Luke is 6!

So yesterday my youngest turned 6!  It hasn't really sunk in just like him starting Kindergarten didn't sink in until about a week later. Maybe it is denial because it just doesn't seem possible that he is this old now.  I remember everything so clearly about his birth even down to what how pissed he was when they gave him his first bath.  He was the pinkest baby I had ever seen with giant dark eyes. And, he couldn't get warm enough.  He still has those eyes and usually ends up in our bed for warmth.  He still surprises me constantly.  I think this will be him MO throughout life.  A lot of his personality is emerging this year, and it is really fun to see.  Needless to say, there is no other like Bubba!

Luke's 25:

1) Luke now stands at 48".
2) He is still known as Bubba by family and a few close friends, but sadly, it is fading out.  He now has decided that "Skywalker" would make a great new middle name.
3) Luke is now in Kindergarten and loving it (one big surprise for Mom and Dad)
4) Luke likes to pretend that he is unhappy about everything, but it is false advertising...except when it comes to his brother, and that is pretty genuine.
5) Luke still loves puzzles and Legos.
6) Luke has an unusual pallet which includes salmon, cantaloupe and gnocchi; however, he gags on anything green.
7) Lukes' best friend is still the one and only Trent!
8) He still sports the small tuft of hair on the back of his head, but he works to make it lay down.
9) He has decided he will not marry or have children.  Instead, he is going to pay my bills.  Not sure what Lyndon will do, but I am set!
10) He still gets in our bed...
11) Luke is my sugar kid.  Any kind of sugar will do.
12) His favorite shows include Power Rangers and Ninjago.
13) His favorite movie is Spy Kids.
14) His favorite game is Minecraft.
15)His favorite place to eat is still Big View Diner.
16) His least favorite place is Nothing But Noodles which happens to be a favorite of his big brother.
17) He is honest to a fault.
18) Luke is very much a rule follower and will immediately let me know if someone (aka his brother) is not following the rules.
19) He would never admit it, but he still likes to be held.
20) I have to bribe him for kisses.
21) Luke is not much into sports, but he can build a mean dinosaur house from Magna Tiles.
22) Luke prefers to either play alone or with one friend.  He is not much of a crowd person. 
23) He has a soft heart for animals in particular, tigers. 
24) Luke has a sensitive side that few get to witness, but it is deep.  He is loyal to those who are kind to him.  He can be silly, but he has little tolerance for those who are fake.  He will immediately walk away. 
25) And, those eyes and dimple still suck everyone in!

Happy Birthday, Bubba!  You are an incredible gift!  We love you!!

Finally September!!

Well, all I can say is that I am really behind on my updates!  I mean, I am pretty sure I need to start at the beginning of summer to catch everyone up. Sorry. I complained and complained all spring about needing a change and how ready I was for the summer.  Summer got here, and all I did was complain about how exhausted I was with the constant going and going. The boys NEVER sat down, seriously, NEVER.  They either wanted to play outside or go somewhere or have someone over for a playdate.  And, I either accommodated them or listen to the constant whining and nagging until I gave in.  So, I pretty much ran myself crazy this summer. I rarely had a moment to myself and when I did, I really just wanted to stare at the TV. Working on the blog seemed to be a daunting task. Now it is fall, and, once again, I am complaining.  Both boys are in school full time, and it is breaking my heart.  Don't get me wrong, I finally have the house back and quiet time and a routine.  But, the house really seems empty, it is a little too quiet and I never did like having a routine.
At this point, I am trying to figure out what to do with myself while they are gone all day.  On the first day, I put them both on the bus and came home and cleaned the house and organized.  I really expected it to take the week to get everything back in place, clean, catch up on laundry, clean out fridge etc.  I was done by noon. I will admit that it was really nice to walk through the house while it was completely clean, all toys in their place and clothes actually hung up and put in drawers rather than left in the baskets where they usually stay until someone digs them out to wear.  I finally took a deep breath and decided to go to Target...alone.  I was done with that by 1pm.  Let me emphasize that I have been looking forward to having quiet, alone time where I have the day to myself for the last several years.  I have been at home with one to two children for almost 8 years.  I finally got it, and I cleaned and went to Target. I didn't even feel the need to cry.  Maybe I was just dazed or overwhelmed, but, it was very anti-climatic (it did eventually hit me later, at the most random time which has always been my MO). Anyway, we got through the first two weeks, and I am finally getting some kind of routine.  I am loving the clean house as nothing stresses me out more than my house to be dirty and unorganized.  Now I just need to find a job I can do from home that will pay big bucks and allow me to make my own hours.  I don't want to go to meetings or on business trips, I really don't want a boss,  and I don't want to have to go back to school. So,  if you have any suggestions, I am all ears.
So back to pics of all of our events.  I think I am going to go backwards starting with the first day of school!

