Luke Randoms, Part 1....

I'm going to a bit of a mini-series this week....It's all a bunch of "Luke Randoms." It'll show everybody what a day (no days are "typical") in the life of Luke looks like.

Yep, stay with me folks -- I'm going to be one of those bloggers (for a bit anyways) who only blogs about his or her kids. (Please remind me that I'm not normally like that).

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Every once in awhile, and today is one of those days, Luke gets to eat breakfast on the couch. When he does, he MUST use a sippy cup with a "stopper valve." He MUST eat something dry (and today -- it was a dry waffle -- one without butter, syrup, or any other topping).

Luke likes to do it, and fortunately, at least so far, he doesn't protest at the following meal when he has to eat at the table :)



Last night, Marc and I had a much needed date-night. Luke was home with one of our fabulous teenage baby-sitters, and we were told that he did great.

Like any good and well-meaning parents, we, of course, during the course of our evening, purchased Luke something (just for fun and we thought they were too cute to pass up). We purchased him some Elmo slippers to wear around the house this winter.

As we purchased these slippers, we muttered to ourselves that we never thought we'd be "one of those parents" who actually added to and supported a child's liking of licensed characters.

But, many of you know how that goes :)

After church today, Luke received his slippers (and yes -- he has MY nametag on his shirt from church).



He sat on the floor as I explained to him that they went on his feet -- "They're shoes," I told him (Luke likes to talk about shoes).





Believe it or not, Luke did NOT want them on his feet. So, for now, they're toys.

OR -- in Luke's case (and if you saw my LAST POST), they're merely to have around to feed Elmo.

Yep, Elmo received bites as well as some sips of milk at lunch today....

In this photo, Luke is feeding one of the Elmo slippers some "bites" of his sandwich.



And, just so you all know, even though Luke would NOT wear the slippers, he did take them to bed with him after lunch for his nap. I guess the slippers needed a nap.

And this morning, walking out of church, Luke wanted to run through the parking lot to our vehicle (that's a normal now). Well, our church's parking lot is quite busy after church; therefore, Luke is REQUIRED to hold one of our hands. The problem -- Luke doesn't want to hold our hands while running.

So, a fit ensued in the church parking lot. He ended up being carried across the parking lot screaming. Yep -- GOOD TIMES!

By the time Luke was in his carseat to go home, he demanded his blanket. This photo represents what Luke looked like all the way home from church today (which is only a few minutes of a drive).

"Nanna -- Bink...."

We have Luke enrolled in the Parents as Teachers program through our local school district. It's a program for babies and toddlers aged birth to 3 years.

It's been a good little program, for the most part. I've received a few ideas of activities to do with Luke. I've been able to take Luke to some playgroups where he gets some interaction with other kids, and I have gotten to know a few other moms in the area.

Each year, around Luke's birthday, our parent educator has done an assessment on Luke -- assessment on gross motor skills, fine motor skills, personal/social, etc.....

I completely understand the point of assessments, and for the most part, I agree with them.

Luke, since birth, has always "taken his sweet little time" on almost every developmental milestone....And, I say BIRTH because even in the area of eating -- Luke didn't catch on quickly.

ANYWAYS, this past summer, in July (Luke's birthday is July 21), our parent educator did a home visit and conducted his 2-year assessment.

Luke was only slightly behind on gross motor skills (not surprising to this Mama)....

Luke scored EXCELLENT on fine motor skills (again -- not surprising to this Mama)....

Luke was slightly behind on language (this Mama knew that as well)....

Luke was also slightly behind on personal/social....This one surprised me just a bit. But, once I saw which "question" on the assessment knocked Luke down to the "slightly behind," I stopped being concerned.

Question: Does/Is toddler able to hold a doll like a baby and "pretend" bottle-feed or feed the doll? (This question probably isn't exactly how it was worded, but you get the point).

My Answer (as his Mama): "Nope, I've never seen him do that, but in all fairness, we don't have any dolls around here. He's a boy, and so far, I've seen him show no interest in dolls. Also, since Luke currently doesn't have a sibling, we've had no reason to introduce him to cuddling and holding a baby."

At that point, the parent educator pulled a doll out of her bag to see what Luke would do....Yep, you guessed it. Luke had ZERO interest in the doll and went straight to a ball to play with.

Sooooooo, Luke was knocked down a point.

This Mama didn't worry about it.....

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Luke has this little plastic pull dog.



Marc's parents gave it to him for his birthday. Luke does like to pull it around the house, and if we let him, he'd probably take it to bed with him some nights (it has a string, and we don't necessarily think it's the safest with him in bed).

It's quite cute, really (we, as his parents, think it is, anyways).

Last weekend, OUT OF THE BLUE, we noticed Luke doing this....



Yep, Luke, on his own, went to the drawer in the kitchen with all of the storage containers. He pulled a container out and pretended to give the dog a drink.

Luke kept saying, "Nanna -- Bink."

"Nanna" means "Anna." (Anna is the name of my parents' dog). "Bink" means "drink" in Luke-Speak.

