What My Mother (and Some Other Moms) Told Me....

Besides my own mother, I'm talking about other mothers who have had sons.

These women have told me that boys just "instinctly" do some boy things.

Well, Luke's fairly young (13 months), so up until recently, I've just noticed mainly baby things about him.

In the last week, however, that has changed.

Luke suddenly just figured out how to move a toy car and make a few car noises. I'm not sure really where he learned it. I truly believe it's instinctive -- again, just like my mother and other women with sons have told me.





He'll just roll that truck right around the living room -- while making some sounds with his mouth. It's really very cute, but I know I'm biased :)

*****

Luke has a fairly heavy dislike of the vacuum cleaner. I've had other mothers tell me their children used to be like that as well. So, I really hope he does outgrow this fear. I try to sneak off and vacuum the bedrooms and hallway when he's contently playing in the living room. But, he always has to follow me back there to see what I'm doing.

Then, it comes -- the C.R.Y.I.N.G. It's one of those truly upset, scared cries that I just can't ignore. So, I end up carrying him while I vacuum. I can't seem to get him distracted long enough to finish my task. And, I can't vacuum the bedrooms and hallway when he's sleeping. He'd wake right up since all of our bedrooms our near each other.

NO -- This is by no means an easy task. He's heavy, and our vacuum cleaner is not one of those sleak new, light-weight ones. I guess I get some extra exercise that way :) Always look at the positive, I guess.

So, even though he absolutely detests the vacuum cleaner, Luke LOVES to watch Marc mow the lawn. Usually Luke is very "squirmy." However, he is fairly still while watching Marc mow.

This evening (Monday), Marc mowed the lawn. While he mowed the frontyard, I pushed Luke in his swing on the porch. That way, Luke could watch Marc from the swing.

When Marc moved to the backyard, I took Luke back to sit on the deck. Here's what he did for most of the backyard mowing.



He was merely watching this....Marc going back and forth across our yard.



After awhile, however, he did start to act silly....with his blanket, of course. We can't go too many places without that thing.







I guess I always need to plan on keeping Luke home while Marc mows -- as opposed to just leaving and going on walks on these nice evenings.

Not Feeling Like Too Much Right Now....

It's Friday evening. I had big intentions to make a good post tonight, but I've had one of those days -- you know, one of those where you don't feel like doing much and you really don't know why.

But, I haven't made a post in awhile, and I don't want any of you faithful followers to lose interest :)

So, here is a recommendation I have -- this is from back in July sometime.

At work, we were needing a small freezer for some things. I researched different options, and ultimately, the best deal was to order a small freezer online from Wal-Mart.

Now, I don't want to use this blog to debate the advantages and disadvantages of Wal-Mart. And, I definitely do not want to hear anything controversial about Wal-Mart because quite frankly, I think it's "hogwash." (Sorry -- couldn't think of a better term).

I digress....

They have a wonderful program at some locations (unfortunately, I don't think it's available at our hometown Wal-Mart -- for all of you locals). The program is called "Site to Store."

The "Site to Store" program is when you order something online from Wal-Mart. Then, you have it shipped directly to the store. You then pick it up at the store. The beauty is that you do NOT have to pay shipping charges to order something that is not available in the store.

So, I did just that with this new freezer we needed. Fortunately, the DQ I work at is VERY close to a Wal-Mart that has this "Site to Store" program available.

Once you get the e-mail that your product is in, you go to the "Site to Store" pick-up area.



And, just in case you didn't get my description of the program, there is a sign -- reminding you how to do it.



They get your item and even take it to your car.....



**This particular employee had absolutely no idea I took his photo. Boy -- what I do for this blog!

Then, they even load it in your car (this is another employee's van, by the way).



It's that simple.

It's really a wonderful program, and I highly recommend you take advantage of it, if needed.

O.K., that's all for now. Sorry that wasn't very entertaining, BUT I do hope it was informative and persuasive.

Perhaps I'll feel more like blogging tomorrow. I'm just in a funk. I'll get out of it.

A Very Busy Saturday....

Yesterday (Saturday, the 23rd of August) was a very busy day for us. Here it is in words and of course, photos :)

Marc got up extremely early to run. He ran 30 miles, yep, 30 miles, because he is training for a 100 mile race in October -- yep, 100 miles. For part of his run, he ran with our friend, Seth. Seth is training for a 1/2 marathon in September and ultimately, his first marathon in October (we're rooting for you, Seth).

