Mad Max Makin' Music

As you probably know, music is one of my favorite hobbies!

I love playing piano with my Gramby (Gma A) ... and playing on my birthday piano at home.

Mommy and I go to music class every Sunday at St. Luke's.

I have lots of musical instruments even beyond my piano (like my Educo Jungle Music Set).  (Thanks Mimi and Grampi (Gma and Gpa J)!)

And of course Mommy and I listen to all kinds of types of music on our Pandora stations.

And then Daddy and I make music in our pampies.

How do you incorporate music into your life?  Please share your ideas!

-Mad Max

My 1st Birthday Celebration: Details

Train Wreck Mommy and I literally have 1,000,000s of photos to go through for my 1st Birthday Celebration.  Wow.

I am going to start with focusing on the details of the party ... it's in all the details!

Mommy worked very hard with Gramby (Gma A), Mimi (Gma J), Auntie Tam, and "Auntie" Viola to finalize the details!  A special thanks to y'all for loving me, Mad Max, so much!  A few special shout outs: 

A special shout out to Gramby for going above and beyond and using her awesome crafting skills to make me many personalize items for my party.  She also made me delicious coffee cake!  You will see more below.  I don't know about you, but I like starting out my day with an double espresso and coffee cake.

A special shout out to Mimi for using her baking skills to bake me many, many, and many wonderful breakfast treats for my morning party at the Houston Zoo.

A special shout out to Auntie Tam for all of her help with the party planning and her delicious, um, (zebra print!) cake balls.  Be sure to check out her website for her new event planning and styling company, ever swoon.  (You can also find ever swoon on Facebook and Twitter!).

A special shout out to "Auntie" Viola for helping Mommy craft several nights, even though she couldn't even make it to the party (out of town).  We missed you!

And last, but not least... a special shout out to Train Wreck Mommy and My Hero Daddy for throwing me such a great celebration.  Enjoy the details below, and check back soon for more on my party!

Round tables: Since my party was at the Zoo, the theme was animal print / Zoo animals.  Gramby made the center piece signs (and Mommy made the Sophie and Max design throughout the party).  We also placed animals and animal cards throughout the round tables (loved by my young fans!).

The plants were from Lowes.  The animal cards were from Michaels, and the animals were from Michaels and Target (dollar bins!).  

Much of the other party supplies (table clothes, paper plates, etc.) was either from Green Party Goods or Arnes.  We tried to be as "green" as possible for the event.

On this table: Munny for my guests to sign; cakes; gift bags; animal masks; and 1 year photos.

My favorite: don't you love the sign of my name that Gramby made for me?  Great job!!   Do you think I should hang it in my room?

1 year professional photos by Erin Carlyle.  She rocks!

I will smile more next time.  Promise.

Mommy and "Auntie" Viola made gift bags for wee ones (under 3) and bigger tikes (over 3).  Don't you love the "Thank You" card they made for me?  Mommy made the design.  She's going to start working on designs for your young ones that you can purchase!  More soon.

Gift bag supplies bought at Amazon and Michaels.

The animal masks were a huge hit (more photos to come!).

Masks should be required at every party.  Who wants to be their own self anyways?  Really?  

Animal masks from Amazon.

Mommy and Daddy got me a delicious vegan cake from Whole Foods.  Cookies and Creme!

Candle from Whole Foods, and the customized Max cake topper is by Goose Grease.  They also made Mommy and Daddy's wedding cake toppers!

Guest cake from Whole Foods Market.  Guests describe it as "stupid good."

More food!

I have to point out the most important part of this table.  Gramby (of course) made me the awesome one year banner - a photo from each month.  She did a great job, and I love it!

We just ran out of room for our food!

This table had mini Crave Cupcakes (with the number 1), zebra print cake balls by Auntie Tam, and coffee cake by Gramby.

Mimi made me so much delicious breakfast food!  Thank you for turning your home into a baking factory!

I should also point out that Mommy found some organic juice boxes for the kids at Amazon.  

The happy, crazy family.

The Mad Max.  By the way, this was literally my first bite of sweets.  But not my last.

So what do you think?  Do you have any events coming up that you are planning?

Mommy is thinking about working with Auntie Tam (ever swoon) and another Houston friend to plan kids events.  Thoughts?

Be sure to click on follow for my blog and leave comments!  I look forward to hearing from you.

More soon on my special celebration!

-Mad Max

Let's start with Christmas Eve ...

On the night before Christmas ... and all through the townhouse... etc etc etc... okay, yes, it's 2012 (Happy New Year!), but Train Wreck Mommy and I have been very busy!  We are back at work, exploring creative adventures, and most importantly, gearing up for my 1st Birthday THIS Saturday (do you know how many hours Mommy has logged on her craft adventures?!)

I will do my best to catch you up on my Holiday Break adventures.  

