Sing to the Lord a New Song.

Ever since Luke was about four months old, he has had a specific bedtime routine. 

 It all starts with bath time.

 Then there is story time (added once he got a little older).

The last and most essential part of the routine has always been rocking and singing to him for a few minutes before putting him in his bed. We started out at 4 months singing "Jesus Loves Me" to him every single night. Even babysitters and grandparents knew to sing a few rounds of "Jesus Loves Me" before putting him down. After many, many months of the same routine and same song, Phil decided he was tired of singing the same song over and over and over. He started singing some of his favorite songs instead, like Coldplay, Weezer, and Death Cab for Cutie songs. I have always stuck with "Jesus Loves Me", because I love the message and also because it is a song that I know so well that I can sing it over and over while simultaneously thinking about what I am going to make for dinner or what chore awaits me the minute I walk out of the room or which of my TV shows is on tonight or whatever (hey, a mom's got to multi-task). A few months ago, though, Phil started singing a new song to Luke. It is a song by our good friend, Ryan Kiesshauer (pronounced KEES-ow-er), who released his first album last January. The song is our favorite song on the album and is sung in Globalscope ministries around the world. It is a praise song called "King Forever", but Luke just calls it "Kee-OWWW-er". It has become his most favorite song to date, and he asks for it at every nap time and bedtime. In fact, it's the only song he will let us sing at those times. He asks for it all the time in the car, too, and when the next song on the album comes on, he says, "No. I wan' kee-OWWW-er gen!". We've tried explaining to him that all the songs on the album are Kiesshauer, but he refuses to believe us. While it is a challenge for me, one of the most musically disabled people in the world, to sing "King Forever" a cappella and not sound like a howling dog, I love the song so much that I don't mind. (I just pray no one turns on the baby monitor downstairs while I am singing.) My favorite line in the song can bring me to tears at almost any given moment:

Never again will I ask the world to tell me who I am
For I know I am Yours.

So good. And such a good message for the Stinker. Not to mention every other line in the song is totally awesome too. So I am not sad that Luke has chosen to 'sing to the Lord a new song'. It's a darn good song. And I can't wait till he starts singing it in his own words. I'm sure it'll melt this mama's heart.

Since I want you to be able to hear Luke's new fave, here is a link to our friend Ryan (yes, the real deal!) singing "King Forever" on YouTube as part of a contest to win the opportunity to have his song played on the radio in Atlanta. Unfortunately he didn't win, but he should have. I hope you like it as much as we do.
(and if you do, buy it!)

Goodbye My Love...

It has finally happened. 

We have taken Luke's beloved bottles away from him. 

He has been totally and completely in love with his bottle since he was 11 months old and weened himself. He wanted nothing more to do with Mommy's milk, and since he was completely unable to make a sippy cup work at that point, it was a bottle or nothing. For a long while now, we have allowed him to have his milk in his bottle in the morning and after lunch and ever since learning to use a sippy cup way back whenever that was, he has drunk his water and juice in the sippy. I have wanted to get him off the bottle for a while now, but have been a softie about it. He used to be a thumb sucker and LOVED his thumb. I loved that he loved his thumb, because it was such a comfort to him when nothing else was....like when he was tired of being in his stroller or car seat. He'd cry for a second then pop his thumb in his mouth, and he'd be happy. Unfortunately, when he got Foot and Mouth in September, he gave up his thumb from one day to the next. I guess the sores on his hands and in his mouth were bad enough that he was willing to give it up. Once he got better, he seemed to be lost without his comfort item (even though it was still attached to him), and the only thing that gave him a similar kind of comfort was his bottle. So I didn't push him to give that up too. Then I was going to make him give it up once we got back from Christmas/New Year's vacation, but that didn't happen either. He completely refused to drink milk out of anything other than his bottle, and at the time he was not eating much at all (I know...you don't believe me...but it's true), so I let him keep using his bottle so that I could at least be sure he was getting in that much nutrition in a day.

