I am a rock. I am an island.

Between the baby, the folk's visit, and the cold I now have, I have been very isolated the last few weeks. This is mostly of my own doing, so I just wanted to post to all my friends that I do miss them and hope to be out and about again one day. I also haven't been in the mood to chat on the phone, so that is why I haven't called either- its not you its me. This should pass eventually so please wait for me to get some sleep and I'll be back soon.

How about some Max?

Mae sure has been getting a lot of post recently, and hey, this is Maxed Out, so I thought I'd give an update. Toilet training is taking a bit longer then expected. He does pretty well with peeing, but pooping in the potty is not happening. The really frustrating part is that he keeps saying, "I'm trying," in a really whiny voice. He says it all the time and about lots of things now, it has become his catch phrase. He really enjoys mom's day out and preschool this year. He always walks right into class and could really care less about my leaving or coming back. He comes home with lots of artwork and my fridge is covered. He is always very concerned about Mae's crying. He makes sure to tell us every time she starts to cry. Max has become a big fan of football. We watched the BYU Oklahoma last month and were yelling and cheering at the screen; Max thought this was great. He is now a big fan of the sport and calls out, "Get the ball, get the ball, get the ball." His grandpa brought him a football this weekend, and Max carried it around with everywhere he went. We took Max to the pumpkin patch, he loved it! It was really cold, but we bucked up and kept going cause he was just so happy. He rode the cow train and we all took a hay ride. It was a great time.

Blessed

Mae Maureen was given a name and a blessing by her father last Sunday morning. The blessing that Jeff gave was beautiful and touching. You can tell that her father and her Heavenly Father both love her very much. My parents drove (all 15 hours) into town for the occasion. My mother bonded with Mae, holding her the whole weekend long, and my father and Max bonded over football and Lowes trips. I think it was a special treat for Max to be visited by my dad since they have been talking on the phone so much recently. I have been very blessed to have loving family special make blessing outfits for my children. Both my children have been blessed in the same blanket that my mother's mother hand sewed for my blessing.
My grandmother (my father's mother)made a lovely suit for Max when he was born. My mother has been spending all her free time to hand sew and smock the pictured gown and bonnet. It looked amazing on her! She looked like royalty. We were all a bit worried that she might spit up on the dress, so my mom sewed the bib on the drive out, but the bib is so pretty I wouldn't want that spit up on either. Jeff was assisted in the blessing by my father, and our friends Nathan Messick and Ron Kilby. Mae was a doll and was quiet the whole time. I wish the same could be said for Max. He wasn't too loud, just loud enough to make me miss a few chunks of the blessing, but the Spirit was strong enough that I felt the parts I couldn't hear. It was such a lovely experience for the whole family.

Tipping is not a city in China

So I just read an article on tipping in a recession. Apparently more tip jars are showing up then before, and the author was complaining and saying that people should ignore the jars. The author did say that tipping was mandatory in restaurants and salons, and that we should feel ashamed for not tipping here, because their wages were lower due to expectant tipping. I haven't noticed the jars, and don't really care about them, I say hey if you want to tip, tip if you don't, then don't. I am not really offended by people asking. Tacky? a little, but I don't really care. What really gets me steamed is the idea that I have to pay for bad or even just normal waiting service at a restaurant. This has always made me mad, and put me at odds with friends who have waited tables. Here is my two cents: Gratuity is just that, a sign that I am grateful. If I think that you did an above average job bringing me my food (a better job then I could have done) then I will pay you a tip. Usually a 20-30% for a good job cause I am grateful. If you do an adequate job then I say, you did your job and I am not going to pay you any more for that. Now comes the counter argument about how wait staff are not held to the same minimum wage laws as everyone else. To this I say, "Oh Well, That was your choice!" You don't hear them complaining when they bring home two, three, or more times the minimum wage on a good night. To me people who wait are playing the lottery. They are betting that they will be rewarded for good service. I have spent many years in retail service, I have dealt with crappy customers and preformed exceptional service. But I never got more or less then my basic wage. I am not a risk taker so I never got tips for good service or shafted for bad service. Will I, one person, change an industry? No, but I just can't tip a person for an okay job. It's just a personal thing. (But don't worry too much, Jeff unusually pays the bill and caves to social expectation.) Feel free to argue with me in the comments or just tell me how evil I am, but there is my two cents.

I am also throwing in a recent picture of Max to make the post a bit happier.

Blue Too

Mae is getting bigger. She is now awake for up to 4 hours a day. One of which is after her 3:30 a.m. feeding. She gets the hiccups pretty much every time she eats which keeps her up and makes her sound like a squeak toy. She prefers to be held, even when napping. Mae's cheeks go on forever. When you kiss them you think your lips will just get incorporated right in. She totally hates her baths. She is just as cute as she looks.

Cause She Makes Pink Look So Good.

I have never been a huge fan of pink, but neither have I been a hater, I previously just disregarded the color that as a red head I had a difficult time wearing. But man, Mae makes Pink look good. My friends Samantha and Carrie threw me a baby shower last Tuesday night. It was a wonderful little party, good food, cute decorations and good company. And the gifts rocked! So much girly stuff. As you can see from the picture she received her first bow and baby doll. I don't know what it is about the doll, but it just melts my heart every time I see her holding it. So of course I give it to her all the time. I am in for a adorable and purse draining eighteen years.