christmas eve, eve...

We had a very busy day, running errands and getting ready for Santa's visit! The big events of the day were seeing reindeer and making a gingerbread house. Luke loved seeing Santa's reindeer at the local Whole Foods Market--but kept asking where Rudolph was? Ummm, I told him that Rudolph was with Santa, running errands, then we quickly had to leave when I saw Santa getting out of his pickup truck. Then after Henry went to bed, we did a special project: decorating a gingerbread house with lots of candy and icing. He only ate a few pieces, but pronounced the icing delicious!

The boys checking out the reindeer...

Decorating the gingerbread house--don't notice my shoddy icing work!

santa luke...

We had some pictures made this morning before seeing Santa and Luke was much better this time. He actually smiled without closing his eyes! Henry did not care for it much at all. The dreaded stranger anxiety is in full force with him, but Luke got into it. This was his favorite prop I think--he loved the idea of being Santa, but was disappointed to discover that the presents were not real! He wanted to give one to Henry to try to cheer him up and get him to smile.

having a party with 85,000 of your closest friends...

Sam and Luke headed down to Auburn for a football game this weekend--just the big boys on a road trip. Luke did much better than I expected him to do at the game. He loved the band and the popcorn best of all--of course! But as you will see, Daddy kept him busy and entertained all day.

He told me, "My best part was the band and the music" He named almost all the instruments out there.
I think they call this the nosebleed section...

My friend, Aubie

In front of Samford Hall on campus

After every win, head down to Toomer's Corner to roll the trees

We'll have to work on that...

doing mazes....

Ever since we saw Jack's video online with him doing mazes, Luke has been asking when he is going to get to see a video of him working on his maze book. So I finally got around to shooting one. He is pretty good--still working on the finer points of staying inside the lines....;)

trick or treat!!

The long-awaited holiday has finally arrived and Luke was so excited he could not wait. Even though it was a cold, misty night, we hit every house on the street. Afterwards, Luke passed out all of our candy and loved that too. He had to try to guess what every kid was dressed up as!

On a side note, we tried to watch the perennial favorite, The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and Luke hated it! He did not like that Charlie Brown got rocks in his bag and that everyone was so mean to him. And he did not like the way that everyone laughed at Linus and left him outside all night in the cold. He said, "I did not like this show, Mommy. It was mean." Which I guess it was kind of mean, in hindsight watching it.

running up to get some candy!!!

the "scary ghost" and the "mean black cat"--per request

the haul--Luke had about 5 pieces!

Halloween parade....

The premiere of Ghost Luke. It is all he wanted to be for months and months. This costume was made by Mimi--thank you!

It was raining, so we had to have the parade under the covered walkway to the chapel. Doesn't he seem like there is an aura around him? Spooky....P.S. yes that is a skunk and a UPS man in the class

I was in charge of snack and I made these banana ghosts (bananas on a popsicle stick, dipped in vanilla yogurt and frozen for 3 hours--and the face is mini chocolate chips and raisins. They are super easy, if you want to try it--the only trick is to let them thaw for 15 minutes before eating them.) They were a big hit. My one creative act of the year....

Class photo from the pumpkin patch...

Look at my kid--the only one looking at the camera and smiling!!

Top row: Asst teacher Miss Lisa, Garrison, Zach, Josh, Raul, Kathryn H., Nolan

Bottom row: Brewer, Thomas, Tyler, Ana, Ewan, Kathryn F., Luke, Charlie, Emma

Not Pictured: The head teacher, Miss Lauren (she was out that day)

at the falls...

About an hour and 15 minutes north of us is beautiful Amicalola Falls. Luke loved seeing the water fall--"it is loud!"--and climbing all of the rocks and streams below. He was much more enthusiastic in theory when it came to climbing a "mountain" as he put it. When faced with all the steps, he called on his trusty pack mule, Daddy, to shoulder the load!

Daddy and his boys...

Carry me, Daddy...

Mountain goat sub-species Lucas...

leaves!!!....

our first baking injury....

On our rainy PJ Monday, Luke and I made some snickerdoodle cookies and Luke was so excited to help. When they came out out of the oven, Luke was trying to touch them and see if they were "soft", he accidentally hit the edge of the cookie sheet and got his first burn! It looks worse than it is; there were tears but now he barely remembers it is there. Part of me is glad that he has inherited my baking genes, but the other part worries that he has also inherited my tendency to injure myself doing it!

our first professional photo...

beanbag toss....

Home Depot and Lowe's have these great kids' workshops on the weekends and the boys love to go and build different projects together. This beanbag toss is still a big hit!




And quite a challenge from that distance. Daddy was instructed to stand further back off camera.

campout!! outside!!

The weather has cooled off and the long awaited outside campout has finally happened. Luke loved sleeping outside in the tent and listening to the airplanes and crickets and seeing the stars and moon in the sky. He even got to send me a goodnight text message from Daddy's phone.

Ha ha, you did not think that I was sleeping outside too, did you?

where's Luke?....

Hiding somewhere in the pile of most of his friends that must sleep in his bed every night! Some of them are hidden behind others or too small to pick out well. That is Sam-I-Am behind his head--you can just see his hat.

first stitches....