That is, until last week. He had strep, so while I was at the doctor's office, I mentioned that I had yet to be able to get him off the bottle. She was adamant that I bite the bullet and do it immediately (well, once he was better). I told her how much he refuses to drink milk out of a sippy cup and asked if it would be a problem if he didn't drink any for a while. She said he was so big that it wasn't a problem and that I should just be sure that he ate yogurt and cheese on the days that he didn't drink his milk. Well, folks. It's been five days now and Luke has not ingested more than a sip or two of milk. Every time we ask him to drink his milk, he either says, "No fane-chew" (no thank you) or puts the spout up to his mouth barely touching his lips, looks at us, and then puts his cup down again. We have tried bribing him with all sorts of things, and it does absolutely no good. Tomorrow we are going to try using his new favorite food, big chewy chocolate chip cookies, to get him to drink even one sip. I'm not very optimistic. Thankfully, the Big Man has only thrown a few little fits about not being allowed his most favorite thing in the world anymore. He still asks for his bottle every morning, but we just tell him no, that bottles are for babies, and he's a big boy now so he has to drink his milk in his cup. 

Obviously, he's not buying it at all.

Savoring his last bottle ever.

Look at those sad eyes. I think he knew. 

Not even the new shirt I made him could cheer him up.

Oh well. At least we are saving some good money not having to buy milk!

If Only...

...he would let me turn it on. I'd have the cleanest house in town.

"This here beauty is my new favorite thing to play with. It's called a baff-yoom."

"This is the plug that I would plug into a live outlet in a heartbeat if Mommy hadn't already covered every outlet from here to Timbuktu....but then I'd scream and cry like a girl because it's so YOWD!"

"This is where I house my super powerful Mommy-and-Daddy-slaying Kryptonite, also known to some as 'DUST'. I like to scatter it around the house as I go."

"This is how I 'mow' my baff-yoom all around the house until I get it stuck in a tight corner and cry because I can't get it unstuck on my own."

"Mommy thinks I'm a Stinker because I do all these silly things ..."

"but I'm actually really TOUGH...even when I'm not wearing any pants."

"Now that I've proven my toughness to you, I'm gonna do a little dance with my favorite baff-yoom!"

I Just Called to Say...

Almost everyday, at some point during the day, Luke gets a hold of my phone. (Thank God for the key lock.) It is pretty much a given that when he gets my phone, he will put it up to his ear, he will pretend to call PopPop, and he will ask him to ride his tractor. He will alternate talking and listening while holding the phone to his ear and will say things like "yowd" (meaning the tractor is loud), "minute, one day" (meaning he wants to ride the tractor in a minute or in one day, because we are forever telling him, "you can do/have that in just a minute" or "we are going to do that/go there in just one day"), "da red one" (meaning the biggest one, the red Massey-Ferguson), "dive it" (he wants to drive it), or  "fassss" (obviously, he wants to go fast). The funny thing is, though, that any time I try to get him to talk to PopPop or anyone else for real, he clams up and will hardly say anything beyond hello. As long as the phone is off, he's got lots to say and walks all over the house with the phone on his ear jabbering away--and always talking about the tractor.

A couple weeks ago he got my phone, put it up to his ear and screamed happily into it, "POPPOP!!! (I) WANNA RIDE TRACTOR! OH!!!" It was the same conversation that he always has with the phone, but this time much louder and with an exuberant "OH!", which I guess was just for effect. It made me laugh out loud. 

Every once in a while, though, Luke will change it up during his conversations with PopPop and casually ask about Grammy, Phil's mom. Sometimes he even mentions Emma and Uncle (Uncle Brandon, Emma's husband), because they were there the last time Luke rode the tractor. 

Just this past week Phil was in Atlanta for work and stayed with his parents. When Luke asked me about Daddy one morning, I told him he was at Grammy and PopPop's house, because it was much easier than explaining to him that Daddy was in Atlanta on a work trip. Luke's eyes got really big and he yelled out "DADDY RIDE TRACTOR!!!" It cracked me up. At least he's willing to share the love. So all of this is why I just had to take pictures the other day when he was in the middle of yet another pretend conversation with PopPop...and he just so happened to be wearing his beloved tractor shirt at the same time. Here he is talkin' it up with himself and the phone, pretending he's telling PopPop that he's coming in a minute one day to ride the big red tractor.