Because I chose to NOT get up so early and we have a 13 month-old that was still asleep, I did not get any photos of this training run.

Once Luke and I got up and around, however, we were busy. First, it was Luke's breakfast. He's recently taken to scrambled eggs and toast in the morning, and Luke likes butter and grape jelly on his toast. Here is a photo of the mess.



Then, because it was a S.P.E.C.T.A.C.U.L.A.R. Kansas August morning (we had a record low of 52 degrees), Luke and I took a walk. I even had to put pants and socks on Luke -- something I don't think I'd done since May.

Again, I didn't get any photos of this.

After the walk, Luke and I ran some errands.

Later in the afternoon, after Luke's poor nap (he's on a kick of taking really poor naps lately; therefore, the evenings aren't the greatest in our home right now), we went and did the ultimate....We traded in our Jaguar for a bigger, more family friendly vehicle.

So, here's the last time you locals will see this....



We'd been looking online for quite some time now for a Trail Blazer -- preferably the extended size. We finally found one for a very decent price in a town about 40 minutes from here. We had tried very briefly to sell the car on "Craig's List." Finally, we ended up just trading it in.

Luke did VERY WELL at the car dealership while we were signing papers. He sat on Marc's lap and played with his visor.



Here's the very last photo of the car we had. The tag's already off in this photo.



While it was a very good "Pre-Child" car to have, we really needed something that was easier to get Luke in and out of. Also, the trunk in that car was S.M.A.L.L. If we had any stroller in the trunk, nothing else could get in there. Also, since Marc does do some triathlons, we needed something that we could transport his bike PLUS Luke in at the same time.

So, here's the car dealer taking the stickers off of the window of our new (at least new to us) Trail Blazer. (It's a 2004, in case you're wondering).



It definitely is a different drive. It drives more like a mini-van or possibly even a truck. For me, backing up will take some getting used to. While it does drive nice for a larger vehicle, I will miss my smooth-riding, all-wheel drive Sedan. Also, it's a VERY tight fit into our garage. If it was any bigger, we'd have an issue. Here's a photo of it in our garage, without our other vehicle.



And yes, Luke does seem to enjoy sitting up quite a bit higher.

So, after that major purchase, we headed over to my parents' house for my dad's (Luke's Grandpa K) 60th birthday party. Yep -- 60th. It was a small party with just our family, but it was a NICE, small party. The only issue to Marc and me is that Luke was a bit grouchy -- you know, from that lack of a good nap in the afternoon.

For his birthday supper, my dad chose ribs -- that he grilled himself.



We also had corn on the cob, baked beans, our family's obligatory Oriental Cabbage Salad, our family's obligatory Strawberry Whip, and of course, Pepsi. My mom did quite a bit of research on fixing ribs. So, she baked them slowly first. Then, my dad grilled them. They turned out WONDERFUL!

Here they are -- pork and beef ribs being cut right before we ate.



Here's a photo of Marc really enjoying the ribs.



After eating, but before dessert, some very typical things went on for our family gatherings. First, my brother, Joel, and Marc layed on the floor awhile because they ate too much. Here's a photo of Marc first.



And, my brother....



Luke's cousins, Grace and Natalie, requested to bake pies (with play-dough) with their Grandma (my mom).



I asked Grace what kind of pie she was making. I never really got a response, but here's what one looked like. It was pretty cute.



Luke's generally fairly content playing by himself. He's not really at the age where he wants to play a bunch with other children. PLUS, he was, again, in a grouchy mood throughout the evening. Plus, he had the "Mama's Boy" syndrome going on. He really didn't want to be around too many other people besides me. Yes, I was a bit exhausted by the end of the evening from that behavior exhibited.

So, here he is after he had been crawling around my parents' living room for quite awhile.



He eventually found some antique jars that my mom had displayed. Nope, my parents' house isn't entirely child-proofed.



He did manage to get one to play with. As you can see from this photo, he had it on the edge of the carpet and wood floor. "Luke, let's maybe keep that on the carpet to avoid breaking." (And no, we don't typically let him play with jars. But, in this case, it kept him happy).