 

I will start with this guy.  Logan is now in 2nd grade!  He was not excited about starting school, but he secretly likes it.  He is my social butterfly and doesn't want to miss out on anything.  He would enjoy classwork and homework more if he would learn to sit still and take his time; however, he is very busy and wants to be doing anything other than worksheets.  Logan is very capable, but he becomes easily frustrated and tends to give up when something requires effort to work it out (can't imagine where he gets that from).  He will read, but he is not crazy about it.  He is good at math, but he doesn't like the homework to practice it.  So, how do I get him to sit still and learn the value of focus?  That is our goal this year.  I also really need to help him find his niche for reading.  Occasionally, he comes across something he really likes such as Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  But, there are only so many of those.  The hunt is on for the next best thing! Logan secretly has a good singing voice and loves music, but I can't seem to get him interested in playing an instrument anymore (he did about 9 months of violin when he was 5, but the recital overwhelmed him, and he stopped).  He also loves to dance and has an eye for art which I am trying to find ways to encourage.

Not surprising, Logan likes sports. He is once again playing flag football.  I have tried to encourage him to play anything other than football, but he really likes it. Maybe I can talk him into something with less contact next year like swimming!

 

Then there was Luke. This guy started Kindergarten this year.  I am willing to admit that this kid has been a mystery to me from the beginning. I am constantly surprised by him and have never truly figured out his personality. This was evident on his first day of school when his teacher sent home a "Getting To Know Your Child" worksheet for us to fill out.  We both sat in front of it and stared for a bit before trying to explain Luke.  We usually tell people he is very much like a grumpy old man.  He likes to be at home in front of a large pile of Legos.  And, he prefers to be alone.  He can be very moody and only likes certain things to eat, albeit, expensive and unusual (salmon, cantaloupe and red peppers). Luke has a soft spot for animals and especially lions which he has decided he needs to raise money to help.  He also has a few, very select group of friends and is loyal.  While he can still have heinous meltdowns over turning down a different street or giving him the "wrong" color bowl for breakfast, he can be as kind and sweet as can be when the mood strikes him (it must be on his terms only).  He very much needs wants to be praised and told he is doing a great job, but don't dare overdo it as he becomes really embarrassed and the embarrassment can overpower other emotions leading to tears.  Basically I have to be excited for him in another room.  Luke is pretty quick to grasp concepts and likes to learn, but again, it must be his idea and in his own time.  Needless to say, this will be a very interesting year, and I can't wait to see what happens with this child.

In regards to Luke, I was just dying to see how he was doing at school and finally found a way to weasel my way in.  I happily volunteered to help out with Kindergarten lunch one day last week.  I decided to play it cool and allowed Luke to decide if it was ok for me to be present.  So, I stood by the door leading to the food trays and waited for him to spot me.  I honestly expected for him to be embarrassed by my presence and try to ignore me.  I was pleasantly surprised when he ran to me and jumped in my arms genuinely happy to see me.  He even let me kiss him which is huge.  I will tell you that there have only been a couple of moments in my life in which I was able to drown out all other noises to focus on something.  This is one of those moments. He let me hold him and hug him until I was ready to put him down.  That is rare for Luke, so I absorbed it.  That was when I finally got emotional about him being at school.  He was just really happy and enjoyed sitting with his friends and loved being there.  All of my worries about him and school calmed down then, and I have been able to relax!