"So, let's see...what's PopPop's number again?"

"PopPop! What's up, dude?"

"Yeah, can you hang on...I'm trying to find a private place to talk."

"I know...she won't stop following me around..."

(This is so Luke, tilting his head and pacing the house while wheelin' and dealin'.)

"CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?"

"Seriously...is this thing even working?...."

"So am I coming to you or are you bringing the tractor to me?"

Having arranged to ride the tractor in a minute one day, he's all done and so proud of himself.

My sweet, silly Stinker.

And just so you too can experience the awesomeness that is riding the tractor, we have it on video. Yes, folks, this is what Luke hasn't been able to stop thinking and talking about since it happened. I'm sure you'll soon be calling PopPop and asking if you can take a ride, too.
**(like last time, if you hit play, then double click on the video you can see the video in its real size)**

Just Toolin' Around.

On his way to climb the ladder.
Had to grab his tools first, of course!

 

Like {Grand}Father, Like Son.

Phil and his dad, Stan, are very handy and good with tools, which is something that I love about them both. Luke seems to have inherited at least some of those genes, praise Jesus. Ever since staying with my parents in Tampa while we were in Thailand, he has been crazy about tools and goes around the house trying to "fits" (fix) things with his very own tools. Last week Phil tried fixing our very obstinate light in the kitchen. He brought in a step ladder, put on his head lamp, and broke out his tool bucket. Luke was enraptured. He insisted on climbing the ladder himself and using Daddy's tools to help "fits". Little did I know, a new obsession was born that day, and now all Luke can talk about is "ky yadder", or climbing a ladder.

Well, Tuesday, as I was getting home from grocery shopping, Luke met me in the garage and was begging to climb the ladders that were leaning up against the wall in there. Needing to get back in the house and put away the groceries, I had an idea. I brought in the step ladder (safer than a regular one) and put it right smack in the middle of the kitchen. I let Luke climb up and down and play with his tools while I unloaded groceries right there next to him. He loved it and was so cute that I had to get it on video. I also took advantage of his brief moment of cooperation by asking him to say things that I have been wanting to get on video for a while but haven't been able to because whenever I pull out the camera, he just wants to sit in my lap and watch old videos of himself. Anyway, the video is really long, but really funny. If you have the patience, stick with it and watch it to the end, because that is where he sings and declares himself a good basketball player.


**Sidenote: After watching the video, I figured out that when Luke says what sounds like "bop screwdriver", he is saying "Bob screwdriver", meaning that it is like Bob the Builder's (a new hero) screwdriver. Smart little Stinker.**



Last week's helper:


Observing and evaluating Daddy's work.


Giving Daddy pointers on how to do it right.


Giving up on Daddy and deciding to take matters into his own hands.


"Geez...I have to do everything around here. You just can't find good help these days."

Now I just need the weather to warm up so I can get Luke to cultivate those gardening skills that I am hoping he inherited from my dad. With Luke's help, I'll have this place ship shape in no time!

A Tractor Kind of Christmas.

We celebrated Christmas early with Phil's parents at their mountain house this year, and it was possibly the highlight of Luke's year. PopPop has so many motorized toys that Luke thought he had died and gone to heaven. He was SOOOOOO excited. A few days before we left Indy, we told Luke that we were going to go see Grammy and PopPop soon and that he was going to get to drive PopPop's tractor when we got to their house. Well, he has the memory of an elephant and talked about this for days. The morning before we left, this was how he greeted me when I went to get him out of bed:

Me (opening door, walking into his room): "Hey, sweet boy..."
Luke: "Grammy PopPop soon!"
Me: "Yep, we're going to see Grammy and PopPop soon."
Luke: "Ride tractor!"
Me: "Yes, you're going to ride the tractor with PopPop."
Luke: "Two days!!"
Me: "No, now it's only one day. We're going tomorrow!"