Finally, he did let his Grandpa play "Peek a Boo" with him for a bit. Grandpa had two grandchildren around him at that point -- one, Luke and two, Grace -- who is rolling around right beside him. I don't think Grandpa minded too much.



Lastly, we needed my dad's birthday cake. He chose my mom's homemade German Chocolate Cake...Oh YUM! Here are the candles being lit. Nope, we didn't put 60 on them. Instead, he blew out "PAPA" candles -- in addition to two other small candles.





I had taken along Luke's pajamas. He was changed before we left because I was pretty sure he'd fall asleep on the way home. After getting him changed, Luke's Uncle Joel held him for a bit with his daughter (Luke's cousin, Natalie).



We did leave after that. Yep, Luke did fall asleep on the way home -- about a 45 minute drive. He did wake up when I took him out of his carseat, but he was re-asleep in a matter of seconds. He was SO TIRED!



There's our very busy Saturday!

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!

Thirteen Months....

Today, our little guy is 13 months old. Whoa -- hold on! Can he really be 13 months old already? Yep, he is.

I was going to NOT do any more "chair" photos each month. However, awhile back, a good friend of mine, Karen (who is a Grandma), suggested that I keep going until age 2 because they still change so much each month.

So, I'm going to take her suggestion :)

Here's Luke exactly one year ago today....



And, here's Luke now -- of course, with his blanket (a.k.a. his "bwankie") -- you know, the thing we wouldn't go anywhere without.



And, to answer everybody's question -- Luke is NOT walking yet. He's nowhere near there yet. My mom has told me that I didn't walk until 15 months, and I think Luke is somewhat taking after me in that arena. It sometimes is frustrating because other children is age are walking. Children younger than him are walking already.

But, I know, I know -- children develop at their own pace. He will get there.

I just had kind of a frustrating week regarding gross motor skills. But, I won't put all of that on this blog.

Instead, I will tell all of you in "blogger" world that Luke is wonderful. We love him so much! We're very thankful to God for him each and every day. We pray that he grows up to love God first and to be a Godly man.

Girls' Night Out....

This post is LONG overdue -- almost three weeks, to be exact. But, I do have some funny photos to post (at least funny to those involved).

2 1/2 weeks ago, on Sunday, August 2, our Community Life Group women had a "Girls' Night Out." We hadn't had one since late February, and we also wanted to get one in before Lisa's chemo started up again.

It ended up being PERFECT August weather that evening to go out.

We started out at a local Wichita favorite -- Carlo's O' Kelly's. It's one of those local Tex-Mex chains that never seems to get old even though they definitely don't update their buildings or decor very much.

I don't have a photo of our first incident, but it definitely had to be when the server spilled salsa. It managed to miss me somehow, but Johannah's shirt and purse got a bit covered in salsa. You could tell the server felt bad, and fortunately, her purse was made out of material that made it easy to wipe off. Don't know about her shirt, though...I haven't heard how the laundering went, Johannah.

But, the food was still good, as usual. Here's a photo of our Community Life Group ladies after eating.



After eating, because it was SUCH a nice evening, we went here....



It's All Star Adventures -- you know, one of those places that has miniature golf, go-karts, an arcade, bumper cars (both inside and out), and of course, small amusement park rides. It's one of those places that one could potentially spend a lot of money at -- nope, not cheap entertainment here.

But, we stuck to miniature golf and ONE amusement park ride.

Our miniature golf skills actually come across as quite professional (insert sarcasm here). Just to not leave anybody out, I feel I must post a photo of each of us. My, we are SOOOOOO good.

I guess that because this is the "Friesen" blog, I'll post a photo of myself first.



Now, here's the other Sarah in our group -- Sarah H.



And, for the photo of Johannah, the master -- that's because she ultimately won our game.



Here's Sam....



And, Lisa....



Two things that I personally love about Girls' Night Out are a) the ability and pleasure of acting completely goofy and b) the ability to laugh at ourselves

Here's a photo of the latter....



Also, to spur on some laughter -- we all had at least one "interesting" hole throughout this game. For a couple of us (me included), the ball just never went into the hole...so, we had to take the maximum points allowed on that hole. For others, the ball went completely off of the green. Sorry Sarah H. -- your's is the photo I had.