He then proceeded to take a drink on his own. I'm hoping he knows NOT to drink out of the same bowl as a real dog. But, I guess if he does once or twice, it won't kill him. He'll learn :)



Sooooo, all you trained educators out there.....Wouldn't this count for something?

If it does, then I, as his Mama, can add this to the list of developmental milestones that Luke "gets in his own time."

And, this Mama will continue to NOT worry about picky stuff like this (I have ample opportunity to worry about other things as a parent, though :))

Happy Veterans' Day!

We, here at the Friesen Household, want to wish all veterans a Happy Veterans' Day....And, to personalize it a bit more than that....

THANKS to ALL VETERANS, past and present, who have served our country. We, here in the Friesen Household, are VERY thankful for the freedoms we have in this country that we wouldn't have had it not been for your service.

In case you missed my LAST POST, our family went to a Veterans' Day Parade this past Saturday.

During this parade, Luke was wearing a flag shirt, but you couldn't see it because of his jacket (which was important with the chilly air).

Today, Luke is once again wearing his flag shirt....

I took some photos. I had a bit of a time getting some good serious photos, but here he is with his shirt....And yes, he's wearing Marc's shoes.

(Hey -- he's only 2)!

Veterans' Day Parade -- 2010....

Warning! Warning! This post will have a photo overload, but please read on....I promise it will not let you down :)

This past Saturday (November 6), Marc, Luke, and I attended THIS VETERANS' DAY PARADE in Wichita.

We went to this parade with my parents and my brother and his three kids -- Grace, Natalie, and Maddie. Unfortunately, my sister-in-law, Amber, had to work. So, she wasn't able to be at the parade (though she did join us later for lunch).

You might remember THIS POST from a year ago when we attended the 2009 Wichita Veterans' Day Parade.

If you've read this blog for any length of time, you might have realized that though we are not a military family, we are VERY supportive of our country's military personnel and all that they do for our freedoms. We're also EXTREMELY thankful for what our veterans have done for our country. My prayer is that we, as a family, always show that appreciation, and I also pray that we are teaching and showing Luke and our nieces the importance of what military personnel have done for our country.

Attending this Veterans' Day Parade is only a small token of our appreciation for what they do.

Anyways....

First, Marc did snap a wonderful photo of Luke and me...I'm putting this first on this blog post because not too often are there photos of Luke and me (I'm usually the one behind the camera).



The parade started out where we all stood up for the flag.



Then, personnel from our local air force base, McConnell, walked by -- also with flags. If you look closely in this photo, you can see a small child being pulled by her air force dad in the wagon -- VERY CUTE! (And Robin -- this photo is from you since this air force base did bring your family to Wichita at one point in time).



And then, many members of the Patriot Guard rode by on their motorcycles.





The funniest thing, though, was that Natalie (our niece) absolutely didn't like the noise from the motorcycles.



Luke, on the other hand, LOVED watching the motorcycles....You know, they have wheels :) He waved at many of the riders.





And, members of the local JROTC programs....





And, this one brought quite a few tears to my eyes -- a float with mothers and wives and other family members of fallen heroes....

As a mother, my heart just went out to them.



I enjoyed seeing some of the recipients of the Honor Flights program....

I love watching "older" veterans -- they have such a sense of pride for our country that I hope I replicate.



At one point in time, we caught Luke watching the parade with his hands folded -- as if he was praying. Perhaps that's what he was doing????



And finally -- several different types of military vehicles....







And, this tank was actually remote-controlled....Luke was most fascinated by it.



When the parade was over, we all headed over to CiCi's Pizza....By this time, my sister-in-law was finished working and was able to join us.

(I'm not sure where my mom was in this photo -- my guess would be that she was taking our niece, Natalie, to the restroom since I also don't see her in the photo).



Heading home, we could tell Luke was VERY tired and ready for his nap....We can tell by the redness in his cheeks. But, Luke, on the way home, was still very much into playing with Marc's hat.



And, Luke did this with his little cars (and a sippy cup) at his side in the carseat :)



What a fabulous tradition to start with our family!

Please honor some veterans this Thursday on Veterans' Day!

Weekly Meal Plan AND More Luke "Tats"....

If you need any ideas -- here's what we're having this coming week....

Monday, November 8, 2010
Montreal Meatball Casserole (uses Montreal Steak Seasoning)
Vegetable

Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Marc -- Ham & Cheese Quiche
Sarah -- Eating at Mom 2 Mom at church

Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Sugar Glazed Salmon
Potatoes
Vegetable

Thursday, November 11, 2010
Homemade Pizza

Friday, November 12, 2010
Spaghetti w/ Meat Sauce
Bread
Vegetable

Saturday, November 13, 2010
Breakfast: Gorilla Bread
**I've never personally made this bread, but Marc and I had it when a fellow classmate in our Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class made it. It was YUMMY! I'm hoping I can replicate.

Lunch: Marc -- Will Rummage Sarah -- Will be eating out with a high school friend (TBD)

Supper: DATE NIGHT! Also -- TBD

Sunday, November 14, 2010

ALL TBD

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If you've been reading this blog recently, I've mentioned that currently, Luke is REALLY into "tats" -- a.k.a. hats (which actually, he's been using the correct "H" sound for the word to be said properly, but we still catch ourselves saying it with the "T" sound -- I guess we should stop that to help Luke learn to speak properly)....