I hope you had a wonderful holiday.  What was your favorite part?  Mine was that Auntie Tam came to visit!  Here I am doing a crazy "prune" face, and Auntie Tam has her crazy smile.

Auntie Tam!  Auntie Tam!  I just messed with my dirty boy parts when Mommy changed my pampie.

In the Alcancia Family we have a tradition of opening Christmas Eve gifts.  Luckily, me, Mad Max, scored with more than one!  Here I am opening gifts from Gma and Gpa A (Gramby and Pops).

If I pull REAL HARD ... the ... paper ... may ... rip.

Tissue.  Paper.

This is what my future sister would look like ... said Mommy!

Thank you for my wonderful new reindeer pjs, Christmas book, and Sophie puppet!

Later ... I also opened Christmas Eve surprises from Train Wreck Mommy and My Hero Daddy.  So excited!  (Mommy didn't do too well with the photos.  See: Train Wreck.)

The Christmas Morning photo before I woke up (or rather, before THEY woke me up).

See!  What crazy people wake up a baby!?  What time is it?  I'm not even decent!  My pants are off, and I am on my pee pee and poo poo table!  

If you read my outfit closely, you will see that I am Santa's helper (thanks to Baby Gap).  Therefore, I was up late.

But ... thank you goes out also to Mommy and Daddy for my Christmas Eve pjs and book!

Stay tuned ... 

Does your family have any Christmas Eve traditions?

-Mad Max

Christmas Update: 3 Bottles of Scotch Later ...

I have much to update you on!  Holiday Break ... Three Christmas celebrations ... my two front teeth ... and more!

I will give you a sneak peek ...

Christmas morning at home.  Radio Flyer Super Wagon.  Need I say more?

Ball.  One of my favorite gifts!  And check out my lovely Pottery Barn Kids stocking.

I look concerned.  I WAS concerned.  Hey ... hey guys!  I think we forgot some of my gifts over here.  (Christmas at Gma and Gpa A's (Gramby and Pops)).

Watch out, Blake Griffin!  Thank you for the Little Tikes Sports Center, Auntie Tam and Uncle Michael!

Here I am with Daddy at Gma and Gpa J's.  I'd say something witty here, but I think my Scotch is making me tired.

Mommy tried to get a photo of Mad Max and the Cousins.  Much of the photos looked like this.  Wow.

How are your holidays going?  I'll share more soon!

-Mad Max

Fun with the Mad Man

Mommy has been drowning in snot (yum! ... and so am I!), so she is behind on helping me with my blog. We are off this week and catching up with many things though!

I have a new game at the dinner table called "up" and "down."  Can you guess which one this is? 

Wow.

A week or so ago it was cold enough to wear my hat from Auntie Tam (Baby Gap).  Daddy!  Daddy!  You could turn your chest hair into a hat.  Love you, Daddy!

As you may have heard ... I have a new trick called "one eye" (thanks Pops!).  Here I am doing one eye with Glowworm.

More soon!

Are you gearing up for Thanksgiving?  Will you play "up" and "down" at the dinner table?

-Mad Max

Weekend Update: Boo!

Happy Halloween, fans!  Thank you to Gma and Gpa A (Gramby and Pops) for all of my Halloween gifts.  On Friday evening I played with my new cars aka terrorized my bother the feline, Hermann.  Thank you also for the Halloween cards, and thank you for the Halloween card, Auntie Tam and Uncle Michael.

Whistling at my brother on Saturday morning.

On Saturday Train Wreck Mommy and My Hero Daddy took me to the Houston Zoo for Zoo Boo!  Unfortunately they put that ridiculous costume on me.  Your time will come!

Fueling up for Zoo Boo.

Um, if this guy is any indication of our day at the Zoo, I am very frightened.  No pun intended.  Hide yo' kids!

Daddy!  Daddy!  Look at me.  This is awful.

Mommy said, "whistle of the elephant!"... Okay, crazy lady.

Baby Elephant!  Like Baby Max!  Hey, kid, where is your spider costume?  I'd like to see that.

Something is wrong with this photo.  White socks, maybe?

Here I am with Daddy checking out the "real Sophies," as Mommy calls them.

Mommy, they are called giraffes.

What I am most worried about is that I am actually getting use to being a spider.  I mean, what does that say about me?  Really?

What happens to Super Infants after Zoo Boo?  This.  I was drugged!

Don't worry.  I had an afternoon nap and an afternoon pick me up later that afternoon at Onion Creek Cafe.  Daddy, daddy, I heard it was Happy Hour?

The BIGGEST NEWS OF THE WEEKEND:

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Mommy came to get me this morning while I was trying to escape.  She called Daddy and said "bring the camera!  Bring the camera!"...

Okay, okay, I get the point.  I will have to figure another way out.

In the meantime, I tested the Train Wrecks ability to keep up with me today ... I can now stand up at nearly anything!  Mommy, quit hogging all of the good New York Times sections.

How was your weekend?  Did you celebrate Halloween?

-Mad Max