There's nothing in the world like fellowship like that :)

We did get to celebrate two of the girls getting "Holes in One" -- Sam & Johannah.





And, you know at entertainment places such as this one, you can always admire the beautiful architecture (again, insert the sarcasm).





O.K., enough of the miniature golfing....

After miniature golfing, we had five tickets we needed to use up. Well, some of the amusement rides were only one ticket per person. PERFECT! Well, sort of....

I'm not much into amusement park rides. A few others didn't want anything too "spinny." Sarah H. was up for anything. Finally, after much debate, we all decided we would get on the "Big Swing" -- you know the swings that go fairly high up in a big circle. No big deal, right????

WRONG! It was quite interesting. Needless to say, I didn't get any photos of this event. First, I was afraid I'd drop the camera. Second, I didn't want to get any more nauseous than what I already was. Third, Johannah (who was on the swing behind me) kept shouting at me during the ride to not move....she was trying to concentrate on my still head to avoid nausea herself :)

Oh my -- this is something we can COMPLETELY LAUGH about now. It wasn't so funny at the time.

Here's a question for all of you???? With age, do amusement park rides get more difficult to tolerate?

We pretty much all had issues that evening; however, I'm VERY HAPPY to report that there was no vomiting from any of us after that ride.

After our stomachs settled a bit, we decided to end our evening with this....yep, ice cream.



It was a VERY FUN evening, despite the amusement park ride. We will definitely have to do this again. Plus Lisa, when your cancer treatment is over, we're having a HUGE PARTY!

Randomness....

Last Saturday (the 8th), Marc was in a triathlon. He ended up placing 14th out of approximately 220 people -- not too bad considering he's hardly been on a bicycle this summer.

Today (the 15th), Marc was in another triathlon. Today, he placed 5th out of approximately 140 people -- again, not too bad. We're proud of him in this household!

While Marc was traveling home from his triathlon today, Luke and I went to a Kindermusik openhouse. Luke is now enrolled for a 5-week fall class on babies/toddlers and sign language, taught by none other than our friend Jill. I can't WAIT for this class. I need some help with Luke in this arena. Sorry -- I don't have any photos from this outing.

After Marc got back from his triathlon, we decided to eat lunch at our local Quizno's. Luke did EXCELLENT there, but he was showing off a bit.

I had given him a couple of plastic spoons to play with. He ended up with one almost on his nose. I think this goofiness might be inherited from his Uncle Joel. You see, Joel is notorious for putting spoons on his nose -- making them stick to his nose -- even though he is in his 30s. Perhaps I'll get a photo of this goofiness at our next family gathering. In the meantime, here's a 12 1/2 month old -- headed that direction.



After lunch, Luke and I went to our local library. They were having a four-hour children's used book sale. When we walked in, there were no other customers. There were only some volunteers, waiting for us to purchase books for a donation. I had Luke in a little stroller. Finally, I asked politely if the volunteers minded if Luke crawled around. They, I'm sure, were all mothers. They were MORE THAN HAPPY to have Luke do that. Luke had a good time while I was looking at books, and he was well watched by all of the mothers in the room.

Finally, a Jr. Highish (probably) girl, who was a daughter of one of the volunteers, asked me if she could read to Luke. "Absolutely," I said. So, she read to Luke and played with Luke while I finished my "shopping." It was very cute, and Luke was very friendly with her. This, I did take a photo of....too bad I forgot to ask the nice girl what her name was.



And yes, we did purchase quite a few books to add to our collection in this household. If I could only be patient and wait for Luke to learn to sit still while I read him a book :) I know -- that'll eventually come. Right?

And, this is totally random, but Marc and I find this hilarious to watch. And, I feel I must share it -- if only for our memories.

Before Luke was born, at one of my babyshowers, we received this musical seahorse as a gift (from our friend, Renee -- I think). Luke didn't pay much attention to it for awhile, but for the last couple of months, he's taken to it.

To work it properly, one must merely press on its belly. Then, it makes nice, soft, gentle music. We've showed Luke THIS MANY TIMES. But, he insists on using his mouth to make the music go. It's really funny to watch in person. I'm not sure these photos do it any justice, but again, I feel I must put them on this blog.





That's all of the randomness I have for now. I hope all of our readers have a very nice weekend!