An Artsy Crafty Summer

This summer has been so hot, and I don't do well outside in the heat. Luke, on the other hand, doesn't care how hot it is (as long as he gets to see the "air cushioners"). So we've been doing a lot of arts and crafts projects during the day to keep us occupied INDOORS.

One of our newest hobbies is painting. Luke is becoming a true VanGogh.

Actually he's more of a Jackson Pollock. But hey, abstract art is totally in.

And we do play doh a couple times a day. My favorite thing about play doh is watching Luke heft the big rolling pin.

I taught Luke to yell "I'm the boss!" when he's pounding the play doh flat.

We've also been doing too much baking because Luke LOVES to make cookies. This week we made banana bread instead of cookies.

Every evening Luke still gets his outside time. We either go to the swings (looking at the air conditioners along the way) or the pool (looking at air conditioners on the way).

Bubbles!!!

Because it's been so hot outside...

We've found a new way to look at "air cushioners"

Fourth of July Weekend

This was a busy and very fun weekend for us. I don't know if it started off particularly fun for Jared because he had his evidence final on Friday, but I was sure glad that his class was over. And Jared thought his test went well-- he sure studied enough for it! While Jared was at school taking his test, Luke and I headed over to Colonial Williamsburg where we met my Uncle Brett and his family. We were able to get them a discount for CW and spend a little time walking around with them. Luckily Brandon, Jason, and Ryan did most of the Luke chasing for me, trying to herd him away from the garbage cans. Can you guess that it didn't really work? At least THEY thought it was funny. I'm sick of it by now. Luke and I left CW around lunch time and then spent the rest of the day getting ready for Nathan's family to come down. We were so excited to see them! Friday night we had pizza and let the boys get acquainted.

They had a quick game before bedtime.

We stayed up later playing a game. Was this the phase 10 night? I can't remember for sure, but it seems like it was. Quick note: A HUGE thank you to Sarah for letting me steal all her pictures. I was a big dope and even though we did lots of things this weekend, I never had my camera. I'm such a loser!

In the morning we had a special breakfast-- biscuits and gravy! After breakfast we headed out to the beach. It was still pretty deserted when we got there, and we were able to keep the boys happy for nearly 2 hours. I was very impressed. Luke did so well! Actually the entire weekend he did things that I can't normally get him to do (like going very far into the water). At first I thought it was because Skyler was there. That was probably part of it, but I think the biggest factor was that DADA was there. As you can see from the pictures, Luke spent most of the time at the beach playing with Jared.

This is the farthest I had seen Luke go into the water. Later, while I was meeting Brett and his family at Jamestown (more discounts) Jared and Luke went out past that sign. After about 2 hours the boys were literally turning blue and it was lunch time anyway, so we headed back to our house for lunch and naps.

Later that day we went to Wallermill Park where we rented canoes.

Skyler was all ready for the ride.

Here is the happy family:

See what a great little trooper looks like?

This is what a stinker looks like:

Luke threw a huge fit because he didn't want to leave the "air cushoner" behind the park office. Usually once we get him to say goodbye to something, he's okay. But he would NOT let it go. He would cry and flail around and kept shaking the canoe. Maybe it should have been funny, but Jared and I didn't think so. We finally got him calmed down by three things: letting Luke hold the oar which calmed him down for a second until he realized that he wasn't allowed to throw it into the water and that Mama wouldn't let him hold it all by himself. Two: Luke stole my seat.

Yep, there his is on my seat while I am sitting on the bottom of the canoe.

And three: singing Row Row Row Your Boat over and over...and over. Basically we had to sing it until we docked the canoe again. I would like to try canoeing again. Hopefully he won't remember that there was an air conditioner there?

After Wallermill we came home to get dinner ready. It was a full house. Brett and his family came to join us. I am kicking myself that we didn't get a picture. Big apology to mom. I know she would have liked to see it. Luke dragged Ryan into his room a couple of times to make him bounce on the air mattress with him. Then he settled on Skyler as a partner.

