Max Recap

A few new things have been in store for Max this spring. He is starting to learn to ride his bike without the training wheels. He isn't too thrilled to keep trying, but he is so close! Max has also started soccer for the first time. We realized with Jack that we started him way too early at three years old (first child excitement). So Max is just beginning and it has been the perfect time for this six year old. We have had so much fun watching him; he is aggressive and follows along with the game and has ALMOST scored numerous times. He is highly motivated with rewards and is always asking us if he can earn something if he does something. Before every game he asks if he can get a reward if he scores a goal. He is quite manipulative because it is usually something I want to agree to like a place to eat out for dinner or movie night for the family. It has been pretty funny, even though we are trying to teach him to love to play and do well simply because it's fun (yeah right, I'm out there cheering my lungs out so we can go to Red Robin!) In the few games Max has played he has handled the ball 10 times more than Jack did in a season. They are definitely two different kids with very different personalities. Speaking of being highly motivated by rewards, Max has gotten some pretty great "treats" with good haircuts the last couple of months. Mas HATES to get his hair cut, and even though we've made progress over the years it still isn't a favorite activity for anyone involved. So, like any good parent, we bribe him. Max said he would only do a buzz if he could have a mohawk. We said what the heck, why not for the day, as long as he would be PERFECT for the haircut in the morning and later to get the mohawk gone. It was sweet! We had planned to go bowling that day, and one of his best buddies was having a birthday party later that afternoon. We got the funniest looks from people wondering what kind of people we were to let our six year old kid wear a mohawk. He was the HIT of the birthday party and thought it was the coolest day ever. He finagled 4 Oreos out of the latest haircut, but I tell you, he was an angel for both haircuts, and our house was actually peaceful (or at least our neighbors don't think we're abusive anymore!)
Byron took the boys to our ward Father's and Son's Outing and they had a blast. They were the first ones to the site and Max was thrilled because he helped Byron build and start the fire that ended up being THE fire that everyone used the whole night. Way to go buddy.
One last thing about Max. He is the best brother ever. He always is thinking of Jack and how he can make him happy. He and Lucy have a special relationship. He is in school every morning and she gets so excited when it is time for him to come home. He plays and plays with her and makes her so laugh all the time. She calls him Maxers and says it so affectionately. The other day after playing on the trampoline and doing every single thing she wants him to do, he said, " I am so done playing with her." but two seconds later he was back at it. So cute!