Lost in the Shuffle

With a lot of time these days being devoted to Ben and his care, I have to make an extra special effort to make sure that my middle boy, Max, gets his fair share of attention, too. Max is so full of life and light, always happy and bringing such joy to our home, how could I possibly forget about him?

A few fun things about Max right now:

• Max is semi-obsessed with Caillou and will even watch the cartoon in other languages using a YouTube app on Daddy's phone
• Max LOVES Starbursts
• When Max is really upset, he resorts to name-calling, coining the expression, "Naughty Supermall." Not sure exactly what it means.
• Max adores his brothers. He will hit if he is provoked, but Max is usually very good at sharing. He is protective and gentle with his baby brother.
• Max is one of only two carnivores in our house--he likes to eat chicken nuggets and Dad's steak.
• Although he has a very charming personality, Max is very shy and when he is approached by a non-family member, he will make a "pppfffttt" spitting noise and then turn and hide.
• Max gets scared when we drive in the car at night and will ask to hold hands in the dark.
• Max is a character! He talks with different voices and instead of walking will do a little march/stomp swagger.
• Max's favorite song is Jingle Bells, which he calls, "ho-ho-ho."
• Dad reads the same two books to Max every single night at bedtime, "Cheerios," and "No Matter What."
• One of Max's most used phrases is, "how about me?"

"There is no role in life more essential and more eternal than that of motherhood...Recognize that the joy of motherhood comes in moments.There will be hard times and frustrating times, but amid the challenges, there are shining moments of joy and satisfaction...What matters is that a mother loves her children deeply and, in keeping with the devotion she has for God and her husband, prioritizes them above all else." - M. Russel Ballard

Thank you, Maxwell, for the many, many shining moments of joy and satisfaction that you bring me each day. I love you deeply, Mom