MVP

2011-11-12T17:19:00.001-06:00

Halloween 2011

K5

2011-09-15T21:08:00.003-05:00

Max is going to Kindergarten this year. Here is Day 1

Certified.

2011-02-20T14:31:00.000-06:00

Max did really well at the "Timesaver" train switching puzzle at the 2011 Mad City Model Railroad Expo, for which he was awarded a Certificate of Excellence. Notice the intensity and concentration... and joy on his face.

World Champs

2011-02-19T13:45:00.000-06:00

Way to Go, Pack!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-25T19:28:00.000-06:00

from Max.

SuperMax and WonderLily

2010-11-24T18:34:00.000-06:00

There's no need to fear! Max and Lily are near. Ba ba bummm, ba da dum dum da dummmmmm...

Punkin'

2010-10-16T20:20:00.000-05:00

Max's pick for 2010.

On the town

2010-04-16T20:10:00.000-05:00

Max and Lily in Buffalo, March 2010

Puzzle Master

2009-05-05T22:02:00.002-05:00

Max loves to do puzzles.

Workin' man

2009-05-05T21:38:00.001-05:00

Max is helping spruce up the house.

Stop and Smell the Tulips

2009-05-03T21:34:00.000-05:00

Max and Lily went downtown for some pics and strolls by the Capitol, where the tulips are in full bloom.

More trainin'

2009-03-15T20:20:00.003-05:00

Max is potty training and learning to read, at the same time. If it works, you'll be seeing the hardcover in the Borders parenting section next year.

Seol-nal

2009-03-08T19:11:00.000-05:00

Korean Lunar New Year was January 26, but the Madison group Families Through Korean Adoption held its celebration on March 7. Max and Lily were dressed in their Han-bok and had fun playing traditional games like Yut and tuho and learned how to bow correctly to the elders (Se-Bae).

Max did a very good bow...

He also did some goofing...

The Island of Sodor

2009-03-01T16:09:00.003-06:00

Inspired by the model railroad expo (see post dated 2/21/2009), Max and I set up this new Thomas wooden track set on the living room floor.

All Aboard!

2009-02-21T15:27:00.004-06:00

For the second straight year, Max donned his engineer duds to attend the Madison Model Train Exposition at the Alliant Energy Center. Max knows more about trains than his Dad.

This photo is an HO-scale (I think) model of the Mitchell domes in Milwaukee. Most of the exhibitors were from Wisconsin and surrounding states. Some of the exhibits depict real scenes from the local past.

Here's a little clip of Max watching a Z scale (?) train go by.

2 year anniversary

2008-12-20T21:15:00.002-06:00

Today is the two year anniversary of finalizing our adoption of Max. We ate at the Old Fashioned where we enjoyed lunch. We then went to the state capitol building to view the big Christmas tree. We capped the day with a drive through Olin Park's night light display.

I thought it would be interesting to contrast pictures of Max from then (around the time of our finalization in 2006) and now.

Where the Wild Thing Is

2008-10-31T22:00:00.001-05:00

The night Max wore his wolf suit and made mischief of one kind...

2008-10-31T21:00:00.002-05:00

... and another

2008-10-31T20:00:00.001-05:00

his mother called him “WILD THING!” and Max said “I’LL EAT YOU UP!”

2008-10-31T18:00:00.002-05:00

so he was sent to bed without eating anything... (his sister, too).

Dance Dance Revolution

2008-09-27T22:58:00.005-05:00

Max went to the Overture Center today. The program was "Co-Motion dance" -- kind of modern jazz dancing geared for the kiddies. Here, Max is doing his interpretation of random harp doodlings.

Pay close attention to his opening move -- it's a classic...

A fun guy

2008-08-11T23:25:00.001-05:00

Max is a hoot!

Hey Dude!

2008-05-08T22:23:00.002-05:00

Little Max is already a more recognizable rocker than his Dad. He's fronted Madison's favorite band The Gomers twice already! Here's a shaky sample from his last gig, where he sang for the crowd gathered at our Overture Center for the Arts:

Happy Construction!

2008-03-14T20:08:00.006-05:00

It's been a very long winter here -- record snowfalls, bitter cold, icy roads and sidewalks... climate change indeed! Needless to say, we are ready and waiting for Spring. Forty degree temperatures this week gave us our first whiff of what will hopefully be a long, mild, and fun-filled non-winter season.