The wound....

We had made it 3 years without a trip to the ER--not too shabby, right? Well that record came to a screeching halt this afternoon. I had gone to work and Sam was with the boys at home. They were about to head outside to play, when Luke decided to sit on the arm of the couch (which he knows better!) and fell over backwards and hit the back of his head on the pedal of the elliptical machine. Sam rushed over and blood was pouring out of Luke's head all over the place. There was a big deep gash that was bleeding pretty profusely. Sam got pressure on it quickly and Luke was totally with it and fairly calm, just saying, "What is all this blood on me, Daddy?" So Sam called me at work as I was pulling into the parking lot: I told him to try the urgent care center, as I had not seen it and I did not know if he needed stitches or not. Well, the urgent care center took one look at Luke and said not only will he need multiple stitches, but he will have to be sedated to do them and they felt like he needed to be in the ER at CHOA (Children's Hospital of Atlanta). Once Sam told me that, I told my supervisor and she told me to go and she would cover my class. So I hopped in my car and met them there.

Fun little chairs in the waiting room....

Mommy guarding the gauze with the numbing medicine while Luke watches TV

The nurses were so good and we actually had the plastics fellow (one step below the bigwig attending) down to stitch him up. Luke got some numbing cream on the wound and some sedation drops in his nose, basically a drug related to Valium and some mild narcotic pain reliever. Within about 5 minutes, he was about half-drunk and hilarious!! Poor thing was weaving and bobbing and bumping into things--definitely could not have passed a field soberity test!! The Child Life Specialist came in and brought him toys and books to play with while he got his 6 big stitches! Then Luke got a blue popsicle too, which he could barely hold, but did enjoy eating.

Luke, after the sedating nose drops....

What an afternoon! Poor Henry was just shuttled back and forth and was very laidback about it. He ate my dinner that I had taken to work and got graham crackers from the nurses, which got them big smiles! We got home and Henry in bed by 8:30, but Luke had to wind down a little from the sedation and so had to put on his doctor coat and give his bear a complete physical before he could sleep. But long story short, everyone is home and fine.

At home, giving Panda Bear the once-over....

This is a quick video of him, after he got the sedation--PS. the crying in the background is from the movie "Toy Story" that was on in the room, not Henry, and that is what Luke is staring at. He really was funny--inappropriate, I know, to think your child who is injured to the point that he needs sedation to repair it is funny, but I had to find humor in the situation to not be too upset about the fact that he was in the ER and needed sedation at all.

first day of school!!

Today was Luke's first full day at Northbrook Preschool! This is the second year and I am very happy with the facility and the staff there. He is going to the TThFr class with Miss Lauren and Miss Lisa for his teachers. There are 15 kids in his class and this year there are actually 4 girls in class! Hooray! He walked right in to the classroom without a backwards look, right past a couple of kids crying at the door, and went right in to wash his hands and starting to draw with some markers. Miss Lauren told me that he was such a good listener and is very sweet and kind to the other kids.

The big day is Friday this year, as that is the day that the class goes to the music room. And if you remember from last year, Luke's love affair with Miss Karen and Miss Linda "the music ladies" is still going strong!!! He lit up when he saw them in the hall and said, "I am coming to see you tomorrow!"

beach pictures....

One of my favorites....

Whee!!!

beach!!....

We spent all morning out in the sun at the pool and beach and Luke had so much fun! He went from the ocean to the sand to flying a kite with Daddy back to the ocean to the sand to the pool.
After lunch, 45 minutes earlier than normal, he was asking me when it was naptime and he was sleepy. He is still out 3.5 hours later!!

I'll load lots of pictures to shutterfly when we get back--the internet connection here is not the strongest ever...

Sand time!

Flying a kite...so fun! No flying away like Curious George though!

Way up there!

building sand castles, so I can knock them down, of course!

Run to the ocean!

Into to the waves and jumping over them..as long as Mom or Dad were nearby!

Stop waves! I am trying to write my name!

I did it! All by myself! About 4 seconds before a wave came and washed it away....but still, pretty good for 3.

This Is No Place Like Home

The boys are getting into the swing of things on vacation, and enjoying getting to do some very not like home things. Today we woke up early to make it to the Blue Angels practice, so we enlisted Curious George to help clear the morning cobwebs.

TV in the morning? TV in Bed?

Tonight we ate dinner out at a local waterfront burger joint.

A hot dog and sweet potato fries for dinner. I love vacation!

The Blue Angels and the National Museum of Naval Aviation

While waking up at 7am on the first morning of vacation was not at the top of any one's list, it was well worth it. Luke was a little overwhelmed by the noise, but was very excited to see the planes flying so fast and upside down! Even better, once we got into the museum Pilot Luke was at the controls. He told us that he wants to be a pilot--not a airplane pilot because "they are too loud"--but a helicopter pilot. I did not tell him that they are pretty loud too!

Loud would be an understatement. So would precision formation


Highway to the danger zone.

I feel the need, the need for speed.



Sure they were all smiles, until they started arguing about who got to be Maverick.