He never quite understood the countdown of days, but he understood very well that we were on our way to PopPop's as we made the TEN hour drive on Friday. He must have said "PopPop!!" at least 400 times during the drive and "ride tractor" 300 times. We spent the entire time reassuring him that yes, we were still headed to see PopPop, and yes, he was going to ride the tractor. It was a very long drive.... Once we got to the mountain house, we parked in the garage where the regular riding lawnmower (mowing is another obsession), the John Deere riding mower, and the 4-wheeler live. He was so excited to see them and immediately climbed up on the John Deere. Later as we were unpacking, he disappeared for a few minutes, and we found him out in the garage back on the John Deere. He run down the hall, through the laundry room, and let himself out into the garage. Needless to say, we were vigilant about dead bolting the doors after that. The next day Luke finally got to go for a ride. In typical fashion, he wanted to DRIVE, so PopPop got the John Deere going and let Luke stand in between his legs and steer. They just kept going in circles. It's a wonder PopPop didn't get sick. Later PopPop got out the big, refurbished Massey Ferguson. He drove Luke on the road all the way down the mountain and back up. It was the cutest thing and Luke absolutely loved it. When it was time to put the tractor up, he started to pitch a fit, but we told him that the tractor had to go nigh-night, and he was okay with that. The next day he got to ride on the 4-wheeler once with PopPop and once with Daddy and kept calling it a motorcycle. I guess it does kind of look like a big, fat motorcycle. By this time we had opened Christmas presents and Luke had received some lovely camouflage overalls and a hoodie from PopPop. Perfect 4-wheeler riding attire. We had a great time celebrating Christmas with the whole family (minus JoJo and Brian--boo hoo), but you'd never know to look at our pictures. They are all of Luke on some sort of machine. Oh well. Those are the only pictures he'll care about when he's older anyway.

I wasn't there for this and am wondering if PopPop really let him drive the John Deere out of the garage. Surely not.


He did let him steer, though!
Here is circle #374. And he only turned left, like a true race car driver. If this is a glimpse into his future, I'm in big trouble....


He insisted on "mowing" with this fertilizer thingy.


Overall-ed and 4-wheelin'. Yeehaw!


Headed down the mountain with PopPop.
(Luke absolutely had to have his hoodie up, even though it covered half his face.)


It was a long way down....


And they're back!


Riding the tractor is serious business.
Two hands on the wheel, and get out of my way!

Watching begrudgingly as the tractor goes nigh-night.

Thanks, PopPop and Grammy for making Luke's Christmas so special. He won't soon forget, which means neither will we!!

Daddy Creates a Monster...

Several weeks ago now, Phil let Luke sit in his lap while he pulled the car into the garage. Although the trip only lasted about .06 seconds and 10 feet, it was the ride of a lifetime for Luke. It has changed him forever and has made him madly passionate about cars, and more specifically, DRIVING. In fact, Luke's obsession was so immediately obvious that Phil actually called me on his cell phone from the car and told me to get the camera and come out to the garage. Ever since, Luke has asked to drive almost every time he has ridden in a car.

"Seriously, Mom. I'm busy here."


Checking his mirror before he kicks it in reverse and peels out of the garage.


Discovering the wonders of garage door openers.


I love this picture because I totally caught Phil's surprise after Luke figured out the horn all by himself.


...And once he found it, he couldn't stop.

He was not happy when we forced him out of the car and into the house. Lucky for him, our awesome neighbors came to the rescue once again. Being that Reid is so big these days, he's kind of over his Little Tykes cars. When Reid's mom, Regina, learned of Luke's new obsession, she gladly offered him Ree-Ree's Little Tykes police car. Luke was beyond excited about it.


Love at first drive.


He loves to turn the steering wheel side to side, like he's really driving...


...but he spends most of his time getting in and out.


Sometimes getting out isn't so easy.


And getting up is no cake walk, either.


It's really tough, though, when the car falls over...


...and you can't lift it back up on your own.


But the absolute worst is when Mommy tells you it's time to get out and go inside.