Anyways, usually, he wears "caps" -- in particular, Marc's caps.

But, the other day, he himself located his upcoming winter hats. So, he spent the morning inside with a stocking cap on. I would've thought he would've been hot, but he didn't seem to mind.





And, just this evening, we were with our small group Bible Study. Luke was home with a baby-sitter. This particular baby-sitter hadn't watched him for a couple of months, and she was unaware of Luke's hat fascination. So, I warned her about it.

When we got home, Luke was in bed, but he wasn't yet asleep. We have a video monitor, and so, I immediately went and looked at the monitor. I noticed he had his "Choo-Choo" hat on....

I said to the baby-sitter, "So, he went to bed with his hat (while chuckling)."

She responded, "Yep -- he took it with him."

Luke's done this before, and so, I just chuckled a bit more and moved on.

But later on, I looked at the monitor. By this time, Luke was asleep with the "Choo-Choo" hat still on....Funny guy!

(And yes, feel free to make comments that Luke is CLEARLY a first child when his mother takes photos of the monitor, BUT, that's O.K....We find him to be just cute).

Little Boy Toys....

Luke, all of a sudden, has R.E.A.L.L.Y. gotten into Matchbox-type cars (I say that because they may or may not all be actual Matchbox brand).

He's most definitely looked at them before, but until the last 10 days or so, they weren't the most interesting thing in the world. Now, they are!

Dare I say this? BUT, they have BIG TIME eliminated some quality "blanket time" in Luke's little life.

1) At least two cars always go to the store with us.

2) Five cars went to Grandma and Grandpa Friesen's house tonight.

3) Between two and seven cars go to bed with Luke -- both during naptime and nighttime.

4) And, for only being 2 years and 3 months, Luke's attention span with these cars has grown exponentially.

Pretty amazing, really....

If you look closely in this photo (among the sunlight, the sippy cups, and the stuffed dog), you'll notice quite a few cars. It truly is amazing how long he'll play with these cars.



And, the moment Marc has really been waiting for (literally waiting since about my 20th week of pregnancy with Luke -- when we found out Luke was indeed a boy) -- making the cars go REALLY fast off of the table, thereby crashing to the floor.

Is that a boy thing or what?



It's amazing how much Luke can giggle EACH TIME a car goes crashing to the floor.

Again -- pure entertainment for a little boy!

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And, just for sheer fun and cuteness....

About a month ago, my mom, Luke, and I were at Sam's to find Luke a winter coat (which we did find).

We ended up finding this very cute jacket/"vest."



And, like any good grandmother, my mom bought it for him. Finally, this week, the temperature has been right for Luke to wear it.

I'm thinking it was a good purchase....Luke's been looking pretty good this week.

And yes, today, Luke and I were visiting my brother, Joel.

And, my brother, being the quick-one that he is, took one look at Luke's vest and said....

"Hey Biff -- Get a load at this guy's life preserver....The dork thinks he's going to drown."

(And NO, my brother was not specifically calling Luke a dork)....But, which movie is that line from?

I'll give you a hint -- I immediately did know....And, I do like this movie. AND, I was able to quote this line with my brother (also NOT calling Luke a dork).

Weekly Meal Plan and A Couple of Pics....

I missed posting our meal plan for last week....Shame Shame!

But, here it is for this week :)

Monday, November 1, 2010
Sarah's Spectacular Pasta

(Basically, this meal is sauteed green peppers, red peppers, onion, and Italian Sausage -- over pasta with Olde Westport Spice pasta seasoning).

Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Scrambled Eggs
Sausage
Waffles (I have some frozen waffles that I have too many of).

Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Ham & Cheese Quiche

Thursday, November 4, 2010
At Marc's parents for supper

Friday, November 5, 2010
Chicken & Noodles over Mashed Potatoes

**Will be doubling the recipe because I'm taking a meal for a couple with a new baby.

**Also, I will be baking cookies of some sort.

Saturday, November 6, 2010
Will be going to THIS VETERANS' DAY PARADE in the morning with my family....So....

Lunch: At Cici's Pizza with the family

Supper: Rummage

Sunday, November 7, 2010
Lunch: Rummage

Supper: Salmon, Mashed Potatoes, Vegetable

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Over the last several months (but especially over the last month), Luke has REALLY been doing more "boy" type things....playing with cars, making car noises, etc....

He was doing some of this before, but seriously, over the last month, it has increased 10-fold (in my opinion).

Case in Point....

If you've been following this blog, you might possibly remember this 4-wheeler my parents gave Luke for his birthday.

He likes to ride it around the house....

This morning was no exception.



Immediately after snapping this "goofy" photo, I looked down to see Luke doing this....Yep -- checking out and inspecting the wheels.



Not that girls would never do something like this, but I'm thinking that, in general, girls don't care too much about how the wheels work.

Do we have an engineer in the making?