The boys had a quick game of Guess Who? before bed, and then after they went to sleep the rest of us played Cranium. Nathan, Brandon, and Jason's team won after a great comeback. Their best play was when Brandon had to act out "plumber" by using Jason as a puppet.

On the fourth of July we had a small group at church-- which was a relief because they still haven't replaced the third worker and it's usually a rough beginning. After church we went down to Yorktown where there were reenactments, bands, and bounce houses. The plan was to watch the parade and maybe stay for fireworks.

That worked out for this kid: see how he loved the bounce house?

Luke, however, threw a HUGE fit and kept thrashing around on Jared's shoulders. His one and only interest was finding every single yucky garbage. Jared and I decided that we weren't about to walk around in over 90 degree heat just looking at garbage cans, so we headed back almost right away and celebrated the Fourth at home by making cookies which is one of Luke's very favorite activities.

On Monday we relaxed around the house in the morning. Luke and Skyler played playdoh with the daddies. And once again Luke had a first time mile stone. He did something with the playdoh besides hand it to me and say, "Squish" over and over. He actually rolled it out and used the cutters, etc. Every time I've tried to do that with him before he got really upset, but for some reason when Dada did it, it was totally fine. Whatever. At least Jared (and Skyler?) showed him how it really works. He's played with it well ever since.

Then we went to Newport News. We stopped at Costco and then went to a VERY delicious BBQ place that Jared knew about. BBQ brisket sandwiches-- Yum! We were going to go back to the beach for a cookout, but Sarah and I had too much fun at the Outlet mall and got back much later than planned. So we went to the pool instead.

Isn't Skyler so cute in his goggles?

This was the biggest surprise of all. I haven't been able to get Luke in the water all summer, but we played at the pool for a long time. To be honest, though, he had a hard time at first. He wanted to go to the swings. So after a little bit I took him to the swings and then brought him back to the pool where he was SO happy playing with Dada. The second go round there were a few differences: there was a lot more throwing around. And for another thing I didn't put his wet suit back on him.

Come back soon Nathan, Sarah, and Skyler!

Luke's Very Favorite Books

Luke chooses the same 3 books every night before he goes to bed. His all time favorite is Goodnight Moon. He reads it himself. The funny thing is that I only have the book in Spanish, so Luke reads it according to our translation. My friend lent me her copy this past weekend, and quite a few things are different-- like it rhymes.

When I read the book to him in English he kept correcting me. For example, we read the Spanish book saying a painting of the cow jumping over the moon. In the English book, the word is picture, but when I say that, Luke always says, "Painting. Painting."

I got this book from Debbi, and Luke loves it. He won't listen to the whole story, so we read the first stanza on each page and then say, "Night Night (whatever animal is on that page)." Luke's very favorite is the otter. I don't know why.

Last of all, Luke loves Corduroy. We also have to shorten this book because he turns the pages too fast, but he gets a nice edited version every single night.

I really love books. I'm glad that Luke does too. I have a big list of books that I want to get for him. Some of my favorites when I was little were:

1. The Five Chinese Brothers

2. The Story of Ping

3. The Little Engine that Could

4. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

5. Make Way for Ducklings

I also would like to get "Ferdinand the Bull" because I saw it on the movie the Blind Side. I remember seeing a Disney Cartoon of that story when I was little, but I didn't know it was a book. I can't wait until Luke will sit through stories like this. Then it would make it worth it to buy them. In the meantime, we'll enjoy his 3 favorite stories and few others when he'll let me read them.

Things that Always Make me Smile

1. I love to see old people-- I mean white haired, hunched over love birds-- holding hands. The other day as I was leaving Wal-mart I saw just such a couple crossing the parking lot and I just sighed. I guess it's the romantic in me, but it's my dream to be such a couple. I love holding Jared's hand. I hope I always do.

2. I love to see dads playing with their kids when the kid is just peeled over in laughter. I especially love it when it's Luke playing with Jared. I can never get Luke to laugh quite as hard as Jared can.

