him up after school and carried him to her school’s Spring Fling. He got to jump a couple of jumpers, slide down a couple of slides, spin in a big apple, and run and play with a lot of kids. They had a lot of carnival games and Max enjoyed picking out the prizes. He got his face painted, too, and he was excited about that. He chose a baseball.

Mama and Max and the rest of the Spring Fling revelers had to pack it in early because of a late-afternoon thundershower, and Max fell asleep on their way home.

I put him into his bed when he and Mama got home, and that’s where he is as I write this. He has a big day on tap for tomorrow, too, so it’s a good thing he’s getting his beauty rest. The little fellow has too much fun.

He had a great day at school and got to pick out one or more toys from the treasure box. He had about three items. I don’t know if he got to pick all of those or if someone was generous with him.

When I picked him up from school he was ready to go to Granny’s. We couldn’t go to Granny’s, though, because Max had to get a good nap before tonight’s Pajama Jam at his preschool. I consoled him by letting him know that Granny was coming to see him today.

When we got home we played with his scooter. He had a minor accident and scraped his precious knee. He said it hurt—until I said we had to go inside and clean it—and then he said it didn’t hurt.

After a few minutes we came inside, had some lunch, and I let him watch a Caillou video while I got a shower. Then we watched another episode of Caillou together before I put him down for his nap. He slept for about three hours this afternoon. We had to wake him to get him ready to go sing with his classmates at school this evening.

Granny was here when the little fellow awoke, and he was glad to see her. The three of us and Mimi went to his preschool for tonight’s program and we all had a great time. Grandpa missed out because he’s still in South Georgia working on his house. Max and his classmates dressed in their pajamas and sang a handful of fun songs for us parents and grandparents. I must have had my finger on the camera’s shutter button the entire time, because in the thirty to forty minutes that the program lasted, I took 329 pictures.

On our ride home Max asked Granny to stay with us for a while, but she wanted to go on home before it was dark outside. The little fellow begged her to no avail, but Granny put the ball in his court by asking him to go spend the night with her. The little fellow said he was going to spend the night with his daddy, and Granny and I called him a little stinker. I hope I never forget that. That boy loves his mama and daddy.

Mama and Max are upstairs watching Caillou and I’m about to join them.