Learning Tower

In case you're wondering what a learning tower is...Lucas uses it to gain access to the counter top, sink or stove to help prepare food and I don't have to worry about him falling off.

Audrey

Some of you remember Audrey from a previous post (see second to the last quote from "More Lucasisms.)"

Apparently, Lucas and Audrey have been planning playdates at school. When I'd pick Lucas up from the playground he would confidently announce that Audrey was coming over. Then he'd get very agitated when I had to inform him otherwise. Of course something had to be done about this quickly, so I invited Audrey over to make muffins and play last week on a rainy afternoon. Cheryl had some things she had to take care of so it was just me and the kids.

This post would be five miles long if I typed all of the cute things that happened. But I will try to highlight the afternoon.

They were on cloud nine from the moment the door was opened. While pizza was cooking, they explored the house together through Audrey's eyes. Over lunch, the Syrian in Lucas came out and he was ordering more pizza for Audrey and telling her to drink her juice, etc.

They shared a spot on the learning tower and took turns mixing the muffin batter. As the muffins baked, Lucas hopped on his tricycle and pedaled off furiously like a little caveman while Audrey fluttered happily behind him. They raced to Lucas's room where they pretended that it was night and then raced out again pretending it was morning. This went on for quite a while, then they settled down to make "soup" (pictured above.)

Next they ate their whole wheat blueberry muffins, fulfilling one of Lucas's biggest dreams. He loves to hear stories about having a friend over for muffins(the friend varies depending on who is on our mind that day.)

We can't wait for more playdates with the "most wonderful girl in the world!"

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sending love to you all this Valentine's Day!

We got a last minute email from Lucas's school yesterday evening about bringing in 32 Valentines this morning. Lucas was already in bed so I rushed around preparing as best I could.

We happened to have some leftover Winnie-the-Pooh Valentines so I just had to make 16 more. I folded a heart and stuck a bug head on top so they look somewhat like a love bug. Then Lucas woke up early to personalize them, tracing or coloring hearts and putting an L on them for his signature (you can see a sideways L if you look closely at the Valentine sticking out of his pocket.)

Chris took him to school and helped him deliver one to each child's bag. Can't wait to open his bags and see all of his Valentines after school today! Chris said there were some fancy ones being handed out.

Octopus in the Woods

This is a potty-inspired story, almost verbatim:

Octopus in the Woods

"One day I was walking in a small patch of grass. Suddenly I realized I was in the woods. In a small distance I saw a owl. He said 'I was looking for you Lucas.' I said 'Oh, yes.'

Then mommy said 'Lucas, where are you??' She came to the woods and said 'Lucas I was looking everywhere for you.'

Then, in a small distance I saw a Octopus. I said (emphatically,) 'I am not your God. Jesus is your God."

Amen!

Lucas helps out

Didn't get a picture of this one, but I think it will forever be etched in my mind.

Yesterday when Lucas had completed his "I don't want dinner...I want to play" tantrum, he came out of his room and walked obediently to the bathroom to wash his hands.

Chris and I smiled and shared a moment parental pride over this new found independence. The other night he had gone to the potty by himself without waking us up. And he was washing his hands without our help during the day. We went to the dinner table to get our plates ready while Lucas finished up in the bathroom.

Pride cometh before the fall. I noticed that Lucas had been in the bathroom for quite a while. And then I heard a tinkling noise that I couldn't quite place.

The door was locked and my quick search for a skeleton key added to the anticipation. When I opened the door, this is what I found.

My normally orderly child was standing on his step-up stool in a dark room. His flashlight on the counter illuminated the waterfall that was flowing from the sink to a puddle on the floor. He was drenched. And one of his Toy Story slippers was floating like a boat in the miniature infinity pool he had created.

I quietly called Chris and we had to cover the smiles on our faces. Then Lucas offered his matter-of-fact explanation...

"I'm washing my slipper!"

Lucas's Birthday

This year's birthday was a lot of fun. Chris's parents and my mom came to his school to watch him celebrate the Montessori way. He walked on a big ellipse around a candle (the "sun") three times, once for every year he's been on Earth. The kids sang a song celebrating Lucas's life and the teacher told stories and showed pictures about what he did in each of those three years. Then Lucas presented a gift for the classroom which is what they encourage us to do. He chose a book titled "The Life Cycle of a Turtle" and though he had never actually opened it before presenting it, he declared the picture inside with eggs to be his favorite and paraded around the ellipse an extra time to show it to the class.

When we came home, Lucas was awestruck and elated with the balloons and decorations. He got many great gifts (cars of course, Candyland, an abacus, books on CD and a keyboard among other things) and took it all in stride.

It was cute to see the look on his face when I brought out the cake and we sang happy birthday. He was so surprised and pleased. He felt special from morning until night and it brought us so much joy. Our little baby boy!

More Lucasisms...

"I have been working very hard with my cars. I need dessert."

In response to another parent at his school asking "you are going to be three?" the day before his birthday ...
"Not yet. Now I'm 2. And on January...(thinking)...soon, I will
be 3."
(pausing to hold up the right number of fingers each time.)

"Oh...my...goodness."

"Oh my gosh."

"I want more dessert (crying, whining) ... I want more dessert." (This, he was saying in his sleep as I was waking him up in the morning for school. We'd had cherries covered with chocolate rum sauce the night before.)

"My WORD!"

"I'm too busy." He says this whenever he doesn't want to do something. Sometimes he is legitimately busy. This has recently changed from an adamant "I'm too DIZZY!"

"Incredible."

"And that's Audrey, the most wonderful girl in the whole world." (Pointing to the blue-eyed blonde in his class picture. She does not let him hold her hand.)

"Alrighty folks...lets watch a video. We are tired. We will feel better." He is saying this right now. And he knows it's nap time.