I think they call it "construction" here. With all the potholes to fix this year, it ought to be a noisy, orange summer.

Happy Construction Season!

America's next top model?

2008-03-01T20:55:00.002-06:00

Max has star power, there's no doubt. I mean look at him, he's got "it." So, once in awhile, he has a modeling gig so that he can pay off that Thomas the Tank Engine bill.

Oh it sounds glamorous and all... $50 an hour just to look cute. Except most of these shoots are hours away, and not all that much fun.

The last one was for Swing n' Slide. They make big... well, swings and slides. Max, being the pro that he is, of course sees this big wooden contraption and begins to inspect its fun zones -- he quality tested every swing, slide, and sandbox. Unfortunately, the photographer wasn't happy with photos of a happy Max. He wanted a suitably dull photo of Max sitting still in a fake sand box, and he needed thirty minutes and a crew of grips and wranglers to set up the shot. And what did he get? A very bored, unhappy Max.

We had this photo taken at a studio in Middleton, just for kicks. It captures his professionalism more accurately. Even with mismatched shoes, he still sells it.

iCousins

2008-01-14T21:17:00.005-06:00

The tech world is buzzing today, after Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the iCousins portable device. Said Jobs:

the iCousins are the electronic accessory everyone will want. It's a kid, another kid, a portable music player, and a very cute photo opportunity all in one. And it comes in a variety of shapes and styles!

Max Pflieger and Marina Suarez, real-life cousins, were chosen to be the silhouette models for the gadget, which is expected to be available for the Groundhog Day sales events.

Apple stock today jumped two full points after the announcement.

Joy to the World

2007-12-26T14:22:00.001-06:00

Max had his first Santa experience the other day. He was cool as ice until the hand off... this photo says the rest.

What's in a name?

2007-09-03T22:33:00.000-05:00

Miya and I decided our son's adopted name would be Maxwel Vaughn Pflieger. We like the names, and Max has long been a favorite of mine since I heard it was my great grandfather Bonek's name. Miya liked Vaughn. As a bonus, the initials made MVP... it was fated.

It's more than just a cool sounding name. It's descriptive. Maxwel is Old English for from the extreme stream. Vaughn is Old English/Welsh for little. Indeed, little In-Koo hails from watery Busan, Korea's second largest city, a venerable port town on the southeastern coast, where the Naktong-gang drains into the East Sea.

So, we hope Max will agree there's a little more there than vowels and consonants.

Belief

2007-09-02T21:34:00.001-05:00

Over the next few weeks we learned about Max even if he didn't learn much about us. We took the pediatric reports from Korea to doctors here, completed more paperwork, and waited anxiously for updates. It's a little blurry now, but I think we were in disbelief that it was really happening.

One day, we received word that In-Koo had been hospitalized. "Not to worry," our social worker assured us, "strictly routine. Probably just a fever and a sniffle." We learned that in Korea generally, and even more so for the children in foster care awaiting adoption, they are rushed to the hospital at the slightest ailment.

We were surprised, but glad to hear this. It's difficult not to worry. Thankfully, new pictures soon arrived that confirmed In-Koo was making progress...

What a difference two months make. Seeing is believing.

A window

2007-09-01T15:53:00.001-05:00

We started the adoption process in September 2005, very close to Max's birthday. At that time, we had no knowledge of anyone named In-Koo Kang; he didn't know us either. We spent the autumn of 2005 documenting ourselves, explaining ourselves, and preparing ourselves for parenthood. In January 2006 we got a call and became aware...

A picture says more than a thousand words, it gives the viewer a window into another world. A world of possibilities.

This is where it is

2007-08-31T10:11:00.001-05:00

Kids these days have a lot of stuff. Including websites, I guess, because that's what this one is all about.

Maxwel Vaughn Pflieger is one kid who deserves to be documented. For one, he's already well documented, having numerous official papers in his name. For two, he is a globe-trotting adventurer with dashing good looks. Plus, the outtakes are hilarious.

So, welcome friends and family to Max's page. Here is where his Dad will post the stuff the world needs to see to appreciate this amazing person.

Enjoy your time here.