3. I love children's prayers. Of course I am thinking of Luke again. Two days ago while he was saying a prayer he said, "Thank you I can see air cushioner (air conditioner)." So funny. It reminded me of the time Ethan thanked Heavenly Father for his fork.

4. I love a good love story. I got "Emma" from Netflicks this week and watched it twice.

Jamestown River Beach

Luke loves to dig at the beach! This morning Keegan, Caleb, Luke and I headed over to Jamestown River Beach to play in the sand. We were the first ones there and had the whole beach to ourselves for a little while.

Luke sure wasn't going to win any fashion contest this morning. His ensemble, as you can see consists of a brown hat (keep the sun off his face-- pointless since he turned the hat to the side), an orange and white shirt (UV protective swim shirt), jean shorts (because they're the least likely to stain should he sit down in dirt, etc.), and black and red rain boots (because Luke HATES the feel of sand/ rocks on his feet).

Caleb and Luke had so much fun digging. Luke also spent quite a bit of time throwing rocks into the water.
After 20 minutes or so, Caleb got adventures and ran out into the water. Luke followed him out, which surprised me because he almost never goes into water. He was wading in almost to where the water would go into his boots. Luke has had a big growth spurt over the last 2 months or so and had outgrown all his shoes, so these were brand new rain boots and I didn't want him to get the inside wet. I pulled him out of the water and put his Crocs on his feet, but then he wouldn't get in the water because he could still feel the sand. I finally crammed (literally) his feet into his old too small rain boots that I had brought for Caleb and let him have at the river.


He tramped around completely water logged for a good long time just having a blast. I'm really glad I brought his old boots along, and really glad I was finally able to get them off his feet. They were suctioned on pretty tight and for a while it was questionable whether or not they were coming off again.

I loved the beach because for the most part Luke stayed in one general area. I got to sit and talk and relax and wasn't constantly hauling him away from whatever random distraction he preferred. Also it was shaded so I didn't feel like I was going to die. We can't wait to go again.

Prayer

On Wednesday night after I put Luke into bed, I could hear him in his room talking to himself. I crept to the door to listen and heard Luke saying prayers. We had just finished saying our prayer together, and he was mostly repeating what I had said, but I thought it was so cute! He was laying down with his arms folded saying, "Heavenly Father, thank you day. Thank you Baby Emmett. Thank you Caleb. Thank you Isaac. (These are all friends of his) and then "Thank you Mima. Thank you Papa. Amen." (To Mom and Dad Wilkerson, I want you to know that we also pray for you every night as well.) He said the same prayer a few times and then he went to sleep. I felt so proud of him that I almost cried. Too sweet!

Awkward Questions

(This picture has nothing to do with the content of the post. I just thought he looked really cute.)

Today Luke and I stopped by the library to play with the trains. But first things first for a pregnant lady. We had to make a stop in the restroom. I brought Luke in the stall with me and he kept trying to poke his head under the adjoining stall and I kept telling him to stand up straight. The person in there was obviously having a moment if you know what I mean-- the smell was pretty strong. I hurried and finished up, but as I was washing my hands, Luke walked back around the corner and asked (very loudly) "Do you have poo poos?"

Pulling the Plug

Last night, we took the BINKY away. Luke didn't cry much, but he did ask repeatedly for his binky, and it took him over an hour to finally fall asleep. And then around 12:30 am the fun started. Luke woke up 3 times during the night asking for his binky and then for Mama. So I am super exhausted from the fact that I was padding back and forth last night, as well as the fact that when I got up at 12:30 am I realized I hadn't taken my Unisom and took it then. Perhaps taking a sleeping pill just after midnight is not such a good idea when Luke wakes up at 6. But then again, being tired is much better than being sick. I hope he takes a good nap today without Binky. And I hope tonight is better. And maybe Luke will learn to look on the bright side-- Blankie isn't going anywhere.